Happy thread

[Newportnobby]

Having taken early retirement just over a year ago, I wonder how I ever found time to go to work. Ease yourself into it and eventually your body clock will stop waking you up at silly o'clock
It's so good to be able to do things like gardening and laundry when you know the weather is right rather than have such things dictated by work commitments.

Although I'm limited to a small pension and savings, I still maintain it was the best thing I ever did

Enjoy!

[Malc]

I finally retired in January (3rd attempt as people kept forcing money in my hand) and I don't know now how I found time to go to work. I still wake up early, but turn over and go back to sleep unti 8 o'clock. I have jobs to do, of course, but as Mick says, do them as and when, not as work dictates. Only 2 years to go to get my state pension, if it still exists by then.

[Tdm]

Having taken early retirement just over a year ago, I wonder how I ever found time to go to work. Ease yourself into it and eventually your body clock will stop waking you up at silly o'clock
It's so good to be able to do things like gardening and laundry when you know the weather is right rather than have such things dictated by work commitments.
Although I'm limited to a small pension and savings, I still maintain it was the best thing I ever did
Enjoy!

I was lucky I was offered early retirement/redundancy back in 1994 when I was only 51 with an Index Linked Pension package calculated on the basis I had worked 10 years longer than I actually had.

Taking what was on offer was the best decision I ever made, and even though in 1999 I got a little bored and took on a job as a Rural Postman (a 6 week contract that lasted 5 years), I have never regretted either decision.

I only gave up being a Rural Postman when we emigrated in 2004, and nowadays the time just seems to fly by and I wonder how I ever found time to work before.

I think it does help living in a Country with an excellent climate, and where the cost of living is much lower than in the U.K., and I can hardly believe it is now 20 years since I gave up my Occupational job as an I.T. Manager.

I am never bored in Tenerife, if not swimming and sunbathing, I am playing snooker twice a week, and my wife and I also run a weekly "fun" quiz in our complex, and also help out with the entertainment arrangements in the Bar. In between I may be going for a top down ride in my Classic Car or "playing" with my trains, and we regularly dine out as it is not expensive to eat out "Al Fresco" style which is the norm here.

Occasionally we do have some work to do as we own a couple of holiday apartments as well as the one we live in, and they do need some attention and maintenance every now and again.

Life is short - be happy and make the most of your retirement.

[Jerry Howlett]

Retirement ?  Never been busier well sort of.

It was October 2005 when I cut and ran from the computerised Rail Industry.  despite retiring to Europe we have picked a climate that still stays British, its hot in the summer and so**ing cold in winter.

My day consists of getting up (that's a good start) TEA more TEA and a wee breaky, walk the dog, alas we are down to one but as soon as Mrs "H" gets past this cancer sh*** we will be adopting a new one. Shopping if we need it followed by trains, Beer, lunch trains, take dog out again and then I normally cook dinner. We lunch out when we feel like it (its cheap here E10 2 courses including wine). I have noticed some great deals in the UK do you have a weatherspoons nearby ?
Anyway the basis of this rambling is to say 9 years on and I am still not bored. Oh and the layout is nowhere near finished....

Happy retirement Mr 37025
Jerry

[mr bachmann]

crawled out from under the car clutching a 1950's Lockheed master cylinder - not much left of it -manufactures have it some 4 inch off the front wheel , needles to say it was a hunk of rust , but it wasn't leaking !!!
now off to the local motor factors to cheer them up and to be asked 100's of questions 

alan

[Skyline2uk]

boxed set of NCIS

Ah, another fan of "Gibs Rules"....

...Not quite sure how this one got its claws into me, but on series 5 now and enjoying every disk 

Skyline2uk

[guest311]

think it's just the way the characters work together, can't stand the other off shoots of it.

[railsquid]

Just got my credit card bill for last month, which is when I rediscovered this hobby with a vengeance, and may also have been technically guilty of being drunk in charge of an internet connection while brandishing a credit card.

The bill was way less than I feared 

[Papyrus]

Well, it's arrived at last.

last shift tonight, then 7.00am see my manager, hand in my uniform, pass and ID card, and that's it, all over.

so what faces me now 

well, there's the the boxed set of Morse, boxed set of Lewis, boxed set of NCIS, boxed set of Porridge, even a DVD of Get some in, all to be watched, preferably while inbibing a wee dram or two, purely medicinal of course 

then there's all the plans on paper to be turned into reality of wood and track in the sheds 

gardening, exercising the dogs, an 8 1/2 year old shepherd and a 15 month old husky, a bit of decorating ......

and of course, there is always the 'working as directed by SWMBO'   

sounds like I may need more than a wee dram.

still, it will be nice not to have to work nights any more, the rest will fall into place I'm sure.

10 hours to go, not that I'm counting of course

I retired exactly a year ago, and like Newportnobby and others, it was the best thing I ever did. My other half still works part-time (until we have the money for a new kitchen, she says...), so there's just me, the dog and the cat in the mornings. I find I never have enough time to do everything - my layout is barely started! Of course, there are all the jobs round the house I said I would do "once I'm retired", and I still haven't done them all. I never turn the TV on - my one 'time-waster' is this forum! I enjoyed my job (42 years as a surveyor), but a couple of months after I left, I thought to myself - I really don't miss it. The only problem with retirement as far as I can see is that you can't go back to work on Monday for a rest...

Enjoy your retirement - you've earned it!

Chris

[Newportnobby]

I never turn the TV on

Sunday I watched 7 hours of Championship Road Race from Spain and, after a quick dinner, 4 hours of American Football from Wembley.
Why? Because I can
Sunday would normally be taken up by getting things ready for a weeks work - ironing, shoe polishing, last minute homework etc

The only issue I have with being retired is losing track of the days so I've had to use a calendar - with pics of British steam locos, of course!

[Tdm]

Retirement Calendar: 

I too lose track of days sometimes, I just have to try and remember the weekly schedule that I have in my head which is :-.

# Monday - Set up the sound equipment for the artist who sings in our Bar at 9pm in the evening, and put it away again when the Bar shuts.
# Tuesday - Have a lie in and take some tablets for the hangover I have from drinking too much the night before.
# Wednesday - Play snooker with some fellow residents 11am till 1pm, and in the afternoon usually adjourn to my store room to work on my Layout.
# Thursday - Usually spend the day by the Pool - sunbathing, swimming, and reading unless have other commitments.
# Friday - Good night to go out for a meal with friends, some place where the food is good and there is some entertainment.
# Saturday - Snooker again in the morning, and go to the Bar alternate Saturday evenings when there is a good singer performing, then Match of the Day.
# Sunday - Spend some time at the Pool, or go for a ride, and later watch a live football match on Sky Sports if there are 2 good teams playing, and/or the Formula 1 Grand Prix race.


               

[MikeDunn]

The train now arriving is the LNER P2 "'male chicken' (changed by forum) O'The North" fitted with TTS 

Visually, very nice indeed   I'll test the running & the new new sound chip tonight 

SWMBO got the call from the model shop just before lunch ... just after lunch she was on the train to Hereford to get it ! 

[guest311]

boxed set of NCIS

Ah, another fan of "Gibs Rules"....

...Not quite sure how this one got its claws into me, but on series 5 now and enjoying every disk 

Skyline2uk

don't know if you've seen this

http://ncis.wikia.com/wiki/Gibbs%27s_Rules

cheers

alan

[daveg]

I took early retirement 3 years ago come next Feb and don't miss the pressure and angst one bit! There are a few people from the old place I do wish I saw more often but they're still at the coalface Monday to Friday, poor things!

The last 9 months or so has been taken up with getting the house ready for sale.

That sadly involved packing all the layout away and working my tail off doing/finishing the stuff I should've been doing over the last 6 years while living here.

I can only blame you guys as you encouraged me no end to get on and enjoy my renewed interest in N gauge! 

We are now packed up and ready to move. Trouble is, someone in the chain still isn't and that's a real PITA. Surrounded by boxes in every room. Quite a few are labelled 'Railway'. 

Big plans (N gauge and other stuff) once we're settled in when I shall go back to having fun and enjoying my retirement.

Dave G

[Malc]

I seem to remember that you are relocating to our neck of the woods Dave? Hope all goes smoothly and in the very near future.