It's in the Bag

I'm still fairly exhausted, especially since yesterday's drive, so it was all I could do to wake up enough to drop off some sundries at the local farmer's market then shop at our usual supermarket. It didn't take long to achieve unconsciousness upon our return, and thank goodness I slept most of the afternoon away. No regrets! Once dinner was done we tackled the mound of overnight and carrier bags and such that we've accumulated over the years (so many from Rothstein Kass! you wouldn't think six years of service could produce that much swag). Aside from the tote bags which can be squished anywhere and may still come in handy when it's time to pack for the move, they're all now in the throwaway pile, and Robin was able to fit our actual suitcases and backpacks (some of which were newly-bought a few months back, and three of which were his suitcase set brought over from England 30 years ago) into the tiny closet in the library. So we're now almost back to where we were prior to the Great Rafter Clean-Out of Aught-Twenty-Six. Just a bit more shredding to go, then we start looking through non-financial boxes. But all that is for another day...

Warm and Cozy with Family and Friends

This morning I went for my "medi-pedi" as my feet have been hurting, but the doc looked them over and found nothing major amiss so I carry on. The feet do feel nice now, though. I then drove 90 minutes to my brother's house in NJ for a visit and a pre-birthday lunch, then 15 minutes west to the annual reunion of my college frat buddies (co-ed service fraternity). Lots of fun as we recounted our plans for retirement in England's south coast to various friends, but as the lunch and subsequent pot luck weren't exactly agreeing with me I opted to leave after a couple hours and head back home. We got slammed at the GWB entrance, my main reason for not wanting to travel back from NJ on a Saturday afternoon/evening, but otherwise not a bad drive, and we came home to find that the landlord has finally turned on the heat, so it was lovely coming back to a cozy house after the outdoor chill. Tomorrow we shop and watch baseball (alas, looks like the Tampa Bay Rays are surging again) and football and other such TV while we declutter some more.

Truncated Work Day

I rewarded myself with a couple PTO hours, since I never seem to use them all, which made working from home a bit easier. The AL playoffs were cancelled this evening due to storms in the Cleveland area, and we got a fair few as well. I'm about as ready as I can be for tomorrow's activities, and I've finished every ready-to-eat meal in the fridge and freezer, so I'm looking forward to our Sunday grocery shopping, which may or may not be accompanied by a sushi lunch. Depends on how I weather tomorrow! 

The Ides of October

And all my folks' expense reports are submitted! I wish I could do as well with scheduling client meetings, so many people seem to be out this week and nobody's answering my emails. Very frustrating. Plus, the commute home is really starting to get to me. Maybe it just the change in the weather, or anticipating the coming weekend when we will once again be on the road visiting family and friends (meaning we have to shop on Sunday), but I just can't relax yet. Maybe by Sunday afternoon...

Early Adopters

Robin and I have many sensibilities in common. One of them is preparation. We're already looking (virtually) at retirement bungalows on the south coast of England, trying to narrow down exactly what we want. As I mentioned yesterday, next week we resume our clean-out, but before then there's Saturday. And that's now taken care of. The bean salad took much less time to make this afternoon than I'd anticipated, we're a well-oiled machine now, so I'm set with my potluck contribution to the annual college reunion. And we're meeting my brother Jay before that for a pre-birthday brunch, which has also been scheduled. We don't like to wait on things! This way we can travel without worry, relax and enjoy the day. The weather today only lightened my mood, it got up around 80 degrees F (about 26 degrees C)! so Robin threw open the windows and I took a couple relaxation hours because I'm really, really trying to learn how to just Do Nothing and Be in the Moment and all that...

The Calm Between

I didn't miss Mango that much during the day as I was in the Manhattan office, but it was so lovely and quiet when I hobbled home this evening (yes, that IT band and/or the neck is acting up again) that I'm starting to find it kind of eerie. We have nothing on our immediate calendar except Saturday in NJ, so next week we restart our downsizing, probably getting rid of most of the overnight bags I've accumulated over the years and, of course, continuing to shred our older financial stuff. I'm waiting for a phone call with my family's financial advisor to discuss cash flow as I look towards purchasing a retirement home on the south coast of England (so many lovely possibilities!) but I'm not eagerly seeking it out, we still have plenty of time before I retire, For now I have to learn how to relax a bit better.

Mangone

Mango is back home with Jonny now. Robin just observed that it feels like a weight has been lifted. A good reminder that a pet is a responsibility, even a temporary one. But it’s been one thing after another with us for the past month-plus, and we really need the down time. Aside from a trip into NJ on Saturday to take my brother out for a birthday brunch then see my college friends for our annual reunion, we have no plans nor are likely to make any for the foreseeable. The quiet is already blissful. 

Sunday Will Never Be the Same

Our last day with Mango until Jonny picks him up, and I made the most of it. He was a sweet lap cat, curled up next to me as I napped, and has generally made himself at home. It’s actually going to be weird not having him here. In other more positive news, I felt something in my neck loosen chiropractic-style earlier this evening, and that seemed to take care of the majority of the back pain I’d been having. Would have been nice if that had happened a few days ago, but oh well. After tomorrow we can both get a good night’s sleep again, nothing better for healing. 

Holding Pattern

More of the same today. My bad back and leg held together for the most part when we shopped, and the rest of the time was football and baseball. Oh, and Mango. Two more days then we rest. 

Up and Down

Catching up and winding down, that is. I did all I could on the job to try and nail down some elusive meeting scheduling, and at least I have help now on one front. And we're actually counting the hours until the lovely but surprisingly high-maintenance Mango returns to my godson, who's attending a wedding in Boston this weekend before temporarily moving into my uncle's place a few miles away from us (my uncle, his grandfather, being in assisted living now) whilst looking for a more permanent spot. We're both so tired that I honestly believe this lingering backache isn't just from exercises to try and mitigate my IT band issues but from stress as well. Stress on a 69-year-old body isn't the same as stress on a 45-year-old, I'm sure. So far the heating pad and ibuprofen are helping ease the back pain but rest and a decent night's sleep or three would help a lot more.