Tuesday 30 September 2014

Retiring

Methuselah
Canterbury Cathedral
photo: Robert Scarth 
I am sixty-five years old today so, apparently, I'm now retired. Today's date also marks the last day I worked a regular job, but that was thirty years ago. I suppose that the only real change is that some of my income now comes from various "old age" pensions, at least it will whenever the government gets around to finishing all the paperwork and processing the forms that I started about a year ago. They say they lost one and it takes about 120 days to process another one, and then there is some piece of paper that was lost about fifty years ago that has to be replaced and that is also taking months which delays yet more forms. I hate forms but my daughter has kindly volunteered to deal with the bureaucracy for me (I can get nasty with such people). I suppose it is all so slow because the government bureaucrats have to keep sharpening their quill pens. Perhaps one day they will actually buy a computer and everything will be completed close to light speed. No matter, I have my expenses covered until they get around to feigning efficiency by actually getting things done and sending me my back-log of payments. Perhaps this sort of thing is actually deliberate: I have heard of three recent cases of "lost retirement forms". Not only do they get to play with my money for a while, but I am sure that many retirees get very stressed by their inefficiency and as "stress kills" they must save a lot of money that way. As I was expecting delays, I have everything covered with both a "plan B" and a "plan C". If "plan B" gets delayed, then I'll start working on "plan D", just in case.

As birthday plans exist for most of the day, this is a short post and I will be retiring from blog writing in a few minutes. My retirement will end tonight, though, so I'll be back tomorrow with another post!

10 comments:

  1. Just to say many happy returns from both of us, retiring is good not bad because it leaves one so much time to do things! Even better when you get a decent pension of course;)

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    1. Thanks to both of you! As life seems about the same as it is has been for a few years, I'm not sure if I actually retired then, or I have not retired at all. I suppose one change is that now I'm eligible for "Senior's discounts", but I have not claimed one yet!

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  2. Raise a glass for me and drink your good health. Remember, you are only as old as the woman you feel' Quaff deeply!

    Cheers.

    John Howland
    England

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    1. Thanks John. I'm often stopped in the street by admiring women -- but their attention is always on my dog! --- probably just as well, though, I already know one woman who likes $100 lunches!

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  3. Happy "retirement" John. When I retired I couldn't work out how I found the time to fit in work as well as life.
    Trefor
    P.S. We may be very close to starting on the coins at last.

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    1. Thanks, Trefor, work always used to get in the way of life -- right now, bureaucrats are trying to take over that function...

      Great news about the coins -- I can hardly wait to see what we have. I've only been waiting about thirty years for such a thing!

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  4. Happy Birthday for yesterday John. Remember, scientists have proven that birthdays are good for us, the more we have the longer we live...:D

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    1. Thanks Janner, My Dad always used to say that getting old is much better than the alternative. When I hit 60, a female friend told me, "60 is the new 40" so I guess that makes me 45 now. My only birthday regret was that the Fire Department refused to issue a permit for the birthday-cake candles ;-)

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  5. Well better late than never....congratulations on your retirement. Enjoy and don't feel guilty about being idle. It's well deserved. Not have one for me...

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  6. Thanks, Dick, I've only got a few projects planned, but I'll try to pace myself!

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