My Retired Life
Written on Mar 29, 2026
People live their retired lives in different ways. Some are physically active, and some are the opposite. I'm somewhere in between. Even though I retired from working at an early age, I've tried to stay active.
I like to walk for exercise. Even though I wish I could run or jog, I simply can't do it anymore. I haven't been able to walk much because my knees have started to bother me.
Just a few months ago, I suffered buckling in my right kneecap on three separate occasions. I'm lucky I didn't need medical attention. Since then, I've walked almost pigeon-toed to avoid having it happen again.
Some people would call me somewhat religious, but I spend very little time attending religious services. When it comes to religion, I prefer to study online. I interact with few people outside of family and close relatives, whether I'm in the Philippines or the United States.
Entertainment
I fill my time with a variety of entertainment. The only daily entertainment I enjoy is listening to music. Although I have over 2,800 MP3 files in my music collection, my collection is eclectic. Very little of my music is from this decade. I don't like songs with explicit lyrics.
I watch movies on occasion, but I avoid television series. Once I get hooked on a series, I have to watch every episode until the series is over. I probably spend far more time watching YouTube videos than anything else. Many of those are podcasts.
I will sometimes play card games on my phone. There are only a couple that I like to play. The first game is named "Tong-Its" and the second is called "Solitaire". I use them simply to pass the time when I have absolutely nothing else to do.
Dining and Shopping
I avoid leaving home to do either one. My wife, Josie, loves to shop for clothing. If we spend more than a couple of hours somewhere, where we intend to eat, she will inevitably find something to buy that isn't food.
I don't even like to eat away from home frequently. Everything is expensive everywhere, even in the Philippines. United States prices make me wince. I much prefer to cook and eat the groceries we take the time to buy every month.
Computing
Writing on this blog takes very little time. That's why I can usually write something every day. I should probably stop frequently writing because I doubt anyone, other than me, is actually reading what I write.
I like messing with computers, whether they happen to be desktops or laptops. Over the years, I've taught myself PHP, shell scripting, and web design. I find it just as relaxing as reading, which is something I also do a substantial amount of.
I don't sleep as much as I probably should at my age. My mind is way too active at times, keeping me awake at night. I'll spend hours thinking of a solution to a problem that isn't as important as it seems to be.
Travel
Although I don't like traveling, even as a passenger in a car, I've been to more places than I can remember. I prefer places that aren't too far away from home. Here are some of them:
- Annapolis Harbor in Annapolis, Maryland
- Assateague Island in Maryland and Virginia
- Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California
- Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna, Florida
- Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County, California (close to San Francisco)
- National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland
- Niagara Falls State Park in Niagara Falls, New York
- Tumwater Falls in Tumwater, Washington
I won't even mention amusement parks and the places I went before I retired from the workforce in 2006. I haven't been to any tourist spots in the Philippines, although Josie's been to quite a few. She does that when accompanying one of her aunts when her aunt visits the Philippines.
Image by Manfred Antranias Zimmer from Pixabay