No More!

[mtgianni]

Congratulations, and best wishes for a long and happy retirement.

I retired in 2004, after 30 years' service as a firefighter, and immediately started what was I thought was going to be my "retirement job", but which has turned into a second career. I'll turn 70 in a few weeks, and have no plans to pull the plug yet, despite being far and away the oldest guy in my office...I tell people that I love what I do, they pay me well for it, and my co-workers are like family.

I do get to have fun, though. My supervisor, who was a year younger than I am, retired 18 months ago. At his going away party, our Director asked me when we'd be having such a party for me. I told him it could be any day, or next month, or in three years...since every day I go to work I'm on "KMA Time"...

I'll never forget the look on his face when he asked what KMA Time is, and I explained it to him...

I replaced a man who was the old guy on the crew. When asked when he was going to retire he said "A couple more years or the next time they tick me off". He didn't make it the couple more years. As a young man I used to laugh at that. When I turned 60 I knew just what he meant.

 

[Beemerguy53]

I replaced a man who was the old guy on the crew. When asked when he was going to retire he said "A couple more years or the next time they tick me off". He didn't make it the couple more years. As a young man I used to laugh at that. When I turned 60 I knew just what he meant.

I first heard the term KMA Time from my Dad. He was a chemical engineer for the US Navy, and when he had 25 years' service, he came home from work and announced that he was now officially on KMA Time...that the first day he went to work, and didn't want to be there, he could tell his boss to...

He retired with something like 37 years, 11 months, and 10 days on the job. When I asked him why he didn't stay another 3 weeks and make it an even 38 years, he smiled and replied "Because I didn't want to!"

 

[quikdraw67]

I'm 55, and I'm not ready to retire by a long shot.

But. as I posted here before, we want to move and both do something different.

My Dad retired at 62, and by 64 he was back working part time, this time just being an Indian and not a Chief. He stayed part time until he was 72, and them said it's time.

Congrats, I hope it all goes well for the OP.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

When I was in the Navy we said short timers had a Gaff attitude. In
our spaces we had a year calendar that guys put their name on when
they had a year or less, most updated it daily.

 

[SMSgt]

Now you'll have all the time in the world to do absolutely nothing.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I did or supervised apartment maintenance for 44 years. Done in 2013! I get to fix my bathroom sink drain and reload tomorrow!

Enjoying the good life. 4 grandkids born since I retired, that has been a riot!

Ivan

 

[SMSgt]

When the wife tells me to go do something, I go to the Tiki bar and do some drinking. She told me to.

 

[Golddollar]

Now you'll have all the time in the world to do absolutely nothing.

And sometimes you need it.

 

[wundudnee]

I helped build a DuPont plant then went to work there. After thirty seven years the plant closed down. At the time of the shut down I was working in the power plant and was working the day it shut down. I liked saying I built the plant and got to shut it down. When the plant was running we treated three million gallons of water a day and then treated the effluent to the river. We also treated the water with chlorine in the 1000 pound tanks. changing the tanks was always a two man job. I did get a quick hiss on a change and I am a believer in that personal exposure limit (if you can smell it, it's over the limit.) I had a class 1 water cert and a class 1 waste water cert. We treated water and sent it next door to Kansas Power and Light for their boilers. They then sent us back steam to run the air and chiller turbines and plant process.

I had to take my retirement at 57 years old and hated it. I enjoyed the work.

I went to work for the State of Kansas as a boiler operator for seven years. I really liked the work, the politics sucked. I retired from that at 64 years old.
At my retirement get together my boss came up and told me "You're not going to believe this, but I'm going to miss you." I told him "Why wouldn't I believe you, I'm the best you've got." I miss the work, not the BS.

 

[sheepdawg]

The first Monday morning after you retire is what dreams are made of.

 

[soFlaNative]

We also treated the water with chlorine in the 1000 pound tanks. changing the tanks was always a two man job. I did get a quick hiss on a change and I am a believer in that personal exposure limit (if you can smell it, it's over the limit.)

Excellent rule of thumb. I guessing the 1K cylinders were vertical and I would prefer to have a second hand on that task.


If you can believe, I counted on a quick hiss when disconnecting from the minuscule amount of gas trapped between the cylinder and yoke valves. I would never trust the cylinder valve being completely closed until I heard it with my own ears.

 

[Golddollar]

The first Monday morning after you retire is what dreams are made of.

Or whatever the next business day is. Mine was January 2, 2016.

 

[Krogen]

Congratulations, soFlaNative! Retirement can be a new beginning, if you make it that way. The great thing is that it's all in your control, and perhaps the influence from the other humanoid sharing your existence.

I pulled the pin in June of 2022. It was a little early, but I was ready. I spent the last 26 years in aerospace, concluding my career in the Research and Technology group. As you might expect, I loved the work and most of the people. I grew weary of the corporate shenanigans.

Keeping contact with old friends still in the company has only solidified my decision. I hear of the goings-on and I just shake my head. It seems worse than when I lived it, but maybe it was just my thick skin at the time. No matter, it's behind me; and I'm happy I exited the place.

As others have said, one needs somewhere to jump; and land. In my case, I already had outside interests and I stepped up my involvement. Other interests that had been back-burnered are moving to the forefront. It only took me a couple of days for it to sink in. By the time Monday rolled around, it felt like the summer vacations of my childhood. The key difference was that I didn't -ever- have to go back to school in the fall. Woo Hoo! A fresh start on a new life!

All the best to you! Let us know how it goes as you get your oars in the water.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Some people say they would have nothing to do.....Been retired since Feb. 2014......As to things to do. Mrs SC Hunter, John Deere, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Winchester, Colt and Duracraft boats all keep me with things to stay busy. I thank my Maker every night for this retired health and life.

 

[bigmtnman]

You are not well and truly "retired" until you realize that Saturday and Sunday have become the two most annoying days of the week