Big Week This Week. And I'm Sure It's Going to Make Me Cry by Scott Stolz (week 17)

 

Big week this week.  My daughter is getting married in DC on Saturday.  Doesn’t get much bigger than that.  Last week I wrote about how it can be challenging to save for retirement or stick to your retirement income plan when you are helping both younger and older family members financially (Are We Really Facing a Retirment Crises? by Scott Stolz (week 16)).  Weddings are a perfect example.  But this is one expense I’m happy to take on.  And it helped that it was not unexpected.  Still, like everything else, weddings cost have gotten a bit out of hand.  I mean, should you really have to pay extra for flatware?  Shouldn’t that just be part of the meal cost?  I thought I could recover some of the cost by placing a bet online against the odds of me getting through the entire weekend without crying.  But I guess DraftKings determined that the odds of that are at least 1000-1, so they wouldn’t take the bet just in case I miraculously pulled it off.  I mean let’s be realistic here.  Is it likely I can get through walking her down the aisle, giving my toast and handling the father/daughter dance without breaking down?  Perhaps 1000-1 is rather good odds after all.  I’ll let you know next week how I do.

One of the biggest pieces of advice I’ve got from others is to have something you look forward to on a regular basis in retirement.  One of those things for me is the St. Pete Half-Century Club.  This is a 50+ modified fast-pitch softball league that was started by a group of guys in downtown St. Petersburg 93 years ago.  I started playing 5 years ago during Covid.  However, since they play every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, I could only be an occasional fill-in player as my work schedule allowed.  In other words, not very often.  But now that I’m retired, I’m an official full-time player for the very first time.  Last week was week one of 20 weeks.  Yes, you read that right.  We play three games per week for 20 weeks.  A full 60 game schedule.  That’s a lot of softball for a bunch of mostly 60+ year-old guys (after all, how many people 50-59 are either retired or have a flexible enough job to play full time?).  Oh, and by the way.  These are 9 inning games, not the typical 7 inning softball games, because I guess a 60-game schedule is just not enough.  I have three primary goals for the season.  First and foremost, don’t get hurt.  Second, keep the stupid plays to a minimum.  And finally, bat at least .500 for the season.  It might be modified fast pitch, but let’s be realistic.  How fast can people our age really pitch the ball and still throw strikes?

Since I’m writing this on Tuesday this week, we are now 4 games into the season.  I’m sad to report that my team – The Pelicans (we are in St. Pete, FL, after all) have dropped 3 of our first 4 games.  But the season is young.  And how am I doing against my three goals?  Well, I did tweak a groin muscle in game 3, but it did not put me out of action.  No stupid plays (yet) and I’m 10-16 for a .625 batting average.  But, as I said, we have a long way to go. 

Retirement truly does give you an opportunity to do things you wouldn’t have time to do when you are working.  In fact, it’s one of the best things about retirement.  If you are retired, post in the comments section what you are now glad to have an opportunity to do.  If you’re not yet retired, post what that thing is going to be for you?  If you don’t know yet, then you now have something to think about.