Saturday, February 9, 2013

What I'm not doing as a Snowbird

We've been in Tucson for five weeks now. We leave in three more. Time is going faster than I wish for. I've talked about my activities as a first-year snowbird. What I haven't talked about is what I'm not doing. Here's a list.

1. Playing cards and games. Offerings here include bingo, bridge, bunco, canasta, cribbage, Mexican Train dominoes, euchre, mah jongg, poker, pinochle and scrabble. I have played everything but bunco at one time or another, but not here for some reason. Maybe it's because they're evening activities, and I like to be home then. I heard some ladies in my morning swim class talk about someone winning both blackout prizes at bingo the night before. How wonderful for them, I thought, with no desire to buy a couple of cards next week.

2.  Doing arts and crafts. I could do calligraphy, ceramics, glass fusion, lapidary, machine embroidery, oil painting, quilting, scrapbooking, silver craft, stained glass, watercolor, wire wrap, woodcarving or woodshop. Thinking about most of these makes me feel like curling up in the fetal position. Actually, next year I may try Watercolor for Absolute Beginners, but even that is a little iffy. I'm probably a pre-Absolute Beginner, and I don't think there's a class with that title.

3. Ballroom dancing, clogging or square dancing. I figure line dancing and two-step dancing is enough.

4. Playing pickleball. It looks like a fun game, really, but I haven't signed up for some reason. It's quite popular, and I'd need to play with strangers at first. Most of the players I see are lithe and trim and I am not. Besides, I take a beta blocker for blood pressure and it slows my heart. I wonder if I have enough lung capacity for all that running around. I can use my husband's knee replacement surgery as an excuse for why I'm not doing it, but it's a bad excuse. I suspect next year I'll be a regular on the pickleball court.

5.  Multiple other kinds of exercise. I do aquacise three mornings a week but skip aerobic dance, aquafit, deep water aerobics, easy stretch, guts and butts exercise, lap swim, pilates, tai chi, yoga and zumba. I'm actually pretty happy just with the aquacise. I would never have guessed I'd get up for an 8 a.m. exercise class, but I can get out of bed at 7:40, throw on my suit with jeans and t-shirt over and walk to the pool in time for the class.

6. Other stuff I don't do are American Sign Language, astronomy, back road scenic drives (time conflict), memoir writing, photography group, Red Hat Society luncheons, conversational Spanish or writers' workshop. Just never had the interest.

7. I don't ride a bike here because I didn't bring my bike. I wish I had. It's a great way to get around on a resort like this. No one locks their bikes at home or in the central area racks. That is really nice! Next year.

8. Go to the laundromat. We have a washer and dryer in our park model. It was a requirement.

9. Sightseeing around Tucson. I really should do this. I know there are interesting places. But my schedule of activities leaves only Saturday wide open, and that's the day I make a casual effort to clean. Just today we had an invitation to go to a festival at Tubac, about an hour and a half from here. When I woke up it was chilly and drizzling, so I decided to stay home instead.

10. Going to lots of restaurants in Tucson. We've only gone out for two meals in the city in the last five weeks. We do that a lot more often at home. Maybe it's because we're about eight miles out of the restaurant area. Or maybe because I don't want to drive at night. Or maybe it's because simple meals at home are easy here.

Tonight, though, I am looking forward to. We meet up with new friends at 5:30 for potluck hors d'oeuvres before heading over to the dance at the community center. We have learned how to two-step and line dance, so we'll be out there with all the other overgrown teenagers, having a fabulous evening until the dance ends at ten!

17 comments:

Ms Sparrow said...

What an amazing variety of activities you have to choose from!
I can see why you're too busy to do much sight-seeing or eating out. I'm glad you're having a good time.

Muffy's Marks said...

I have you beat by one activity.. Bunco. I only play it because the bunco tables are right outside my door. I do water aerobics 2x a week. and I have my sewing machine here, so those projects take up some time. But mostly I 'lizard lounge'!!!

1NurseRatched said...

You can do whatever you want taking atenolol. It does slow your heart rate and reduce the oxygen demand of your heart muscle, but shouldn't cause you to be short of breath.

1NurseRatched said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Out on the prairie said...

Havent seen pickle ball or bunco,they sound interesting.have you been to Sabino Canyon and Mt.Lemon?Used to eat at La Fluentes in Nogales and have the quail.

Linda Reeder said...

With so many choices, it might be hard to choose, but then again, I'm not much of a joiner, so I would most likely be doing my own thing anyway.

wheels4me said...

Phew! That is a lot of activity you are busy not doing. Enjoy your time as a snowbird.

Arkansas Patti said...

Mercy what a variety of choice. Mind boggling. Had to laugh at your "pre-Absolute Beginner." Can so relate. Some of those I would have to try out of curiosity but can see where your life could become entirely too organized. Enjoy what you like and don't forget those bikes next time. Now that would be on my to do list.

DJan said...

I rode my sister's bike around her community and was very glad to have it. Riding in the Florida sunshine was heavenly. There are lots of activities like these in her community, too. I looked at the bulletin that comes around once a month and was amazed at the variety. It doesn't, however, come CLOSE to what's offered out there! Wow! :-)

Linda Hoye said...

I've been enjoying reading about your experiences in Tucson! We're retiring in eleven months and I'm obsessed with all things retirement right now!

Kathy said...

Gosh, when does everyone find time to eat and sleep, Linda? Just reading the list of activities makes me feel tired. :-) Glad you're having such a good time.

Rosaria Williams said...

There really is a LOT to do! How did you find this place?

Dr. Kathy McCoy said...

It sounds like the offerings at our community and I do really very few of them. It's funny because, coming here, I imagined myself being very active but I find there aren't enough hours in the day to do all the things I love. I also find that I prefer to exercise at the gym on my own rather than take classes which require me to be in a specific place at a specific time. I think we all figure out the best ways to have a good time in retirement -- and these may or may not match our pre-retirement dreams!

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

That's an amazing amount of stuff to do, or not do. I wonder whether you'll develop different patterns from year to year. I envy you all the sunny days, though I'm mostly happy just to be in my own house because I missed it every day that I went off to work.

Sally Wessely said...

I looked at your list and thought I would probably make the same choices you have made. I'm really not much into joining a bunch of activities either. I'm not a loner. I love being social, but i would never join to do crafts. i too would want to curl up into a fetal position. And, games of cards would be too much for me. I do think it would be good to pay bridge because they say it keeps the mind active and healthy.

I think you found a wonderful spot for the winter. I love reading all about your new place. One could not say one was bored. That is for sure.

Katherine Jenkins said...

Sounds like you have lots more things to try out as a Snowbird, which is always good. Lots to explore. Thanks for leaving a message on my contact page. I don't know how to e-mail you the interview, so feel free to e-mail me at kathyjenkins@hotmail.com. Thanks and enjoy your time trying new things!!!!

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