Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

And obviously a very young 68!

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Well I'm not new but didn't participate last few times...so...

I was a Kitchen and Bath Designer for many years, first 20 years in Bay Area of CA and then when we moved to the Twin Cities I worked at the International Market Square...mostly high-end. Loved it, did well at it, retired cause I thought Tom would be retiring within the year and it is very hard to wean clients away from you in the middle of their projects...so I did and then he didn't.

Now what to do...so I began volunteering at a Women's Recovery Center for Drug and Alcoholic Addicted Prostitutes. It is part of the Criminal Division of VOA.
Well guess what they hired me and now I work full-time with prostitutes and drug dealers and other mentally ill criminal minds.

I do not teach them design. I teach them self-esteem. Sadly it is a concept that most of them have no knowledge of at all. I teach them responsibility and hope.
I LOVE my job. I get to help change women's lives.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Educators, of any type, have my upmost respect and regards. You deserve your time in TV!

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Thank you Russ.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Haven't retired yet (which is why I am in TV only part time). I have been an RN for 30 years- ER, office, hospital supervisor and since 1995 an in-hospital educator. I love being an educator and ran our hospital's surgical technologist program for 8 years and now work in our hospital's new simulation center teaching crisis resource management among other things. The "other career" I've had is writing 2 successful textbooks- they are on surgical instruments and supplies. Not destined to make Oprah's best seller list but successful enough to make owning a vacation (and in the future, retirement) home in TV a reality. All in all a rewarding career so far...

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Well, I've retired 3 times but keep getting money waived in front of my face to come back to work. Right now I have 2 very part-time jobs worth about 20-24 hours per week. My "official" title is Medical Diagnostic Radiological Technologist. For all of us , I am an X-Ray Technologist (no technicians in Florida since 1986, thank you). I do mobile x-rays of patients in their homes, places of work or mostly in nusring homes. That's one day or an average of about 12 hours give or take.
My second part-time job is doing DEXA Scans at on of the local Physicians Groups here in TV. Thats a M-W-F job at 4 hours per day.

Jerry Jackson (Calumet Grove)

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

I want to retire as a "Mystery Cruiser" for cruise lines that report back to corporate managment on the quality of service provided by cruise lines and this would include Food service, bar service (are you getting what you paid for), entertainment, accomodations and overall appearance of the ship, ship board excursions....(quality of the tour companies hired) and last but the casino...are they paying out enough to keep people from comming back.

If anyone knows of such a job, please email...NO call me directly!

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

So you're the one to blame for my sleepless nights! :joke:

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Me- I have been in the IT field for the past 39 years. Started as a BAL programmer (a adult beverage to anyone who knows what that is) then migrated in sales. I am currently a Regional Manager for a manufacturer of Automated Tape Libraries.

Her- My wife has been an Accountant for the Department of Mental Health for the past 22 years, while raising two children (not including me).

After we bought our house in TV I bought a countdown clock to a definite retirement date.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

33 years with Bell companies and their successors. Engineering, contruction management, various assignments. Retired 2006 now part time engineering consultant. Work three days a week but vacation as much as I want when ever I want. ;D ;D ;D.

Wifey retired three times as medical, hospital, and x-ray receptionist. This time for good...... maybe. :dontknow:

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

MELZ
That would be Basic Assembler Language as I remember it from the mid 60s. I started on Autocoder in 61, got out of the programming end and into operating systems in 67. Been gone from it since 99 so I wouldn't know a wordmark from a IPL sequence anymore!

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Susan –
I am so envious of what you do – that is what it’s all about……
.............and of all of you who were with the same company for long periods of time.

I have had numerous jobs due to working 5 years before having children, my husband’s transfers, stay at home mom and then divorce. I read somewhere recently that the graduates of today will have an average of 12-15 jobs before retirement.

5 years – Consumer Advertising – Reynolds Metals Co.
2 years – on start up team of Virginia State Lottery
6 years – Exec Asst to VP & General Counsel of CSX Corp.
15 years – Resort Property Manager and Real Estate Sales Agent
Currently looking unsuccessfully for part-time

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

I heard someone with the same story say...., " I flunked retirement"

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Well, Sadly, I'm not retired yet.......I have 1035 more days to go...(less then 3 years).
Mel, I have a countdown clock as a dashboard widget on my Mac. ;D

I'm a Professional Firefighter and Medic for a small city in Western NY. I am also a NYS Certified Instructor for EMS....I enjoy teaching. I am also currently working towards my certification as a licensed professional home inspector.

My wife started staying home when the first baby came, with the intent of returning her job as an accountant and fiscal office manager for the local hospital, but instead stayed home to raise our 3 boys and help do renovation work on our homes.

We also have done a lot of renovation work, flipping, etc. We designed and built our own house here in NY, and are happiest with a tool in our hands. My wife can do electrical, plumbing, just about anything.......I don't know why she needs me around, just a masochist I guess. When I'm not doing work for other people, I try to get my own projects done.

We bought our home in The Plantation right down the road from you good people, and can't wait to be full time Floridians......We are currently down there a few times a year, and will be there next month for about 4 weeks....yippee!! See ya then...

Frank D.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

JMD - retired stay at home mom, the youngest is now 30.
LED - retired 30+ years in Public Works and Water Supply in NJ.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

784 I don't believe what you wrote about being a "Mystery Cruiser."

Believe it or not but there is such a job. I will be doing it from Sept. 17 to either Oct. 2/5 on :edit: cruise line on a transatlantic voyage.

I will let you know how you get to do it.

HB

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

faithfulfrank,

We have been to Batavia - I am with three different Critical Incident Stress Management/Debriefing units. I will never give up doing this - for me it is as a volunteer. All the teams I am a member of are made up of volunteers.

HB

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

We own and operate an Auto Parts business in Folkston, Ga. Not yet retired, but looking forward to the day we can be full time residents in our home in TV.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

HB,
I'm involved with Western NY Stress management...taken many classes from Bonnie Fraiser, Grady Bray, etc.....
I've lessened my involvement somewhat now that my NY days are numbered...I've got Florida fever and I don't want to be cured...!


Frank D.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

I was a high school music and speech/drama teacher for over 30 years. Also coached football and golf. I have also worked PT at a private golf course in the Chicago area for 30 years(free golf). I'm hoping to get a PT job at one of the courses in TV. My wife has been a high school business ed. and english teacher for over 30 years. Her bigger job is to put up with my obnoxious ways and be the boss of the house. I retired in June and she has one more school year to go. Then we'll be full-timers. :clap2:

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

My husband and I were both mainframe systems programmers, and yes, MelZ, we know what BAL is and it still lives as HLASM. Hubby said to say he was a BALR... Basic Assembler Language Rummy. We both worked for McDonnell Douglas and IBM and are now retired.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

I'm not yet retired. I work as an accounting manager, although I now spend over half my time on non-accounting related administrative duties like procurement integrity and disaster planning and response.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Dutchman
Fizzbyn

IOU an adult beverage.

Faithful Frank

Clock says 1348 days for me

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Not retired yet...but I can see the finish line. I am a Medical Technologist who figured out Laboratory Information Systems when they first hit the lab. I work for a large Diagnostic Company Beckman Coulter as the primary computer guru.

My recent project is a new set of rules for labs for which my company has submitted
a patent claim.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

I just love reading all these posts DAILY, and had to jump in here. I will be taking early retirement at age 56 in THREE months and counting. I have been an IT professional in the NY area since 1974, and am currently a Director leading global implementations for a Fortune 100 company. I am looking forward to purchasing and relocating to TV within a year! I visited for the first time a year ago, was back for a preview in June and am sold and committed! no question at all!

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Thanks, MelZ. I also know what an Automated Tape Library is... do I get another drink? Actually, my husband and I met while working together in a totally NON-automated tape library in 1973, so tape libraries hold a special meaning for me.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

fizzbyn

Sure but you have to wait until Xmas when we come down

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

I am surprised by how many responses are... "I'm not retired yet". It's interesting to note that last month's AARP bulletin had a story entitled, "Opps, I Retired Too Soon".

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

me, building contractor , concrete const. company and last 20 yrs a construction superintendant,
wife, office manager for a marine const co on Cape Cod

drd

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

rshoffer
Great article..I hope more people have read it.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

rschoffer- Interesting that someone has the same story as me but I haven't tried retirement yet so I can't say that I've "flunked it". I'm sure I will stay doing something when I "retire" but it will be less than working two jobs!

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

In the late 70's we put in a very large ATL (can't remember if we used 2401s or not) that had about 40-50 stations hanging off a souped up 360-65. The problem was space. We had to make about a 90 degree turn. The technology of the system was easy. The mechanics of making that turn was a :edit:.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Retired after 27 years with Verizon Network Operations in Manhattan. Sonet ring networks, fiber optics, fiosTV etc.....

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

MelZ - we're still in Tucson. We're planning on coming in January if our house here doesn't sell, but earlier if it does. You'll probably be there before us.

Muncle - I operated the 360-65, but we didn't have anything automated hanging off of it, which was probably a good thing. Automated things in the late '70s required many labor intensive hours.

Speaking of labor intensive, does anyone remember the 3850 Mass Storage system? I was in Data Management when it was installed and our job was to fix the data related problems that came up. I remember middle-of -the-night calls after the CE extracted the cartridge and there it would be in all its glory, sitting on the manager's desk with its tape hanging out all mangled. We had special home-made tools to take it apart. I'd iron the tape (with an actual iron), cut the top to shape and hope the Mass Storage unit would buy it. If not, there was much more to do and I won't go into it. Oh, how I miss those days :'(

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

I repeated my post from back in Jan. but I wanted to tell MelZ that not only was I a BAL programmer for the first 15 years of my career but my company still relies on it today! We are in a very long process of converting everything to JAVA though. About 2/3 done. Russ

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

Still working. We're a lawyer and Social Services Director, in that order.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

I am a Travel Agent and do not believe I will ever retire from this profession. I enjoy it to much. I have learned so much from others and at the same time met wonderful people.

I love to fulfill peoples dreams of where they want to go, sometimes this is quite challenging (I enjoy the challenge), how to do it and explore areas where they might want to go. I have met fantastic people doing this.

I am someone who loves to learn new things. This profession is perfect for me in that sense as there is always something new to learn and another challenge to meet.

My career has been quite rewarding - not only in working with other people but for myself. I have studied, taken exams and reached the highest level with some cruise lines. I am in the process of creating a new program with one of the cruise lines - that I iniated.

I like what I am doing to much to ever retire from this Profession.

HB

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

So does that mean that "Taller" is a lawyer and "Trees" is a Social Service Direstor? ;)

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

The list of people I owe drinks to continues to grow.

Boy do I remember the MSU, I was a System Analyst/System Programmer for RCA EDP. We made a clone of the 360 series call the Spectra. They were compatible at the source language level.

One of my sites was NYC department of Social Services which had a 360/40, 360/30, Spectra 70/45 and Spectra 70/35.

They has a MSU (From RCA) which used Magnetic cards, I loved to watch it work. It was a feat of mechanical engineering that ususally worked great but every once is a while their was a card jam. That was when things go exciting.

When I transitioned into sales I sold them a 70/35, it's sole purpose was to print food stamps. At a rate of 1400 lines per minute, our tax dollars at work.

Re: What was your profession prior to retirement? This is really interesting.
 

My husband has worked without interruption for the International Truck and Engine company for 47 years, the last four after retiring. He started out as a worker who broke down shipping pallets (sp?) at night during college and continued on, doing different jobs, and is still being or doing National Accounts Manager. Soon, soon to retire. I began as a teacher and switched in the middle to own an apparel rep agency and now after retirement, do a substantial amount of ebay. I sell dance leotards.

(I had posted all the times incorrectly before. Now Sweetie has done the math. This is accurate.)