Let's talk retirement

[Nacho Z]

On 12/12/2024 at 3:31 PM, TransAmMike said:

I've avoided responding to this topic(heck I don't know why) but this is what I have to say.

Been retired now a little over ten years.  I stayed active and was doing just fine in spite of being in my 70's, until.....I got diverticulitis and had colin surgery needing the dreaded poop bag. Luckily I was able to have reversal surgery to go back to normal.   Been downhill for me since then.  Anyway, at least I still have modelling to keep me busy, but physically I ain't worth a cr@p. 😄😊

I’m sorry to see that you are having health issues, Mike.  Your case is like I said in my previous post.  I’m in good health but that can all change in one doctor’s visit.  An unfortunate fact of life is we just don’t bounce back as well as we did in our younger days.  I wish you well and improved health, Mike.

[Nacho Z]

On 12/13/2024 at 4:09 PM, Kromolly said:

Very timely subject for me.  I've been away from the forum and the hobby for a few years as we prepared for retirement.  We retired earlier this year, sold our home on the left coast and moved to the northern plains.  This was a big undertaking.  We had house projects to finish, work to do on the new place 1,400 miles away, and a lot of stuff to move.  My wife and I moved everything ourselves, just the two of us, five semi loads over two years.  We retired to a beautiful old farmstead with acreage.  We both stay busy with multiple hobbies.  We will be gardening and canning, raising chickens, maintaining property, and enjoying peace and solitude.  We haven't had TV in at least 5 years and don't want it.  It's a tremendous time waster.  We have plenty to keep us busy.  Absolutely no regrets about retiring and wish we could have done it sooner.

That sounds amazing, Roy!  It also sounds like quite the undertaking!  I was born and raised in North Dakota and that is what I think of when I read northern plains.  I absolutely agree with you about the TV.  I have said it elsewhere in this thread, I truly don’t watch much TV.  Mostly the local news and weather and then one of the 30 minute national news broadcasts.  I do watch racing and football when our University team is playing.  We also catch a few NFL games.  That is it.  It sounds like you have a wonderful retirement strategy.  Peace and solitude, physically active, and hopefully stress free.  My best to you!

[bobss396]

19 hours ago, Nacho Z said:

I’m sorry to see that you are having health issues, Mike.  Your case is like I said in my previous post.  I’m in good health but that can all change in one doctor’s visit.  An unfortunate fact of life is we just don’t bounce back as well as we did in our younger days.  I wish you well and improved health, Mike.

Going back to 2012, 1 annual check-up can = 6 months of doctor visits. 

I have been using my heart doctor quite a bit, I had a falling out with my primary care doctor during the Covid days. 

I need the "up periscope" test done, my ENT saw signs if acid reflux, although I feel fine. Many years back I was constantly plagued with crippling heartburn. These days, I may get it 2x a year.

I have to be careful to take my morning medications AFTER I eat, or else I'm running to the head.

My dad had diverticulitis big time. My last "up periscope" test showed I had signs of it. I recall him having issues with food when he was barely 50 years old, maybe even younger. Everything my mom cooked was bland, zero spices. One guy I know had surgery last year for it and he is under 50. He was prone to serious infections and they removed 18" of his plumbing.

[Kromolly]

On 12/15/2024 at 9:20 AM, Nacho Z said:

That sounds amazing, Roy!  It also sounds like quite the undertaking!  I was born and raised in North Dakota and that is what I think of when I read northern plains.  I absolutely agree with you about the TV.  I have said it elsewhere in this thread, I truly don’t watch much TV.  Mostly the local news and weather and then one of the 30 minute national news broadcasts.  I do watch racing and football when our University team is playing.  We also catch a few NFL games.  That is it.  It sounds like you have a wonderful retirement strategy.  Peace and solitude, physically active, and hopefully stress free.  My best to you!

Well that's it, my witness protection cover is blown.  🤣  Yep, North Dakota.  It's a state with a lot of out-migration that, as I understanded it, is due mostly to the demise of the family farm and the harsh winter climate.  Our attitude was that we have plenty of hobbies that can be done in heated spaces including heated shop buildings already on the property.  We really enjoyed the long warm summer this year.  Winter will be equally long, probably longer.  The people around us are polite and kind.  There's a refreshing sense of community that I'm not yet accustomed to.  Great to hear from someone who grew up in this legendary state! 

[James2]

On the other hand, I have no plan to retire. I just turned 64 and every morning wake up well before the alarm, make coffee, get dressed and go to work. Not saying I wouldn't retire just don't have the plan (need) to....

[Bills72sj]

8 hours ago, James2 said:

On the other hand, I have no plan to retire. I just turned 64 and every morning wake up well before the alarm, make coffee, get dressed and go to work. Not saying I wouldn't retire just don't have the plan (need) to....

Same age. Similar routine. If I was not happily married I could retire now. However, aging women are expensive. So I shall keep on working. I like the challenge.

[bobss396]

18 hours ago, James2 said:

On the other hand, I have no plan to retire. I just turned 64 and every morning wake up well before the alarm, make coffee, get dressed and go to work. Not saying I wouldn't retire just don't have the plan (need) to....

You are among the lucky. My job got 2x more stressful after I turned 60. Likely contributed to my heart attack in 2016. 

I got to the point where I KNEW it was time to plot my escape. You will know when you get there.

[RSchnell]

That's part of my retirement plan is to relocate like some of y'all have done. I'm 8th generation Florida native and this constant influx of people has ruined what used to make Florida so nice. You don't smell the orange blossoms in the summer & you don't smell the packing houses in the winter because there is no citrus left.  My family owned numerous groves & as a kid we used to ride horses all day through the groves, even hog hunting on horseback(they will destroy a grove if you let them). Come back to the barn for a supper of smoked mullet. I felt lucky to have been part of "Old Florida".

Everything is getting plowed over for subdivisions. The roads are crowded and the people have gotten more rude. Been looking at southern Georgia or Alabama. Some little small town where I can drive a Model A as a daily driver if I wanted to. Like I did down here 30 yrs ago before the place got to crowded!

[Ace-Garageguy]

7 minutes ago, RSchnell said:

...this constant influx of people has ruined what used to make (place your location here) so nice...

Everything is getting plowed over for subdivisions. The roads are crowded and the people have gotten more rude...

Same thing's happened here, and is beginning to take over the place I'm in out in AZ.

The county I'm in here in GA was mostly farms when I arrived. 5 minutes, you were out of town and into sparsely traveled but well maintained rural roads, real sports car country.

Now it takes two hours to get out of the urban sprawl, and driving anything interesting is just begging to have some texting moron or uninsured newcomer destroy it...as has happened to several folks I know.

Too many stupid people ruin everything.

[imarriedawitch]

Retired in 2011 at 55 years old when I reached my 90 factor. Good job, union wages, 99% indoors and no heavy lifting with all the unsupervised OT you could wish for. With only being 55 I wasn't obligated to go but new technology was coming into the department that would reduce the staff from 6 down to 3 so they really, really needed me to go so they had to buy me out on top of my full pension.

[RSchnell]

9 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Same thing's happened here, and is beginning to take over the place I'm in out in AZ.

The county I'm in here in GA was mostly farms when I arrived. 5 minutes, you were out of town and into sparsely traveled but well maintained rural roads, real sports car country.

Now it takes two hours to get out of the urban sprawl, and driving anything interesting is just begging to have some texting moron or uninsured newcomer destroy it...as has happened to several folks I know.

Too many stupid people ruin everything.

I grew up right smack between Tampa & Orlando. They are just about connected to each other by development now. Moved to the east coast to fulfill one of my bucket list jobs(I can now say my paint work is going to space!), but now that I'm working remote I keep thinking the move is going to happen sooner than later. It's time to find a place where there's no snowbirds, tourists, etc. They get more rude & entitled every year. 

[Bills72sj]

12 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Same thing's happened here, and is beginning to take over the place I'm in out in AZ.

The county I'm in here in GA was mostly farms when I arrived. 5 minutes, you were out of town and into sparsely traveled but well maintained rural roads, real sports car country.

Now it takes two hours to get out of the urban sprawl, and driving anything interesting is just begging to have some texting moron or uninsured newcomer destroy it...as has happened to several folks I know.

Too many stupid people ruin everything.

I feel sorry for you. I live in Salem, Oregon. I frequently take my car out to the back roads in my county yes 5-10 minutes away from my house. No, traffic, twisty with lots of hills with farms and forest. Heck, I can even exceed triple digits in many of the farming areas in the valley.

[bobss396]

We were down in Miami a few years back. I ran into someone from Long Island and he had the usual wise crack about the Long Island Expressway traffic.

I asked him if he teleported or took a helicopter to the beach... all I got was crickets.

I have never seen traffic as bad as South Florida has. Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach.. all 10x worse than any traffic outside of midtown Manhattan. 

My friends on the Florida west coast call the east coast the "insane" coast. They were always trying to get me to move down by them.