Used to be, back in early days (as of yesterday), I got up, did preparations for going to work, fed the cat, hopped in the car, got coffee on the way to work.

Now, in retirement, I have to work out a different set of procedures. I find it works best to have a routine, then I don't have to think about it, re-invent it every morning. I just do it. No pre-frontal cortex activity required.

So today, I got up, made, the bed, went downstairs to feed the cat and start the coffee brewing, then went back upstairs to walk the treadmill and do my morning exercises.

Hmmm...something is not right. Somewhere in that process I forgot to brush my teeth. So unexciting, so necessary. Before or after exercise? Definitely before. Before or after brewing coffee? Before. Before or after making the bed (I make the bed immediately so I won't get back in)?

Ah, there's the question. These are the Big Questions when you retire: When to brush my teeth? When to feed the cat? (easy answer to that one--every time you walk past her food dish).

It hasn't really hit me that I'm retired. It feels more like a long weekend coming up, with Christmas at the end. I imagine in January, with everybody going back to work, it will become more real to me. This was a good time to go, with all the holiday activity masking/buffering the separation anxiety.