Retirement euphoria

Boy, today is one of those days that just being at home and not having to worry about work or much of anything else is enough to make me feel GREAT! For those first few weeks right after my last day of work, I would wake up just about every morning feeling this way. Sort of a secret bubble of happiness. But eventually that gave way to just living my new life -- or worse -- a vague sense of uneasiness.

Shouldn't I be doing something? Something important? Saving the world? Babysitting, cleaning house, writing my novel???

But not today. I did decide to tackle a project which has been an ongoing task, and will continue to be an ongoing task as long as that mailman keeps showing up at the house. The pile of magazines, catalogs and other things that need to be read. This is not even the real "TBR" pile of professional magazines, but those magazines I find myself subscribed to. And catalogs that call me.

Cleaning out this pile requires one to look inside the magazines. Oh yes, I was keeping this because of this article. I never even opened this magazine, I must read this article right now. Hmmm, I could use that blouse.

So you see this could take forever. But you know what? It can take as long as it takes. I can read that article and toss the magazine.** I can flag the article and put it in the official Magazine Holder (for Consumer Reports and other magazines you must keep). I can cut it out and start a file folder (that I probably will not look at again). I can go online and check out the website recommended in the side bar of the article. I can fix a healthy lunch inspired by the food articles.

This has been a fun morning, let me tell you. I received a subscription to MORE magazine from my friend Bee last year. It expired this summer, I think. I have several issues I had not read at all or only partially read. This is a great magazine. I think they want me to renew. Maybe I should.

Then, somehow I started receiving Travel+Leisure. What could be bad in that magazine (thankfully, not too many of those to go through)? And I get San Francisco magazine because I was such a big spender for the PBS drives last year. Ha! Back when I had money to spare. These magazines are full of great info about the San Francisco Bay Area, how can I part with them?

Lots of stuff to keep me busy and happy this morning. And then the mailman delivered another magazine! Yes!

**P.S. Lest you think that I could actually throw out magazines, let me tell you that I am recycling most of them. Others I am donating to Bee. Unfortunately that deal came with the agreement to accept her old Sunset magazines. I am thinking that it will be easier to get rid of second-hand magazines, but I am not sure. Also, last week I already worked on the catalogs. The pile is now about 1/3 as high as it was when I started!