Retirement and life after several bourbons...

Realized today that retirement life is like being in a time out. Nice surroundings, good things to eat, people who care about you but not much going on until the time out is over........

Hello mhayford45,

We're hoping to start our "time out" in early 2023.  A friend claims....

Every night is Friday night.
Every day is Saturday.

Enjoy your retirement.

Jim

It's what you make of it.. going on 7 years of doing what i like to do other than occassionally what she who is in charge needs.. having multiple hobbies helps a ton..shooting, hunting, fishing, building fishing rods and building/repairing guns keeps me off the streets for the most part.. spoken in a nice tone " get off your butt and do something"  

Don't look back, someone or something may be gaining on you...  

agree  that it is nice to drink better bourbon these days...

Six months in myself and really struggling with the dramatic change.  I never thought I'd look back so fondly to thirty years of ten hour days, twenty hour flights, endless relocations, and sleepless nights with work on the brain.  Need to find a way to be productive beyond gardening.  It doesn't help that I can't even find ammo for either my pheasant gun or deer rifle.  I'm already ten pounds heavier!!!

I'm only 62 but could retire if I wanted to. Healthcare is a big factor in why I'm still working.

The thing that weighs on my mind is that I know how long it takes me to get bored.. and it isn't long at all.

Living alone just adds to the boredom.. sure, I have my guns and motorcycles and other hobbies, but I also need to buy bullets and gasoline (and Bourbon).

So I think I'll hang in there a little bit longer.

A good friend of mine shared the thought on a trip through 3 regionals last summer, a person needs 2 1/2 hobbies to be happy when retired. I have that covered so I am looking forward to not answering the work bell daily in the very near future. And the pursuit of ever new bourbons is one of my hobbies.

14 more years...

Jwhelan939 wrote:14 more years...

Don't blink, it goes fast.

Bourbon seems to be a common theme around here.  Maybe I have found “my people”.  

Not retired but looking forward to certain aspects.  Hobbies, projects, the time to think through them and finish them.  Some travel.  Reconnect with old friends. Fishing on weekdays.  Drive out to a random stream. Relearn Spanish.  Volunteer to help others.  Hike. All without guilt that I’m neglecting something.

retired 2010 if it was not for target shooting and tinkering with guns I would be lost.

While I was slammed at work this summer working on a stress related stomach issue being bored sounded like a good alternative. Guess the grass is always greener on the other side.

20 working days left for me. Officially retiring 12/31/2021. Have had the days of work left, marked on my calendar since July. 

As of January 2016.  

IMHO, Retirement, properly done, results in one wondering how he ever had time to have a real job.  Currently in my 10th year of retirement I'm 30 pounds lighter and am busy any day I want to be.  So many projects and so little time.  Work part time as range manager at the largest gun store in this part of the country.  Shooting more than I did when the military paid me to shoot.  Teaching, shooting, and reloading with a day of gun cleaning thrown in every week. At 69 years old I am the youngest person working the range. Guess the biggest life difference is the mid afternoon nap that takes priority most days.

Four years into retirement this coming march.
I had stopped shooting completly due to time issues with my job and working around our 20 acre 
horse farm.
Wood to cut, pasture to reclaim from forest and then maintain.
I never dreded going to work and enjoy our lifestyle on the farm.
I joined a club and started to shoot on their pistol team when I semi retired.
Five years into this and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the company and 
shooting in general.
I started competing outdoor pistol with three guns and now am going to 
try and purchase an off the shelf rifle to shoot the "Geezer bench rest league"
Monday mornings at our club.
Retirement can be great but please don't wait to enjoy your self.
The health issues can come at any time and you might miss out on great living.

G

I must be doing something wrong (which is not unusual). I enjoyed my career but I have been retired for several years now and seem to be busier now than before. Just spent the better part of yesterday with a municipal electrical inspector reviewing work I have done. And have lost a lot of weight ... and I don’t drink.

joy2shoot wrote:... and I don’t drink.

The one downside to not drinking.... is waking up in the morning and knowing that's as good as you are going to feel all day.....

I had to quit working in April 2020. Was several years past planned retirement but enjoyed what I did. Several eye issues, a botched surgery, and bad reaction to medications left me legally blind at the beginning of the Covid lockdown.
The decision to retire was made for me by the Lord. Could not see well enough for computer work, could not drive if rainy, cloudy, or at night.
What I do now was mostly impossible.
But changed ophthalmologists several times, got better, lockdown ended, and now can do as I please. A big plus is wife never stopped working.
I volunteer a lot at churches. Involved in some ministries that focus on getting people who are struggling spiritually back going. ped all .emnohousework
But do get to the gun club at least weekly. Purchased a pair of real target 22’s, and went to work on improving shooting skills. These 22’s have improved my centerfire shooting.
Luckily I had been hoarding ammo for decades. Was prepared. May have enough to last until 2023. Some calibers longer.
I stay very busy. Maintain six cars, Wife relinquished all house work to me. Cook every day. Walk an hour a day, drug around by three undisciplined dogs.
I still drink, but tolerance is way down. Two stiff drinks is strong.
Good luck. Get busy. Do something good every day. Leave this world a better place than you found it.

Well, this is getting quite long.  But, retirement was the best thing to happen for me (and my wife).   The main thing is to have some kind of plan for what you think you want to do and then adjust it as needed.  You're now your own boss.  Everybody tells you to plan for retirement financially; but they don't tell you to plan for keeping yourself active, interested and involved.   So develop a plan and a semi-schedule that meets your needs and continues to challenge and excite you. 

It's been 5 years for me.  I made plan when I retired and have pretty much stuck to it. I got myself back in some what good shape (lost about 100 lbs, got off of all meds, still working out, etc.) I'm at the gym an hour in the mornings (cardio) and another 1/2 hour most days (exercises).  I have a schedule to keep the house, yard, basement and guns pretty clean.  We travel as my wife's work allows.  

I cook every day except weekends, those are for dining out and drinking. We continue to develop our restaurant and bar list (locally and around the country) and try some new places to add to the mix every chance we get.  I have been drinking bourbon I've been collecting for over 30 years. Covid cut into the stash, but I have some very nice people that help keep me supplied with some interesting bottles.  

As you know everything will not always be perfect. So be prepared to challenges when you retire.  They can affect you differently than when you were working full time and you can address them differently being retired and adjust your priorities better. 

My wife had a couple of health scares over the past few years, including covid (occupational hazard for a nurse).  We also lost our last GSD last October. He was a great one, probably the best of the breed in terms of loyalty, companionship, personality and being part of the family.  He even hung out at the range when I shot and at the matches and didn't mind the shooting a bit.  So far I'm not quite ready to replace him yet.  It's a commitment that might outlast me at this point. 

I still consult for some interesting clients, we operate by word of mouth only, so its selective.  

I still run monthly matches, full 2700's, take care of the range, etc. We have a great bunch of shooters, a full line for most matches and a really good gunsmith within driving distance.  I train every couple of days, either dryfiring, air pistol in the basement or at the range. 

The down side is I've probably reached the point I will not be able to compete at a level consistent with my past, but occasionally I can still scare the crap out of the 10 ring for 10 or 20 shots.  Next stage is starting to divest some of the bullseye and collectable guns from the safe.  Some I'll keep until the end though.  

We're having fun, my life is a lot better than when I was working and traveling 50 or more hour per week.  But just like working or being retired, life is what you make it.  So be sure to make at least some decisions and actions that make you happy.  There are very few other people that can or will do that for you.  In other words, HAVE FUN!

CR
HM, DP#1232, DR#9, D22#76, P100X14, MayleighX2
Orton, Wyman, Oglethorpe, Elihu Root, & Gold Cup Trophies

weber1b wrote:

joy2shoot wrote:... and I don’t drink.

The one downside to not drinking.... is waking up in the morning and knowing that's as good as you are going to feel all day.....

That's funny right there no matter who you are...

I got to retire at 55. It's my dream job and highly underrated.

Hobby farm, huge garden, reading, helping the neighbors, shooting and reloading seem to take up the time easily. There's always something to do. For example, I welded hooks on the tractor bucket yesterday. Took my time and it turned out pretty good. Or not pretty, but good for strenght.

The garden produces way more than just my wife and I can eat or freeze. About a third of it goes to neighbors and friends. Another third goes to the homeless kitchen or food bank.

Unfortunately, the local indoor range shut down due to poor management, so I'll be driving a lot further to an outdoor range when the weather allows.

No bourbon here, just beers.

I saved my best ammo for when l got really good. I guess I waited too long!

Now I'm just trying to do what I used to do, when I used to do it.

Pastured by GE fall of 2017, along with the rest of the office. Good for me, bad for them. Got a few of the nice trips in with my wife before C19 shut us down. Have ample supplies to tide me through for a little while but after that, who knows. Perry was not a surprise with no powder primers or bullets. Air Pistols are the way to go. And I am drinking my wine and other goodies also saved for rainy days. 

Trying to figure out how to do longer distance matches like desert midwinters as flying isn't practical with the required ammo limits

One of my goals in retirement is to start scheduling trips around different regionals, using them as an impetus to visit various parts of the country. I like driving trips and these could provide for some interesting excoursions.