Things that make you happy to be retired

[Purron]

My Billbergia Hallelujah bloomed:

Oh! That's beautiful! We could all use more beauty in our lives. Thank you GregLee.

 

[KB]

Every time I accidentally get caught in rush hour.

+1

 

[scrabbler1]

Today, July 8th, is a day I once kinda celebrated but now it has lost any meaning. On July 8th, 1985, I began working at the job I would ER from in 2008. Had I still been working, it would have been 26 years. But now, thankfully, the day doesn't mean anything to me.

 

[ItDontMeanAThing]

No commute, no meetings, no idiots trying to manage projects based on their obsolete knowledge of the technology.

On the positive side, living life by my needs, not by the clock. Naps, eating and choosing times to go places to avoid those who do w*rk are at the top of the list.

 

[Nords]

So you were denied bathroom privileges in your working days? Well there's a new one

Submarines run a six-hour watchbill, and not all classes of submarines have a bathroom in the engineroom or the control room. At least not one that you'd want to be observed peeing into, anyway.

My problem was having to get a break halfway through the watch just to get something to eat, like a piece of fruit or some chocolate. No eating in the engineroom or the control room, either.

There was the boss who told me to attend a meeting out of town on short notice to replace someone who [-]couldn't go[/-] weaseled out of it. When I said I'd have to check my calendar because I was pretty sure I had a commitment, she said "We own you. You're going."

One of my commanding officers once told me "We just got told that in two weeks all the training command COs have to go to this one-week conference at HQ. I have my master's degree final exams that week so you're going. I want daily summaries."

By the fourth day of the conference he was getting extra daily summaries from a few of his (blissfully ignorant) fellow COs who were not amused by my contributions from the trenches. ("Truth hurts.") So not only did a lot get done that week, but I also never had to go to another CO's conference.

 

[rescueme]

Occasionally I had to participate in 2-3 hour telecons during which the opportunity for a quick "nature break" was tough to find.

Recalls many of my meetings before I retired. Since I worked with teams from other countries/timezones, we used NetMeeting and the phone for our multi-hour sessions.

Fortunately, I had a wireless phone/deskset, in which I wore a receiver, microphone and I could walk away from my desk (within 75 feet, or so).

Needless to say, the mike picked up some "strange noises" during those sessions . BTW, the headset mike did have a "mute" button, so I was not so obvious (unless a question was asked of me at a "critical point"...)

Technology may be great, but I certainly don't miss it ...

 

[beowulf]

Since I am in my last several months of employment (can leave at any hour, any day, any time), my usual smart ass attitude has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. I long ago (over 25 years ago after being caught in a blizzard for 6 hours on the way home) decided that I don't go in when there is even a hint of really bad weather or snow of any kind. It just ain't worth it and that's what leave is for. Now I work 2 to 3 days a week from home and only go in for meetings that really require my presence or when I need information that can't be obtained from a phone call or the internet.

It's almost complete freedom when you know what you have to do, can do it any time of the day or night and go out whenever you want and do the work later. The only downside is that you definitely are not eligible for membership in the Do Nothing Club, something I aspire to. I agree with rescueme - wearing a wireless headset does make for some interesting background noises during telecons. I do make sure they hear the flush .

DW has been retired for 2 years and she is having a ball. She has more places to go and things to do than when she was working. Even getting used to me being at home even though I actually have to do things that are not entertaining. Basically waiting for the next big 401K matching distribution - if you leave before the end of the matching period, you get zip. Free money is always nice .

 

[haha]

What makes me happy to be retired? Going to the gym in the middle of the day like we just did, and finding only a few other retirees there and nobody else but staff. No waiting to get exactly the machine I want, when I want it, and the gym was spotless and very cool even in this heat. It was as though we owned the gym. I feel like a pampered princess.

Unusual gym. Any one I have ever been to is pretty heavily used anytime except late night or very early am.

Ha

 

[W2R]

Unusual gym. Any one I have ever been to is pretty heavily used anytime except late night or very early am.

Ha

I love my gym.

My gym is more expensive than most here ($42/month), and it doesn't have child care so it tends to attract fewer, and older members. I like that, because the older members don't seem to really care about fancy gym clothes and flirting, as much as just getting healthy. My gym also has a lot of really nice equipment. It also has classes, two indoor pools (one hotter than the other), a hot tub, steam rooms, and massage, none of which I have used yet.

But it does get crowded around 4-6 PM, when people are getting off work.

 

[Lsbcal]

...(snip)...
The only downside is that you definitely are not eligible for membership in the Do Nothing Club, something I aspire to.

...

Today's (July 10) Dilbert had a take on on what you do after you have "already mastered the art of being useless at work": The official Dilbert website with Scott Adams' color comic strips, animation, mashups and more!

 

[kumquat]

I like to think I wasn't useless when I left but if I had stayed, the "toxic" option was becoming appealing.

 

[SteveR]

In my final position of interim Executive Quality Director for the site I was arm twisted into taking while they found a replacement for my boss who left and whos' job I was doing in addition to my own for almost 6 months. I was already a documented retiree so I was clear I did not want the job a second longer than they found someone. When it became obvious the foot dragging was going on I decided I would no longer take any trips out of town to any meetings; regardless of who called them; including the CEO. It made for some interesting telephone calls between my and my boss and his boss. My answer was there was nothing I can contribute nor learn and my time would be better spent running the operation than on a boondoggle to corporate headquarters in Southern Calif. It is amazing the lee way one gets when they have no choice but to say OK to what ever you want or don't want. Every meeting among the other manufacturing sites and the two headquarters areas were all done via conference call in my office so I could get some work done while they pontificated and stabbed little pins into each others backs the whole time. I just said NO to any additional work or projects as well as to any budget cuts. A nice firm polite "No." The silence on the other side was deafening. Despite all my hard-headedness they still wanted me to keep the job.

My answer was....you have exactly 2 weeks before I leave. I will no be here and I will not come back. If you want me to interface with your candidate you better get one in here before that and if not...you better get my boss to move in here so he can run this place after I leave.

It was liberating after having to suck it up for so many years in the corporate world of BS and management flailing.

Life is Good.

 

[DesertRat]

An early morning Harley ride.

 

[omni550]

In my final position of interim Executive Quality Director for the site I was arm twisted into taking while they found a replacement for my boss who left and whos' job I was doing in addition to my own for almost 6 months. I was already a documented retiree so I was clear I did not want the job a second longer than they found someone. When it became obvious the foot dragging was going on I decided I would no longer take any trips out of town to any meetings; regardless of who called them; including the CEO. It made for some interesting telephone calls between my and my boss and his boss. My answer was there was nothing I can contribute nor learn and my time would be better spent running the operation than on a boondoggle to corporate headquarters in Southern Calif. It is amazing the lee way one gets when they have no choice but to say OK to what ever you want or don't want. Every meeting among the other manufacturing sites and the two headquarters areas were all done via conference call in my office so I could get some work done while they pontificated and stabbed little pins into each others backs the whole time. I just said NO to any additional work or projects as well as to any budget cuts. A nice firm polite "No." The silence on the other side was deafening. Despite all my hard-headedness they still wanted me to keep the job.

My answer was....you have exactly 2 weeks before I leave. I will no be here and I will not come back. If you want me to interface with your candidate you better get one in here before that and if not...you better get my boss to move in here so he can run this place after I leave.

It was liberating after having to suck it up for so many years in the corporate world of BS and management flailing.

Life is Good.

I think that's called 'sitting in the catbird seat' https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Catbird_seat

omni

 

[Walt34]

When I said I'd have to check my calendar because I was pretty sure I had a commitment, she said "We own you. You're going."

That's what is pretty neat about where I'm working now. All but a couple of us would develop a severe attitude problem, tell them to shove it, turn in the gear, and go fishing the rest of the week.

And they know it, so they don't even try.

Having a KMA hat is priceless. Can't buy that with MasterCharge.

 

[Danmar]

Monday mornings.

This effect manifests itself with me on Sunday night by not having to leave the cottage and drive back to the city for work. Other things that make me happy:
1) The flexibilty to travel whenever for however long we want
2)Not dealing with work related stress
3)More time for wokouts and fitness activities
4)More time to help our aged parents