Retirement?

poindexter · Dec 20, 2018

Congrats to all you guys retiring! And gals!

Hermes · Dec 21, 2018

trifectarich said: ↑

I should note that my current employer is the company that is probably the most despised on this board
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You work at 24 Hour Fitness?

Baron Scicluna · Dec 21, 2018

trifectarich said: ↑

I called my boss yesterday and broke the news that I'm done at the end of the year.

I joked to a few people last night, "Now I know how those people feel when they get paroled." In all seriousness, though, I can't complain about 99.9 percent of a career that lasted more than 42 years: a fair number of awards and honors, producing some stories and pages that I'm terribly proud of and, maybe best of all, working with or meeting a long list of exceptional journalistic talents. Thanks to each and every one of you that has in some small way inspired me strive to do better. As a kid, all I wanted to do when I grew up was to work in sports, which was all fun and games, and to have had that opportunity has blessed me more than I probably deserved.

I think back to some of the unforgettable experiences from my first job — trying to cover a high school football game while standing on the top row in a set of bleachers that had only six rows, learning on my own how to keep stats and, harder yet, keep them legible in a downpour that I was completely unprepared for. I never would have imagined that I'd ever have jobs that would fly me to many parts of the world and give me the opportunity to interview or get to know some of the greatest sports personalities of the last half century.

I'll never forget the thrill of walking into a corner newsstand the day after covering my first World Series game and seeing my byline on a story across the top of A1, right next to a stack of the New York frickin' Times. Being part of a newsroom that shifts into high gear after the clanging of bells on the teletype machine was an incredible experience. I loved the smell of freshly printed newspapers and, just like they do in the movies, grabbing one off the line to see how your work really looks in print. That never got old.

Like so many on this board, I experienced the painful, sometimes life-changing moments of industry layoffs and downsizing, but through four-plus decades I was unemployed for only three days. I've thanked the good Lord a lot for taking care of me.

On the unusual side, I'm pretty close to holding some kind of record for the shortest time worked in a new job — 8 hours.

I'm excited about the new year and beyond. I do want to see if sleeping in is all it's cracked up to be.

I should note that my current employer is the company that is probably the most despised on this board; dealing with the corporate BS makes me more certain than ever that my timing is right.
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Congrats on your retirement. If you don't mind, what was the story behind your 8-hour job?

Amy · Dec 25, 2018

trifectarich said: ↑

I called my boss yesterday and broke the news that I'm done at the end of the year.
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Congratulations. Retirement is great.

Buck · Dec 27, 2018

Congrats!
(Gotta be Gannett.)

typefitter · Dec 27, 2018

Congratulations, retirees. I envy you.

I tell my girlfriend that when she finishes her school (she's doing her PhD, perverts) and gets a job that I'm never doing another fucking thing, and she laughs and rolls her eyes but I'm being totally serious. I have a little less than four years to go.

3_Octave_Fart · Dec 27, 2018

I can't imagine anything wilder than retirement.
Doing nothing, and not getting around to that until noon.
Always so pleased for the people I know that head into it.

The Big Ragu · Dec 28, 2018

I don't think I could possibly do nothing. I have never done leisure well. I have been on vacation for the last two weeks in a completely different time zone, and I still have found quite a bit of time to work. I really don't have to be working, and the time difference makes it harder. I really want to work until I have a foot in the grave. My goal, though, is to be working solely because I want to, not because I have to. THAT makes all the difference in the world. I hope to be going under those terms until I am at least 95.

KJIM · Dec 28, 2018

My gig has this cool thing where during retirement, you can work X hours (I think it comes to about 20 a week) without affecting your pension. Pick and choose assignments wherever in the world there are TDY spots for a couple months at a time, get a paycheck (same salary) and per diem. Not bad.

Iron_chet · Dec 28, 2018

Having kids later in life means I will not be retiring until at least 65 as I want to help them thru university. As an airline guy I get lifetime flight benefits on retirement so looking forward to more travel.

Plan is also to go back to University and do a degree for fun as undergraduate tuition is waived. Would love to do a degree in Spanish or Art or just take courses I find interesting. I also plan to work/volunteer part time at the ski hill close to my home. My fear is that if I just sit doing nothing I will die.

Hermes · Dec 28, 2018

Oh, I definitely plan on going back to college and asking really stupid questions just to annoy a bunch of 20-year-olds and derail lectures with stories of yore that don't go anywhere.

WriteThinking · Dec 29, 2018

Iron_chet said: ↑

Having kids later in life means I will not be retiring until at least 65 as I want to help them thru university. As an airline guy I get lifetime flight benefits on retirement so looking forward to more travel.

Plan is also to go back to University and do a degree for fun as undergraduate tuition is waived. Would love to do a degree in Spanish or Art or just take courses I find interesting. I also plan to work/volunteer part time at the ski hill close to my home. My fear is that if I just sit doing nothing I will die.
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I could definitely see the traveling happening, I_c. But not the further schooling. That's something a lot of people talk about because they'll finally have the time. But, with no real reason to put in the time and commitment it would take for a/another degree, I just don't see it actually happening in senior years/if, when it comes down to it, it's just not needed.

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Retirement?

poindexter Well-Known Member

Hermes Well-Known Member

Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

Amy Well-Known Member

Buck Well-Known Member

typefitter Well-Known Member

3_Octave_Fart Well-Known Member

The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

KJIM Well-Known Member

Iron_chet Well-Known Member

Hermes Well-Known Member

WriteThinking Well-Known Member

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Retirement?

poindexter Well-Known Member

Hermes Well-Known Member

Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

Amy Well-Known Member

Buck Well-Known Member

typefitter Well-Known Member

3_Octave_Fart Well-Known Member

The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

KJIM Well-Known Member

Iron_chet Well-Known Member

Hermes Well-Known Member

WriteThinking Well-Known Member

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