Dept. of Ups and Downs
Saturday, 16 May 2015 05:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaffy_rSaturday Evening, and I Wish I Were Older
Well, we can scratch that plan of retiring when I'm 62 off the agenda. First, someone reminded me that although I can retire when I'm 62, I won't be eligible for Medicare until I'm 65.
And then I found out that I actually don't get 100% of my Social Security pension until I'm 66 years and two months old, not 65, as I'd assumed. That was an unpleasant surprise that came to me rather late, since the changes went into effect after a 1983 change in the law, and yes, I managed to miss it over the 32 intervening years, as I suspect a lot of people did (but seriously, kaffyr ... seriously? You, a reporter, managed to miss this rather huge change that was undoubtedly talked about at length publicly?) So if I actually quit when I was 62, I'd only get 74 percent or so of my pension. Augh. Not doable, not in the least.
This threatened to screw over my day - and, given that my shrink declined today to prescribe me the kind of anti-anxiety help that my two other doctors thought I should have on hand for emergencies, instead upping my regular dose of gabapentin instead - screwing over my day was not something I wanted to deal with.
And then I decided not to let it get me down. If I can manage to last even four more years, I'll get over 90 percent of my pension, and it will give me four more years to put into my 401K as well. And that's all to the good.
To be truthful, I think part of my desire to quit when I'm 62 is my belief that my current employer is going to try to break the union in 2017; I'm not sure it won't be successful, and the thought of working in a non-union environment, or losing any of the benefits that I worked very hard over the last few decades to gain, was filling me with a lot of not-so-nebulous dread.
Still - four years and change? I can do it ... maybe not standing on my head, but I can do it.
Well, we can scratch that plan of retiring when I'm 62 off the agenda. First, someone reminded me that although I can retire when I'm 62, I won't be eligible for Medicare until I'm 65.
And then I found out that I actually don't get 100% of my Social Security pension until I'm 66 years and two months old, not 65, as I'd assumed. That was an unpleasant surprise that came to me rather late, since the changes went into effect after a 1983 change in the law, and yes, I managed to miss it over the 32 intervening years, as I suspect a lot of people did (but seriously, kaffyr ... seriously? You, a reporter, managed to miss this rather huge change that was undoubtedly talked about at length publicly?) So if I actually quit when I was 62, I'd only get 74 percent or so of my pension. Augh. Not doable, not in the least.
This threatened to screw over my day - and, given that my shrink declined today to prescribe me the kind of anti-anxiety help that my two other doctors thought I should have on hand for emergencies, instead upping my regular dose of gabapentin instead - screwing over my day was not something I wanted to deal with.
And then I decided not to let it get me down. If I can manage to last even four more years, I'll get over 90 percent of my pension, and it will give me four more years to put into my 401K as well. And that's all to the good.
To be truthful, I think part of my desire to quit when I'm 62 is my belief that my current employer is going to try to break the union in 2017; I'm not sure it won't be successful, and the thought of working in a non-union environment, or losing any of the benefits that I worked very hard over the last few decades to gain, was filling me with a lot of not-so-nebulous dread.
Still - four years and change? I can do it ... maybe not standing on my head, but I can do it.
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no subject
Date: Tuesday, 19 May 2015 02:47 pm (UTC)I completely understand that feeling of having the rug pulled out from under you. For two straight years, I've anticipated my current boss taking a sabbatical. It was delayed by a year at this time last year, and now it's been delayed pretty much indefinitely; I fully anticipate working for her until I'm 50, unless she decides to retire or has to go out on a medical disability or something (or I find another job somewhere else). It's so horrible to feel like you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and suddenly you realize the tunnel is 100 or 200 miles longer than you'd originally thought. : (
At least I still enjoy my actual *job*. I love the people I work with, the money is decent, the commute isn't bad (when the T is running, anyway, LOL), the benefits are excellent, and there's enough variety to keep my Gemini brain happy. I can only imagine what a slog it must be to have to keep working a job you don't even like that much any more (especially if you did once love it, which makes the situation all the more sad/ frustrating).
Big hugs to you. All your food sounds yummy, and yay for PT (and hot water!!). : )
no subject
Date: Thursday, 21 May 2015 03:45 pm (UTC)And there are times I still love my job; it's just that it has become so very different than it once was and, despite my insistence that I and other older reporters can be more flexible than people give us credit for, constant adjustment also means a certain amount of stress and weariness.
The PT seems to be a good thing, indeed. And the hot water? Paradise!
no subject
Date: Sunday, 24 May 2015 11:01 pm (UTC)I read your latest post, and I'm glad to hear your week off and a couple sessions of PT have worked their magic.
Trying to find ways to avoid stressing out is no easy feat. It wasn't until this weekend rolled around, and my body completely relaxed, that I realized just how tense I'd been. Ugh.
Hugs to you... hope you enjoyed the holiday!
no subject
Date: Tuesday, 26 May 2015 06:17 pm (UTC)