You can blame John LaMere for this tirade as he ran his mouth between songs at Willy Ts in Key West last January. He’s the one that started this. He was talking about people who peaked too soon, that he graduated from high school with. They were all concerned with their 401k plans, etc.  Worry about that stuff when 50? No!!!  Take care of those basics when you are in your 20s, so you’ll be comfortable at 60 plus is the way to do it. But look at your bartenders and servers; few of them are doing that. I wish them the best, but what are they going to be doing at age 60? I guess, they’ll be one of those senior citizens ringing a cash register at megamart! Not me!!!
    Today it’s snowing in most of the USA. The average temperature across the nation is 16 degrees, the guy on the Key West radio station is saying. Here in Key West it’s 60 degrees and people are in winter coats, but you know, it’s not that bad!  We got a real gift yesterday; it was supposed to be chilly and windy and we got a summer day. I went kayaking. For me Key West is the place to be in January. Yeah, there’s lots of Bars, Restaurants, and it’s really a party spot, but out there on the water is where it’s really at! It’s great bobbing up and down with the swells in the warm sunshine. Most boaters are very courteous to me in a kayak. Even the jet ski tour guides caution their followers to slow down for me!
    John’s ‘peaked’ comment inspired this, so here we go: Do you need all that $$$ to not work (retire)??? Listen to your financial advisor, broker or the articles in Forbes or other magazines and that’s what they tell you. Most people get strapped into a 30-year mortgage, a long-term car payment, and let the credit card bills accumulate and that strangles them financially, so they need to keep their noses to the grind stone. That’s craziness! Get a good job that has health insurance and a retirement plan when you’re young. Don’t take a 30-year mortgage; get a 15 year one and pay it off faster if you can. You’ll save at least the price of the home you bought, which you’ll pay in interest with a 30-year mortgage.  Be “a find a bargain or find a job” person as soon as you can when you’re past 50, pay cash for major purchases, don’t use a credit card or do it sparingly. If you use a credit card, pay it off within 30 days and that’ll usually avoid any charges.
    I was just sitting at Willy Ts on Duval Street in Key West and John LaMere of Ocean City and Long Island fame was telling that story between songs about peaking too soon. He went to a High School Reunion recently and ran into only old people! They had listened to their broker, advisor or the articles and were still in the rat race. Why!  ou don’t need to be.  There’s too much fun to be had and places to go to still be toiling every day in a place where you really don’t want to be, and doing something you don’t want to do! That’s work and it’s for the birds ... or the dumb asses!
    I had a job that I actually liked with good flexible hours and I thought I was accomplishing consuming protection, but I did it for 27 years since age 18. Then I got the opportunity to retire (I never accepted that concept - no rocking chair for me!), and then life really began! Since then I’ve done yearly 3-5 month trips (Adventures) through the warm places of our country (Florida, south Texas, south Arizona, Las Vegas and sometimes southern Utah, if it’s warm enough, and places in between).  They began as something to do where it was warm, when it was cold in Ocean City, where I still live when it’s warm there.  After I did the Adventures for a while and loved the lei’d back life style, that became the dominant motivation in my life. Now being in Ocean City is a place to be between Adventures and it’s a fine place surrounded by DelMarvelous Delights. I call them adventures because there’s very little detailed planning, just a general direction meandering to where it’s warm with plenty of remote peopleless places interspersed with party spots like Key West and Las Vegas. There’s only one criteria - KIS, keep it simple; and it works.
    Another dominant concept is find a bargain or find a job and there’s lots of things you don’t need, so a ton of $$$s is not a need. Here’s a couple examples:  Bottled water. The water out of the faucet is tested daily and certified by the water system operator to be safe. Fill your own bottle, you don’t have to buy it! Eat more fruits and vegetables and get them from local farmers. Eat less processed food (canned, bottled, and packaged) and red meat and eat more fish. Fresh stuff and fish is less expensive than processed stuff and red meat; it tastes better, and is better for you. Generic or store brand items have the same nutritional value as designer/name brands and cost less. Many times they come from the same food plants, just with different labels. Let whole foods and whole grains dominate your food intake. They are certainly better for you. Food is more than something to fill an empty space. Food can be flavorful to eat, so take the time to cook it yourself correctly. Yep, that’ll be cheaper too. Many fruits and vegetables can be frozen and eaten later when they are not being harvested, too. Coffee from that Star place or any of that carryout coffee is not needed either. I make my own blend (2 parts generic instant coffee, 2 parts generic creamer or eggnog when it’s available, 1part bakers chocolate and dash of nutmeg & cinnamon); that’s a lot cheaper! Walk, bicycle and drive a vehicle only when it’s necessary and never pay to park.  Free parking is usually just a short walk away. That not only saves $$$, the exercise will do you good. Use as much reusable stuff as you can, less single use, and the environment will thank you. Limit loudness and extravagance. I enjoy low key, quietness, and nature. I think they are cheaper, too. A little courtesy and friendliness will help your whole demeanor, too. and put that screen down. Give it a break!  Enjoy what’s around you and only excess in moderation! That’s my life style and it works quite nicely, but of course, I enjoy a good steak or burger, piece of fudge and the partying in Key West and the buffets in Las Vegas, as breaks from weeks immersed amongst Mother Nature’s natural treasures.  Living healthy and less expensively is as good as a million $$$s.
    I hear Birches Produce across from the airport on Rt.11has local corn, that’ll really go good with the crabs I hope to catch!
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