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October 30, 2017

I'm Not Very Good at Being Retired

Before I start, I need to say I'm still "retired," but there's a reason I usually use quotes around that word. I feel they give me some wiggle room to pursue activities some might view as a job, but I see as a hobby or learning experience.

For example, shortly after "retiring" and moving to our new home, I started working with a contractor remodeling kitchens and bathrooms. I didn't mean to get a job; it just happened. Read on to learn how.
It all started when some family friends decided to remodel their kitchen. They heard I had moved back to the area and had a lot more free time, so they asked if I would paint the kitchen after the remodel was done. Since I had a lot of painting to do at our house and really don't enjoy it, I reluctantly agreed because I wanted to help them out.

According to the inspector, my "open wire splices" were a "shock and fire risk."
What does he know?
Shortly after I agreed to paint, I was contacted by their contractor. He was looking for some occasional assistance on his jobs and my friends had mentioned I might be available. I made it very clear to him I wasn't interested in a full time job, but I would be willing to work with him to get my friends' kitchen done faster. My ulterior motive was I wanted to learn the tricks of the trade from a real pro (some of my previous DIY projects might not be what you would call "up to code"). Last on my list of motivations was payment. Sure, it was nice to get a little walking-around money, but we really didn't need it.

When our friends' kitchen was complete I agreed to continue working with the contractor two days per week, as long as the jobs were close to home, and I've been doing that ever since. However, I just learned my boss is going to be moving out of state at the end of the year, so it looks like this job is going to be wrapping up shortly.

It's actually a good time to end because I'm starting to feel like I've learned just about everything I can about kitchen and bathroom remodeling and the jobs are starting to feel a little repetitive. Overall, I really enjoyed this opportunity and am thankful for everything I was able to learn while doing it. Now I have to find my next mini-career so I can keep learning.

Any suggestions for my next mini-career? Let me know in the comments.



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2 comments:

  1. You are such an inspiration for all of us. People because unproductive after retirement but you didn't give up and continue your work with glory . Don't stop here world needs your skills and creativity. Your DIY(s) are amazing. Keep it up!

    ReplyDelete