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Mondays are getting tough for some reason.
Old 05-12-2008, 08:34 PM   #1
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Mondays are getting tough for some reason.

30 years on the j*b, 2 years to RE, only 1 year on this forum and I think that I am being influenced by a bad crowd!

Every day has always been filled with w**k and I never seemed to catch up. I always felt like if I was doing anything other than that, then I would feel guilty.
All of a sudden the last two Mondays I haven't done much of anything at all. Luckily I have been blessed with help and my projects are caught up and I can afford this luxury. I'm back into the swing of it by Tuesday.

If this pattern persists, then it will be Monday and Tuesday, then add Wednesday to the mix etc. You see what I mean?
I guess this is natural progression and when it gets to be Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur and Fri, then I'll know it's time!
I just need to pace myself so that this all happens in Spring 2010.

If I can't make it that long it will be all your fault.
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Old 05-12-2008, 08:55 PM   #2
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Dude,
I feel ya. I've been ER for a little less than 2 years now and work seems like a lifetime ago. The ending can be a difficult time. It is hard to take all the work aspects seriously any more. Keep it to yourself that you have a plan to get out. The plan should relax you some and make work more bearable. Your intergrity will keep you going.
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Old 05-12-2008, 09:47 PM   #3
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Here's something you can sing along with to start your remaining weeks.


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Old 05-13-2008, 05:42 AM   #4
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I was the same way. This progressed to Tuesday. Then a new director and the edict that no one would be able to work a four day week anymore combined with a exponential increase in the BS and CYA paperwork and the retirement of a couple of close friends (older than I but still early) in the office caused me to reassess my assets and pension. The result was my last day in the office was last June 21 which was slightly a year ahead of my planned departure date. My only regret has been that I did not fly away a year sooner.

Bruce
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Old 05-13-2008, 06:51 AM   #5
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I avoid taking appointments on Mondays for the same reason. I just tell my clients that my Mondays are booked. I putz around doing some admin stuff, talking on the phone, and cleaning up some loose ends.

It's not until Tuesday that I get into 2nd gear.

Then Friday is pretty much like Monday.
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Old 05-13-2008, 10:15 AM   #6
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This probably isn't a lot of help, ... but yesterday (Monday) while shaving I suddently realized: just 2 more Mondays! and now (Tuesday), just one more Monday!

Time does pass.

t.r.
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Old 05-13-2008, 05:52 PM   #7
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I managed to negotiate an assignment to go to LSU and do a little library research yesterday. That was great - - essentially no Monday for me!

But when I went back in today, it was like four Mondays rolled into one. Avalanches of work (three huge documents totalling 5000+ pages suddenly appear that absolutely must be reviewed by Friday? yeah, right, I do miracles on demand but I refuse to LIKE it), several new travel assignments to schedule in the next month (I hate traveling for work), and more. The rest of my unit was hit with assignments too.

But, it was one Monday when I did not have to work. Only about 75 more to go.
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Old 05-13-2008, 06:10 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dessert View Post
30 years on the j*b, 2 years to RE, only 1 year on this forum and I think that I am being influenced by a bad crowd!
You're joking I'm sure, but I am starting to wonder about this too. Once I realized I was FI after 31 years, it's making it harder to continue working, and this crowd doesn't make it any easier. Not a criticism of anyone here by any means, just hard to remain focused listening to folks here, and I'd rather go out still on my "A-game" (such as it is) if possible. I should probably stay away until I RE in about 2 years...
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Old 05-13-2008, 06:17 PM   #9
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I knew it was time to exit, when first thing Mondays I thought: Man, this week is really dragging.
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Old 05-13-2008, 07:16 PM   #10
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I Don't Like Mondays (song - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
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Old 05-13-2008, 07:38 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dessert View Post
Mondays are getting tough for some reason.
I can somewhat relate to that.

Yesterday (Monday) I was perfectly happy goofing off, but I had to quit so I could go to the oral surgeon to have a wisdom tooth yanked out....which totally threw me out of sinc.

10:45am.....Left home
10:50am.....Arrived at OS's office
10:53am.....1st shot of novocain
10:58am.....2nd shot of novocain (1st one did nothing)
11:03am.....OS yanks tooth....took all of 30 seconds
11:10am.....I'm out the door
11:15am.....Back home to resume goofing off

It's amazing how a mere 30 minutes can wreak such havoc on one's goofing off!

Oh, for the good old days....back when I was working 5 to 7 days a week......and they assigned me stuff to do to keep me busy all day, and to keep mind off the possibility of leisure time & goofing off. Yep.....back then a 30 minute trip to the OS wouldn't have been so distracting!

So all you folks getting ready to ER be forewarned.....it ain't always as easy as it looks! You'll miss all those Mondays at work I tell ya....You really will!
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Old 05-13-2008, 07:54 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UncleHoney View Post
Here's something you can sing along with to start your remaining weeks.


Where do you find this stuff?? I love it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bruce1 View Post
I was the same way. This progressed to Tuesday. Then a new director and the edict that no one would be able to work a four day week anymore combined with a exponential increase in the BS and CYA paperwork and the retirement of a couple of close friends (older than I but still early) in the office caused me to reassess my assets and pension. The result was my last day in the office was last June 21 which was slightly a year ahead of my planned departure date. My only regret has been that I did not fly away a year sooner.

Bruce
My plan is pretty much set for the spring of 2010 but who knows?
Glad to see that it worked out for you. That could happen to me too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TeeRuh View Post
This probably isn't a lot of help, ... but yesterday (Monday) while shaving I suddently realized: just 2 more Mondays! and now (Tuesday), just one more Monday!

Time does pass.

t.r.
Congratulations. It sounds like you are already there. You must be feeling pretty good right about now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Midpack View Post
You're joking I'm sure, but I am starting to wonder about this too. Once I realized I was FI after 31 years, it's making it harder to continue working, and this crowd doesn't make it any easier. Not a criticism of anyone here by any means, just hard to remain focused listening to folks here, and I'd rather go out still on my "A-game" (such as it is) if possible. I should probably stay away until I RE in about 2 years...
Yes I'm joking. I really enjoy this crowd. Lurking and posting on this site has taught me a lot. It also helped me realize that I'm FI and just waiting to RE. You take the words right out of my keyboard when you say "it's hard to remain focused and you should probably stay away until RE in two years". I won't stay away but I need to remain focused for a while longer.

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I knew it was time to exit, when first thing Mondays I thought: Man, this week is really dragging.
See what I mean about "bad influence?"
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Old 05-13-2008, 08:01 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by Want2retire View Post
I managed to negotiate an assignment to go to LSU and do a little library research yesterday. That was great - - essentially no Monday for me!

But when I went back in today, it was like four Mondays rolled into one. Avalanches of work (three huge documents totalling 5000+ pages suddenly appear that absolutely must be reviewed by Friday? yeah, right, I do miracles on demand but I refuse to LIKE it), several new travel assignments to schedule in the next month (I hate traveling for work), and more. The rest of my unit was hit with assignments too.

But, it was one Monday when I did not have to work. Only about 75 more to go.
I'm not counting yet but that will come soon enough. You and I are similar where we have plans in place and are in the implementation phase.
My plan includes putting in the time to receive the benefits as well.
We just have to remain focused on the prize.
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Old 05-14-2008, 05:43 AM   #14
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I'm not counting yet but that will come soon enough. You and I are similar where we have plans in place and are in the implementation phase.
My plan includes putting in the time to receive the benefits as well.
We just have to remain focused on the prize.
Thanks. You're right. Sorry about the little "pity party" in my prior post! Today is another day, and in only 542 more (including weekends, vacations, and holidays) I will be happily ER'd.
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Old 05-15-2008, 11:02 AM   #15
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Oooh, I hadn't thought of a Monday count-down. Only 26 left!

You all may be a bad influence, but I'm enjoying it.
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Old 05-15-2008, 06:57 PM   #16
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Oooh, I hadn't thought of a Monday count-down. Only 26 left!

You all may be a bad influence, but I'm enjoying it.
I had a feeling that I was not the only one out there!

See? Now I'm being influenced to start the count down.
Must resist. Must resist. Stay focused. Pace yourself.
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Old 05-17-2008, 05:23 PM   #17
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224 Mondays to go......too many to get me motivated (yet). Since ER is more than 4 years away, it may be better to count months (51.5).

I'm happy to be influenced by a bad crowd!
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Old 05-17-2008, 05:53 PM   #18
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224 Mondays to go......too many to get me motivated (yet). Since ER is more than 4 years away, it may be better to count months (51.5).

I'm happy to be influenced by a bad crowd!
When I first started counting the days, I had over 2300. I still enjoyed counting them off, each morning.

Today, 1.5 years, 18 months, 76 Mondays, or 539 days left before ER...
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Old 05-17-2008, 07:51 PM   #19
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I installed the retirement countdown widget from yahoo.

First, you need to install yahoo widgets:

http://widgets.yahoo.com/

After you install it, there are thousands of widgets to choose from. It is the Retirement Countdown,

http://widgets.yahoo.com/widgets/retirement-countdown
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Old 05-17-2008, 08:17 PM   #20
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I installed the retirement countdown widget from yahoo.

First, you need to install yahoo widgets:

http://widgets.yahoo.com/

After you install it, there are thousands of widgets to choose from. It is the Retirement Countdown,

http://widgets.yahoo.com/widgets/retirement-countdown
Another example of a bad influence!!

That is neat but I need to stay away from that for now. Those Mondays that I talked about in the OP would be an "every day" event if I started out looking at that widget display every day of the week.

Thanks for the information though because some time later I will definitely do that. I like it.
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