View Poll Results: My PRIMARY motivation for retirement is or was...
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to escape a very bad work situation; I could barely take it any more
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17 |
12.59% |
to get out of a tolerable but unpleasant work situation
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12 |
8.89% |
to pursue specific enjoyable pursuits in retirement; work was OK but irrelevant
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43 |
31.85% |
to just relax and minimize anything of a stressful or demanding nature
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38 |
28.15% |
to reduce my workload which was rewarding but too demanding
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8 |
5.93% |
I can't really identify a predominant motivation - it was a balance
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17 |
12.59% |
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10-05-2009, 08:46 AM
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#1
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 8,827
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Push or Pull Retirements
Recent posts like Moe's "goals" thread reinforced an observation that some people seem to retire primarily to escape 30 years of a very toxic career (i.e. to get out of a bad or even traumatic work situation), while others are primarily "enticed" into retirement by various personal, family, or other desires and goals ("lofty" or otherwise),
I figure it's a mixed bag for most people, or at least I think it is for me. I can see why it's a welcome transition regardless of the motivation. At least on this board, both types seem to be pretty happy with the end result.
How would you categorized your primary climb to retirement? I'm a 5, reduce workload but with lots 6 (balance) as a close runner up.
__________________
Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
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10-05-2009, 08:53 AM
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#2
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 2,796
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Socially acceptable (to most onlookers) escape from work.
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10-05-2009, 09:13 AM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 6,506
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Escaped a barely tolerable PC environment. The w*rk with my full size electric trains, complete with real live operator's (drivers) was fun and challenging, unfortunately it took 8th or 10th place behind ensuring all PC was taken care of first.
Several rounds of TQM became the joke of the week/month/year and a spectacular time waster.
Kayaking is so much more fun.
__________________
There must be moderation in everything, including moderation.
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10-05-2009, 09:57 AM
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#4
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 7,746
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"to just relax and minimize anything of a stressful or demanding nature"
I may be biased today because I just returned from a week long vacation at the beach, but I don't think my job is particularly bad. It is just inconvenient for the most part - it really interferes with what I want to do everyday (the upside is they pay me). The stressful part is trying to cram "life" into the 110 or so hours that I have each week that don't involve work.
So I would have to say today the motivation is simply to relax and minimize stressful situations in general. I want to have time to pursue more personal interests, relax, hold down my hammock. Enjoy the weather outdoors. Cook more and better. Travel a little more leisurely. Spend more time with the kids, family, and friends. Catch up on some movies, tv watching, and game playing.
__________________
Retired in 2013 at age 33. Keeping busy reading, blogging, relaxing, gaming, and enjoying the outdoors with my wife and 3 kids (8, 13, and 15).
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10-05-2009, 10:13 AM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Collin County, TX
Posts: 9,296
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I loved my job at Megacorp...until the last year or so. I was placed in a position that was dull and meaningless; we were in good financial shape, so I left. If I could have stayed in my old position, I'd probably still be there. I really enjoyed it and was making a great salary.
Of course, sleeping late and having a cold brew in the early afternoon is kind of nice too....
__________________
There's no need to complicate, our time is short..
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10-05-2009, 10:18 AM
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#6
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 398
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I picked 6. My desire for early retirement is caused by multiple factors, but it's mostly 1 (escape a bad work situation), 4 (lead a less stressful life), and some 3 (pursue enjoyable activities).
I really hate work. I have frequent headaches and often wake up in the middle of the night with dread. I've gained a lot of weight over the last 4-5 years. OK. That's my fault, but work certainly hasn't helped. I'm not a government employee, but I work at a government organization. The amount of crap is unlimited. I work very hard, but most of my time is spent doing "non-work." I spend more than 40-hours/week on useless tasks that have no benefit. There is no feeling of productivity or accomplishment. I recently had a pre-meeting, to a pre-meeting, to a pre-meeting, to a meeting. After showing up for the actual meeting at 10:00, and waiting around for 20 minutes, I'm told to come back at 12:30. After showing up at 12:30, and waiting around for 30 minutes, I'm told that the meeting is being canceled. Anything useful is done at nights or on the weekends.
That aside, even if work was tolerable, I would still like to live a stress free life. Being able to do what I want, when I want, is very desirable.
There are things I want to do (outdoor activities), but this is not the primary driving factors for early retirement. I can do many activities (e.g., running, bicycling, hiking) whether or not I'm retired, although retirement will give me more time. Some plans, however, like spending 6 months hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, will be made a lot easier by early retirement.
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10-05-2009, 10:31 AM
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#7
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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I had been working since I was twenty and while I still enjoyed the patient care I was getting burned out so I decided it was time . I did waiver when I first retired and went back in a real part time position but that year taught it was time to just jump fully into retirement . I had no lofty goals , no to do list , no idea at all of what I was going to do but I knew I could handle it and I have . The first few months I relaxed until I bored myself and then I jumped into a new life . The hardest part for me was replacing the friendships I had with my co-workers and slowly but surely I have .
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10-05-2009, 10:32 AM
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#8
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Los Angeles area
Posts: 1,708
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My career (programming) was mostly easy and very non-stressful, with occasional bouts of interesting stuff thrown in. After being spoiled for decades and hitting FI in 2004, my workplace changed dramatically for the worse in 2006, prompting retirement.
__________________
learn, work, save, invest, fire
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10-05-2009, 10:38 AM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Location: No fixed abode
Posts: 8,765
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I chose 3, but my motivation was a little different than what was on the list. I Got really angry many years ago during a bad situation, but realized I was pwned by the corp. Either the one I was at or some other one. My main motivation was FI, not so much ER. I didn't want to be in that situation anymore.
5 of my last 7 years at w*rk were pretty crappy, due to a bad management situation, but I liked the job. The last 2 years were really pretty nice, new position, new management. But the stars then aligned to make it more rewarding to leave than to stay, so here I am.
__________________
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." - Anonymous (not Will Rogers or Sam Clemens)
DW and I - FIREd at 50 (7/06), living off assets
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10-05-2009, 10:55 AM
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#10
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: North Oregon Coast
Posts: 16,483
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I chose #4. My job isn't particularly bad or hard and the pay and bennies are good. But it's occasionally stressful (I'm almost a single point of failure for a critical function visible to upper management), and in reality just the feeling that my time isn't my own is one I'd really like to jettison.
__________________
"Hey, for every ten dollars, that's another hour that I have to be in the work place. That's an hour of my life. And my life is a very finite thing. I have only 'x' number of hours left before I'm dead. So how do I want to use these hours of my life? Do I want to use them just spending it on more crap and more stuff, or do I want to start getting a handle on it and using my life more intelligently?" -- Joe Dominguez (1938 - 1997)
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10-05-2009, 10:58 AM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 16,596
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I picked 4 - lends itself well to semi-retirement - but the more time I take to relax the more I realize that I need even more time to relax
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10-05-2009, 11:18 AM
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#12
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
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Quote:
Originally Posted by harley
I chose 3, but my motivation was a little different than what was on the list. I Got really angry many years ago during a bad situation, but realized I was pwned by the corp. Either the one I was at or some other one. My main motivation was FI, not so much ER. I didn't want to be in that situation anymore.
5 of my last 7 years at w*rk were pretty crappy, due to a bad management situation, but I liked the job. The last 2 years were really pretty nice, new position, new management. But the stars then aligned to make it more rewarding to leave than to stay, so here I am.
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Wow - - The above post could have been written by me! Well, 7 out of 10 years rather than 5 out of 7, but otherwise very similar. By the time things improved, I already had my plan and it was coming along just beautifully. I was mentally retired, so to speak. I didn't see much reason to work for anybody, despite the infinitely improved new management here.
It has been a real eye-opener to see what working can be like when one's management is encouraging, actually understands what you do, and stands 100% behind you. Had the job been that good when I started, I might have ended up working another ten years. (groan) So, as they say "everything happens for a reason". Not true, but it almost seems like it this time.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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10-05-2009, 01:08 PM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Nowhere, 43N Latitude, NY
Posts: 9,037
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Door number 1, no question about it to escape a toxic environment.
The progression went from bad to worse to downright attack mode on me. A real predator set me square in her (yes, her) crosshairs when she became my supervisor. She did everything to try to trip me up.
I was way too experienced and fleeter of foot for that to happen.
I tried to go by the book and do my j*b, but she was inescapable wielding that flaming pitchfork in her hand.
I asked for a transfer, and it was refused. So I just left by resignation, with my dignity intact and a big smile.
It wasn't just me...she did manage to get an older gentleman in a corner with horrible reviews so that he retired before he wanted to. His other choice was termination for insufficient performance.
__________________
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney
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10-05-2009, 01:52 PM
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#14
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Independence
Posts: 7,297
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Maybe 4 & 6 for me. Worked for myself most of my working life, so I can't blame the boss. As a landlord I feel a lot of responsibility to my tenants - have kind of a 24/7 ownership of the job. That's me. Result is that while I don't have to spend a huge amount of time doing stuff, I am on call all the time - a week away and I feel guilty and there are things that should have been addressed. I like feeling competent and useful, but dealing with some of the tenant personalities is stressful.
No kids, so no need to pass on a dynasty, as time passes I become more aware that each year leaves me hurting more and less capable physically. We've piled up about enough to feel confident we won't run out of money and have to start flipping burgers at 85. So is that all there is? I want to clear the decks and see.
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10-05-2009, 02:01 PM
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#15
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,860
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa
I figure it's a mixed bag for most people, or at least I think it is for me. I can see why it's a welcome transition regardless of the motivation. At least on this board, both types seem to be pretty happy with the end result.
How would you categorized your primary climb to retirement?
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I'd have to go with "all of the above":
Quote:
to escape a very bad work situation; I could barely take it any more
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This was a persistent risk with every change of command. In a scenario right out of "Dilbert", my worst-ever supervisor from eight years ago was literally transferred 5000 miles across the country to be my last CO before I retired. Luckily I was judged to be his worst-ever supervisee so we mostly avoided each other.
Quote:
to get out of a tolerable but unpleasant work situation
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Dory used to comment that you had the FI bucket in one and the BS bucket in the other. When the FI bucket was full enough, the BS bucket seemed to fill up a lot faster. I knew nearly a decade ahead of time when I'd be retiring, so perhaps the anticipation was harder than the actual transition.
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to pursue specific enjoyable pursuits in retirement; work was OK but irrelevant
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If I had to pick just one reason...
Quote:
to just relax and minimize anything of a stressful or demanding nature
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... with a secondary reason, these would be the ones.
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to reduce my workload which was rewarding but too demanding
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In my case it was the "special projects" that couldn't be ducked. The daily routine (and my co-workers) pretty well ran in autopilot... but then Navy HQ would come up with a initiative and of course there had to be an action officer.
Quote:
I can't really identify a predominant motivation - it was a balance
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I wanted to be in charge of the balance part of the problem. Of course now that I'm in charge of it, I still struggle with it.
__________________
*
Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."
I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
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10-05-2009, 03:00 PM
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#16
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,924
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to escape a very bad work situation; I could barely take it any more
-----------------------------------------
I've told my tale before.
Mainframe programmer, introvert.
They made me a 'program lead' and I had to deal with different people on different levels.
I took an early retirement when I realized I could live on less than $20K/year (and got health insurance).
My job was 'killing me': obese, high BP, tooth grinding, migraines...
__________________
"Knowin' no one nowhere's gonna miss us when we're gone..."
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10-05-2009, 03:23 PM
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#17
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 606
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I voted #1 - to escape a very bad work situation; I could barely take it any more .
I started planning for ER when I was 32, after I had just changed jobs and came to the sad realization that changing jobs wasn't going to help me - what I needed was to be able to exit megacorp as early as possible. As someone else said, I didn't want to be "owned" by a corporation.
In the 15 years that followed, some jobs and some years were better than others, but the last few years were utterly miserable. I wasn't and still am not certain that I am FI, but I decided that I was close enough and that life is too short to be that unhappy. I think the final push for me was seeing two women I knew in their mid to late 50's die rather suddenly.
I do still work a few hours a week at a very enjoyable pt job and that has helped me get over my financial uncertainty. Despite the market turmoil since I left (in Sept. 07) , I have never regretted making the leap.
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10-05-2009, 03:47 PM
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#18
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 12,901
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DW loves what she does but she dislikes her work environment. Too much BS, too much politics, and too much unnecessary stress. So for DW, the answer would be #1 or #2, depending on the kinda day she is having.
I don't handle stress well anymore. It makes me sick, physically sick. I used to handle stress so much better in my twenties, I don't understand what happened. But that's what it is. So for me, I definitely just want to relax and avoid stress at any cost, and the answer would be #4.
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10-05-2009, 04:18 PM
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#19
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 348
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I chose three... not retired yet but that is my primary reason... now the funny thing is I have always enjoyed my job as I feel it fits my personality perfectly until the last month or so when megacorp decided to consolidate my small department with 17 other small departments and put me in charge of one of the areas I really didn't want... so for the first time in my life work isn't as fun as use to be ... but my plan was already in place primarily attributed to my DW getting breast cancer 4 years ago... we decided we would retire early and enjoy life... our plan is for early 2012 but now with the new job situation I will leave earlier if the market conditions allow...
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10-05-2009, 04:19 PM
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#20
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 348
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bbbamI
I loved my job at Megacorp...until the last year or so. I was placed in a position that was dull and meaningless; we were in good financial shape, so I left. If I could have stayed in my old position, I'd probably still be there. I really enjoyed it and was making a great salary.
Of course, sleeping late and having a cold brew in the early afternoon is kind of nice too....
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that is what I like about vacations (practice retirement)... I like to have a cold one at noon and wait for someone to ask why I am drinking a beer so early... where I reply..."Because I can"... man I can't wait...
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