The Plan

After these early weeks of New York grief, subzero weather with little cheery snow,  an inordinate amount of contract work from my old company, I finally finished the novel I've been working on all year.  At 70, I have basically no chance of publishing it, but the thought of not writing another one is yet one more grief.  So, I figured out a way of starting a new novel without embarrassment.  As I wrote and edited my current one (working title Love After 55),  as I dug into the characters and rewound the plot, and imagined weather and rooms, and googled things I didn't know, I discovered how much I loved reading the revisions.  In fact, the book became not the one I wanted to write but the one I wanted to read.  It almost doesn't matter if others don't like it, or don't read it, or think it's simple-minded and pretentious.  I really like it!!!  I'm not trying to write anything important or even necessarily thoughtful.

In any case, I have some additional tips on how to settle into retirement outside a small upstate city if one doesn't want to write a novel.

Take non-credit classes at the local communicate college.  My choices are "Starting a Food Business", "How to Cook Chicken Milanese (which includes how to cook tiramisu-- the main reason for taking this one-night class), Basket weaving (Seriously.  I need a new trash basket in the bathroom).

Join a gym.  Have joined Planet Fitness, which is incredibly cheap ($10 a month) has a very well-planned process for building strength using their machines.  I've had two orientations, neither of which involved working out, so I was able to feel righteous without having to exert any energy.

Find a local bar/restaurant hangout.  Ours is Daba and Helskinki.  Unfortunately, the Daba chef-owner is looking to sell his place and start an apple farm, but he's asking a lot of money, so it will take awhile. In the meantime, it's bartender, staff, food, and other hanger outers make it our favorite.  We use Helsinki mainly for eating but it also has a nice staff and a great music venue for boomers (Amee Mann, Chris Smithers, Nick Low, and various favorites'  offspring, like Amy Helm and one of the Allman kids, who have similar styles to their parents.  It also provides dinner that you can eat close to its small stage and good natured fellow audience members.

Buy snowshoes.  I already have skis and skates but Michael, cleverly, won't do these things, and the increasing conviction that solitary sports involving feet sliding out from under me suggests I might need some alternatives. So I bought snowshoes for both of us.  Had one good day of snow, and we trudged up the hill.

Convince your friends to move up.  Have three so far.  Am working on others.

Create mass emails inviting others to visit.  Be sure to have enough aerobeds.