I've had enough...34 years working for the Federal Govt. I was looking for the right day. It hit me like a ton of bricks. My last day will be October 2nd and I'll be 1500 miles away from my office, about 11,000 feet higher in elevation from my home state of GA and I'll be listening to bugles.
I can't wait!
Can't believe I'm retiring under this current administration, but it is what it is...moving on to elk bugles, and the arrival of our first grandchild. Life is good!
I have already done the retirement thing. I recommend it highly.
Congratulations on making it to retirement.
I finally had enough of the feds, also, and retired in 05. I have never regretted it for a minute. Last year, I spent the better part of a month in Wyoming hunting elk. Going out the end of this month for antelope and maybe an early cow. If I don't get the cow, then I will go back later-because I can!
Gosh, this is sounding better every day. Wake up every morning now with a silly grin on my face...hurry up October!
I'm really trying to put in an honest days work, but it's getting harder each successive day. I sure hope the taxpayers don't get too sore about it.
Yipee for you.
I maybe have to do four more years to get my 20 in with them. WIsh I could go next year when I'm 62 but I'll need the extra from making a full 20. SUre glad your last day will be in the mountains. Sounds like you've got some vacation time banked to use before you leave. Smart guy! I'm hoping to do the same.
Good luck on your elk hunt and enjoy the retirement.
Geno
I retired 2 years ago but mine was Aug 1. That gave me time to practice shooting, get in shape, scout, and give my wife time to be ready for me to be gone hunting for a LONG time.
Congrats I'm definitely Jealous!
GD57-
Congrats! I am just starting my 2nd week of retirement after 11 years teaching HS science and 26 plus years of working for the State of AZ...unfortunately no luck in any of the draws this year.
I am very jealous of your retirement start.
Good luck...hope you bring home a nice one!
Joe
Good deal. I retired June 1 this year and will be chasing elk in Colorado in the fall as well.
Good timing!
Hope you start your retirement off with a BANG, flop!
Congratulations! Had I known retirement was going to be this much fun I would Have done it waaay sooner!
Cheers
Congrats. I have a couple years to go but with my current job I consider myself semi-retired. I work 9 hours x 9 days, get the 10th off, so 3 day weekends every other week. Also get to work from home one day a week so out of 10 days I go to the office only 7.
To me 'retirement' just means some sort of self-employment, probably fixing up houses and selling them. Probably work harder than I do now.
I am looking forward to additional hunting though - pigs, maybe moose and caribou in Alaska and out-of-state elk. Also more muzzleloader hunting here in Colorado, something I haven't done for a few years and never more than a weekend hunt.
I am a federal government employee with an eye toward retirement myself. While there are certainly some benefits to working for the federal government, it can be utterly maddening too. The folks who care and strive for excellence are met with more obstacles than you can imagine. It is not a part of my constitution to not give a [bleep], but my professional life is so much better when I can simply stop caring. The government manages for mediocrity at best.
Congrats to the OP and everyone else who has endured the federal crap for enough years to retire. POst pics of your hunts so I can live through you.
I'm a little jealous. Hope your retirement and hunting go well.
Congrats on the retirement, I retired 18 months ago at the age of 49. Just wait and see how busy your life is going to become. I will again be spending 4 weeks in Idaho this fall.
Good luck and stay healthy...
Godogs57, you're gonna love retirement. My recommendation is don't make any huge life changes for the first year. Just enjoy. I've been retired so long I can't even spell the W word.
People I've worked with who retired came back a year or two later to visit looking 10 years younger and laughing ... not looking like they just spent 20 minutes under a lawnmower like when they left. This retirement thing seems to be a blessing. I'm jealous. I'll hit the 30 year mark in 3 years but I don't see being able to afford to retire 'til I reach social security age which is about 17 years from now. Oh well ... work is a nice warm dry place to spend the winter.
Tom
Godogs57: The BEST thing I ever did was retire and take up Hunting virtually full time (Varmint and big game)!
I am in my 19th year of bliss (retirement) now and enjoying it more and more every day.
Congratulations on your retirement and best of luck this fall in the high country.
I have a suggestion for you - move out of non-Elk country to the heart of Elk country.
Take it from me you won't regret that decision either.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
57, best of luck with your future.. We retired in 1999 at 51 years of age.. Soooooo glad I did that.. Have had lots of fun in those years.. Had fun before, but much more after..
You will wonder how you ever got anything fun done before retirement.. I do something everyday when I am home, mostly hunt varmints, or shoot, or fish.. My wife and I camp a great deal.. She loves that a bit more than I .. Three or four weeks at a clip is enough for me.. then I want to see my home turf.. When I retired, I made a bucket list of 100 things I wanted to do.. I still have a hundred or more to do.. Simply because as I get a bunch done, there are new ones I want to get done.. I have figured out things would be better if we had TWO FALLS every year.. Then I might get closer to finishing my list... VERY BEST OF LUCK AND A LONG HEALTHY RETIREMENT.
Congrats on the retirement.
I am moving up on 36yrs with the feds...I was going to retire this past March and didn't. So, I continue to work and kind of look forward to retiring, everyday...just kind of reluctant to do it for fear of there being nothing that I really HAVE to do. Although, I am really getting more serious about it now that hunting season is upon us. The beautiful part of this is...I can wake up in the morning and call in to work and tell them..."See ya!"...and do whatever I want.
At any rate, enjoy the retirement and the hunt.
GOD bless.
I feel your joy.
I have 5 more years (maybe less) for my parole date from urban insititionlism. When the ship sails to rural bliss. And I pack my bags and relocate myself from the confines of Metro Denver, traffic, HIGH housing prices, etc.
I've seen guys who retire and just sit down in front of the tv to rot. Not in my case. So far this year I've totally remodeled an old camp trailer and I'm now putting the finishing touches on a deck on the house. I'm taking my pack llamas out in the hills for a 4 or 5 mile hike a couple times a week to get us all in shape for elk hunting and 2 weeks ago I took a pack trip with them. I have very little free time these days.
ENJOY YOUR TIME. I retired in 03 and haven't stopped moving since. Two elks hunts coming up this year, winter in Az and new home construction next spring (i hope). Keep active, I am headed out for two mile hike (uphill) right now. Enjoy your time you earned it.
Next week will be my last full week of work! I am about to bust! Grandson is expected to be born next week as well....Lord have mercy...what a great time to be alive!
Gd57, I retired from full time work last Dec 31 at 65 + y/o; I still do some part time work (my profession) two mornings a week. And I'm still seeking a service/volunteer work where I can make a difference in people's lives but I have to tell you, it's truly glorious to reach this age in relatively good health, as we all know of contemporaries who've passed not to mention seeing the obit's of those much younger still.
I thank God for this and am looking forward to an elk hunt in the Wind River's in three weeks.
Congratulations!