Retirement Diaries 2023: Into the Workshop

It has been 5 weeks since my mom and I started working in earnest on getting ready for her upcoming downsizing and move.  After about a week working on cleaning up and purging in the pole barn, we moved into dad’s workshop in the garage.  It is really the last area of the property that hasn’t been touched yet. 

Dad had a lot of tools, unfinished projects and a particular fondness for deck screws.  Never mind that this house doesn’t have a deck.  Dad apparently thought deck screws were the solution to every connection issue.  

There are also random items that are discovered among all the tools.  1985 Washington State Ferry schedule anyone?  And enough plastic drop clothes to wallpaper your entire house.  Dad loved to save old scraps of wiring, and we found several full sets of casters that had never been used.

I also had a couple of social outings. Once I wear mom out in the afternoon, I have a chance to go do some fun stuff!  I met up with my old book club and had a great time catching up with them.  There was a beautiful sunset over the water that night too!  Even just a few hours is good for the soul!

I also got to catch up with a former coworker.  I had so much fun reliving memories of old friends and colleagues.  Not to mention hearing how my former workplace has changed.  We never quite know when we leave a place if it will be the right decision, but sometimes we get a glimpse later on that lets us know we made the right choice.

I’m looking forward to getting into the home stretch, because it is tough to keep up the motivation to keep working every day on this project.  I can’t wait to be done!