We’re seven days into this retirement thing, and we have a conflict of interest.   Oh, not in the legal sense, no, I mean, here we are retired, and my interests are conflicting with his.

He wants to go to the gym and play pickleball ( which, until last week I didn’t know existed), he wants to DO something, to DO anything.   I want to sit on my well padded behind and write.

Ants-in-his-pants Dave has definitely shown up in Retired Dave. Those of you who read the early RV series posts will recognize him.    I have no problem with him pickleball-ing or doing things.   He, on the other hand, believes I should be gym-ing it too ( must have something to do with my well padded behind).

I really didn’t think we’d have any problem with the 24/7 togetherness because we’ve worked together in the same office for the last 12 years but I’m finding out this is different.

Very different.

It’s “here I am in your face” different.

Our work computers are now both in the home office,  MY office.  I was that kid who hoarded the toys in the sandbox and sat on them, not good at sharing and I guess that has not changed.

Also, I seem to be easily annoyed.

By everything.

I’m pretty sure Retired Dave would say this fact is not new and that the Highstrung Redhead is rearing her high-strung head.

Maybe it’s that I need to process this huge change in our lives.   For me, there is fear in change.  Routine has always been comfortable and safe.  Certainly, I was ready to quit working and excited to go on with the rest of our lives but maybe it was naive to expect that the change wouldn’t cause me any emotional upheaval.

I know I can’t expect Retired Dave to feel the way I do or want to do or not do the things I want to do or not do.

Conversely, he can’t expect those things from me either.   Somewhere there will be a nice middle ground and no conflict of interests.   After 43 years together I’m sure we’ll find it.

But I bet it won’t be on a pickleball court.

Stay tuned…