Known far and wide as a consummate water-burner, at the height of my infamous culinary expeditions I have:
Given my husband and myself food poisoning (just once);
Coated fish in icing sugar instead of flour;
Screwed up Kraft Dinner.
Upon retirement, I made a commitment to cook more. This frightens my husband, Harvey, to no end. But then I successfully baked challah bread and made a kick-ass brisket.
Full of confidence and swagger, I attempted Asian short ribs last week — in the slow cooker, according to a legit recipe.
When the ingredients were all cozily ensconced in the Crock Pot and a few hours had passed, a sweet smell beckoned. It seemed that everything was in place to ensure a successful, yummy dinner.
Seven hours later, the meat tender as anything, I served Harvey the short ribs. We both ooh’d and aah’d over the tasty meat, with Harvey even saying that the short ribs could well be my best dish yet. High praise from a man who wears a chef’s tunic when he cooks.
Then all hell broke loose. At approximately midnight, Harvey started experiencing an upset tummy. Followed by voluminous vomiting and diarrhea. Meanwhile, I slept like a baby. The next morning, I asked how he slept and he recounted the tale of the short ribs from Hades. I think the culprit was the sesame oil.
The takeaway from this is to keep trying new stuff when you retire, even if you experience a major setback or two (see above). The whole point of retirement is to try new things now that you have the time for them.
I think I may put away my apron for a week or so while I try my hand at a craft project that involves box cutters.
Harvey is nervous again.
This first six months of my retirement has been an incredible time of exploration, freedom and unregimented days. Truth to tell though, I miss having a routine.
So, in September I’ll start looking into volunteer opportunities. I have my eye on things to do with babies or seniors, two age groups I particularly enjoy.
Apparently, Women’s and Children’s Hospital has volunteer “baby cuddlers,” which sounds wonderful. Of course, visiting isolated seniors also appeals to me. We’ll see where the volunteer journey leads me. Bottom line is, I want to feel useful and help others.
For retirees who want to explore volunteerism, check out Volunteer Vancouver (VolunteeringVancouver.ca) for opportunities in B.C.; Go Volunteer: Connecting Volunteers with Not-for-profits (GoVolunteer.ca); or the web pages of organizations and groups you’re interested in.
As H. Jackson Brown Jr. said: “Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.”
Shelley Civkin is a retired communications officer with the Richmond Public Library
