Retirement reflections

 May 19, 2025

Three years ago today, I walked out of the day job office for the last time. Or maybe I should say for the last time as a full-time employee. I've been back to visit the lovely young woman they hired when I announced I was retiring. She is a true gem. 

The woman who was my immediate supervisor when I retired is preparing to announce her own retirement. She's waiting until the moment feels "right" to her, and I support her thinking. I have told her a few times that she'll just simply know when she's ready. She was the best "boss" I had in my twenty-two years there and on a certain level, I hated to leave and not see her every day. We've stayed in touch, meeting for lunch at least once a month. 

My official retirement date was May 31, 2022, but I coasted those last few days on vacation time. I stayed on as an "administrative consultant" so the new girl could call me with questions and not feel like she was bothering me. She couldn't "bother" a person if she tried. She's that sweet. It's who she is. 

So have the last three years gone as planned? No. Have they gone as hoped? No. My beloved Ron died last year. I was supposed to have years and years of retirement fun with him. Instead, it's just me and a bunch of cousins and girlfriends having "fun." They're great company, but it's not the same. 

I had planned to do a lot of writing in retirement, but Ron suddenly needed more care. I was grateful to be home to be with him even though I lacked the energy to write. I've been struggling with it ever since. 

My days are full of taking care of my home, inside and out. There is a garden to tend, grass to mow, firewood to stockpile, autos and equipment to get serviced. Self-care is more of a priority now, as anyone who lives alone will understand on a gut level. The rosy retirement movie that played in my mind no longer exists. And you know what? That's fine! I'm making a new movie, one that shows a more independent and healthy me. 

I still need to gather in the threads of writing discipline and get busy. I have three WIPs to finish, and it's already the last part of May. If I want to publish them in this calendar year, I need to buckle down. I may never get back to being able to publish six or seven books a year, but maybe I can do four. 

No, retirement so far has not been what I expected, but I'm fine. Life is often full of the unexpected. We need to adjust, even if it takes a while, and keep going. That's my plan now - just keep going. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@KCKendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, m/m romance, LGBTQ gay romance, contemporary gay romance, retirement, death of spouse, a writer's life, rural living, publishing, history, friends, cousins, equipment

Sometimes we really can't go back

November 3, 2023

Yesterday was it. Done. Finished. Completed. At least I hope so. 

Yesterday, I finished a six-week stint filling in for the young woman who was hired to do the job I retired from. She was out on maternity leave, so when they asked me to cover for her, I said yes. The word I was really looking for was NO. 

Doing the actual work was a piece of cake. I did it for twenty-two years, occasionally in my sleep. I stipulated I would work from home and only go to the office to pick up paperwork and run copies, etc. They set me up with remote access and away we went. 

Personally, I think remote access sucks. The first day, I went to the office and slipped a 256GB USB into the computer, and copied the files I needed. Yesterday, I transferred those folders back with my additions and updates. The idea that someone could watch me work, and with their new software it was possible, was unnerving and I was not going to allow it. 

As you may suspect, I gave an inch and they took a mile. I agreed to specific things and they pushed for me to do a lot more. One day, while I was in the office exchanging paperwork, I looked the CEO in the eye and said, "And that is one of the reasons I retired when I did. No. Not doing it." Talk about a shocked look - it was great! It felt good to get that out. 

I like being retired. I worked for fifty years, starting with a part-time job while I was in high school. I've paid every cent of the taxes the law said I was required to pay. I've always included every penny earned from royalties, too. Now I'm getting some of that back, as promised, from our government. I don't try to scam my way into more, either. 

I'm on the fence as to whether or not I should advise them that the next time our young lady needs to be off on leave, they'll need to look elsewhere. I will not be available. They did not change, but I did. 

My priorities truly are hearth and home. I set them aside and I regret that I did. Oh, they paid me well enough, but money doesn't rule my life. I have enough to see me through, at least until our current government regime of stupidity plunges us into even more civil unrest. 

Life should be about taking care of those things that matter to us. I worked long years to make money so I could have my home, debt-free. Today, I begin to enjoy it again. I've done my part. 

_*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, LGBT romance, kindle books, best selling author, retirement, a writer's life, duty, shapeshifter, paranormal, ebooks

The Kendricks 1200

September 22, 2023

This entry is blog number 1200 here at Between the Keys. Never could I have envisioned, back in 2008, reaching this milestone. I started this blog with an entry called Tumblin' Dice on January 1, 2008. I had just decided to take the jump to writing M/M romance and was ready to submit my first contemporary gay story to Amber Quill Press. It worked out very well, and yet so many things have happened since then. 

I don't think I began to mark these sort of "milestone" blog entries until number 500. Several of the milestone entries coincided with the year-end retrospectives, which I thought was pretty cool. This one, number twelve hundred, comes at a time when I'm at a crossroads with what I want to accomplish with my writing, moving forward. I don't have a thing to prove to myself or anyone else, so what do I want to do? 

Retirement isn't exactly as I thought it would be. I thought I'd be able to devote time each day to writing, but instead, every day is a different adventure. Take yesterday as a shining example. 

Yesterday, I stopped in at our local Dollar General to check out the seasonal decorations. When I returned to the Charger and pushed the button to start it - nothing happened. NOTHING. And that was something new and different for this car. So I hit the button again, and it told me the key fob was not in the car. OH YES  IT WAS! I pushed it a third time and the car started but it flashed me a message that the key fob battery was low. Whew! I hustled off to purchase a new battery and put it in the key fob ASAP. That was not part of the day's plan and it took up some time. 

My retirement has been like that. One little thing right after another. I'm not complaining because I know that's just life. I simply have plans for the day that are different from what the universe throws at me. I know I have to roll with it.

And that includes the writing. No, I don't produce six books a year right now, and that's fine. My life is a lot fuller than it was. No longer do I simply get up, go to work, come home, and write. I was able to do that because 1) I didn't have the energy left after working all day to do a lot of things, and 2) the spousal unit was still on his feet and able to take care of things at home. Now I do myriad things in a day, his traditional chores and mine. 

Not to mention, but I will, I've never had the need for my writing to give me the big Nora Roberts-style payday. That's what my day job was for - paycheck, health insurance, pension. That's what worked for me in the way of income and retirement planning. The writing? I've been able to avoid car payments on the last four vehicles we've purchased so that's good. 

But... You know there is always a but. Winter is coming and I hope to exhibit the discipline to write every day. All the fun stuff I do in the garden, etc., will be in winter hibernation and I'll be cooped up inside. So we shall see where that leads. 

Twelve hundred blog entries. Who knew I had that much to say?

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, blogging, contemporary gay romance, LGBT gay, M/M romance, Kindle books, ebook romance, a writer's life, Sumner's Garden, writers on writing, country lifestyle, retirement, life changes, romance novels

Maybe it's only tongue-in-cheek

June 20, 2023

Yesterday I did something I rarely do. We were checking out at a store and the cashier asked me, based on the T-shirt I wore, if I was a writer. I told her yes, we chatted, and I gave her a business card. It seems that since I retired, I'm a lot bolder about letting that fact be known.

I've never hidden the fact I'm a published author from family and friends, but I do confess their reactions have been mixed. Total strangers seem to be a lot more interested. Family and friends never ask me about it now, after over twenty years. Maybe they follow along online but I'll never know. 

I left the house wearing the T-shirt. Never gave it a second thought. The T-shirt is old and a bit ratty, and I generally only wear it around the house. If I clean the house or mow in it, it doesn't need to be seen in public. But the trip yesterday was just a quick in and out, so we just hopped in his van and took off. We didn't even take Deuce, which I'm sure caused a bit of howling. 

Perhaps I should upgrade the T-shirt to a new model and wear the new one more. I enjoyed chatting with someone, even a stranger, who seemed genuinely interested in finding a new author to read. 

I no longer have to worry about my employer finding out and all the drama that revelation would have involved. Yes, I'm still under contract with them as a consultant, but it's not the same as being a public representative of the organization. 

I'm not ashamed of being a writer, but I prefer a more low-key life. I have no desire to walk down the street in my hometown and be followed. Nor do I want my picture plastered everywhere. I simply want to write a story I would enjoy reading. 

But times change. Now really is the time to be careful. You really might end up if not in my novel, in my blog! 

_*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, a writer's life, contemporary gay romance, GLBTQ, m/m romance, meeting the public, writing career, writing options, retirement, T-shirt

Confused much?

November 3, 2022

Most everyone gets confused from time to time. It shouldn't be a big deal. The spousal unit hasn't worked a job away from home in twenty years, and for almost that long he's been asking me what day of the week it is. Having recently retired, I understand it better. The first thing I look at every morning is my calendar. That's just so I have an answer for HIM, you know. It's not because I need to know what day of the week it is. 

Often times our little confusions are because we've not been paying attention when someone is telling us something. We've forgotten how to listen and so days later we embarrass ourselves when we have to call a friend and ask what it was they told about [fill in the blank]. 

We're all subject to those little annoying lapses. It takes on a new light when you have a parent with Alzheimer's Disease. Trust me. I know.

When I forget something important, I panic. My heart races and I stop dead in my tracks until I can get clarity. I'm not trying to be a drama queen but it's frightening. I wonder if IT is happening to me. I went back to keeping a written desk calendar/diary this year. It's a good record to have and maybe it will entertain my younger cousins when they have to settle my estate and clean out my office. The scary part of all that is that my mother had notebook after notebook with list upon list detailing her attempts to stay in control of her life. 

We humans frequently allow our imaginations to seize control. A tiny pain is surely cancer. Eating any white food will give us diabetes. Aging eyesight must be macular degeneration. Forgetting we bought shampoo and then buying another bottle the next week is surely a warning sign of dementia. 

I'm trying my best to not be an alarmist. My imagination is best used for writing love stories, not scaring myself stupid. 

I think that retiring from the workforce brings a new way of thinking to a person's life. There's an adjustment period as stress levels drop and what is so frequently referred to as the new normal takes hold. Being the Lady of the Manor and a full-time writer is a dream I've long held dear. I'm finally there but here has pitfalls I'd not imagined. 

What day of the week is it? Thursday
Where did I leave my phone? In the garden shed.
Did we feed the dog last night? We both did - he's going to get fat.

I hate to say it, but that is not dementia. Dementia would give me an excuse and I have none because I damn sure am not getting old!

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks/Rayne Forrest
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, aging, romance novels, new normal, retirement, Between the Keys blog, social media, cellphone, calendars, questioning

Lost: organization mojo

(stock photo; not my desk diary)

October 22, 2022

The last five years included a deliberate and determined march toward the day I could profess to be a full-time writer. That day finally happened on May 22, 2022. I formally retired.

The day was long anticipated and much imagined. I could visualize what I wanted this new phase of my life to look like, and for the most part, vision and imagination are in agreement. I'm happy to be home and to finally be The Lady of the Manor to enjoy the simple country pleasures. But I will confess one thing is lacking: proper organization of my writing life. 

I can check off a lot of the boxes for 2022. I retired and spent more time with the spousal unit. I had a little garden, I did a lot of home food preservation, I walked more, Himself and I had a few days out, the tree trimmer came and took down three problem trees, and we now have a large stockpile of firewood for 2023 and beyond. The chimney sweep comes next week to do the annual cleaning, and we're working on expanding the garden for 2023. And I managed to publish ONE book so far this year, and with some luck, there will also be a Rayne Forrest book going out. So, yeah. Busy. 

Knowing 2022 would be a year of transition for me, I'm trying not to beat myself up over how much time I had available for writing and how little I availed myself of the opportunities. 

Being a country girl, every morning this past summer was a new delight. I couldn't wait to get outside! I'd call the dog and we'd walk, and then I'd play in the garden. In the afternoons, on those days I didn't have any harvest to preserve, Himself used me like a pack mule to complete a few projects he had underway. The days passed quickly and here I am - five months in already. 

It's time for a deliberate reboot. It's time for me to set some real writing goals and get serious again. I've been whining about it for long enough. I have the intellectual and physical tools to get myself back on track and stay there, at least until the next gardening season. Even then, it's a matter of adjusting to accommodate those activities I enjoy so much. 

My vision of "retirement" includes a lot of different activities. I refuse to give up any of them in favor of another. It's time to focus on organization and prioritize within a set framework of those activities. That in itself is something I like to do. 

Serendipity has its place but I think there is a block of time every day when it has to refrain from visiting my writing desk. I can do this!

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, modern gay cowboy, m/m romance, retirement, organization, home food preservation, simple country pleasures, a writer's life, country living, rural lifestyle

The Roses of October

October 12, 2022

Having time to write is a fine thing. I'm grateful for it. Being able to work on a story for an entire morning, or afternoon is incredible after so many years of only writing in the evenings or weekends. But becoming a full-time writer is fraught with distractions beyond a day job. Some days there are roses. 

The roses of October are in full bloom and they are breathtaking! I took a quick walkabout the yard this morning and they stopped me in my tracks. 

I paused to enjoy them, take a few photos, and give thanks I'm home to see them. In years past, I'd come home from work and not give them a glance. Life is better now. 

The roses of October. How glorious! 

_*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, roses, October, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, work, day job, full-time job, retirement, country living, simple country pleasures, a writer's life

Procrastination or plain laziness?

August 23, 2022

I'm dithering again. My brain is churning with a million things I should be doing: finishing Riding Against the Wind, vacuuming up dog hair, sweeping the patio, pulling up dead cucumber vines, getting something out of the freezer for dinner, calling a different chimney sweep since the usual one hasn't returned my calls, bathing Deuce, fixing the fire ring, finishing my coffee. 

Yeah, finishing my second cup of coffee that's gone cold. Again. It's been nuked once so maybe I don't want it all that badly. 

 Basically, I want to be an "industrious woman," but I doubt that piece of scripture is enough to move me along this morning. 

It seems like I've been an industrious woman ever since I retired three very short months ago. My fondest retirement wish was to establish (or re-establish) better writing habits and I've not accomplished that. It doesn't take much effort to figure out why that is - I've been having too much fun simply being home. Spending all the extra time with the spousal unit was a large part of the decision to retire. He's a bit older than me and there is a possibility I'll have a good number of years without him. But I digress...

I woke up this morning with one thought - get the book finished. Stop procrastinating, stop putting other projects in front of it, toss out the To Do List, let the man fix his own breakfast, and work on the damn book! 

And here I am - blogging.

Actually, I'm taking a mental break after hitting the thirty-thousand-word mark. The cold coffee needs to go and something cold and fizzy needs to take its place. The man is watching YouTube videos so I don't need to entertain him. The dog is sleeping beside the man's chair, so we'll let sleeping dogs lie. It's a beautiful morning full of blue sky, green grass, and sunshine but I'll enjoy it through the windows. 

It's time to get back to work.

  _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, modern-day cowboy, gay cowboy, M/M romance, a writer's life, writers, published author, retirement, To Do List, priorities, YouTube, social media, black Labrador Retrievers, scriptures

That moment when

July 25, 2022

There is a moment in the writing of each story when everything snaps into place. The chapters leading up to and including the ending materialize and the muse is in a rush to get to those two magic words - The End.  

The moment can't be forced but the muse doesn't care about such things. She'll ride me until I forsake my spouse, my dog, and my chores in favor of finishing the story. But experience has proven that the story will be ruined if I allow her to rush me forward. 

If you're a regular here at Between the Keys, you know I finally retired at the end of May. I'm almost two months into it, and it has been fairly consistent with my expectations. It has taken me a bit longer to get up to speed with getting some structure into my days so I can write, but it's beginning to gel. I'm beginning to establish a groove similar to the one I had while working the day job but during the day instead of the evening. I suspect those hours will shift with the waning daylight and that's just fine. I expect to make those seasonal adjustments. 

I'd worried over one of the story elements in Riding Against the Wind, so much so it impeded progress. I've settled that in my mind and the words are flowing. Not only that, but I have hopes of finishing a Rayne Forrest story I started quite a while back.

Time is both friend and enemy. It's up to me to use both sides of the equation to my benefit.

Stay tuned because coming soon - Riding Against the Wind, the sequel to Ride Your Luck.

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay cowboy romance, m/m romance, Rayne Forrest, Ride Your Luck, LGBTQ+, Kindle, time management, retirement, writers on writing, writer's blog, country living, rural lifestyle

"And so, it begins"

May 23, 2022

"And so, it begins." - Kosh, resident Vorlon at Babylon 5

At the risk of pushing a few of you over the edge with my retirement obsession - I'M RETIRED!!!

Yes, the day finally arrived. My employer, or should I say ex-employer, held a reception for me yesterday afternoon and it was quite nice. Lots of people, past and present, showed up to give me a send-off into what we call retirement. I came home and "crashed" like an old woman and had a nice nap in the recliner. 

That is not going to be my life. 

I blogged a bit about this over at Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway), but that was about life in general. Here at Between the Keys, which is supposed to be more about my writing, I have different things to say. 

My writing has been on a bit of a hiatus. The last several years brought big changes to my life. My stepfather died and my mother had to be placed in a total care facility. My friend and writing partner died. My husband had several major surgeries. Covid-19 hit and I needed to be more present at the day job by working from home. The effect on my life was a perfect storm. 

But you know what? I've made it through. I don't expect that picking up the threads of my writing career and weaving them back together is going to be easy. I have to develop a structure for my days that includes taking care of the spousal unit, home chores, writing time, and time to nurture myself. I've thought about it a lot, but now I need to see if the plan works and what changes the plan may need. 

Twenty years ago, I was writing The Skies of Mahdis. That story has been out of print for some time, but the absolute joy I found in the creation of that story has never wavered. Will I be able to once again work in that atmosphere of joy? Will I be able to embrace each new story in the spirit of joy and hope that we all get our happy ending? 

All those years ago the group of writers I was involved in (where did they all go?) had a saying: BICAW. That's "butt in chair and write." That is indeed what has to happen. I need to tune out all the chatter of life here in The Hideaway and write. It has to be a priority, or it won't work. 

It all boils down to how willing am I to work hard to regain momentum. Am I really going to be able to do it? I guess I'm about to find out.

Yes, I'm now retired. Let the real work begin!

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, Between the Keys, Holly Tree Manor, retirement, writing career, contemporary gay romance, M/M fiction, Babylon 5 quote, a writer's life, life changes, setting priorities

Bittersweet hours

My home office and my "staff" 
already lying down on the job

May 19, 2022

Bittersweet. One word to encompass the last twenty-two years of my working life. 

Today, I walked out of my day job office for the last time. It's no longer "my" office, but belongs to a capable young woman named Allyson. I've left it in good hands. 

The plan was for tomorrow to be my last day, but the CEO won't be in tomorrow and so we had our last conversation. I wasn't sure about this woman in the beginning, but I watched her acclimate and grow in the position. Now I think she's probably the best "boss" I've had at this facility. I find that I will miss the morning chats that we called staff meetings. 

And so today became the day I've worked toward and waited on for so long. Today I'm retired.

I'm no longer sure what that means. 

What if I don't feel like doing some of the things I thought I'd want to do? Hmmm. That's a thought, isn't it? 

I'm going to go easy on myself for the next few weeks. I expect to be full of conflicting emotions and ideas. It's going to take some time to adjust to my perpetual vacation. 

I think a spreadsheet may be in order to help me organize the various projects I want to undertake. Just think of all the colorful blocks when I complete something and instead of crossing it off or deleting it, I fill the cell with bright colors! Now that sounds like a plan to plan the plan!

Leaving the day job is bittersweet, but working until I drop dead was never an option for me. The next few weeks will sort themselves out and all will be well. I'll get my project list underway and figure out who I will be in my time of retirement. 

And that's the most daunting task of all. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Waiting, waiting, waiting

March 28, 2022

If parting is sweet sorrow, waiting is sweet torture. My "official" retirement date is now May 22, 2022. That's the day of my retirement "party," and you know I won't go back to my old work office after that. <deep breath>

The little counter on my phone tells me there are eight weeks, forty more weekdays. I don't work on Mondays, so that is thirty-two workdays. I swear it feels like forever. <deep breath>

I deliberately stepped back from writing so I could concentrate on the myriad details there are to beginning retirement, and there are many. Health insurance, pension plans, investment plans, and being March, filing taxes. Top all that off with training my "replacement" and I've been rather busy. I never suspected training someone would be so exhausting, and this young woman is a smart one. I can't imagine what it would be like if she weren't. 

My plan was to hold off writing until June, but that went out the window this morning. It may be the end of March, but it's cold outside. The things I wanted to do to start to prep for my veggie garden won't happen in the midst of snow squalls. Call me a wimp if you like. 

So what did I do? I banged out chapter eight of the work-in-progress and it felt SO GOOD!!!! I really need to get the cover worked out but I'm on sabbatical. Right? 

Maybe not. Things happen in their own sweet time. Who am I to fight it?

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Closer every day

 

March 6, 2022

Did you know that every day and everyday mean different things? Every day, with a space, is each day. Everyday is something we use every day. That is to say, a spoon is an everyday item. Everyday is an adjective - it describes an object. Every day is an adverbial phrase. And so goes today's lesson. 

I'm rapidly closing in on my retirement date of May 31, 2022. I've filled out forms, made phone calls, crunched numbers, and worried about training my "replacement." (She starts Tuesday.) As I proofed an article written by the current CEO, I came across her misuse of everyday - AGAIN. College and business school educated and her misuse of words is astounding. I won't miss that part of the job at all. 

And it's not that my grammar is perfect because it's not. It's simply that with all her higher education, she's not on my level. Is our education system at the core of the dumbing down of the United States? Could be.

With only a maximum of forty-two working days left in my career, I'm getting antsy. To make matters worse so is the spousal unit. I'm excited to be able to spend time writing, gardening, walking with Deuce, and maybe even spending time with the spouse. He's worried - like scared worried - that the new girl won't work out and they'll convince me to stay on. NOT HAPPENING. 

The urge to start writing again is niggling at me. I want to finish the WIP and jump straight to something else, but I know I need to wait. The next few weeks will be full of upheaval and I need to ride it out. Any writing I do would likely suffer. I'm not one-hundred perfect sure that would be the case but close enough that I'll force myself to concentrate on other projects. 

Forty-two days remain in my working career. It's a scary-wonderful thing. In effect, I'm starting over. My time will be my own. I began working on July 17, 1973. That's a long time to be employed. Will being retired match my vision of being retired? 

Being able to figure that out is getting closer every day. 

_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Another "resolution" fail

January 16, 2022

Okay, so it wasn't really a 2022 New Year's resolution. It's something I did really well with for a couple of years until Covid-19 hit and I started to work a lot from home. 

I like my desk to be free of clutter when I'm writing. I don't want a lot of visual distractions because it's difficult enough pulling pure thoughts out of the air and turning them into a cohesive story. 

Since about Thanksgiving, all my good office habits seem to have flown out the back door. Not only is my desk cluttered, but it's mildly dusty. This simply won't do. 

My rings and watch don't belong on my desk when not being worn. They should be in the jewelry box. The battery for my heated vest was just fully charged and needs to be back in the vest. The remote controls go in a drawer, out of sight. 

I do hope this is not a sign of times to come. Retirement should not become a reason to allow my little sunroom office to develop a clutter problem. 

Maybe I should make keeping everything in its place a New Year's resolution. It certainly wouldn't hurt.

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Christmas cards and countdowns

January 3, 2022

Starting the new year is stressful. People ask about new year's resolutions. I don't really make them, going instead with the general plans I always have. It's a bit different for the year 2022, as I am finally, finally, finally retiring. 

I would have been retired several years ago if the government had not fucked with the health insurance system. Free ME? Hell, no. It shackled me. Of course, I'm one of those who have always held a job and we're the ones punished for that. But I digress...

Yes, I'm bitter about having to work extra years. And I digress yet again...

This morning I almost took down the Christmas cards. It's my tradition to attach them to the basement door as they arrive each year. I took a picture and then got sidetracked before I could remove them. It'll happen sometime today. 

Christmas cards are a wonderful old tradition. Social media is fine, but there's something special about holding a greeting card in your hand. The person who sent it to you also held it and that's a connection you can't get from a digital card. 

I'm sure one of these days it will reach a point where no one sends cards. No one except me. As long as I can afford stamps, I'll continue the tradition. Some things should not be forgotten.

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

The website situation is not improving

 December 23, 2021

My website woes continue. I knew when Yahoo dumped the old, reliable SiteBuilder software that having a .com would become problematic, and it has. Yes, there still is a kckendricks.com, but at the moment it's simply a placeholder to get people to Between the Keys, Deuce's Day, and Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway). I really want to have a working .com but I'm not sure I'm up for the challenge. 

I freely admit I do not understand the online tools. It's all about loading pictures and not written content. 

I'm a writer. Words ARE my pictures. Am I frustrated? You bet. I've been to WordPress and that was a bit of a disaster, but out of necessity, I may go back. 

With my retirement clock irreversibly ticking down to the day, I'm officially on a writing hiatus. I need to wind up things at the day job and I know it's going to be stressful. Having the mental energy to write isn't going to happen. I'm not sure I'll have the energy to tackle getting a .com up and running again, either, but I'm going to give it a go. 

Today is Christmas Eve Eve, and there are things I need to do. I've valued my "vacation" days across the years, but I'm tired of having to cram laundry, cooking, cleaning, shopping, yard work, website building... and everything else that needs to be done to keep a home running into a few precious days away from the day job. I don't want to be busy - I want to relax and enjoy this brisk winter morning. I've missed too many of them as I've rushed off to the day job. Soon Ceasar will no longer rule my days. 

Where this day will take me is unknown, but for now, I work quietly while daylight creeps back into my world. It's the third day of winter, but there are signs of life in my woods. The old sycamore tree stands white and ghostly beside the creek, and the deer are looking for green shoots beneath it. 

Perhaps it's enough of a vision to see me through the day. We must persevere. 

  _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

kckendricks.com

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

The paradox of time (I need a clone)

It seems like the older I get the more I want to accomplish - and the less time I have to devote to new challenges. I don't think I'm unique in that. Time, and the passing of time, is more on my mind these days. My life is pretty full and it's difficult to fit everything in. I continually remind myself that personal relationships should never suffer because I want to spend all my time holed up in my comfortable office doing writer stuff. Case in point - an hour and fifteen-minute phone conversation with one of the cousins this past week. What earth-shattering event kept us yakking for that long? Food, gardening, tree-trimmers, and retirement. 

Have I mentioned here at Between the Keys that I tried to retire and it didn't go as planned? I know I did over at Holly Tree Manor, but I'll share a bit more with you. 

It was one of the strangest conversations I've ever had. I put in my letter of resignation effective July 31, 2021. My contract states I need to give four weeks notice, so I gave them five. That had more to do with the way the calendar dates fall this year and some other people's scheduled vacations than trying to be an overachiever. 

Retiring is generally cut and dried. You hand in your notice, work out the days, and off you go to your "new" life full of extra hours to do the things you want to do. (Did you hear the heavy sigh I just made?) The upper echelons flocked to my office, full of the belief they'd done something horribly wrong to me that made me want to leave. Nooooo. I wanted - still want - to retire so I can do all the happy little things I enjoy. 

They did not like this. They threw the world at me - anything I wanted if I would just stay. They know they can't replace twenty-one years worth of my experiences. Sure, another person can learn my job and do it well, but some knowledge can't be transferred. I understand their panic. 

The upshot is I'm now free to work at home as much as I want. I only need to go to the office when I need to pick up paperwork and/or use the copier to print statements, etc. I retained full benefits. I cautioned them I do have a Final Date that I won't back off from. 

I agreed to this even though it's not my Plan A. Or even Plan B through about Plan Y. I'm already regretting agreeing to it. It's the paradox of time. My time. Time to do all the little things that make me happy. But now I can do some of those things. I'm attempting to adjust my thinking to where these next months will be an easing into retirement. 

Even with having a lot of extra time at home, I need a clone. I suffer from the same "problem" everyone else does. No matter what I'm doing, I can think of a dozen other things I'd like to be doing. Right now I'm blogging but maybe I should be doing the final read-through of July Heat. It's time to load it onto a Kindle and look at it on a device. I can't do both things at once without a clone to do my bidding. 

Time isn't fluid. It's linear and it changes course for no one. We talk about managing our time but the truth is Time manages us. We make our decisions based on Time's unwavering flow. Slow, lazy afternoons are a trick of the mind as much as the busy mornings that pass in the blink of an eye. It's our perspective that makes Time paradoxical. 

I still want a clone. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Typical start to the day

 
June 12, 2021

June is a month of transition from spring into summer. The weather in western Maryland is always unpredictable day-to-day, and June does a fine job of showcasing its temperament. 

I rolled out of bed this morning with big plans. BIG plans. HUGE! The day dawned overcast and the weather prognosticators didn't give the day much hope of sunshine. My foolish heart said, "perfect day to write!".  

Well, blogging does count as writing. Not the writing train I planned to hop on and drive into the sunset, but writing nonetheless. 

My first mistake was stopping at my garden corral when I took Deuce out to take care of his morning outside activities. One of the pepper plants has blooms on it so of course, I communed with all the little green plants. Next, I needed to update my calendar with a rescheduled dentist appointment for my fall cleaning. That seemed safe enough but it was, in fact, another little tangent. But wait... I decided I needed a picture of the pepper bloom for over at Holly Tree Manor. 

It's never a good idea for this writer to hop over to one of the blogs. Down the rabbit hole again. 

All is not lost. As I write this, it's still early in the day. The July Heat manuscript is open on the right-hand screen while I type this blog entry on the left screen. Having a dual-screen setup is, IMHO, the only way to go. 

If you've read this far, thank you! If your days start off like mine, going helter-skelter until you get a few small things out of the way before moving on to the actual plan for the day, I get it. 

As for the original plan to debut the July Heat cover today, well, that might come tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day on which to blog.

Enjoy your Saturday! I know I'll enjoy mine. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Rainy days in May and the retirement countdown

 May 30, 2021

I'm on vacation from the day job, so of course, it rained yesterday. The temperature didn't rise above 60F, either. That's somewhat odd in our neck of the woods for the end of May but not unheard of. Checking the local climatological site, it shows our average low for May 29 over the last thirty years is a whopping hot 54F, with an average overall temp of 66F. So we struck an unhappy medium.

Rainy days are good for writing. Writing goes better with coffee. I sense a win/win pattern here. I completed a chapter and a half, tweaked the new cover, did a read-through to check the continuity so far, did a load of laundry, and shelved canned sixteen pints of chicken breast I processed on Friday. Not a bad day's work. 

While working on the new cover, I decided to go back and put the series name on the covers of Bored, Stroked and Blueprinted, and Memphis. At this point, Centerville Muscle is at least a trilogy, or it will be when the WIP is finished. I won't update the covers at the bookstores until I'm ready to upload the new book. I thought about giving Memphis a new cover but decided against it. Memphis is a different, deeper story so it's appropriate the cover has a different look from the other two in the series. 

Different seems to be a watchword these days. This vacation is different. This is my last May vacation before I retire. I've been talking about my retirement for a very long time, and if not for the cost of health insurance, I'd have pulled the trigger on it a long time ago. For me to go through the "Affordable Care Act" and purchase the same coverage I have through my employer it would cost me over $1500 a month. Yes, fifteen hundred dollars a month. That's not a typo. It's not "affordable" either. My choices are to pay up or to work until I'm eligible for Medicare. The safe choice is to work. 

This will influence my vote for the rest of my life. Way to screw over the middle-class Americans who work and pay for everything. 

All is not lost, at least not yet. I have a little countdown app on my phone and it tells me I have forty-seven weeks to go. That's 240 workdays. For me, I need to subtract the Mondays since I don't work on Monday, and this week I'm off, and that leaves only 228 workdays. Take off the remainder of my vacation time and holidays between now and my last day and I'm down to 192 days. It looks more doable this way. When we get down to it next year, I may bite the bullet and COBRA out for a month or two. It would be worth it to be home in March and April to get the spring yardwork done early. 

That was me thinking out loud. It's still too soon to write that chapter no matter how much I like the sound of it. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Big steps, big changes

September 13, 2020

Before I get on-topic, I want to pause and remember my friend Jimmy Ray, who would have been 60 years old today. It's hard to believe he's been gone for eleven years. Rest well, Jimmy. 

*_*_*_*_*_*

I've alluded to it many times. I've danced around it. I've dreamed about it. 

Tomorrow, I will finalize the last item on my Must Have Done to be Able to Retire list. Years of planning are about to pay off as I give myself the gift of TIME.

Time to do those things I enjoy, those things which enrich my life and emotional well-being. Time to care for my partner. 

It's a big change for him, too. He's been home alone for over twenty years while I was out working. I'm going to be intruding on his time. Or not. I expect to spend a certain amount of every day at my computer writing. 

I'm excited! I've gone through being frightened of such a big change to being so ready that working out my notice at the day job is going to be very difficult. Nonetheless, the day job has nothing more to offer me. 

I can't wait for tomorrow to come so I can make that last phone call. Now, in the spirit of honesty which is very important to me, I must tender a confession. There is a part of me that gleefully anticipates my employer's reaction. That is rather base of me, but there it is. I won't lie about it. 

When the new CEO came in August of 2019, I told myself I would give them a year. I did that, and it was a miserable year. I've not enjoyed working with them at all, and so started to get the cats herded and the ducks lined up in a row. My contract says I have to give a four-week notice. I'm going to give a two-week notice and see what happens. No matter what, my train is leaving the station headed to MY destination. 

It's been a long time coming. I've weathered a lot of storms the last several years - Mom developed Alzheimer's Disease and had to be institutionalized, my step-father died suddenly and I had to handle the estate to benefit Mom, and my partner had three major surgeries. 

It's my time to breathe.

KC Kendricks

www.kckendricks.com