Three Rights Make a Left

After a couple of failed attempts to retire, I finally gave in. For the last few months, I sat at my desk at home looking at three computer screens all day long every day. My desk at home looked like a desk at NASA instead of FEMA as I reviewed COVID-19 applications and attended online meetings all day long every day. I found that like many of you I was spending all day looking forward to quitting time. I spent all week looking forward to Friday and I spent all weekend dreading Monday morning. I finally realized that I was spending all of my time looking forward to time off when I could have that all of the time.

On March 1st I turned 65 and I am pleased to say that Lori and I are living the Dave Ramsey dream. We are debt free. My sweet wife Lori pointed out that I was old enough to start drawing the Social Security that I have paid into for all of my adult life. It will only be about half of my salary but she said that if we watch our spending, we will be just fine. The down side is that I am less than two years away from drawing a Federal Retirement but the fact is that although I love working in Disaster Relief my work for FEMA was nothing more than serving as a paper pusher. I was still helping people but never got to see the faces of the people I was helping. So two weeks ago with no fanfare, ceremony or a gold watch, I retired from a job I only had since January……and I couldn’t be happier I did. Literally.

Now I have set my sights on doing things I like: Traveling with Lori, spending more time with my kids and grandkids, more fishing, hunting and golfing.

Last week I started catching up on my golf game. I played in the Wednesday Senior Golf Scramble at the Rusted Rail Golf Club in Crandall (Formally Creekview). The course had recently been dubbed the most improved course in Texas and I had planned to take time to play it. However, like most courses in Texas the harsh winter has taken its toll on the grass, especially the greens. The upside is that they will soon begin rebuilding the greens but will soon go to temporary greens until the new ones are done. In the mean time the cost of playing a round of golf is only $15, a great deal if you don’t mind temporary greens. Their web site says that the $15 green fee is good for seniors and in the afternoon. Weekdays are $20 anytime and $25 on weekends. On a side none I had a burger and fries for lunch in the restaurant and they were exceptional.

The way the scramble works is you let them know you want to play…early, because they are limited to 28 players or 7 groups of four. They try to balance the teams with an A player, a B, a C and a D. I told them to put me down as a C since I hadn’t played in over two years and had an elbow surgery as well as a rotator cuff surgery on my shoulder. Oh, and double bypass surgery. All common war wounds among the Local Senior Scramble circuit.

I found that I was paired with two terrific and knowledgeable golfers: Truman Welch from Terrell and Alvin Cox who was serving as the acting tournament director as Calvin Valentine, the regular director, had to take some time off for a few weeks. We were the last group so we played as a threesome with each of taking two shots every third hole to make up for one less player in our group.

This week I have been invited to play the Senior Scramble at the Deer Run Golf Cub on Lake Tawakoni. I think I’m going to like retirement.