Revolvers, Retirement, Freedom...

[J-Bar]

Saturday. Missus and I slept late, awoke slowly, fed the cat, had a cup of tea. About noon I announced I was heading for the range, would she like to go along? She did. She has a CC permit and a membership at the indoor gun store range where I meditate a few days per week. We perforated paper with an S&W Model 10, 18, and 28. Single action, double action, slow fire, rapid fire, just playing. Then we split a huge pork tenderloin sandwich and fries at Red's Giant Hamburg drive-in, reputed to be the first establishment in America, as well as on Route 66, to have a drive-through service. 1950s ambience, great food.

She earned her retirement as a schoolteacher, enduring goofy parents, goofy administrators and nonsense for over 40 years. I earned my retirement by working two jobs most of the time from 1967 to 2013.

I know it won't last forever. But we are going to play as long as we can. Here's hoping each of you can enjoy your retirement. With a bang.

 

[Jeff62]

Happy retirement. It can be good if you do it right. It sounds like you are on the right track, enjoying the day as it comes.

 

[cfullgraf]

Every day is a holiday when you are retired.

But I can’t imagine that I had time for work since I retired.

Enjoy.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Retirement is a far off dream for me. At age 40, I am an older millennial but may be in as good of a position as I can be in my cohort to be able to retire early enough to enjoy some things.

I don’t have kids so I have a little money saved and a little to spend. I also have a good chunk of land for hunting and shooting. I hope to enjoy that until I go.

 

[Rodfac]

Saturday. Missus and I slept late, awoke slowly, fed the cat, had a cup of tea. About noon I announced I was heading for the range, would she like to go along? She did. She has a CC permit and a membership at the indoor gun store range where I meditate a few days per week. We perforated paper with an S&W Model 10, 18, and 28. Single action, double action, slow fire, rapid fire, just playing. Then we split a huge pork tenderloin sandwich and fries at Red's Giant Hamburg drive-in, reputed to be the first establishment in America, as well as on Route 66, to have a drive-through service. 1950s ambience, great food.

She earned her retirement as a schoolteacher, enduring goofy parents, goofy administrators and nonsense for over 40 years. I earned my retirement by working two jobs most of the time from 1967 to 2013.

I know it won't last forever. But we are going to play as long as we can. Here's hoping each of you can enjoy your retirement. With a bang.

Great post J-Bar. I trust that you're aware of the treasure your wife is to you. A shooting partner, lunch companion, and life-mate...all rolled into one. Congratulations, you have won the lottery!

And thanks for the reminder that time's a wasting. Get out and do what pleases you both, you've earned it.

Best Regards, Rod (My girl and I have celebrated 53 years of the good life together...I always tell her, " I had better taste in women, than you did in men..." It wins me some points occasionally!) Pic below of she and I, with one of our sons out at Front Sight in Nevada a few years ago; where we shot over the 4-day Defensive Handgun course for the 3rd time....

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[nettlle]

I retired in early May. As cfullgraf says every day is a holiday.

 

[bigpower491]

I've got 2yrs to go, 3 yrs if I want to stick it out and torture myself some more. I'll make sure I've got plenty of components to see me thru to the end, cause I'll sure be doing a ton of shooting to pass the time

 

[armoredman]

My wife is retired, but refuses to stay home while I am still working, so she started her new job just a few weeks ago, while still doing radiation therapy for her breast cancer. I have less than 6 years to go when I will take care of this beautiful girl for the rest of our lives.
Oh, and she shoots - her carry pistol is a CZ P-10M.

 

[Tallball]

Congratulations. I retired about a year ago. It's been really good for me. I'm glad you're enjoying it, too.

 

[StrawHat]

My wife and I (30 years) run our own business. We have cut back to 15 events a month and will eventually cut back more. But, until I can find a young person who is committed to learning my trade and then buying my customer list, retirement will not be happening. My customers will not hear of it!

Kevin

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Stay busy and keep enjoying your freedom J-Bar!

As I say to anyone who asks, I didn't stop working when I 'retired' from civil service in 2011 (I was 51 at the time), I simply became my own boss. I've worked most days since then, on jobs I didn't get paid for in money and which I could walk away from at any time.

I've had a grand time, especially the first 9.5 years when my wife's health was sound.

 

[Speedo66]

Now retired 14 years after working 40 years for NYS. Thanks to their retirement system and Social Security for funding my hobby and travel expenses.

Not every day is wonderful, but if I ask myself if I’d rather be working, the answer is always the same.

OP, enjoy your well earned retirement!

 

[johnjohn]

Keep busy and enjoy yourselves. I retired Jan. 1 2000. It ain't all its cracked up to be.

 

[Mark_Mark]

45 now and on a track to retire at 55!

But what is retirement? for me, it would be my wife not working so much, sand between my toes - fishing pole, And the boys bringing daddy a beer!

 

[tws3b2]

Been retired for 16 years+-. Just as soon go back to work.

 

[NeroM]

Also retired, keep wondering - with everything going on - how I found time to work ...........

 

[Barmcd]

Saturday. Missus and I slept late, awoke slowly, fed the cat, had a cup of tea. About noon I announced I was heading for the range, would she like to go along? She did. She has a CC permit and a membership at the indoor gun store range where I meditate a few days per week. We perforated paper with an S&W Model 10, 18, and 28. Single action, double action, slow fire, rapid fire, just playing. Then we split a huge pork tenderloin sandwich and fries at Red's Giant Hamburg drive-in, reputed to be the first establishment in America, as well as on Route 66, to have a drive-through service. 1950s ambience, great food.

She earned her retirement as a schoolteacher, enduring goofy parents, goofy administrators and nonsense for over 40 years. I earned my retirement by working two jobs most of the time from 1967 to 2013.

I know it won't last forever. But we are going to play as long as we can. Here's hoping each of you can enjoy your retirement. With a bang.

Enjoy! I hope it lasts a long time for both of you. My wife retired from the school system (librarian) in 2011 and I joined her in 2019. It's been great so far.

 

[PapaG]

Great! A post about doing rather than about "why not"?
Shoot, enjoying , repeat. Naysayers, screwem!

 

[Pat Riot]

Good for you @J-Bar

I retired July 2022. I selected July 4th as my Retirement Date. The agency said I need to retire on the 5th and that I would be paid for the day but wouldn’t have to show. In my final check they deducted my last day of pay because I didn’t show up. Bureaucracies tick me off, but screw ‘em, I no longer have to put up with them. Grins all around!
I worked in rail rapid transit from one end of the country to the other.
I was also misinformed about my retirement benefits and I don’t have the money I thought I would, but I really don’t care. My wife and I are very happy and that’s what really matters.
Tomorrow is Monday. I am headed to the range to shoot my 30-30’s.
Hooray for us retirees!

 

[.308 Norma]

I was "semi-retired" for 4 or 5 years before turning 62 in 2010. But when I turned 62, I retired for real, and as I've written before, my retirement gift to myself (which I paid for with my first two Social Security payments) was/is my custom built .308 Norma Magnum rifle from Montana Rifle Company. I'm 75 now, and still love and use my retirement rifle for big game hunting.
On the other hand, my wife didn't retire until 2015, and her retirement gift to herself was/is the Jeep Wrangler in the picture. She'd never dream of taking it off-road, and she paid about 10 times as much for it as I paid for my custom .308 Norma Magnum rifle!
I don't really mind though. We've been married for 52 years, and in a few weeks, my wife will be carrying her semi-custom 7mm Rem Mag while we're out deer hunting together. She's even thinking of buying an elk tag this year - just in case she gets a chance to shoot one.
Of course, if one of us does shoot a deer or elk, we'll haul it home in our pickup-truck. She's not about to haul anything like that in her Jeep.

 

[Old Dog]

My official retirement date was on April Fool's Day. Thought that was appropriate, but none of the senior administrators caught on (a humorless bunch, for sure). Of course, it was my second retirement, hopefully this one sticks.

I often feel as though that I have more stuff I need to do, and less time for recreation, than while I was still working. Wife is still working, she likes her money. She leaves me a list on the kitchen counter every morning of stuff I "need" to take care of.

Seems I only get to the range now when the wife wants to shoot.

 

[thunderbyrd]

i am glad that my wife and I are retired, but our retirement has become a "one day at a time" proposition. my wife lost her right leg below the knee 3 years ago and has since developed dementia. so now i have to try to stay on top of her medications and everything else. many days when she gets up in the morning, i have to hear about the people who had a party in the basement over night, and other stuff like that. she still has a sense of humor and as long as that lasts, we can get by. but, i must tell ya, i ain't much of a cook.

i had a part-time job that i really enjoyed, and that gave me extra money for toys, but i had to let that go because i couldn't leave her alone for 8 hours.

i have a 1911-22 that she used to enjoy shooting at an indoor range but she isn't safe anymore.

 

[Mark 40]

J-Bar, thanks for sharing and a reminder that such simple pleasures are absolutely wonderful. I'm blessed with a wife way better than I deserve and from time to time we enjoy a similar type afternoon with shooting and a bite to eat. Right now it's mostly golf together while the weather is good. Retirement suits us just fine.

 

[J-Bar]

i am glad that my wife and I are retired, but our retirement has become a "one day at a time" proposition. my wife lost her right leg below the knee 3 years ago and has since developed dementia. so now i have to try to stay on top of her medications and everything else. many days when she gets up in the morning, i have to hear about the people who had a party in the basement over night, and other stuff like that. she still has a sense of humor and as long as that lasts, we can get by. but, i must tell ya, i ain't much of a cook.

i had a part-time job that i really enjoyed, and that gave me extra money for toys, but i had to let that go because i couldn't leave her alone for 8 hours.

i have a 1911-22 that she used to enjoy shooting at an indoor range but she isn't safe anymore.

I clicked "Like" on your comments, not because of your situation, but because you are honoring your marriage by taking care of her. I hope the best for you both. Hang in there, Pard.

 

[Choctaw]

I became eligible to retire in 2018. However, my wife wants to work another six years or so I guess I'll keep going as well. I really like my job and my coworkers but it is nice knowing I can leave whenever I want.