Tea For Two: Talking About A Retirement Side Hustle + 2 Story Updates

/ Ally Bean

• • •

TEA FOR TWO, THAT’S ME & YOU

I’ve heard it said that most marital communication is the word *WHAT* being shouted between rooms.

I believe this to be true.

Especially now that Zen-Den, Esq., has retired, sort of.

You see, he retired from his main source of employment, a full-time job with benefits, and is now self-employed as an advisor wandering around at home, sometimes advising his former main source of employment while other times chatting it up with new prospects.

This is called a side hustle.

I am told.

So this means, from my point of view, that He Who Has A Side Hustle is underfoot almost all day long. Like a cheerful puppy. And because he’s accustomed to barking talking almost all day long, he has begun to NEED to tell me things.

While we are in different rooms.

Why just the other morning he shouted something to me from the kitchen while I was in our home study.

I said *what* of course.

He then walked into the home study and told me he had a few calls to take in the morning. After that he was going to organize the tea drawer where we keep, come to find out, 12 different teas*.

So you can see that He Who Has A Side Hustle is finding productive ways to occupy himself that for the most part keep him from pestering and annoying me all day long, and allow him to believe he is a valuable part of this household.

Because he is, of course.

* Knowing that someone is going to ask, the 12 kinds of tea in the drawer are:

  1. Ceylon Orange Pekoe
  2. Constant Comment
  3. Earl Grey
  4. English Breakfast
  5. English Teatime
  6. Green Tea
  7. Green Tea with Pomegranate, Raspberry & Strawberry
  8. Irish Breakfast
  9. Lady Grey
  10. Oolong Tea
  11. Peppermint
  12. Perfect Peach

• • •

UPDATES TO STORIES

1. We named the skeleton Earl. Thanks to everyone who offered name ideas. Y’all are funny. [Original story HERE.]

2.  After writing about how I accidentally acquired a bag of potato chips, Z-D was at Kroger using the U-scan. He used the barcode reader to ring up a six-pack of beer and it did, but then while placing the beer on the wonky wobbly bagging carousel he accidentally dropped the six-pack on the floor. The impact caused the metal caps on two bottles to loosen, spewing carbonated beer from the bottles.

Instead of going back to get a new six-pack, for which he paid in full, Z-D left the store with four bottles of beer. Thus he paid for something he did not get and thereby, I believe, restored balance in our relationship with Kroger. [Original story HERE.]

• • •

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

When thinking about retirement what is the first idea that pops into your mind? Does this thought make you worry or happy– or something else? 

If you drink tea, hot &/or cold, how many kinds of it do you have in your home? Are you about variety or uniformity?     

So what do you think, was it Kroger Karma that caused Zen-Den to drop that beer, making us whole with them again?

• • 💚 • •

242 thoughts on “Tea For Two: Talking About A Retirement Side Hustle + 2 Story Updates”

  1. When thinking about retirement what is the first idea that pops into your mind? Does this thought make you worry or happy– or something else?

    Money, as in will I have enough of it? Semi-worried, but not much I can do about it now. Otherwise, yay more time for writing!

    If you drink tea, hot &/or cold, how many kinds of it do you have in your home? Are you about variety or uniformity?

    I love tea! Right now I have 5 kinds, and I do like a bit of variety.

    So what do you think, was it Kroger Karma that caused Zen-Den to drop that beer, making us whole with them again?

    Definitely Kroger karma! I have experienced similar with Target 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Paula, yes the MONEY issue is the big one with retirement. You plan, but… 🤷‍♀️

      I’m with you about variety in tea. It’s more fun and I love that you’ve had the same sort of karmic experience with Target. It all evens out in the end.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Most people who retire start with a side hustle. Eventually they feel taken advantage of (the old employer or friends wants free advice) or you want more free time to do whatever it is you do. It’s a weaning of sorts. “What” is the most spoken word in our house for sure. We both need hearing aids. After a while you realize that the most important things will get through. All our tea is stale. More than 5 years old. I feel sorry for anyone who asks for it here.

    Liked by 3 people

  3. Dropping of the beer is karmic, no doubt. As for tea, just black tea for me with milk and no worries about retirement as I don’t have a job. My hubby has a contract job since retirement which makes him feel productive and he has a good salary too. Plus+ plus.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I am retired and I recommend it to anyone who is on the fence. I LOVE being retired. I am now sitting (in my jammies at 8:45 a.m. – something I never could have done while working)in our family room on our laptop. When I called to my husband, who is in the kitchen, to tell him the joke about marital communication, his response was “WHAT?” You can’t make this stuff up!

    I have 10 teas in my pantry and I don’t really like tea all that much!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Laurie, oh that’s too funny that your husband said *WHAT?* when you just spoke to him. It’s how we all communicate– of course I’m experiencing it more lately. For reasons.

      I’m sure Z-D will get the hang of retirement with, or without, his side hustle. He’s worked a long time putting in long hours and traveling more than he wanted, so now he’s grooving on being his own boss.

      Like

    • Hear, hear Laurie, on leaving the rat race!

      On your interesting observation, Ally, on hubby needing to talk, I have a friend who spent 2 weeks in Paris, the first, alone, the second with a friend. She took probably x100 times more photos the first week than the second… Coincidence? 🤷‍♀️

      As for the tea, have you ever tried hibiscus tea?

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I’ll go with the tea, as I’m as avid tea drinker. Presently I probably have at least ten different types. I like to try new stuff, so my most unusual is a purple tea sourced from Kenya. It’s light and refreshing. In the morning I drink black tea, and have about six different varieties. I have about five different herbals, a green, a white, two rooibus my daughter brought from South Africa, and two decaf black teas, which are more comfort teas than good tea. I also belong to a tea society, so there you go

    Liked by 2 people

  6. My thoughts after retirement have been:
    1) How long will my money last? Is my pile of money enough to support me until I die?
    2) How long will I live for? (see thought #1)
    3) What should I do everyday?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ellen D., pragmatic thoughts, all of them. And ones that we’ve discussed too. The money/how long will we live questions are abstract, but the what should we do every day question is where we are now. I know what I do daily, but Z-D is about to find out his own answer to the question.

      Like

  7. Retirement has meant no crap from incompetent managers and never having to drive in the dark/bad weather unless I really want to.
    I do like tea, although coffee is my morning beverage. Right now I only have one variety in the cupboard. I think it’s green with ginseng or something like that. I much prefer Rooibos with warm spices/vanilla tones, or our Seattle area famous Market Spice blend. I guess I should buy some new tea!
    Absolutely Kroger Karma, and ZD took the brunt for you Ally Bean. Nice guy indeed!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Deb, yes, your assessment of retirement is VERY much in line with what Z-D is thinking. Fewer idiots, more safe travels.

      I drink coffee in the morning, but usually have a cup of some tea in the afternoon. I’m aware of rooibos tea but didn’t know about the spices/vanilla kind. Will look for that, sounds delicious.

      Yep to the Kroger Karma. I had to laugh, I mean how appropriate is that!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. I don’t know how many kinds of tea we have on the tea shelf, but I’m certain that my superior organizing skills are not wanted in that area. I drink one kind of tea. The Mrs. keeps a jar of it filled for me which I think is both a loving gesture and a warning for me to stay out of the closet with the tea shelf. My retirement side hustle cannot be extended into areas well under control.

    Kroger karma could be a thing, but either way, you’re even now.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dan, obviously you know your limits and have an arrangement with your wife about who gets which tea. Drinking one kind of tea does make it simple and allows your wife to extend a loving gesture. Win-win

      As for being even with Kroger, I agree. We is.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. When I think of my husband’s retirement, I feel panic. Our house is small and my office has no doors. During the pandemic, when Andy was home for a few weeks, along with child, my office became a highway. A noisy one. There’s an alternate route, but neither male used it. Plus, I never realized how much more comfortable men are making noise. It’s not just crashing and banging in the kitchen, it’s little things like whistling or taking a drink of water and letting out a loud, “Ahhhhh,” afterwards. I spent as much time as I could out on the patio.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. When I think of retirement, I mostly think of relaxing and doing things I want to do like travel and write. Freedom. I also think about Coach – his presence, his puttering. My guess is that he’ll continue to treat patients part time but step down from a management role in physical therapy for a long time because he enjoys it and is VERY good at it. He might feel lost wihtout it. I also think about grandkids.

    I like Irish Breakfast tea after living in Ireland my junior year in college. I do have some in the house, but I very rarely drink it. I don’t drink coffee at all.

    I am chuckling at Kroger Karma and all things being equal now. Personally, I would’ve swapped out the 4 pack for a new 6 pack.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ernie, there is a freedom with retirement, at least in the sense of being in charge of your days, unimpeded by bosses or traffic jams. Travel, writing, sure, sure. The puttering around the house aspect of it will be new for Z-D & I. I’m sure I’ll have more stories on that topic as time goes by.

      I learned to enjoy English Breakfast tea for the same reason you know about Irish Breakfast teas. I studied in England in college, developed a love of milky tea with one lump of sugar.

      Z-D said he thought about going back to get another six-pack because it was the wobbliness of the bagging carousel that caused him to drop the beer. But he didn’t. 🤷‍♀️

      Like

  11. Laughing so much at the WHAAAAT???? snippet. Were you just peeking into our windows? Hubster was certain I’d moved his favorite gardening gloves and shouted from the garage, whilst I was upstairs…and all I heard was muddle-muddle-muddle…but with a tone. Ohh…not a good way to start the day. Turns out his gloves were right where HE left them. 😉 If he approached to say his agenda for the day included organizing tea? I’d fall over…but then I’d be so happy. Thank God – a project! One that doesn’t involve me! Thank you for the giggles — including the conclusion, I’d say, to the Kroger Karma tale. Hilarious!

    Liked by 2 people

  12. HA. I legit guffawed at your first sentence.

    I have many many kinds of tea in my house. I drink earl grey daily (Stash double bergamot, to be exact) but we have many kinds of tea that mostly languish in my pantry. Lots of fall and winter flavors, some chamomile, some green tea, various and sundry others, and a big bag of matcha powder.

    When I think of retirement, I feel a little panicky about money. Is there enough of it? Will it last?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Suzanne, yep, saying *WHAT* is marriage from the git-go. It just seems to be intensifying now that Z-D is semi-retired.

      My husband likes Earl Grey more than I do and I bet he’d like the Stash one you mention. I’ll look for it. I’ve fond of green teas but for some reason chamomile has never been a favorite around here.

      The money angle of retirement is kind of the elephant in the room. It’s easy to dream-up places to go, things to do, BUT will you be able to afford them? I’ll let you know in a decade or two.

      Liked by 1 person

      • If your husband is an Earl Grey fan, I highly recommend Uncle Grey from Tea Squared. They are a Canadian company but ship to the U.S. and the tea is fantastic. I usually ask for it as a gift around the holidays; the rest of the time, I enjoy the double bergamot.

        I am with you on the chamomile. I only have it around for “emergencies,” i.e. when I am feeling under the weather. There is something soothing about it, probably because my mother used to make it when I was under the weather as a kid.

        Liked by 1 person

        • I’ve heard of Tea Squared, but never looked at their website. I’ll check it out. thanks for the idea. It sounds like a good holiday gift for Mr. Man– and maybe some special tea for me, too. 😁

          I don’t know what there is about chamomile, but I. do. not. like. Now Peppermint when I’m feeling poorly helps.

          Liked by 1 person

  13. Watch out! Zen-Den has been turned loose to roam about, organizing other aspects of your life. I hope you have a house big enough to accommodate the roaming. . . and the organizing.

    Prediction: You’ll get used to it, but with some adjustments on both sides. Tee Hee!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. When thinking about retirement what is the first idea that pops into your mind? Does this thought make you worry or happy– or something else?

    First thing: I don’t have nearly enough money saved for retirement. At the moment that’s a “tomorrow” / “future me” problem. Talk to me in 5 years.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Steve, I get what you’re saying. I don’l know that I thought much about retirement until a decade ago when it dawned on me/us we better get serious. And now the future is here!

      Like

  15. I have six kinds of teas and they probably need to be thrown out since I haven brewed a cup in over a year. Bengal Spice was my favorite. Now, when I want something hot in the evenings I go for a packet of broth without caffeine. But mostly I gave up tea because I couldn’t keep my teeth white enough, drinking it every day.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Jean, good point about tea staining your teeth. Years ago a dental hygienist told me to avoid green teas because they stained the worst. I dunno if I believe that because I find all of them stain. I’m not familiar with Bengal Spice but any tea with a little spice in it appeals to me.

      Like

  16. My hubby has been fully retired for a few years and has done the ‘consulting back’ thing too. The best advice I can offer is don’t downsize your home until after you have worked out the kinks of having two people home full time. Individual man or woman ‘caves’ can be marriage savers! My hubby has his own home office, basement workshop and since he is now into woodworking, has a shop for that stuff in the garage.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Margy, excellent advice. During our months at home together during the pandemic lockdown we each took over a room of our own. I have the home study, he has a guest bedroom turned office. And as far as I’m concerned he can have the basement all to himself. No talk of downsizing at the moment, though. But when we do, we will each need our own spheres of influence.

      Liked by 1 person

  17. So many teas in my home, or will be again when I finally get to set up my kitchen (the renovation is moving at a snail’s pace, as they do). Caffeinated teas for morning and early afternoons….herbals for the evening. Even though I have no countertops, sink or appliances installed as yet, I did get myself an electric kettle last week (previously only owning a stovetop version) so I can make myself a cuppa, with water from the bathroom sink. I can’t believe that it brings me so much joy to be able to do this one small thing!

    Sounds like your husband will be good at keeping himself occupied in his retirement, and that makes me very happy for you 😉.

    Deb

    Liked by 1 person

    • Deb, I’ve never had an electric kettle. It’s a brilliant addition to your life considering the state of your kitchen. I can understand how making yourself a cuppa at home on demand would be comforting, considering the aforementioned state of your kitchen. How much longer until your kitchen is finished?

      Z-D has always been good at finding projects to do, either at home or as a side hustle. As long as he entertains himself without staring at me all day long I shall be happy.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Countertop and sink installation is slated for November 10! SIL has committed to hooking up the sink and dishwasher for me so the kitchen shall be much more workable by then even though tiling and range hood installation will still have to happen. Can’t wait.
        BTW this kettle does amazing things, like change colour depending on the temperature of the water. It is a lot of fun. I don’t remember electric kettles being this clever but they have gone high tech just like everything else.

        Liked by 1 person

        • You’re making significant progress. Running water along with a counter can only help you feel more at home. All home improvements take time, but it does make for some tedious days in the process. I didn’t know about the swanky new electric kettles. The ones I remember are from my college days. Some girls on my floor in the dorm had them. They were basic [the kettles not the girls].

          Liked by 1 person

  18. My husband, being older, retired several years before me so when I was restructured out of my job at 60, I thought we were going to start doing things together because I always considered him my best friend. That didn’t happen as he had settled contently into a quiet world of reading his iphone for hours on end and calling old friends that he never ever called before. I have been retired for 4 years. I took a year to grasp my new reality and to find other ways and people to enjoy life but I have and life goes on. I don’t even get the “what” because even with hearing aids, he doesn’t seem to hear. I actually don’t think this is unusual for retired couples, but, back in 1989, I didn’t think I had married his father yet that is who he has become. Good thing I liked his dad.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Jennifer, yours is an interesting story that does shed a different light on retirement. One of the carpenters who was here during our recent bathroom remodeling projects said something similar. He said he didn’t want to retire before his wife because he knew he’d do it wrong, so he was waiting for her to retire so they could adjust together.

      Obviously you’ve found your new groove, but good point about the timing of retirement. And about discovering you’re married to your FIL now.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Cold tea – ick. I cannot get over the hump of cold tea and loathe iced tea. Even typing that out makes me feel slightly ill.

    That said, I LOVE hot tea. I’m pretty basic though: Chai, Earl Grey and Orange Pekoe are my go-to, and I’m a hard pass on anything herbal.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Elisabeth, duly noted about you and iced tea. It’s not for everyone, obviously.

      I don’t drink much Chai tea and I don’t know why. If I’m out somewhere I’ll order it and enjoy it, but at home I never think to buy it. I guess I’m fickle. Or I think it’s for special occasions.

      Like

  20. Kroger Karma indeed!! Although I did think of your potato chips as a “loyalty gift” so now I’m not sure.
    That’s a lot of tea, but I might just have a similar amount – perhaps I should organize the tea cupboard!
    It’s funny you should mention retirement. When Covid hit and my husband started working from home, it was pretty obvious that he was used to talking to people a lot more…which meant that whatever I was doing would be interrupted by a discussion about whatever came to mind for him. It was not unlike having a toddler, albeit one who was articulate.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Nicole, good point about the loyalty gift aspect of the whole potato chip situation. Which narrative shall I use when discussing this situation henceforth: loyalty gift OR Karma? Allow me to ponder, I’ll get back to you with an answer.

      During the early months of the pandemic Z-D worked from home every day for 16 months, BUT he had lots to do with his work all day long. NOW he is more at loose ends and I can see how he may too, like your husband, become an articulate toddler. Uh huh

      Like

  21. My niece used to have a blog called Sobrieteaparty (https://www.tawnylara.com/blog). She also used to live with me, so I have a large variety of herbal decaf tea concoctions thanks to her. I recently I got married and Hubs likes PG Tips and Barrys, so the “tea drawer” runs a wide spectrum. Right now I’m drinking Stash Licorice Spice. It sounded disgusting to me at first, but I really like it. We drink tea mainly in the winter, so definitely hot.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Tracey, I’ll checkout your niece’s blog. I went to college with a girl who adored PG Tips– and I hadn’t thought of her in years until you wrote this. I don’t know if I’d like anything licorice, tea or candy. BUT you never know. I like a nice hot cuppa in the winter, too. Very soothing

      Like

  22. I retired early from my job as the Assistant Director of Student Media at UC Santa Cruz. I was only 52. Roger is ten years older, and he was done working and wanted to move on. So we did. We sold our house and headed north to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. I did some remote work back then with the university and a part time job with the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building. We moved on from that and work. I wish I had stayed working until I was in my 60s. Not working has let my brain go to mush. The only things that have me sparked are clouds and haiku. Brief, ephemeral, gone.
    We only drink English Breakfast Tea.
    Kroger Karma!

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Earl! Roger welcomes you to the club!

    I believe the Universe made amends with the beer situation. It’s known as the Law of Righted Wrong. Don’t quote me on this.

    I’m not a tea drinker! Aside from a chai every now and again. But that’s a Starbucks latte, so I don’t think this counts.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Kari, it’s so kind of Roger to say “hey” to Earl. I’ll let him know.

      I like the idea of the Law of Righted Wrongs. I can accept that as an explanation of our recent shopping adventures at Kroger.

      No tea for you. Got it. Makes life easier I suspect.

      Liked by 1 person

  25. Well, hubby has been “retired” officially since 2013. He got hurt at work in 2009 and was home off and on from that point. I’ve been working from home since 2001 and I definitely noticed a difference once he was home all.the.time. Fortunately we can see each other from our respective spots (me in the kitchen WORKING and him in the living room WATCHING TV so while we do say “What?” we can mostly get the essence of the conversation (me having headphones on BECAUSE I’M WORKING and him having the TV ON FULL BLAST because he can’t hear). LOL. As long as I can keep typing and working in my craft studio, I’ll never retire.

    Yes, I think it was the karma gods working at Kroger.

    Teas – Every night at bedtime and sometimes during the day. I have seasonal teas like gingerbread spice and candy cane when they are available. Also Egyptian Licorice, Meyer Lemon, Licorice spice, Wild Berry Zinger, Bedtime, Blueberry Slim Life, vanilla bean macaroon, iced lemon loaf, Throat Comfort, peppermint, vanilla spice, honey peach, and usually some sort of orange or tangerine. My favorite brands are Yogi and Celestial.

    Thanks for the updates. Earl is a great name for the skeleton. Did you move him around like Elf on the Shelf?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Janet, I knew you’d worked from home for a long time. And even with the ‘intrusion’ of your husband on the scene it sounds like you two have figured out a way to peacefully co-exist in your home. Headphones are useful in many applications aimed at domestic bliss.

      You’ve named many flavors of tea I’ve never heard of. Some sound great. I know we can get Celestial brand teas in some grocery stores, but never heard of Yogi. Or maybe it’s there and I’ve not noticed it.

      Funny you should mention it, we did move Earl around over the month of October. One morning he about scared the snot out of me when I found him lurking in the dining room in the semidarkness. Now how did he get there?

      Liked by 1 person

    • Johnny, I’m sure you’re right about the Saturday-ness of retirement. The problem I suspect is that other people are still experiencing all 7 days of the week– and force you to acknowledge them.

      I agree about Kroger Karma. We’re all good now.

      Like

  27. Retirement means doing things you want to do within reason.

    I have an assortment of teas because people give them to me and drink them for me.

    You can hold your head high when you walk into Kroger. The balance of the universe has been restored.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. When He-Man was offered a really good package in early 2020 he took it and retired in Oct. that year. It terrified me. We spent our whole adult lives making money now there would be nothing coming in for over a year! We made it through the year just fine so my fears are somewhat allayed.
    I don’t think the fear will ever go away entirely but, it’s better.

    Teas- Two brands both black teas, and one of those brands I also have in a decaf form.

    Yes, definitely Karma so you’re in balance with Kroger and yourselves. 🤗😀

    Liked by 1 person

  29. I am so pleased that you went with Earl. 🙂

    As for tea, I recently did a purge of our teas, realizing that we had many varieties that we are not likely to drink (based upon how long they had already taken up valuable cupboard real estate. I now have us down to 4: Meyer Lemon, Decaf Earl Gray, Refresh Mint, and Decaf Constant Comment (an orange-black combo). I don’t drink coffee and avoid caffeine, so the tea is for me. Now that I am retired (highly recommend), I have more time to drink it. I also gradually weaned from work (I do still have a side hustle this school year, but it is much reduced from last year). I’m still getting used to the change in money. It’s an adjustment, and I do have some generalized concerns about the future, given how things are in the world, but no regrets. The more I let myself really feel how good it feels, the more in awe I am that this is my life now.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Rita, many commenters shared compelling reasons for why the skeleton should be named Earl. It suits him– and our senses of humor.

      I admire your ability to curate your teas down to four. Ones I’d like, in fact. It seems crazy that we have 12 but we do drink them all, so not wasteful.

      I wonder about how we’ll adapt to the change in the way money finds its way into our checking account. It seems odd to me, but I realize that it’s also what we all work for, to retire and ease into a new lifestyle. I’m glad yours is making you feel good.

      Liked by 1 person

  30. If ZD is good at organizing drawers, could I hire him? I am not! I have two kinds of coffee: leaded and unleaded. I’ve found the ones I like best and don’t like to experiment since I’ve been burned (not literally) on many occasions. I don’t like tea although I wish I did. Retirement was hard for me as a person living alone with no side hustle. It’s good that ZD is finding ways to keep busy.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Margaret, Z-D is very good at organizing anything. It plays into his innate sense of tidiness, something I lack. He finds it fun.

      I experiment with all kinds of coffees [non-flavored] and teas. However if you have your favorites and can get them regularly then you’re golden. I know that it was difficult for you to retire by yourself with no side hustle other than substituting, BUT you’ve come out all the better for it. I believe everyone finds their own path, both when employed and when retired.

      Like

  31. When people ask my husband when he will retire, he says, “Probably never. You have to have money to retire.” He turns 68 this week. Not real sure if I could handle him being home. He would be asking,”What are we doing today?” I have a routine and he would drive me crazy!
    I love tea and have many varieties except for fruit flavors. Not a fan of those. Black teas are my favorite.
    Poor Zen Den! I think I would have gone to get a new pack of beer.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Beth, yes there is something to be said for having money when you retire. I get that. Of course not dealing with workplace BS is its own form of compensation, too. I suspect that figuring out how to navigate retirement life together is a skill, different for everyone.

      I like black teas, too. Sturdy and just the way I think tea should be. Z-D said he thought about going back for another six-pack but figured the Universe had made things right for us with Kroger. Plus in our store it’s a far hike to get to the beer aisle from the checkout so he didn’t.

      Like

  32. I have been taking retirement for a test drive since June 1. So far so good. My wife is still working full-time, but fortunately our house is large enough that she has control of the first floor and I the second. We don’t have an issue hearing each other…because we text. So there’s that. We primarily drink decaf iced tea, but have about a half-dozen hot tea flavors to choose from should that “peak” our interest. Very well organized, I might add (in a box). That Kroger balance is fluid to be sure, and open to interpretation as to who is “in the lead” at any given time. Grocery stores, and especially checkout, are chaotic by their very nature. They “get us” sometime, and we “get them.” It is just the way of the grocery shopping beast I believe.

    Liked by 1 person

    • You text! Oh I like that. Of course this means you know where your cell phone is, which for me is an issue. I seem to be forever looking for mine, misplaced somewhere in the house.

      Organized tea in a box. You are upping the game with that idea. Ours is in Ziplock bags floating around in one drawer.

      I like your take on grocery stores and checking out and the reality that is part of the process. I like shopping for groceries, but am less enthusiastic about checking out. Beyond the price issue, that is.

      Liked by 1 person

  34. I love that Zen Den is retired, but is still feeling useful in both work and home situations. I’d call that a win-win!

    I only have Sleepytime Tea and Chamomile Tea..oh, and Iced Tea because The South!

    I think you’re all squared away with Kroger. For now anyway. 😜

    EARL is a great name for your skinny friend.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Suz, Z-D is now describing himself as being semi-retired. That’s a good way to put it.

      I’ve seen Sleepytime Tea but never had it. I don’t know much about herb teas, but I do know about iced tea, sweet or unsweetened. When in the South that’s what you drink.

      I feel that Kroger and I are even. Earl agrees.

      Liked by 1 person

  36. Great post – very enjoyable! We have tea in our house, but it’s for friends who are tea drinkers. M and I only drink coffee. Retirement is coming up for me in less than a year, and I am very much looking forward to it! M has been retired for four already, and there’s lots we want to do (but not organising my socks – or tea, as the case may be 😉 ). The beer spillage is coincidence. No one got to enjoy it; it just wound up on the floor. If it were karma, it should have been you with the spilled beer. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lynette, I know some people never drink tea. My MIL is one of those people for instance. It’s kind of you to have it around for those who enjoy it.

      You don’t plan on organizing your sock drawer once you retire? I am shocked to read that. I imagine that you’ll come up with better things to do.

      As for Kroger Karma, if you’re right then they now owe Z-D two beers and I still owe them for the chips. This is getting complicated.

      Liked by 1 person

  38. I do believe it all evens out at the grocery store. I am a bit worried what my spouse will do when he also hangs up his Esq. hat. He claims he will find places to volunteer, but we shall see. I drink hot tea, but can no longer have black tea, so I do have a nice variety of herbal and green teas. My favorite is Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice because it’s most like a black chai tea, which I miss!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Bijoux, I’m with you about the grocery store situation. I didn’t mean to take the chips, Z-D didn’t mean to drop the beer. I say let bygones be bygones.

      You know the lawyer saying: old lawyers never die, they just go on appeal. I keep thinking that as I’m watching Z-D adjust to his new lifestyle.

      You’re the second commenter to mention Bengal Spice tea, something I’ve never heard of before today. I’ll look for it the next time I’m at Kroger– and if I choose to buy it I’ll pay for it, by cracky.

      Like

  39. I love the line, “Because he is, of course.” as it could apply to whether he’s a valuable member of the household or whether he’s annoying and pestering you…or both. 🙂 And I love the tea drawer organization and that you listed the teas. As a tea drinker, I really appreciated that.

    And the evening of the balance with Kroger. Brilliant!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Wynne, feel free to interpret my sentence within the context of this post in any way that makes sense to you. I merely tee up a topic, then let commenters take it from there.

      And yes, I’m thinking we’re good with Kroger. After all when we got married that reverend said we were “one.” Thus I believe that we [who are one] are even with K Roger.

      Liked by 1 person

  40. I don’t know if it’s karma, but wasted beer is most certainly a bummer! I’d have gone back for a new six-pack. And then probably been struck by lightning while crossing the parking lot.

    Come to think of it, Z-D did the right thing. Or the least dangerous thing, anyway.

    I drink tea all the time, but only one kind: Tazo Wild Sweet Orange.

    Liked by 2 people

  41. I can’t believe that you made me count! I found 36 different types of black tea and 20 types of decaf tea. That doesn’t count my son’s weed-like teas and the samples that I have to try. I feel like I’m at some sort of addiction meeting! It’s all loose-leaf tea which I have thoroughly enjoyed while working from home during COVID. I dread going into the office one day per week now, because I don’t have a tea press there and have to use tea bags. Some of those are 3 years old. I’m sure they are fine, but still. I’m glad I’m not the only one with a tea stash.

    And now is a particularly bad time to retire. You’re husband is brave! With the stock market sleeping or tanking, our savings look grim.

    Liked by 1 person

    • KDKH, you have a goodly amount of tea on hand, ready for any mood that might strike you. I’m impressed, you’ve outdone yourself. I’m sure being forced to use a teabag at work is a comedown for you!

      Yes, I know the stock market is dodgy right now. Believe me we’ve talked about this, but Z-D was ready to walk away from his career and start something new, part-time, and more fun. We’ll see where this takes us.

      Liked by 1 person

  42. My retirement: happy, happy, full of promise. His retirement: what do you mean you’ll be here all day?

    I thought of you the other day. After putting our grocery items on the conveyer belt at an actual staffed register, having them scan the items, put the items in our cloth bags, and paying for them, we wheeled the cart out to our car. I picked up a cloth bag that we hadn’t used and found a carton of mushrooms hiding under it. Oops. I wish I could tell you that I walked back in, stood in line again, and paid what I owed. I wish I could tell you that so I will 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Janis, yes I get you. He, as in Z-D, does seem to be here all. the. time. He was around during our pandemic lockdown days, but that was different. He had work to do. Now? Not so much.

      I’m glad you told me about the mushrooms that I know you paid for. I understand your reluctance to re-enter the store, sometimes correcting errors is more error-full [a word?] than just going on with life. Stupid mushrooms

      Like

  43. I thought retirement meant fun. It just doesn’t seem fair that all the household chores I did before or at some times paid others to do, I still do. Those toilets don’t clean themselves. 🙂
    No tea here, just Peets coffee. Of course, it was Kroeger karma. Now, you’re square. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Judy, good point that all the household chores are still here, waiting to be done. That will be the same as before.

      I like Peet’s coffee. It’s only been in the last few years that I became aware of it. And yes, I’d say I’m square with Kroger. Let the game commence again!

      Like

  44. I retired on disability in 2014. I never thought retirement would mean having to depend on Mary as much as I do. But, here we are.

    Mary’s the tea drinker here. She has four or five different kinds that she switches off between, but she doesn’t drink tea all the time. She usully drinks instant coffee or different juices that she’s explained to me and still make no sense.

    And it wsn’t Kroger Karma, it was Kroger clutziness…

    Liked by 1 person

    • John, yours is a different experience with retirement than most. You’re lucky to have Mary and to be able to adapt to what is.

      I like Mary’s tea collection and juice preferences even if you don’t understand them. Whatever keeps you hydrated and alert is good by me.

      I like Kroger klutziness as an explanation of what happened. I could go with that!

      Liked by 1 person

  45. Hi, Ally – I love how nice and organized your tea cupboard is! That’s a nice plus of ZD’s (semi) retirement. Even when opening the cupboard where our tea is stashed (and staring right at the tea section), I could not begin to tell you how many different kinds of teas we have, nor could I name them all. Perhaps ZD would like to make a trip to Vancouver Island? It could be his side-side business!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Donna, I guarantee you that I had no idea how many kinds of tea we had in that drawer before Z-D organized it. Of course once he did make it easy for me to see what’s in there, I had to make a list. He likes to be tidy, I like to make lists– and aren’t we a pair! I’ll let him know about your idea for his side-side business.

      Liked by 1 person

  46. Wandering around at home—🤣🤣🤣 My wife and I have a daily contest to see who can say “what?” more than the other. So far, it’s a tight contest. This is exacerbated by calling out from the other end of the house. After all, we’re too lazy to walk to the other end of the house.

    Liked by 2 people

  47. Z-D sounds like my husband lol sometimes he gets inspired to reorganize things and it becomes an exercise of us arguing what’s useful and what’s garbage lol…

    When thinking about retirement, I get excited about all the time I will have for reading, writing and volunteering. It’s something that makes me happy but also, I am not counting the minutes to retirement either- I believe in loving what you do and if you don’t love it and if you have the privilege to change it, then I believe you can change it!

    I only drink hot tea and I have three categories, teas for when I am sick, teas that taste good and teas that help me sleep! 🙂 And all of it is an organized mess in my pantry lol

    Thank God for the spilt beer I say! Now we can live with ourselves!!! I would feel the same exact way!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Jenn, we, too, often get into “discussions” about what is useful and what is garbage. At least in this situation with the tea I had zero interest in what Z-D decided, so I don’t know if he threw anything out or not. All I know is I can easily find tea when I want it.

      Retirement is one of those issues that sneaks up on you. One year you’re happily living your lives, then the next year it dawns on you that you’d better start thinking about retirement. So you ignore that idea for a few years, until you really have to pay attention. At least that’s our experience with it.

      I firmly believe the beer mess balanced the potato chip theft– and all is good between us and Kroger. I sleep soundly at night.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Haha! I’m laughing because I can so relate to your comment, BB. One thing leads to another, and we usually end up thinking, “Whose idea was this?”🤣 That’s the point our sense of humor rescues us from the point of no return.

      Liked by 2 people

  48. Yes, it was Kroger-karma that caused Zen-Den to drop the beer and even things out for you. Even though you didn’t need to feel guilty, you can be totally at ease now.

    I have too many kinds of tea to count. Unfortunately, I’ve become hooked on coffee in the past couple of years and am having a hard time going back to tea. But I do always have a cup of caf-free Good Earth Sweet and Spicy every night.

    Being a widow, I have no comment about husbands and wives calling from room to room. Unless memory fails me, I don’t think my husband and I did that.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Nicki, thank you! “Even though you didn’t need to feel guilty, you can be totally at ease now.” That’s exactly the truth of it.

      I’m not familiar with Good Earth Sweet and Spicy Tea, but it sounds delicious. I drink tea with lunch or in the afternoon. Coffee is my morning beverage of choice.

      Maybe shouting *WHAT* is more of a thing when you get older! I know that our what-ness has increased tenfold since Z-D retired.

      Like

  49. Seriously I just love the comments as I’ve said before. I have zero idea how many tea kinds we have because I don’t drink it (or coffee). I know he takes his black or wait maybe it’s with both no perhaps it’s just milk…. that’s how much attention I’ve paid to tea in 41 years of marriage..I seriously have no idea how he takes it. His coffee is a single single but strangely it’s not called that – it’s apparently a regular. But if 2 cream and 2 sugar make the famous Tim Hortons double double then why is 1 cream 1 sugar called a regular?
    As to what?. OMG – he slays me. He mumbles as he walks away into another room and then seems annoyed when I say pardon. Really dude??

    Liked by 1 person

    • Bernie, this weblog gets the comments and I love it, too. I just tell y’all what I’m thinking about or doing, then wait to see what we’ll be talking about here.

      No coffee or tea for you! Oh, I couldn’t live like that. I’m not surprised you don’t know how your husband takes his hot beverages. My understanding of a “regular” coffee is that the term came from the east coast and was said in diners back in the day. Now it makes little sense and most people don’t understand it– but my mother used the term.

      As for mumbling males, I have one of those wandering around here, too. I find myself saying things like I would to a toddler: “use your words.”

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  51. When thinking about retirement what is the first idea that pops into your mind? Does this thought make you worry or happy– or something else? I have too many years to wait for that, so I don’t entertain thinking about it yet. My hubby on the other hand “retired” from corporate work 20 years ago, and works harder as a landlord, so that’s also another reason to not entertain the idea of retirement. I laughed at your comments about “what”. We know and act out the “what” scenes often/daily/hourly…we have both worked from home for the last 10 years.

    If you drink tea, hot &/or cold, how many kinds of it do you have in your home? Are you about variety or uniformity? Matcha, that’s the only tea we drink. We do need to clean out the cupboard that housed our previous boxes of “we don’t drink that garbage tea anymore” flavors. Tea is a highly processed industry. If you’re interested, the Matcha we buy is Encha Ceremonial Grade Matcha Green Tea – First Harvest Organic Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder, From Uji, Japan. There is a delightful ritual for the preparation of it to make it frothy. It’s fun.

    So what do you think, was it Kroger Karma that caused Zen-Den to drop that beer, making us whole with them again? Absolutely! But, I think the lost beer cost more than the chips, so you’re still owed another bag. 😉

    Like

    • Shelley, retiring from corporate work is the goal of everyone who has ever worked in a corporation. At least that’s the impression I get. I knew you worked from home, and had for a while, but didn’t know your husband’s story. Thanks for sharing it.

      I know of Matcha but have never had it. Why is it frothy? I learned to drink tea from my father who’d buy the loose stuff, then mix it to create his own black tea blends. I learned about green teas in the last few years.

      I’m laughing at your cost analysis of the beer bottles in relationship to the price of the bag of potato chips. You’re right, by cracky. However I’m calling it all even– and putting this K Roger experience behind me.

      Liked by 1 person

      • You’re right, and when the time is right for me to retire, I’ll join the ranks of those who have reached that goal and celebrate it as well.

        The Matcha whisk and bowl are part of the preparation and the frothy fun. I’m fortunate that Mr. does enjoy the process of preparing the tea. The froth seems to me as an important part of the experience. We top it with sea salt.

        The Kroger experience has been fun to ponder. Thanks for sharing it with us.

        Liked by 1 person

  52. If all the financials were confidently in place, I’d retire tomorrow. Not that I don’t enjoy what I do, but I could volunteer and get the same amount of satisfaction without having to do all the marketing schtick. There’s so many things I enjoy doing that having more time for them would be heavenly. As Himself is younger than me, it would rely on him being willing/feel able to retire at the same time also for the fullest enjoyment. I suspect I’ll retire only when he does, so a few more years yet.

    Tea – three types here. Earl Grey, Chai, Peppermint. Used to have an embarrassing number, but they never got used as the aforementioned were my favs. What is Constant Comment tea?

    Laughing here at Kroger’s karma – except that surely you’re now in credit, as I’m sure that 2 bottles of beer are way higher in value than one packet of chips 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • Deb, you’re right that retirement comes down to financial considerations AND an agreement on how you’ll be living your days. Gotta have both in place, seems to me.

      Constant Comment Tea is a black tea blend from Bigelow and I quote: “Our first and most famous blend flavored with a secret recipe of orange rind and sweet spice.” It reminds me of being in high school when we girls thought we were swanky drinking it.

      I agree that the lost beer costs more than the purloined chips, but I feel overall there’s balance between us and K Roger so I’m happy.

      Liked by 1 person

      • That tea sounds lovely. Rather reminiscent of a tea a friend of mine used to bring back from France. I haven’t seen her in years and my supply (kindly obtained by her) ran out long ago.

        As to Kroger, I get you – I always feel better being in credit than owing.

        Liked by 1 person

  53. Have fun with your new household assistant! When my husband retired he took up a new hobby that kept him fully occupied so things didn’t change that much for me. Until… the pandemic started. Then he kept himself busy teaching me new and more efficient ways to run the kitchen and do the vacuuming and dusting. He does all the food shopping now which is fine with me. He tried to make his way into the laundry process but, as the laundry queen, I managed to keep him out of that domain!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Barbara, now that’s a great way to think of a retired husband underfoot at home. I’ll tell him he’s my assistant and shall instruct him on how we do things here at Chez Bean. I know that during the pandemic Z-D did take over vacuuming and loading/unloading the dishwasher. He is competent in those realms, so I have high hopes for him being helpful elsewhere.

      Liked by 1 person

  54. That’s funny that you are now in balance with Kroger. Yea, karma knew it was bugging you at some small level, so decided to fix it for you.

    We had almost 2 years of all of us home working together (COVID), and while I miss having Ted and Maya around, I also am happy to have the house to myself again. I wonder what retirement will look like? I’ll admit that the prospect gives me anxiety. Too many things to figure out.

    Liked by 1 person

    • J, Z-D was working from home every day for 16 months so we have a taste of what it’s like to be here 24/7. BUT he had a job then, doing things all day long SO I don’t know how this new normal is going to play out.

      Yes, retirement is a long conversation before you actually get to the point of retiring. When you start down the path be prepared to hear the word *transition* until you wanna scream: “I. Get. It.” It may be accurate, but it’s overused.

      Like

  55. My first try posting said it wasn’t able to — so I’m trying again and hope I’m not duplicating. Please feel free to delete one if both post.

    Fun post as usual, Ally Bean! Retirement: I am dreaming of it — and although it’s not the best time to go while the market is down and inflation is sky-high, I am still planning to do it next year. My husband “retired” at 47 after selling the business. He didn’t intend to be “retired” but I guess he enjoyed not having to go to work too much that his “taking a year or so off” became over a decade of mountain-bike riding, baseball-coaching (only Little League, for fun), riding motocross again, and being generally son’s chauffeur. Son’s in college and hubby decided to take a part-time job at a motorcycle/motor sports place while waiting for me to reitre. I think he did it right — retire while you are still strong/healthy enough to do the things you want to do! I am a planner so I do worry that the economy won’t be nice to us when we are retired…but we will make the best of it, even if it means just staying home and going to the beach for our outings, as long as I’m not staring at my computer for work anymore! LOL

    Tea: I enjoy hot teas in the afternoons and evenings. Just like my coffee, I like it hot and non-flavored, non-sweet. Unlike my coffee, I like my tea mild/not strong. I like Refresh Mint, Zen, and China Green Tips. I can’t do black tea — too bitter/strong for me but my husband likes it. I also bought some Yogi, the Echinacea Immune Support. At night, when I’m most likely to drink tea, 9 out of 10, I go for Refresh Mint.

    Kroger: Yes, karma wanted you to feel better about the chips and shopping there again so it spilled the Zen-Den’s beer! Although I think Kroger made out in the deal — beer is much more expensive than a small bag of chips!

    Liked by 1 person

    • M, you’ve only come through with this one comment. Sorry WP gremlins ate your first comment. It happens.

      Your husband sounds like he knew it was time to move onto something different earlier than many people. His lifestyle sounds delightful and the part-time job seems in keeping with his interests.

      Finances are the elephant in the room when talking about retirement. I know Z-D is leaving his job at a time that might not be the best but HE’S DONE with it. No mas, you know? like you said, we’ll make the best of it.

      I like Peppermint Tea that I imagine is like Refresh Mint. I drink it after dinner, often instead of anything sweet. But like you, I don’t sweeten it. You’re the second commenter to mention Yogi brand, one I’m not familiar with. I need to keep an eye out for it.

      I agree that between our two checkout experiences at Kroger got the better end of the deal. HOWEVER I feel good about how Karma took care of my [not so guilty but could have been] conscience.

      Like

      • During the pandemic safer-at-home months, I experimented with various tea flavors, hoping I’d like some of the sweet-ish ones. I LOVE macarons so when I saw a flavor that had macarons in it, I had to try it….but of course, I don’t like sweet tea, so it sits languishing in my cupboards. My girlfriends and I like to go to this tea house and experiement with their teas — even though some are fruit-flavored, I still enjoy them. I just realized, while writing these, that I should just buy some there for when I’m hankering for something different. I imagine a pound would last me all year! LOL

        Yes, I understand Z-D being done with it. I feel the same way many days, too…but I’m not eleigible yet….I need to meet my age requirement so I can carry my health benefits into retirement. I can’t imagine retiring without health insurance or having to pay for the premiums by myself (I still pay a hefty premium but my employer picks up 2/3 of it). We live 5 miles from the beach so even if our plans are curtailed a bit by the financial situation happening, we will find something fun to do. Maybe my husband’s knee will be fixed (had a MRI on it last week; one of the reasons he took this part-time job starting a few months ago — because it hurt to ride his bike and it hurt to play tennis, so might as well go to work at a fun place, right??? ha ha!) and he can play tennis with me again. I am looking forward to being more active.

        Liked by 1 person

        • Investing in some different teas could be fun. Especially when you’re in the mood for a change and are at home. Of all the indulgences in life, tea is a good one.

          I understand about the timing of your retirement. Many variables have to be just so to make it work. Good luck with that.

          I hope your husband’s knee is okay, or fixable. I don’t play tennis but I remember taking it for a PE class in college. It’s tough on the knees [and elbows] as I recall.

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  56. Oh this is awesome!! I consider myself partially retired as I didn’t go back to paid employment after my kids were born but they’re now 15 and 13. I worry PROFUSELY about when my husband retires. I‘m quite sure he will also need a side hustle because otherwise he will drive me mad. (Or he needs to develop some hobbies because work is currently his favorite hobby).

    I’m glad you went with Earl. I loved reading the comments on that post. You have some very witty blog friends! (I myself wasn’t feeling very witty, so I lurked!)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Katie, you’ve got your world under control so I get why having your husband retire, and underfoot, could lead to anxiety. It is different when a spouse who loved their job, worked a million hours per week at it, but is now home. With you. All day. Fortunately Z-D’s side hustle gig is keeping him busy-ish.

      It just had to be Earl. All the reasons why lined up– and he just seemed like an Earl. And you’re right, the comments were hilarious.

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  58. I’d say I wasn’t even aware there were that many different kinds of tea, but I’ve occasionally stocked that aisle and know better. But the only tea ever in our house growing up was plain old TEA tea. Unsweetened, because my Dad was diabetic (and because Illinois is not south of the Mason-Dixon Line)….

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  59. Oh Ally, I know what having them home is like. Irritating. Particularly when you are trying to work. Mine likes to talk all the live long day too…perhaps I should give him ZD’s phone number and they can keep each other company during the day.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Gigi, it is a different way to live now. We had a glimpse into it during the pandemic lockdown when Z-D worked from home every day for 16 months, but this is a little different. He’s more at loose ends.

      As for Kroger Karma, I’m of a mind that all is good between us now. Moving on… what potato chips? 😉

      Like

      • Without a doubt, it’s a different way to live! The Husband, when not talking my ear off, has been in the kitchen even more (turning it into a complete disaster all the time vs. doing so mainly on the weekends) – but he cleans up after himself (not as well as I’d like…but I’m not doing the majority of it). He’s also gone back to work part time for his old company (3 hours a day/3 days a week); which helps.

        “Loose ends” describes it perfectly. I need to find some kind of activity that keeps him busy.

        Liked by 1 person

        • I’ve been joking [sort of] that I many have Z-D paint all the walls inside the house. Not that they need it exactly, but to keep him busy. He likes to paint and we have MANY walls, so…

          Liked by 1 person

  60. Comment #180 (which has surely already been made) is in regard to the tea drawer. Way back when, between jobs, I took on a similar but grander endeavor in the kitchen. Like, rearranging the entire kitchen because I didn’t have anything better to do. Soon all kitchen items were where I wanted them to be… but my wife couldn’t find a thing. Almost did permanent damage to our relationship. I learned to consult her first before taking on similar projects. She usually directs me to other activities 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dave, oh I would NOT like it if Z-D reorganized the whole kitchen. That’d be grounds for divorce, I have everything exactly where it should be. As for the tea drawer, it is still where it should be– just more organized. In that small area he was on his own, but otherwise… it’s a miracle you’re still married. Gracious 🤨

      Like

  61. I’ve given up trying to organize our teas. I don’t drink it often, but I like to have a few at hand for myself such as lavender chamomile or another herbal blend for headache days or chilly afternoons. Rick likes Earl Grey and Irish Breakfast and good old Lipton, but he gets samplers for gifts. I strive to keep him decaffeinated due to his terrible blood pressure.

    I had a preview of us both being retired a few times when Rick was home due to surgeries. It often felt like a hostage situation for me. I’ve been retired 11 years now. It’s hard to accommodate someone into my routine and Alone Time.

    Liked by 1 person

    • nance, I’m not too much into herbal teas, but I do admit they can be soothing. I’m more enamored of the teas Rick likes.

      It’s the Alone Time issue that is going to be the most difficult for me. I need quiet time to ruminate without interruptions while he’s accustomed to talking and going all day. It’ll even out… eventually.

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  62. Since Hubs has become hard of hearing, we never got to talking to each other from another room, I have to stand right/sit in front of him for him to hear me. But … I do have a tea drawer that everyone keeps fawning over once they discover it – I am most fond of the tropical passion tea, green mint Morocco, Jasmine and Oolong tea (the last one can be very expensive in China, $8 for a cup of tea, and that was 15 years ago). Great to visit with you again:)

    Like

    • Emille, you’ve avoided the whole *WHAT* conversation scenario completely. Most couples, I’m lead to believe, communicate by shouting room to room. I like Oolong but haven’t had it in years. I don’t see it on the grocery shelves anymore and now I know why. Tropical passion tea sounds good, I could enjoy that.

      Like

  63. Congrats on Z-D’s retirement! Does the side hustle mean he works from home or goes to an office occasionally?
    As for retirement, I can’t imagine doing so, though some days I wish I were!
    As for tea, I drink mostly peppermint. But a friend keeps me supplied in Chocolate with Hazelnut, Peach, and Spiced Chai.
    As for Kroger, the exploding beer was unusual. How do you feel about your relationship with Kroger now? More at peace?

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  64. I’ve told this story before, on my blog and a few others, but thankfully I don’t believe on your, Ally: the father of a friend of mine retired, and on the first Monday morning after his retirement he promptly removed the drapes from the living room windows, left them on the floor, and then went outside to paint the garage. He was back working within a month.

    So I counted: we have 13 different teas. Three of them are herbal (mint, chamomile, and ginger), and those are the ones I drink. My wife considers herbal teas to be wimpy, though I don’t think she uses that word. But I’m positive she feels that way. Her teas are all from England and Asia. She takes them very seriously.

    Earl is a great name. I suspect it was just a bad, temporary moment of hand-coordination for Zen-Den. – Marty

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    • Marty, this man lasted one month being retired? Oh that’s funny and kind of sad, but totally believable. I think it’s a good thing that Z-D has his side hustle to fill his hours.

      I like an occasional herb tea but I’m with your wife about them. I like more intense flavors so black teas call to me. I am impressed that you have 13 different teas. Keeping the variety going there, you are.

      Yep, it is unusual for Z-D to be uncoordinated, but the beer mess proves it can happen. No harm in the overall, and I feel like we’re on good terms with Kroger. All is even.

      Liked by 1 person

  65. I can relate to the “what” conversations between rooms and to having a husband that “works” from home. Enough said. As for retirement, the first word that comes to my mind is “freedom” and it makes me happy. It’s not that I disliked my job, but I am loving the flexibility retirement gives me. I don’t drink a lot of tea, but I do enjoy a cup now and then. And finally, I experienced a sort of Kroger Karma myself recently at the self-scan checkout. My husband punched in a more expensive type of lettuce than what we actually purchased and then the six-pack of bakery cookies scanned as one cookie. We decided to call it even, rather than wait for assistance from a checker.

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    • Christie, you’ve nailed the reason why I think ultimately Z-D & I are going to like his retirement: freedom and flexibility. I mean, we’re new to this so I figure give it some time while we adjust to the new reality.

      Heck ‘ya call that even. The hassle of trying to get the self-scan attendant to sort it out is not worth it. For either of you. You paid for stuff, you got stuff, all is well.

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  66. It sounded like the potato chips saga was playing on your mind. Karma is a good thing and works in all sorts of mysterious ways. It is like the universe finding its balance again.

    I hear ya on the conversations between rooms and the cheerful retired puppy. Only mine doesn’t have that useful side hustle! So I found my own side hustle! Retirement takes adjustment for both of you. It is another stage of life and you tend to work out a new routine of sorts.
    Tea – many varieties. Awesome. We have a lovely tea shop and have a few herbals, old favourites, Royal Ritz, Stockholm Blend and Cherry Splice and an Earl Grey blue flowers which is divine.

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    • Amanda, you’re right. I did feel bad about stealing the chips, but not enough to march into the grocery and pay for them. Thanks to Z-D it’s all balanced now.

      I sense that we’re already working out a new routine. In many ways the 16 months of the pandemic lockdown during which time Z-D worked from home every day has prepared us for this.

      Your varieties of tea are new to me– well, Earl Grey we have but no blue flowers in it, so new. I find tea fun and soothing and easy to make, so why not indulge!

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  67. My first thought about retiring was “OMG what am I going to do with myself for the next 30 years?” Or maybe 40. My mother lived to 101. That was 15 years ago and I absolutely treasure the days when I have nothing on the calendar. And the contents of my fully-loaded tea drawer are also stale.

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  68. That was cute….all of it! Maybe He Who Has a Side Hustle can take over all the cooking? I like the idea of Kroger Karma. Only Earl Gray Decaf. here as it’s hard to find decaf in other types, and I don’t consider that herbal stuff to be real tea.

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    • Joni, you know… He Who Has A Side Hustle has been cooking more of late. And he’s good at it. The man likes his groceries and will try any recipe. THIS is a-okay by me.

      I’m on the fence about herbal teas. We don’t have many decaf black teas around here either, although we can get English Breakfast Tea in decaf. I like that.

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  69. I’m a huge tea drinker. Hot in the winter, iced the rest of the year. On any given day there are at least a dozen flavors floating around the kitchen. Variety is key.
    As for retirement, good luck with your husband. If he’s anything like mine, he will bore quickly and drive you nuts.

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    • Rivergirl, I agree that variety is key. We like all the ones we have and thanks to commenters here I’ve some ideas for new flavors to try.

      It’s the drive me nuts part of his retirement that concerns me. We’ll see how this all plays out…

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  70. As a fellow tea loved myself with my own tea drawer, I have a delicious recommendation for you… PLUM DELUXE. Google it and they will open you up to a WORLD of brand new amazing flavors. Seriously… you wont regret it. My house is filled with their teas. Chocolate orange is one of my favorites alone with the lavender and cocoa nibs one called “Easy like sunday morning”. yummmm!

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  71. I’ve been “retired” for a while and have been quite happy with the whole set-up. M will be retiring in a year or so, and his working from home during the first year or so of the pandemic was… interesting. Lots of those “what” conversations going on around here. I think he was quite lost at first (being more productive from home, he didn’t have to work as many hours to accomplish what needed to be done).

    We have too many varieties of tea. I love tea, of all kinds, and often people gift me with tea, of all kinds. I probably should go through it and start tossing the old stuff. Maybe M will feel like doing that when he retires? 😉

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    • Robin, I know what you mean about someone working from home during the pandemic. It was an adjustment here too. I figure that my husband’s retirement will be like that, but more self-directed, I hope.

      Every so often I think it’s good to review what teas you have around. You may want to encourage M to organize your tea drawer when the time comes.

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  72. Ceylon Orange Pekoe is one of my faves and I can’t find it! You lucky woman, you!
    Funny about the yelling and underfoot. When Hubs has a random day off, I feel this. *I* work from home, so I generally shoo him outdoors to do yard projects. 😉
    When I think retirement, I think travel. But it does come with trepidation because we’ll be 20 years older and 20 years less spry-er.
    Kroger Karma is returned!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Betsy, I know Orange Pekoe is difficult to find. I get it at a regional Walmart-esque grocery chain called Meijer. It’s not in Kroger.

      I get why you send your husband outdoors to do things. Z-D enjoys working outside, after all those years inside an office I guess, so he goes out there on his own.

      I wonder about our spry-ness, too. In theory travel sounds great, but it’s so complicated now and expensive and I fear it might wear us out. Fortunately we travelled a lot in our 30s & 40s [thanks to his work] so I have a somewhat “been there, done that” attitude about travel overall.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Neil, some people like one tea and that’s ok. I like Lipton’s and I think you’re right that they call it black tea now. I have a vague memory of a TV commercial that said it was orange pekoe leaves, but very vague.

      Liked by 1 person

  75. Haha, I had to laugh, as I am also married to a happy puppy retired guy. I understand! And because you made me curious, I checked our tea drawer. The count is: Chamomile, Green, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, English Afternoon, Ginger, Peppermint, Dandelion Leaf, Orange Pekoe, Oolong, and Jade Citrus Mint (whatever that means). So 11. This makes me want to run out and buy one more.

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    • Arlene, just found your comment, sorry I missed you earlier. It’s nice to know someone else has a happy puppy retiree in her life. It’s wild to have him home all the time, but so far it’s working out better than expected. I don’t know anything about Dandelion Leaf, never heard of it. Did you buy another variety of tea to make your drawer an even 12? 😁

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  76. I absolutely loved reading this post! It was entertaining and exactly what I needed to make my morning whole!

    When thinking about retirement, I think about how free I will be to play with my horses and do all of the crafts that I had to put down because of work. It makes me very happy to think that I would finally be able to relax.

    I love teas both cold and hot. We have an assortment of teas at home (about 12-14), so much so that I have told my husband that we are not allowed to buy anymore until we are finished with what we have.

    I definitely believe in karma! 😉

    Thank you for sharing with us!

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    • S Greene, I like how you’re thinking about retirement, especially the idea of playing. We need to incorporate that into our plans. We’re much too serious.

      I know how you feel about having an assortment of teas. I’m pleased that we do, but no more until at least half of these have been used.

      Yep, Kroger Karma got us back in balance with them. Such a trippy experience all around.

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      • I agree with you! If I stay a child at heart and continue playing, then I’ll be young forever.

        Haha I told Shawn all, but I have a feeling that we will wind up with even more.

        It sounds super trippy!

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  77. I had a white board in my office where I started a “countdown to retirement eligibility” 581 days in advance. It was one of those days where management had thoroughly pissed me off and I needed a reminder that “this too shall pass”. My husband told me “I don’t think you’re going to be very good at being retired.” I would like to go on record as stating that I have been *awesome* at being retired! I have never once regretted my decision and it took me three years to decide to get a part-time job. (Hubby got a part-time job after 6 months.)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda, I’m laughing at your white board countdown. Way to plan ahead! I’m also glad to know that you’re awesome at being retired. I’m sensing that Z-D is going to easily adapt to not working for someone else. It may be a transition, but a good one.

      Liked by 1 person

  78. I think your Kroger karma is clean as a whistle.
    When my husband was on military leave, he would sleep a lot and then he would wake up and say things like “Let’s get sushi!” This was nice, four stars, would recommend.
    I don’t think about my own retirement, but I do think about his. I think he will be a fine housewife and sometimes still say things like “Let’s get sushi!”
    Your tea taste is excellent, obvs, but you’re missing the herbal nigh-nigh tea — Sleepytime. Mmm, sleepytime.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joey, I’m thinking the same thing as you about Kroger. We’re all good, situation balanced. Moving on

      When the time comes I bet you’ll love having a house hubby around, especially one who want to have sushi. Or really anything that doesn’t require you or he to make it.

      I know of Sleepytime. The box has a cute bear on it. I don’t know what’s in it, but I’ll check it out the next time I’m in Kroger… with my good Karma. Thanks for the suggestion.

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  80. Ah this made me laugh because mg husband shouting me from another room to tell me something is a pet hate of mine 🤣

    Glad your balance was restored at the grocery store, I do think things work out ok if we let them, it feels like karma to me.

    I currently have 15 types of tea in my cupboard because I just bought a 12 days of Christmas tea sampling tin so I can expand my horizons.

    I’m looking forward to retirement because I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to enjoy stillness, hopefully by then I’ll have cracked it.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Rae Cod, I can understand your pet hate. It’s tiresome to being saying *what!* or *huh?* across the rooms especially when you’re really not saying much of anything.

      15 teas is impressive. The 12 Days of Christmas sampler will be fun. I wonder which new ones will be your favorites?

      I feel like getting our Kroger Karma balanced was a good precursor to Z-D’s semi-retirement. It is more calm around here now that he’s made the decision & followed through. I’m sure you’ll have figured out stillness when the time comes for you to retire.

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  81. I do believe Kroger Karma is in balance now Ally – you may proceed there as much as your heart desires. How boring I am with just green tea in my cupboard and some days I just look at it and say “no thanks” – perhaps if I tried it iced, it might be enjoyable. I only drink green tea as it’s good for you (but I concede it is not doing much good in the box though). I am looking forward to retirement – I cannot wait and though it won’t be the retirement I once dreamed of, resuming traveling as I once did, just the chance to have more free time to read, begin sketching or painting, learning more about my camera, even watching shows. I now have Peacock as well as Amazon and ask me how many shows I end up watching? I have books and ask me how many I read a year? But I did fill my my down time with lots of lovely walks and taking photos in September through October. I told my boss when we went out on our own in February 2003, I’d stay until the end when he retires, but at 75 1/2, he is not ready to retire. I am not going to hang around until he works himself into the grave like his father who was still practicing law at age 83 and died suddenly from complications of diabetes.

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    • Linda, we have some green tea, but it doesn’t call to me the way black teas do. I know supposedly all teas are healthy in some way, but I don’t drink them for that reason. I like the taste and the warmth and the caffeine.

      We have Amazon, but not Peacock. I don’t watch much TV either, but when I do it’s usually an older show that I never saw when it first aired. New shows? Not really up on them.

      I imagine you’ll know when the time is right for you to retire. People do it from 50 to 80 from what I can tell. So far Z-D’s semi-retirement is working out… for both of us.

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      • I will learn to like green tea for its anti-oxidant properties, though it’s no favorite of mine.

        I got Peacock with my Comcast subscription. I did a test drive to see what was offered and I want to watch all four seasons of Yellowstone. I am always so behind here in Reader, that fitting in a series doesn’t happen, even though every Friday night I watched two hours of Mad Men and loved it.

        Well, I’m sorry I said I’d stay until the end since it is just him/I. After 42 years in this biz, I am more than ready. That’s great it works for you both.

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