Retired Syd's Profile

How You Know that You've Found Your Passion

I was in Hawaii last week, don’t ask, it rained almost the whole time. It was still fun because we were there with fun friends. We all made the best of it. But part of me did wonder why I... Continue reading

Posted 4 days ago at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

12

What's on Your Bucket List?

Before I retired, I admit I pretty much only pictured myself being involved in two activities, one being travel and the other being not working. I never really had a bucket list, you know, one of those lists of things... Continue reading

Posted May 10, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

8

Going Broke Safely

I finally got around to watching my recording of “The Retirement Gamble” on PBS’s Frontline. It confirmed what I already thought about actively managed mutual funds being a rip-off for people like me, and probably most people, who just have... Continue reading

Posted May 4, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

20

The Cheesecake Diet

I’ve lost eight pounds since the beginning of the year. When people ask me how I did it, I can’t really explain it. The truth is I am always trying to lose a few pounds. This is just the first... Continue reading

Posted May 2, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

9

Improvising Retirement

Oh my poor neglected blog. I've been obsessed with my new hobby, at the expense of my old one. I’m spending every spare moment at the piano. I wake up in the middle of the night humming songs in my... Continue reading

Posted Apr 16, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

16

Where Do You Want to Retire?

I love living vicariously through Kathleen Peddicord’s retire abroad posts at U.S. News. I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks it would be fun to ditch suburbia and retire overseas, spending the rest of your days exploring the... Continue reading

Posted Mar 21, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

14

Picturing Retirement: No Regrets

Photo Friday: Today is the first day of my sixth year of retirement. And finally, after five years of retirement, I have made arrangements to start piano lessons next Wednesday. That way, five years from now I won't have to... Continue reading

Posted Mar 1, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

8

Are You a Failure at Retirement?

Ok, now that we’ve talked about what literally gets us out of bed in the morning, alarms, annoying dogs, boot camp, and of course having to pee, let’s talk about what gets you out of bed in that way that... Continue reading

Posted Feb 27, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

14

What Gets You Out of Bed in the Morning?

For most working people, it’s the alarm clock that gets them out of bed in the morning. For almost 14 years, it was my Beagle, Murphy Brown that got me out of bed. At 5:30 on the dot, she was... Continue reading

Posted Feb 25, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

44

A Do-Over in the Stock Market

If you’ve been watching the U.S. stock market lately, you know that it’s hovering near all-time highs. The Dow is within 2% of its October 2007 high, and the S&P 500 is not far behind that. The S&P has bounced... Continue reading

Posted Feb 20, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

18

Am I Retired Yet?

It’s official. I’m old. The other day I attended my first finance committee meeting for the non-profit I volunteer for. When I introduced myself and told the mostly silver-haired committee members that I retired five years ago, something happened that’s... Continue reading

Posted Feb 16, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

14

Picturing Retirement: Fearless Photos

Photo Friday: After I posted this post about my Vegas shoes, my step-mom sent me a bunch of great photos from their most recent trip to Las Vegas. She basically did a photo survey of Vegas shoes while she was... Continue reading

Posted Feb 8, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

1

Am I Really Getting Older Like Everyone Else Is?

(Posted in Wellness Wednesdays) I think it’s worse when you think you are so much healthier than everyone else, this whole getting older thing. I’m a healthy weight. I exercise about an hour most days. My diet is relatively healthy.... Continue reading

Posted Feb 6, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

22

Walking a Mile in Her Shoes

Well, that title is misleading. There is no way I could walk a mile in these shoes. In fact, I only wear them for a few hours each year. These are my Vegas shoes. Back home, I never wear these... Continue reading

Posted Feb 3, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

3

I'm Not Lazy, I Just Look Lazy

Ok, when I last left off, we were discussing laziness. But now I want to point out that sometimes you just look lazy to the outside world, when in fact you’re totally engaged in something fun. It just looks like... Continue reading

Posted Feb 2, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

3

How to Be Lazy Without Even Trying

Things you won’t accomplish in retirement: Sending out Christmas cards, Losing five pounds, Cleaning out your closets, Reading a ton of books, Keeping your house and garden in pristine condition, Watching less TV, Mastering a new instrument, language, or other... Continue reading

Posted Jan 21, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

23

Fighting Inflation the Hard Way

Can you live comfortably on half of what you are living on now? I guess the bigger questions is, would you want to? That’s the question you have to ask yourself if your retirement plan ignores the effects of inflation.... Continue reading

Posted Jan 16, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

16

A Puck Not in the Head

This has nothing to do with retirement, but I thought I'd share this photo that I stumbled upon today while I was going through some old pictures. I tried to find this one last week for the post I wrote... Continue reading

Posted Jan 15, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

0

How I Spent My Christmas Vacation

(Posted in Traveling Tuesdays) Clearly I wasn’t blogging, huh? That’s because I was too busy having way too much fun. We spent a couple of nights in San Francisco for my birthday and got upgraded to a fabulous suite. We... Continue reading

Posted Jan 8, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

16

Battling the Wealth Effect

(Posted in Money Mondays) Several years ago, I got hit in the head with a hockey puck at the San Jose Sharks game. Maybe it was kind of a Karma thing. My friend had done some legal work for the... Continue reading

Posted Jan 7, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

16

Picturing Retirement: First Morning of Retirement

Photo Friday: Denise from Texas on her first morning of retirement, June 2012. She looks pretty happy, doesn't she? Now that the holidays are over, I should have time to get back to more frequent blogging. As Denise has already... Continue reading

Posted Jan 4, 2013 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

3

Picturing Retirement: Welcome to the Club!

Photo Friday: At the end of business today, we have a new member. Welcome to retirement John! (To submit your picture of retirement, email me a photo with how you would like it credited.) Related Posts: Welcome to the Club!... Continue reading

Posted Dec 14, 2012 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

6

In Defense of Boredom

This may come as a shock to my non-bored readers, but one of the most frequent search phrases that brings traffic to my blog is “boredom in retirement.” For those that landed here from that search, I hope I can... Continue reading

Posted Dec 4, 2012 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

44

How to Recapture Your Retirement-High

I recently wrote that people may feel bored in retirement simply because they are overwhelmed by the unlimited number of choices they now face. Immobilized by fear of choosing the wrong thing, they choose nothing at all and wind up... Continue reading

Posted Dec 2, 2012 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

10

Picturing Retirement: Not Your Parents' Retirement

Photo Friday: I was reading Bob's post today about desigining the retirement that's right for you. It may not look exactly like your parents' retirement. In my case, I have to say that's because my parents' retirement is a bit... Continue reading

Posted Nov 30, 2012 at Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Comment

4