I am completing my fifth year of retirement now, and I find myself still answering the same questions:
“So, do you still like being retired?” “What do you DO with all that time?”
The answers are simple: Yes, I love it (trust me and see for yourself), and every day is different, but every day is good for different reasons. Like all of my retired friends, I am busier than ever and I don’t know how I had time to work. (Actually, I do know: I had no life when I worked. All I did was work.)
These questions are brought to you by the working masses, the same people who wanted to know – make that demanded to know – “What are you going to do when you retire?”
The truth is, I didn’t have a plan then, and I don’t have a strict one now. But I have learned a lot in the past few years about myself and about life, lessons I didn’t have time to learn before I retired.
First, nobody does nothing better than me (and I mean that in the best grammatical sense). By that I mean that I can have a day with nothing scheduled and it will still fly by. I can remember being at work and looking at the clock, thinking that 5:00 would never come. Now, I start paying my bills on-line, throw in a load of laundry and, when I look at the clock, it is dinner time. And that’s not because I get up at noon or eat dinner at 4 PM either. I call this phenomenon my “kitchen cabinet theory of time.” No matter how many cabinets you have in your kitchen, you will fill them. It’s the same with time: The things you have to do fill the time in which you have to do them. I like that line so much, I should copyright it, or at least make t-shirts. If only I had the time.
I’m not saying every day is bursting with excitement, though the days that are spent reorganizing the salad dressings in the refrigerator (Make mental note: Add to To Do List) provide a certain feeling of accomplishment. Many of my days are filled with meetings for my volunteer work with Community Visiting Nurse Association or the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College. Knowing that I can spend a half day greeting freshmen and their families as they arrive on the Douglass campus is more rewarding than you can imagine. Meeting a friend for lunch, going to an afternoon movie or making a dentist appointment for mid-day relieves a lot of the stress I suffered when I worked. I can spend a day wandering around, taking pictures or loading them to Shutterfly. I can spend a day in the pool, reading or taking a nap (mental note: Take a nap later).
Second, there is always time spent spending money. I think I am doing retirement on $100 a day. I know I can’t leave the house without spending $100. Costco alone is $100 just to walk in the door (make mental note: Renew Costco membership today). When I am not shopping – and shopping is considerably less frequent than in my working days – I am at the cleaners (again, not as often) or filling the car with gas, buying plants for the porch or stopping at ShopRite to get bananas and walking out with three bags and minus $100. Even the days when I don’t leave the house I can spend $100. There are those shoes I wanted to order and there’s no charge for shipping, so why not save gas and order them on line, I ask myself. Someone is always walking for charity, or there is a birthday card and check to send, or the handyman is here to repair something, so even on the days I don’t leave the house, I still manage to spend $100 or more.
I’m not saying that the spending is a good thing, though I am trying my best to contribute to the economy. Could I curtail spending? Sure, I could. But will I stop putting gas in the car or supporting charities – or buying shoes? Doubtful. It only takes time and money to be a happy retiree.
Third, I still have to keep a schedule. I don’t mean waking up or going to sleep at certain times, but I need a calendar just to keep track or what I am doing and where I am supposed to be every day. There is a play in New York, a basketball game in Piscataway and a blood test in Bridgewater. Let’s just not have them all be on the same day. I literally carry my schedule around with me on my Samsung Galaxy Tablet (or, before that, on paper) because I would be lost without it. Sometimes I am even lost with it. I usually can’t remember further out than two days from now. I keep a folder just for all the invitations and RSVPs so I’ll know that I responded and when and where I am supposed to show up. Add that to garbage night, recycling day, the pool closing, somebody’s birthday and paying my estimated taxes and you’ll understand why I need a calendar on me at all times.
I don’t mean to imply that life is either too dull or too frenetic. On the contrary. It is all about time management – and having a good time. Time is truly the best gift you can give yourself. Retirement has taught me to appreciate time, whether it be spent with a dear friend at the Met for the day, bouncing around the pool in my “water ballet” class, or watching a movie I waited 40 years to see. I am grateful for the time to think, to read, to write, to take pictures, to watch movies, to enjoy life, to take a nap and to control time on my own terms.
I guess that was my plan all along. I wish you all the gift of time – time to do what you want to do, to do what you need to do and to treasure every minute. Have a good time.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Tina's November Movies 2011
Here are the movies I watched in November. Numbering picks up from previous months and movies that I had not seen before are indicated with an *.
136. Groundhog Day (1993) – Imagine being stuck in the same day, seeing the same things and not being able to get to tomorrow. For self-centered weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray), that’s just what happens when he goes to cover Paxatawney Phil, the infamous groundhog whose shadow predicts whether winter will continue or spring will arrive each year. Every morning he wakes up, encounters the same people who say the same things, and it begins to make him just a little crazy. Bill Murray is so good as the sometimes smarmy weatherman who can live each day to the fullest or do things he’ll never regret since there is no tomorrow. This comedy is surprisingly touching and less manic than you’d expect from Murray. 3½ cans.
137. Unguarded* (2011) – I know a lot about basketball, but I was not familiar with the story of high school phenom Chris Herren. This ESPN documentary traces his career, from high school star in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Boston College, Fresno State, to the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and ultimately to the hometown team, the Boston Celtics. But Chris’ accomplishments on the court were, in every stop, surpassed by his troubles with drinking and drugs. Throughout his career he overdosed on everything from cocaine to heroin, got in trouble with the law, and continued a downward spiral that nearly killed him. Not his loyal wife, his three kids, his friends or family could get in his way of his need to score drugs. Herren’s story is a cautionary tale for the young people with whom he now shares it. He is a living example of promise unfulfilled, of a life nearly wasted. There is considerable footage of Herren playing at all levels, of interviews with friends and mentors and his wife, that flesh out the real-life tale of this basketball junkie. 4 cans.
138. The Mighty Macs* (2011) – My second basketball movie of the day is a drama based on the real-life story of the Mighty Macs of tiny Immaculata College, a then-all-female school outside Philadelphia. If the story weren’t real, it would be improbable at best. Young Cathy Rush (Carla Gugino) takes a $450 a year job as the women’s basketball coach at the financially foundering college in 1972. The Mother Superior (Ellen Burstyn) hands her a battered basketball and lets her know there is no gym and no money to support the program. This was the time when women began playing under the same rules as men – though the Mighty Macs still donned those hideous jumper-type uniforms. Armed with nothing but hopes and prayers, Coach Rush gets the nuns out to support the team, and improbably sees her rag-tag underdogs begin to defeat more established opponents. This was also the stage in the history of women’s basketball before Title IX provided more funding for women’s sports and the smaller schools could still compete successfully. Cathy Rush did just that. In fact, a few years ago, she was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame, the highest honor for anyone associated with the program. This movie is corny, trite and full of heart, with lessons young girls should learn. 3½ cans.
139. Dave (1993) – Kevin Kline gives an endearing performance as Dave, a man who so closely resembles U.S. President Bill Mitchell that his handlers draft Dave to appear as the President when the President suffers a stroke. Dave is so deft and likable in his new role that even the icy First Lady (Sigourney Weaver) is impressed with him. When a budget crisis threatens a program for children, Dave calls in his accountant (Charles Grodin, in a small but important role) to come up with cost-cutting ideas. The chief Presidential advisor (played by Frank Langella) sees his control of the erstwhile president begin to erode as Dave warms to the role and he strikes back. How will Dave endure this impending disaster? With Kline in the role, anything can happen. I always enjoy watching this movie and have never understood why Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver didn’t do more movies. Both are superior actors, displaying warmth and wry humor throughout this charmer. 4 cans.
140. Our Miss Brooks* (1956) – Fifty-something years ago I watched Miss Brooks, Mr. Boynton, Walter Denton, Mrs. Davis and Principal Conklin on an innocuous sitcom that was emblematic of its time. Stories meandered, concentrating on the inane, with a drop of humor here and there, and yet I watched – granted, as a child – and felt I knew these people. I didn’t know that this is the movie that started it all. The droll and lovely Eve Arden plays the title role of an English teacher with wit and plenty of double takes. This is in no way a great movie, but it was fun to see these characters again after so many years. 2 cans.
141. Body Heat (1981) – This stylish drama starts with a fire and ends with an explosion – and there is plenty of heat in between. Sultry Kathleen Turner is the bad rich woman who seduces willing lawyer William Hurt and persuades him to kill her husband (Richard Crenna, in the second Richard Crenna part of my day; he played Walter Denton in “Our Miss Brooks,” above). Will they get away with murder? Does she love him? Will anyone stop sweating in Florida? I hadn’t seen this movie in years, and it was still hot in every way. 4 cans.
142. Quiz Show (1994) – Ralph Fiennes delivers a sparkling performance as Charles Van Doren, scion of an intellectual family and national hero for his success on the 1950s quiz show “21.” Directed by Robert Redford, the movie focuses on the backstage machinations that made winners and losers out of contestants as the show’s producers provided them with answers or persuaded them to lose in favor of a more appealing contestant. That was the case with Herb Stempel (John Turturro, in a stellar performance as the wild-eyed, slightly paranoid Stemple), who takes a dive with the understanding that NBC would find another program for him. Replacing Stemple for 17 weeks is the telegenic college professor Van Doren, who became a household name. When Congressional investigator Richard Goodwin (Rob Morrow) begins examining the program to determine if there was cheating, Van Doren’s reputation is on the line. This is a taut and intriguing story, but I still don’t appreciate my tax dollars (although I wasn’t a taxpayer back then) being used to investigate something that just doesn’t matter. In the end, audiences were entertained, contestants and sponsors made money and quiz shows survived. 4 cans.
143. Same Time, Next Year (1978) – This is a love story about a long-term relationship between a man and a woman. Both are married to other people, and they meet once a year at a small resort for their private trysts. The film catches up with them every 5 years, when their lives intersect. Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn are perfect as the loving couple in this charming comedy. I especially enjoyed seeing the black and white scenes depicting time passing before each time we revisit the couple. They clearly love their spouses and their lives, but they also relish the time they spend together. I know its morally wrong, but I find this film irresistible. 4½ cans.
144. Working Girl (1988) – Nike Nichols’ paean to the woman’s movement stars Melanie Griffiths as Tess, a young woman trying very hard to get ahead despite the lack of support by male co-workers, most of whom are more interested in how she looks than how she thinks. When her patronizing boss (Sigourney Weaver) breaks her leg skiing, Tess seizes the opportunity to pursue a deal with Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford). She ends up pursuing more than the deal as she shows she deserves a shot at success. Joan Cusack is hilarious as her best friend. Big hair and shoulder pads dominate the visual aspect of this story, reminding us of the time when women tried to look powerful as they attempted to seize power. 4 cans.
145. Bull Durham (1988) – Kevin Costner never looked better than he does here as Crash Davis, a career minor league catcher who is sent to the Class A Durham Bulls to impart his vast baseball knowledge to erratic pitching phenom “Nuke” LaLouche (Tim Robbins). Nuke needs a lot of education, and baseball groupie Annie (Susan Sarandon) makes him her pet project off the diamond. The contrast between Nuke, a boy, and Crash, a man, is not lost on Annie. One is destined for success if he can mature on and off the field, while the other is on a one-way ticket to nowhere. Costner made three baseball movies (“Field of Dreams,” and “For the Love of the Game”), all of which are terrific films, but this one is my favorite. The acting is spot on as the movie authentically captures minor league life and the small town atmosphere of the minor leagues. I love this movie. 4½ cans.
146. Les Miserables* (1998) – Liam Neeson stars as Jean Val Jean in this handsome adaptation of the classic Victor Hugo tale. The poor and hungry Val Jean is convicted of stealing bread and sentenced to 20 years of hard labor. When he violates his parole, Inspector Jauvert (Geoffrey Rush), a former guard at the prison, makes capturing Val Jean his lifelong pursuit. The epic story unfolds over decades as Val Jean demonstrates his inherent goodness and improves the lives of those around him even as he must dodge the dogged inspector. The story makes us face the concept of imprisonment beyond bars, of morality and of love, set against the beginnings of the French Revolution. The Broadway musical version of the story is one of the best experiences I have ever had in the theater, and this version of the movie stands strong on its own. 4½ cans.
147. The Hustler (1961) – Paul Newman plays pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson in this classic drama about a cocky guy who just doesn’t know when to stop playing. After he plays Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason, in a strong performance), the king of the billiards parlor, and beats him soundly, Fast Eddie isn’t content to take the money and run. He keeps playing – and losing, while Fats gets stronger and fresher during what seems like a heavyweight bout. Fast Eddie, down on his luck, has to scramble to get anyone to play him who doesn’t know his story. The dialogue here is sparse, but Eddie is eloquent in describing the pleasure he derives when he knows he’s playing well. This is a great movie, shot in black and white and filled with ups and downs that come with a vagabond life of a hustler. Piper Laurie and George C. Scott co-star. The original is so much better than the Tom Cruise/Paul Newman sequel, “The Color of Money.” 4½ cans.
136. Groundhog Day (1993) – Imagine being stuck in the same day, seeing the same things and not being able to get to tomorrow. For self-centered weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray), that’s just what happens when he goes to cover Paxatawney Phil, the infamous groundhog whose shadow predicts whether winter will continue or spring will arrive each year. Every morning he wakes up, encounters the same people who say the same things, and it begins to make him just a little crazy. Bill Murray is so good as the sometimes smarmy weatherman who can live each day to the fullest or do things he’ll never regret since there is no tomorrow. This comedy is surprisingly touching and less manic than you’d expect from Murray. 3½ cans.
137. Unguarded* (2011) – I know a lot about basketball, but I was not familiar with the story of high school phenom Chris Herren. This ESPN documentary traces his career, from high school star in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Boston College, Fresno State, to the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and ultimately to the hometown team, the Boston Celtics. But Chris’ accomplishments on the court were, in every stop, surpassed by his troubles with drinking and drugs. Throughout his career he overdosed on everything from cocaine to heroin, got in trouble with the law, and continued a downward spiral that nearly killed him. Not his loyal wife, his three kids, his friends or family could get in his way of his need to score drugs. Herren’s story is a cautionary tale for the young people with whom he now shares it. He is a living example of promise unfulfilled, of a life nearly wasted. There is considerable footage of Herren playing at all levels, of interviews with friends and mentors and his wife, that flesh out the real-life tale of this basketball junkie. 4 cans.
138. The Mighty Macs* (2011) – My second basketball movie of the day is a drama based on the real-life story of the Mighty Macs of tiny Immaculata College, a then-all-female school outside Philadelphia. If the story weren’t real, it would be improbable at best. Young Cathy Rush (Carla Gugino) takes a $450 a year job as the women’s basketball coach at the financially foundering college in 1972. The Mother Superior (Ellen Burstyn) hands her a battered basketball and lets her know there is no gym and no money to support the program. This was the time when women began playing under the same rules as men – though the Mighty Macs still donned those hideous jumper-type uniforms. Armed with nothing but hopes and prayers, Coach Rush gets the nuns out to support the team, and improbably sees her rag-tag underdogs begin to defeat more established opponents. This was also the stage in the history of women’s basketball before Title IX provided more funding for women’s sports and the smaller schools could still compete successfully. Cathy Rush did just that. In fact, a few years ago, she was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame, the highest honor for anyone associated with the program. This movie is corny, trite and full of heart, with lessons young girls should learn. 3½ cans.
139. Dave (1993) – Kevin Kline gives an endearing performance as Dave, a man who so closely resembles U.S. President Bill Mitchell that his handlers draft Dave to appear as the President when the President suffers a stroke. Dave is so deft and likable in his new role that even the icy First Lady (Sigourney Weaver) is impressed with him. When a budget crisis threatens a program for children, Dave calls in his accountant (Charles Grodin, in a small but important role) to come up with cost-cutting ideas. The chief Presidential advisor (played by Frank Langella) sees his control of the erstwhile president begin to erode as Dave warms to the role and he strikes back. How will Dave endure this impending disaster? With Kline in the role, anything can happen. I always enjoy watching this movie and have never understood why Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver didn’t do more movies. Both are superior actors, displaying warmth and wry humor throughout this charmer. 4 cans.
140. Our Miss Brooks* (1956) – Fifty-something years ago I watched Miss Brooks, Mr. Boynton, Walter Denton, Mrs. Davis and Principal Conklin on an innocuous sitcom that was emblematic of its time. Stories meandered, concentrating on the inane, with a drop of humor here and there, and yet I watched – granted, as a child – and felt I knew these people. I didn’t know that this is the movie that started it all. The droll and lovely Eve Arden plays the title role of an English teacher with wit and plenty of double takes. This is in no way a great movie, but it was fun to see these characters again after so many years. 2 cans.
141. Body Heat (1981) – This stylish drama starts with a fire and ends with an explosion – and there is plenty of heat in between. Sultry Kathleen Turner is the bad rich woman who seduces willing lawyer William Hurt and persuades him to kill her husband (Richard Crenna, in the second Richard Crenna part of my day; he played Walter Denton in “Our Miss Brooks,” above). Will they get away with murder? Does she love him? Will anyone stop sweating in Florida? I hadn’t seen this movie in years, and it was still hot in every way. 4 cans.
142. Quiz Show (1994) – Ralph Fiennes delivers a sparkling performance as Charles Van Doren, scion of an intellectual family and national hero for his success on the 1950s quiz show “21.” Directed by Robert Redford, the movie focuses on the backstage machinations that made winners and losers out of contestants as the show’s producers provided them with answers or persuaded them to lose in favor of a more appealing contestant. That was the case with Herb Stempel (John Turturro, in a stellar performance as the wild-eyed, slightly paranoid Stemple), who takes a dive with the understanding that NBC would find another program for him. Replacing Stemple for 17 weeks is the telegenic college professor Van Doren, who became a household name. When Congressional investigator Richard Goodwin (Rob Morrow) begins examining the program to determine if there was cheating, Van Doren’s reputation is on the line. This is a taut and intriguing story, but I still don’t appreciate my tax dollars (although I wasn’t a taxpayer back then) being used to investigate something that just doesn’t matter. In the end, audiences were entertained, contestants and sponsors made money and quiz shows survived. 4 cans.
143. Same Time, Next Year (1978) – This is a love story about a long-term relationship between a man and a woman. Both are married to other people, and they meet once a year at a small resort for their private trysts. The film catches up with them every 5 years, when their lives intersect. Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn are perfect as the loving couple in this charming comedy. I especially enjoyed seeing the black and white scenes depicting time passing before each time we revisit the couple. They clearly love their spouses and their lives, but they also relish the time they spend together. I know its morally wrong, but I find this film irresistible. 4½ cans.
144. Working Girl (1988) – Nike Nichols’ paean to the woman’s movement stars Melanie Griffiths as Tess, a young woman trying very hard to get ahead despite the lack of support by male co-workers, most of whom are more interested in how she looks than how she thinks. When her patronizing boss (Sigourney Weaver) breaks her leg skiing, Tess seizes the opportunity to pursue a deal with Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford). She ends up pursuing more than the deal as she shows she deserves a shot at success. Joan Cusack is hilarious as her best friend. Big hair and shoulder pads dominate the visual aspect of this story, reminding us of the time when women tried to look powerful as they attempted to seize power. 4 cans.
145. Bull Durham (1988) – Kevin Costner never looked better than he does here as Crash Davis, a career minor league catcher who is sent to the Class A Durham Bulls to impart his vast baseball knowledge to erratic pitching phenom “Nuke” LaLouche (Tim Robbins). Nuke needs a lot of education, and baseball groupie Annie (Susan Sarandon) makes him her pet project off the diamond. The contrast between Nuke, a boy, and Crash, a man, is not lost on Annie. One is destined for success if he can mature on and off the field, while the other is on a one-way ticket to nowhere. Costner made three baseball movies (“Field of Dreams,” and “For the Love of the Game”), all of which are terrific films, but this one is my favorite. The acting is spot on as the movie authentically captures minor league life and the small town atmosphere of the minor leagues. I love this movie. 4½ cans.
146. Les Miserables* (1998) – Liam Neeson stars as Jean Val Jean in this handsome adaptation of the classic Victor Hugo tale. The poor and hungry Val Jean is convicted of stealing bread and sentenced to 20 years of hard labor. When he violates his parole, Inspector Jauvert (Geoffrey Rush), a former guard at the prison, makes capturing Val Jean his lifelong pursuit. The epic story unfolds over decades as Val Jean demonstrates his inherent goodness and improves the lives of those around him even as he must dodge the dogged inspector. The story makes us face the concept of imprisonment beyond bars, of morality and of love, set against the beginnings of the French Revolution. The Broadway musical version of the story is one of the best experiences I have ever had in the theater, and this version of the movie stands strong on its own. 4½ cans.
147. The Hustler (1961) – Paul Newman plays pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson in this classic drama about a cocky guy who just doesn’t know when to stop playing. After he plays Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason, in a strong performance), the king of the billiards parlor, and beats him soundly, Fast Eddie isn’t content to take the money and run. He keeps playing – and losing, while Fats gets stronger and fresher during what seems like a heavyweight bout. Fast Eddie, down on his luck, has to scramble to get anyone to play him who doesn’t know his story. The dialogue here is sparse, but Eddie is eloquent in describing the pleasure he derives when he knows he’s playing well. This is a great movie, shot in black and white and filled with ups and downs that come with a vagabond life of a hustler. Piper Laurie and George C. Scott co-star. The original is so much better than the Tom Cruise/Paul Newman sequel, “The Color of Money.” 4½ cans.
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