Day 7 - Mask mandate is rescinded in California

My Ipad is possessed!!!!

6/21/21. Monday

8:00 – L. leaves for the art studio.  She’s teaching camps this week.

9:30 – 10:00 - I’m up and I don’t linger because I really need to check my email at College No. 2. Even though the semester’s over, it’s been 6 days and anything could have happened…I go downstairs and greet the dog, but I think L. already took her out.  Nevertheless, we repeat the routine and head outside so she can go potty again. Return inside and I make coffee for me; cheese for her. I weigh 98.5 pounds today.

I go to work.

10:00 – 1:00 – I check email and there is nothing of consequence. I also check enrollment to see what the numbers are – so far, 19 students are enrolled in the July 6 summer session course. It looks like the class is going to run, but I’m still not sure. A lone student from my Spring semester asks why he can’t access the class on Canvas.  Uh…because the semester is over???  Because I dismantled the class the day the semester ended???

Anyway, the main reason I scheduled this block of time is to research…(drum roll, please) CalSTRS retirement!!!  Yes, it never dawned on me that I could retire from this gig, too. I just assumed that I would continue working as an adjunct, while in retirement from my state job, until I died, HOWEVER, I hate this job, too…I’ve given it a lot of thought and I want out.

I just retired through the CalPERS system so, yeah, I know the ropes and I’m cocky about it…except, I find out I don’t know the ropes.  CalSTRS is confusing as hell and I work on the “variables” needed for the “retirement formula” for THREE hours before I think I’ve got it. Here’s the gist:

-I hired into the educational system before 2013 so I’m in the “2% at 60” category.  This is important because it means I can retire at 50.  Sure, I will take a hit, but I don’t need the max because I already have Pension No. 1.

-I discover that CalSTRS has no benefit package for its employees!!  I’m not concerned because I have free health care under Pension No. 1, but my God…what about retiring teachers? Do they end up on Obamacare until Medicare kicks in?  A little known fact…Obamacare is actually expensive.

-Since I haven’t worked 25 years, the salary component for the retirement formula is based on my highest salary during 36 consecutive months. OMG, I had no idea.  How fortuitous!! My adjunct salary doubled since I was hired at College No. 2.  2020 was the best year of my adjunct financial life – I taught a total of 12 classes for Spring and Fall semesters.  I mean it almost killed me, but at least my salary doubled. The same with Spring Semester 2021 - I taught 5 classes.  Additionally, I was assigned a summer class at College No. 2 which equates to more additional income.

Usually, things never work out for me, but as it turns out, my highest 36 consecutive months are happening now! After crunching the numbers, it looks like I can go out at the end of 2022, BUT I will have to knuckle down for the next 18 months, because I’m face-to-face at College No. 1, which means back to driving 2 days a week, and teaching a 7-hour shift on Thursdays. great (sigh). All I have to do is “stay alive”, i.e,  don’t get cancer, don’t get in a car accident, and Pension No. 2 is mine in 2022. [rubbing hands together emoji]

I sign up for a free CalSTRS Webinar called Retirement Decisions for Friday. Maybe the Webinar will provide additional information…

1:00-1:15 – B. says he is available on Wednesday for his Father’s Day dinner so I make reservations on Open Table for Meat on Ocean on Wednesday at 7:00.  I also book a reservation for Thursday at the Norton Simon museum for myself.  It’s finally open!! and free for me because I’m a college student [French Cinema class]. I’m pretty jazzed about it.

1:15-2:00 – I have a piece of my lasagna and read Places My Body Has Gone.

2:00-3:00 – Shower. Lotion. Covid-19 uniform.

4:00-5:00 – Our main library is featuring an art exhibit on recycling called Upcycle Art and I’m interested in viewing it, but when I arrive, there is no exhibit.  I talk to the friendly librarian and she knows nothing about it.  When I show her the flier, she points out that it’s scheduled for July.  How embarrassing!  I’m contrite and  leave.

5:00-6:30 – I think I’ve earned a Gelato after that, don’t you? Enroute to our mall, where I go to Paradis and order a scoop of the banana sundae and a scoop of the strawberry.  I sit outside Paradis, on the patio, read my book, and eat Gelato.  Best day ever!

7:00-8:00 – Home and L. is making black bean, rice, and tofu tacos. We talk about her day teaching Art camp.

8:00-9:00 – I don’t like to workout on a full stomach, so I do a repeat of the Insanity Max Interval workout from yesterday because I was struggling. I’ll eat dinner after the workout.

9:00-9:30 – I talk to B.

10:00-11:00 – I have some of L.’s black bean tacos.  They’re quite good!

11:30-1:00 – It looks like L. set a bomb off in the kitchen when she made the black bean tacos.  Kitchen duty and I prepare coffee, food, and snacks for tomorrow.

1:00-2:30 – Blog posts

2:30-3:30 – Nighttime routine.

3:30 – 5:00 - I check my To Do list, but a glitch happens and the Ipad starts going crazy, selecting this, selecting that. But then, horror of horrors, a file in my Ipad that contains my entire life over the past 8 years, like movies I plan on watching, books I plan on reading, places I want to go, restaurants, parks I’ve been to, botanical gardens I want to visit, goals, my reoccurring To-do lists…the last 8 years of my life - EVERYTHING - was deleted by my possessed Ipad!!! I’m. in. shock.

I spend the next hour, in my office, trying to restore the files, but am unsuccessful.  I will have to talk to L. in the morning. Devastated, I set my alarm for 6:45 and fall asleep immediately.