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What We Are UP To – Trying New Things in September 2019

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analyze change track graphics for September 2019

Disclosure: Occasionally we receive free products for review or include advertising links in posts, but no one impacts the honesty of our opinions. 

Every once in a while, I get on this kick to try new things. Keith isn’t as into this “need to change it up” exercise as I am, but he’s a good sport and occasionally admits that he enjoyed it. Here are the new things we’re trying in September.

Watching | Dead to Me

> I have a few Facebook friends watching this Netflix Original series, so I talked Keith into checking it out. It’s not something we would immediately choose for ourselves, but we’re trying new things this month, and we were immediately hooked! Just the right balance of emotions and lots of plot twists to keep it interesting. Can’t wait for Season 2!

Reading | Rare Breed

> Years ago, I met Sunny Bonnell and Ashleigh Hansberger at an event for women business owners. We’ve stayed in touch and I’m delighted to be one of the initial people to get my hands on their first book “Rare Breed” A Guide to Success for the Defiant, Dangerous, and Different”. The book includes a quiz so you can determine your “Rare Breed Virtue”. Mine is “I’m weird.” While I’ve always known that, it is a little different to be sharing that with others. LOL!

Remembering | Encore Careers

> We’ve been writing a lot on Unretirement Project about encore careers. It makes me think of my own professional journey. I’ve been a human resources professional for the majority of my career and that’s not changing but I also have this other aspect to my career in terms of HR Bartender and now, Unretirement Project. This September, it’s gratifying to think about the evolution of my career and how fortunate I’ve been. 

Working On | Crochet

> For years, my hobby has been beading. But I must admit that I can only wear so much jewelry. And I find it fun to break my jewelry apart and remake it into something new. So I’m on the search for a new hobby and I saw an article about a knitting/crocheting group that makes items for adults, kids, and animals in need. This seems like a win-win. I get a hobby and others get a needed item. Now I just need to learn how to crochet… 

Feeling | Relieved!

> When we moved from South to North Florida, one of the things we were hoping not to deal with anymore was hurricanes. That being said, Hurricane Dorian decided to test our hurricane prep skills early in September. The good news is that we are just fine. The bad news is we have a pile of non-perishable junk food around the house. ha.ha. Seriously, we hope everyone is safe and if you’re looking for a way to help, check out the Amazon wish list for the Bahamian Red Cross.

Planning | Road trips

> Keith and I usually plan a fall vacation, but this year, we’ve decided to do try something we haven’t done for a while. Instead of one long vacation, we’re doing a few shorter ones. Will probably stay in the state and do some road trips.  It’s nice to be a tourist in your own state. The Florida Turnpike is an easy to navigate highway. It will be fun figuring out where to go and what to see.

Loving | Allbirds

> I’ve been reading all of the hype about Allbirds, the shoe that claims to be the most comfortable things you’ll ever wear on your feet. Oh, and they’re eco-friendly too. They are also pricey for shoes. Comfy shoes are important to me, so I decided to try something different from my go-to sneakers and see if they’re worth the hype. And, yes they are. Allbirds are very comfortable. I did pick up their new socks and they’re kinda meh but the shoes are super comfy. 

Geeking | Apple AirPods

> I splurged the other day and purchased a pair of Apple AirPods. I’ve been worried about buying them because I didn’t want to lose them. But I finally moved past my fears in September and I’m so glad. They are wonderful. Easy to keep charged. Great reception. I’ve actually used them for a couple of podcasts and the tech producers said I sound good. I still haven’t left the house with them, but every day I get a bit more comfortable. 

What’s UP with you?

What We Are UP To – August 2019

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August travel boats in a marina from under canopy

Watching| Aggretsuko

> This Netflix comedy anime series is about Retsuko the red panda and her life working in the accounting department of the Carrier Man Trading Company, Ltd. To relieve her daily frustrations, she belts out death metal karaoke after work. I have to admit I was a little skeptical after the first episode, but by episode two while binge watching in August, I was hooked. Can’t wait for season three!

Reading| A Nice Cup of Tea

> I’ve mentioned before that I’m a huge tea fan. I ran across this essay from George Orwell on the eleven points to making the perfect cuppa tea. While I do agree with him about drinking tea from a mug, I commit blasphemy according to his writings by putting the milk/cream in first. Sorry, I see no sense in dirtying all those spoons. 

Remembering| Old Movies

>  I had a really fantastic time reading through the mid-August Twitter hashtag #BestMovieLineEver. I was reminded of old movies that I love like “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” from Jaws and “Yippee-ki-yay Mother F**ker” from that Christmas movie Die Hard. But I also saw quite a few people mention movies I’ve never seen like Fight Club. An old movie night might be on the schedule very soon.

Working On| Doctor’s Appointments

>  I’m not sure how it turned out this way, but we seem to have a whole bunch of doctor’s appointments this month. Nothing is wrong. Just the check-up stuff. But somehow, they managed to all show up this month. Oh well. While it might be tempting to push them off or wait until something doesn’t feel right, I know that’s not the right thing to do. It’s important to take our health seriously and be as proactive as possible. 

Feeling| Ready for Travel Season

>  Fall and winter are usually full of travel for me and this year is no exception. I’m looking forward to visiting some new places and revisiting some of my favorites (like Seattle). And selfishly, I’m looking forward to wearing my sweaters and boots. You just don’t get enough opportunities to wear jackets and sweaters living in Florida.  

Planning| Appliance Shopping

>  It’s hard to believe but we are getting close to closing on our Gainesville home. Which means we have a couple of appliances to buy – specifically a washer and dryer. So…many…choices! I don’t feel like it’s been that long since we purchased our last washer and dryer but the number of features…yowza! Amazon Alexa can talk to dryers now?! We started looking in August and still have some research to do. 

Loving| Mochi ice cream

>  Keith and I recently tried mochi ice cream. It’s a small round confection consisting of a soft sticky rice dumpling (called a mochi) formed around an ice cream ball. You can find mochi ice cream in freezer section of the grocery store. We are totally hooked on the vanilla and strawberry flavors!

Geeking| History of the Marvel Universe

>  I haven’t purchased a comic book in decades, but in early August Marvel came out with the first of a six-part series called “The History of the Marvel Universe”. I can’t wait to read issue number one. I loved reading comics as a kid. I’m hoping it’s just as much fun as an adult.

What’s UP with you? And what’s your favorite movie line?

What We Are UP To in July 2019

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Watching| Spiderman: Far From Home

> I loved, loved, loved it. Nothing against the others, but in my opinion, Tom Holland is the best Spiderman. The movie had just the right amount of wrap up from Avengers: Endgame and future focus for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). There was a nice balance of seriousness and humor in this July movie. 

Reading| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

> This is the second book in the Harry Potter series. While the first one was good, this one is better. I’ve been really drawn into the story line and can tell that there will be some cliffhangers that will only be resolved in future books. We’ve also started playing the phone app Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and you can see the connection between the books and the game. Both are a lot of fun.

Remembering | Getz/Gilberto

> Sad to say, João Gilberto, one of the founders of the bossa nova sound, recently passed away in July. Keith and I have recently become big fans of bossa nova music and discovered his 1964 album Getz/Gilberto. Fantastic! It includes one of our favorite songs, “Girl from Impanema”. If you’re looking for something new to listen to…might want to check this out.

Working On| Our Fantasy Football Draft

> Because of our move to Gainesville, we took some time off playing Fantasy Football. Well, no more. We’ve signed up for a league on NFL.com and are now spending time trying to learn player statistics, etc. It’s a welcome distraction and a nice way for us just to spend our Sundays relaxing, watching football, and maybe cooking something in our new Ninja Foodi. 

Feeling| Productive!

> I typically work with three monitors. Yes, three. For years, I worked with two. Then one day, while fixing one of our computers, our technician suggested three. I thought to myself, “I don’t know. That seems a bit excessive.” Well, later I had the chance to test drive three monitors and OMGosh…it’s fabulous! Anyway, my external monitors have been out of commission for the past month and now they’re finally working again. I’m in heaven and productive again!

Planning| Home Time

> With the exception of a short business trip, I’m basically at home for the next couple of months starting in July. And I’m delighted. I don’t mind traveling, but for those of you who are like me and travel regularly, it’s also nice to be home. 

Loving| Herman Miller Cubert Personal Light

>  A friend of mine sent me the best gift – a Herman Miller Cubert Personal Light. I adore the modern design. And it’s very functional. Not only is it a light, but it has USB ports and an outlet. It has a touch-sensitive dimmer and an auto shutoff. Beautiful and functional. It’s what I love about Herman Miller.     

Geeking|Groove Life

> As a small business owner, we like to help out other small businesses. One of the ways we do that is by backing Kickstarter campaigns. Our latest is Groove Life. The company has been around since 2015. They make silicone jewelry. Groove Life was looking for backers for its latest product – silicone watch bands. As backers, we received new Apple Watchbands and their signature silicone rings earlier in July. So far, we’re impressed. Great for a hot day when you don’t want to wear metal. 

We hope you’re enjoying the summer. What’s UP with you?

What We Are UP To in June 2019

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June

Disclosure: Occasionally we receive free products for review or include advertising links in posts, but no one impacts the honesty of our opinions. 

Watching| Rocketman

> I’m a big Elton John fan (Keith not as much) but we both enjoyed Rocketman that was released earlier in June. Especially seeing the concert scenes on the big screen. Not going to give away any spoilers except to say that the movie focuses a bit more on the person versus the music. At least that was my takeaway. Oh, and lead actor Taron Egerton really sings Elton’s hits. 

Reading| How to Live Forever

> Currently, the most popular post on Unretirement Project is “3 Ways You May Contribute to Your Own Ageism”. If you haven’t read the post, I hope you will. One of the things we discuss in the post is networking across generations. Marc Freedman’s Book “How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations” is an in-depth look at what people – at every age – are doing to stay connected and learn from each other. 

Remembering| Gummies

> Remember gummy bears? I used to love eating them as a kid. Well, I’m happy to say that adult gummies are a thing. In June, I discovered a retailer called Sugarfina that makes adult gummies including flavors like Moscow Mule, Margarita, and Pale Ale. Oh, and if you want something caffeinated…cold brew gummies! I love snacks when I travel, and this is just the kind of little indulgence I could get used to.

Working On| The Perfect Eat Out

> I do not like to waste food. Whenever Keith and I go on long trips together, we try to leave our refrigerator as close to empty as possible. So, we do something called the perfect eat out (aka the PEO). It’s kinda fun to come up with meals just pulling from what’s in the fridge. Our meals for the first couple of days are fine then it starts to get a little weird. LOL! Anyway, with a move coming up to our forever home, we’re in serious PEO mode…and it’s getting weird.  

Feeling| Unsettled

> It’s probably because the move we’ve been waiting for is coming up, but it’s hard to feel settled right now. It might also be because we splurged on a rug during Wayfair’s Memorial Day sales and it’s rolled up in the middle of our living room. Kinda feels like we’re living in a warehouse. Ha.Ha. But for those of you who’ve been in this place before – and I know some of you have – it’s very unsettling. 

Planning| Erin Condren’s Life Planner

> I know, it’s hard to believe how fast time flies. I’m already talking with people about 2020 so June is time to find a planner. For next year, I’ve purchased an Erin Condren Life Planner. I really like how I can customize the cover, pages, etc. to suit my needs. 

Loving| Dr. Bronner’s Soaps

> I’ve mentioned before how we’re trying to pay more attention to our skincare routine. I’m not sure how I didn’t know about this company, since Dr. Bronner’s has been in business since the 1940’s. We purchased a couple of organic shower soaps and have been very impressed so far. 

Geeking| Orion Ascent Abort Test

> Keith and I have been approved to attend NASA’s Orion Ascent Abort 2 (AA-2) Test from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). All our years living in Florida and we’ve never been to Kennedy Space Center together. We are super excited! The Orion test will demonstrate that the Launch Abort System can safely send the space capsule a safe distance from a failing rocket if an emergency arises during ascent to orbit. 

What’s UP with you in June?

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the Flora Icelandic HR Management Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland

What We Are UP To in May 2019

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vizcaya, dock, travel, May travel, May, retirement

Watching| Marvel Cinematic Universe           

> In anticipation of Avengers: Endgame, we’ve watched Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1. I won’t give away any spoilers, but IMHO, Endgame lived up to the hype. We’re going to see Endgame a second time in May on the big screen. The only other movie I’ve ever seen on the big screen more than once is the Rocky Horror Picture Show. 

Reading| Older, Wiser, Shorter

> A huge thank you to Jane Seskin for sending me her book of poems about the journey to seniorhood. “Older, Wiser, Shorter: An Emotional Road Trip to Membership in the Senior Class” definitely lives up to it’s title. The topics range from Meditation and Memories to Chores and Conscious. It’s an easy read that many will identify with.

Remembering| Old Music

> No offense against today’s music scene, but I’ve noticed a growing number of public places (like bars, restaurants, conferences, etc.) playing older music from the 70’s and 80’s. I’m certainly not upset by it. I grew up with the music. It’s been fun reconnecting with old tunes. The only downside is I’m downloading quite a bit of it. LOL!

Working On| Cast-iron Skillet Pizza

> While we’ve been living in the rental house, one of the things Keith and I miss is pizza. In South Florida, we had perfected making pizza at home on our gas grill. When we arrived in Gainesville, we put the grill in storage thinking we can live without pizza for a couple of months. Well, a couple of months turned into a year and we miss pizza. I don’t hate restaurant pizza, but it’s not the same. The other night, we saw a new episode of Rachael Ray’s 30-minute meals and she made cast-iron skillet pizza. Now, we are very excited about trying this!

Feeling| Health-Focused

> In particular, we’re focused on healthy skin. It’s amazing how this little UV skin tracker I mentioned to you a couple of months ago makes you hyper-focused on wearing sunscreen, moisturizing, and keeping your skin in tip top shape. While Keith isn’t wearing the UV tracker, he’s always asking me what the scans say because his skin is being equally exposed. We are also focusing this May on mineral-based sunscreens because they aren’t absorbed into the skin like chemical screens and they are more environmentally friendly.

Planning| Another move!

> It’s hard to believe that our home in Gainesville will be finished soon and we will be moving into our forever home. This has been the longest house building project ever and we can’t wait for it to be completed. While we’re happy that we took the leap and moved up before the house was completed, it will still be nice when we’re settled.

Loving|Thai Coconut Peanut M&Ms

> I’m a sucker for seasonal food flavors that come out – pumpkin spice, eggnog, etc. Recently, M&Ms came out with a handful of seasonal flavors including jalapeño and toffee. But the real winner was Thai Coconut Peanut. Part of me would love to see this as a regular flavor and the other part of me is hoping they leave the shelves as quickly as possible (if you know what I mean). They really are that good! 

Geeking| Our first “Con”

> There are many meanings for the word “con”, but in this case, I’m referring to a fan convention. Probably the most famous is San Diego Comic-Con. No, we’re not going to that one. MegaCon is nearby in Orlando in mid-May so we’ve decided to see if we’re “con” people. It should be fun. 

What’s UP with you this May?

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami, FL

5 Activities to Avoid Becoming the Indoor Generation

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indoor, indoor room, indoor office, indoor generation, retirement, Unretirement

I heard a term recently that fascinates me – the “Indoor Generation”. As the name implies, it’s a label for people who spend most of their time indoors. They’ve figured out how to do as many things as possible without leaving the house. 

I totally get it. We can do our shopping on our home computers or mobile devices. We can order food, and have it delivered to our home. We can talk with a doctor via webcam. Keith and I are building a house and we talk about it being both the place we work and our sanctuary. I can absolutely see how the term came into existence. 

The indoor generation is also a term that defies age. I see young people who spend a lot of time inside – maybe reading or watching television and playing video games. But for today’s post, I want to talk about the indoor generation in the context of getting older.

In a study sponsored by Velux, it’s been found that there are health risks to being indoors all the time. We need sunlight as part of our wellness. The research found that daylight can improve learning abilities up to 15 percent. We need fresh air for our health. Living in damp or moldy homes increases our risk of asthma by 40 percent. And a lack of sunlight impacts our general wellbeing. According to the research, a lack of daylight makes 15 percent of us sad. 

So, what’s the answer. Well, it’s easy just to say get out more. But the reality is, going outside needs to feel good. Otherwise it will be a chore and we won’t get the desired benefit. Here are five things that might help us get outside more:

  1. Talk and walk. I’m going to mention this one first since it’s the most obvious. Find time to take a walk. Keith and I have what we call walking meetings. Instead of sitting inside the house to talk about stuff, we take a short walk. It’s good for us and we can still have a productive conversation.
  2. Take up an outdoor activity. People laugh when we mention that we play Pokémon GO. But it gets us out of the house every single day. We also discovered a nearby botanical garden that has lots of Pokémon Gyms and PokeStops. So, we purchased an annual membership. We get to see the gardens and play at the same time. 
  3. Build outdoor time into our daily routine. One of the things we’re looking forward to in our new home is drinking our morning beverages outside. It doesn’t seem like a lot, and it’s not, but it’s a few more minutes outside. 
  4. Turn outdoor chores into something worth looking forward to. This is totally not me, but Keith loves working in the garden. And he enjoys mowing the lawn. Once a year, I’ve been known to assist with mulching (well, maybe). My point is, find a way to turn being outdoors into something more than drudgery. 
  5. And finally, if all those ideas don’t work, try to bring some plants and sunlight into your home. We’ve discovered that we enjoy having live plants in our home. And dark walls might be on trend, but they make the house dark. So, we’re opting for lighter colors.

As we age, it can be very easy to shift our routines, so we spend more time inside and less outdoors. It could have a negative impact on the way we feel. Maybe we just need to change what we do outdoors. Find new activities that fit more with our unretirement lifestyle. 

Image created by Sharlyn Lauby

What We Are UP To in March 2019

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March, Unretirement, retirement, travel, fun
Disney Sand Sculpture

Disclosure: Occasionally we receive free products for review or include advertising links in posts, but no one impacts the honesty of our opinions. 

This March, I rearranged our “What we’re up to …” list to reflect what’s going on right now. Read on and you’ll see why.

Geeking| Groove Bands

> I like backing Kickstarter campaigns. As a small business owner, it’s a way to pay it forward. And I like the cool items that I get to try out. We just backed a campaign for Groove Life, which makes silicone rings. They’re introducing watch bands that complement their ring designs. Besides the technology itself, one of my favorite Apple Watch features is the changeable band. I’m hoping this will be a nice one. 

Loving| Smith Teas

> I gave up coffee years ago and now I love a nice cuppa tea. A couple of my favorite tea companies have gone out of business. During a trip to Portland, Oregon, I discovered Smith Teas. They are absolutely wonderful. A bit pricey, so I don’t drink them every day but a delicious splurge. If you have a favorite tea company, I’d love to hear about them!

Planning| Vacation!

> For our anniversary this year we’re crossing something off our bucket list. We’ve always wanted to take a repositioning cruise, so this year we’re going from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale through the Panama Canal. Very exciting! We’re looking forward to some relaxation and education along the way.

Remembering| Disney

>I grew up on Disney. My father worked on the construction crew for Walk Disney World (he built Cinderella’s Castle) and my mother worked there for over 30 years. That being said, I’ve never been to Disneyland in California. So, prior to our cruise, we’re going. To quote a very old expression, I feel like a kid in a candy store.

Reading| Dune

> My cruise reading includes the Frank Herbert classic “Dune”. Keith loves this book. I’ve never read it and was able to get it quickly on Paperback Swap. I know there’s a Dune movie remake in the works, so we’ll see if I become a Dune fan. Stay tuned.

Working On| Our Annual Strategy Meeting

> Businesses carve out time to do strategic planning and budgeting. When we started our consulting firm, we decided that it was important to set aside time to do the same. We feel better when we do it and our company is better because of it. Part of the conversation is focused on retirement – what do we want ours to look like? 

Feeling| Surprisingly relaxed

> You would think with all of my business travel and an upcoming vacation that I would be a stressed-out mess. But surprisingly, I’m not. I think we’ve planned everything well. We’ll see once we start our trip, but I’m delighted that this is one of those moments where my obsessive planning might pay off. LOL!

Watching| Captain Marvel

> Like there was any doubt that we were going to see this movie! I’m not going to give away any spoilers except to say, “Goose!” If you’ve seen the movie you know exactly what I’m talking about. Now that we’ve seen Captain Marvel in March, we’re looking forward to Avengers: Endgame when we return from vacation.

What’s UP with you in March? You might notice that we’re posting less frequently for the next couple of weeks, but don’t worry, we’ll be back on track soon.