Author Topic: 63 days and counting!!! (Read 3668 times)

Bill Hodges · « **on:** April 26, 2007, 02:34:50 PM »

Hooray!!!!

In 63 days I will join the ranks of the RETIRED and am I ever looking forward to it. I am one of the lucky ones who has had a career that I truly enjoyed, but on June 28th, I will be just two days shy of 41 years with the Florida Division of Forestry. It is time to move on with the next phase of my life.

My wife and I are relocating back to St. Augustine, which is home to us and only about twenty five miles from where we have been living. After we get settled in, I hope to burn a lot more fuel than I have been burning in the past few years. Plus, I have a lot of grand-daughter spoiling to catch up on. Plus, my best flying buddy, Donnie Thibault, will only be about ten minutes away, so I can pester him a lot more.

Somewhere in there, I best plan on some time to spend with the wife, if I know what is good for me, and I do.

Come on June 28th!!!

Bill Hodges

Mike Spiess · « **Reply #1 on:** April 26, 2007, 02:43:38 PM »

Congratulations

Joejust · « **Reply #2 on:** April 26, 2007, 03:25:24 PM »

Bill, I retired nearly 10 years ago and ofer he following.

The first ten minutes of retirement is awful! Then it becomes simply G R E A T !
Joe

Bill Gruby · « **Reply #3 on:** April 26, 2007, 03:31:21 PM »

Bill H.

Ditto to what Joe said, its been 12 yrs now. You're gonna love it. Congratulations.

"Billy G"

Roger Vizioli · « **Reply #4 on:** April 26, 2007, 04:41:47 PM »

Only one problem (And, you will discover it, quickly!) -
You will wonder how you ever had time to work (<-- It will become a new four letter word, for you!)
Roger

Clint Ormosen · « **Reply #5 on:** April 26, 2007, 06:26:09 PM »

Lucky devil

. I have about 30 yrs to go.

Paul Taylor · « **Reply #6 on:** April 26, 2007, 07:11:23 PM »

Not sure if I will ever see it.
Kids to get thru school.

Keith Spriggs · « **Reply #7 on:** April 26, 2007, 10:03:56 PM »

Quote from: Big country Joe on April 26, 2007, 03:25:24 PM

The first ten minutes of retirement is awful!
Joe

It took me a lot longer than that to get used to it. I would say probably a couple of hours at least. From the time I was about three years old until I started to school I spent all day making toys. Now I am doing it again and it is just as much fun now as it was then. You, in fact all of us are lucky to have a hobby/hobbies that we enjoy. Many of those who retire and have no hobby are pretty miserable. I have a neighbor that reminds me of a coyote in a cage. He nor his wife neither one have any hobbies. They have a small yard and each of them have a big riding mower. They mow the yard about every other day. I will be able to see them mowing again after I mow my yard.

rob biddle · « **Reply #8 on:** April 27, 2007, 01:14:07 AM »

I wish I could join you but I've got about another 30 -35 years to go

Its funny how the quality of life drastically improves for those who have meaningful hobbies and tends to decline for those that don't.

How many blokes that live for their work, retire and then expire?

That won't happen to any of us as there is far to many models yet to be built!

Cheers, Rob.

Bill Hodges · « **Reply #9 on:** April 27, 2007, 06:04:02 AM »

I have been wearing a uniform to work for 41 years. Starting June 29th, I am going to have to decide what to wear 7 days a week. Also, there has always been coffee waiting when I get to the office. Now I will have to make coffee 7 days a week. I don't know if I can handle this.

Actually, my biggest decision is what to build first after I get my work shop all set back up. I think it will be Bob Palmer's High Boy. I just like the looks of that airplane and I love OTS. And then the Ares.

Guys, thanks for all the kind sentiments. Here's hoping that I will be able to see more of you more often in the future.

Bill Hodges
62 and counting!!

Bob Reeves · « **Reply #10 on:** April 27, 2007, 06:45:41 AM »

Congratulations Bill,

My SS started last month but I haven't been able to really retire yet. One of the downfalls of being self employed. You are sure right about our types having hobbies.. I need to live at least two more lifetimes to do everything I would like to do.

Phil Coopy · « **Reply #11 on:** April 27, 2007, 06:51:28 AM »

Welcome to the ranks of the "recently unempolyed". Remember that phrase, it comes in handy every time one of those telephone solicitors calls.

Phil C.

Bill Hodges · « **Reply #12 on:** April 27, 2007, 07:19:16 AM »

Phil:

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the fun fly after all. We are closing on our new place on the 3rd and I will be spending the weekend of the 5th and 6th doing some work at the place. We were not expecting closing until mid May, but it is good that things are moving along quickly. We can get the move over with and settled in sooner.

Bill

Marvin Denny · « **Reply #13 on:** April 27, 2007, 07:54:43 AM »

Bill, I retired 19 years ago this coming June, and have missed neither the job nor the people I worked with. I will add that it was quite a transition. One thing one has to look out for is the Dreaded " finish it later" syndrome. When you hit a slight snag (problem) you will be tempted to put the item aside to (supposedly) think the fix over instead of working it out right away. Then you start something else--- pretty soon you have half a dozen projects started and various stages of completion but none finished. Then you have no work bench space and really don't know where to start to get things going again. Beware of the "finish it later" syndrome.
I too liked my job evev though it was quite stressful a lot of the time. I had 38 years on the job and in the first 21 years of it I was given loss of position slips seven times due to "work force reductions" but always managed to find an unfilled slot that was not slated for elimination and transfer over and not lose any time nor seniority. The last 18 years was only changed by my own desires to get better pay or better job in the same general field.

Hope to meet you some day at one of the contests or flying fields.

Bigiron

Keith Spriggs · « **Reply #14 on:** April 27, 2007, 07:56:28 AM »

Quote from: Bill Hodges on April 27, 2007, 07:19:16 AM

Phil:

I will be spending the weekend of the 5th and 6th doing some work at the place.
Bill

Whoa there, Bill. You need to start getting ready for this retirement thing right now. It is about doing what you want to do and not what you should do. Ask yourself, "what would happen if I attended the fly-in and let that work slide a week?" You might run your answer by us retired guys and see how many of us buy it.

Andrew Borgogna · « **Reply #15 on:** April 27, 2007, 10:43:19 AM »

Three years, nine months, 24 days, but hey who's counting. Oh man I want out of this rat race!
Andy

Roger Vizioli · « **Reply #16 on:** April 27, 2007, 07:18:02 PM »

Quote from: Keith Spriggs on April 27, 2007, 07:56:28 AM

Whoa there, Bill. You need to start getting ready for this retirement thing right now. It is about doing what you want to do and not what you should do. Ask yourself, "what would happen if I attended the fly-in and let that work slide a week?" You might run your answer by us retired guys and see how many of us buy it.

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Keith and Marvin,
All well stated and absolutely true.
- Retirement is doing what the "retiree" believes he/she wants to do, NOT, what everyone else thinks he/she "should be" doing.
- The "do it later" syndrome is an easy trap to fall in to. When we worked (arghh - that 4 letter word again) we always managed to do the non work things that had to be done, evenings and on the next weekend. Maintaining that "do it now philosophy" is in our makeup (after 40? or ?? years) and it is good to maintain it. Just my 2 cents!
Roger

stunt1 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 27, 2007, 07:29:28 PM »

Hey Bill,

Good Luck and enjoy many years to come. I had to retire due to my ticker, but I think I would still be working even though I reached age 65 on March 7th. I used to sell high end audio and video gear for one of the best HiFi Shops in the city of NY, Innovative Audio/Video on 58th Street and 3rd Avenue. It was in a great neighborhood and what could be so bad sitting around with people everday listening to great music and watching some awesome video on some of the best systems in the world. Although I enjoy everyday I get up and it's a great gift I'd be happy to do it again.

Have a great time and enjoy everyday you get from GOD, they are great and when you have great friends and family to share it with and of course the entire "Stunt Family" are considered great friends by me, it's just wonderful to be alive.

Remaining yours in STUNT,

Bob "Champione" Lampione

Larry Renger · « **Reply #18 on:** April 27, 2007, 10:56:08 PM »

Just remember: When you are retired, you never get a day off!

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #19 on:** April 29, 2007, 01:14:52 PM »

Such a deal, Retiring is like a fine wine. The first morning you wake up at your regular work time you will say to yourself,self, I can go back to sleep and no one is going to hassel me about it. I did not retire until I was 71. I wish I would have earlier. I have 3 hobbies so I keep quit busy plus I still have a boss that keeps me on the strait and narrow. I have had some health problems but most of those before I retired.
It seems like you wait a long time to take it easy in life so relax and do It. My wife and I took a vacation after I retired and had a great time. It seems that I have not got a lot of money now but get along comfotably. We can still pay the bills and have enough left over to support our hobbies. I have time to enjoy our granghildren and other people. The main thing is I have a lot of friends in this modeling hobby.
Have a good time and let us know how this retirement thing is going. Leo Mehl

Author Topic: 63 days and counting!!! (Read 3668 times)

Joejust