8So this past week I spent 3 days in NC, out next week due to a death in the family, back to NC after that. I don't get to cook nearly as much as I want to, but I can see retirement getting closer. My career has been great, but it is time to move on. I really enjoy cooking, and my AR family has spurred me to do more. So right now life interferes, but passion is making a move on the inside lane. Plus that rv in the driveway whispers to me every day.
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Last edited by klflowers; September 13, 2019, 10:59 PM. -
I retired in January at age 67, so have been able to indulge my wood fired cooking interests (pizza oven, dry aging primal cuts, KBQ smoker, Argentinian grill, and occasionally the Patagonian cruces for whole lamb asados.) Before that, as a Vascular Surgeon, my idea of 'quality time' with the kids was kissing them while they were sleeping when I left in the morning, and kissing them while sleeping when I returned at night. Once, when I was away for a few days at a medical meeting out of town, my long suffering wife told our two daughters at dinner 'Daddy's coming home tomorrow!' To which one of the girls responded 'Daddy's gone??'
However, now I have lots of time for our 5 little nietos, aged 11 months to 6 years. Fishing off the dock, bike riding, kicking the soccer ball, sticker books, reading books, singing, playing make-believe.
So, I guess my message is that sometimes, maybe often, we have to work hard for many years. I think that if the children have one parent who is around a lot, they do well. My loss, but not their loss. Life has been like that for many years for many humans.
My biggest problem now, in retirement, is that my wife recently told me that, she doesn't want to hurt my feelings, but.......(wait for it........), she isn't crazy about smoked meat, or aged meat. Also, doesn't prefer reversed seared steaks. Talk about a crummy retirement!!!
So, hang in there, and if you can't pay it back to your own children, you can, if you're lucky, pay it forward to your grandkids.Comment
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I am similar to you in that I grew up in a house where my mom put fresh, home cooked meals on the table every night and dad did steaks on the weekend. We also set our menu for the week every Saturday and go to the store together to get the groceries. However I am very fortunate that life (kids are all grown) and work do not get in the way of cooking, which I love to do. I cook almost everyday for my wife, who has a much harder job than I do. It’s funny that she would be just as happy with Campbell’s tomato soup or packaged meals. She feels bad that I spend so much time and energy cooking for her.
Hope you reach that retirement goal soon and thank you for the "cooks" that you post. I get a lot out of them.Last edited by TripleB; September 14, 2019, 12:14 AM.Comment
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I've been retired since my mid-fifties, coming up on 20 years. I was fortunate to be in a well-paying profession, but, having grown up in a large military family and having spent 12 years on active duty myself, I knew how to live frugally and avoid excessive indebtedness. I was a single parent with custody of my two kids, who were always my first priority, even though my work obligations often interfered with that. Retiring when I did gave me more time for them and, eventually, the grandkids.
Two aphorisms guided my years in the private sector:
If you have to choose between more money and more time, choose the latter.
If you think you own something, you're wrong; it owns you.Comment
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Yes Sir! Somewhat similar for us. Worked hard on duty and worked hard off duty. We parlayed the sweat equity of building then selling a couple of homes into buying our little fixer-upper on our plot of land that has a whopping $900/mo mortgage. Dang hard work and my body shows it with multiple joint surgeries (rotator cuff next month) and a STEMI as parts of the reward package, but I wouldn't change a thing. Well, maybe taking BP and cholesterol meds sooner. -
Amen to time over money. I could have climbed the corporate ladder and made a lot of money, but chose to be home and help raise our family. In my son's senior year of high school he decided to go to college to be an environmental engineer like me. I asked him - why? His answer was that I seemed to like what I did and that I was always home for games, events and family times. It made a difference in his life.
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Just happened to stumble across this while surfing the news:
https://money.yahoo.com/americans-wo...192007487.html
BTW, please note that I went to The Pit before going to my other news sources.Last edited by gcdmd; September 14, 2019, 05:19 AM.Comment
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I did 3 years as a 911 dispatch/ command center officer that was chronically understaffed. My partner and I would basically alternate 10-14 straight 24 hr days on during fire season. That was the most stressful time of my life and lead to 2 life events: my goal of retiring at the earliest moment I could, and the heart attack that confirmed that thought.
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I spent the first 15 years of my career putting in a minimum of 50 hours and many times much more than that. Now it's more 40s and fewer weeks more. The Mrs will cook, but she knows I love to and she likes what I cook, so she let's me run with it. Just the two of us, but with busy jobs we can take leftovers all week, so I cook large meals on the weekends. It's my way to de-stress. Week nights are a mix of quicker meals (gassers are awesome) and ordering delivery. Usually at least one night a week she is out or I am, so that's fine. Looking forward to a semi retirement. I've already floated it at work - 3 10s a week. That's probably about 8 years away, but I am only turning 49 this fall, so I am fine with it.Comment
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Don't smoke nearly as often as I like to because of the drama involved.
Wife wants dinner at 5:00 or I'm on the platter with an apple in my mouth.
Get a chuckie or a butt that hangs in a long stall and dinner times go out the window and I get rag dolled.
I can retire now I have my 85 points, age plus years in, was planning to go in the next 12-18 months but after last night may just work till I drop dead.Comment
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