At Last! Retiring for GOOD!

By this time on May 30, I will be preparing for my last day teaching. Oh, it's possible that I might work as an adjunct, a substitute (particularly in a long-term job - 1-3 months, typically), or a tutor. But, full-time employment may be permanently over. Or, not. Sometimes, plans change. Usually, there is a financial incentive. Some crisis hits, and the budget takes a hit. One or the other (or both) of the retirees needs to return to paid work, for a time. Sometimes, there are other factors - boredom sometimes sets in, and paid employment is used to fill empty hours. I don't fault those who do so - I can imagine a time where, in an effort to re-connect after a spouse's death, one of us might choose a part-time job. It certainly beats withering away from loneliness. I can't guarantee the future. But, as of now, this is the plan. I'll post more over the next few months, as I adjust to the change in my routines - how I structure my days, ways I change my...

Just got bad news - Social Security confirmed that I will NOT be eligible for money based on being a 'wife of'. So, that $400/month I was counting on is Gone With the Wind, so to speak. It appears that the trouble is that I get a pension from OH teachers. That government pension (2/3 of it) is deducted from my SS money. Alas, it is actually higher than the money SS WOULD have provided. So, no money. Until I'm 70, and can collect in my own name. I could collect earlier, but I pay a penalty for doing so. In addition to the penalty I will pay in either case, to the tune of around $350 less in my SS check than other folks. The girl (can't call her a woman, not with that tiny voice) at SS had to deliver the bad news. She did say something incredibly dumb: she cheerfully pointed out that once I had 30 years of SS-eligible work, I wouldn't lose any money. She continued with her perky positive attitude even when I pointed out that I would be 79 at that point. I do...