Jim's Retirement

1.	Write a book.	I have an idea for a science-fiction book. The premise is actually based upon a fairly recent scientific discovery. Writing this book will be my first big project when I retire.
2.	Take care of my health.	Most people would argue that I do that already because I usually exercise at least four, and sometimes six, days a week. But I don't warm up properly, and I don't stretch enough. Hopefully, when I retire, I'll have time to exercise properly. And hopefully I'll get as much sleep as I should, too. If I'm able to exercise properly and get as much sleep as I really need, then I'll hopefully be able to stay in good enough shape to eat right. I know from experience that as you get in better and better shape, you crave sweets and junk food less and less. My goal is to live to be a hundred and be healthy, both physically and mentally, when I get there.
3.	Learn Korean.	I can read the language, but only very slowly. I can write it, too, but I understand very little and can speak even less. I wish I had more time to learn the language, especially so I could talk with Kay's family without using her as an interpreter.
4.	Be a student again.	I've always loved going to college and adult education classes. So, when I retire, I'd like to always be enrolled in a class -- whatever class that catches my fancy. And I don't care whether or not I earn another degree. Learning in a classroom environment is just plain fun.
5.	Travel the world.	Some people might argue that I've already done that, but I've really only just begun. I want to go on a wildlife photo safari in Africa, visit the pyramids in Egypt, the Incan ruins in Peru, the Taj Mahal, the Galapagos Islands, Australia, et cetera, et cetera...
6.	Make music.	I've got a few things on my music list. I want to study music history. I want to learn how to read music. I want to play the guitar again regularly -- something I haven't done since the early '70s. And I want to learn how to play the cello. (My taste has migrated somewhat over the years from classic rock to pure classical. I like them both about equally now.)
7.	Document our family tree.	My Uncle Paul has already done a lot of work on the Hancy side of the tree. When I retire, I hope to help him and also document Kay's side of the tree, too. Luckily, Kay's family already has records of their ancestors going way-back.
8.	Collect things.	When I was a kid, I collected stamps, baseball cards, and animals (bugs, beetles, caterpillars, butterflies, grasshoppers, praying mantises, tadpoles, frogs, turtles, snakes, etc.). When I was a teenager, I collected rock concert ticket stubs. When I retire, I'd like to collect things again -- just for the sheer fun of it.
9.	Read.	There are so many books I haven't read yet that I'd like to before I die -- classics, contemporary novels, historical novels, non-fiction works, etc. I'll have to make a list just for this topic.
10.	Play the stock market.	If #1 on my list doesn't make me filthy rich, maybe this one can. Hopefully when I retire, I can devote enough time and effort toward figuring out how to play the stock market. I thought I had this one figured out once before, but then the dot-com bubble burst.
11.	Become a professional gambler.	If neither #1, nor #10, on this list works out, maybe I could become a professional poker player. I'm not a very good card player right now, but like most people, I bet that if I could just play poker often enough, I could make some money at it.
12.	Buy my dream car.	When I was a teenager, a friend of mine had a sky blue 1964 Triumph Spitfire with bug-eye tail lights. I loved riding in that sports car, even though most of the time I rode in the space behind the seats -- his brother usually went cruising with us, and he rode shotgun. After all these years, I'd still love to have a car like that of my own.

Send email to jim@hancy.us, kay@hancy.us, or tia@hancy.us.