It seems the fad here to say things like this. But on June 28th, 2010 I retired. I've become just as lazy as possible. I get up when I want or when my wife decides to yell at me. Then she has to deal with a really grumpy old man. I do pretty much as I please. Some days that is nothing worthwhile at all. Other days I play with my grandkids. She calls it babysitting, but they're no longer babies.

For all those working years my feet hit the floor running. I was always the fool who got there first. Opened the plant, shut down the alarm and turned on the lights. Then instead of my job, I wandered around for about 15 minutes looking for things that weren't right. Only then would I go to my office and see what trouble I had in front of me. If I was lucky, I could then get in a couple of hours work before the troublemakers showed up. Usually asking me to do something that wasn't my job because they were too sorry to figure it out themselves.

But for all those years, I left early. Not real early, but maybe 15 minutes to avoid the rush. One day the company owner asked me why I had to jump and run early every day. I told him it was because I got in a couple of hours early, and leaving 15 minutes early got me home early. So he asked why I needed to come that early, and I told him it was when the work needed to be done. He accepted the answer because it was also why I'd show up on the weekends, too.

So now I feel I've earned the right to be lazy. Just like all the others seemed to be all the time. One time I saw the owner at a gun show! He asked why I wasn't working. So I was a snot and said the same reason he wasn't.

And it feels good. My tidbit of wisdom is that no one, on his death bed, says he wished he'd worked just a few years more. Retire when you can. Trust me, you'll find a whole lot of things to do you couldn't do when working. You've arrived when you just don't care what others think. Oh, I can get up early, but don't want to. Say for a gun show or something like it that's really important.

__________________
Dick Burg

As the current "first guy in the office" titleholder, I'm with you on leaving early-and I do. The client gets grumpy about me accruing hours in excess of the 40 hour week (oh, the horror!) so when I arrive at 6:30am and drive on through lunch, I'm outta there around 3...which leaves a couple perfectly good afternoon hours for errands, housework and occasional tomfoolery.
This week, that's dog sitting a coworker's papillon; we spent a nice hour at the dog park, then went to her favorite pet store and got her a new toy. (Yes, the dog has people
[had to pause there to rub somebody's tummy]
Arrive early, leave early - winner!

__________________
50 Years of DSOTM

Dick, I think you and I are brothers under the skin. I also used to be first one in in the morning. It beat the traffic rush somewhat, and I found I could get more work done without the phone ringing and others running in and out of my office to ask questions or get guidance.

In retirement, though, I find there are many more things to be done than I actually have time for. You would think the opposite would be true, but that's the way it is. More demands on my time, but from different quarters than the workaday world.

Still, I get a thrill listening to the radio in the morning while the local station's "eye in the sky" is describing all the crinklefenders, rollovers, broken water mains, cut-off arguments and traffic jams on the freeway and suggesting the detours to take to get around them. ...and I thank the good Lord that I'm no longer in those daily messes.

I can also go shooting, shopping or whatever when most folks are at work, and it's not nearly so crowded or frustrating.

"Every day is Saturday."

John

__________________
- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Well Dick, you described me precisely, except I came in 5 mins late and stayed a couple hrs late, getting things done that didn't get done while the whole crew was there.

The first advice from my brother when I retired was "never go to Home Depot on the weekends". It can wait until Monday when the pros who know what they're doing are there and there's at least one employee per customer."

I tentatively scheduled my retirement for May of 2025. I will be 70.

This assumes that I have the mortgage paid off.

And that I can live on my retirement and Social Security (I can work PT if I am up to it.

Oh, and if I'm still alive of course.

__________________
No life story has happy end.

A little over two years for me and I seem to have more to do than I did when employed. The only time my wife uses the endearment, Honey, is when she wants something. Life is actually pretty okay.

DW

__________________
"NUTS"

Mr. Burg, congratulations. It is very well deserved and it seems you have always did what you feel to be right. Good man.

I learned at a young age that a job is a job. Yes, I am loyal. Yes, I am first in, last to go....but it is a job. A job is not a persons life or the yardstick by which to be measured.

Someone once told me when I graduated college, "your life is too short, and your career is too long". Wise words.

I think as important as it is to do what makes you happy, we keep in mind that we are ultimately here to do right by one another (however that may be). Sorry to digress.

Best wishes to you and the family. Always enjoy your posts! Respectfully, TH

__________________
Rather be outdoors

Been out since '04. Still get up at 6am, partly out of habit, partly because Mrs still works full time and moves around the house about as gracefully as SWAT team dynamic entry. After jumping thru hoops the first few years, I've learned I can do as much or as little as I want. Even got used to a little afternoon nap.

Good on ya' Dick.
I retired last year at age 55. Best damn move i ever made.
Like you, i do what I want now. Get up when i want and enjoy
my life. Today i went fishing. I kept looking at the Beauty
all around me from my comfy little chair in the boat.
No schedules to keep, nobody calling me about a report they
needed ASAP. No boss half my age telling me i should be
doing things "this way". I don't care what anybody thinks of
me other than my family and friends.
I'm not on an excersize regiment or a diet.
I'm living my life on my terms from here on out.

Enjoy yourself, be happy and continued good health
in your retirement sir.

Chuck

__________________
They hold no Quarter

Do nothin when you want to... a Great Thing!

I had to retire early in 2002 due to health. It was a bummer, but I did get to raise my boy so good things come out of bad.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I got "Fired" 5 years ago May 11th. I did the 'find another job thing' for a few months, then went into "semi-retirement" and do a little part time, a little pro-bono work, and just do what I want when I want to. If I want another gun find a few odd jobs then go shopping (or buy it, they work off payment). But the best thing of all is when somebody I care about says "I need you", I can be there for them. Weather that is replacing a hot water tank (6 times since I retired) or holding a dying hand in the hospital (2 times) or brightening the day and praying with a sick friend (about 15 times). Nobody is telling I have some dumb meeting I'm required to attend. I am blessed!

Ivan

I also retired six years ago this month.
I have enjoyed every minute of retirement.
For the last two+ years, I have worked part time
in a gun/pawn shop. I actually get paid to stand
around and BS about guns. I tell people they hired
me as resident Philosopher and Political Science Lecturer.

__________________
Georgia On My Mind

I've been retired for 17 years. People that still have to work to get to that point, as I did, really should plan well in advance so they can enjoy a carefree life. I can't describe the feeling you have on the first day of retirement. I thought of the various responsibilities I had, the reports that needed to be done, impossible deadlines to be met and realized I didn't need to do these ever again. That feeling was amazing.

I'm one of those people that get up in the morning whenever I want to. My wife may get up earlier but she shuts the bedroom door knowing I want to sleep in. I watch the news and have my morning coffee, check e-mails and generally think about my plans for the day. I can fit in shooting and other hobbies as I see fit. I can also choose to put things off. My only "boss" is my wife of 47 years and she's the best boss I ever had. We do things together and enjoy every bit of every day.

Dick-long time, no see. I'm going to try to make it to at least one show this summer.

In any case, congratulations on your retirement. From what I've seen and heard from you, you certainly are enjoying it-whether it's playing with your grandkids or deciding where to go for lunch that day.