My official retirement from full-time teaching was January 1, 2020, so I’ve been collecting my pension for three years now. Today, I received my 36th pension payment. What does that mean? Well, I’m not living high off the hog or anything like that, but it means I make a free mortgage payment and pay the cable bill every month with a couple hundred bucks left over, which I generally use to buy comic books, or to pay for a roleplaying game environment or ship design. But since I regained the ability to do so after COVID subsided enough to let kids to school again, I’ve been more or less working full-time. I started out substitute teaching every day, then I went back to the classroom full-time for a year. Now I’m back to substitute teaching every day. I know; I apparently don’t know how retirement works, which leads us to Pension Day.
I decided yesterday that I was going to take off the first of each month, starting today. While I waited for my pension check to be directly deposited, I got up and did my usual routine: coffee, meds, Wordle, Quordle, and Octordle. Then I took a shower and got dressed. By that time, my check was in, so I paid my two bills out of it, and planned my day. My birthday is coming up on Monday, and my drivers license is about to expire. So, I dug out the documents I needed to get a Real ID. I thought getting a professional haircut might be nice for the first time since 2019 because I was going to have my photo taken, so I headed down the road. I stopped at the bank, withdrew my bonus money, and there was a line of four people waiting at Great Clips. I know, it’s a cheap haircut, but I have been cutting my own with a #2 guard and clippers for several years. It’s not that hard to do. I decided not to wait, and went to get lunch first.
I drove into Mishawaka and stopped at Doc Pierce’s for lunch. Doc Pierce’s is a throwback restaurant that was built in 1976 and I don’t think it’s ever been updated. It is definitely for old people, which make up the primary clientele, so it’s perfect for Pension Day.
The tables and chairs are made of real wood, not particle or composites. The stained glass light fixtures give it a homey feeling. And the music they play is MY music. My wife Magi and I ate there a couple of times last summer, and had a great time just figuring out what year each song came out. We had our Shazam app to back us up, but we were right 90% of the time.
Everything there is pretty good. It’s a nice local place with decent food. Another tip-off that the clientele ages a little high is that you have to request that your food be seasoned. I found out the hard way this past summer when I got an unseasoned steak! It was cooked beautifully, but was very bland. I didn’t make that mistake today, and had a nice 12-oz. ribeye with a baked potato and sauteed mushrooms. It was delicious.
As I sat there in the one-person booth, I thought to myself, if I’m going to treat myself to a nice lunch, why not get a good haircut? So, after lunch, I headed over to SportsClips.
I hadn’t been to Sportsclips in forever, especially since I had been cutting my own hair and it was well out of the way. But I remembered their VIP service, which includes a shampoo and head and neck massage, as well as a hot towel. I do not regret that decision one bit. I had a wonderfully relaxing time, and my hair hasn’t been this even in years. I even got the full beard trim, eyebrow trim, and everything. This just might have to become a regular Pension Day experience as well.
I stopped by Barnes & Noble just for fun, and reminisced about doing book signings there. It was a happy memory, not at all tinged with grief, so I count that as a good thing. Then I went to the BMV. To my utter shock, my number was called before I could even sit down. I was in and out of there in 15 minutes. Incredible.
On the way home, I stopped at Wendy’s for one final indulgence. Wendy’s currently has peppermint Frostys, so I got one with half chocolate and half peppermint. Delicious!
I’ll be back at work tomorrow, but I think I definitely want to start reserving the first of the month for a fun day to remind myself that I am retired!
