How's the water? One year out

[CuppaJoe]

This week I’ll change the year in my signature line from one to two. Of course the water’s fine, sometimes choppy and sometimes placid; the important things in life go on, whether I’m employed or not. Something happy has happened that I haven’t mentioned here yet--a few weeks ago I stopped taking pain meds. It’s a window of opportunity for me to get out there without worrying that my body isn’t up to a long walk.

I’ll try to keep this short and give just one story of what it means to be retired.

Yesterday, SO and I stopped at a park bench to catch some rays out of the wind. It is a business campus/park with formal landscaping that takes advantage of a spectacular view, lots of vibrant young people rushing back and forth wearing a dress code about two steps below “corporate casual.” Cool place to work. They looked like they were on the way to meetings, chatting in small groups, maybe had a conference going on.

We noticed some people going one way and then coming back, perhaps going to pick up coffee. By the time one of them came back from Starbucks, I had taken off my shoes, socks and jacket, jeans were rolled up to the knees, arms spread out, face tilted toward the sun, in other words, “retirement” was written all over us. We’re still laughing at what she said to us as she hurried by,
“I .. a m .. s o .. j e a l o u s.”

------

If you are retired, how's it going out there? And if you are looking forward to RE, go ahead and post about that.

 

[Lusitan]

I have only one comment:

I ... am ... so ... jealous.



Glad to hear it's going well!

 

[W2R]

Congratulations on the one year anniversary of your retirement! Having gone through the worst of the Great Recession during your first year, it can only get better from here on out.

Oh, and yes... I .. a m .. s o .. j e a l o u s !!!! But before too long, it will be me.

 

[bbbamI]

Great post CJ! I'm so happy for you...

It's been six months since DH decided to hang it up. He gets pure enjoyment out of watching the news at 5 o'clock. He doesn't care so much about the news...he just wants to see the traffic report. Every time he watches it, he grins and says..."That's a shame."

He's received three job offers from "his" company that was chopping heads right and left a few months ago. The same company that made him get rid of 90% of his direct reports. This a.m. he got another job offer (a couple of months contract work) from a contact in MO. He graciously declined.

"Stuff" that money can buy used to be so important to him. It's not anymore.

 

[NW-Bound]

.. I had taken off my shoes, socks and jacket...

According to a long-ago post, didn't you do that in a park in Paris, back in the working days?

Come on, working folks! You can slow down and take time to smell the flowers too.

PS. Of course, it is easier said than done when the boss is breathing down your neck. FIREdreamer and some others can attest to that.

 

[Moemg]

I am going on three years of retirement . Of course the first year I was sucked back to a one day a week position so that did not really count . It has been an interesting journey . I first thought I had to accomplish something every day now I'm happy if I accomplish something once or twice a week . I'm cooking a lot more and the dishwasher gets full a lot more often .I have a regular gym routine going and have met a lot of nice funny women . I also take an occasional class especially a cooking class where you sip wine as you learn .I sell on ebay for fun & mad money and slowly but surely my home projects are getting done . I like life at this pace and have no interest in being dragged back into the hectic world of medicine .So as Cuppa Joe said " The water is fine "

 

[FIREd]

Yesterday, SO and I stopped at a park bench to catch some rays out of the wind. It is a business campus/park with formal landscaping that takes advantage of a spectacular view, lots of vibrant young people rushing back and forth wearing a dress code about two steps below “corporate casual.” Cool place to work. They looked like they were on the way to meetings, chatting in small groups, maybe had a conference going on.

We noticed some people going one way and then coming back, perhaps going to pick up coffee. By the time one of them came back from Starbucks, I had taken off my shoes, socks and jacket, jeans were rolled up to the knees, arms spread out, face tilted toward the sun, in other words, “retirement” was written all over us. We’re still laughing at what she said to us as she hurried by,
“I .. a m .. s o .. j e a l o u s.”

You suck Cuppa! Darn you for teasing the working folk like that!

Remember you'll need us to pay for your SS and Medicare, mwa ha ha...

 

[CuppaJoe]

According to a long-ago post, didn't you do that in a park in Paris, back in the working days?

....

“Plus ça change”? OMG, I’m shocked to think that anyone reads my posts.

One issue I’m [-]struggling with[/-] enjoying is: do I really want to do the things I did when escaping from work briefly? Some yes, some no, comme si comme ça, what do I want to do today is evolving.

 

[NW-Bound]

Being a Francophile, I tend to remember posts that mentioned France.

Pat myself on the back for a good memory... Dementia is warded off for a little longer...

 

[mf15]

I am at 10 months,, so far so good.
But the ER paychecks stop at the end of october.
Old Mike

 

[Khan]

Almost to 5 years. Never regretted it.

 

[Purron]

About a year and a half for me. Like bbbamI's DH, I like listening to the traffic reports.

 

[Goonie]

About 2 1/2 years for me now....NO regrets at all!!! I absolutely LOVE the retired life....I think God designed me especially for it!!! Each day thus far, has been the best day of my life!!!

It's been six months since DH decided to hang it up. He gets pure enjoyment out of watching the news at 5 o'clock. He doesn't care so much about the news...he just wants to see the traffic report. Every time he watches it, he grins and says..."That's a shame."

When I was still employed, my commute was only 2 miles across town, so traffic reports don't bring much of chuckle to me....HOWEVER.....every time it's rainy or there's a thunderstorm at night I laugh out loud 'cause I KNOW that my former coworkers are getting called in to work!!!! I don't miss working on pump station control panels, standing out in the pouring rain with the lightning and thunder crashing all around me in the middle of the night!!!

As a little kid, I used to LOVE thunderstorms, but as I [-]grew up[/-] got older and started working, I started hating them because of the call-outs. But now, just as when I was a little kid, I LOVE thunderstorms again!!! (especially since I now can laugh at my former coworkers misery during them!)

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Commenting on the Thunderstorms. Grew up in the Midwest and loved them. How disappointing coming out to CA. In my area I get maybe 1 eveyr 2 years. I miss the rumble and bang! Ok thats it...

 

[Stevewc]

Goonie
Pumping stations?
Where are you from and what did you do?
Sounds like Na leans or something?
I had thunder storms this morning at work and also after I got home.
I get my share of problems and call outs from storms.
I do electrical work for an airport.
Storms give us plenty problems. Knocking out runway lighting and such.
Steve
PS. We too have a few pumping stations to control flash floods around the airport but probably nothing like you are referring to.

About 2 1/2 years for me now....NO regrets at all!!! I absolutely LOVE the retired life....I think God designed me especially for it!!! Each day thus far, has been the best day of my life!!!

When I was still employed, my commute was only 2 miles across town, so traffic reports don't bring much of chuckle to me....HOWEVER.....every time it's rainy or there's a thunderstorm at night I laugh out loud 'cause I KNOW that my former coworkers are getting called in to work!!!! I don't miss working on pump station control panels, standing out in the pouring rain with the lightning and thunder crashing all around me in the middle of the night!!!

As a little kid, I used to LOVE thunderstorms, but as I [-]grew up[/-] got older and started working, I started hating them because of the call-outs. But now, just as when I was a little kid, I LOVE thunderstorms again!!! (especially since I now can laugh at my former coworkers misery during them!)

 

[Dawg52]

Come on, working folks! You can slow down and take time to smell the flowers too.

Not too slow......they might get a whiff of our bare feet.

 

[REWahoo]

How is the water? After 4+ years, it's like this:

YouTube - MEGAWOOSH - Bruno Kammerl jumps

 

[JOHNNIE36]

I--am--so--jealous!! Why? Because I wish I was just reaching retirement age and could do it all over again. Retired 5-1-88 and enjoying every minute of it. That's over 21 years of being retired. Be careful what you ask for. In my situation, like I said, I have enjoyed every minute but you feel like your life is sliping away. Every birthday comes sooner and every Christmas arrives quicker. When I retired, my grandsons were just being born. Now they have finished college. Life and time is so precious. Don't wish it away.

 

[Cruisinthru]

I have been retired for a little over 4 years and I couldn't be happier. I sometimes have a flashback to some of the garbage that I dealt with in the work force and shudder. Somehow I made it thru the maze and life is very good on the other side. I tell my old co-workers that I wouldn't have gripped so much about the job during my working years if I had known how great the retirement would be. I am thankful that I am healthy and at this stage of life. I don't worry about much and I stay really busy doing exactly what I want to do. Life is pretty sweet!

 

[NW-Bound]

How is the water? After 4+ years, it's like this:

The landing is at T=15 sec. I wonder at what phase each of us thinks he/she is right now? I can't say it is a sure thing for myself yet. I am more like in the airborne phase, T=13 sec And you need to land in the kiddie pool to even know the water temperature.

 

[Goonie]

Goonie
Pumping stations?
Where are you from and what did you do?
Sounds like Na leans or something?
I had thunder storms this morning at work and also after I got home.
I get my share of problems and call outs from storms.
I do electrical work for an airport.
Storms give us plenty problems. Knocking out runway lighting and such.
Steve
PS. We too have a few pumping stations to control flash floods around the airport but probably nothing like you are referring to.

I worked for the local municipality at the wastewater (sewage) plant in north-central Illinois. We had 25 pump stations scattered around town to get all the poo to the central plant. Some of the stations were built in the 50's, and some were brand new, and a bunch were somewhere in the middle. The oldest ones normally worked fine because they were built over-sized and could handle whatever came there way.

But as time passed, the "geniuses" that made the decisions in the city hall, decided they could save a bundle of cash by building only what was needed at that time. Not taking in to consideration expansion & growth.....or STORMS!!!! So the newer ones were built under-sized, and using inferior pumps and controls....because they were "saving money".

Every time I got called in, it cost them at least $100 minimum if I could quickly resolve the problem! If I needed to call in my crew, multiply that amount by how many I needed to assist. If it was beyond our crew's capability to resolve the problem, add in the cost of outside contractors....getting called out in the middle of the night!!! And while the stations were down, if the poo backed up into homes (which was typical).....add in the cost of damage claims & cleanup....and lawsuits! But they call that "saving money".

In the past 2 years since I ER'd, things there have only gotten much worse!!! They've "improved" the main plant, which used to be able to glide easily through a 2" to 3" rain event. NOW, 1/4" rainfall causes MAJOR problems that over-stress the "new & improved" equipment and processes!

I'm SOOOOOO happy to not be there anymore!!!

P.S. >>> BTW...It raining pretty good right now.....I wonder how many guys are down there baby-sitting the "geniuses" foibles?

 

[NW-Bound]

...And while the stations were down, if the poo backed up into homes (which was typical).....

W2R is taking notes to remind herself to check out the plant in her chosen retirement town.

 

[Goonie]

W2R is taking notes to remind herself to check out the plant in her chosen retirement town.

What I've learned from 30+ years of working in poo:

NEVER build or buy a house in the low areas of town...NEVER!!! Poo water runs to the lowest area available...ALWAYS!

NEVER build on a hillside in town...NEVER!!! Storm water will run THROUGH your house, on it's way down to the lowest area in town...ALWAYS!

NEVER have basement floor drains, sink drains, or washing machine drains that flow directly to the sewer main in front (or behind) your house....NEVER!!! We always referred to them as 'sewer main pressure relief overflows'....in other words, if the sewer main backs up or plugs up (and it will!), the poo water will simply flow to the lowest area it can gain access to....YOUR basement....which we referred to as 'emergency sewage holding tanks'.

The option of choice to prevent that is what's called an "overhead sewer". That is, the main sewer pipe in your house is mounted just below the floor joists of your first floor. All the water from sinks, tubs, toilets, etc. from the first floor and above drain by gravity into it. All water that comes from appliances or fixtures in the basement needs to be pumped UP into that "overhead" pipe. And since that pipe is above the level of the outside ground level, the water will flow out of it, downhill, into the city's sewer main. [-]If[/-] When the city's sewer backs up, it will flow out of the manholes in the street (or through your neighbors basement floor drains!), instead of into your house!

 

[NW-Bound]

I think you just convinced W2R to have a septic tank.

 

[freebird5825]

WooooooHoooooooo CuppaJoe

The water was fabulous today...the perfect FIRE day. Sunshine all day, light wind.
I had the choice of 2 lakes to go boating on:
a) the little lake 5 minutes away on my little 18' boat, or
b) drive 40 minutes to go visit my 2nd "adopted brother" and go for a spin on his 32' twin engine boat on a bigger lake.
He needed crew (me), I had nobody lined up.
His gas, not mine.
Hmmmmmmmmm...tough decision.

He just got laid off. This is great for him - no more 1.5 hour commute 1 way, no more stifling w*rkplace, no more dancing to someone else's fiddle. He had some side ventures going already (PT evening stuff), he does excellent carpentry finish w*rk for cash, and already got a temporary contract offer for some coding w*rk from his previous employer. He always lands on his feet.

We talked and cruised and just grinned our heads off. I will gladly be his crew anytime. Take me, take me...