(*Ahem*) The other Nords finally ERs

Nords · 06-09-2008, 09:59 AM

In early 2001, a year before I retired from active duty, spouse left her active-duty career for the Reserves. In the first six years she did a weekend a month & two weeks a year at PACOM, and for the last year she's been on independent duty.

She had no real reason to stay in the Reserves, but she had no real reason to leave it either. The money (when she was in a pay billet) was all going into her TSP account. Each drill point is worth a few more cents/month of retired pay for the rest of her life. She was gonna go all the way to 30 but a few months ago she got her formal notification that she'd finished her Reserve obligation and was free to retire at any time. That wasn't a surprise but it effected a surprising change of attitude.

Like Dory has said, when you've achieved FI the BS bucket suddenly gets very small. Hers filled to overflowing in about three months. She stops drilling after this month and she'll formally retire at the end of the year. In 2022 she'll start collecting her own pension.

Our kid still wants to go Navy but she's too tall for Mom's old uniforms. So yesterday we had a massive uniform cleanout and our old (but serviceable) stuff is going to the thrift shop for someone to get a few more years out of it. Finally, we're both out of uniform!

She won't be feeling bored or unfulfilled. A few months ago an old shipmate called her for help with volunteer work. It's turned out to be more bureaucracy & incompetence than she expected but she enjoys working with the customers. We'll have to see how she feels about this in another year or so...

laurence · 06-09-2008, 10:02 AM

Does this mean you'll be out surfing more?

I'm jealous! Congrats!

brewer12345 · 06-09-2008, 10:06 AM

That's great, Nords. Congrats to you and the missus.

lazygood4nothinbum · 06-09-2008, 10:13 AM

congrats nords. i sure wish i had a s.o. to retire with. as a single guy i'm really not enjoying this as much as i thought i might. any chance the navy will take a newbie 51 year old? does don't ask/don't tell apply to age too?

REWahoo · 06-09-2008, 10:21 AM

Nords, congratulations to your spouse and my sincere condolences to you for your decline in freedom and independence.

Not so? Just wait...

Purron · 06-09-2008, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords

A few months ago an old shipmate called her for help with volunteer work. It's turned out to be more bureaucracy & incompetence than she expected but she enjoys working with the customers. We'll have to see how she feels about this in another year or so...

Just curious, what kind of volunteer work will Ms. Nords be doing?

Fireup2025 · 06-09-2008, 10:44 AM

Does she need any sideboys to come out TAD for her retirement

Congratulations to Mrs./CDR/CAPT (?) Nords!

Moemg · 06-09-2008, 11:27 AM

Congratulations ! Now you two can bond 24 hrs. a day !

73ss454 · 06-09-2008, 12:17 PM

Nords, good for you, now what is she going to do all day?

Jake46 · 06-09-2008, 12:21 PM

Nords, congratulations! It was time.

xynny · 06-09-2008, 12:26 PM

Hey that's awesome Nords! I lived in Hawaii for 5.5 years when I was a kid, and I think it's probably the best place in the world to retire!

deserat · 06-09-2008, 12:31 PM

Congrats to her - hope to be doing that soon - it's either Dec 09 or dec/Jan 11 - depends on what the AF Reserves does......:-) If she's anything like my girlfriend, she'll find out that the leadership and organizational skills she has will be in big demand....she'll need to say no sometimes.

Donzo · 06-09-2008, 01:29 PM

Outstanding! Congrats, heck you 2 are young enough.....maybe another kid?

DangerMouse · 06-09-2008, 01:29 PM

Glad to hear that Mrs Nords has seen the light. Does that mean she will be out surfing with you every day?

packrat44 · 06-09-2008, 02:50 PM

That's good news.

My DW did something similar. She planned to work 3-4 years after I retired (she is about 9 years younger than I am). Somewhere about the 10 month mark she asked if we were really FI. Upon my confirmation, she said life at work was no longer enjoyable and asked if she could RE. She then submitted her retirement notice and RE 2 months later.

Achiever51 · 06-09-2008, 04:31 PM

Congratulations to you and Mrs. Nords! Hope you have many, many happy years of retirement ahead of you -- and if you think it's going to be different having her around the house all the time, wait until your daughter heads off to college!

Nords · 06-09-2008, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laurencewill

Does this mean you'll be out surfing more?

I'm jealous! Congrats!

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo

Nords, congratulations to your spouse and my sincere condolences to you for your decline in freedom and independence.
Not so? Just wait...

You guys nailed it! She'll figure it out; all of this Reserve time has been good practice for ER. She knows how to surf but she chooses not to-- she just doesn't see the point of all that exertion. But I love her anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purron

Just curious, what kind of volunteer work will Ms. Nords be doing?

It's the germinating Hawaii branch of a very small literacy foundation for military families. They do a good job but dealing with the military bureaucracy occasionally gets in the way of the mission. It'll be interesting to see if she gets treated differently when she's retired and no longer wearing a uniform.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fireup2025

Does she need any sideboys to come out TAD for her retirement

Nah, she's going to just quietly fade away. The retirement request goes in, she calls a couple of shipmates, and maybe e-mails another half-dozen. We feel that the ceremony is more of a hassle (for us) and a burden (for the attendees) than it's worth.

Hey, I thought of you this morning when they towed the ex-USS TRIPOLI by White Plains Beach after its last missile test and started getting it ready for RIMPAC. Sorry about the sideboys but the offer of surfing lessons still stands!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donzo

Outstanding! Congrats, heck you 2 are young enough.....maybe another kid?

Well, I guess I'll leave that up to her. Of course she's going to have to find a willing participant who's actually fertile, too...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Achiever51

Congratulations to you and Mrs. Nords! Hope you have many, many happy years of retirement ahead of you -- and if you think it's going to be different having her around the house all the time, wait until your daughter heads off to college!

Less than 800 days! Unfortunately the pet bunny is only seven years old and disgustingly healthy, so we're going to have to hold off that Thailand trip until we're truly empty-nesters.

SecondCor521 · 06-09-2008, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords

Unfortunately the pet bunny is only seven years old and disgustingly healthy, so we're going to have to hold off that Thailand trip until we're truly empty-nesters.

Hey, what about the worms?!?

2Cor521

P.S. - Congratulations!

**Gumby** · 06-09-2008, 09:05 PM

Bravo zulu to Mrs. Nords. Hope you both enjoy your newly shared freedom.

jclarksnakes · 06-09-2008, 10:50 PM

Oh my, someone is not going to be surfing as much as they think! Err, I mean.... Congratulations to Mrs. Nords.

06-09-2008, 09:59 AM	#1
Nords Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Oahu Posts: 15,392	*(Ahem) The other Nords finally ERs* In early 2001, a year before I retired from active duty, spouse left her active-duty career for the Reserves. In the first six years she did a weekend a month & two weeks a year at PACOM, and for the last year she's been on independent duty. She had no real reason to stay in the Reserves, but she had no real reason to leave it either. The money (when she was in a pay billet) was all going into her TSP account. Each drill point is worth a few more cents/month of retired pay for the rest of her life. She was gonna go all the way to 30 but a few months ago she got her formal notification that she'd finished her Reserve obligation and was free to retire at any time. That wasn't a surprise but it effected a surprising change of attitude. Like Dory has said, when you've achieved FI the BS bucket suddenly gets very small. Hers filled to overflowing in about three months. She stops drilling after this month and she'll formally retire at the end of the year. In 2022 she'll start collecting her own pension. Our kid still wants to go Navy but she's too tall for Mom's old uniforms. So yesterday we had a massive uniform cleanout and our old (but serviceable) stuff is going to the thrift shop for someone to get a few more years out of it. Finally, we're both out of uniform! She won't be feeling bored or unfulfilled. A few months ago an old shipmate called her for help with volunteer work. It's turned out to be more bureaucracy & incompetence than she expected but she enjoys working with the customers. We'll have to see how she feels about this in another year or so... __________________ * * For more info see "About Me" in my profile.

06-09-2008, 10:06 AM	#3
brewer12345 Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ... Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 9,146	That's great, Nords. Congrats to you and the missus. __________________ "When caught between two evils I generally pick the one I haven't tried before." - Mae West "If dogs weren't meant to eat dental floss out of the garbage, why do they make it mint-flavored?"

06-09-2008, 10:13 AM	#4
lazygood4nothinbum Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,585	congrats nords. i sure wish i had a s.o. to retire with. as a single guy i'm really not enjoying this as much as i thought i might. any chance the navy will take a newbie 51 year old? does don't ask/don't tell apply to age too? __________________ "life should begin with age and its privileges and accumulations, and end with youth and its capacity to splendidly enjoy such advantages."~~mark twain - letter to edward kimmitt 1901

06-09-2008, 10:21 AM	#5
REWahoo Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 10,991	Nords, congratulations to your spouse and my sincere condolences to you for your decline in freedom and independence. Not so? Just wait... __________________ Spewing self-serving drivel since 2002.

06-09-2008, 10:44 AM	#7
Fireup2025 Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 621	Does she need any sideboys to come out TAD for her retirement Congratulations to Mrs./CDR/CAPT (?) Nords! __________________ Make no mistake, my friend, it takes more than money to make men rich. - A. P. Gouthey

06-09-2008, 10:02 AM	#2
laurence Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 4,686	Does this mean you'll be out surfing more? I'm jealous! Congrats!

06-09-2008, 11:27 AM	#8
Moemg Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Sarasota,fl. Posts: 2,839	Congratulations ! Now you two can bond 24 hrs. a day !

06-09-2008, 12:17 PM	#9
73ss454 Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,700	Nords, good for you, now what is she going to do all day?

06-09-2008, 12:21 PM	#10
Jake46 Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Fort Collins Posts: 127	Nords, congratulations! It was time. __________________ "Three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of them are bad." Darrell Royal

06-09-2008, 12:26 PM	#11
xynny Dryer sheet aficionado Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 38	Hey that's awesome Nords! I lived in Hawaii for 5.5 years when I was a kid, and I think it's probably the best place in the world to retire! __________________ My Blog @ baglady.dreamhosters.com & wisebread.com/xin-lu

06-09-2008, 12:31 PM	#12
deserat Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 407	Congrats to her - hope to be doing that soon - it's either Dec 09 or dec/Jan 11 - depends on what the AF Reserves does......:-) If she's anything like my girlfriend, she'll find out that the leadership and organizational skills she has will be in big demand....she'll need to say no sometimes. __________________ Deserat aka Bridget

06-09-2008, 01:29 PM	#13
Donzo Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 491	Outstanding! Congrats, heck you 2 are young enough.....maybe another kid? __________________ Freed at 49. You only live once - live it

06-09-2008, 01:29 PM	#14
DangerMouse Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: So. Cal. Posts: 560	Glad to hear that Mrs Nords has seen the light. Does that mean she will be out surfing with you every day? __________________ I be a girl, he's a boy. Semi-FIRED July 08. Mid 40s, no kidlets.

06-09-2008, 02:50 PM	#15
packrat44 Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 542	That's good news. My DW did something similar. She planned to work 3-4 years after I retired (she is about 9 years younger than I am). Somewhere about the 10 month mark she asked if we were really FI. Upon my confirmation, she said life at work was no longer enjoyable and asked if she could RE. She then submitted her retirement notice and RE 2 months later. __________________ Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

06-09-2008, 04:31 PM	#16
Achiever51 Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Southeastern Michigan Posts: 759	Congratulations to you and Mrs. Nords! Hope you have many, many happy years of retirement ahead of you -- and if you think it's going to be different having her around the house all the time, wait until your daughter heads off to college! __________________ The best things in life....are not things.

06-09-2008, 09:05 PM	#19
Gumby Moderator Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,699	Bravo zulu to Mrs. Nords. Hope you both enjoy your newly shared freedom. __________________ You should not assume that I have a clue about anything I post. If you need a lawyer, go get your own.

06-09-2008, 10:50 PM	#20
jclarksnakes Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 256	Oh my, someone is not going to be surfing as much as they think! Err, I mean.... Congratulations to Mrs. Nords.