***The Official Retirement Post***

[Aquaman2]

There are 2 kinds of people, those who loved their job, and those who didn't. My dad loved his job, teaching high school art, and so he worked full-time, drove thru LA traffic every morning, until he was 70. I never loved my job working at accounting or bookkeeping, but I got to escape that work at age 59 when I retired. Surfline forecasts, which have been very accurate in my experience, says the conditions at my favorite spot will be good, and 3' - 4' by Friday April 19th. No job can stop me from being there!

 

[flyinraptr]

There are 2 kinds of people, those who loved their job, and those who didn't. My dad loved his job, teaching high school art, and so he worked full-time, drove thru LA traffic every morning, until he was 70. I never loved my job working at accounting or bookkeeping, but I got to escape that work at age 59 when I retired. Surfline forecasts, which have been very accurate in my experience, says the conditions at my favorite spot will be good, and 3' - 4' by Friday April 19th. No job can stop me from being there!

Your post says a lot. When you're doing something that you are passionate about .... it is a completely different deal than doing something as a job to make a living. I was fortunate that i became passionate about computers right as the personal computer industry was about to take off in the early 80's. I started out in sales ... and then went back to school to learn programming at night.... absolutely loved programming but career wise it was limiting ... went back to school at night .. working during the day as a programmer to learn network engineering .... this was shortly after my divorce with wife #1 ... actually - was the best medicine ... kept me busy .... got my network engineering certification and then the career took off .... as personal computer networks were becoming a big thing with businesses but there was very few people who knew what the f*ck they were doing. I began getting recruited by numerous companies ... and even did a short time with CBS Television. It was hard work but a lot of fun ... typically you were the jack of all trades .... from the network servers to the copiers to the phone system ... etc. Kept things interesting. Eventually ... the supply caught up to the demand and the computer industry evolved. When i started ... i spent probably 90% of my time working hands on doing sh!t... and 10% doing reports etc. Towards the end of my career i spent probably 90% of my time doing project management type work .... and maybe 10% hands on. Between corporate politics and spineless mid-level manager BS ... it became a job versus something i loved to do .... the last 5-6 years i stuck it out solely for the $$ ... when you're in the six figure salary range it is interesting how much more BS you're willing to put up with before walking away ... but eventually i hit my limit or it is more like an opportunity presented itself to allow me to walk away. Funny thing ... even after being retired for 7 years and living in Nicaragua ... i even posted "Happily Retired" on my LinkedIn page ... which i never visit ... but still getting hounded by recruiters ...I had to hang up on a guy not too long ago who wanted me to take a job here in Central America and wouldn't take no for an answer. I play around with our home network here at the house .... and i am still part of the Microsoft Windows 11 Insider development team .... I am able to stream every US television channel from from any city ... the Internet is a wonderful thing ... and a lot easier from a third world country LOL .... but its just for fun when there's no waves, Surfing is my full time passion now.

 

[santacruzin]

financially I could retire now, got a shitload of stock when I joined my company and have added to it for 10 years . My pops told me not to sell any of it and I listened. I just got lucky that my companys stock price went up a ton and I actually was not an idiot and held it all. That and my kids 529 were two pretty solid moves by my dumbass.

kind of loving my job right now though. Working on cool stuff with some genius engineers and learning new things.
I work hard but have super flexible schedule and unlimited PTO.

Seems like a good thing to keep training the brain. That said as soon as my girl is ready I am the fook out of here and on the truth plan.

 

[ghostshaper]

I was talking to another dad who works for the military. He said his 20 years is coming up and then he's out. He told me he's been reading about retirement, and that most of the advice is retire early, collect a pension, and then work another job, if needed. If not, don't work.

I'm planning on retiring in 6 years, and it feels like I can supplement my income pretty easily if necessary. Do something mindless that I won't think about when I clock out.

 

[One-Off]

I was talking to another dad who works for the military. He said his 20 years is coming up and then he's out. He told me he's been reading about retirement, and that most of the advice is retire early, collect a pension, and then work another job, if needed. If not, don't work.

I'm planning on retiring in 6 years, and it feels like I can supplement my income pretty easily if necessary. Do something mindless that I won't think about when I clock out.

Work at a surf shop?

If I lived closer I would try to get a part time job at Disneyland driving Casey Jr.'s train, make it go really fast to make the kids cry.

 

[hklocal]

I graduated high school in 1978, started University of Hawaii undergrad and was kicked out because of bad grades after two years, due to my passion for surfing the North Shore and mucho partying. I wasn't ready for college just like so many people at that age. Finally got my sh!t together and eventually graduated from UCSD in 1986. After 4 years of med school, 1 year of internship, 4 years of residency and 1 year of fellowship, I finally got to start my career in private practice . Now after 26 years as a pediatric radiologist, I retired last week at age 64. I loved every minute of it, but now I'm ready to move on and enjoy what comes at me. Luckily I have no health issues and no joint or back problems so I'm going to surf many waves I have always wanted to surf. First stop is El Salvador leaving tomorrow, then on to Jefferys bay.

Goes to show you, that anyone can turn their lives around.

 

[flyinraptr]

I graduated high school in 1978, started University of Hawaii undergrad and was kicked out because of bad grades after two years, due to my passion for surfing the North Shore and mucho partying. I wasn't ready for college just like so many people at that age. Finally got my sh!t together and eventually graduated from UCSD in 1986. After 4 years of med school, 1 year of internship, 4 years of residency and 1 year of fellowship, I finally got to start my career in private practice . Now after 26 years as a pediatric radiologist, I retired last week at age 64. I loved every minute of it, but now I'm ready to move on and enjoy what comes at me. Luckily I have no health issues and no joint or back problems so I'm going to surf many waves I have always wanted to surf. First stop is El Salvador leaving tomorrow, then on to Jefferys bay.
View attachment 177235
Goes to show you, that anyone can turn their lives around.

Wow ... i wonder if our paths crossed .... i graduated HS in 1978 ... two weeks later i moved to Oahu with my surfboard and backpack. Lived at Sunset point '78-'79 and then moved to Manoa ... a few blocks from the University of Hawaii ... eventually getting a job at the RainTree bar/grill in Puck's Alley .... just down the street from UH. Congrats on retirement ... have fun in El Salvador ... the season is just getting started.

 

[hklocal]

Wow ... i wonder if our paths crossed .... i graduated HS in 1978 ... two weeks later i moved to Oahu with my surfboard and backpack. Lived at Sunset point '78-'79 and then moved to Manoa ... a few blocks from the University of Hawaii ... eventually getting a job at the RainTree bar/grill in Puck's Alley .... just down the street from UH. Congrats on retirement ... have fun in El Salvador ... the season is just getting started.

Im sure we surfed together but didn't know it. I grew up in Hawaii Kai and went two years at Kaiser HS the finished up at Saint Louis HS. We used to party at a bar in Pucks alley, but I forgot the name, perhaps Magoo's??? Those were the days. Surf all day then party at night. There were alot of fun clubs in Waikiki that my friends played at, like the Wave, Rock and Roll cellar, Red Lion, etc. .I'm sure you surfed the south shore too. I lived in Portlock and my house overlooked Chinas and Pillars, so I surfed there alot. It was paradise, but my parents were not diggin it. I am so glad I didn't go right thru college, I had so much fun. I would never trade those days. Family still lives there, so I go back often. Thinking about buying a house in Hanalei soon.

That must have been such a blast to do what you did, that took balls. Back then, I used to get up to the north shore really early and surf backdoors/pipe/OTW's with no one out, eventually people would show up, but nothing like today. You must have scored so many classic days. If you ever go back there to surf, DM me, I might be there and we can hit it together. Aloha

 

[flyinraptr]

Im sure we surfed together but didn't know it. I grew up in Hawaii Kai and went two years at Kaiser HS the finished up at Saint Louis HS. We used to party at a bar in Pucks alley, but I forgot the name, perhaps Magoo's??? Those were the days. Surf all day then party at night. There were alot of fun clubs in Waikiki that my friends played at, like the Wave, Rock and Roll cellar, Red Lion, etc. .I'm sure you surfed the south shore too. I lived in Portlock and my house overlooked Chinas and Pillars, so I surfed there alot. It was paradise, but my parents were not diggin it. I am so glad I didn't go right thru college, I had so much fun. I would never would trade those days. Family still lives there, so I go back often. Thinking about buying a house in Hanalei soon.

That must have been such a blast to do what you did, that took balls. Back then, I used to get up to the north shore really early and surf backdoors/pipe/OTW's with no one out, eventually people would show up, but nothing like today. You must have scored so many classic days. If you ever go back there to surf, DM me, I might be there and we can hit it together. Aloha

Sweet! The RainTree was bought and turned into a Moose Mcgillicuddy in the early 80's. I remember the Red Lion ... there were a couple of bars i can't remember the names .. Liz's Underwater Bar rings a bell ... that had windows into the hotel swimming pool .... always a good laugh. I also worked at the Top of Waikiki for a short time ... i was the token haole ... Lol ... the local guys who worked there and surfed pretty much took me under their wing and i surfed with them quite often .. .never got hassled in the lineup whenever i was with them. Rice Bowls was my favorite spot in town when it was on .... also surfed Diamond Head quite a bit. On the NS ... Backyards was a favorite spot. If you ever make it to Central America ... Nicaragua ... give me a shout ....

 

[b.r.]

Work at a surf shop?

If I lived closer I would try to get a part time job at Disneyland driving Casey Jr.'s train, make it go really fast to make the kids cry.

I’m trying to decide if I want to pour pints a few days a week or sell wax at a local surf shop when I am done but still waiting for my younger wife to retire.

 

[hklocal]

Sweet! The RainTree was bought and turned into a Moose Mcgillicuddy in the early 80's. I remember the Red Lion ... there were a couple of bars i can't remember the names .. Liz's Underwater Bar rings a bell ... that had windows into the hotel swimming pool .... always a good laugh. I also worked at the Top of Waikiki for a short time ... i was the token haole ... Lol ... the local guys who worked there and surfed pretty much took me under their wing and i surfed with them quite often .. .never got hassled in the lineup whenever i was with them. Rice Bowls was my favorite spot in town when it was on .... also surfed Diamond Head quite a bit. On the NS ... Backyards was a favorite spot. If you ever make it to Central America ... Nicaragua ... give me a shout ....

 

[hklocal]

I think that was Davey Jones Locker. We jumped in the pool and mooned people at the bar. Classic! Good you had some local braddas with you at that time. Rice bowls was a fun peak with a cool double up back door tube on occasion. I've almost drowned three times in my life, one was at Backyards, crazy currents inside. Been to Nicaragua, stayed at Popoyo and got some really good Colorado"s. If I'm down there again I'll look you up.

 

[One-Off]

I’m trying to decide if I want to pour pints a few days a week or sell wax at a local surf shop when I am done but still waiting for my younger wife to retire.

My wife is also working. While I was working she never complained about her job. Now it's constant. She's counting the days to Social Security eligibility.

 

[oneula]

It's ironic reading this in that I had to leave Hawaii in the early 70's in order to pursue an undergraduate degree in Oceanography with hopes of coming home to pursue a grad degree in the same subject. I had hopes of studying at UH under Dean John Craven for his manganese nodule mining project which just turned out to be a cover for howard hughes and the Glomar Explorer program to recover a russian sub in the bottom of the pacific. Found out they were also training porpoises on coconut island for special warfare purposes in secret.

Inevitably the two recessions and stagflation that followed the inflation of the 70's caused me to pursue a decent paying occupation other than being a poor undergrad scientist so I chose my part time job in payments banking and have been doing it since the late 70's. Seen allot of changes, bubbles, and up and down cycles in the economy over these 4 decades while missing out on the formation of the ASP, the aussie invasion, the invention of the thruster and the take over of country (northshore). But I also got to monoski the deep powder bowls of Whistler, Batchelor and Snowbird before the developments and crowds. Even surfed Seaside point with just one other guy in the pre-leash mid 70's in the middle of a snow storm.

Been very lucky to both love what I do and become somewhat of an industry respected SME because of it. Most everyone else leaves because they don't like what they do for one reason or another or there's something better to do. But sooner or later you just get physically too old to continue no matter how much you love something. And that includes surfing. Peter taught me that years ago in that you have to respect your physical limits as you become an octogenarian and beyond. Hopefully I'll get some time in before I have to give up my second love(surfing) too.

 

[crustBrother]

the truth plan.

patent pending

 

[SurfFuerteventura]

patent pending

No patent involved. Just jump esrly while you still have some healthy years ahead and steak a claim at a world class wave set up. Never leave. People been doing this since surfing begun to go south.