The Retirement Newsletter: Dogs, numbers and poppies?
Issue Number: -11 — Considering getting a dog, doing the pension maths and contemplating poppies
Welcome
Welcome to issue -11 — should I get a dog, and how are my numbers looking? And the word is poppies in the title — I didn’t mistype puppies.
And this week’s photo — well, this time of the year, it’s ‘poppy time’ in the UK — more about that below.
Should I get a dog?
I know a ‘dog is for life and not just for Christmas’, but I have been pondering the dog thing for some time. I like dogs and always have done; despite being bitten by dogs several times as a child, I still like them. But I have never owned one.
I didn’t have a dog when I was growing up — but my uncle did. And we used to walk his dog in the local woods every weekend. I enjoyed the experience.
When I left home, my mother replaced me with a dog — that is how I viewed it. The dog wasn’t a breed I would have picked, but I still liked the animal.
My first long-term girlfriend had dogs — note the plural.
And then I had my work years. I was too busy for a dog. I travelled too much. But as I lived near the coast, I used to love visiting the beach at weekends, walking on the sand, watching the dogs chase balls, and playing in the surf.
Weirdly, the majority of my friends have dogs.
Now, with my uncle and his dog and all my friends with dogs, I know one true thing: that the best dog is someone else’s dog. That is, a dog you can walk and have fun with but don’t have to feed and take to the vet. But I still think I want one.
So, why a dog, and why now?
Once I retire, I will have the time to have a dog, and having a dog would benefit me. It would get me out of the house. I will meet people. When I walk with friends with dogs, I am always amazed at how often they speak to people. When I walk with friends with no dogs, we get viewed as weirdos if we say hello to someone on the path.
One thing that worries me about retiring (besides running out of money) is not talking to people. As I said in issues -12 (Ten things I won’t miss about working) and -15 (Ten things I think I will miss from work when I retire), at number 6 in both lists, I will (and won’t) miss unexpected conversations. Walking a dog increases my chances of random conversations.
Where I live is ideal for a dog. I have a nearby dog walking field, and we have many footpaths and woods to explore.
If I decide to get a dog, the question then becomes, what sort of dog?
Well, I want something that can walk for miles and is tough. Something that doesn’t mind a bit of weather. I don’t want anything too big, and I don’t want anything too small. I want a dog I can pick up and carry over a fence or easily pull out of a river or stream. I want a ‘proper’ dog. I want a dog bred for a purpose and not to look pretty. The dog must have good genes.
So, the dog must be larger than a cat but smaller than a Golden Retriever. Spaniel size? Terrier? Not yappy. Any ideas? If you do, leave a comment below. If you think getting a dog when I retire is a bad idea, let me know below.
Money — running the numbers
I have not yet fully committed to retiring. That is, I’ve not handed in my official notice. It’s still sitting on my desk, decisions, decisions. To help me decide, I have been "running the numbers". I’ve been back over my bank statements from the last two years and put together a budget plan. Things look good.
Now I need to decide.
Poppy time
This time of year, if you are in the UK, you will see everyone (well, the majority of people) wearing poppies, and if you are not from the UK, you may wonder why.
The poppies are sold by a UK charity (Royal British Legion) that raises money for former servicemen and women. The charity was founded on 15 May 1921 and adopted the poppy as its symbol, as they were the first flowers to grow across the First World War battlefields after the guns fell silent.
The original poppies were silk, and then they became paper and plastic. They are all paper this year, as it’s more environmentally friendly. You can also get poppies on small wooden crosses, in wreaths, metal pins, large ones for vehicles and poppies for dog collars.
You often see wreaths of poppies on memorials in the UK and Europe. Below are poppy wreaths on a memorial for where Jack Harrison, VC, MC, was killed in the First World War.
So, that is why you will be seeing people wearing poppies.
Will you be wearing a poppy?
Leave a comment below.
Travel — Nostalgia Corner
This week, more on my time in Malaysia:
Malaysia — Johor Bahru — The Zoo, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia — I found the zoo when searching for the Johor Bahru Botanic Gardens.
Malaysia — Johor Bahru — Johor Bahru City Square, 108 Jalan Wong Ah Fook, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia — Visiting a shopping mall in Johor Bahru
Malaysia — Johor Bahru — KOMTAR Johor Bahru City Centre (JBCC) — In 2015, this was the new mall in town. It was odd to find a Marks and Spencer in Malaysia.
Next week, stories from visiting a strange place in Singapore, going to the 10 Courts of Hell, an artificial beach, and not going to the southernmost point in Continental Asia.
Next week
Next week, in issue -10, I will reflect on how it is ten weeks until I retire, and I will write more about what I am thinking of doing about a paid version of this newsletter.
Thanks
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Until next time,
Nick
PS, If you would like to contribute something to the newsletter — a story, advice, anything — please get in touch.