Tick Tock, the countdown to Friday has begun.

[cr8crshr]

On a side note KD...Does this now mean you might be moving out of that State to a better one? In the past you have at times hinted at doing so and now with no job holding you there, you can exit to better climes and Politics...Asking For A Friend??? cr8crshr/Bill

 

[Beeorange]

Congratulations! You are living the dream

"Shackled only by freedom, you wear no man's chain" (Bandit from Smokey and The Bandit)

 

[MarPar]

Congrats Greg! Been a long hard road for you to finally be able to say you are officially retiring!!

 

[65Bel]

Congrats on retirement . . . You'll wonder how you ever found time to work . . .

 

[Kern Dog]

Congrats Greg, and as some others stated earlier, you get kudos for working a physical job all those years and getting out with your infrastructure still intact! I retired last month after 42 years in the trucking industry, 25 behind the wheel. Can't believe how much better I feel now, best part is sleeping on my own terms. You are going to love the changes.

How is your back after all those years?

 

[Photon440]

In my time, I have seen a lot of changes in the wood framing business.
California earthquakes in the 80s shaped the way we built things. More metal brackets and straps, more structural plywood, reinforced concrete too.
Tools have changed. In 1986, nobody I knew owned a nail gun. Everyone framed by hand with a hammer and a box of nails. Blueprints were really simple. Nobody had iPads or cell phones. Every power tool had an electrical cord. Every carpenter had a hand saw and a circular saw. No cordless saws, drills, grinders or sawzalls like today. Plumb bob and a level then, laser levels today.
We had no forklifts on the jobs in the beginning I WAS the forklift.
We do have it easier today.
The new guy on the job would get razzed and messed with. That rarely happens now. Guys used to drink beer and smoke cigarettes on the job. No more of that.

So, the real reason that you're leaving is...because it's no fun any more?

 

[PRND21]

Congratulations Greg. Enjoy the life you’ve worked for all those years. I retired about 4 years ago, unfortunately I waited until I couldn’t physically do the job anymore. But I’m still upright, just takes longer to walk out to the shop than it used to. I sleep better, I keep moving, have a younger wife that still provides me with insurance. Life’s pretty good, more time to visit with friends.

 

[Kern Dog]

Not any fun anymore? No. I still like it.
For many years, I worked for a company that worked most of the year but often had 2-3 months of down time between jobs.
I really liked that. The time off allowed me to really get things done at home regarding car projects and other things. That company folded in 2019. Since then, I have worked for 2 companies that work all year round. They were both great companies that treat people well but I am not one that simply lives to work.
I am fully capable to keep working but I'd rather play. When I get bored, I'll be able to jump back in part time.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

That’s the key right there “don’t live to work.”

 

[themechanic]

Friday means a LOT to many of us Blue Collar guys.
This Friday means a lot to me.
I will be retiring from Construction after 36 1/2 years. I still like the work but I'm to the point where I can retire and do some work when I feel like it.
In accordance with the rules and guidelines of the Pension plan, I can still work 480 hours a year for a Union company so I will likely do some part time work BUT....
There will be no obligation to do so.
I am leaving while I am still in great health with a reasonably strong back, knees and elbows. I walk upright, I have all my fingers.
I have considered taking some courses in automotive matters....Electrical, transmission rebuilding....who knows what else.
I will keep busy. The guys that retire and sit on the couch don't live as long.
I have some cars that need attention too.

View attachment 1363908

Congratulations. You made it. 6 Saturdays and a Sunday.

You're finally free to leave that horrible state.

 

[440 4 speed]

Good for you!!
I spent over 39 years with the same employer. Loved dealing with the patients. But internal politics/ changed things. Would have liked to work another 5 years, but have enjoyed retirement since 2009.
Still have a property for family storage of cars, and rent storage for others.
Do whatever you can now. Back problems have raised their ugly head.

 

[Kern Dog]

On a side note KD...Does this now mean you might be moving out of that State to a better one? In the past you have at times hinted at doing so and now with no job holding you there, you can exit to better climes and Politics...Asking For A Friend??? cr8crshr/Bill

The plan was and still is to look outside of California. I did like what I saw of Tennessee. I'd still like to visit Texas though.
I like green grass and trees. I can't live in a desert environment nor any place that gets much snow.

 

[haywire 440]

 

[Kern Dog]

No way, man!

If it came down to THAT job or a crappy hair style.....I'd rather get THIS hair style....

 

[Photon440]

No way, man!

View attachment 1364431


If it came down to THAT job or a crappy hair style.....I'd rather get THIS hair style....

View attachment 1364432

Couldn't you do both?

 

[Wojo68]

Congrats man, you’ll love it! I’m always busy but I choose what/when I do a side job.

 

[Kern Dog]

Before, I would get all sorts of stuff done in between jobs. I was building and selling cars on the side and really liking it. I would have made more money just by working steady but I really liked the freedom of staying up late and waking up when I wanted.
In 2019, I worked a job that was 106 miles away. One of the worst parts about construction is that sometimes, the job sites are out of town. This job kept me in a shitty mood for several months due to the long commute and traffic. I vowed that I'd never work out of town again and I have stuck to that. The job ran 7 1/2 months. About a month and a half into it, after I got home one day I looked through my work history and earnings statement. It showed that I was 13 months from reaching my 30 year mark. At the time, I had 33 years in but the time between jobs meant that I only had almost 29 "good years". I decided to stay the course and finish out that job but to then never agree to work more than an hour from home.
Long commutes took their toll on me. It made me angry and left me too pissed off to do anything at home with the limited time that I had before bed.
I spent most of my life building houses. In 2008 when the housing crash tore through the country, our company started losing contracts to cheaper Non Union competitors. By 2010, we lost all of them and had to switch to commercial work. Schools and Apartments have been it. That just doesn't interest me like building houses did. If I were still doing that, I may not have put in my papers.
In housing, we wore shorts and shoes. We had radios playing. It moved fast and that appealed to my nature. Commercial work is boots, pants, hard hats, oppressive safety regulations, taller walls, a slower pace and so many workers, you'll never know them all. The building I am on now is 3 stories high and 70' X 406'.

 

[68BabyBlue]

How is your back after all those years?

I was blessed never to have back trouble, arthritis, or cardiovascular issues, things that end careers for most truck drivers. Did well in the genetic lottery, but mother nature got me in the end, as will happen to all of us one way or the other. I had a mild case of polio as an infant (1953, two years before the Salk vaccine was available), and in my 60s, it finally started catching up with me. Driving a truck was always easier for me than most, and getting paid to row 18 gears behind 550 horses was like cash per mile for driving a muscle Mopar.

The decision to park the truck came when I started using mobility aids in public. I made it to age 69, no regrets, I had a good run.

 

[wvmarv]

Friday means a LOT to many of us Blue Collar guys.
This Friday means a lot to me.
I will be retiring from Construction after 36 1/2 years. I still like the work but I'm to the point where I can retire and do some work when I feel like it.
In accordance with the rules and guidelines of the Pension plan, I can still work 480 hours a year for a Union company so I will likely do some part time work BUT....
There will be no obligation to do so.
I am leaving while I am still in great health with a reasonably strong back, knees and elbows. I walk upright, I have all my fingers.
I have considered taking some courses in automotive matters....Electrical, transmission rebuilding....who knows what else.
I will keep busy. The guys that retire and sit on the couch don't live as long.
I have some cars that need attention too.

View attachment 1363908

What Union trade are you in, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Kern Dog]

Carpenter....wood framer.