Music, Radio 4 and getting around

Two things I really enjoy in life are music and Radio 4, and I've just realised that since I've retired I've hardly listened to any music and not at all to Radio 4, apart from when I've been driving.

I wonder why this is and can only put it down to the fact that I seem to be constantly moving about, only sitting down in one place when I want to read, when I don't like background noise. A typical "at home" day finds me up and down the stairs, in and out to the garage to the freezer and the tumble drier, running around with the hoover and out to the shops. I met a long-retired friend last night and we were talking about this. She listens to Radio 4, but selectively, while her husband tends to put it on and leave it on, even when he is out of the room. One problem, we agreed, particularly with the radio, is that it can hinder the progress of tasks so, for example, if you are baking and using the electric mixer, it drowns out the programme and you miss part of the drama or news item you've got immersed in. Likewise when you want to start to hoover or the washing machine goes into heavy spin mode, the dilemma is whether to miss that part of the programme or to stop the task and/or move somewhere quieter. It all comes back to the feeling that everything needs to be done at top speed and high efficiency, even though in retirement there is no pressure to do so - old habits and attitudes are so ingrained! One way round this, of course, is to listen to radio programmes, including music programmes, on the wonderful BBC radio i-player, as you can stop and start at will, so making space for the interspersion of noisy activities, so that must be the way to go. I'm also surprised that I haven't actually needed the "company" but I haven't missed it, so there must be plenty of internal conversation going on in my head.

Today my car had to go in for MOT and it was a relief that it got through with a clean bill of health, just a lightbulb to be replaced, so the cost was thankfully kept to a minimum and the car came back cleaner and shinier than I left it with the garage. I am still much less reliant on my car since I retired, as I use it hardly at all for local journeys, taking advantage of my senior railcard and continuing to walk wherever possible. Of course, the car is still needed for long journeys or when transporting heavy shopping, going to the recycling centre, etc. I am hoping that by using it more sparingly though that I will be able to keep the maintenance, parking and fuel costs down. I certainly don't yet feel ready to do without a car altogether.