Old Age

This morning it hit me that I am the second oldest full-time librarian at MCC and the oldest has just two years on me (there are twelve librarians). Four librarians are 1-5 years younger. See, I don't usually think of myself as being 54. Just to write that year for my age seems wrong. Most of the time I feel, oh, maybe mid-30's, which is goofy since I have a 31 year old daughter.

I am 10 months from my new age group for running races (triathlons already count me as a 55 year old). My father retired from Kodak at 55, one of the smart ones who saved his money well and got a sweet deal to leave in 1985. The pension doesn't go quite as far today for him, but still is a nice security blanket. Plus, at 80 in February, his big expense is golf in the summer and some bowling in the winter.

In November of this year I will have 20 years with NY State Teacher's retirement and be 55, so the percentage of my fixed pension goes up, to a whopping $15k a year or so. Yup, I'm one of those possible retirees sucking all your tax dollars away with my huge pension! LOL. The longer I work for NYS, the higher this pension goes, of course. It is nice, so don't think I'm knocking having a fixed retirement income, but obviously I'm not retiring on 15k a year and no medical insurance.

Here are my options for the end of 2011;
1. Stay at MCC in same position or a new one?
2. Take my 15k/year and find a new job with decent pay and benefits.
3. Make Jan continue to work, take my pension and become a house-husband (LOL-this is not an option)
4. Move to a state with less taxes, take the pension, find benefits, work part-time.
5. Jan and I become bicycle hobos. We sell and/or store our furniture, cars, house and travel till we can't or don't want to anymore. Then we...?
6. Write the next great American novel, Tom Hanks buys the rights to make it into a movie and we retire fat and rich.
7. Win PowerBall.
That's all I've got right now. Let me know if anyone reading this has ideas.