Do you ever get it all figured out or mostly figured out?

[bigtiller]

I have lived within 3 miles of my birth-home my entire life. MY plan is to stay here until the end.

 

[ultrarunner]

I have lived within 3 miles of my birth-home my entire life. MY plan is to stay here until the end.

Except for being born in the next county I have lived within 10 miles and taking away the first 9 years it would be 3 miles… not counting work assignments.

 

[2manyrocks]

I have a relative who once told me that once you have your sails set just right to catch the wind, the wind changes.

 

[ultrarunner]

Another thought that crossed my mind is from speaking with neighbors that have left.

Everyone said they loved the neighborhood and most liked their home but the deciding factor in whether to stay or go is being comfortable growing old here.

Maybe that is the real question?

On a side note about 2019 being great is the transit agency just published data saying current 2024 ridership is only a 45% of 2019 ridership… says a lot and not mention to nearly 2 billion in federal funding soon to be exhausted.

 

[ultrarunner]

I have a relative who once told me that once you have your sails set just right to catch the wind, the wind changes.

Can I use this?

 

[MossRoad]

Interesting thread. The trouble is that, like I suspect many here, I only find tranquility and happiness in working hard on projects and chores. As much as I tell myself I'm doing all this work for some end goal, the reality is that sitting poolside and relaxing for more than a few minutes in the evening is misery to me. Maybe that will change with age, but age 50 years now, I suspect not.

If I have any inclination toward clinical depression, it's tied to the day I wake up and have no plans or goals.

Speaking of projects....

We worked hard to put in a nice above ground swimming pool, deck, patio, plantings, sound system, etc... all just my wife and I, and now we take time to enjoy it every summer.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All play and no work makes Jack a jerk.

Gotta have some work/fun balance.

If work IS your fun, then you're good to go.

 

[tradosaurus]

Can I use this?

A similar saying one can find on the internet is:

You can't change the wind, but you can adjust the sails​

 

[ultrarunner]

projects on my timeline are often fun and rewarding… as opposed to projects on the timeline of someone else.

Lots of satisfaction gained from a well done project.

I was thinking back to dads friends and their retirement move and it was the wife behind it because her husband was retired but always getting called in to solve problems at the plant where he retired as superintendent.

Wife said the only way to break free is relocation and she was right and they had 20 good years post move and bought that motor home they had always talked about and throughly enjoyed their travels reconnecting with old friends and family… with many in and around Kokomo… she said I got my husband back!

 

[Torvy]

Wife and I both moved around a lot as kids. We've been together for 34 years in 4 states. 3 of them have no state income tax. We came to Texas more deliberately as a place we could eventually retire. We were about 40 when we got here.

The last move was to our final home. We don't always agree, but our retirement goals aligned well. Small country acreage in a state and locality that fits our values.

We tried to get into the PNW a few times as 2 older sisters live there and other family as well. I couldn't live there anymore. It is nothing close to how it was in the 80s.

 

[MossRoad]

I have lived within 3 miles of my birth-home my entire life. MY plan is to stay here until the end.

Our first house was 3.25 miles from the house I was born in.
That was a different zip code!

Our current home is 2.5 miles from it and back in my original zip code.

We still have the same phone number from when we got married in 1985.

 

[ultrarunner]

Me too on the landline from 1983… should be free after 40 years or at least get rid of the toll zones that kick in about 5 miles out.

 

[MossRoad]

Another thought that crossed my mind is from speaking with neighbors that have left.

Everyone said they loved the neighborhood and most liked their home but the deciding factor in whether to stay or go is being comfortable growing old here.

Maybe that is the real question?

On a side note about 2019 being great is the transit agency just published data saying current 2024 ridership is only a 45% of 2019 ridership… says a lot and not mention to nearly 2 billion in federal funding soon to be exhausted.

Wonder if that has anything to do with working from home?

 

[MossRoad]

Me too on the landline from 1983… should be free after 40 years or at least get rid of the toll zones that kick in about 5 miles out.

We had our landline moved to a cell phone years ago. Mostly just for nostalgia. It's a fun number.

An old iPhone 6 sits in the dining room permanently plugged into a charger. The only ones that call it are my mother in-law, one of our kids (just for fun) and people that want to buy our home or ask for donations.

What's nice is that phone is bluetooth paired to our cell phones, so if it rings, our phones rings, too and we don't have to walk in there to get it.

We used to have a set of 3 cordless phones in the house that the base station was paired to the cell phone. So they'd ring in basement, garage and dining room. But no need for those anymore.

 

[ultrarunner]

For several most definitely yes.


Thirty something professionals in tech working in the SF Bay Area found they could basically work anywhere with good connectivity which could mean cheaper, scenic, recreational, etc.

One of my friends had a cabin in Nevada and moved there during work at home and loved every minute of it.

I kept an eye on their Oakland home.

He got great reviews and very productive until one morning his supervisor texted and said regional here this afternoon so all hands on deck and my friend said sorry can’t make it… with the reason getting out he was hundreds of miles away in the next state.

HR had a fit as working outside California introduced all kinds of work rules and Cartier tax implications.

Friend was told he couldn’t work in Nevada because the company has only California employees.

Company stood firm so friend resigned and sold his Oakland home.

No regrets and said they probably would have never sold but when pushed it just made sense.

 

[ultrarunner]

We had our landline moved to a cell phone years ago. Mostly just for nostalgia. It's a fun number.

An old iPhone 6 sits in the dining room permanently plugged into a charger. The only ones that call it are my mother in-law, one of our kids (just for fun) and people that want to buy our home or ask for donations.

What's nice is that phone is bluetooth paired to our cell phones, so if it rings, our phones rings, too and we don't have to walk in there to get it.

We used to have a set of 3 cordless phones in the house that the base station was paired to the cell phone. So they'd ring in basement, garage and dining room. But no need for those anymore.

I just replaced the battery in my iPhone 6s yesterday… should be good for another 8 years and using it now.

 

[tradosaurus]

I had hoped with maturity would come the time to enjoy the fruits of ones labor.

So far the goal has remained elusive.

A few close friends achieved or are close to their ideal but as a group it meant pulling up stakes and getting out of Dodge or more accurately leaving their home state... a few also left but never found what they were looking for...

Getting out often comes at a steep price and I'm curious how many here stayed put compared to those that liquidated and simplified elsewhere in their golden years?

And if relocating did you significantly downsize as part of your move?

Aside from tractors some of the threads I enjoy most are threads where folks follow their dream and build that house in the country with the barn, pond and neighbors good but not close...

My wife went back to work at age 50 after most of the kids were grown. This allowed us at age 53 to find a house with land out in the country within a short drive to work (we both work at the same facility) and a good school system for the remaining two kids. Starting over buying a house was concerning but our goal is to have it paid off by age 64.
We didn't move far from our last place and are both born and raised in Texas. The kids that moved on have no interest in living in our part of the world and I'm happy for them.
This is our retirement home and I hope my final resting place.

 

[MossRoad]

For several most definitely yes.


Thirty something professionals in tech working in the SF Bay Area found they could basically work anywhere with good connectivity which could mean cheaper, scenic, recreational, etc.

One of my friends had a cabin in Nevada and moved there during work at home and loved every minute of it.

I kept an eye on their Oakland home.

He got great reviews and very productive until one morning his supervisor texted and said regional here this afternoon so all hands on deck and my friend said sorry can’t make it… with the reason getting out he was hundreds of miles away in the next state.

HR had a fit as working outside California introduced all kinds of work rules and Cartier tax implications.

Friend was told he couldn’t work in Nevada because the company has only California employees.

Company stood firm so friend resigned and sold his Oakland home.

No regrets and said they probably would have never sold but when pushed it just made sense.

That's interesting.

I know many people that live in Michigan, but work from home for Indiana companies and vice versa. Of course, all of them are within about a 45 minute drive or less, as we're right on the border with each other.

 

[ultrarunner]

Texas very much a popular relocation destination for Californians.

My last purchase with a 15 year mortgage is being paid down ahead of schedule to coincide with possible retirement.

I don’t want house payments in retirement.

 

[MossRoad]

I just replaced the battery in my iPhone 6s yesterday… should be good for another 8 years and using it now.

So funny story....

I change batteries in cell phones myself. The battery in the iPhone was starting to swell. So I bought a new battery, backed the phone up, powered it off, opened up the phone, and there's supposed to be some sticky tape like a command strip holding the battery in place. You pull the strip out from under the battery and it should just zip right out. Nope. It broke off immediately, probably due to the heat of the swelling battery.

So I take some small spudgers and carefully start to pry the battery out. I hear a small click! and the battery ever so slightly bent.

Then an orange spot appeared at the small crease and smoke!

Started getting bigger and smoking harder, so I figured to heck with care, and yanked that thing out of there.

Threw the battery in an ash bucket and ran it out of the house. Threw it in a frozen bird bath and it melted a hole through the ice and sat there for about 5 minutes smoking with an orange glow under the ice.

Yikes!

 

[riptides]

For several most definitely yes.


Thirty something professionals in tech working in the SF Bay Area found they could basically work anywhere with good connectivity which could mean cheaper, scenic, recreational, etc.

One of my friends had a cabin in Nevada and moved there during work at home and loved every minute of it.

I kept an eye on their Oakland home.

He got great reviews and very productive until one morning his supervisor texted and said regional here this afternoon so all hands on deck and my friend said sorry can’t make it… with the reason getting out he was hundreds of miles away in the next state.

HR had a fit as working outside California introduced all kinds of work rules and Cartier tax implications.

Friend was told he couldn’t work in Nevada because the company has only California employees.

Company stood firm so friend resigned and sold his Oakland home.

No regrets and said they probably would have never sold but when pushed it just made sense.

My work is all remote until reporting is due. My coworkers took advantage of remote and went remote all over the world. They absorb the cost of world travel for reporting purpose. Even write it off. Smart people. Happy people.

Let's all sing Shiney Happy People....