Congratulations! I want soooo badly to retire. Can't wait. Actually never wanted to work in the first place. I have 20 more months until I can retire. Unless I win the lottery first:) Fat chance!

carlyb, congratulations on your retirement. Do you have a plan as to what you want to do? Im curious as to what happened (if its not too personal) to push you "over the edge". I too feel some days that I just can't do it anymore but unfortunately I don't have a choice. Im 62-will be 63 in Dec.- and would love to not have to spend 5 days a week at work. Good luck to you and after a good rest I hope you find something to add joy and contentment to your life. Satine

I know how you must feel I took early retiremnt at 59 loved my work but office politics not. Since I had enough years on the job I get a small retirement check (for life) from that bank and another smaller one from my previous job.

My S Sec didn't kick in until I was 62 and that has increased a lot since then. If I'd waited until 65 I think I'd get twice as much but I'm not complaining. I don't know how it works now but it is worth a call to the SS offices to see how you stand.
I do regret not having a job now for some structure and a little fun money maybe. But try and keep your frienly contacts at work and try not to bad mouth anyone openly since someday you might have to work for them LOL.

Hello. This is the first time I've posted on this forum although I've been posting on Gardenweb for years.

I understand that pivotal moment. I am 61 and was hoping to retire at age 64 which is about 2 years 8 months away. My full SS doesn't start until age 66, but no way am I working another five years.

Pivotal moments for me are beautiful fall mornings when all I want to do is linger on the porch with my coffee and newspaper, not drive 16 miles, battling traffic all the way. A pivotal moment is every time I have a job review and I get knots in my stomach knowing they will find one area "for improvement." Grrrr.

I wish I could just say the heck with it all and walk away, but I am just too much of a scaredy cat and now the economic downturn has me scared, too.

Good luck to you CarlyB and I hope every minute is wonderful.

I've my house for sale and the market is not as bad here as most parts of the country (austin,tx). I'm gonna take early SS and move back home (small town missouri) where my family is (and one of my two grown daughters).

I was in commissoned sales 23 yrs at this place and fell about three yrs. ago in the office( an old heavy moniter cord wrapped around my ankle and jerked me to the floor on my rear). I was told I could report a job injury but would be fired. I believed it. I've spent alot of money with pain doctors etc. and take 180 pills a month for the sciatic pain. It's a very large store and about 6 months ago I took about a 2/3 pay cut to go into the office where I mostly sat doing financing etc.

I recently overheard the store manager tell his #1 sales lady she could take a work order and shove it down her throat if she wanted..that he didn't care. Since then I figured the next time he got nasty I would walk. The pivotal day came when he yelled and "talked" down to me because I paged a salesperson who wasn't there yet. About 30 min. later his right hand man walked into the office and not knowing I was in the file room asked "where's old Carolyn". The third thing was I was told I would be working on the sales floor during a 11 hr sales promotion "Treasure Chest" four days from then. This is a very large store and I would've been on my feet in sciatic hell and they knew it. All of that in one day did it for me. I guess you could say it was a political thing with the manager as President and office manager the Vice.

Carolyn~~

Good for you. I know what it is to have to work under those conditions and the day I reached my "golden 85", I was out of there~~~~ Felt so good, but oh my I do miss some of the fellow workers.

Good luck in selling your home and moving "back home". May I ask, if you are single? I know that was a huge factor for me but by the grace of God, I have made it so far. I live in Kansas, so MO. is not far away. Keep us posted and best wishes.

phoogie I am single and that has two parts. No help with the income but don't have to consider the other person either. I'm not saying this will be easy and lord knows I can't touch that shrunken 401 but I'm considering it a challange and new chapter.

My daughter's in St. Joe with other family in Mound City..Maitland..Maryville..Graham. Why Kansas City for you? Are you in a house or apartment? I've thought about south missouri but figure I should just go where the family is.

dedtired I fully know where you are with this. I so enjoyed my home and just hated getting ready for work. Just wanted to stay home with the coffee, the dog and kept plenty busy with all the homeowner stuff. Haven't posted alot here but check in daily.

carlyb, sounds like you were in a nasty workplace. Im happy for you that you can not only be finished with that place but also that you will be near family. I know it is difficult to do all this alone but once it is behind you and you are settled it will be worth it. It sounds to me like you might have had grounds for some legal action against your (former) company. The very best wishes to you. Satine

Carolyn~~
You should be able to live in a smaller MO or KS town much cheaper than in the Austin area. This is definately a buyer's market here. I live about 120 mi. west of the Kansas City area.....but hoping to sell my house here soon and move to Mid-East part of KS....where the taxes are so much cheaper than they are here.

I was widowed when I retired, living in a little town of about 900 people (counting all the dogs and cats)...had a small house and living was cheap....married since and moved here, but that is a different story....and not a wise choice....but done now and trying to make it work.

Good luck to you.

satine I probably did but being single and needing the medical I was afraid big time of doing anything..Now it's been too long. I'm having bunion surgery next weds. have needed it for yrs. but couldn't being commissioned sales. Having an ekg tomorrow pre surgery and that's a good thing too. Still have the insurance and will stay with cobra for as long as I can.

I really am going to try to enjoy this as I didn't even take vacation time..always sold it and worked thru it.

I'm so glad I'm out of there..yesterday a saleslady whom I'd worked with the whole time called me. She told me she asked the Assistant Mgr. what happened to me and he replied "Oh you know she had all these overages and underages"...That's the very kind of comment that drove me crazy about them. Anything to make someone else look bad. I did email the store manager and the home office in Victoria Tx and let them know that I knew and I didn't like it one bit. Now that I'm out I'm not afraid to out their behavior.

Hi carlyb,

Firstly, congrats on the retirement. I hope that you enjoy it.

I hope that you can find a way to bury the bitterness. That trouble is finished: they're out of your life, now - let it go.

When we carry a load of bitterness, it doesn't harm the ones that we're mad at - it just harms us ... or may do so.

You're starting on a new life!

Look around for some interesting and challenging things to see and do.

Maybe there's an interesting group at the library or some other social group that you can join.

Expand a hobby - or start one.

Check out some opportunities to get involved with volunteering - there are many of them, of very varied nature.

Look forward to each day with a song in your heart.

Good wishes as you get used to being retired: fill it with interesting, joyous, useful, pleasant things.

ole joyful

Joyfulguy glad to hear from you..I've read many of your posts and respect your knowledge and opinions. As long as I hear nothing from the old workplace I don't even think about them. I do have a life other than work. My dau. and grandaughters are here...I've my house for sale so keep up with that and had the long awaited bunion surgery yesterday. Getting along just fine. I packed up about half the stuff before the surgery and we may have a contract coming up. My next move is back home to the midwest where one of my daughters lives and the rest of my family. I also am a thrift store nut who gets "real" lucky and sell on ebay. I've always loved fixing up houses and will do the same when I get to the midwest. Family, a cup of coffee, a good book and a fixer up should keep me busy for a long while. Have a great day!

Phoggie, I live in Kansas also and it is a cheaper place to live.

I am so grateful I've never had to work except for 3 years between marriages, but made up for not working by spending and saving wisely. Central Kansas is very flat, if you like hills and trees Missouri or Arkansas may be better for you. I don't know how the real estate market is there.

I guess you all know the most important thing to do for retirement is having a home paid for when you retire. We had a rental in a low income area and you don't want to end up in that kind of place.

Hi again Carly B,

Well ... it's been a month, now.

How are things going?

How are you feeling?

Enjoying your current situation, I'm sure, from the sound of your earlier posts.

Fill up your mug ... probably we can find a couple of brownies, somewhere, and tell us all about it.

Good wishes for the days ahead, as you make your plans and put them into action.

ole joyful

Hi Joyfulguy ( and all of you). I've been too busy to check in. The house closes Nov. 19 and Mayflower (Wheaton VanLine) clearing out the house next Monday. I have so much stuff and am "up to here" with boxes, packing etc. I've accepted the offer I'd spoken of earlier and will be living at a friend's dad's home near a smalltown in Missouri. He's 92 and they don't think he should live alone anymore. Longevity runs in the family and they tend to be healthy the whole time. I will be living about 5 miles (as the crow flies) from the farm home where I lived 18 yrs. and where both my dau.'s were born and raised. I am looking forward to it and have emotionally left the house in austin which I have loved the past 12 yrs. The home here is within 1 mile of everything from hospital, docters, banks. grocery, library, target, and my alltime favorite thrift stores so I will have alot of change. There I'll be 5 miles from the main things but the nearest wallmart, large grocery stores, and shopping will be in St. Joseph, Mo. or Maryville, Mo. which are 15 and 30 mile away. One of my two dau.'s is in St. Joe, a sister in Maryville, and two brothers are just a few miles from the place I will be. I am ready for this as I worked so many yrs. in pain that just wore me out. It is sooooo good not to do that anymore. My household will be stored on the farm and I'm bringing my Yorkie and 12 yr. old cat with me. A new life for them also. The friend says when Dad gets where he needs more help they will find a retirement home for him and I can stay in the house or at that point I will shop for a house for myself. It seems like a good way to transition from one state to another. The gentleman needs no help now..cook a little, clean, watch over him on a daily basis in case he has any problems. I'm thinking of myself as a New York Stockbroker who bought a goat farm in Vermont and changing her life. Just a thought! You'll hear from me again but it will be awhile.

Such good news and how nice to hear from you. Looks like you picked a very good deal with the house etc and how nice thtthe elderly gentleman will not be alone anymore.
Best of everything and good for you keep us informed

Hi again Carly ... with a b.. in your bonnet,

Well ... it's been over seven months, now.

How have things been going?

I hope that you're still pleased with your situation and that things are working out well for you.

Good wishes for the future days and months.

ole joyful

Carlb, Good luck to you. I got on this forum because I'm feeling miserable about my job. I'd love to retire but I'm really scared I haven't saved enough. I've worked for this company for 28 years and all they do lately is cut people, cut pensions, etc. The stress is enough to kill anyone. Now they're going through a reorganization which meeans for me, lots of travel and commute. I'm in upstate NY and the winters are treacherous. I'm so looking forward to a job that I would enjoy. I enjoy nothing about my current job. But I envy and admire you. Again, good luck.

Hi folks..I'm doing fine but "life" happened. I was washing his tv room patio door as he loves to look outside and I missed a step and broke my pelvis. A stable fracture so it only required staying in a wheelchair for 2 month. His son wanted to help me out by bringing him to Vegas for a stay but he told his son he better not till I was better as he might have to help me out. That was Feb/Mar and everything healed fine with no lingering problems of any kind. I've been here 8 months now and have enjoyed being near my brothers and their families. I've a brother a mile away to the west and one a mile to the south. We had a mild winter and the gentleman kept the house so warm I went barefoot most of the winter. My little dog and old cat adjusted quickly and take most recliner naps with the gentleman.

Things are changing rapidly for the 93 yr old and both his sons agree with me that it may be time for another arrangement. We're thinking by fall he will go to live at the local nursing home where he'll know everyone and may actually be better off than out here in the country where most of the days he sees only me. They'll both be here for 3 or 4 weeks in July and get it all figured out. They've asked me to stay at the house so it won't be sitting out here empty but I think I'll be buying a house in a nearby town pop.70,000 where I'll be close to dr's and one of my daughters etc. I'm having test tomorrow for a Bruit and think this is the time for me to get wherever I'm going. I'll pay for a house with the money from the texas sale and think I can get by.
My Cobra ended up costing $285 for 2009 and that's pretty darn good for a $1000 deductible 80/20. Needless to say I'm using it.

In case anyone's checking on me I've had all the test and nothing wrong..even had a stress test. So I'm doing fine. Just came back from visiting my daughter in austin where it was hot as H...! Her car was reading 111 inside. I lived there 25 yrs but don't think I'll go back May thru Sept ever again. We're having some fabulous weather here in NW Mo.. I've found this part of Mo to be clean as a whistle farms, yards, etc. and I'm glad to be back.

I just read all the follow-up postings and I'm glad things worked out ok with you and that your in good spirits.
Thanks for the update!!