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Your most pleasant surprise after retirement?
11-09-2014, 10:48 AM
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#1
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Small town outside of Seattle
Posts: 444
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Your most pleasant surprise after retirement?
As I woke up today at 8, it dawned on me that since our retirement that my wife and I have adjusted to sleeping in quite easily!
We both used to get up at 4:15am for most of our adult lives. And we have talked to several other people who had retired before us, and to a fault they all said they woke up at their usual waking time after retirement. So it was with some trepidation that we wondered if we would be able to adjust that after our retirement.
But to our pleasant shock and pleasure we have had no issues at all. The added bonus is that we can now also stay up later into the evening, etc.
What little pleasant surprise have you had in your retirement?
__________________
"There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.” ~Christopher Morley
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11-09-2014, 11:24 AM
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#2
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: South Texas~29N/98W Just West of Woman Hollering Creek
Posts: 6,674
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Goofing off is now a respected way of life. What a country.
__________________
Part-Owner of Texas
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx
In dire need of: faster horses, younger woman, older whiskey, more money.
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11-09-2014, 11:31 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: Nov 2007
Posts: 7,746
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Waking up at 3:00 am to realize a car crashed into the yard across the street. And that we can stay up for a few hours rubbernecking because we don't have to worry about throwing off sleep patterns or waking up early the next morning to take care of business. (DW is still working but burning up her accrued vacation time with plans to quit soon, so she's not going back to work until next week some time).
Realizing I probably won't have to scrape frost off my car in the wee hours of the morning.
Walks through the park at 1:00 in the afternoon just because the sun feels good on a fall day.
__________________
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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11-09-2014, 11:50 AM
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#4
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Vancouver/Gulf Islands/Baja
Posts: 479
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I swear there was already a thread going concerning this topic. Oh well...
Despite it being #1 (of about 30 things), on my Post-ER "To-Do" Manifesto, the intensity in which I have attacked improving my fitness level has really surprised me. Removal of work related stress has basically eliminated my desire for booze and fast food, which were obviously my ill conceived coping mechanisms. Add to this an ever increasing enjoyment of actual EXERCISE. With improving fitness, the workouts get less torturous and now are getting almost, dare I say it, ENJOYABLE? I am now able to workout longer and longer... it's almost becoming like a self perpetuating fitness machine. And because I am working out like a fiend, there is now a natural avoidance of unhealthy foods that would neutralize the benefits of the hard work. DW doesn't know what to make of it - except that she is enjoying the results in hubby's transformation. That is what losing 45lbs will do I guess.
And I'm not even two months into ER... barely even scratched the surface of my "new life". Euphoric doesn't remotely describe how good I feel these days.
I'm looking forward to other ER "surprises" as I move along.
__________________
Retired at 42... the world is my oyster, and I am now in the process of shucking the hell out of it.
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11-09-2014, 11:59 AM
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#5
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
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One (extremely) little surprise in retirement is that I like to go outside in the mornings briefly, to check on the weather. Usually I take the trash out with me so that does not even count as a chore any more.
Before retirement, I was always racing to get to work by 6 AM, and didn't have time for a personal weather check in the mornings.
__________________
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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11-09-2014, 12:48 PM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Utrecht
Posts: 2,650
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sea Kayaker
That is what losing 45lbs will do I guess.
And I'm not even two months into ER...
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45 lbs in two months?! If that's all fat you are burning off 2500 kcal per day.
I am struggling to remove just a few lbs. My respects to you sir!
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11-09-2014, 01:37 PM
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#7
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Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: San Diego
Posts: 14,212
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I think it's for me it's how much I enjoy NOT racing from point A to point B *in traffic*.
I still have a lot on my plate since I have kids - but I can now run those errands, schedule appointments, etc during non-rush hour times... and I find I'm a lot more pleasant when I'm trying to cram too much to do in too little time.
Traffic was a huge part of what pushed me into retirement.
__________________
Retired June 2014. No longer an enginerd - now I'm just a nerd.
micro pensions 6%, rental income 20%
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11-09-2014, 02:31 PM
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#8
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: North-Central Illinois
Posts: 3,228
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I used to crawl out of bed at about 5:30 a.m. every morning when I was still working, with or without an alarm clock. My first day of retirement, I slept until 8:00 a.m. with no problem. 7 years & 7 months later, it's still usually 8:00 a.m., although once in a while I wake up quite early at 7:30 a.m.
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11-09-2014, 02:42 PM
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#9
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,340
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Totoro
45 lbs in two months?! If that's all fat you are burning off 2500 kcal per day.
I am struggling to remove just a few lbs. My respects to you sir!
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Going by his posts he's spending a LOT of time on that sea kayak. That'll do it!
Most pleasant to me was not having to deal with heavy traffic (we moved away from it) sleeping in, spending more time with DW, and generally not having a fixed schedule.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
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11-09-2014, 02:47 PM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Pittsburgh, PA suburbs
Posts: 1,796
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I am pleasantly surprised that I don't miss having a fixed daily routine and also that I do not miss daily contact with the handful of co-workers who are my long-time close friends. I am content to see them occasionally for lunch and we also text and email and keep in touch. I also like sleeping in a bit in the mornings and not setting an alarm clock.
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11-09-2014, 03:16 PM
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#11
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 9,358
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That the extra money wasn't worth having very little time freedom. I am also kind of surprised at home much less it takes to live with more time for price shopping, cooking from scratch and DIY.
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11-09-2014, 03:33 PM
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#12
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Vancouver/Gulf Islands/Baja
Posts: 479
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Totoro
45 lbs in two months?! If that's all fat you are burning off 2500 kcal per day.
I am struggling to remove just a few lbs. My respects to you sir!
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Well, I lost 10 of the 45lbs during my last month of work, mostly by dietary improvements... so let's say 45lbs over 3 months. Still not too shabby (or flabby).
__________________
Retired at 42... the world is my oyster, and I am now in the process of shucking the hell out of it.
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11-09-2014, 03:39 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: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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It wasn't a surprise, but the thing I enjoy most about not w*rking is the cessation of the constant judgment by my "superiors". The yearly performance reviews were just a summary of daily spoken and unspoken judgments. Did I take too many days off for a bad cold? Should I take all my vacation days? It's 6 PM and I'm done with my work, but the boss is still here - should I leave anyway? The boss is telling political jokes that I don't agree with - did he see me not laughing? I have 5 weeks vacation - will it look bad if I take 3 weeks at a time to go overseas?
So, yea, retirement is good but I felt like 100 pounds had been taken off my back that I didn't even know were there.
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11-09-2014, 05:58 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: Apr 2013
Posts: 11,078
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No surprise, but my phone doesn't ring at 3:00AM. I don't get hundreds of texts every night either. Actually Megacorp was very concerned about their ability to turn off all the texts, but I've never received 1, I am surprised by that.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app
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Your most pleasant surprise after retirement?
11-12-2014, 10:38 AM
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#15
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 252
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Your most pleasant surprise after retirement?
My biggest surprise is that I sleep better at night now that I am fire'd. The amount of stress in my life has decreased dramatically which helps me sleep peacefully through the night. No more waking up worrying about w*rk!
Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
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11-12-2014, 12:33 PM
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#16
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 568
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I shouldn't post in this thread, or even read it, because I'm not RE yet (next May if things work out).
But you all are KILLING me with your great news! I am so envious
_B
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11-12-2014, 02:15 PM
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#17
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Pacific latitude 20/49
Posts: 7,677
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I still wake up around 5 and get up at 5:30 go into the LR, feed the cat and relax. I stay off email until 7. Used to upset my employees when they got a slew of emails first thing so I still stay on the internet until 10:30.
__________________
For the fun of it...Keith
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11-12-2014, 02:43 PM
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#18
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 2,745
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Beldar
I shouldn't post in this thread, or even read it, because I'm not RE yet (next May if things work out).
But you all are KILLING me with your great news! I am so envious
_B
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I am lurking here so that I won't be surprised when I RE.
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11-12-2014, 03:22 PM
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#19
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Vancouver/Gulf Islands/Baja
Posts: 479
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Before I ER'ed, I came into this area of the forum to stay motivated. I was insanely envious of the posters. I hope I can serve the same purpose for aspiring early retiree's.
And yes, the quality of a nights sleep has improved a thousandfold!
__________________
Retired at 42... the world is my oyster, and I am now in the process of shucking the hell out of it.
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11-12-2014, 03:50 PM
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#20
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Small town outside of Seattle
Posts: 444
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The other plus is that I now eat breakfast later, which then has me eating lunch later and dinner later---in essence I have dropped any evening snacking. The end result is I have lost about 10 pounds.
The downside is that I used to get up at 4:15 and was at the gym by 5 and done by 6. Now I wake up at 7 or 8 and my mindset is such that I think, damn I could be done with the gym by now but I still have to go! That will pass I think as I adjust to the new time but I have to admit it does cross my brain.
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