My last day of work fast approacheth…and I have been busy both at work and outside of it, getting ready for this change. My successor has been chosen by my work and it’s the person I’ve been mentoring and grooming for this role for a few years now (Yay!). She officially takes over my position on December 16th, and I overlap with her for 2 weeks to make sure she settles in nicely (of which I have no doubt!). So that’s finalized and I feel great about it, and am already busy showing her what life as a lab manager is all about.

Also on the work front, I have been approached to consider working part-time – next door to my old lab – to assist for a few months in a project evaluating and validating a new technology. Like the proverbial old-timey fire horse that leaps from the stall when the fire bell rings, my mind immediately jumped to the positive possibilities (close to my successor should she have any questions; start-ups are fun; building labs are fun, etc.) and for 5 hot minutes I could see me doing this thing. Then I calmed down and realized that this will negatively impact the plans and goals for 2020 that I am looking so forward to diving into. Ye olde fire horse trotted calmly and thankfully back into the barn as I decided not to consider this offer any further.

Thus I passed this test! The test that says for me: do you really want to be retired? Answer: Hell, yes! Still yes!

On other retirement planning news, I settled on an extended health and benefit insurance plan to carry on into 2020 with me. An explanation for American friends that may not know our system: Canadians get free healthcare but still have to pay for drugs, dental care, and certain therapies (e.g. physiotherapy) out of pocket. Unless one’s employer offers a benefits package that takes care of this, as a job perk. Well, I have such a package that even includes travel insurance, accidental death etc., but obviously that is terminating along with my employment. So now, if I want to continue with these benefits, I have to seek out and pay for a plan on my own.

After several months of researching private plans and determining if it even makes sense for me to have such a plan (and in my opinion it does), I decided to purchase the plan offered by my company’s current provider of extended health and dental benefits. Manulife’s FollowMe plan ticked the most boxes for me.

But wait, it got better! When I called Manulife to set up my new plan effective January 1, I was informed of an additional health and wellness program called Vitality and did I wish to join? It would cost $5/month but save me 5% on my monthly premium and I would get an activity tracker – Garmin or Apple Watch. Since I am of a mind to get and stay healthy especially in retirement (and can do math, and am a lover of all things Apple) the only acceptable response from me was “shut up and take my money!”

Yes, yes, I know. “Big Brother” Manulife is wanting my data. And I am OK with that. Because Big Brother needs to know if anything happens to my health, or else Big Brother will have a reason to cancel my policy. Besides, people with nothing to hide hide nothing. Plus anybody living in today’s society who thinks they have any kind of privacy anymore is kidding themselves, anyway.

Then I had to wait to get my welcome package (snail mail…ugh) and sign on to the website once I got my new ID number (enclosed within paper package).

So, here is the deal with the activity tracker(s): I could (and did) get the Garmin Vivofit tracker sent to me for free. I could also decide to get either an Apple Watch Series 3 or 5, and pay a portion plus the tax towards the watch. Here’s the bribe part: if you earn points per month on the Vitality website by living a healthy life, your monthly payment towards the remainder of the watch cost is either discounted or brought entirely down to zero dollars, depending on your total points. Points are earned for daily physical activities (and a half-price membership to GoodLife Fitness is another perk offered by Vitality) and other healthy habits such as getting a flu shot, mammogram, colon cancer check, and going for a dental checkup. STUFF I DO ALREADY WITHOUT NEEDING TO BE BRIBED.

What do you think I did, gentle reader? Hint below:

I think this plan is just fantastic. After all, everyone (including Manulife, obvs!) knows an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially when it comes to health.

What I can’t understand is why I only learned of it after I contacted Manulife to purchase my post-work life benefits package. Why was it not mentioned in any of the FollowMe health plan information I was sent by email initially? It would have made my decision to go with FollowMe even easier. Perhaps it is very new?

So now I am even more pleased with my selection of this provider. And I am loving my new Apple watch and busy learning all that it can do. Including unlocking my laptop for me! And guessing that I am working out and what type of workout it is. Crazy, I know…I love living in today’s world (most of the time)!

Rock on,

The WB