Retirement: Month Five

Yes, Virginia, it DOES snow in Austin...on occasion. Of course it doesn't last very long. We more frequently get sleet and ice, because it DOES get very cold--those Blue Northers are for real. 80 degrees during the day, down to 15-25 that night. Linus was not impressed with the snow--sat on a flattened cardboard box rather than in the cold wet and wanted back in the house after only a few minutes.

More importantly, January was a fun month! Got all my W-2s and 1099s, so I can do my taxes, and should get a return, even. Always a good thing!

And lots of time with grand-niece. It's such a joy watching her grow and gaining her trust.

Birthday celebrations abounded, always exciting. And my first visit from the cleaning service, which went a loooong way towards de-cluttering. Not as successful in converting our mom's interview tapes to CD--not all tech works the way it should. Looking for a more effective way to preserve all those great authors' responses to her incisive interview questions.

Down with a big, bad chest/head cold--shouldn't be flu, cause I got my flu shot.

Some tech worked: transferring all my writing from PC to Mac so I can work on stuff when away. Progress on creating an editing/writing/proofing Web site landing page as part of freelancing business. Meeting fascinating people and making contacts to move this project along. Changing auto insurance carriers and saving $900/yr. was a biggie. Even came with better coverage and more features.

Doing what I can to help colleagues out who got let go from UT. I'm happy to write recommendations, review cover letters, etc. for what it's worth. Celebrating when friends find new employment, commiserating when friends run into obstacles. Creative problem-solving.

Learning more about how to leverage social media, reaching more people. Still deciding what I really want to do when I grow up. My problem is that there is SO much I want to do, it's difficult to focus on only one or two options. Sometimes having lots of choices is more intimidating that having only a few.

Watching the CNN coverage of the Egyptian revolution. Wondering why more people aren't involved.

Next project--updating blog roll with all the new groovy people I'm meeting. If the weather lets up, am considering a trip to Port Aransas to see the whooping cranes--I've wanted to do that for decades! Now on to Awesomeness--self-introspection--some might say that I have an overabundance of that...