19352012: If YOU or anyone YOU know is NOT enjoying and reveling in retirement, immensely, then they/YOU are doing it wrong!
I have been retired for 23 full years (I am 73 now) and these past 23 years of retirement have been the most enjoyable, most rewarding, most filled with pleasure years of MY life.
PERIOD.
IF... I had known exactly how wonderful, fulfilling and amazing "retirement" is I would have retired 4 years earlier at my first opportunity!
I simply shake my head in utter disbelief at your contention/observation!
SOMEONE is doing something wrong retirement wise - in your scenarios.
Long live early retirement.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy