Joining the club
Congrats Craig! Being retired is the best “job” I’ve ever had.
Congrats Craig! I’m sure you’ll have a list as long as your arm of the things you’ve always wanted to see or do. Live life to the fullest!
I’ll work as long as my son is in school. He’s a special needs student, Downs Syndrome. We’re in the absolute best place we can be at this point in time. He’s starting 8th grade this fall, has an absolutely phenomenal teacher, an incredible group of students who love and adore him. The principal keeps telling us he’s the most popular kid in school!
We bought a lot in the Outer Banks last November, one row back from the dunes. When the time comes, that’s where we’ll be found. Can’t wait!
Congrats Craig, especially leaving on you own terms! I hope your time is spent on stuff you want to do not have to do.
I’ll be about 4 months behind you. I won’t stop working but want to experience boredom before jumping into anything else.
Having nothing to do sure keeps you busy! Worse than working! Hard to make yourself redundant… I’ll sometimes tell people like my physical therapist for example I said to her “I gotta get out of here…too many old people. I can’t handle old people”. They’ll look at me like she did in shock at first, then laugh. They know I love everybody…unless I can’t stand them…
Awesome life milestone, Craig! I’m within a year of calling it a career (@ 65). Or so I keep telling myself. I’m currently in the thick of working three major programs, still at the top of my game. Includes starting work on the next generation of US on-orbit remote sensing weather instruments that’ll keep the country on the cutting edge of forecasting and climate change monitoring for 20 years at least. That’s right up my alley. It’s freakin’ hard to leave that behind with gas left in the tank. I’m conflicted (and don’t have financial concerns compelling me to continue working). How fortunate some of us are absolutely loving what we do for a paycheck. Happy trails, pal. Sincerely.
Congratulations Craig! I do hope you share your journey with us.
Congrats Craig! You won’t have any regrets other than, perhaps, not retiring sooner 
Craig, congratulations! As so many have mentioned, retirement is great! You will probably be busier than you were when you were working, but it will be on things you WANT to do, not things you HAVE to do for someone else. After I retired, I found I had more time for audio and time to put together a system I really liked. Time to attend audio shows. And time to just sit and listen! Retirement is great! Enjoy it!
I was fortunate to retire at 52. But man. . . I’m poor. Been retired 15 years now.
Congrats Craig! I too worked for State government. I couldn’t have taken more than the 29 years I did.
Congrats Craig! In theory I could have retired 3 years ago but I think my audio budget would take a major hit because health insurance is so crazy expensive. I still have 11 years before I get forced out and 6 years before I top out so it looks like 6 more? 
Enjoy the retirement!
I retired twenty years ago, the best decision I ever made. I had a huge list of things that needed to get done but I made a rule that I’d only attempt a maximum of three a day. It’s only in recent years that I truly feel free. However, there’s a saying that if you need something done, ask a busy man - how true that really is (for man replace with person to be pc).
Congratulations! Very envious, I still have a good 30 years to go!
As per Italian laws (and not to mention terrific financial consequences) I might still wait almost 25 years before retirement, sobh! How envy you guys, enjoy your time also for me!
well, life isn’t perfect
In my case I don’t have kids or ex wives. I like cars and hifi. Also I was lucky to pick work that suited me.
I understand what you’re saying. I’m leaving one full pay period past my 10th anniversary with the state, just to make sure I’m fully vested in the pension system. Not that 10 years’ service will net me much, but it’s something, and it comes every month for the rest of my life, so leaving before I qualified for anything just would’ve been foolish.
The fact is, I really enjoy what I do as the state building commissioner. The code interpretation process appeals to me as an architect and as a lay-attorney 
. But the administrative side of it has ground me down to a nub. Having come to this job from a 35-year history in architectural practice, I’d say it’s a toss-up as to what’s worse - state administration or satisfying private sector clients.
In my case I had to weather through two governors trying to dismantle much of state government to “privatize” great deals for their allies and buds. My last seven years were harrowing as our agency was downsized from 825 employees to 475. This coincided with my move to facilities management which had become a rock AND a hard place but saved me from being RIF’d. My final two years my wife battled lymphoma and I somehow kept working through all that (I had saved massive amounts of sick leave in my nearly three decades of state employment.) So when she passed it was a blessing to only have to work seven more months and retire with full benefits.
Up until those final years I LOVED my jobs with the State!
Absolutely not related to this thread,
HAPPY CAKE DAY @Paul (10 yeas!!!)
Thank you for your effort and passion, I’ve learnt a lot about music and HiFi during last years thanks to you! And also thank you for this Forum.
I wish you and your family many many years of health and success working for PS Audio and for all audiophiles around the world, please keep retirement plans so far from you if you can!
Good luck, my friend!