Death Binder 2.0: The Pensioner’s Edition

A New Hope … For Time to Create a Better Death Binder

Young kids fractionalize your free time as a parent, making long-term projects difficult. That may sound ironic coming from an early retiree and pensioner like me, but it’s nonetheless true, especially during the summer holidays. As I pen this post, it’s February, and we’re nearing the end of summer in New Zealand (NZ). The kids recently started their new school year, which is great because my family and I were busy with all the fun things that typify the NZ summer lifestyle for the six preceding weeks. This includes going to the beach, road-tripping, camping, hiking, kayaking, bike riding, summer football (i.e., soccer), and rock jumping into emerald pools of cold mountain river water! Needless to say, all that fun didn’t leave much time for the long-overdue transformation of my original death binder into a pensioner’s death binder. Continue reading →

Work, Mental Health, Disability, and Retirement Planning

Posted on 29-October-18 by Grumpus

Time For a Rethink

I recently started ramping down my anti-depression and anxiety medication that I take for my PTS linked issues. I didn’t make this mental health decision lightly. You see, based on my doctor’s recommendation, I tried to ramp down before. I wasn’t successful. My mood swings were too erratic and unpredictable. After the failed attempt, I decided to stay on the medication until I ended my Active Duty military career. I figured the natural stress relief created by retirement would greatly assist efforts to balance my moods more naturally.

However, a few recent experiences persuaded me to reconsider that decision. The first is a continuing deterioration of my physical health. The cascading effects that issue has created, and my attempts to manage the pain, built a desire to end all but the most benign medications. My psychotropic medication is anything but benign. While it definitely evens my temperament and smooths my erratic behavior, the side effects are numerous. This includes interruptions of my sleep cycle, weight gain, and a heightened tendency to sweat and dehydrate. Continue reading →

The Pension Series (Part 16): VA Disability

Posted on 03-July-18 by Grumpus

Friendship Is Rare

Does anyone have a friend that dates back to first grade? I don’t mean an acquaintance either. I mean someone that’s been there almost your entire life through thick and thin. Someone who is more like a brother or a sister than a friend. I’m happy to report that I got one. I’m also happy to report that he decided to write an article for my blog!

Now, I believe it’s good etiquette that people who host blogs introduce anyone who writes a guest post. In fact, that’s what Darrow Kirkpatrick did for me when I wrote Part 8 of the Pension Series for his blog. However, in this case, my friend interwove his story into the blog post. So instead of a long-winded introduction, I’ll simply say:

Here’s a great post on the tax benefits of VA disability from a best friend of mine that I’ve known since 1982!

Continue reading →