I'm now officially Retired

[Ohio Joe]

Received my first Social Security check today - so I'm now officially retired... I think I'll just celebrate and take my grandson Lucas to get an ice-cream cone. I'd take my wife too, but she's sleeping. She works 3rd shift, so I'll have to catch her Friday when she's off. It didn't really feel official until the check showed up - so now it does. 

[Bigsmoke]

Joe, you are certainly a party animal.  I don't recall doing anything that expansive when I got my first check.  Ice cream cone.  What kind of ice cream did you get?  Of course, that was over 10 years ago, so I don't recall much of that at all.
Anyway, congrats on your first of many checks.  Or direct deposits, anyway.
But, if the jerks in DC are to be believed, the SS fund will be bankrupt by 2034.  So, don't get tooooooooo used to it.
John

[prairie dog]

Congratulations!  Enjoy the first of many "ice cream cones"

[Ohio Joe]

Joe, you are certainly a party animal.  I don't recall doing anything that expansive when I got my first check.  Ice cream cone.  What kind of ice cream did you get?  Of course, that was over 10 years ago, so I don't recall much of that at all.
Anyway, congrats on your first of many checks.  Or direct deposits, anyway.
But, if the jerks in DC are to be believed, the SS fund will be bankrupt by 2034.  So, don't get tooooooooo used to it.
John

John, we went with the, vanilla / chocolate twist (medium size of course) - I'm on a budget like most my age...

 

[Ohio Joe]

Congratulations!  Enjoy the first of many "ice cream cones"

Thank you Steve. 

[Oldetexian]

Congratulations, and welcome to the Club! Dues are way too high, and benefits aren't much, but there are some nice perks (like taking grand kids for ice cream and overnight camping trips). Enjoy, my friend. If you're like me, it will take a couple of years to "really" slow down, but when it happens it is truly a good feeling.

[Ohio Joe]

Thanks Oldetexian 

I will admit that since I "pre" retired about 9 weeks ago, our weather has been nothing short of crappy, and trying to find / create things to keep me occupied (other then shoveling snow and making a couple shooting bags) it was hard making the adjustment to retirement.

About a week and a half ago (or so) I decided enough was enough with this stinking weather - I just decided I'd start my "retirement muzzle loading rifle build" regardless of the weather outside my workshop... I did pull off the build when my grandson came to stay with us for 3 weeks - as they are moving (and now have moved to) Cheyenne, Wy... Lucas (my grandson) will not be able to get into a summer program type daycare for kids his age for another couple of weeks. I'll sure miss my little buddy when he goes to Cheyenne,,, but I'll get to see him again in July for a week at Chadron Fur Trade Days Rendezvous. Him and Rolling (Rondo) they're buddy's.

The biggest thing right now is hoping every day that this nasty weather we've been having will straighten out so a person can enjoy Spring / Summer / and hopefully - Fall... I hate Winter more and more every year. 

[Hank in WV]

Well I'm almost two weeks into retirement and haven't much of anything. Don't know what I'm going to do to keep me busy for the next30 or 40 years.

[Oldetexian]

Hey Hank. Been there and done that as they like to say. My unasked for advice (always the best kind...) is simply to relax and let it come to you. As I told Joe earlier, it took me almost two years to unwind and actually realize I didn't have to be busy 18 hours a day, and I wasn't on call 24/7...

And the really great news is it just gets better now with every passing week. In fact, this retirement thing is pretty danged nice...wish the pay was a bit better, but not really complaining.

Just gradually let go of the "need to be busy," and you will soon find yourself with more going on than you can shake a stick at...Have fun, my friend!