Getting older

[brommy]

3 minutes ago, Xela said:

Fell over - no/minor injury

Had a fall - major/serious injury

But even if I had badly hurt myself, I'd still say I'd fell over.

I wonder if using 'had a fall' comes around the same time in life as adding one year when asked your age - "I'm 79 next year". Oh, so you're 78 then.

[mjmooney]

I didn't actually ask my friend how the fall came about. But she did say she's given up drinking. 

[sidcow]

41 minutes ago, brommy said:

Slight change of tack but still on thread. I'm interested in the expression - 'a fall'. Since childhood to now in my mid-fifties, if I've ever stumbled or tripped over, I've 'fell over'. However, I remember as a child being told my grandparents had 'had a fall'.

It's made me wonder - at what age does someone 'have a fall'? Unless it's just me that would say I fell over?

And let's not even get into taking a tumble. That's a whole can of worms right there. 

[Mandy Lifeboats]

Today is my first day without a full time job since leaving leaving school at 16.  After nearly 37 as a civil servant I have dratfed my last briefing paper, given my last non-committal answer to a straightforward question and drunk my last gallon of tea.

I left with a financial package and ample supplies of stolen stationery.  At the age of 53 I'm luck enough to be able to fully retire if I wish.  But I don’t think I will.  I will look for work I enjoy, part time work and/or short term contracts.

I "quiet quit' my job during the fist COVID lockdown.  It was a scary time and it quickly became apparent that "key worker" is the modern day equivalent of "cannon fodder". 

But I can't complain.  I've done varied roles and most of them have been enjoyable.  I haven't done badly for a lad from a Black Country Council Estate who left school at 16. 

The next chapter begins........

[Genie]

Brad Pitt was 60 the other day. Thats pretty thing. 

[foreveryoung]

On 09/12/2023 at 12:24, Xela said:

Prompted by @tonyh29's comment about going on an all-dayer today. I did something similar a couple of weeks back. Was wonderful to see my mates, and had a great day, but I'm at that ages now where I was glad to be back home in the evening. No drinking to oblivion, or nightclubs, just a good few beers, food and home in a reasonable state. 

I'm a 3-4 pints after work, some food and train home at a reasonable hour type of guy now! I don't want the next day ruined. 

I meet friends nearly every Friday down my local, always 3 or 4 pints max, back home by 10 latest, although it has got out of hand once or twice into 5,6,7 pints, great on the night with the banter, but I have to admit, I can't be bothered with the headache mornings any more, so it's very rare it ever happens.

Ref the nightclubs, I used to love it, an do miss it, but if I was offered a late night up town now, I think I would pass.

[il_serpente]

On 18/12/2023 at 08:38, Mandy Lifeboats said:

Today is my first day without a full time job since leaving leaving school at 16.  After nearly 37 as a civil servant I have dratfed my last briefing paper, given my last non-committal answer to a straightforward question and drunk my last gallon of tea.

I left with a financial package and ample supplies of stolen stationery.  At the age of 53 I'm luck enough to be able to fully retire if I wish.  But I don’t think I will.  I will look for work I enjoy, part time work and/or short term contracts.

I "quiet quit' my job during the fist COVID lockdown.  It was a scary time and it quickly became apparent that "key worker" is the modern day equivalent of "cannon fodder". 

But I can't complain.  I've done varied roles and most of them have been enjoyable.  I haven't done badly for a lad from a Black Country Council Estate who left school at 16. 

The next chapter begins........

Congratulations, and welcome to the club!

I retired from my job here in the US at the end of last month after 36 years.  I’m probably going to be doing part-time remote consulting work once my wife recovers from the knee replacement surgery she’s having in a couple of weeks and no longer needs me to wait on her hand and foot.   For now, it’s just nice to no longer have the constant feeling of being way behind and worrying about the next day’s work each evening and being able to take the dog for walks or to the dog park.

Good luck finding something rewarding to occupy yourself with.

[MakemineVanilla]

On 18/12/2023 at 16:38, Mandy Lifeboats said:

Today is my first day without a full time job since leaving leaving school at 16.  After nearly 37 as a civil servant I have dratfed my last briefing paper, given my last non-committal answer to a straightforward question and drunk my last gallon of tea.

I left with a financial package and ample supplies of stolen stationery.  At the age of 53 I'm luck enough to be able to fully retire if I wish.  But I don’t think I will.  I will look for work I enjoy, part time work and/or short term contracts.

I "quiet quit' my job during the fist COVID lockdown.  It was a scary time and it quickly became apparent that "key worker" is the modern day equivalent of "cannon fodder". 

But I can't complain.  I've done varied roles and most of them have been enjoyable.  I haven't done badly for a lad from a Black Country Council Estate who left school at 16. 

The next chapter begins........

Congratulations!

It always amazes me that so many men continue working long after it has ceased to be a necessity, only to accumulated money they will never spend.

 

 

[Genie]

If I have a few beers I find I have a really crappy nights sleep and wake up really early, anyone else?

 

[tinker]

2 hours ago, Genie said:

If I have a few beers I find I have a really crappy nights sleep and wake up really early, anyone else?

 

Yep, and it throws my sleep pattern out for a few days. Tbh my alcohol consumption has nosed dived since I have been 50. The hangover after anymore than 4 beers is bad,  it wrecks  the next day.

Had a few dry months and when i went back to drinking the affects of even 2 beers was a big surprise, you don't realise how much tolerance you build up to alcohol until you go dry long enough for your tolerance to disappear. 

[Xela]

5 hours ago, Genie said:

If I have a few beers I find I have a really crappy nights sleep and wake up really early, anyone else?

Yes. I always sleep shite after a drink, even if its just 3 or 4 pints. Not hungover, but just feeling a little tired/fuzzy headed. 

[Xela]

22 hours ago, il_serpente said:

For now, it’s just nice to no longer have the constant feeling of being way behind and worrying about the next day’s work each evening

That has got to be a great feeling. You don't realise the weight of the stress on your shoulders when you are working day in, day out. When you have a holiday, it takes a few days to lift. When it does, it feels like you've lost 5 stone!

 

6 hours ago, MakemineVanilla said:

It always amazes me that so many men continue working long after it has ceased to be a necessity, only to accumulated money they will never spend.

You are right. People are scared about retiring too early and running out of money, so they over compensate and work far too long. 

[tinker]

16 hours ago, Xela said:

That has got to be a great feeling. You don't realise the weight of the stress on your shoulders when you are working day in, day out. When you have a holiday, it takes a few days to lift. When it does, it feels like you've lost 5 stone!

 

You are right. People are scared about retiring too early and running out of money, so they over compensate and work far too long. 

Worked with someone who was offered redundancy payment of 40k at 63 years old, he was to retire at 65 with full state pension and 35 years in a DB pension.

I worked it all out for him, I was a shop steward, and he was working for £20 a week more than what he would have got taking early retirement and redundancy. I showed him the figures and he told me straight he didn't want to leave, he enjoyed working, loved the blokes he worked with and the friends he had and would miss them to much to leave. He worked on the production line a jaguar cars, a hard monotonous job. He eventually retired at 65 with no redundancy payment.

The sad part is he told me not to tell his mates at work why he didn't want to retire early. 

Edited December 22, 2023 by tinker

[mjmooney]

3 minutes ago, tinker said:

he told me straight he didn't want to leave, he enjoyed working, loved the blokes he worked with and the friends he had at and would miss them to much to leave

I never know whether to envy or pity people like that. 

Deciding factor for me was paying off the mortgage. Work was by no means intolerable, but retirement was infinitely better. 

[tinker]

4 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

I never know whether to envy or pity people like that. 

Deciding factor for me was paying off the mortgage. Work was by no means intolerable, but retirement was infinitely better. 

Depends on what your life outside work is like, his Mrs wasn't in the best of health and his social circle outside of work was small.

You play the hand you get given as best as you can, I think he probably did tbh. Compared to some lives it's sad, to others it's a good choice to have.

[delboy54]

My brother in law is 75 has his own small business installing woodburning stoves and sweeping chimneys, he is not in the best of health but refuses to to retire. He and his wife have plenty of money, no mortgage to worry about.

He has no outside interests and the rest of the family think that he prefers being at work, plus as he has no interests outside work, we think its work that's keeping him going and without work his mental and physical health will deteriorate.

Sad isn't it?

I am 65 1/2 and will call it a day end of March 2024. I think its important that you have some sort of quality of life after finishing/retiring from work.

Fortunately I have lots of interests, including following the Villa of course. I am also planning on volunteering at my local NHS hospital (west Suffolk Bury St Edmunds) give something back after being hospitalised for 7 days earlier this year.

I am looking forward to retiring! 

[Davkaus]

I can get it if you are your own boss, and can imagine it's hard to say goodbye to a business you've built up, when you can instead just taper back your hours, knowing you are in charge and can call it quits whenever you like. Stay active, pick and choose your jobs, work as many or as few hours as you feel like.

Not so sure I get it when you're a worker ant lining someone else's pockets.

[Xann]

My Folks decided retiring to somewhere beautiful, but remote was the way to go.

It f***ked them up royally. Mum particularly.

Dad had a vast garden to play around in, Mum was in the house alone for much of the time, and her mental capability nosedived.

Obviously there's a genetic disposition to mental and physical entropy in old age, but I think if it's not nailed on? The way you live your life has a serious bearing on your ability to keep your shit together in the later stages.

If you don't think you could keep yourself engaged in the later years? I can see the attraction of staying in work.

[sidcow]

2 hours ago, tinker said:

Worked with someone who was offered redundancy payment of 40k at 63 years old, he was to retire at 65 with full state pension and 35 years in a DB pension.

I worked it all out for him, I was a shop steward, and he was working for £20 a week more than what he would have got taking early retirement and redundancy. I showed him the figures and he told me straight he didn't want to leave, he enjoyed working, loved the blokes he worked with and the friends he had and would miss them to much to leave. He worked on the production line a jaguar cars, a hard monotonous job. He eventually retired at 65 with no redundancy payment.

The sad part is he told me not to tell his mates at work why he didn't want to retire early. 

Sounds like a bluenose. 

[sidcow]

9 hours ago, Davkaus said:

I can get it if you are your own boss, and can imagine it's hard to say goodbye to a business you've built up, when you can instead just taper back your hours, knowing you are in charge and can call it quits whenever you like. Stay active, pick and choose your jobs, work as many or as few hours as you feel like.

Not so sure I get it when you're a worker ant lining someone else's pockets.

I worked for a very large privately owned independent Insurance Broker in Birmingham for the first 9 years of my working life. 

The owner/founder was very driven. He had sold the firm and bought it back once in the late 80s. (sold high, bought low) but had always led the business. 

He had another chance to sell to a major international broker in the early 2010's . When heard their plans for it he pulled out at the last minute. 

Finally sold about 5 years ago and has been fairly ill ever since then and is very ill now. Literally got no time to enjoy the wealth of a lifetimes work. 

One of the directors and my place whose been mid retirement for 3 years says he's going to go on at least another 2 years at 3 days a week (but emails and makes calls daily) 

He's got a lot of outside interests, even remarried fairly recently but genuine loves his job. The clients he's retained he just considers to be friends and socialises with them all outside of work. Loves the cut and thrust of the job and sorting out all his clients problems for them, feels satisfied with life. 

Fair enough. I'll retire at the drop of a hat the second those figures stack up. 

2 other people I work with purely work to fund their extensive travel plans that they wouldn't be able to keep up with in retirement. 

Edited December 22, 2023 by sidcow