Do retired people take vacations?

I just returned from a two week vacation to North Carolina and Vermont, and posted on Facebook that I had returned safely home to Florida.  My friend Rocky Fucile wrote:

How do you take a vacation from retirement? You're always on vacation!

My initial response was:

Vacation is when you leave your home and the drudgery of mowing lawns, shopping for groceries, vacuuming the floor, cleaning the house, doing bills (they do still keep coming even after no paychecks comes) and keeping up with all the "hobbies" you start...you need to try it Rocky!

But it got me to thinking, which in itself is a dangerous thing. Corollary to Rocky's Thesis is "There is no thinking in retirement."

The dream for most people is that retirement is a continuous vacation, but the reality is that it is NOT...

Vacations takes planning, and scheduling, and telling people what is going on...retirement is the opposite of that...no plans, no schedule, no telling people that I spent the day doing nothing. Vacations are hard work when you are retired. You have to be pseudo-organized. What a pain.  Actually, I am NOT very good at it. I am good at retirement. I have my bucket list, hobbies, and then there is the daily grind.

The lawn keeps growing, weeds and dust still appear, pets expect the same care as before retirement, bills do keep coming for stupid things like electricity, water, sewer, cable... I still hunger for food and entertainment...daily grind...I just do not have to go to work but I still have Doctor and Dentist appointments. The car needs fixing and so does everything else you own....

I think heaven may be a continuous vacation Rocky! But I am willing to wait to find that out.

Since most of my posts have photos, I am including one taken by my friend Shari near Boone North Carolina. It shows a retired man on vacation.

BJ enjoying a RC Cola and a Moon pie

Her husband Chuck said it was from a song. I found it on the internet done by Big Bill Lister. It is called "Gimme a RC Cola and a Moon Pie."  Now this is vacationing, you would not catch me doing this in Florida. Actually it was pretty good.  I plan to do it again but since I am retired, there are no plans, so I can only do it if I go on another vacation...I am confused!