Recent content by Rickochet

Day four was much better than day one. I think am embracing that I worked to live, not lived to work. Today I spent time in the basement unpacking items from my office. Funny how all of my desk drawer organizers fit right into my existing desk. Old co-w*rkers stopped by and called to see how...

'Chattahoochee,' Alan Jackson

Where the Green Grass Grows - Tim McGraw

Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles

Welcome to the site Felix! There's a ton of wisdom and encouragement here. You are a seasoned veteran compared to me.... today is my second day of ER. Like you, I was also propelled into ER, which has been quite an experience so far. Were you prepared to go when you did or are you adjusting...

Thanks for all of the sincere replies! We have a pretty good handle on our budget and have adjusted to live a little tighter within the last year due to the restructuring study. I don't think it will be a problem, but in the past if we wanted something, we'd buy it. Now I will be analyzing...

I spent 26 years with a Megacorp utility company that just went through a major restructuring. Surprisingly, my department which I was the head of ceased operations along with many others. I looked at all of my options and since I was planning on retiring in a few years, I decided to take a...

We have 2 cats who are indoor/outdoor kitties. We live in a huge woods where our nearest neighbor is a mile away. Our male cat, Cricket (neutered) likes to go hunting and occasionally stays out over night. He usually is on the back deck ready to get in when I awake at 4AM. (However, since it...

We have been making our own wine for about 5 years. It's a great hobby that even saves you money. We began making wine kits and progressed on to making wine with grapes & other assorted fruits. We have thoroughly enjoyed making wine, plus it makes great gifts for family & friends. But...

Surprise!!!! My family surprised me with a retirement party! I had no clue that they had planned this either. I am not a huge party goer, but I really enjoyed this one. Our four children & their spouses, my wife's parents and two couples that are very close friends we all in cahoots! We...

If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock a few years ago, it would now be worth $19.00. With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1000.00. With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left. If you had purchased $1000 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have...

Well, today was supposed to be my first official day of retirement. However, I was asked to work one more day... which I gladly did. The one extra day extended my paid benefits for one more month and gave me 2 more days of additional vacation pay. I win!

After a more in-depth review of my severance package, I will be taking the Cobra insurance for 18 months.... at the current employee paid portion. So for the next 18 months instead of paying $468, I will be paying only $340 for HI. Then I will be back on our typical retiree medical plan. I'm...

I only have 7 more "working" days. I really do have a lot of things to wrap up so I can leave my counterparts across the grid in as good as shape as possible. I feel pain for them as they are getting more & more piled on them. That's the way of the world.... Do more with less. Hopefully...

I am not retired yet, but I haven't worked a Friday, Saturday or Sunday in 25 years. So it was a pretty typical day for me, except I was researching the various wireless providers looking for the best deals. My company has provided my phone since the beginning of cell phones. After Jan 31st., I...