As I reached the status of empty nester, I find that I have both more and less obligations than I anticipated. The term implies your house will be still, peaceful... boring, even. Reality? There's always something. Two cats, a dog, a husband, and approximately several millions of yeasties and bacteria sitting in a crock on my counter... never boring. Always something to grab my attention, before breakfast for me happens!
women of a certain age, after the kids have moved out, or never hatched, start collecting animals, four legs at a time. This is called "Many paws."
Getting tired just watching :D