It suddenly occurs to me that I’m being paid for not doing anything. This is much like being an ensign.
I can so do this!
Update: Look ma! No wristwatch!
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Brief reflections on retirement, day 1By lex, on May 16th, 2008
31 comments to Brief reflections on retirement, day 1 |
Targets of Opportunityblog advertising is good for you Credo"Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed my call, Come to the sea. Come Sail with me." -- John Paul Jones "Pardon him, Theodotus; he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature" --George Bernard Shaw, "Caesar and Cleopatra" "And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."--Friedrich Nietzsche "A kind Providence has placed in our breasts a hatred of the unjust and cruel, in order that we may preserve ourselves from cruelty and injustice. They who bear cruelty, are accomplices in it. The pretended gentleness which excludes that charitable rancour, produces an indifference which is half an approbation. They never will love where they ought to love, who do not hate where they ought to hate."--Edmund Burke “You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”--General Sir Charles Napier "Μολὼν λαβέ" -- Leonidas "Blogito Ergo Sum" -- Neptunus Lex Amazon AssociateFor the Effort!Winnar! Subscribe CategoriesPagesTagsacademy
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You dog. I’d be so jealous if I wasn’t so dang happy for you.
When’s the next gig start?
(Not trying to ruin the mood or anything…)
Sir, I hope you have as much fun retired as I did as an Ensign!
Terminal leave is fun, isn’t it? What’s best is if you get a job before it ends, you’re making even more money!
(Think Yamaha FJR)
I can so do this!
Oh, yes. It most certainly IS an easy thing to do!
Enjoy these days before you’re called back to the grind…
Lex my dear … take it from an 80-year old woman who worked hard [and got paid] all her life … it’s surprisingly easy to get used to. The pension thing, I mean. And you can and will have fun, lots of fun, even if it’s not quite as rowdy as it used to be.
Find yourself a fascinating, complex subject that, even if you live to be 200, you’ll never know everything about. For me, it’s raising and hybridizing orchids — demanding beautiful little beasts that are endlessly intriguing. And they’re certainly totally different from what you’ve been doing all your life. I wake up every morning and think — “what would happen if I crossed this with this?” and then I’m off to the greenhouse.
Oddly enough, growing orchids has always been more of a guy thing than a woman thing. The last bastion of the old-boy-club, if you will. And these are “alpha” men, many of them retired military. The nicer guys have admitted women to the club, but only on sufferance, so to speak.
Just a thought. And if you dislike plants, not a good thought.
Marianne
Until the wife kicks you out of the house during the day for being underfoot and disrupting her routine….
I’m also jealous! I already know what I want to do when (and if) I retire: Live near a community college, and take all of the classes that either looked too hard, or that I couldn’t squeeze into my schedule last time through. I’ll learn as much as I can, and if I bomb a test… who cares? I’m retired!
Marianne’s thing on Orchids sounds facinating. I’m not a plant person, but after that, I almost want to build a greenhouse, and give it a try.
As always, I hope all is well on your end,
-DM
Don’t relax too much. They may call ya in to pee in a bottle!
It’s like being in one of them flight school “pools”. “Wake up! Let’s go the Tiki and play volleyball all day! ” Git ya a lawn chair and a six pack cooler and go down to the boardwalk and view the wildlife. LOL.
b2
Lex: by all means, try to “double dip” if you can; so much fun. Even when it’s been forced thru a layoff. Happened to me – got 4 month’s severance and found a job within one week. Sah-weet it was.
Marianne: orchids are certainly some of the most glorious of flowers – hands down. My mom has great success growing them; me, notsomuch.
Kris and DM … the orchids are more addictive than any illegal substance, and once you have ten, you’re hooked. These days, you can buy them in the grocery store if you want — or Lowe’s or Home Depot. You don’t have to have a greenhouse to grow them, especially if you live in California or the deep south.
I remember when we went to Bangkok, and took a boat tour on the klongs, and every little one-room shack on the shore had a row of dendrobiums on the porch outside, all in glorious bloom. The owners harvest the bloom spikes every day or so and take them by boat to a great big factory-like place where they are bundled up and shipped to the World Flower Market in Amsterdam. And then from there to a little florist near you. It’s an amazing story, and if you go to your nearby orchid show in your home town, you can find out more about it.
Trust me. It’ll keep you young. Younger, anyway. At least, it’s worked that way for me.
Marianne
Better question – why aren’t you on the golf course on a beautiful Fri afternoon???
Time for a little Pacific Rim Space-A with your best girl…
Lex,
Ya’ dang fool, this ain’t like being an ensign! Ya’ earned this money.
Please don’t tell me, y’all starting to come down with BS deficit. Already?
Grumpy
Lex
I “see” you lazing on the couch with one cheeto-orange stained paw and a tv remote waiting for Dr. Phil to come on pondering how smart and sensitive Oprah is…shouting “Leave it on the porch!” at an unseen visitor dressed in brown–NOT.
Looking forward to reading about your new adventures and wishing you and yours the Happiest and Longest of Retirements!! Thank you for your service.
I am exactly the gestation period of a human behind you for retirement. I hope you don’t LOOK pregnant when I say goodbye to the Canoe Club. I’m just saying.
Good For You!
Plan to have at least three “new” jobs/occupations. Each one of your choice at a time of your choice!
I’ve been doing it since 1978 and it only gets better.
All this means is that you no longer have an excuse for NOT putting up this week’s edition of “Friday’s Musings”…with video ;~)
Two years ago today I started my silly villian career, after retiring two years and three days ago. In retrospect, I wish I had taken a week off since noobs don’t get vacation until they pay their dues for a while. I could’ve waited, too; it’s (state) government work after all.
Enjoy it, you’ve earned it!
Lex, THANK YOU for your life-time of service to us all! You’ve earned every benefit you receive!!!
Congratulations… and we welcome you to those of us in the oft-discussed, private sector.
Well thanks for the kind thoughts, all. And I’ve got about a month of “down” time before I head back to the salt mines again. Should be sweet.
This is much like being an ensign.
Hey. . .I work (sort of, almost) hard for my money!!
Today I had to wake up at 0800, muster, and then go back to sleep. I didn’t make it to the beach until almost 2. . .
I tell you, being in this here waiting pool is a full time job. Yessir, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Lex,
Think about all those wonderful things you want to say to certain elected persons,
but cannot because of the UCMJ….
start drafting those messages to be sent on the day you are no longer subject to the UCMJ….
This could be very educational for those certain elected office holders.
Welcome to the private sector Shipmate!!!!
It really comes home when on some Sunday morning the wife will go: Aren’t you supposed to be going on a det or something? It actually happened to me, OK?
Anyway, best of luck in whatever you do. And being a grand-dad isn’t far away, either.
Sweet for 30 days? Nah, you’ll get restless sooner…but fight the urge and take the time…
Congrats and thanks for your 30!
I must admit that I was thinking something similar, xformed. I recall one time when Lex had a week’s vacation and didn’t know what to do with himself. We had to suggest extra massages, more golf and, of course, having supper on the table when the family returns home.
Hey, that first part, about the massages and the golf … why does that remind me of the Air Force? Yep, I’ve definitely been hanging out here too long!
Congrats Captain!
I too s’pect you won’t be laying low for the full 30 days…
Great time to make a little smack off your most excellent writing skills perhaps!?
….cheap shot…
Congratulations! And, thank you for your service to our country. As far as being paid to do nothing, not so. You are really receiving the compensation for the hundreds (maybe more?) of weekends and holidays you never had. I just hope you’ll keep writing, because if you do, I’ll keep on reading.
Hmm. that doesn’t sound like my own experience as an Ensign. Oh wait, you’re a Brown Shoe. that explains everything.
Wow. Kinda sneaks up on ya, don’t it? Now you can fly just because you want to, not because you have to.