“Retirement means you can do what you want whenever you want.”

I heard this from many people before my last day in May. I think for most people this means travel, more hobbies, time with family.

I’m also learning that it can be smaller things. Like having breakfast in a martini glass.

Let me explain.

When we moved here, we bought no dishes, and very few glasses (exactly three glasses from Mr. RO’s favourite breweries). We have bought dishes, but we’ve never gotten around to buying new glasses.

Well, that’s not true. We did buy some martini glasses after a visit to one of our favourite restaurants and I discovered a lychee martini that I really liked. Mr. RO thought he might try to reproduce it for me at home. I had visions of enjoying a martini in the evenings on our balcony.

But that meant we needed martini glasses. We were surprised to at challenge to find them here – the only ones we could find were some low grade cut crystal. MUCH fancier than we’ve had in the past. And certainly fancier than our other drinking glasses. But we were all set for evening martinis!

I have yet to enjoy a martini on the balcony.

I have, however, found another use for the martini glasses. For breakfast, I usually have a piece of fruit and some yogurt. My preferred brand of yogurt here is drinkable (and a bonus, lactose free).

You can see where this is going.

One morning, all three of our glasses were in the dishwasher. I needed breakfast. I opened the cupboard, and the martini glasses were there, waiting.

“Are you really going to use them?” Mr. RO asked.

Retirement means you can do what you want whenever you want.

That includes having breakfast in a martini glass.