And since today is Labor Day, perhaps we should reflect on that holiday. Just what is the nature of Labor Day for those who are retired early?

It's a day for the workers to get a taste of what the RE experience every day, albeit the full flavor can't be captured in just a day or two. And for RE, it means another day to avoid the crowds - on the roads, at the beach, stores, etc. The upside is that when I went to the gym mid-day Tuesday, it was like a ghost town! For those of us near the coast, it signals the time we can reclaim the beaches to really enjoy w/o hoardes of vacationers.

It's a creeping, insidious ailment. Since RE, I stopped wearing a watch. I used to know down to the minute what time I had to leave home in the a.m. to be sure to catch the 5:25 train and whether I could drive a reasonable 65 mph to get to the station or push 75+ to be sure.

Now I have to stop and think to be sure what day of the week it is . . .and the date - can't do it w/o a calendar.