Preparing for retirement and otherwise keeping busy

[IrvineHimself]

Just in time for my birthday, yesterday, I finally manged to get a bank account and finish the claim for my state pension. The bank account was an old deactivated account I had last used in the late 70's which still had a couple of hundred quid in it. This got me thinking: During the seventies and eighties I had a couple of very well paying jobs, along with multiple savings accounts, insurance policies and various other financial products. More out of idle curiosity than avarice, I am wondering how much money I actually have floating around in the financial system?

Anyway, because it's paid one month in arrears, it will be the end of August before I have full financial security. But still, it is definite progress.

On the medical front, I have some deep muscle and joint pain on my right shoulder for which the Doc has referred me to a physio therapist. But, since I have my first appointment with the DB clinic on the 11th of August and I otherwise seem to be doing okay, the Doc doesn't need to see me till November.

Also, Diabetes My Way finally finished gathering my records. I have been so busy, I haven't really had a chance to give them more than a quick browse, but, even so, it was still quite illuminating.

As far as Dentistry is concerned, it's bad news I'm afraid: Because of gum-disease brought on by the untreated diabetes, for the last couple of years I have been visiting the emergency dental clinic every couple of months to get teeth pulled. Anyway, armed with my HC2 exemption certificate, I managed to get my first regular appointment for several years. Unfortunately, starting on the 9th of August, he is going to have to extract all my top teeth. I have had so many of them pulled in the last couple of years, I have very few left, but still....

I have also been very busy age-proofing my place:

1. Used short, wall mounted extension cables to raise all the plug points to waist height
2. Used velcro cable ties to coil up long cables
3. Hooked above mentioned coils to walls
4. Cut up a cheap camping mat to pad out any sharp corners where I might bang a shin or stub a toe
5. Securely bolted all book-cases and other furniture I may grab hold of to floor, wall and ceiling
6. Used para-cord and some soft rubber water piping to make grab handles which I strategically installed around my library and office area.
7. As above, but of a stirrup form which I placed where I get in and out of bed.

I set myself the goal of getting this, plus the general clean-up, all done by my birthday, which I achieved. However, it has left me feeling a bit down. Partly, this is the normal 'after project' come down, but also there is the realisation that I really am starting to get on in years: In order to bolt everything to the floor, wall and ceiling, I was doing a lot of bending, reaching and generally either working at height or in tight awkward corners. At times, this left me feeling decidedly unstable and really brought home the fact that I am no longer capable of doing much that I have always taken for granted. In addition, what with the general tidying up, I had to go through all my trophies: Skiing and diving equipment, fishing tackle, climbing gear, books, travel mementos .... etc, etc. Anyway, taking all this together, the thought that I may have seen my last big adventure is kind of depressing.

Irvine

PS
In case anyone was curious, I have attached a couple of photos of the grab handles I mentioned

 

[AndBreathe]

Just in time for my birthday, yesterday, I finally manged to get a bank account and finish the claim for my state pension. The bank account was an old deactivated account I had last used in the late 70's which still had a couple of hundred quid in it. This got me thinking: During the seventies and eighties I had a couple of very well paying jobs, along with multiple savings accounts, insurance policies and various other financial products. More out of idle curiosity than avarice, I am wondering how much money I actually have floating around in the financial system?

Anyway, because it's paid one month in arrears, it will be the end of August before I have full financial security. But still, it is definite progress.

On the medical front, I have some deep muscle and joint pain on my right shoulder for which the Doc has referred me to a physio therapist. But, since I have my first appointment with the DB clinic on the 11th of August and I otherwise seem to be doing okay, the Doc doesn't need to see me till November.

Also, Diabetes My Way finally finished gathering my records. I have been so busy, I haven't really had a chance to give them more than a quick browse, but, even so, it was still quite illuminating.

As far as Dentistry is concerned, it's bad news I'm afraid: Because of gum-disease brought on by the untreated diabetes, for the last couple of years I have been visiting the emergency dental clinic every couple of months to get teeth pulled. Anyway, armed with my HC2 exemption certificate, I managed to get my first regular appointment for several years. Unfortunately, starting on the 9th of August, he is going to have to extract all my top teeth. I have had so many of them pulled in the last couple of years, I have very few left, but still....

I have also been very busy age-proofing my place:

1. Used short, wall mounted extension cables to raise all the plug points to waist height
2. Used velcro cable ties to coil up long cables
3. Hooked above mentioned coils to walls
4. Cut up a cheap camping mat to pad out any sharp corners where I might bang a shin or stub a toe
5. Securely bolted all book-cases and other furniture I may grab hold of to floor, wall and ceiling
6. Used para-cord and some soft rubber water piping to make grab handles which I strategically installed around my library and office area.
7. As above, but of a stirrup form which I placed where I get in and out of bed.

I set myself the goal of getting this, plus the general clean-up, all done by my birthday, which I achieved. However, it has left me feeling a bit down. Partly, this is the normal 'after project' come down, but also there is the realisation that I really am starting to get on in years: In order to bolt everything to the floor, wall and ceiling, I was doing a lot of bending, reaching and generally either working at height or in tight awkward corners. At times, this left me feeling decidedly unstable and really brought home the fact that I am no longer capable of doing much that I have always taken for granted. In addition, what with the general tidying up, I had to go through all my trophies: Skiing and diving equipment, fishing tackle, climbing gear, books, travel mementos .... etc, etc. Anyway, taking all this together, the thought that I may have seen my last big adventure is kind of depressing.

Irvine

PS
In case anyone was curious, I have attached a couple of photos of the grab handles I mentioned

Irvine, adventures don't end, they just mutate a bit to take on board other pastimes or travels.

My OH and myself both had a bit of a glum time when we sold our boat a few years ago. When bought we had a pact we would sell as soon as either one of us felt unable to sail her solo. At 48ft, in full sail, she is a beautiful handful. (I use present tense as her new owners are enjoying her to the full, still in tropical waters.)

I had always found her a handful. At 5'3" and slight, some of the physical tasks were hard on my arm span and the length of my pace, but it was eventually my OH who concluded it was time to choose to sell, rather than be forced by an unwelcome event of some sort.

Having got over the "missing the girl", and continually browsing slight smaller vessels, we have gone on to do other things that bring us joy in a different way.

Yes, we have to accept that some things are different, but different isn't always a retrograde step.

Enjoy your retirement. You seem to have lived a full and colourful life. Long may it continue.

 

[khskel]

My Lost Account

My Lost Account is a FREE service that helps you trace your lost accounts and savings.

www.mylostaccount.org.uk

You never know might find something 🙂

 

[IrvineHimself]

@khsel: thanks for the link. Currently, I have been using a friends bank account to pay utility bills and the like. Now that I have my own account, I am focusing on the most efficient way of transferring everything into my own name. However, once I get everything settled, I will definitely look into that.

@AndBreathe: Very sage advice, and very true. If there is one thing I have learned in my life, it is that just around the corner, there is always a new opportunity. One just needs to be prepared to grasp it.

By the way, it is funny you should mention sailing. In idle moments, I like to day dream about doing a single-handed circum-navigation. I get a great deal of pleasure browsing yachts on Yacht World, and, along with a full set of US pilot charts, planning hypothetical voyages using the OpenCPN chart plotter. (For the uninitiated, monthly pilot charts give likely wind direction and speed).

In addition, for a long time, in order to create high definition kap files, I have been intermittently researching how best to cut up a high resolution version of Blue Marble and convert it from Plate Carr´ee to Mercator projection, Unfortunately, without some seriously creative programming, I just do not have the computing power. (The full Blue Marble data set is massive. The folder in which I keep the unedited, 500 metre resolution download is 15.2 GB, and as I recall there was an even larger download available!)

By the way, there is a NASA tool for doing the above, but it has very small size limits on the files it can handled.

Anyway, since I now have a regular income, I am seriously looking into taking up keel-boating.🙂

Irvine