The Best "Simple Things" in Retirement?

[CountryGal]

-Lazy mornings that can stretch from breakfast to lunch
- doing shopping when everyone else is working
- getting together with my other retiree friends
- less stress
- more time to make real food - not hurry-up processed stuff
- living in jeans and sweats (very hard to wear something else)
- staying in bed to listen to the rain in the morning
- more time with the dog.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

People, so soon you have forgotten ... NO work holiday anything! No awkward wasteful Secret Santa or other gift exchange thingy. No Christmas party.

At the last place I worked the managers thought it would be nice if "everybody brought a dish" for a Xmas potluck. (Cheap too!) This was in a place where about 50% of the employees commute by public transit and there were 2 refrigerators that were already too small to accommodate everybody's lunches.

Do not miss.

Oh yes...the Holiday Party(ies). How I miss those... //sarcasm//.

My BIL went to one about a week ago and he (along with about 20 co-workers) got violently ill after the fact. He spent 4 days in the bed and going to the bathroom. So...he (and his DW and my DW) have pretty much written off doing any potluck deals. I was never much of a social guy anyway, so I did my best to avoid them and was fairly successful at it.

 

[ChainsBeGone]

I used to dread Sunday evening, now I often forget that it IS Sunday evening.

 

[RunningBum]

On the other hand, Friday night is not that big of a deal anymore. Oh well. It IS Friday night, isn't it? I had to check to make sure.

 

[Helen]

I caught strep throat about a month ago. It was nice not to feel guilty about being home sick. I can wait until I feel well before being up and about.

 

[OnTheBeach]

New pleasure this morning - delayed opening at the kid's school. I normally would let the kids know they can sleep in and I then drive in the snow/ice to work. This morning - got the call, turned off the alarms and went back to sleep. I haven't felt that excited since i was in high school (30 years ago....)

 

[Louis2]

Flexibility!

It is so much easier to spend time with family and friends now. My motto is "I'm available". They all still work so their time is still tightly constrained, but I'm available when they have an opening to visit, go fishing, see a movie, or just have lunch.

 

[HarryL]

I know that now after 10 years into retirement, I can easily piss away a day without even trying! Wake up late, have breakfast when ever, decide how I want to spend the day, lunch, that's it for the day, supper, cocktails!

 

[skipro33]

Since I've retired, 4 years now, I have a question; I am out driving around doing errands and there's tons of traffic. Why aren't all these people at WORK!!?? I know I sure as heck was in the middle of the morning or afternoon. Sure seems a whole lotta folks out there shopping and doing a whole lotta NOT WORKING in my opinion. Get a job, you lazy bums! I know y'all can't be retired like I am!

I love staying home weekends when the rest of the crowds are out recreating. Then on Mondays, driving the opposite way that traffic is running as I go to camp, ski, fish or what ever. Skiied this morning for a few hours and no waits in any lift lines. Just ski right up to the chair and take off.

 

[Richard4444]

I see a pattern emerging - and I am glad to be part of it !

Rich

 

[W2R]

Since I've retired, 4 years now, I have a question; I am out driving around doing errands and there's tons of traffic. Why aren't all these people at WORK!!?? I know I sure as heck was in the middle of the morning or afternoon. Sure seems a whole lotta folks out there shopping and doing a whole lotta NOT WORKING in my opinion. Get a job, you lazy bums! I know y'all can't be retired like I am!

Swing shift.
Night shift.
Vacation time.
Living in mommy's basement and supposedly looking for a job.

Before I retired, I used to stare out my 6th floor window at w*rk. Just below was a theater parking lot and it was always at least half full. I told my co-workers that after I retired, they should wave when they go to that window because I'd be one of those lazy bums going to the movies in the middle of the day.

 

[Redbugdave]

I will be having 3 year anniversary coming up in January. I think of all my life and time wasted while at work. Trapped. That does not happen anymore. Time is more useful, now. And I no longer have difficult people in my life. These things have made life Wonderful.

 

[brewer12345]

Hunting public land on a weekday. On the weekend some of these places resemble an overcrowded trap range. On a Tuesday (like tomorrow) it is not uncommon for me to have a thousand acre tract of prime hunting land all to myself.

 

[fourwaystreet]

Sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night and not having the need to jump out of bed in the morning.

Working on a home project, then saying to ones self "That's enough for today"

Not driving during rush hour

Taking pictures of various golf holes and sending them to former work friends.

 

[Rummy]

Not having to shave every morning...

 

[marko]

Hunting public land on a weekday. On the weekend some of these places resemble an overcrowded trap range. On a Tuesday (like tomorrow) it is not uncommon for me to have a thousand acre tract of prime hunting land all to myself.

Same for ski areas! Won't even think about it on a weekend.
Weekdays, you might have to begrudgingly share the entire mountain with maybe 50 other people all day long. (for those unfamiliar, that means you have the place to yourself)

 

[misshathaway]

I have my annual inspection for the heating system today at 1pm, smack in the middle of the day. I love not having to stress about all of the appointments like medical, dental, car repair, home repair. Tomorrow I'm getting a package that I have to sign for - SOMETIME tomorrow. Do I care? No. I'll be home anyway.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Not having to shave every morning...

Ah, no doubt!

I know I created this thread and already contributed, but your shaving comment reminded me of something else that was annoying (but 100% necessary in my line of w*rk)....urinalysis drug testing!

Why you ask? There is nothing like getting a random call at 7:00 AM telling you that you need to "come into w*rk" and not being told *why* (you always knew...but they couldn't tell you). And it was always a pain. Go get the letter from the office. Go to the facility with 100 other people. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Finally get your turn to go stand at the urinal while someone WATCHED you provide your sample. That's right folks, in the Air Force, you get to have someone WATCH you perform! And with the randomness of it, there were a couple times that I would be stopped at the gate exiting the base in the middle of the night (after getting back from a mission and being away for 30+ hours) and be told that "you need to go be tested. Now."

Oye..the freedom is liberating, isn't it?

 

[John Galt III]

Since I've retired, 4 years now, I have a question; I am out driving around doing errands and there's tons of traffic. Why aren't all these people at WORK!!?? I know I sure as heck was in the middle of the morning or afternoon. Sure seems a whole lotta folks out there shopping and doing a whole lotta NOT WORKING in my opinion. Get a job, you lazy bums! I know y'all can't be retired like I am!

Agreed! No matter when I go out there's a ton of traffic, and tons of shoppers. These bums are ruining my retirement!

 

[Free]

Taking walks with my two year old Grandaughter while holding hands. It's fun because each time is an exciting adventure for her.

 

[CRLLS]

Simple for me on a daily basis, I wake up when my body feels like it. Not when the Mega Corp needed me to.

 

[Persn]

Yesterday, upon completing a massive two-year project to optimize my health (by getting two final immunizations appropriate for my age), I rewarded myself by finally going into an inviting bakery I had wanted to visit. Every morning on my commute while working I would drive by but never had the time to go in. Yesterday my reward was this cozy little place. No overcrowded, harsh, loud, and fake starbucks "atmosphere" here. No, the place was delicously deserted and peaceful. I sat by the window, had my mocha and (of course) continued reading the book I'd taken with me to the doctor's office. At one point, some old song came on and I looked up thinking that this was one of life's moments.

This, to me, is the essence of the simple things.

 

[HFWR]

Simple for me on a daily basis, I wake up when my body feels like it. Not when the Mega Corp needed me to.

Expounding on that, before FIRE I'd been going where I was told to go, eating when told to eat, asking permission to take a whiz, etc., since 1960, when I started elementary school. No mas!

 

[heyyou]

ER has been the best years of my life. Having leisure time is joyous. Sometimes my day is full, when I have no spare time since I sat in the recliner and read a book, cover to cover, that day. That is my version of a full day in retirement!

x2 on the avoiding the weekend recreators. When I go backpacking, I no longer do yo-yo overnight trips, I stay longer than that.

 

[FreeBear]

People, so soon you have forgotten ... NO work holiday anything! No awkward wasteful Secret Santa or other gift exchange thingy. No Christmas party.

+1

Oh Yes!! I hated the annual party, I'd rather be at w*rk. Better yet, I'd rather be retired!