This isn't what I signed up for

I'm so busy it's hard to be retired.

I had that thought this week as I was on the road in Maine, doing some contract work that would eat up most of the day -- an incredible day, in fact, that should have had me on the beach or on the golf course.

The day before I'd spent the day reporting and writing about the President Barack Obama's visit to New Hampshire; I got credentialed to cover him for Examiner.com.

With Obama taking up all of Tuesday, with the job-related road trip taking up most of Wednesday, I would have to devote Thursday to catch up on the contract and freelance work I didn't get to.

I'm retired. I'm an empty nester. So where is all this free time I'm supposed to have? Is this what I signed up for? Is it a bad thing that even the president is cutting into my retirement free time?

With the weather finally acting more like summer around here, my mission was to commence the Endless Summer.

Instead, I'm juggling appointments and phone calls and to-do lists.

The fact is I'm happier now in retirement than I was a year ago as a three-month retiree.

The hardest part about retirement is filling the time with stuff that's engaging.

I had hoped to volunteer but I haven't found anything I'm passionate about to invest my volunteer time. Maybe that'll come some day; it just isn't here yet.

So I've tried to advantage of what I do best ... write.

I may bitch about being busy, but it's only for effect.

I'd rather have way too much to do than way too little to do.