I tried living in a VW van but too many dodgy people about at night.
Retailing? Yeah, I sell anti-ageing supplements by mail.
I'm glad someone brought back this old thread. I retired at age 65 May of 2018. Sold the house in Iowa and bought one in Arizona in 2019. The wife and I stayed there a year and then my sister came down with cancer and we moved back to Iowa to be able to see her before she passed in April of this year.
Still playing with diy projects still learning and still trying to stay active. I found out that retirement also can mean boredom. When the pandemic hit our town lost a lot of school bus drivers so I thought I could give back a little when others we too afraid of getting covid. I took on the part time job of being a school bus driver which keeps me busy driving twice a day and also provides spending money so I can buy some toys such as old radios and amplifiers to rebuild and enjoy.
Its funny how things kind of turn around again because when I was younger I drove school bus from 1974 thru 1982 when I actually needed the money to make ends meet. Now I look at it as a means to help out the school system and to relieve boredom.
They say the grass is always greener on the other side. This deserves some thought. I had reached the point just before retiring where I thought I couldn't take anymore and now I miss the job I did for so many years. I still get up at 5:00AM or sooner everyday. Some habits you simply cannot break.
Still playing with diy projects still learning and still trying to stay active. I found out that retirement also can mean boredom. When the pandemic hit our town lost a lot of school bus drivers so I thought I could give back a little when others we too afraid of getting covid. I took on the part time job of being a school bus driver which keeps me busy driving twice a day and also provides spending money so I can buy some toys such as old radios and amplifiers to rebuild and enjoy.
Its funny how things kind of turn around again because when I was younger I drove school bus from 1974 thru 1982 when I actually needed the money to make ends meet. Now I look at it as a means to help out the school system and to relieve boredom.
They say the grass is always greener on the other side. This deserves some thought. I had reached the point just before retiring where I thought I couldn't take anymore and now I miss the job I did for so many years. I still get up at 5:00AM or sooner everyday. Some habits you simply cannot break.
Boats and caravans need maintenance. I can see why they finally gave that away.
Retirement is fine if you have plenty of money to do things.
Its important to stay active in retirement or you just waste away.
I accidentally got semi retired. I work for myself but not a massive amount of hours. I couldnt find other work so stuck with being self employed.
At some point in time, you may find yourself no longer being defined by your loss, settle with it, and go out there again.
I assume everybody is different, it took me several years.
My condolences.
John
I remember well losing my wife but to a divorce.
Felt pretty much same as a bereavement.
I found the answer in someone new.
2 weeks after the wife had gone I was with someone else.
Then I got into another not so good relationship so got out.
I met a few more women but all they wanted was my 100% attention and marriage.
I need to have my own space and hobbies which they wouldnt accept.
So I gave the women up and put my attention into running my own business.
Life is now pretty much hassle free and a lot less stressful.
Felt pretty much same as a bereavement.
I found the answer in someone new.
2 weeks after the wife had gone I was with someone else.
Then I got into another not so good relationship so got out.
I met a few more women but all they wanted was my 100% attention and marriage.
I need to have my own space and hobbies which they wouldnt accept.
So I gave the women up and put my attention into running my own business.
Life is now pretty much hassle free and a lot less stressful.
My son is my replacement where I used to work on Functional Safety Programmable Logic Controllers and I/O.
My former boss and the lead safety engineer told my son they would like me to come back for $150 per hour.
I am glad I don't need the money.
I am not rich, but I have enough to support myself and my GF. We may move in together at some point, but I will never marry again.
My former boss and the lead safety engineer told my son they would like me to come back for $150 per hour.
I am glad I don't need the money.
I am not rich, but I have enough to support myself and my GF. We may move in together at some point, but I will never marry again.
I must be the exception that proves the rule having been happily married for nearly 50 years. I have always had hobbies but you just have to manage your time between work, family and yourself. I was lucky enough to retire at 50. I now have a large workshop at the bottom of the garden where I spend most evenings.
Cheers
Ian
Cheers
Ian
Retirement would horrify me.
I enjoy designing, debugging hardware/software systems to fiil my time.
The thought of being forced into a retirement home would finish me.
Just slowly rotting away cant be much fun.
I worked as a carer and used to watch people aimlessly wandering corridors bored out of their skulls.
I enjoy designing, debugging hardware/software systems to fiil my time.
The thought of being forced into a retirement home would finish me.
Just slowly rotting away cant be much fun.
I worked as a carer and used to watch people aimlessly wandering corridors bored out of their skulls.
"I must be the exception that proves the rule having been happily married for nearly 50 years. "
My ex wife wouldnt tolerate lack of attention.
When I did lack attention she found it elsewhere with other men.
Just sitting on a sofa all night with the wife watching TV wasnt my idea of living.
I need to be kept busy and challenged.
My ex wife wouldnt tolerate lack of attention.
When I did lack attention she found it elsewhere with other men.
Just sitting on a sofa all night with the wife watching TV wasnt my idea of living.
I need to be kept busy and challenged.
I don’t know about the software part of it - if I never see a line of code again in my life I’d never miss it.
But it *is* why I’m looking forward to retirement. We get to design less and less at work these days - it’s mostly busy work to check boxes for auditors. The real “designing” can be accomplished in 1/10th of the time. When I’m no longer doing it for money, then more of the time can be applied to doing something useful. Like making watts out of tubes and transistors…. There are rooms full of unfinished projects that need more time than money to finish.
If we could go back to the corporate model from 10 or 20 years ago, I don’t think I would even be considering retirement yet. Still wouldn’t get to work on audio as much as I want, but I wouldn’t *care*.
I have been through the SS audio selling loop.
Just too many vendors around now willing to sell stuff cheaper than I can buy components.
Did a bit with valve amplifiers but not a lot of success.
Again Mr. China beating me by miles on price.
I found a small niche in model railway electronics and USB scopes.
Doesn't make a fortune but keeps me busy.
Just too many vendors around now willing to sell stuff cheaper than I can buy components.
Did a bit with valve amplifiers but not a lot of success.
Again Mr. China beating me by miles on price.
I found a small niche in model railway electronics and USB scopes.
Doesn't make a fortune but keeps me busy.