To wonder what retirees do on a grey, wet Tuesday morning

[BeaQuiet]

I'm just a few years from State Pension age but can't imagine giving up work completely (work 28 hours pw at the moment).

Summers like this, yes, I'd be perfectly content but AIBU to ask what retired people do on a wet Tuesday morning in winter. Especially as Wed, Thur, Fri etc are likely to be wet or grey too.

This was raised on a Mel Robbins podcast on ageing and it got me thinking.

Th weather doesn’t bother me. So I would carry on with whatever I had planned. Probably a couple of exercise classes, a quick catch up with friends, a walk, some housework. Maybe some shopping if needed. General life admin. Might have a dance class or a craft workshop booked. If non of that to do a quick trip out to a museum or diy store (if I’m doing any diy) or a chance to sit down and light the fire and binge watch some tv. Evenings I’m generally out volunteering or at some group with friends.

I plan to play pickleball with the people I play with in the evening.

The retired players play almost every day and I’m so jealous!

My retirement is likely to be a frugal one ! I would likely walk the dog as obviously has to be done whatever the weather, have a wander round the local charity shops, go to Asda cafe for my £1 bowl of soup and unlimited hot drinks ( if the offer is still on ! ). Maybe a film on a cheap pensioner deal ? I will enjoy baking cakes and having friends round for coffee and cake. I love an afternoon nap although obviously not in the morning. I have retired friends who seem to spend half the winter abroad and enjoy things like pickleball and other activities.

I generally do a gym class, have a coffee, walk my dog, then it’s the same housework, cooking, shopping etc that I have done most of my life.

But the point is, I can go to any gym class - I am not restricted to stupid o’clock when the classes are solidly booked; I can take my dog on wee adventures etc.

I don’t miss employment 😂

I also plan to do a lot more volunteering than I currently do. Just finishing up two weeks of CWG volunteering and most are retired or students.

That's a very busy Tuesday morning, must be knackered in the afternoon.

@hahabahbag is “at the end of the runway” a euphemism for something?

Personally, I love the lack of structure in retirement. A wet Tuesday morning in Winter? I'd be in bed for most of it, to be honest.

They grab a coffee, a magazine or book and think thank god I dont have to go out in this crappy weather 😀

Go to my local library, they have a different language conversational group every lunchtime. I can only join in the French one, but it's still fun listening to Anglophones trying to speak Italian - The Tuesday language. Ciao amici miei

Read a lot. Study a subject you've always wanted to learn more about.

Cook fantastic, elaborate meals. Take up baking.

Go to the gym, do some yoga. Get out and walk somewhere far away with the sole aim of getting a cuppa and cake at the other wnd and walking back.

Take up doing crosswords in the pub (my likely destiny 🤣)

It will be bliss to not have to march to someone else's tune BUT I think some structure and routine helps with keeping a sense of purpose.

I watch a box set or a film, is that seen as a bit common because it's not a hobby.

As a result of an ongoing WhatsApp conversation, I might see if my pension will stretch to a very bougie gym membership and spend half my time there.

@MandemChickenShopwe get up early 🤣🤣

I want to go to Rome, next year, I would like to be able to ask for stuff in Italian, so wet Tuesdays I will be learning a few words of Italian.

I always laugh when I hear people say this- can you really not imagine finding anything to do? Places to go, people to see, cleaning, reading, crafting, volunteering? I think people (not saying you) just say this to make out retirement is a death knell. Roll it on I say!!

After suffering wankers in various offices across a span of 40 years it’s sheer bliss not to have to bother anymore. I don’t care if it’s rain, shine, wet, windy or whatever. If I want to stay in I will and if I want to go out I will. It’s the freedom plus I do wonder how I ever managed to waste 8 hours a day listening to drivel (public sector)

At the moment I’d really love a wet morning here! No rain for weeks.

But what I’d do as a retiree, is probably what I often do anyway - get on with knitting or sewing up the items I make for a charity. There’s always a waiting list and the items are really wanted and valued, so it’s a great excuse for ignoring the housework. 🙂

Una birra, per favore. - My first words if Italian

Surely any answer is better than ‘go to work’? It would be for me!

Have a second cup of coffee, and then go out to volunteer, or play a sport, or pursue a hobby, or see a friend.
Maybe stay at home and read a book, plan a trip, catch up on admin, listen to the radio or a podcast, learn a new language, write, craft....etc.
Sometimes, sadly, they even have to do the boring stuff like go to the supermarket, iron shirts or push the vacuum cleaner around!
There are as many options as there are people - the real luxury is that there is also choice.

Yes! Exactly this.

There are still household chores to be done obviously and, since retiring, we have got round to loads of jobs and home improvements that we hadn't had time for before.

But we both have lots of hobbies and interests to occupy us.

Unless the weather is really dire we still like to go for walks.

We often have Random Pensioner Days Out when we visit some place, attraction, museum whatever that we have never been to before.

We have had way more holidays then we could fit in while working.

And other wet Tuesdays it is just nice enough to wander down to the library and change my books then go home and curl up for a good read.

You don't have to fill your day with anything. You are the same person but, potentially, with more choices, so how you structure it - or don't - is up to you (finances,health and other people considered). It's just a new stage of your life.
If you need routine,then set your own,but you don't need a list.

There's still a whole world out there to get involved in, or not. You just don't have work getting in the way!

A million and one different possibilities, surely?

But for me personally, I have a dog walk, gym, painting class, and another dog walk on Tuesdays; in term time at least.
DH spends all his time painting but also comes to the gym.
Also the usual housework, dinner, and knitting or crochet in the evening whilst watching telly.

Well I'm retired and I find plenty to do.
I do a Pilates class, a language class and I'm in a book group they all run throughout the year including on grey, cold Tuesdays! I also do school pick ups a couple of days a week, meet my friends in coffee shops, go for walks, go shopping, cook, read, go to the cinema / theatre, attend interesting lectures, go to the library etc.
When I first retired I also did some voluntary work. There is plenty to do besides work I wouldn't have time to fit work into my life!