The Damn I'm Old Thread - Putting Up With Being a Geezer

[Vic2012]

Would love to retire right now. But that ain't happening for another 10 years.

[NogbadTheBad]

Would love to retire right now. But that ain't happening for another 10 years.

Same here, 10 years is the current estimate.

[Vic2012]

I'll be almost 70 in ten years. Let's see if I make it.

[adap2it]

Same here, 10 years is the current estimate.

Retirement is something that cannot be simulated, like being being on vacation. Only retirees can experience the psychological aspects of no longer being in the workforce. Individual opinions will be varied depending on what you happened to do for a living. Health & financial well being are paramount, but not necessarily the major factor as to whether you enjoy or hate retirement. Speaking on my own retirement, I am relatively healthy and financially secure and my wife (who retired at 60)is much the same. However, my work was a major part of my life, having been in management for many years and subsequently having my own business for 30 years. I was surprised and puzzled by the fact that after retiring, I did not miss work at all. Confusion becomes common place, not because of impending mental deterioration, simply because the workday / weekend routine is no longer. This is difficult to get used to and adjustments have to be made. I spend the winter months in Georgia and I love it. This is one of the great benefits of retirement... escaping winter, which unfortunately becomes more intolerable with each passing year.

[Duncan Glenday]

[rcarlberg]

The older I get the more I appreciate being home doing absolutely nothing.

Absolutely.

I was surprised and puzzled by the fact that after retiring, I did not miss work at all. This is difficult to get used to and adjustments have to be made.

I retired as soon as I was able, because I felt that work was seriously interfering with what I wanted to do with my life. If you had a career that was really fulfilling and fun I can see how working longer would make sense, but for me I didn't, and haven't regretted my decision a single minute.

[progeezer]

As someone intrinsically slothful and indolent, (not stated with either humor, pride or remorse - just truth), when I made my decision to retire in 2009 at age 64 after 28 years with the same employer, I was all set to listen to more music, watch more tv, smoke more weed, and use even less of my total gray matter than while working, where I believe I honestly never used more than about 60-70 percent.

When I returned to work more than 3 months after major surgery, it took me only 3 days to realize that in that short amount of time away, I had turned into a square peg in a round hole and could no longer get by on strictly program acumen about retiring from public employment and my scintillating personality (that 2nd one is iffy at best). I gave 2 weeks notice, and have been elated ever since. It gave me more time to travel all over the world with Kay, who had retired months earlier, until she passed away 6 years later.

What I couldn't anticipate was my kids and grandchildren needing both my presence and my counsel much more than before, when their mother was diagnosed with and started quickly declining from Parkinson's and dementia and had to move to an assisted-living facility. Now in retirement I'm using my brain more than when I was working to make sure that my large family (5 kids, 2 spouse-in-laws and 3 grandkids) continues to be happy & healthy moving forward for as long as I'm around and after we're gone, a task formerly shared with my ex-wife (who always remained a good friend as well as Kay's friend).

Not the work/play balance I anticipated, but that's fine, because THIS IS MY FAMILY and not just some f*****g career!

[Plasmatopia]

Retirement is more than 10 years away at this point. I've been at my current job for 17 years. A couple weeks ago I was told that my coworker and I would have to find other jobs within the company (we're the only two people in NH on a team based in MN). My coworker already has his new assignment, I'm in limbo. Over the next few weeks I will have to package up all the crap in my lab here in NH and ship it to MN.

No idea what I'll be doing, but one position that was offered struck me as pretty dull. I've been lucky to work in positions where I was always doing something different so it rarely got boring for long. Now, who knows?

I'm just glad that I'm assured of continued income!

But all this has really made me wonder what it is I really want to do when I grow up.

[BobM]

I retired 2 years ago at 56 and, despite my friends betting that I wouldn't last a year before going back, I am happy and busy. Busy enough that I don;t feel bored at least. I have the leisure to read a book, or write a book, play golf, travel, get chores done without maniacally killing the weekend running around, and generally enjoy life. I highly recommend it if you can afford it.

Healthcare is the biggest hurdle/expense, because I can't get Medicare yet. Big $$$, like $600/month just for me. Thanks Obama.

[Lopez]

My official, "government" retirement age is 66. That's 23 months away for me. I'll stick it out until at least February of 2020 so that I get the 5-year anniversary trinket where I work, then we'll see how I feel. If I could, I would retire today. As much as I love my job and love where I do it, the technology is leaping ahead much faster than I can keep up with it, not to mention the increased amount of work being dumped on fewer people. At least, here, the younger folks are having just as hard a time as us oldsters, so there's a lot of support for us.

[Trane]

retirement foreseen in 12.5 years if I want to good pension income, but I'm not sure I want to last that long or can stay that long without losing my sanity. I've got doubts whether I can stay in good health until my pension and some 10 years afterwards (that would be a minimum for it to be worthy to go all the way up to 65), because I burned the candle by both ends back in the 70's & 80's and in some ways I still do (not very healthy living ethics)

I could go as early as in four years, but I'd have to see at what kind of income, because if my GF (10y older than me) is about to retire, she will get minimum pension, so that's almost no help. Like Steve, I'd be set on travelling around the globe §though Africa doesn't interest me much), but our combined revenues wouldn't allow it much, if I retire early. Outside music and books for me and TV for her, travelling will be the main leisure budget, but how we travel will be determinant - we've no use for cruise or guided/senior group vacation for us... we want to be free electrons, and that relatively costly.

Difficult to make plans still now as there are some imponderables.

[moecurlythanu]

not to mention the increased amount of work being dumped on fewer people.

The New American Epidemic.

[Yves]

I'm 51 years old and currently working only 4 days a week. I have 60 months left on my mortgage. By then I hope to fall to 3 days a week and remain there for another decade. I'd find that to be the perfect balance between having time to do the things I want to do and still being in the workforce bringing home some money.

[Shadow]

I retired 2 years ago at 56 and, despite my friends betting that I wouldn't last a year before going back, I am happy and busy. Busy enough that I don;t feel bored at least. I have the leisure to read a book, or write a book, play golf, travel, get chores done without maniacally killing the weekend running around, and generally enjoy life. I highly recommend it if you can afford it.

Healthcare is the biggest hurdle/expense, because I can't get Medicare yet. Big $$$, like $600/month just for me. Thanks Obama.

I quit working two years ago to move my mother in with us and take care of her, she has dementia. I just started SS in July because if I waited until 66 it would take 15 years to make up the money lost. My wife still works and has benefits(health,eyes dental). All my mother's medical care and medicines are free because my father was in the Navy for 20 years. And if you are looking for a job with benefits Trump said he was going to create a YUGE amount of jobs with benefits, just make sure the batteries are fresh in your spelunker helmet.

[walt]

I turn 64 on Friday.(will you still need me, will you still feed me..etc etc..i know i know).One more year till i enter the Wonderful World of Medicare.Luckily i have an older brother and older sister who can provide advice and counsel re: Medicare.

I can also ask advice from Progeezer.He's very old and he speaks New Yorkese.

[progeezer]

"I'll be there for yooooouuuuu" (even though I've never watched an entire episode of Friends). You're also right, my Semite sibling from another mother. Even after 47 years in Madison, all the learned "r"'s in my speech by assimilation over all those years (New YORK instead of New YAUK) disappear within one minute anytime I'm talking to one of my NYC friends.

[Jerjo]

I've been winging it cobbling together marketing research projects/some royalty we get on mineral acres/farm income. For a while we were real flush but the last couple years have been famine. Our ACA coverage was actually cheap but our damn Blue Cross affiliate screwed that all up. Now we'll be paying through the nose next year. Five years until SS, Medicare, and retirement income. Then we'll do nothing but travel as much as these old bodies will allow, read, watch movies, and try to keep in shape.

[BobM]

If the new tax bill removes the medical deduction, then I feel we are all losing a big cost item that is only getting larger. If he allows individuals to join a group for negotiated medical premiums then I will feel better about it. If he also allows these benefits to cross state lines I will be thrilled. Taking away the penalty for not having insurance plus removing the subsidies states pay out for low income people's healthcare SHOULD result in a lowering of premiums to the rest of us (yeah, wishful thinking, like anything her might ever go down).

Those are the things I would love to see in a revised Obamacare initiative.

[rcarlberg]

Healthcare is the biggest hurdle/expense, because I can't get Medicare yet. Big $$$, like $600/month just for me. Thanks Obama.

You're LUCKY if you can get decent coverage for $600. Our insurance company wanted $2400/mo for us!

And BTW it's not Obama's fault. That's all I'm gonna say 'cause I been warned

[rcarlberg]

If the new tax bill removes the medical deduction, then I feel we are all losing a big cost item that is only getting larger. If he allows individuals to join a group for negotiated medical premiums then I will feel better about it. If he also allows these benefits to cross state lines I will be thrilled. Taking away the penalty for not having insurance plus removing the subsidies states pay out for low income people's healthcare SHOULD result in a lowering of premiums to the rest of us (yeah, wishful thinking, like anything her might ever go down).

Can't discuss it here, but you've got this all backward. Read up on it anywhere else.

[Firth]

Fuck off.

Are you all for real?

There CANNOT be a cure for Alzheimers. And it is irreversable.


Start believing in Jesus coming down, cos that's what it takes.

Do you even know what consitutes Alzheimers?


Look it up.

There is no cure for stupid. I’m so sorry that you are afflicted.

https://www.salk.edu/news-release/ca...m-brain-cells/

[Firth]

You talkin' to me, punk?

By coincidence, a leader in the Alzheimer's disease field joined Chromadex, a major NR seller, this past spring as a science advisor. He is convinced Alzheimer's will be cured by 2025, but I think a lot of that will be with catching it a decade before it shows signs.

Sorry, but Big Pharma has no interest in curing a disease which is a cash drain. The bias of Big Med against cannabis prevents them from being truly scientific.

[SteveSly]

Sorry, but Big Pharma has no interest in curing a disease which is a cash drain. The bias of Big Med against cannabis prevents them from being truly scientific.

I disagree. A cure, or even effective treatment for Alzheimers would be like winning the lottery for any pharma company big or small that comes up with something effective. Almost all of the big pharma companies out there have at least some level of Alzheimers research going on as do many smaller bio-tech companies.

[Buddhabreath]

Can't discuss it here, but you've got this all backward. Read up on it anywhere else.

That is a very kind way of dealing with such abject willful ignorance. Well done.

[Plasmatopia]

I disagree. A cure, or even effective treatment for Alzheimers would be like winning the lottery for any pharma company big or small that comes up with something effective. Almost all of the big pharma companies out there have at least some level of Alzheimers research going on as do many smaller bio-tech companies.

Sure, there are studies happening. But would they be biased towards a cure or simply managing the disease?