Retirement

[Pappy]

With the slow recovery / healing since the second surgery I talked to the wife and decided to call it quits. Had a phone counseling session with Human Resources this morning and got my retirement package completed. Got copies of everything they needed and put it in the mail, Express, this afternoon.

Last day on the rolls is 31 March and I get my first check on 1 May. Could be a bit of a struggle until then but I some back up funds and my first SS check comes in the second Wednesday in April.

I didn't plan to retire until October, but I am really looking forward to it now. The manager at my station has been a real A** Hole through my health problems and I really didn't want to go back and work under him. I have been out of work since mid July and not a single supervisor has taken the effort to call and see how I was doing. I will miss some of my fellow workers as well several of my customers that have become friends over the 15 years or so I have had the route. Some of them I deal with on a personal level and I will continue to drive to Austin to do business with them.

Unless the postal system notifies him, the manager will find out when I go in to clean out my case and locker. I don't feel I owe him anything! If the clerks and carriers want to have a going away brunch for me I will say what I feel, rather than all the sugary things that usually get said. I plan to be silver tongued and golden throated, but make my point.

[Sweet Willy]

First of all, congrats on your retirement. But retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be - it's a whole lot better!

Second, I had an employee of mine quit after she had been out due to surgery. She quit because I didn't call her to see how she was doing while she was out. Here's the rub. By Fed law and company policy I was not allowed to call her because medical issues are considered personal information and therefore legally I could not inquire about anything regarding her health. In fact it could have (maybe) caused me to lose my job. I didn't make the rules, just abided by them. That could be the reason your manager hasn't called you.

[gerti]

Congratulations, I hope everything will work out well for you!

[lrr]

Congratulations on retirement. I retired in 2013 and I used to know when it was Monday thru Friday, because I'd bring my wife lunch, or take her to lunch occasionally. She just retired in December, and now I'm totally confused about which day it is. (Not complaining, it is kind of liberating. But I have to set reminders in my iPhone calendar for appointments and such -- time really flies by quickly.)

[ArtworksIII]

Learn to pace yourself and keep genuinely busy in each day from now on. Don't ever feel that you never made ends meet because retirement shows you did. Most of all retire to rest....

[capncarl]

Congratulations on retirement. I retired July 1 last year, and do not see how I ever had the time to work. I'm still looking forward to catching up enough to just take a nap in the middle of the day just to see what it is like.
I though I would be slowing down to smell the roses, instead I find myself pulling weeds and trimming limbs from the rose garden and forget to smell.
Capncarl

[atgcpaul]

Best of luck on your retirement!

My Dad has been semi-retired for 2-3 years now but still consults and travels for a different job--not that he needs to. My Mom just retired in December after 30 years. She used to get up at 4-5am every morning. I think he will finally stop working in the Spring. I just hope they don't kill each other with their new found free time. My Mom's only regret is that she didn't retire in the Spring. Her hobby is gardening and with the winter we're having, she's going stir crazy.

[JimD]

Congratulations! I have been eligible for early retirement for over a year but when I remarried in 2013 to a significantly younger woman it meant a new house and two new daughters both of whom are now in college. We both work so it isn't like anybody is a burden but between fixing up the house and taking care of he girls, it doesn't seem like I will be retiring soon. We're both healthy (me more than her recently) which is certainly a factor too.

So I'm jealous of all you retirees. One of these days......

[leehljp]

Retirement is fun for some and heck for others. I retired from overseas work and then got right back into something similar back here. I enjoy what I do but it does eat a little more of my time than I wished. I have been fighting the traditional thoughts on ministry and finally got some changes for more of "flex-time" like responsibilities. In a couple of months I will have a little woodworking time on the side!

Each person has to weigh what is important to them before making a decision. It seems that you have done that. Congratulations. Enjoy your retirement!

[Black wallnut]

Congrats on retirement. You should have more time for the fun parts of life. Your boss sounds like a jerk, but Sweet Willy might be onto something. When my drivers have been off on medical leave I've not been timid about keeping in touch with them. I care for them as people first, employees second. I'm looking forward to more completed projects from your shop plus the cheerleader pics.

[JR]

Congratulations, Don. I see a lot of pool time in your future!

[cwsmith]

Pappy,

I wish you good health and fortune in retirement. I'm sure your emotions will be mixed during the first few months, as it is sometimes hard to adjust. But, I'm sure you soon find yourself loving it.

I got laid off in 2000, brought back a few days later and told they had made a mistake and that until they could straighten it out I would have to work as a "consultant"... that meant they paid me significantly less with no benefits of any kind. I put up with that for three years and on advice decided to get an attorney. That prompted them to throw me into the streets... and with that I retired at 58!

At first I felt devastated. My wife had never worked outside the home and for a year and a half I received no income whatsoever. Fortunately we had emergency savings and our mortgage was paid off a few years before... but it was touchy for awhile.

Perhaps it was just anger and tenacity that got me through all that but it wasn't long before I began to feel free of all the work politics and hassle. For me, my job had been everything and I was a totally dedicated 'company man'. Having been treated the way it was, I felt like a real fool for all the things that I once held in great value.

But since then, we survived and survive rather well. We've never lived loud, so to speak, but we generally don't want for anything either. I'm 70-1/2 now and our 401K has done fairly well. This will be the first year that I will make any withdrawal from that (the Fed says you have to).

The main thing is that you keep busy and enjoy your life with your family and friends. You now have time for your hobbies and interests, time with your wife, and simply time for yourself that isn't going to be infringed upon by your employer. Retirement can be a great part of life and I hope that you find great joy in making the adjustment and whatever you find enjoyable in this new life.

Just remember that life is in phases. For me, I was once a kid with adventures, then a young man with keen interests and energy to invest, and then a married working guy with a family, mortgage and responsibilities that required dedication to skills, that in combination with loyalty, I could offer to an employer. Now I'm retired, time for what's really important liking family and loved ones. I can make things that will hopefully endure for my family, and for creating memories for the family as well as a certain legacy.

It won't be long before you begin to wonder how you ever had time to waste on working for someone else.

Best of luck for your retirement!

CWS

[Pappy]

By Fed law and company policy I was not allowed to call her because medical issues are considered personal information and therefore legally I could not inquire about anything regarding her health. In fact it could have (maybe) caused me to lose my job. I didn't make the rules, just abided by them. That could be the reason your manager hasn't called you.

I have seen other managers and supervisors not only call but go to the hospital to visit as far away as San Antonio. Just depends on how much you kiss them and where. Constant bull is how the carriers and clerks are the PO's most valuable asset.

I see a lot of pool time in your future!

Yep! Both in the water and on the table....

[vaking]

Constant bull is how the carriers and clerks are the PO's most valuable asset.

Every company has that bull but the simple fact is that asset is something company owns and has the right to sell if needed. PO can't sell clerks, people are not assets.