Thread: Countdown to retirement

The country ...

A couple of years ago (ok quite a few)

My step grandfather and I stopped and had a yarn with the local copper.
They were discussing pig shooting, if I recall correctly

anyway
the copper looked my way and said "Nick, about time you came in for your truck licence isn't it"
I said "Thought I might get my car licence first!"

He looked at me for a bit and then nodded to himself
I had just turned 16

but had been driving the old man home from the pub for a couple of years (don't tell my son, this)

Life were different then

Well Bob, several days in and how does it feel?

I was retired on medical grounds after a report from my cardiologist.
I was a bit miffed at first because I had a couple more years planned
to get some extra grunt into the savings. Wasn't a bad thing as it's
turned out. It was not so much my heart that that the cardio was
concerned about as my mental state. He thought I would have serious
problems because of the black dog and that in turn would most certainly
effect the ticker.

Bloody glad I'm out. I was sick of the BS associated with teaching.

Nowadays I can basically please myself what and when I do. Of course
SWMBO has a lot - too much - influence on the agenda so I can't simply
freelance ( a la you Bob ) and that causes some griping; now that I'm away
from structure I want to follow my natural disorganised and slothful instincts.
It matters not a wit to me that I hadn't put the toilet roll holder up in the
reorganised toilet until today. Truth be known I only did it to stop the nagging!

I've gradually been getting the shed organised. I'm recycling and re-using to save
the pennies so that spreads the time out a bit. Then the boss lumbers me with another
""want" so we take a trip around and find some 2nd hand furnitur that I'm converting
into storage space.Mind you we need it, but it could have waited. Trouble is bosswoman
fails to understand that getting the shed sorted out means other things will happen with
fewer hassles.

Enough already!!

Enjoy your retirement mate!!!

Originally Posted by artme

Well Bob, several days in and how does it feel?

.
.

It feels bloody good.
It will feel even better tomorrow.
First Monday in March is a Pub Hol in WA
BUT
for a number of years my Uni has not recognized it (and 2 other s during the year) and all my colleagues will be hard at it - but I will be in the shed



Cheers

Gees Artme, that sounds a lot like my life

It's just turned 9 am on the first monday of my retirement - just taken the dog for a walk and having a coffee, doing a little jig around the kitchen and LOL!

I still get work related email but I am re-directing it to a special email box called IGNORE!

Hi Bob

So, you're one week in


how does it feel

how many hours have you spent in the shed?

how much extra time have you spent with the dogs?

Originally Posted by ian

Hi Bob
So, you're one week in
how does it feel

frustrating!

how many hours have you spent in the shed?

WAY less than when I was working!

how much extra time have you spent with the dogs?

None but have had a couple of afternoon naps.

The reason I'm a bit frustrated is because all I seem to have been doing is driving around in congested traffic looking/pricing/picking up stuff.
It has mostly been a heap of things that I had put off doing for months until the first week of retirement.

Bunnings at least 5 times,
Masters twice
Searles speciality fastenings store twice
Hare and Forbes twice
Timbecon twice
Motor vehicle registration and transfer (that's a quick way to waste a morning)
Picking up MIL at the airport - spent an hour looking for her walking frame!
Picking up a welder from BIL
Picking up empty gas canisters
Picking up a 3 phase motor
Aluminium Store
Steel shop twice
Galv Pipe store
Plus
Plus

I have absolutely nothing to show for the week - hopefully now that I have laid in a stash of stuff things should slowly start coming together.

Bob

One trick that I learned from my Dad during his retirement (and that I'm looking forward to adopting myself in a few years) is to try to ensure that you keep every task down to the same time that it took you when you were working fulltime. He said (and I see it in lots of others) that when you don't have the structure of limited time, Parkinson's Law will apply and the job will expand to fill the available time.
Dad's view was that retirement was a time to get things done, not a time to get through, so make sure that you set a goal and stick to the timing.

I look forward to seeing the results of your labours, now that you've laid in all the supplies!

All the best

I think I have put too many projects off until retirement and now I seem to be running around not achieving any of them. Some priority system needs to be put into place.

Cheers
Bob

Originally Posted by Bob38S

BobL - go for it!

True there are no public holidays, but you can do what you like, when you like and how you like and as a bonus - if you don't feel like then there is always tomorrow.

Tell 'em you'll work 3 days when it suits - yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Like most you'll probably have a great list of things you want to get done - could I suggest that you "hasten slowly" now there is no pressure to get it done before you have to go back to work - enjoy it.

Since I retired - I don't really know how I actually had time to go to work .

Bob, as I have said before [read above to save you hunting for it] - particularly paragraph 3

Originally Posted by Bob38S

Bob, as I have said before [read above to save you hunting for it] - particularly paragraph 3

Yeah - hasten s l o w l y is a good motto.

Finally got some shed time today and swapped the 1/2 HP Hercus motor over for a 1 HP unit - also properly wired as delta rather than Wye - really good low rev torque now.

G'day Bob

First of all I must apologise. I have been reading your post retirement posts all week and it struck me that while I have been at work coping with meetings, bureaucracy, idiots, incompetence and even incompetent idiots, I realised that not once have I stopped to think about the horrendous week you must have had, coping with lots of time to do lots of things, and not having the benefit of the rigour imposed on your time with commitments that I have enjoyed. Sorry mate, it must have been a nightmare. I will be more thoughtful next week.
See you Monday

Cheers Larry

PS 16 week to go

Thanks Larry I knew I could get a word of sympathy and comfort from you.

Originally Posted by BobL

I think I have put too many projects off until retirement and now I seem to be running around not achieving any of them. Some priority system needs to be put into place.

Cheers
Bob

See Post #29.