Stijn!!

[Oh Haha]

woohoo! Except for a couple of small things our Christmas shopping is done. Wifey took Tuesday off and we got most of the list items.

We are getting my son his first Lionel train set this year. Holy crap, those things are not cheap!! Settled on a starter set and figure he can add to it over the years. His birthday is in a few days so that makes it more expensive during the month of December.

At some point he will inherit the 1963 Lionel set that was my older brother's. Given that it is old and worth a few bucks I am waiting until he shows more care for his toys. I would be very disappointed if something happened to it.

[Porsche-poor]

kinda like my kid and his fender tele and flying v

[fintstone]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

It's going to be nice outside. Too bad I work inside. Hmmm, hookie, perhaps.

Just under three weeks until our next work-cation. Hopefully the last one before we bail out of this working-for-a-living thing.

Same here. Hate to be inside from dark (morning) to dark (evening) when it is unseasonably nice out. At least it make the commute a bit more tolerable. It is supposed to be up close to 70 this week end. It is warmer than usual (but not warm or sunny enough and does not last long (short days) to really enjoy. What is up with all this relatively warm weather? My rose bushes and other bushes are half-heartedly blooming and my grass needs mowing (don't know if I should or not this time of year).

I wish I got as much vacation time as you do (and could spend it in CA). Even the meager amount that I get...I have trouble getting to use (most of it is spent on AF Reserve duty).

I am tempted to retire as well...but wife is convinced that we would soon be living under a bridge (even though simple math indicates we have plenty and are lucky to currently need nothing).

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by Porsche-poor

is it safe to play guitar while treading?

Sure is!

Mornin all.

[Porsche-poor]

retire? I wish. With current situation I may have to toss out almost 20 years of service and start over some place.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Morning all. On my commute I watched a pretty sunrise. Lotsa a reds and oranges colors.

No life wildlife for me today, just wild-dead. Some road kill possums but that is quite normal.

I thought you were talking about other commuters. They seem that way around here anymore.

[RKDinOKC]

Found out I somehow got a 35 years of service award at the Christmas dinner I didn't attend.
My 35th anniversary isn't until May. Don't understand their math.
Now I gotta go pick it up.

Let's see, 35 years you are supposed to get a gold watch eh?

[Porsche-poor]

gave it to you early.

[flipper35]

Probably common core math.

Supposed to get to 54* today. Was 51* when I got here.

[Jim Richards]

fint, we've looked at our expenses, savings, and various social security scenarios (e.g., ages that we file for it) and I think we're on solid ground. My wife is the pessimist in our household, too. Still, when my brother that was a year older than me passed away not too long ago, it made us think. I've been working since I was 15. I'd like to do some things that are more enjoyable than work. And I'd like to do them in a nicer climate.

[RKDinOKC]

According to my social numbers I need to earn more than I am currently earning after I retire to be on solid ground.

[flipper35]

A good friend of mine's husband wanted to retire but he was one of the only ones that knew some of the systems where he worked and they kept offering him more money, work at home, set his own hours and so on so he kept working. He finally retired and passed shortly after.

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I have heard that phrase from my dad as a kid. I have no doubt it means a lot.

Around here 99.5% of the time the weather moves from the southwest to the north east. It can be a last of a front moving out that allows for the red sky in the morning.

Oklahoma City has one of the top sailing lakes in the country from what I hear from my buddies with boats. This sounds funny but we have a lake on top of a hill and there is almost always a wind. There are many regattas held there through the year. It is a man made lake and 3.8 square miles. It is a nice safe place to sail.

Hobie Cat Forums • View topic - OK- Lake Hefner Oklahoma City

Except when its dry as a bone! I remember barely being able to launch my buddies little fishing boat there, and then going real slow and watching the depth finder to protect the prop!

[Porsche-poor]

we had people running jet skis in the streets in Portland this week. Come get all the water you want.

[RKDinOKC]

Looked into sailing, both water, and wind...sail boats, and hang gliders when just out of college.

Almost got a hang glider then found 1 in 20 people that get into hang gliding die hang gliding. Not very good odds.

Didn't really want some sort of cheap hobby cat, so decided sail boats were too expensive being just out of college.

Go into dirt bikes. Broke my leg then decided that dirt bikes was not a good hobby. Again with the injury odds.

Resorted to computers and radio controlled airplanes. Never chopped anything off with the spinning props.

When I moved to current residence the flying club I joined also moved further away.
Decided to give up on r/c planes, sold all my stuff, and got into Porsche Cars.

Specifically the 944TurboS and autocrossing.
Now that my foot mrsa infection has ruined my ability to double-de-clutch and can't afford a PDK, looking for another hobby.

Tried RC copters, but the parts are just too small to keep repaired and running with these old eyes.

With all my down time I kinda tried movies, but found my tastes are really to narrow to be much of a movie buff.
I watch some pretty weird stuff, but there is a LOT of movies I just won't watch and have no desire to.

Still looking.

[fintstone]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

fint, we've looked at our expenses, savings, and various social security scenarios (e.g., ages that we file for it) and I think we're on solid ground. My wife is the pessimist in our household, too. Still, when my brother that was a year older than me passed away not too long ago, it made us think. I've been working since I was 15. I'd like to do some things that are more enjoyable than work. And I'd like to do them in a nicer climate.

I think I am stuck living most of the time near my elderly mother who will not leave her home so we bought my wife's dream house as a bribe to stay since she doesn't like my mom (mom is nice to no one, including me and I am the offspring she likes least despite the fact that we do much for her) and really did not like the area. I can't complain because I love the fabulous house and it would cost more than double what I paid if it were anywhere else. The down side is a big mortgage and several acres to mow almost every weekend in the summer, but the cost/mortgage is really pretty manageable. When my daughter comes back to the States next year(currently in Korea), we may just vacation at her house (or find a modest vacation place of our own there...depending on how much we like the area and cost.

Since my wife has already retired, she is in no hurry for me to do so (she enjoys just sitting around the house). I have also worked since very young and am fortunate to have a couple of very generous defined benefit plans that will pay as long as I live and my wife has one as well (any of the three would be enough to live on modestly). We both worked hard and lived very frugally (other than investing in nice homes in nice areas) and been very lucky, so we have large TSP investments as well as significant real estate equity and income (multiple rentals). A few years back, it looked pretty bleak because we lost 7 figures (on paper) in the stock market/real estate crash...but we toughed it out by living even more frugally until I could pay down some mortgages and both the real estate and the stock markets recovered. Taking a sucky job in a sucky place that paid more also helped.

My family has a history of long, healthy life...so I am torn between worrying that I will not live long enough (to enjoy myself)...or will live too long (and run out of money)...although neither fear seems grounded in reality.

I assume you are FERS and did not wait for 62. That is a significant difference (probably over 12%) to wait (over retiring at 60...even more for younger). How were you able to justify walking away from that (as 12% usually takes 12 years to gain). Just the thought that after 30 years, you are working for about 60% pay since you would get about 40% of that not to work (1% per year plus offset)?

[fintstone]

Originally Posted by flipper35

A good friend of mine's husband wanted to retire but he was one of the only ones that knew some of the systems where he worked and they kept offering him more money, work at home, set his own hours and so on so he kept working. He finally retired and passed shortly after.

This is what is happening to me. My commute is long and hard and they are trying to reduce office space/utilities significantly...so they will allow me to telework about half the time if I choose. This seems good on the surface because the office spaces sucked anyways. I do some now and it is nice to sleep a couple extra hours, but it is hard to get used to doing stuff from home and internet is lousy. It does, however; make it harder to quit/retire. Also, no one really can screw with me much which is nice at times. I can just say "kiss off, wanker".

Even though it is never all about money (and we are doing pretty well), I am a competitive sort of guy and it is how you keep score (at work). They just can't give me any more because I am already at the top of the scale (rules would prevent it anyways)...so no competition just takes a lot of the fun out of it. The part I hate about work now is really that I cannot get promoted and cannot justify going to something more exciting (due to worse commute/no telework and no more money.

[Jim Richards]

fint, I'm a bit older than you assume.

[RKDinOKC]

Have been working completely from home for some time. Have a very fast business cable connection so not only is it good for me, have some web and email servers I run for other smaller companies. Basically pays for my fast connection and the servers.

Seems like after 35 years at the same company with promotions etc, and contributing to my retirement all along I would be pretty set up, but not so according the "Current" social security calculators. Weird, I was okay last year.

[GH85Carrera]

I am so lucky in many ways. I have been working since 1972 for a paycheck. I had been mowing yards since i was 12. I was a cheapskate and never could fathom spending the money on recreational drugs. I have not spent one single penny on any drug except the legal one, alcohol. For sure I have wasted many grand in beer. That is my one indulgence.

I bought my first Porsche when I was 19 and my house on my 26th birthday. I was single and had a mortgage that for my single income was large. I worked a regular job and shot wedding on the side.

I married a very smart lady and she understood retirement savings since she was the HR director at a local university. She is retired now and I now have great job with total flexibility and no down sides. I can't really imagine retiring and not having something productive to do every day.

We have zero debt at all and we each have retirement funds. We are far from rich but I never even look at the price tag when at the grocery store or at a restaurant. If I want something I go get it. My wife would love it if I came home in a new Cayman GT4. I sure can't say I don't want one, but I have no reason to get rid of my 911. After owning it for 20 years I am kinda attached to it.

How many toys can a guy buy, drive the hell out of, and have it worth double what I paid for it. A new Cayman would drop many grand in the first year. I am too dang cheap! I worked too hard for my money.