General question : Retired or not?

[newbury]

When I started this thread I expected to get about 10 or 20 responses and hoped to be able to gauge what the % of the board was retired.
Based on what I've read about half of us are in the "retired" category.

Now I never thought retired meant NOT WORKING. I plan on working my butt off when I retire, but not for someone who can fire me. My present job involves a lot of travel, which (until i figured I'd seen most of the world) was great. But now I'm getting ready to try and improve 300 acres in Mississippi.

Tractor time is smile time.

Funny, when I was growing up my father got me hired me by a farmer for a summer. Made me look around and decide I did not want to work like that.
Now I'm looking forward to doing about the same thing.

So peeps, please keep contributing to this thread, again I'm most interested in your user name and retirement status, but all the stories are great.

 

[Motorcop]

I plan to retire sometime in the next 5-9 years. By that time I will have 31-35 years with the PD and will be somewhere between 51-56 years old (46 now). I started with the department as a really young pup and just kind of stayed there like a fixture (hit 26 years this week). Love my job (If you like what you do, you'll never work a day in your career). Hate the politics. But I guess those are in any job.

 

[newbury]

<snip>If you like what you do, you'll never work a day in your career). Hate the politics. But I guess those are in any job.

And that's the grist - Sometimes I wondered why they paid me for the fun I had. Now the "regulators" are coming in and making it a JOB!

 

[flusher]

From another thread:


How many of us are doing this as "retired"?
I'm almost there and looking forward.
I know it's a big difference from holding down a 50 hr/week job and having to squeeze "seat time" in on the odd hour, or having "seat time" as a business.
/edit - retired = OOF - Official Old F@rt

That's me--a genuine OOF.

Retired in Jan97 after 32 years working as an aerospace engineer. Moved from So. CA in 2004 to No. CA, bought 10 acres, got my first tractor (2005 Kubota B7510HST), started haying last year. Joined the EDGE/TA local chapter last year and am deep into tractor and haying implement restoration projects. Now have 4 tractors (2008 Mahindra 5525, 1964 MF-135 diesel, 1951 Farmall Super A, 1951Minneapolist Moline BF that's now being restored). Looking for a used gooseneck trailer to haul my old tractors around with my F150.

 

[Iowachild]

I presently have 36 years and 4 months at the oil refinery I work for. 4 years, 7months, 6 days to go. But then who's counting?

 

[ragkar]

Your hobbies will change with retirement. One friend of mine use to spend every moment possible on the golf links. When he retired, he gave up golf. His explanation: a hobby is something that you steal time to indulge in. When you can do it all the time it is no longer a hobby.

 

[milkman]

I retired in '80, then in Jan '89 I decided to do what I wanted to do when I completed high school, I started driving a truck. Two years later I bought my own truck and had a bunch of good luck and made some good money. I retired again in '04 when I had to have shoulder surgery. Three surgeries on my left and two on my right shoulders and two kidney stones later, I'm ready to go again. I've had three different job offers, but I don't have time to work now.

 

[JAE 3400]

I will be retired two years come Sept. I worked 31 years for two different railroads spent a lot of time away from home and missed a lot of the kids school things but it provided a good living for us,and now the pension is great. Now when I work now its when I want to and doing what I enjoy [seat time] on my new L 3400.

 

[avgguy]

Been retired for 3 yrs, retired at 55. Seems like 55 is the goal for retirement for most. Been very busy at doing what I want, when I want........... well, ok, what and when SHE wants me to do it. Got a B2400 and ZD21 myself and son keeps his B3030 here, so I got plenty of toys to keep me smiling. and 20 acres of playground, lol.

 

[gordyy]

I am 52
Have been Partially disabled on and off since 1998 when an accident at work crushed my knee, a lot of doctor visits, tests, physical theraphy (lets just say Workers Compensation called the medical shots) finally the first arthoscopic exploratory surgery in 2006, and then several fix it surgeries. Finally a new knee, then a workers comp ordered fuctional test to see how bad I really was ( a fraud test they say) in which my knee cap was broken ( one of those you have to try, you cant just say no it hurts. try in front of us or we stop your compensation $$) Another surgery, apply for Social security find out I have not enough money to be comforatble but too much for anything but just the $ paid for no work. Got a list of assets a person can own and found out I can have a really big garden tractor to use on the house and yard and consider it part of the household assets, so I bought the SCUT that fits my leg best, did a little modifying on the seat and controls so I can use it.
The doctor says I can sit on it all I want as long as I don't feel pain.
Can maybe work my way up to 15 or 20 hours a week (Doc figures I can never sit or stand in one position to be able to work more than that at any job ever again)
Sure beats going to school to be a telemarketer like work comp wants
I can make more than $8.45 per hour on this and still be outside and having fun

Now just have to figure out if I want to live in a trailer on my acres ( Ifigure the odds of me making enough to build a real house ever are slim or none. but I dream of building a 60 'X 100' building with house, heated shop, and cold storage all in one) or staying in town where help if and when I need it are near.
The biggest problem with a disablility I have are being a fairly large strong guy is 4 years ago I could pick up 500lbs and move it now I am not supposed to carry 2 gallons of milk at a time.

Oh well all I can say is spending $20,000 on a TOY Tractor has been better than spending it on a shrink for depression (workers comp doesnt help with that either )
I sit on my tractor and grin from the moment I open the garage door till I close it behind me