we eat like kings

This is something I believe in general. Living in the US, with a low amount of effort you can eat food made with ingredients from around the world. Spices, meats, fruits, grains, cheeses, wines, breads, noodles, you name it. Actual kings never had that kind of choice. Or, by the time they could have, they had mostly all abdicated.

*bragging alert*

And more specifically, Annie and I eat like kings. :-) We find that with a moderate amount of effort (still way less than most people used to spend preparing and processing their food), we can make ourselves quite happy. Over the last couple months we've been aiming to do it all on a $1k/month food allowance, and so far we seem to be coming in under budget. It makes for a fun mini-game at the supermarket, but to be honest it's not that big a dent in our habits. If anything it's made us more adventurous; we're more likely to bake bread and roast chickens, and generally work more from scratch and less from pre-prepared food.

I've been feeling much better lately, compared to when I had a job. I still work all the time, but now when I'm thinking something over I walk around in the backyard. Now when I take a break I play with Benjamin or take him on a walk to give Annie time to work. It's funny that it feels like a little glimmer of how we'd like retirement to be: still engaged with our passions, but with time to cook food and hang out with friends and family built into the days.

I feel very, very lucky to have this opportunity, and I am working hard to make the most of it.