Thursday, May 27, 2010

I Am Officially "Old"

I am now officially "Old"! My first Old Age Pension cheque was deposited last night. It will be $517 and is the second half of my Canadian Government Pension. The first half, Canada Pension Plan, started when I turned 60 and is $635 for a total of $1152 a month! This, combined with my Union Pension and Norma's pensions brings in a comfortable income. We can keep traveling!

This reminded me that I have now been retired for ten years. I "pulled the pin" the day before my 55th birthday back in April of 2000. Except for the one winter we stayed home to look after Norma's dad we have spent every winter in the "South". The first six winters in the USA and the last three in Mexico. It is hard to separate them in my my mind as they all blend together into one good time.

To celebrate the occasion I treated myself to a new lens for the camera. It is a Tamron 18 - 250 mm zoom. It will give me far more zoom range than the old Sigma 18 - 50 (which is for sale attached to a Nikon D70s). If Claudia takes me out on a "birding walk" in Mexico again I will be able to take bird photos without changing lenses. As Joe Biden would say, "This is a big f'
ing deal". And it is! Watch out birdies!

2 comments:

  1. Here's hoping you break the bank before you quit drawing that pension.

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  2. Hey, congratulations on entering old age. My condolences to Norma for having to live with an old fart like you. LOL

    I should be able to collect Social Security this fall; should it (and I) last so long! It's better than the alternatives.

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