What to do with all your time?

pterri

Storcko14 said:

pterri said:

Personally I think the 1.5tonne vehicle has the greater responsibility 

It definitely does.  As per HC 2022 amends - see the 'H' rules.  Although in my experience (10k KM a year) there's lots of ignorance of this. Or some road users just don't give one.  Either way it goes without saying that cyclists need to respond appropriately to the conditions and adjust if required.

Well yes, and the 1.5t vehicle driver needs to accept that cyclists are road users and don’t have to leap out of the way when they approach . The guidance is clear , it’s why the code was revised. Leave space and cyclists can and should adopt a position to make it clear that they are in a primary position. I’m happy I understand it. 

LHW99

Storcko14 said:

pterri said:

Personally I think the 1.5tonne vehicle has the greater responsibility 

It definitely does.  As per HC 2022 amends - see the 'H' rules.  Although in my experience (10k KM a year) there's lots of ignorance of this. Or some road users just don't give one.  Either way it goes without saying that cyclists need to respond appropriately to the conditions and adjust if required.

I used to find most HGV were pretty good. The issue used to be that some - particularly tankers - used to set up a lot of wind turbulence behind them, and that was very dodgy if you weren't expecting it

cfw1994

westv said:

ali_bear said:

... and now you've ruined you own thread, OP. 

Hardly ruined. 

Indeed.  Although ali_bear almost did 🤣

kempiejon said:

Scallypud said:

I retired about a year ago. At the start it was just like you were on holiday. Now that the holiday feeling has worn off i find it challenging. I do like walking , play golf and go to the pub now and again but i still need to find more to do. It's not easy when your on your own.

Did you want to retire? Had you been planning it for a couple, years getting the money and outside interests in order?
I have a list of things to crack on with outside of work time. We can all fit hobbies, chores and socialising at weekends, holidays but how much more would we do without that 50 hour burden of the gainful employment.

I had a colleague who flat refused to retire, he said he loved the job, he socialised and interacted with people everyday - it was customer facing and if he gave that up he would be lonely and not know how to fill his days. Eventually the boss told him had to pick a retirement date soon. He wasn't pulling his weight in the team, lovely fella, but he was more interested in the interacting with customers and staff than actually getting the work done. He was in his 70s when he packed it in, I had a chat with him in his last weeks when he was dreading the end. He revealed a bit more, it was the idea of spending all day with his partner was his big worry. When I saw him a few months later he'd already found another job.

I firmly agree that moving on to the 3rd phase of life (after growing up then work) does need some planning to get the best from it.
Not meaning everyone needs to have a project plan with goals and objectives (🤣), but at least a faint plan of how they will spend their time.  

Or even a plan of how they intend to plan!
That plan could include doing nothing planned for 6-12 months!

In my last 6 months, as well as planning my farewell LEJoG, I wrote a spreadsheet list of things I’d like to do.  A notebook would have done!
High level titles like Family, Friends, DIY, Sport, Hobbies, Books, Shows/Festivals, etc etc…then a few things under them I wanted to do.
A few might not have been touched, but as that first 12-18 months went on, it was nice to visit it every now & then & tick things off, or even add a few new ones….

Dizzyb99

I always said I would look at going at 60, the Mr. is 11 years older and we need some quality time together.

As I reached the milestone last year, I felt it was far too soon and worried about how I would fill my days and was a little unsure of the numbers. For 20 of my 25 years, I have considered myself to have one of the best jobs in my sector,  but post Covid things have changed and whilst I am not 'unhappy', I feel I am simply going through the motions. 

My revised plan was to do another 2 years and if things go to plan for my Son, give up work to provide child care for them.

Recently however,  the unexpected offer to apply for VS came up and after much consideration, I applied for it and am now waiting to hear whether I have been successful.

Talking to my husband I was telling him how gutted I will if I don't get it, when I realised the numbers actually stack up, even without the severance. Yes we won't have quite as much in the savings, but on a day to day basis with our pensions we are fine.
So regardless as to whether I am successful with the severance, over the next few months my notice will go in and I will finish at the end of August. I don't see the point in 'going through the motions' for 2 more years, on a full time basis when I don't need to.
I can't begin to tell you what a weight has been lifted and I feel excited for my future for the first time in years. 

cfw1994

That's great to read!
There should be a frisson of excitement to these things!

AyJaydee

I retired 2 years ago at 67, having accepted the ‘incentivised offer to resign’ and spent the next 6 months using the severance package on much needed home improvements.

As for what I do now: I am constructing my own model railway and have discovered a lot of satisfaction in making my own buildings out of card. The station is a copy of one on the Severn Valley Railway. The Pub is inspired by The Eastenders ‘Queen Vic’. There’s a ruined Castle that’s up in Northumberland. A church that’s only a few miles away. Houses and shops, one of them a bike shop that I used to frequent in Walthamstow. This keeps my mind and hands busy most of the time.
I’m also a volunteer at Pendon Museum in Oxfordshire, which really ‘challenges’ my model making skills. I have twice served as a Polling Clerk in elections and have put my name forward for the next.
As for TV, I like watching crime dramas and quiz shows such as WWTBAM and1% Club, might apply if I can do a clear run 😁

westv

I recently got a link from Aegon (I think) offering me 2 free months access to a site called Rest Less Events.
It looks like they have a number of online events each week with various subjects. As I'm still working (wfh) I can't do a lot of them but I am having a look through to see if I might continue or go back to it at a later date.

michaels

kempiejon said:

Scallypud said:

I retired about a year ago. At the start it was just like you were on holiday. Now that the holiday feeling has worn off i find it challenging. I do like walking , play golf and go to the pub now and again but i still need to find more to do. It's not easy when your on your own.

Did you want to retire? Had you been planning it for a couple, years getting the money and outside interests in order?
I have a list of things to crack on with outside of work time. We can all fit hobbies, chores and socialising at weekends, holidays but how much more would we do without that 50 hour burden of the gainful employment.

I had a colleague who flat refused to retire, he said he loved the job, he socialised and interacted with people everyday - it was customer facing and if he gave that up he would be lonely and not know how to fill his days. Eventually the boss told him had to pick a retirement date soon. He wasn't pulling his weight in the team, lovely fella, but he was more interested in the interacting with customers and staff than actually getting the work done. He was in his 70s when he packed it in, I had a chat with him in his last weeks when he was dreading the end. He revealed a bit more, it was the idea of spending all day with his partner was his big worry. When I saw him a few months later he'd already found another job.

Thought you were going to say another partner

cfw1994

westv said:

I recently got a link from Aegon (I think) offering me 2 free months access to a site called Rest Less Events.
It looks like they have a number of online events each week with various subjects. As I'm still working (wfh) I can't do a lot of them but I am having a look through to see if I might continue or go back to it at a later date.

On those lines, there an also a gazillion events on https://www.meetup.com/find/united-kingdom.  Not yet taken time to dig in (too busy!) but may be of interest.

One I have been meaning to get along to are science talks in pubs - https://pintofscience.co.uk.  Some pals went to one recently & said it was interesting!

sgx2000

8 months in... 64
Retired Electrician 
Just started gutting the bathroom
New floor, ceiling, walls, plumbing elecs, shower sink toilet etc etc etc

Hard work....
And house a total mess.....

But also had 3 holidays