My Retirement

I know my retirement will be something like this. Hell, it pretty-much describes my middle age:

If you look through the rear window of the Buick parked among weeds you see Janie Howard sitting, eating and basically living out of her car.

...When asked if she really has been living in her car for years, Howard said "I don't live in the car, I just drive the car and happen to be in the car. But no, I don't live in my car, I can go into the house any time I want to."

When further asked if she sleeps in her car Howard said "now that I do a lot of times because I'm sleepy and I go to sleep in it. It's a comfortable car."

Howards' yard is covered with garbage; it's overgrown with weeds, filled with cats and dogs, and likely infested with rats, bugs and snakes.

We never went inside her house, but the roof in the back is crushed by a fallen tree.

Neighbor Leola Barrett said "well honey the odor, and everything, it's a disgrace to live next to her. It's a shame, it's pitiful."

Neighbors like Barrett have been complaining about the mess. But they haven't been next door.

We asked Barrett if she ever got concerned about Howard when it gets hot or cold and she said "no sir, I don't bother. I just don't bother, period."

When asked if she tried to talk with her nieghbor Barrett said "no sir."

... So no family, friends, or neighbors will come to Howards' house.

"Well if they'd come by and speak to me and say something I'd tell them I'm fine, but I don't ever see them. I don't know why this is as big, or this is a mystery to me as it is to everybody else. I don't know what's going on."