The Countdown to Retirement

[Grabber]

On 4/23/2018 at 2:56 PM, BIKEBOY said:

The only real scary thing about retirement anymore, is healthcare. 

The wife is just about to join me in it, and frankly after her COBRA runs out, the fun begins. I need to start searching for good healthcare. I’m not looking forward to it. 

Grasshopper, I'm so glad to hear Gina will be joining you in this awesome stage of life. I thought I knew my wife well but now I am truly getting to know her even better and spoiling her for being such a good partner ! I feel so blessed to have her and my little doggie Harley.

[Grabber]

On 5/16/2018 at 4:09 PM, BIKEBOY said:

Tell us the truth Grabber......... ya went back to work, didn't ya?!! 

 

 

I fully retired Feb. 1st 2018 after working part time for 2 years. I just needed to ease into this new stage of life and now I am fully enjoying and learning how to relax. My wife is a incredible lady and helping me adjust to many things.

[BIKEBOY]

1 hour ago, Grabber said:

I fully retired Feb. 1st 2018 after working part time for 2 years. I just needed to ease into this new stage of life and now I am fully enjoying and learning how to relax. My wife is a incredible lady and helping me adjust to many things.

So happy for you too, Rob! Thanks ....... Gina and I are best friends (as are you and Tana). It is so extra lucky to be best friends at this stage in our lives. Can you imagine NOT being best friends, and having to spend each and every day together!?  

As for your little Harley..... We are now looking for another little buddy. It took us two years to get over the loss of Coz. You don’t get over it really.......it’s just easier to think about loving a little guy again. SRTKeith keeps telling me that Coz would have wanted it for us, and I think he’s right.  

Now.......one a these days, we need to meet up!  

[BIKEBOY]

1 hour ago, Grabber said:

I fully retired Feb. 1st 2018 after working part time for 2 years. I just needed to ease into this new stage of life and now I am fully enjoying and learning how to relax. My wife is a incredible lady and helping me adjust to many things.

BTW, I posted that Trivago video because Gina and I thought it looked like you!!  

[Grabber]

11 hours ago, BIKEBOY said:

So happy for you too, Rob! Thanks ....... Gina and I are best friends (as are you and Tana). It is so extra lucky to be best friends at this stage in our lives. Can you imagine NOT being best friends, and having to spend each and every day together!?  

As for your little Harley..... We are now looking for another little buddy. It took us two years to get over the loss of Coz. You don’t get over it really.......it’s just easier to think about loving a little guy again. SRTKeith keeps telling me that Coz would have wanted it for us, and I think he’s right.  

Now.......one a these days, we need to meet up!  

Tana & I spend a lot of time together and Like you, I am enjoying it more than I ever thought. The conversations we have now are different than years past. We are blessed beyond what we ever imagined. Harley is going to be 13 in January and he is in great shape. When he was a pup our vet taught me how to brush his teeth and told me that it would extend his life and good health for many years. He likes the 3 different dog tooth pastes I buy (Vanilla, Malt and beef). The Yorky-Poo breed can live 18-20 years. Harley likes us to take him on a 2 mile walk almost every day, so he is very active. When my last dog passed at 15 years old (Rosie - My Golden Retriever) I was very upset. I waited a full year before we were blessed with Harley. So I understand the time that you need. Tana & I would love to do dinner with you and Gina soon.

[svtkeith]

5 hours ago, Grabber said:

Tana & I spend a lot of time together and Like you, I am enjoying it more than I ever thought. The conversations we have now are different than years past. We are blessed beyond what we ever imagined. Harley is going to be 13 in January and he is in great shape. When he was a pup our vet taught me how to brush his teeth and told me that it would extend his life and good health for many years. He likes the 3 different dog tooth pastes I buy (Vanilla, Malt and beef). The Yorky-Poo breed can live 18-20 years. Harley likes us to take him on a 2 mile walk almost every day, so he is very active. When my last dog passed at 15 years old (Rosie - My Golden Retriever) I was very upset. I waited a full year before we were blessed with Harley. So I understand the time that you need. Tana & I would love to do dinner with you and Gina soon.

 

Rob you and Tana enjoy your retirement and hope all is well with the rest of your family....I know David joined the military hope he's doing well.

[BIKEBOY]

What the heck happened to Doogie????

 

[Grabber]

On 5/29/2018 at 3:23 AM, svtkeith said:

 

Rob you and Tana enjoy your retirement and hope all is well with the rest of your family....I know David joined the military hope he's doing well.

My family is thriving. All 3 kids are buying homes and Happy. David is now out of the Army National guard and has been climbing the corporate banking ladder. He is a financial advisor for Wells Fargo. He is getting married June 30th. I hope you are enjoying your retirement too. I still volunteer 2 days a month on the Carpenters apprenticeship board to interview new applicants and disciplinary actions.

[BIKEBOY]

2 hours ago, Grabber said:

My family is thriving. All 3 kids are buying homes and Happy. David is now out of the Army National guard and has been climbing the corporate banking ladder. He is a financial advisor for Wells Fargo. He is getting married June 30th. I hope you are enjoying your retirement too. I still volunteer 2 days a month on the Carpenters apprenticeship board to interview new applicants and disciplinary actions.

Is Chris still in the trades, Rob?

[svtkeith]

3 hours ago, Grabber said:

My family is thriving. All 3 kids are buying homes and Happy. David is now out of the Army National guard and has been climbing the corporate banking ladder. He is a financial advisor for Wells Fargo. He is getting married June 30th. I hope you are enjoying your retirement too. I still volunteer 2 days a month on the Carpenters apprenticeship board to interview new applicants and disciplinary actions.

Glad to hear all is well with the family Rob and very successful ...All is well here also and enjoying every minute of it thanks for asking bud.

Same here I still pitch in and help a day here and there with the organizing sort of like you weeding out the good and the bad.

[shel-b001]

On 6/8/2018 at 6:29 PM, BIKEBOY said:

What the heck happened to Doogie????

 

He retired haven`t ya heard? He is back working 3 days a week I believe. He checks in regularly on NTT facebook.

[Doug_GT350]

57 minutes ago, shelby001 said:

He retired haven`t ya heard? He is back working 3 days a week I believe. He checks in regularly on NTT facebook.

I checked in here as well, the post didn't show up

[Grabber]

4 hours ago, BIKEBOY said:

Is Chris still in the trades, Rob?

Yes Chris is. In fact he completed the 4 year apprenticeship program last month and is now a Journeyman and enjoys making $37.93 and hour + healthcare and retirement. He is thriving in the trade.

[svtkeith]

2 hours ago, Grabber said:

Yes Chris is. In fact he completed the 4 year apprenticeship program last month and is now a Journeyman and enjoys making $37.93 and hour + healthcare and retirement. He is thriving in the trade.

 

[Grabber]

Soon this thread will be 10 years old. My retirement has been very fulfilling since I pulled it in June of 2016. I have been very active in my home town of Ridgefield WA and am seated on the Planning Commission. Since May of this year I have been very active on my campaign run for City Council Position #5. Unseating an incumbent of 12 years is a uphill battle, but I am taking on the challenge. Nov. 5th, 2019 is the mid term election. 

[svtkeith]

17 minutes ago, Grabber said:

Soon this thread will be 10 years old. My retirement has been very fulfilling since I pulled it in June of 2016. I have been very active in my home town of Ridgefield WA and am seated on the Planning Commission. Since May of this year I have been very active on my campaign run for City Council Position #5. Unseating an incumbent of 12 years is a uphill battle, but I am taking on the challenge. Nov. 5th, 2019 is the mid term election. 

 

Cool!!!.....Congrats Rob and all the best with that...hope you win on the 5th bud!!..Good luck!!

[Bill Hamilton]

Congratulations on your new career, Rob (hopefully).   Being a city council may pay part-time, but it can be a full-time job if you take care of your constituents. 

Hard to believe its been 10 years since this thread started.   I still had a couple of years to go when this started but have been "retired" now for over 7 years.  I never realized how busy you could be once you retired.  My wife joined me in "retirement" about three years ago and we are both very busy doing things.  It's volunteer work for the most part, but we both have full calendars.

I'd like to hear from some of the other members who have retired since we started this thread and see how "life after" is working out? 

 

[Grabber]

On 10/27/2019 at 9:56 AM, Bill Hamilton said:

Congratulations on your new career, Rob (hopefully).   Being a city council may pay part-time, but it can be a full-time job if you take care of your constituents. 

Hard to believe its been 10 years since this thread started.   I still had a couple of years to go when this started but have been "retired" now for over 7 years.  I never realized how busy you could be once you retired.  My wife joined me in "retirement" about three years ago and we are both very busy doing things.  It's volunteer work for the most part, but we both have full calendars.

I'd like to hear from some of the other members who have retired since we started this thread and see how "life after" is working out? 

 

Bill, Retirement has been so fun and continues to be. I volunteer on many community events in our City and with the Lions club to keep active and engaged with my neighbors and friends. Life after retirement is more fun than I thought it would be. 

[BIKEBOY]

Congrats Rob. You oughtta be real good at that! I say congrats because you’re enjoying retirement, but as Bill stated, this council position may make you think twice about it. Back when I had my bikestore in my small town, my wife and a lot of my customers wanted me to run (some begged me) for council...even some said I should think of being mayor! 😲

Well, after going to MANY of the council meetings just as a business owner in town, I quickly saw the politics and the nastiness that can rear its head in such a small community, and decided to never again speak of it. 
I hope your town is not like ours is. 
All the best buddy! 
 

Bill, I retired in 2009 after selling my bicycle store, and as you, have done lots of volunteering. Mainly with special needs individuals. I love the feeling it gives me and really enjoy the satisfaction of seeing the benefit of the families I am able to help. 
I kinda stepped away for a while, as my new home was being built here in Az. (As we were traveling back and forth from the east coast while it was under construction) and I couldn’t realistically promise my hours to anyone. So now that I am all settled in here in Az. we are once again discussing what the next chapter will hold for me. Curiously my wife still works at her job in NJ. and travels back and forth once every couple of weeks, though her company allows her to call Az. home base. I can’t make her quit, nor will I. 
 

May I ask what sort of volunteering you and your wife do, Bill? 
 

Chris 

[Bill Hamilton]

5 hours ago, BIKEBOY said:

. . . . . . . .

May I ask what sort of volunteering you and your wife do, Bill? 

 

Chris 

 

I sit on a board of directors for a local credit union I've been a member of for years.  It's a volunteer position but is usually about three days a month with various committee meetings.  I also volunteer with the South Carolina Employer's Support for the Guard and Reserve.  We help our National Guard and Reserve Military folks who have issues with their civilian employers due to conflicts with their part-time military jobs or to honor those employers who go far and above in supporting their members when they are called upon to perform military duties.  My wife assists with a church group that runs a food bank providing free meals for the homeless several days a month and a warming shelter in the church when the temperatures drop into the 30's. They also provide clean used clothing for these same homeless.  I help out at times with this also.    Both my wife and I have different groups we meet with weekly or several times a month for breakfast or lunch.   My group is called the "Old Man's Breakfast Club".  This about 10 to 15 of us who are retired and we solve all the World's problems and talk Mustangs.  We meet the first and third Wednesday each month.  My wife's group is a knitting group that meet each Wednesday for breakfast. 

We both stay pretty busy and are enjoying our retirements.

[BIKEBOY]

14 hours ago, Bill Hamilton said:

I sit on a board of directors for a local credit union I've been a member of for years.  It's a volunteer position but is usually about three days a month with various committee meetings.  I also volunteer with the South Carolina Employer's Support for the Guard and Reserve.  We help our National Guard and Reserve Military folks who have issues with their civilian employers due to conflicts with their part-time military jobs or to honor those employers who go far and above in supporting their members when they are called upon to perform military duties.  My wife assists with a church group that runs a food bank providing free meals for the homeless several days a month and a warming shelter in the church when the temperatures drop into the 30's. They also provide clean used clothing for these same homeless.  I help out at times with this also.    Both my wife and I have different groups we meet with weekly or several times a month for breakfast or lunch.   My group is called the "Old Man's Breakfast Club".  This about 10 to 15 of us who are retired and we solve all the World's problems and talk Mustangs.  We meet the first and third Wednesday each month.  My wife's group is a knitting group that meet each Wednesday for breakfast. 

We both stay pretty busy and are enjoying our retirements.

Good form Bill! 
 

Retirement means alotta things to different people. From your post, I’m assuming you don’t own a Lazy Boy chair?!!!  

[Bill Hamilton]

Oh!  I left out my TV and Movie career (LOL).  They film a lot of movies and several TV series in my area and I've done a couple of dozen of them.  I'm an extra and background actor but have gotten lots of very brief screen time.   Depending on the project, the filming can last three to four months.  I've been a lawyer, doctor, cop, detective, TV reporter,  cameraman and lots of passers-by in stores and street scenes.   No speaking parts, but lots of fun and a little extra gas money for my 2019 Mustang, 2014 Shelby GT-500, and 1970 Mach 1.  My cars are too "flashy" for filming.  They always want dull, drab, hardly noticeable cars in the background.   😎

And yes, no Lazy Boy or Rocking Chair for me.  

Edited October 30, 2019 by Bill Hamilton

[Don Johnston]

I'm still waiting for a Recaro lounger to enjoy retirement, but until then I am just fine killing more of my hearing with loud acceleration.  Love scarin' them Prius.  😎

[twobjshelbys]

Retired 5 years now.  Do what I want to do when I want to do it.   Signed up for a 50-day cruise around South America in 2022. 

[Grabber]

On 10/28/2019 at 2:36 PM, BIKEBOY said:

Congrats Rob. You oughtta be real good at that! I say congrats because you’re enjoying retirement, but as Bill stated, this council position may make you think twice about it. Back when I had my bikestore in my small town, my wife and a lot of my customers wanted me to run (some begged me) for council...even some said I should think of being mayor! 😲

Well, after going to MANY of the council meetings just as a business owner in town, I quickly saw the politics and the nastiness that can rear its head in such a small community, and decided to never again speak of it. 
I hope your town is not like ours is. 
All the best buddy! 
 

Bill, I retired in 2009 after selling my bicycle store, and as you, have done lots of volunteering. Mainly with special needs individuals. I love the feeling it gives me and really enjoy the satisfaction of seeing the benefit of the families I am able to help. 
I kinda stepped away for a while, as my new home was being built here in Az. (As we were traveling back and forth from the east coast while it was under construction) and I couldn’t realistically promise my hours to anyone. So now that I am all settled in here in Az. we are once again discussing what the next chapter will hold for me. Curiously my wife still works at her job in NJ. and travels back and forth once every couple of weeks, though her company allows her to call Az. home base. I can’t make her quit, nor will I. 
 

May I ask what sort of volunteering you and your wife do, Bill? 
 

Chris 

Chris, I have been attending City Council meetings for 4 years now. Also seated on the Planning Commission. I know what I am getting into. Our City has 9,200 people in it and growing. Looking forward to the position. BTW my little dog Harley is 14 now and showing his age. I'm enjoying him very much in his senior years.

[BIKEBOY]

10 hours ago, Grabber said:

Chris, I have been attending City Council meetings for 4 years now. Also seated on the Planning Commission. I know what I am getting into. Our City has 9,200 people in it and growing. Looking forward to the position. BTW my little dog Harley is 14 now and showing his age. I'm enjoying him very much in his senior years.

Best of luck Rob! And hug little Harley tight for me. 

[twobjshelbys]

I was on our town board and planning commission and was PC chair for about 10 years.  I enjoyed the PC much more than the board. I'm not a politician.  While chair we redid the sign code (which I mostly wrote), and then redid the entire subdivision and building (and all land use) regs (which again I mostly wrote). We had a planner that was very good but couldn't crank out the docs fast enough.  I started on the PC at the beginning of a comprehensive plan update, the first one in 10 years, in about 97.  Then did the PC and board, then became chair in 2000 or so.  We went through another full comp plan update after Boulder County changed their use rules on land surrounding us.  Then we started on the code book updates.  We'd just finished the code book update and were starting yet another comp plan when I got busy with the USB stuff and became vice chair of the USB3.1 and traveled alot, so gave up the PC.   (I'm a "inventor" of USB-C too, did the pinout in the back of a conference room while a bunch of others were busy overanalyzing it.)

I  found that the board had a high load for prep, but the PC eventually took me double since our board liaison was not effective and I ended up attending board meetings as well as PC meetings, which amounted to every Monday night for me...    The PC chair job was difficult because half of the members didn't really care and were mostly unprepared and didn't contribute.  I eventually got the mayor to not reappoint one and unappoint another (who ended up being relieved and was too afraid to resign, almost like he was waiting to be fired.)   I considered it herding cats.

[Hawkeye O'Saben]

On 10/27/2019 at 11:08 AM, Grabber said:

Soon this thread will be 10 years old. My retirement has been very fulfilling since I pulled it in June of 2016. I have been very active in my home town of Ridgefield WA and am seated on the Planning Commission. Since May of this year I have been very active on my campaign run for City Council Position #5. Unseating an incumbent of 12 years is a uphill battle, but I am taking on the challenge. Nov. 5th, 2019 is the mid term election. 

You'd get my vote cuz I vote against the incumbent most times.  It's just a thing.  Especially someone that's been in the job for more than 2 terms.

[FiaCobra]

It's now "Election Day" minus 1. Did you secure your post ?

As for me, back in 2009, I put into play a retirement plan for 2022. As of this writing, I pretty much stayed the course and everything pretty much went as planned but, such as life, you need to make adjustments so.......it looks like my latest retirement date is in 2024.

 

[1 Alibi 2]

Retired 11 years. Forced buy-out 2008, looking back it was the BEST decision the co. ever made for me. There is life after work !!