Enjoying Retirement
Discussion
My wife and I use our BT calendar so we can both see on our phones or laptops what each other is doing if we need to plan a date. I never really needed to do that when I was working, at least for personal activities anyway, but with our various trips, holidays and hobbies there's usually something down most days, even if it's a reminder to do something due in a week or two.
Been back from our holiday for 3 weeks now and it still seems a fresh memory, unlike when I was working and I'd pretty much forgotten it by the end of the first day back at work.
I finally managed to splash some money on a frivolous treat for myself: Bought a new 4K TV for our conservatory as we spend a lot of time in there during summer(?!) months. Enjoyed fiddling about and getting it set up today (in our living room for now as it's warmer ). My next job is to move the old one to the kitchen to replace one there that's just about packed up and set the new one up in the conservatory. Sorry if that now guarantees a cold/wet Easter.
Got a list of car related jobs to do, though at least my little Alfa passed it's MOT this week, so all I've done is give it a wash.
Been back from our holiday for 3 weeks now and it still seems a fresh memory, unlike when I was working and I'd pretty much forgotten it by the end of the first day back at work.
I finally managed to splash some money on a frivolous treat for myself: Bought a new 4K TV for our conservatory as we spend a lot of time in there during summer(?!) months. Enjoyed fiddling about and getting it set up today (in our living room for now as it's warmer
). My next job is to move the old one to the kitchen to replace one there that's just about packed up and set the new one up in the conservatory. Sorry if that now guarantees a cold/wet Easter. Got a list of car related jobs to do, though at least my little Alfa passed it's MOT this week, so all I've done is give it a wash.
BT calendar?
Bluetooth?!
We use Cozi…but I also have a spreadsheet with a year at a glance.
We put holidays/festivals/shows etc on there to see the big picture. Handy to see where gaps are if we fancy doing something.
I am far more interested in our schedules & diary now than I ever was with work ones in the past
Son arrived this evening in Les Arcs after a 4am start from London….looking forward to our final 8 days on the slopes, it really has been a smashing time….even if I did struggle today with tired legs!!
& well done on the 4K TV….although you may find some folk look better in standard definition (pretty sure I do!)
Bluetooth?!
We use Cozi…but I also have a spreadsheet with a year at a glance.
We put holidays/festivals/shows etc on there to see the big picture. Handy to see where gaps are if we fancy doing something.
I am far more interested in our schedules & diary now than I ever was with work ones in the past
Son arrived this evening in Les Arcs after a 4am start from London….looking forward to our final 8 days on the slopes, it really has been a smashing time….even if I did struggle today with tired legs!!
& well done on the 4K TV….although you may find some folk look better in standard definition (pretty sure I do!)
skeeterm5 said:
And in more exciting news, somebody left one of the field gates open and this morning we have 2 deer in the raspberry patch.
Luckily I don’t like raspberry jam
Luckily I don’t like raspberry jam
Yesterday ayoung muntjac got stuck in some garden footie goal netting locally, fortunately the RSPCA got it out with no serious injuries and it ran off back into the nearby woods. The deer wasn't having any retirement just yet.
skeeterm5 said:
We have a whiteboard up in one of the barns
The big trips are planned out a little but generally we do stuff when we feel like, for example, last night SWMBO said she fancied a couple of nights away somewhere, so hopped online and hotel booked for next week.
Ah, excellent: we also have a whiteboard (styled to look like planks) in the kitchen with a rolling week ahead, plus a column for a ToDo list. Brilliant for knowing the immediate “what’s coming up” The big trips are planned out a little but generally we do stuff when we feel like, for example, last night SWMBO said she fancied a couple of nights away somewhere, so hopped online and hotel booked for next week.
Another case of me enjoying that capability far more than when I spent half my career scribbling on the, for customers
On the topic of venison….a pal told me the other week it was a source of meat that we have too much of, & therefore needs eating. Nom nom nom!
mikeiow said:
On the topic of venison….a pal told me the other week it was a source of meat that we have too much of, & therefore needs eating. Nom nom nom!
Wife and I really like venison too. Venison steaks with Madeira cream and shallots sauce, vegetables etc, plus a Valpoilicella, yummy. I'm the cook so I get to prepare this regularly!R.
FriedMarsBar said:
I suspect oldskoolRS means either a single shared BT Internet calendar attached to a mailbox or a shared calendar between two BT mailboxes.
Sorry yes I did mean British Telecom mailbox calendar. Just means we can both see each other's appointments/plans and even add them for each other if we want to. Helps give some structure to the week as well as I sometimes find that the next few days are busy, so we might make the most of doing something today. I don't like raspberry jam either, though quite enjoyed Venison the few times I've had it. Kangaroo was OK too but less likely to find that in your garden Skeeterm.
OldSkoolRS said:
FriedMarsBar said:
I suspect oldskoolRS means either a single shared BT Internet calendar attached to a mailbox or a shared calendar between two BT mailboxes.
Sorry yes I did mean British Telecom mailbox calendar. Just means we can both see each other's appointments/plans and even add them for each other if we want to. Helps give some structure to the week as well as I sometimes find that the next few days are busy, so we might make the most of doing something today. I don't like raspberry jam either, though quite enjoyed Venison the few times I've had it. Kangaroo was OK too but less likely to find that in your garden Skeeterm.
We keep a week per double page diary open on a small kitchen table. Everything goes into that and can be a great reference for things years later. #Oldschool!
My retirement is taking some twists and turns as I’m getting offers of work. An interesting offer on the table at the moment is a few mornings a week serving in an English run reclamation yard here in France. The owner has been waiting for me to retire and called to see if I’m bored yet!
Apparently I’m ideal with reasonable French language skills and construction experience.
Unfortunately I’m about to start clearing and cleaning out the ground floor of a pals holiday home that been severely flooded over the weekend! Awful mess!
You can see how high it went in on that second photo.
My retirement is taking some twists and turns as I’m getting offers of work. An interesting offer on the table at the moment is a few mornings a week serving in an English run reclamation yard here in France. The owner has been waiting for me to retire and called to see if I’m bored yet!
Apparently I’m ideal with reasonable French language skills and construction experience.
Unfortunately I’m about to start clearing and cleaning out the ground floor of a pals holiday home that been severely flooded over the weekend! Awful mess!
You can see how high it went in on that second photo.
Blimey, where in France is that ?
It's been raining almost not stop around here in Burgundy (71 Saône-et-Loire) since Good Friday; most parts of our (heavy Bressan clay) garden and fields are completely water-logged, and the roadside ditches are up to the brim. Luckily we are on one of the highest points of the surrounding plain and all streams/rivers run away from our hamlet, but our 100m2 pond is the fullest I've ever seen it in March/April.
Best of luck with the clean-up!
It's been raining almost not stop around here in Burgundy (71 Saône-et-Loire) since Good Friday; most parts of our (heavy Bressan clay) garden and fields are completely water-logged, and the roadside ditches are up to the brim. Luckily we are on one of the highest points of the surrounding plain and all streams/rivers run away from our hamlet, but our 100m2 pond is the fullest I've ever seen it in March/April.
Best of luck with the clean-up!
Michael_B said:
Blimey, where in France is that ?
It's been raining almost not stop around here in Burgundy (71 Saône-et-Loire) since Good Friday; most parts of our (heavy Bressan clay) garden and fields are completely water-logged, and the roadside ditches are up to the brim. Luckily we are on one of the highest points of the surrounding plain and all streams/rivers run away from our hamlet, but our 100m2 pond is the fullest I've ever seen it in March/April.
Best of luck with the clean-up!
It’s in the Charente. The Vienne river is very close by and Friday was non stop heavy rain. The houses adjacent the river are set up for mild flooding but this was exceptionally quick this time. The flow is controlled by an EDF dam but even with various flood plains it couldn’t cope.It's been raining almost not stop around here in Burgundy (71 Saône-et-Loire) since Good Friday; most parts of our (heavy Bressan clay) garden and fields are completely water-logged, and the roadside ditches are up to the brim. Luckily we are on one of the highest points of the surrounding plain and all streams/rivers run away from our hamlet, but our 100m2 pond is the fullest I've ever seen it in March/April.
Best of luck with the clean-up!
Half of a wooden summer restaurant is now down river up against the dam.
As you say all our lakes and ponds, ditches etc are full. And all the lakes overflow down to the river!
Bringing this back to the top so we do not loose it….
Last weekend marshaling at Goodwood Members Meeting in the outer paddock Friday to Monday.
Yesterday doing a History of rock and roll London, with a talk at Ronnie Scotts and lunch at the RAC.
Looking forwards and trying to control the Ferrari’s at Brands Hatch over the weekend.
Must find something to enjoy when I am less busy??
Ed??
Last weekend marshaling at Goodwood Members Meeting in the outer paddock Friday to Monday.
Yesterday doing a History of rock and roll London, with a talk at Ronnie Scotts and lunch at the RAC.
Looking forwards and trying to control the Ferrari’s at Brands Hatch over the weekend.
Must find something to enjoy when I am less busy??
Ed??
I haven't been through all the replies to this thread but I can give my experience having been retired now since 15th May.
I did 35 years at BT and turned 60 this year so it felt the right thing to do and I'm really comfortable that I've made the right decision. Financially it made a lot of sense and quite a straightforward process once I got my head around the pension stuff which seemed a bit confusing at first glance but was ok in the end.
Was all a bit strange at first but now really coming to terms with it and I must say enjoying it greatly. Got plenty to be doing in the house but as there's no pressure, I'll do stuff as and when I feel like it rather than trying to cram it all into the weekend.
Best way I can describe it , is the feeling you get all week looking forward to a Bank Holiday weekend ....only that's every morning.
Also it's definitely better to retire in the spring with the summer to look forward too and the chance to get out to do lots of things rather than in the depths of depressing winter.
I did 35 years at BT and turned 60 this year so it felt the right thing to do and I'm really comfortable that I've made the right decision. Financially it made a lot of sense and quite a straightforward process once I got my head around the pension stuff which seemed a bit confusing at first glance but was ok in the end.
Was all a bit strange at first but now really coming to terms with it and I must say enjoying it greatly. Got plenty to be doing in the house but as there's no pressure, I'll do stuff as and when I feel like it rather than trying to cram it all into the weekend.
Best way I can describe it , is the feeling you get all week looking forward to a Bank Holiday weekend ....only that's every morning.
Also it's definitely better to retire in the spring with the summer to look forward too and the chance to get out to do lots of things rather than in the depths of depressing winter.
Ed Moses said:
Bringing this back to the top so we do not loose it…
Last weekend marshaling at Goodwood Members Meeting in the outer paddock Friday to Monday.
Yesterday doing a History of rock and roll London, with a talk at Ronnie Scotts and lunch at the RAC.
Looking forwards and trying to control the Ferrari’s at Brands Hatch over the weekend.
Must find something to enjoy when I am less busy??
Ed??
That sounds great Ed, OOI how does the history of rock 'n' roll fit in with marshalling on track? Last weekend marshaling at Goodwood Members Meeting in the outer paddock Friday to Monday.
Yesterday doing a History of rock and roll London, with a talk at Ronnie Scotts and lunch at the RAC.
Looking forwards and trying to control the Ferrari’s at Brands Hatch over the weekend.
Must find something to enjoy when I am less busy??
Ed??
Ed Moses said:
Bringing this back to the top so we do not loose it….
Last weekend marshaling at Goodwood Members Meeting in the outer paddock Friday to Monday.
Yesterday doing a History of rock and roll London, with a talk at Ronnie Scotts and lunch at the RAC.
Looking forwards and trying to control the Ferrari’s at Brands Hatch over the weekend.
Must find something to enjoy when I am less busy??
Ed??
I had lunch at the RAC - I hope we weren't sitting next to each other!Last weekend marshaling at Goodwood Members Meeting in the outer paddock Friday to Monday.
Yesterday doing a History of rock and roll London, with a talk at Ronnie Scotts and lunch at the RAC.
Looking forwards and trying to control the Ferrari’s at Brands Hatch over the weekend.
Must find something to enjoy when I am less busy??
Ed??
Rob
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