On a very happy note...

[DaveNV]

Congrats Dave! I retired almost 4 years ago. Never look back...

The only time I'll look back is to appreciate where I am right then and there. I spent a lifetime being as good as I could be at my work. Now I want to do the same with my retirement.

Dave

 

[PamMo]

Congrats on the retirement, Dave! You sure picked an interesting time to do it, though. But what the heck? Jump in and enjoy it! For now, quarantine yourselves and stay healthy! I'm sure you can find lots of things to enjoy from/around home. You always seem to have an appetite for learning that will fill your life with purpose for many years to come.

 

[DaveNV]

Congrats on the retirement, Dave! You sure picked an interesting time to do it, though. But what the heck? Jump in and enjoy it! For now, quarantine yourselves and stay healthy! I'm sure you can find lots of things to enjoy from/around home. You always seem to have an appetite for learning that will fill your life with purpose for many years to come.

Thanks, Pam. This was my third "planned" retirement date. This virus was an unexpected fly in the ointment. Staying close to home for a few weeks will be a good thing, and will force me to get a head start on my project list.

As to learning, you're right. The way I see it, it's exactly like farming: "When you're green, you grow. When you're ripe, you rot."

Dave

 

[Panina]

The only time I'll look back is to appreciate where I am right then and there. I spent a lifetime being as good as I could be at my work. Now I want to do the same with my retirement.

Dave

Btw, it was great to hear good news. You might be better at retirement then work!

 

[DaveNV]

Btw, it was great to hear good news. You might be better at retirement then work!

I hope so!

Dave

 

[Sandi Bo]

Congratulations, Dave! I retired in November and love it (although I do watch my grandkids - and love it).

 

[10spro]

Congratulations! I've been in corporate IT my entire career, 35 years and counting. Can't hardly wait until I can take that last walk out of the office, but hubby says I have expensive taste, plus we just bought another MVCI resale week, so got to pay for that somehow. Luckily I "work from home" all the time, not just for Coronavirus, and I've "worked" from Ko Olina, Maui and others, however, the time difference to East Coast is brutal.

 

[klpca]

Wishing you nothing but the best in retirement! Congratulations!

 

[topmom101]

Congratulations on your retirement, Dave. Please don’t do what my husband did. He retired at 66 after a lifetime on Wall Street and we left NY to enjoy life at a slower pace in SC. Four months later, he was bored out of his mind and he got a part time job at Home Depot to keep himself busy. Three months into his new job HD offered him a full time managerial position. He threw himself into the job and averages 50-60 hours/week. It’s been over a year and he has no intention of quitting. I have never seen him happier.

 

[CPNY]

Aaaanndd, just like that, I'm OFFICIALLY RETIRED!!! YAY!!!

I was going to retire at the end of the week, but after completing my last work project yesterday morning, I had no idea how to spend the next four and a half days. Busy-work makes me crazy. I spoke with my Manager yesterday afternoon, HR said things were good with them, and we all agreed today would be my last workday. Lots of heartfelt good luck wishes from coworkers, I cleaned out my desk, turned in my badge and door keys, and here I am.

It feels pretty surreal, that after 48 years in IT, and the last 12 years at a very busy regional hospital system, that it's all finally said and done. Time to see what the next chapter of my life contains.
But first things first - tomorrow morning we'll see if it's possible to sleep in, even a little.

Dave

Congrats! Which hospital system?

 

[Panina]

Congratulations on your retirement, Dave. Please don’t do what my husband did. He retired at 66 after a lifetime on Wall Street and we left NY to enjoy life at a slower pace in SC. Four months later, he was bored out of his mind and he got a part time job at Home Depot to keep himself busy. Three months into his new job HD offered him a full time managerial position. He threw himself into the job and averages 50-60 hours/week. It’s been over a year and he has no intention of quitting. I have never seen him happier.

Nice, The difference is he is working because he wants to and can leave at any time If he becomes unhappy.

 

[slip]

Congratulations Dave!! Well deserved, who’s living the dream now.

 

[Brett]

Thanks, Pam. This was my third "planned" retirement date. This virus was an unexpected fly in the ointment. Staying close to home for a few weeks will be a good thing, and will force me to get a head start on my project list.

As to learning, you're right. The way I see it, it's exactly like farming: "When you're green, you grow. When you're ripe, you rot."

Dave

congratz on your third retirement - the pandemic has created a lot of home projects

 

[jackio]

Congratulations! Enjoy this new phase of your life.

 

[mpizza]

Congratulations! Love to hear happy news this week!

Maria

 

[Passepartout]

Dave, you didn't sleep in too long for your first day of retirement. I have faith that you'll get the hang of it before long.

Jim

 

[moonstone]

Congratulations and best wishes for a long, happy and healthy retirement. Enjoy!

-Diane

 

[Krteczech]

Congratulations! Finally your own boss. Enjoy for decades to come.

 

[Rolltydr]

Deleted


Harry

 

[DaveNV]

Dave, you didn't sleep in too long for your first day of retirement. I have faith that you'll get the hang of it before long.

Jim

HA! Actually, I slept well, but woke up a lot, subliminally worried I might somehow oversleep. This is a habit I'm curious to see if I can break.

I woke up right on time, if the alarm had been set, which it wasn't. I forced myself to try and sleep in, but it was kind of a lost cause. The brain machine started its morning routine, and I knew I was done sleeping for the night. I forced myself to stay in bed another hour, but there wasn't any extra sleep. I've been getting up at 4 to 5 AM every day for decades. So things are going to take some time to adjust.

It's now just a shade past 8:30 - I'm up, dressed, breakfast eaten and dishes cleaned, my dogs fed and walked, email checked and answered, and I'm facing the day, making a list of things to tackle (or at least to think about tackling.) I'm enjoying one more cup of coffee, and checking Tug. Then the retired fun really starts.

I can see this retirement thing is going to take some practice. LOL!

Dave

 

[Passepartout]

It's now just a shade past 8:30 - I'm up, dressed, breakfast eaten and dishes cleaned, my dogs fed and walked, email checked and answered, and I'm facing the day, making a list of things to tackle (or at least to think about tackling.) I'm enjoying one more cup of coffee, and checking Tug. Then the retired fun really starts.

I can see this retirement thing is going to take some practice. LOL!

I know how you feel. I'm an early riser by nature too. Always have been. My dad said that since I was up, I may as well do something useful so I started my newspaper route at age 12.
Even now, after not pulling in a paycheck for 10 years, 6:30 is about the time I'm through sleeping. Occasionally, I'll surprise myself and see the clock at 8:30 or so, but that's rare. What drives me nuts is NEEDING to be up early- say 5 am or so to dash to the airport for a flight, I'll automatically wake up an hour before the alarm goes off.

Well, keep it up. Practice makes perfect. For you, today REALLY IS the first day of the rest of your life!

Jim

 

[PcflEZFlng]

Congratulations, Dave! It will feel great. I was in IT for a loooong time and finally retired 3 years ago from full-time work, and 18 months ago from part-time work, which was a nice gig. My last FT job (and subsequent PT gig) was also at a regional hospital system, and a great organization. Still, I don't miss a minute of it, and I don't think you will, either!

 

[lockewong]

Aaaanndd, just like that, I'm OFFICIALLY RETIRED!!! YAY!!!

I was going to retire at the end of the week, but after completing my last work project yesterday morning, I had no idea how to spend the next four and a half days. Busy-work makes me crazy. I spoke with my Manager yesterday afternoon, HR said things were good with them, and we all agreed today would be my last workday. Lots of heartfelt good luck wishes from coworkers, I cleaned out my desk, turned in my badge and door keys, and here I am.

It feels pretty surreal, that after 48 years in IT, and the last 12 years at a very busy regional hospital system, that it's all finally said and done. Time to see what the next chapter of my life contains.
But first things first - tomorrow morning we'll see if it's possible to sleep in, even a little.

Dave

Congratulations!!! I know you had posted that you were retiring in 2020 but, WOW! Sleep and do nothing for a few weeks to adjust to your new life. Travel when safe.

 

[DaveNV]

Well, my first day of official retirement is mostly completed. It went well, I think.

I took care of chores and things early this morning, then scrubbed a bathroom. Spent a fair bit of my day doing assorted chores outside, cleaning the front porch, watering a few plants, staging equipment for larger gardening projects that start tomorrow. The day's biggest accomplishment was installing a new awning top on a 10' metal gazebo on the back patio. It's something that is removed in the Fall, then reinstalled after the last chance of snow is over. This year I bought a new one. It looks great, and now I'll have a dry place to stand if it's raining while I wait for my dogs to finish their business in the yard. Small victories. Dinner is done, kitchen cleaned up, watching the evening news and surfing the web a bit. Checking back with my Tug family to let you all know I survived the ordeal of this first day.

Whew - this retirement thing is exhausting! LOL! I need to slow down, or I'll run out of things to do. (Yeah, right!)

Dave, happy

 

[DaveNV]

Congratulations, Dave! It will feel great. I was in IT for a loooong time and finally retired 3 years ago from full-time work, and 18 months ago from part-time work, which was a nice gig. My last FT job (and subsequent PT gig) was also at a regional hospital system, and a great organization. Still, I don't miss a minute of it, and I don't think you will, either!

Thanks! I learned today that my entire working team was ordered to 100% remotely working from home, starting today. They're taking the Coronavirus risks very seriously. Glad I'm able to self-quarantine here at home, and be away from things.

As of this evening, Washington State has 1,817 cases of Covid-19, and 66 deaths (including another 10 people from the LifeCare facility in Kirkland, Washington, bringing the death toll there to at least 35 since the pandemic started.) Nearly 16,000 people have tested negative for the virus.

Dave