What's the most overrated thing about ER?

[yakers]

Number one thing I miss about not working is that I got paid to follow the ER web site!

The disappointing thing about retirement is I have not actually written the Great American Novel as I expected would emerge in the first couple years of retirement. Still, some great travel, while healthy enough to enjoy it. Back from Cambodia & Viet Nam a couple weeks ago. More to follow.

[Aiming_4_55]

Not ER yet, however DW is a stay at home mom. I see/hear her siblings ask for favors all the time, i.e. working late, can you pick up my kids; grandparent needs XYZ, can you do it for them; so n so needs a ride to the airport..... I think we spend $30 - 40 a week on gas for other people's errands. Yesterday, DW's sister needed a ride to the airport even though it was for work and she could charge in mileage/parking or order a ride, she choose to call for a favor. It was not quality time during the ride among siblings either as sister was on a work call.

While it's nice to "help", I just find it annoying some of the things DW is assisting with.

When we ER, I am assuming this will only continue or increase. We will need hobbies to be "not available".

I'll get off my soap box now, back to your regularly scheduled program....

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yakers The disappointing thing about retirement is I have not actually written finished the Great American Novel as I expected would emerge in the first couple years of retirement.

FIFY.

[Lisa99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aiming_4_55 Not ER yet, however DW is a stay at home mom. I see/hear her siblings ask for favors all the time, i.e. working late, can you pick up my kids; grandparent needs XYZ, can you do it for them; so n so needs a ride to the airport..... I think we spend $30 - 40 a week on gas for other people's errands. Yesterday, DW's sister needed a ride to the airport even though it was for work and she could charge in mileage/parking or order a ride, she choose to call for a favor. It was not quality time during the ride among siblings either as sister was on a work call. While it's nice to "help", I just find it annoying some of the things DW is assisting with. When we ER, I am assuming this will only continue or increase. We will need hobbies to be "not available". I'll get off my soap box now, back to your regularly scheduled program....

Boundaries? I won't even take DH to the airport for work. He can charge in a cab or his own car, so why would I take time from my day to act as a free cab service?

[kcowan]

I missed the perqs of the position and the recognition. Also the camaraderie of associates. But I quickly replaced it with a network of retired professionals and I find the variety very exilerating.

I also enjoy morning coffee at my leisure and I get lightly stresed by any meetings scheduled before 11am. Most of my routine stuff gets done after 1pm.

[Bestwifeever]

For me the most over-rated thing is sleeping in. When I didn't have to get up to go to work, I found I enjoyed early mornings! Being able to stay up as late as we want, whenever we want, is still, of course, priceless.

[check6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever For me the most over-rated thing is sleeping in. When I didn't have to get up to go to work, I found I enjoyed early mornings! Being able to stay up as late as we want, whenever we want, is still, of course, priceless.

Not for me. I spent my whole career playing sleep catch up after routinely making four ocean crossings in six days.

Yes on the staying up late!

[Zero]

ONE regret is the lost access to the United First Class lounge in Narita where I drank "ICE COLD" beer from the tap into "ICE COLD" glasses, just before heading back to LAX. And the snacks to make it a perfect visit and flight home.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zero ONE regret is the lost access to the United First Class lounge in Narita where I drank "ICE COLD" beer from the tap into "ICE COLD" glasses, just before heading back to LAX. And the snacks to make it a perfect visit and flight home.

Yes, but now you can do that in the comfort of your own home anytime you want!

[kcowan]

Yes we no longer have first class lounge access just when we travel so much (except on points). Seems ironic that DW never got to enjoy it too much.

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan Yes we no longer have first class lounge access just when we travel so much (except on points). Seems ironic that DW never got to enjoy it too much.

In my case, since I was on the road 250+ days a year, DW came with me 80% of the time.

She got to see the world on megacorps dime! Europe, Japan, Asia...all 'up front'.

[Zero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcowan Yes we no longer have first class lounge access just when we travel so much (except on points). Seems ironic that DW never got to enjoy it too much.

My Mega-Corp administrator allowed me to plan my travel details; so I would route any SE Asian trip thru Narita and put in a 2-3 hour layover in the United first class lounge just to get that frosty beer. You got a glass from a freezer and put it in the holder and it would tilt the glass and dispense the beer slowly down the side to avoid too much foam.

Then grab some snacks and chill out.

Royal Orchid lounge in Bangkok had great food, even had pizza, and a buffet with real china, lots of tasty hors doeuvres.

Maybe I should go back to work, nah I'll just have a beer and order a pizza.

[marko]

Singapore Air Lounge in Kuala Lumpour? Oh, yes.

[Zero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko Singapore Air Lounge in Kuala Lumpour? Oh, yes.

Yep, and it seemed to me that all the SE Asian lounges were very nice places to relax between flights.

So I guess retiring and being free to fly on my on is one thing that is overrated about retirement.

[Free To Canoe]

I miss thinking about all of those made up performance review things in my nice cozy cubicle.
Now I am stuck getting sunburnt out in the canoe.

[heyyou]

Bad sample here. You are asking just the happy, successful retirees. Those that didn't like being retired are somewhere else, doing whatever. Who knows, and no one here cares. Go ask at Bogelheads to get a different sample. They are not just a younger version of who posts here, even though there are plenty who do post both places.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by heyyou Bad sample here. You are asking just the happy, successful retirees. Those that didn't like being retired are somewhere else, doing whatever. Who knows, and no one here cares. Go ask at Bogelheads to get a different sample. They are not just a younger version of who posts here, even though there are plenty who do post both places.

It seems to me that many/most of the retirees on this forum didn't retire until after joining and posting for a few years, and we had no way of knowing if we would have a successful retirement. Perhaps the reason why most of us have, is that we talked about retirement on this forum, which is mainly dedicated not to investing (as is Bogleheads), but to retirement itself. While discussing retirement, we have a chance to think through a lot of the potential pitfalls and problems before they happen and to find out about books and so on that can help with adjustment problems.

If I didn't like being retired, I would have been SOL. There are only a handful of positions in my (former) specialty that offer a decent salary, and snagging one of them at age 61 didn't seem likely. So, had my retirement failed, I would not have gone back to work. I'd still be here, probably grousing and griping, but here.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R If I didn't like being retired, I would have been SOL. There are only a handful of positions in my (former) specialty that offer a decent salary, and snagging one of them at age 61 didn't seem likely. So, had my retirement failed, I would not have gone back to work. I'd still be here, probably grousing and griping, but here.

"Hi, welcome to McOceano's. Would you like a thermocline profile with that data, or just pressure & salinity today? Thanks, drive through!"

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords "Hi, welcome to McOceano's. Would you like a thermocline profile with that data, or just pressure & salinity today? Thanks, drive through!"

[Moscyn]

Overrated? I guess the presumption that I have all the time in the world to attend classes to learn things I always wanted. The reality is that the classes I want to attend are usually in the late evening which does not work for me as that is the time I want to have dinner and relax with DH or friends. I try very hard to find day classes held during weekdays but there are quite limited to choose from. So, usually I end up with DIY stuff.