Learning New Skills in a Pandemic Retirement

You can learn a lot by folding the family laundry.

I won’t get into specifics but you likely know what I mean. It’s been a new educational opportunity for me. I folded clothes once in awhile when Catherine and I were both working but back then I made sure it didn’t become my responsibility. After all, I already had shoveling and mowing.

My kids were my harshest laundry critics since they had mastered the technique, especially folding towels. Fitted sheets were always left for Catherine. But the kids graduated to their own lives elsewhere so I was next up. One of the things I have learned since then is not to even ask what certain mysterious pieces of apparel are for. I just fold them how I think they should go, knowing I’ll get a lesson if I did it wrong.

When I complained to a colleague many years ago about having to help fold clothes he said his family loved folding clothes together on Friday nights while watching a movie and sharing popcorn. Oh, how joyous. What could be more fun than that? We chose to bond with our kids in ways that didn’t get salt and butter on our clean shirts and pants.

Now I’m even allowed to load the washer and dryer, being careful not to mix colors in the washer or put sweaters in the dryer. I’m gaining a new appreciation for modern appliances, although I’m only allowed to use two of the dozens of settings available.

I can even load and empty the dishwasher which I have recently taken more seriously since Catherine believes in not running it until it is full. I think she just likes to make a Tetris game out of seeing how much she can squeeze in there.

But by waiting until full, the smell is worse than the kitchen garbage. So I run it more often. Water conservation experts tell us that you’re not supposed to have to pre-rinse dishes in the sink. What they don’t tell you is that you are then then guaranteed to have a smell if they sit in the dishwasher for several days, especially in the summer. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Since the kids left us with their two cats, I took over the job of cleaning the litter boxes. It’s not a problem until it’s time to carry the collection bags from the step-cans to the garbage cart in the garage. The bags are heavy and the cheap plastic stretches and sags as I race up from the basement with them. I maybe should buy better quality bags.

Fortunately, we hire someone to clean the house every couple weeks. We’ve done that for years. It was one of Catherine’s mandates if she was going to work full time. I’m OK with that, although there’s a mad scramble to pick up the place the day of the cleaning.

This doesn’t include our finished basement which we haven’t yet done much with since we moved in. In some ways, it’s the equivalent of the huge attic we had at our 100-year-old house we left three years ago, full of stuff that still needs a permanent location. I suggested Salvation Army but that was vetoed. We really have twice the space two people need but it does allow us to hide from each other.

Despite all the space, even that wasn’t enough. Catherine missed the front porch on our old house. So we’re in the process of replacing the deck off the back with a three-season porch. A full report on that project will be forthcoming.

I’m also learning how to assist with the grocery shopping since that is the only kind of shopping Catherine doesn’t like. That’s probably because it involves buying mostly the same things each week. But now, with my assistance, we can buzz through the store in short order, except for the added treats I’m getting to fend off Covid stay-at-home blues. I’ve noticed the ice cream section is getting pretty picked over. I’ll probably never learn how to orderly place our purchases on the checkout counter. I’m also struggling with packing the bags to her liking.

A couple weeks ago Catherine kicked me out of the house for a couple days so she could concentrate on wrapping up her law practice which never seems to reach an end. I stayed at her family’s summer place in Wacouta which was fine with me. She ended up doing very little on her business work since other things came up. She’s involved with too many things. But right now, even if she were done with her business and volunteer work, the pandemic would still prevent us from doing any serious traveling. So, it really doesn’t matter much.

Overall, I’m trying to be more helpful and am digging into some new areas of interest during my stay-at-home retirement. However, I refuse to spend too much time on any one thing.

My philosophy is that I want to have many new and diverse experiences to reminisce about during my time in purgatory. Folding towels properly might be one of them. So will enjoying a generous helping of Moose Tracks, right from the container.