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Forward

First a point or two, I am writing this from my point of view. I am a man. I’ll try and see things from a woman’s point of view. Sometimes that is impossible. There are a lot of factors involved in being retired. I’ll try and cover them. However I am not an accountant. I am not a lawyer. I am not an MD. I’m just a poor dzhlub trying to figure it all out.

One thing, I am Jewish – many points I see from a Jewish point of view. I’ll try and make it known. Talking about Jewish stuff, I will throw in a Yiddish word here and there. I’ll define them the best I can when I use them. A dzhlub is a downtrodden jerk. Aren’t we all?

The Brave New World

Every day, five days a week, for as long as I can remember I followed the same pattern. The alarm would go off. I would get out of bed, trot onto the bathroom and do my morning ritual. That ritual included cleaning up, shaving and brushing my (short) hair. Then I would put on slacks, a dress shirt, a tie and cufflinks. I would grab a cup of coffee, my wallet, phone and keys. I would put on the appropriate jacket and head out the door. Given my build: no neck and short arms, The one affection that I allowed myself was custom shirts, Full button down collars, no shirt pocket and monogrammed French cuffs. I had the shirts starched heavily. I noticed that when I started wearing these shirts, I was treated with more respect. Without them I was just another “fat guy”.

Then one day poof. It was all gone. The shirts, tie and suits gather dust in the corner of the closet. I woke up when my body woke up. I rotate two or three pair of jeans. For dress wear I put on Chinos. I wear golf shirts and athletic shoes every day.  I stopped carrying a phone and stopped wearing a watch. I was happy with that life style for about a month and then it got boring. I examined my life in detail and made some changes.  This book will discuss those changes.

For a long time your life has belonged to someone else, at least five days a week. For that first month (or so) of retirement you could not help feeling guilty. You had to do something productive with your life. If you’ve read any of my other books[1] you know that I’m a list-maker I will start my “Laws for Retirement Survival.”

Law 1 – If it’s not fun, don’t do it.

I had to have a shrink tell me that. She didn’t use those words, exactly, but she sure as hell implied it. You have worked all your life for others. You have grown children who are – or should be – on their own. You and your S.O.[2] now have the opportunity to relax and enjoy each other’s company. Why else did you work some forty years? Think about that: No Meetings, No reports, No putting up with imbecilic supervisors of moronic subordinates. Yes you still have to take out the trash and load the dishwasher; but what about the other 90% of your time?

I got involved in an amateur theater group doing something that I normally enjoy. Well, the lady leading this group is a jerk. After she took over I realized that I was having no fun. In the community that I live in there are many other things to do. I belong to a writers group. Everyone, even me, is treated respectfully. Divergent ideas are discussed, but they never get personal. Yes they get heated. But it is never personal. I can and do enjoy this. I had two activities that I enjoyed. One was fun one was not fun. Guess which one I quit?

Law 2 – Get up and try something new

I haven’t ridden a horse in about fifty years. I do not intend to try. When I was in high school I had to take woodshop. I made a board. I did not enjoy making a board; I will not ever do it again. Do you see what’s coming? I don’t enjoy falling off of a horse. I don’t enjoy endlessly running a piece of sandpaper over a piece of wood. Over the decades I have written a few papers. The last class that I taught enabled me to write the textbook. The community that I live in has a wonderful par-3 9-hole golf course. A lot of people like golf, I think I’ll try it. I tried it and did not enjoy it. I tried it and did not like it.  And then is the fact that I live in Colorado. I could go climb 14ers[3]. I never liked hiking I never will.

I know what I don’t like. I tried a few things new and didn’t like them but I joined a writers group. Hey I enjoy writing. I spend about 4 – 5 hours a day at the keyboard. When I have a chain of thought I can to non-stop for a long time. If you go to Amazon.com and enter “Howard Flomberg” you will see my books. Go ahead – I’ll wait. Dum-de-dum, lalala, boopy-doopyodoo.  OK, you’re back now? I am slightly insane, in a fun way. Writing allows me to exercise that insane side of me as well as the serious side of me. While writing is not exactly new – It’s something I enjoy. I tried it and I like it.

When I was a teenager music was the center of my life. I played guitar – hung out in Greenwich Village and soaked up the folk scene. I was in a small garage rock group. Then I got serious about being a grown up and the guitar got hung up in the closet. After I retired the guitar came out of the closet. I play it and love it. However this might not be the time to take up Sky Diving; but if that’s what you really want to do, go for it.  Former President George H. W. Bush skydives.

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Law 3 – Spend money on yourself and your S.O.

I have to save for a rainy day. Look outside – it’s clear and sunny. It may never rain again. Get the hell out of the house. Buy the S.O. a new outfit. My S.O. refinished the living room – it was not cheap but she is happy. Believe me, there’s nothing worse than living with an unhappy S.O.

My kids were trying to decide on who got whose parents to take care of, me and my wife or my son’s Mother-in-law. They flipped a coin and the loser got me.  If I need someone to take care of me, I’ll spend my last few days in my Daughters back closet. Some time ago I noticed that I was having more and more senior moments. I got concerned and asked my doctor about it. Now let me explain one thing my doctor is a Jewish Mother. I gravitate towards Jewish Mothers. She laughed at me and said – Why worry. If you get Alzheimer’s you won’t know who you are. Enjoy the trip.

Right now you can take a vacation. Right now you can go to the mall. Do it now. You might just get lucky and die sooner than later.

Spend money on yourself and your S.O.

Law 4 – And if there’s no S.O.?

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[1] And if you haven’t you will! Promise?

[2] In this day of Political Correctness – I’ll try and avoid words like Husband or Wife. S.O. seems to  be acceptable – it stands for Significant Other.

[3] 14ers – a 14,000-foot mountain

I haven't been here in a long time - My last book - stumbling through the 60's is in final edit. My next book - On being Retired is being written.

A Piece of the Action

 I am moved to apoplexy by the latest utterance by our president. There is a germ of truth in it – a germ. What about hard work, initiative and ingenuity?

I spent practically an entire career as a contract programmer. The fancy word for that is Consultant. I worked from contract to contract. When a contract was nearing completion I had to find another contract. Yes I did use contractor placement companies – but they got paid for finding me that contract. They, deservedly, got a piece of the action. 

On occasion I went without a contract between jobs. I even took unemployment a couple of times. However I paid into unemployment when I was working. The government: City, State or Federal never found me a job.  I had a network of colleagues who helped immensely – and I helped them whenever I could. It works both ways.

If I needed to I hired subcontractors. When I had more work than I could handle, or I did not have the specific skills needed I brought in a subcontractor. In this case I took a piece of their action.

As to the government – they provided the roads and services that I used to do my job. They, obviously, took a piece of the action. It’s called tax.  I took every legal deduction I could and still paid income taxes. In addition I paid sales tax, gasoline tax as well as lots of others taxes and fees

However, Mr. President – It was my technical ability and work ethic that provided a decent income for my family. My wife worked very hard as well. She was able to cover our medical insurance giving me the freedom to work this way.  As a team we built our life that we now enjoy.

What is the role of Government?

Before I begin let me say that I am NOT a lawyer. I am educated, I read and I think. I believe that I am entitled to my opinions, which follow:

The first salvo of the Civil War was fired at Washington’s first cabinet meeting when Jefferson and Hamilton sat down at the same table. That war continues to this day. The question that has been endlessly discussed is “What is the role of government?”

We all agree that the government’s role is protection of its citizens. Where does that role begin and end and who do we define as the “protected?”  One point of view has it that government has a responsibility to insure that the individual is protected in a daily manner from, among other sources, the inroads of commercial dependence. Food quality for a start and protection from unwelcome ideas is the common end.

I disagree – an educated electorate can make these decisions. Who is responsible for the education[i]? These, as well as most other decisions, are the responsible at the state level. The Founding Parents[ii] established our nation as a representative republic. We are a federation of 50 independent states, each one signing over some of the responsibilities of government to the federal government.  As I understand it those powers not specifically given to the federal government remain the property of the states. The 10^th Amendment to the constitution specifically states:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Sensitive topics as Education and Birth Control are clearly the property of the individual states. Therefore when I say that I disagree with Roe V. Wade I am not making a stand against abortion but saying that the decision[iii] resides at the state level. I think that the argument that abortion is murder does not apply. Murder is not a federal crime, but rather a crime defined at the state level[iv]. As far as business activities go, incorporation is controlled at the state level.

Ah but you disagree with me. This is fine and good. As I said we have a long and sometimes violent history of disagreement. If we disagree and discuss it civilly we both, perhaps, learn. Frequently the truth resides between the disparate arguments.  Voltaire said,  "I disagree strongly with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."  That is what the 1^st Amendment means.  If you are a thinking adult you will probably disagree with a lot of what I say. Email[v] me and lets discuss it.

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[i] Parents?

[ii] Ok, a bit of political correctness.

[iii] Obviously I am not a lawyer. I am an educated citizen and therefore entitled to my opinion, as you are yours.

[iv] Unless you kill someone in DC????

[v] Again hflomberg@gmail.com

Is this a death sentence for me?

I've been glued to the news for the last few hours. There is a lot going on today. One program had a panel of doctors discussing the new law. A urologist made the point that the primary test for prostrate cancer (PSA) is not covered.  His comment was that a urologist was not on the panel that established the guidelines.


Why does this concern me? I have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). I am on dialysis multiple times a week.  Without dialysis I will die.  This is an expensive process. I am over 65 as well. Will some non-medical panel decide that it is too expensive to keep me alive and recommend me for end of life counseling?


Kaiser announced a rate increase a few minutes ago. No one knows what will happen. 


Just curious 


Howie

Who do I choose to believe, Obama or Bolton?

Apparently the Israeli agreement with Azerbaijan was a military secret. This secret was leaked to the press by the Obama staff. 

So, as I understand it, we gave information to an enemy state - Iran - which can hurt an ally - Israel - ?

Or am I missing something

Pure conjecture with no proof whatsoever!

If the inevitable happens and President Obama becomes a one term President I fear that that  the radical African-American faction will riot in the streets.

I have no proof, no evidence - as I say in the headline, this is pure conjecture. However look at the garbage being spouted over the unfortunate recent incident. We have seen rewards being offered, wanted dead or alive posters, all without any real evidence.

I think (again opinion) there is a faction in this country that is looking for a reason to riot. The defeat of the President just might be all it takes.

Damn I pray that I am wrong