Retirement

[gbaglo]

The Old Bag set out an ultimatum a couple days ago.

"You are retiring June 1, 2010".

I turned 60 on Dec. 17 and in June 2010 I'll have worked for The Vancouver Sun for 40 years. So, it all makes sense to her. Of course, we're now in the middle of falling real estate values and pension plans in jeopardy. On the other hand, newspapers keep going bankrupt.

So, I think we'll just have to go for it, and take comfort in the fact that we have the Toad. If things get really bad, we'll have a home and maybe we can star in a new reality TV show.

Les can't wait to hook up Toad and head south in the winter.

So, tonight, we turned off the TV and played Scrabble for maybe the third time in 38 years of marriage, preparing for retirement. We suck. It's 161 for me and 134 for her, but we have years to improve.

I'll have to locate a large-print, compact, unabridged Scrabble dictionary to take with us on our travels.

baglo

 

[mosquitodirk]

Congratulations!!

 

[PGDriver]

Well congratulations are in order.

By the way all you need to do is find 2 or 3 new hobbies,
you'll be astounded that you had time to work.

Doug

 

[Sandra L]

Congratulations !
How much added weight will that dictionary be? Do you ever use ai in a pinch?
Sandra

 

[Randya]

Wishing you the best! I have talked to many retirees, their only complaint! Why didn't I do it sooner! ;D

 

[Hokie Escape]

Of course, your first order of business is live until June 1, 2010 : - )

 

[gbaglo]

ai

Now, that pretty much describes me. Not sure I've ever actually used it in a game though.

And, I appreciate all the encouragement on retiring. It's rather scary to contemplate the dramatic drop in gross income, but we can get a bigger, better house on the Island for half what this shack is worth in Vancouver. That'll put some money in the bank and I'll have a room for tying flies and making beer. Maybe even a shop. I can buy a router and make signs for Xmas gifts.....or maybe not.

baglo

 

[PGDriver]

Or you could buy half of Mackenzie..... ;D

 

[gbaglo]

I already tried to sell the Old Bag on Grand Forks or Creston to no avail. I don't think heading north is in the cards. What concerns me is that this place is a tear-down and builders are waiting for a recovery. I'm hoping that by 2010 they'll be interested again.

baglo

 

[Ace Brown]

I retired 5 years ago at age 60 after 37 years with the U S Geological Survey and have been a happy camper ever since. My advice to anyone contemplating the big move, and eligible, why wait, DO IT NOW. Your still young at age 60 and if you still have good health DO IT NOW. I meet people all the time who tell me they plan to retire as soon as they "make their first million", or a grandchild graduates, mariies, has a kid or dozens of other silly reasons. Again I say DO IT NOW. Who knows what tomorow may bring. I had planned to retire at 55 but a divorce stopped that.... who knows what tomorrow may bring!

But I note you have a different situation, planning to build a retirement home. Mainly I am talking about folks contemplating full-timing but are hesitant to cut the strings. Again I advise doing it now while your good health allows. Sometimes I meet really young full-timers, often doing it right after college for a few years, then starting a career. This paralells my suggestion of doing it when you can.

If things get rough some time down the road you can always get a job at Walmart as a customer greeter, or maybe better in your case, delivering newspapers ;D

Ace

 

[escape artist]

Hi: All... :'(Just turned "The BIG 60" myself...yesterday :'(!!! My Dad always said " The world is built backwards" "The weeds grow better than the flowers" SOOO why couldn't we retire @ 20 then start to work @ 45??? That way we could enjoy retirement FIRST... Just a thought.
Escape Artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[Jim Bennett]

Man, I am sure feeling young in this thread at 51.

Glenn, good for you for just going for it. BTW, your birthday is the day after mine.

I really look forward to retiring, getting an Escape trailer is all part of the plan. I had planned to retire at 55, but it could be further out. I might semi-retire though and do a few select projects. Time will tell. Things could have worked out better in my retirement fund hadn't dropped about about 5 years worth of saving in the last while. By 60, I will end up just going for it full time for sure. I do sitll have real good health and want to spend a bunch of years taking advantage of that.

 

[JeffZ]

Hmmm.. Ok I'm in.. I'm 53 and not not really working just taking a time out.. Not too sure what the future brings, but we're just putting our toe in the water.. The plan is to just start taking extended trips and see where everything leads..Probably not going to do the full-time thing, more like a couple of months at a time.. But ya never know. So hats off to everyone that is taking advantage of this great opportunity and doing while they can!!

 

[Jim Bennett]

I will be like you Jeff, I don't think I will ever really full-time it. I too would likely do a couple months at a time as I really want to tour all of North America.

 

[PGDriver]

Yes for some of us retirement (or semi retirement) in a perfect world would consist of
A split cane fly rod, a 41lb Sportspal canoe and a 19" Escape with cold Guinness in the fridge.....

 

[mosquitodirk]

even better with the cold Guiness in the hand....

 

[Jim Bennett]

Yes for some of us retirement (or semi retirement) in a perfect world would consist of
A split cane fly rod, a 41lb Sportspal canoe and a 19" Escape with cold Guinness in the fridge.....

Sounds great, except who's gonna clean the fish and cook them.

Wait a minute.....I do that anyway. ;D

 

[wpski]

Hi All

I'm a little late on this topic but for anyone who is thinking about retirement as nike says just do it. You wont regrett a minuite of it like jim says you will wonder how you ever had time to work, and besides its cheaper to be retired than it was to work things are simpler and more managable. Don't worry about the money Bill Gates wins. I guess I did it backwards I retired at age 48, 10 years ago the first 5 years my wife Linda and I spent Living in the Fla. Keys, Key Largo spent 220 days a year fishing.The second 5 yrs we have spent traveling with out a trailer or motor home just hotel to hotel. We have been to every Major National Park in the USA except 1 In texas, this year for that one with our new 19 escape. We have driven from Key West to Prudo Bay Alaska. We have driven the alaskan hyw. north and came down the Cassiar hyw through B.C. The beauty is we get to do it all again but with our new 19 escape should be much more fun. By the way you get to practice your golf game when everyday is saturday my index is 4.1 anyone want to play lets tee it up.

Walt & Linda

 

[escape artist]

Hi: wpski... Our friends have a fridge magnet that says it all!!! "Retirement...Half as much
Income...Twice as much HUSBAND" ;D
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[gbaglo]

..Twice as much HUSBAND"

I'm not sure I find that encouraging......

baglo