Would you believe I got nothing prepared for today’s weekly Monday post? I don’t. I let it slip my mind and here I am scrambling to come up with something so I can meet my New Year’s resolution of posting once a week. Not that anyone reads this crap anyway.

Why am I not prepared this week? I’ve been busy running numbers and watching YouTube videos. By numbers I mean I’ve been running my retirement numbers and seeing if it is feasible to retire comfortably and live to about 85 years old. By YouTube videos I mean I’ve been watching every retirement guru out there hoping one of them will point at me and tell me it’s safe to retire and enjoy life work free.

I am happy to say that the numbers add up. I can live to 85 years old. Why 85? I don’t have any illusions that I will live past that year. Just look around and tell me of someone male you know that has lived past 85. The percentages just aren’t there. My Dad passed at 82, My Mom is 84 and will probably live to 90 but that’s a female trait. I expect my wife to live to 90 so there is money to cover that.

I’ve watched many a YouTube retirement guy and they all say retire as soon as you can so you can enjoy your money in the “go-go” years, before you get to the “no-do” years. Don’t say “Just one more year.” I had a work friend that said “just one more year” and he passed from cancer within two months of diagnosis. That was last November. So I am not going to work another year so I can have enough money to live til 90 or even 100. It’s time. After 38 years and 11 months of work (not counting pre-career work), it’s time to call it quits on this career job.

I turn 62 in October and I am announcing my retirement this coming Friday to my boss – that is September 29, 2023 for anyone reading this in the future. That gives my company 90 days, 3 months, to find a replacement so I can provide transition training. We will see what my boss says. A couple of people think I’ll be offered the opportunity to stay on the job but work remotely. Something I’ve been wanting to do this past year but was never given the choice. Tempting working from home, but I don’t want to be bossed around anymore. I’ll miss the money. I make a lot of money. But I won’t miss some of the personalities at this job that are downright mean and talk down to you simply because they are higher in the org chart. I’m done with that. Life it too short for that kind of environment.

I’m retiring from this job but I’m sure I’ll find a part time job doing something more meaningful and fulfilling. Substitute teaching, or restart my recording studio business. Anything but what I’m doing now. A job where if I don’t feel like working that day, I don’t have to. Know what I mean?

I guess I did have something to say this week. I threw this together quickly so please excuse the typos and grammar. I’ll update with how things go this coming Friday with my formal announcement to my boss and HR.