My Tireless Retirement – Week 179

 

Hello!  How is everybody doing on this fine September day?  Have the days started to cool down yet where you live?  There has definitely been a change here.  We are having warm days that hover around 90° for the high and nice cool nights dipping down to the low 60s.  It has been a nice reprieve from the super hot temperatures.  

 

I picked up some items on sale at Fred Meyer & Grocery Outlet

This past Friday I worked all day and I can say it was a much, much better day for me than the previous one.  It was hectic and busy, but the mood was much calmer and happier.  Then I took the rest of the week off in celebration of the long Labor Day weekend and my upcoming birthday that Tuesday.  I am now 61 years old folks and I will be filing for Social Security next summer in anticipation of my next birthday.  Unbelievable!  My BFF has also threatened to buy me a lifetime National Parks pass for my birthday next year.  Oh boy, I hope he does!

 

Frozen veggies on sale at Albertsons

Throughout the week my BFF and I had multiple discussions and did research on different things we can do in the upcoming years as part of my plan to move along.  It has taken on various twists and turns as there are so many options and all of it is very exciting.  Plans are also in the works for some fun in 2026.  I can hardly wait!

 

One of the tasks on my ever shrinking “to-do” list was to get the carpet in the living room and hallway cleaned and we worked on that over the weekend taking it in sections so we could move furniture around without upsetting the entire house in the process.  We set up box fans to help the carpet dry faster.  I also washed the cover on my recliner before setting the chair back in place.  It turned out lovely and it feels better knowing that the carpet as well as the furniture is nice and clean.  We finished up the living room and got the hallway done a few days later.  I am happy to get that check off!

 

All fresh & clean! 😃

Costco haul!

With my pantry challenge ended it was very nice to get out and get some groceries.  I stopped in at Grocery Outlet as I hadn’t been there in ages and was curious to see what they had.  I found diced tomatoes for 50¢ a can so I picked up four of those and a package of uncured pepperoni slices (total oops! Forgot I’m not buying meat this month) to try as well.  Then we were headed to Costco.

 

I had a list and because they are updating the store they had scaled back on some of their inventory so I wasn’t able to get everything I was planning to buy, however I got the most important things and then we scooted on out of there.  That place is always crazy, regardless of when you go, but especially with parts of it under construction.  I was happy to be able to make fresh salads once again with that big tub of greens I got.

 

I batch cooked some waffles for the freezer using the mini waffle maker that I keep in the motor home.  It worked perfectly to make ten gorgeous fluffy waffles that I allowed to cool completely before placing two in a sandwich bag and tucking four of those packages into the freezer.  I can reheat them in the toaster to eat with an egg and slice of ham or a couple slices of bacon for a yummy brunch or supper.  These would also be good with a smear of peanut butter for when I’m not particularly hungry, but could use a good snack.  Now I have a jumpstart on a quick snack or easy brunch or breakfast for dinner meal times ten!

 

I loaded up the Subaru on Sunday evening and on Monday morning packed the cooler and we were off to the mountains for an overnight campout.  After all of the repairs and upgrades I really wanted to test out the car with a full on road trip complete with dirt roads and also see how it was to camp with it.  I can tell you it is comfortable for one, cozy for two and completely doable.  I am anxious to get out and do it again!  I had so much fun, especially as I was able to wake up on my 61^st birthday to trees and crisp 45° temperatures on Tuesday morning.

 

When we got home I immediately put on the slow cooker with the beef bones and veggie scraps I had been saving plus the rib eye steak bones I brought home from our camp trip and let it go for nearly twenty four hours to make some delicious beef broth.  I also added a whole head of my homegrown garlic to the pot.  My house smelled amazing.  After straining the broth I poured it into some freezer containers and put them away in the freezer.

 

After Labor Day we pulled the A/C unit out of the guest room window and put it away as it wasn’t being used.  I will likely pull the other one in my bedroom in a week or two.  The change of seasons is getting real.  I brought the Fall/Halloween bin back in from the garage and started to decorate the house.  I did it very simply and minimally this year.  Love it!  I also made a point of really enjoying my hummingbirds because in a couple of weeks they will most likely have moved on for the season.

 

More sales items!

I took a very full bag of donations and dropped them off at the thrift store and on the way home I brought the glass recycling I had collected over the summer to the drop-off site as well.  At home I did the paper shredding and dumped the contents of the shredder into one of my garden beds to compost.  The earthworms love the paper.  I also set out a very full blue recycling wheelie bin at the curb for pick up on trash day.  I am making a conscious effort to stay on top of these tasks, keeping things neat and tidy so nothing has the chance to pile up.  And you’ll be happy to know I’ve not kept any cardboard boxes or mailers (“just in case”).  Junk mail doesn’t even make it into the house.  Yay me!

 

I divided up the vegetables to vacuum seal and put away in the deep freeze

It was a fun and productive week and I enjoyed my time off and my time away.  I am very much looking forward to my next road trip which will be a solo one.  I am even more grateful to have the opportunity to have such a nice car to make into my “new” adventure mobile.  I hope you all had a wonderful week as well.  How did you spend your holiday weekend?