Thread: Countdown to retirement

Watch what you wish for....... I've had a month now.......

Up on the farm it's fine, plenty of things to do and we are working on an Easter big auction....

But here in town, 40 years of activity, working around the globe, starting work around 7.00 each morning with a structured day makes a day with little to do difficult.
I still wake before 6.00
I still get up before 7.00 and check the internet.
I read
Around midday I have lunch.
Then an afternoon nap
Then some exercise
At 5.00 I shop for dinner
At 7.00 I have a beer and then a few more
At 9.00 bed.

In Sydney I feel like I'm practicing to be 90. On the farm, I'm 40 again

So.....
Be careful, I hope you have plenty to do.

Greg

Cheers Greg,

Just got a 8 week old Border Collie pup, already have 15 month BC, so I'll be getting up at the same time I do now (5:45am) at least in spring/summer and autumn to walk the dog(s). Why so early, well beat the heat and on some days to beat the workday traffic to get the dawg beach - have to cross the city to get to dog beach (23 minutes versus an hour at peak traffic time). Plus we take the big one to agility and sheep herding and will need to start the other through the same.

SWMBO has a a TODO list for me that has about 30 items on it.

Also have woodie friends that live on a 300 acre farm about 400 kms down south. The have two houses plus a dormitory type shed that sleeps 10 - can stay indefinitely there.
The farm has an unending supply of logs for timber milling, we're about to set up a complete woodwork workshop for them (DC, BS, TS, Thicknesser and Planer etc).

At home I have my own newly set up workshop with wood and metal working areas.

At a treeloppers yard about 30 minutes from home I have about 100 milled logs to play with - also setting up timber processing area there.

I am going to retain some professional international commitments which provides me with international travel to interesting places (This year am going to at least Germany and Turkey)

But honestly I can't wait to have some lazy days; take dogs to beach and have breakfast down there, lazy mornings reading, and afternoon naps!

Also planning to take some WW classes and do some part time teaching next year.

Currently SWMBO also wants to plan some travel whereas I want to play shed.

Ithink I have it covered?

Cheers
BobL

Retirement - the best career move I ever made!
The only difference between early rising when you're working and after you've retired is that it's easier to do when you don't have to.

Enjoy yourself!

Originally Posted by AlexS

Retirement - the best career move I ever made!
The only difference between early rising when you're working and after you've retired is that it's easier to do when you don't have to.

Enjoy yourself!

Cheers AlexS,

I've just 8 weeks of holidays so it was sort of like a practice run - although I was crook for about half the time which was a bit frustrating - I came through it very easily and had a very relaxing time - most relaxed I have been in decades.

15 working days to go.

This morning my line manager said he does not want me to initiate or do anything at work that my replacements should be doing and to just watch out they do it right. This has left me twiddling my thumbs a bit but I don't mind doing this for the next few weeks.

I started cleaning up my office last december and have got rid of about 2 wheelie bins of paper.
I'm organizing to give all of my old editions of textbooks to Rotary who send them to third world countries.
SO far have five boxes of book to donate and two other staff have given me a box each as well.

Kinda weird being asked to comment on stuff that won't affect me at all.

The best thing is being able to delete all the corporate email and sever connections with all the folk and units that have given me the whoops over the years.

The problem with retirement is that all the days seem the same, and there are no public holidays Our life was previously determined by the 5 working day, 2 day weekend cycle and sometimes the long weekend if there was a public holiday. Wednesday was the middle of the week, on the winding down slope to the weekend.

I still get caught on "what day is it?" Often I don't just know - there is no reference point.

Sounds like you have a good plan for being active - that is the secret to a happy retirement. I hope it works out for you.

Retirement - the best career move I ever made.

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 .

Originally Posted by Dengue

The problem with retirement is that all the days seem the same, and there are no public holidays Our life was previously determined by the 5 working day, 2 day weekend cycle and sometimes the long weekend if there was a public holiday. Wednesday was the middle of the week, on the winding down slope to the weekend.

Not in my job, up until the last few years I worked on the majority of public holidays and even some days when I was supposed to be on holiday. I also only took about 80% of my allocated holidays so I have a nice little payout coming to me when I finally leave. It would be tempting to blow some of that on a few toys but SWMBO needs a car so it will be going towards that

I still get caught on "what day is it?" Often I don't just know - there is no reference point.

That's exactly the situation I want to find myself in

Sounds like you have a good plan for being active - that is the secret to a happy retirement. I hope it works out for you.

Thanks

Originally Posted by Bob38S

BobL - go for it!

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

Meeting of an historical group of which I am chairman this morning, watching cricket this afternoon. Hopefully some time in the shed tomorrow if nothing else comes up then off to a concert at the Zoo tomorrow evening.
Two meetings and a funeral next week.

Life gets tedious.

Originally Posted by Dengue

I still get caught on "what day is it?" Often I don't just know - there is no reference point.

Do you really care...there's always tomorrow...if not then then the next day....

Got a few years to go..but the way things are it might be tomorrow or the next....

Here's to retirement

Originally Posted by Chesand

and a funeral next week.

Hopefully not to many funerals.

I check the local paper each day to see if my name is in the death notices

Originally Posted by Handyjack

Hopefully not to many funerals.

I hope so too. This one is an aunt aged 91 - the second last on my fathers side. The passing of that generation certainly marks the end of an era never to be seen again.
As my son remarks "they just don't make them like that anymore".