Countdown to retirement

[rod1949]

So Bob where are you going to find the time to go out meteorite hunting?

[BobL]

So Bob where are you going to find the time to go out meteorite hunting?

Thats a couple of weeks in a year I'm sure I can squeeze that in somewhere.

[powderpost]

Hi Bob,
I retired in 1994 after trade teaching for 25 years. I panicked, I had killed the golden goose and lost my "power" base. Took a while to settle, until my health started to settle down.
Now, and for the past 12 or so years, the alarm goes off at 7.00am, it is ignored. Breakfast about 8.00am, smoko at 10.00am, lunch at 12 noon, smoko at 3.00pm, "work" ceases at 5.00pm. Then it is a two km walk up a hill, a ginger beer and dinner about 6.00pm. In between compulsory tea breaks, there is shed time, grass cutting, shed time, some house repairs, shed time, some vegie gardening, shed time, and so it goes on.
We have done four overseas trips, "done" the Indian Pacific, spent time in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Darwin is next. Later this year a trip to the west coast of USA and Canada could happen.
Woodturning has opened new doors and I have met some wonderful people because of it.
Amongst all this we now have three grand kids from 17 to 11 months to spoil.
Where was I? Oh yes, retirement is bludy good, but there must be some structure to give it meaning.
I am sure you will settle into a routine, and I hope you thoroughly enjoy you new career.
Jim

[BobL]

Hi Jim,
Thanks for your insights they do sound terrific.

I retired in 1994 after trade teaching for 25 years. I panicked, I had killed the golden goose and lost my "power" base. Took a while to settle, until my health started to settle down.

Well, I can't wait to completely lose my power base, I've had it up to dolly's wax with being the one calling the shots and am well and truly over it. Maybe I will miss it when it finally disappears but I didn't miss it at all while I was on extended leave in Dec and Jan. It's not like I will be completely away from the workplace either as I will have access to most of the good things but not have to worry about all the compliance, deadlines, HR issues, budgets, quotas, appeals, yadda yadda.

Now, and for the past 12 or so years, the alarm goes off at 7.00am, it is ignored. Breakfast about 8.00am, smoko at 10.00am, lunch at 12 noon, smoko at 3.00pm, "work" ceases at 5.00pm. Then it is a two km walk up a hill, a ginger beer and dinner about 6.00pm. In between compulsory tea breaks, there is shed time, grass cutting, shed time, some house repairs, shed time, some vegie gardening, shed time, and so it goes on.

Sounds good enough for me.

We have done four overseas trips, "done" the Indian Pacific, spent time in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Darwin is next. Later this year a trip to the west coast of USA and Canada could happen.

That sounds pretty good. I'm done with overseas travelling because I have done so much of it at work and still have 4 more confirmed trips to undertake as part of my professional interest which I am maintaining,. Of course there are a many places I have never been but I currently see travel as time away from the shed so I will keep that to a minimum for a while . One thing we plan on doing when SWMBO pulls up stumps in a year or 2 is seeing more of Australia - I have never been north of Kalbari in WA, Only see tiny bits of QLD and NSW and really would like to spend a bit of time in Tassie again.

[rsser]

Yeah, freedom to travel is a big plus for me though I keep on with some part-time teaching. I like the contact with the kids (well, first years) - they're bright and good hearted and keep me on my toes.

We've done a few outback trips now and the experience has been great. And this winter for the 3rd time I'll rent a bungalow at the foot of the Vic alps and do day and overnight cross-country skiing. Best recipe I know to keep muscles and joints working.

You look at all the studies and the motto 'exercise is medicine' is dead right. Or should that be 'live' right.

[BobL]

I hope I am not labouring this too much?

It's now down to 5 working days.

My office is looking very bare.
All my text and reference books are gone - I took < 1/4 of them home and gave some to other staff.
The rest went into a general collection of old textbooks from around the Department.
I ended up collecting 30 boxes of text books which I delivered to a local member of Rotary that ships them to Africa.
The filing cabinets are empty.
There's just an old geiger counter, a few nicknacks, my CD/DVDs backup, and my computer and peripherals remaining.
The Department is hosting a small lunch for me on Tuesday and a bigger wind up on the day after my last day which is next thursday.

I can hear the fat lady warming up in the distance.

[rsser]

These processes and rituals of ending are important in my book.

I wish I had somewhere to donate my eclectic collection of scholarly works; not ready to let them go without a worthwhile destination and given my patches that's not easy to find.

But I have just emptied for paper recyling my home filing cabinet of article photocopies, saving only a few that continue to speak to me and of which I might want to be reminded when the grey matter goes greyer.

...

Bob, you sound like you're getting a good farewell. It's a great thing when the fat lady performs and it feels right.

[BobL]

These processes and rituals of ending are important in my book.

Cheers Ern, I do feel a bit on the outer over this. The rest of my workmates are super busy getting ready for the start of semester, my out of work mates are not retiring for a few years and I don't really want to gloat it over them that I'm leaving earlier than them so these forums and my other woodie connections are about the only places I feel some empathy.

I wish I had somewhere to donate my eclectic collection of scholarly works; not ready to let them go without a worthwhile destination and given my patches that's not easy to find.

But I have just emptied for paper recyling my home filing cabinet of article photocopies, saving only a few that continue to speak to me and of which I might want to be reminded when the grey matter goes greyer.

Apart from 4 boxes of books, the amount of paper I am bringing home fits in one slimline box file as I have been operating electronically for nearly 20 years.

Bob, you sound like you're getting a good farewell. It's a great thing when the fat lady performs and it feels right.

Yeah the people at work that count are being real nice to me and it feels about right.

[rsser]

Yeah Bob. You are stepping out of the big stream.

Preparing for the future is what you've been doing and that's important (and you are now free to write your own role on the stage and that prospect can be daunting).

My two bob's worth (OK one Bob!) is that we leave work with a lot of experience and nous and it's also important to do something that captures that in some way, any way, just for yourself first off.

Does that make sense?

[Greg Ward]

Post retirement benefit No.1
After years and years of leaving home at around 6.30..... I now get to sleep in with my wife and am enjoying the benefits.

So much for years of being an early bird......
Greg

[Phil Spencer]

Best thing I have ever done, down side is you will miss out on all the public holidays.

[BobL]

Cheers Guys, I do very much appreciate the comments.

. . . . down side is you will miss out on all the public holidays.

Like I posted In another thread, the Uni didn't acknowledge 3 public holidays and for that matter I found I was often working on the ones it did acknowledge so I won't be missing much.

[Northstar]

I'm in my sixth year now and I love telling them to just send the check to the house. I have so much to do I can't wait for every day to start. Next project is a Goat Island Skiff. I should start lofting soon. Never done it before and I love learning so hope to be on the water by late summer. We are upside down here on weather.

Retirement?

Jerry

[rsser]

I'm a dissenting note. In my book retirement is not a holiday; it's a challenge.

You have income and time. You have the freedom to say what you've always wanted to, without fear or favour. And to explore stuff that was always lurking in the back of the mind.

It's your third age. A new opportunity for change, development and growth.

Your mileage may vary.

For me, this has been the hardest of my career transitions.

[BobL]

I'm a dissenting note. In my book retirement is not a holiday; it's a challenge.. . .. .

Yes I have definitely seen this happening. A friend of ours retired when he was 65, lasted 2 months, it nearly drove him made so he went back to work. Has since retired and gone back twice more. Now he's 77 and still terrified of retiring.

This morning a couple of email from the bosses came out that reminded me why I'm not unhappy about leaving. They're the same old emails that come out every year (please explain and justify this, this and this etc) to which I trawl thru and find last year's email and send off more or less the same response. It's trivial administratium of the worst kind that I can't wait to get rid of.