For those of you who are retired

No, not fun. In fact, it's kind of a pain in the ass with all the regular working stiffs and kids out and about, and I can't wait for the work week to begin.

Most people drop dead a year after retirement. Nothing to do all day speeding all those years saving for what? The people who live the longest tend to keep working until their 80's and beyond until drop. Basically they have nothing to live for without a job. That's men mostly.

Eh, just like any other day.

But if I wanted to do something interesting, there are more things going on over a holiday weekend.

It's just another day.

It's like any other day. I've been retired for 6 years. At first I traveled and got into hobbies but after heart surgery I've just been reading, watching movies, sleeping in, and scrolling on SM.

That brings a new meaning to Doom Scrolling R5.

Not having to work is still fun.

Every day is Sunday to a bird, OP

No. We stay in and avoid the traffic and the public during long weekends and holidays. And maybe weekends in general. Our world comes alive during the work week when we do fun things like visiting parks, museums, shopping, going to movies, volunteering when up to it, and running errands, of course many of which involve medical visits. Don't miss the dread of the last evening of a long weekend spent worrying about the work week to come. Loved my career but don't miss it. We're going to the protest Workers Over Billionaires on Labor Day. That should be festive and productive. Many people won't go because they must work the following day. It's our duty to do things like that. And we look forward to jury duty!

I've been laid off since April. I got about a year's severance and so haven't been in a rush to job hunt, I'm using this time as a "trial run" for retirement. I used to look forward to long weekends but I'm finding the weekends now almost indistinguishable from weekdays, except that the traffic is much lighter. I could get used to this. I'm only 55 and it seems "wrong" to retire now, but financially I can pull it off. Just need to find something to otherwise occupy my time.

It used to seem like forever till the holidays now I'm retired they are every other fucking day. People crawling all over like rats filling my campsights roads and coffee shops. When do they go home, when do they work, ç˙rist.

I’ve been retired for two months and I already can’t keep up with what day of the week it is.

Like any other weekend. Or any day for that matter, you can lose track of dates.

But I love being retired. I look back on how conscientious a worker I was for thirty+ years and now think I was crazy to work so hard.

But I was raised that way.

Why do you ask?

There are parts of my job I really like, and parts I hate. If I could figure out a way to do more of the parts I love, I would probably not want to retire any time soon. (I’m early 50s.)

But 10-15 years from now, who knows how I’ll feel physically?

We're loving retirement (except for the getting old part) but it occurs to me now that our cats are enjoying our retirement even more than we are. They act like they expected it, as if they had it all mapped out.

I don't notice weekends, though they seem to come a lot more frequently than when I was working.

What’s retirement?

I can't wait to retire.

I’m retired. Every day is Saturday for me.

Retirees what were your savings at 35?

Like Old Lady Grantham said, "What is a weekend?" They don't matter much one way or the other anymore. The only time that I pay any attention is if I'm making plans with friends that are still working. Otherwise, if anything, it's better to plan evenings out during the week when it's less crowded. I usually know what day of the week it is, but it's scary how often I can't remember what the day of the month it is. I'm always asking Alexa.

I'm not yet retired but I'm a shift worker so often work those long weekends anyway, so retirement when I do do it isnt going to be as jarring as for some. That said, I intend to keep working at least part time for financial reasons. I will also have plenty to do even if I dont work

It makes no difference. I worked entirely from home for 20+ years but was never the sharpest at keeping track of days of the week. Q: "Today is Tuesday, correct?" A: "Sure, why not"

Working from home is good practice for worrying about commuter.problems and busy times, by opening up the full field of possibility to doing these sorts of things on your own time.

If anything, being retired I'm a quicker at knowing it's in fact Tuesday rather than Wednesday, or Monday or Thursday for that matter.

[quote]Most people drop dead a year after retirement.

Most people who drop dead after retirement are those who wait until they're in their 70s or 80s to retire.

I retired at age 63 at the beginning of July, and we moved to France at the end of July. The first month of retirement was non-stop packing and getting rid of nearly everything; we moved with 8 suitcases and a dog. We've now been here for a month and much of our time was spent looking for an apartment and getting to know our new city. We move into an unfurnished place next week, so the next month or two will be outfitting it (buying appliances, furniture, glasses/dishes, cookware, etc).

We do most of our shopping on weekdays when the stores and markets are less crowded. Weekends are now the time for festivals, free concerts, and flea markets (braderies, brocantes, and vide greniers). We have no car and are walking 5+ miles/day, taking public transportation, and an occasional Uber. We are eating better and sleeping better than in decades. Today is Saturday, so we will hit an Afro-Caribbean street festival in the afternoon and then a brewery in that neighborhood. If we are up for it later, we'll stop by the sports bar a block away to watch the Ligue 1 evening match.

To quote McDonald's (or as the French call it, MacDoo), I'm Lovin' It.

New country, new apartment, new stuff, new life.

Congrats, R26. Did you move from America and or either one of you French?

r21 I had Depression-era parents, so I was raised in an atmosphere of being very mindful of expenses and saving. As soon as I had any income at all, I'd look on saving part of that income as a "bill" to be paid; in other words, some amount of my income was "owed" to my savings account each month, a "bill" which I'd duly pay in full (rather than to blow it on some whimsical purchase). And so to (vaguely) answer your question, my savings at age 35 were already gratifying enough to give me a welcome stability in life, which has really bloomed in my retirement. And no, I'm not a miser or ungenerous, nor have I ever denied myself (or others) nice things. Losing the urge towards impulse buying or spending on fripperies which the day after purchase you already don't want means that you can ultimately pretty much buy whatever you [italic]really[/italic] want and still be in good shape financially.

I don't have to do my shopping on the weekend.

This will be my second holiday weekend since I retired at the end of June. And it does feel like a holiday weekend because I have a day trip planned on Sunday that I would always take over Labor Day weekend. Looking forward to it!

I live near a tourist town and I dislike the weekends, because trashy, stupid tourists and their miserable fucking brats clog up all the local spots like a giant turd in a toilet. Only too happy to flush and enjoy visiting my favorite places on any given weekday.

Now that summer is over, stores will be quiet again just the way I like them.

Um, summer isn’t over yet. It’s got almost a month left.

Just another daaaaaaaay

R33 It's unoffically over on Labor Day.

r32, except for Senior Wednesdays at one local grocery chain and Fridays at Safeway for the 10% discounts. Senile old ladies obliviously blocking entire lanes with their shopping carts and others slowly examining every piece of fruit, one by one.

I took a year off after a layoff. Severance carried me through. It turned out to be such a blessing as I was able to spend a part of almost every day visiting my mom who was in rapidly declining health and then hospice before she died. After that I hit a bit of a depression period that I struggled with for six months or more. Not working was not good for me at that point. I needed something to do. I needed a reason not to drink too much. Sleep too much. Eat too much. I started a consulting business that is now gaining some momentum and I am much happier. I think I will always need to do something work related but only as my own boss. My husband is 15 years younger and loves his career. So off to work we go.

r10, I discovered that health can fall apart without warning. It started when I was in my 50s.

Am 63 now, retired last year (could have done it sooner), but with mobility issues, am now unable to do some of the things I'd hoped to do in retirement, especially things like adventure travel and hiking. Don't have the strength to put in a garden or do home renovations myself. Am just happy to be alive, and grateful for doing things I did when I was unemployed for 4 years at age 48. Had a great severance and savings. I live in the US, so paying for healthcare was a real drain, but was able to afford travel and do fun volunteer work. In retirement, even with mediocre health, I find plenty to do. My former career used to define me, but I stopped thinking about it weeks after retiring. It's been liberating. Husband and I had to ween ourselves from checking messages in our Linkedin accounts, but then we just deleted them. We just don't care anymore.

wean

R4- Hi MACCA

Thanks for that perspective R38, you make some great points. Currently my health is excellent and I'd consider myself at above average fitness (weights and cardio 4x a week, walking, etc). But you're right, you never know when your health could turn. A childhood friend of mine came down with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia two years ago (he's in remission and doing ok, fortunately, but realistically cannot travel on vacation) and my neighbour, also around my age, just learned she has ovarian cancer after beating breast cancer 4 years ago. I live in Canada so healthcare costs are already baked into my taxes, which helps.

R2 I retired three years ago, I'm still alive, and it's still the best decision I ever made.

I work part time for fun and a little extra pocket money, but it's wonderful waking up in the morning and not being obligated to drag myself to a dreary office building with fluorescent lighting. As far as 3-day weekends, the one thing about retirement is that I often forget which day of the week it is, so 3-day weekends aren't as special and unique as they were during my corporate days unless I've planned something.

I retired when I was 40. I am 60 now and the time has flown by.

It was exciting at first having all your time open, but like everything, it gets old.

I am extremely lucky to be able to go anywhere and buy anything I want, but mostly I find myself bored beyond description.

I never know what day it is, as all days run together.

Ennui is real.

R43 What did you do that allowed you to retire at 40?

It feels like any other day…..most of the time I don’t even know what day it is…….retirement is awesome!

In my late 60s, stopped working a year and a half ago. I don’t use the word retired to describe that, because it was less a plan or a major decision than a sudden whim to take a break.

But honestly I love not working - even though I loved my job. I feel bad for those who complain of boredom in retirement. I don’t get it. At all. I feel like I am always running out of time. So much to see read do watch know.

My biggest hangup with retirement is financial. Missing that paycheck. Pension sucks. Living on the edge.

My advice for those who "retire" is to either get a part-time job or volunteer doing something you like to do.

I work part time at two different sports venues in my city as a concierge. I've gotten to meet celebrities and famous sports figures and other "VIP" types. It's been a lot of fun, and the best part is that it doesn't consume my life. I work about 30-35 hours per month, so I still have plenty of "me time," as well as some great stories to tell.

Curious that any retirement thread seems to attract any comments about retirement.

Of 46 posts, half have nothing to do with how one regards (or doesn't) 3-day)holiday weekends.

I retired in 1988. Traveled a bit, well seasons in London and that was it. At home I sorta still miss working, I mostly miss "the power of station" to quote Willie Morris. I cannot pick up a phone and get things done. Just about everyone I knew in NY magazines is dead. Still, I enjoy friends new, do miss old friends now dead; I putter in the yard, am quite aware of each day, find weekends more quiet than weekdays in that I have less to do. Holiday weekends seem to be just another long weekend when I aways note that I have no holiday things to do. I sleep well, and early, often 10-12 hours, but am always up after seven. There's a local senior center with an inexpensive lunch, the tables, once you know who is who, can be like a high school cafeteria.

R49 Yeah, because all DL threads always stick to the topic at hand and never, ever go off on wild tangents.

Actually worse for me with stuff closed on Monday holidays.

I'm overjoyed that I don't have to work anymore. I planned a long time for early retirement and so glad I did. No more living my life being ruled by a clock. No more blowhards to contend with in the workplace. Free at last.

After a layoff in 2018 I retired. I didn't even know this was Labor Day weekend (I thought it was next weekend). I always know what day of the week it is, but I rarely know the actual date.

As I pretty much always hated working, retirement was great in 2018, but then Covid came along, which, for me, thankfully, was just Retirement Inside. ("Oh, you want me to stay home and read books and watch TV all day? No problem!") My mom now lives in a senior living center near me, so she's my job. But, to date, it's a part-time job as she is still pretty spry and with it for 92. I take her to medical appointments, shopping, etc. and deal with her emails when necessary on her ancient PC as she is barely computer-literate. Dreading the day she dies, of course, but will cross that bridge when I come to it.

For those of you who are retarded

speak for yourself, r54.

It doesn't faze me. Been retired for going on five years. Holiday weekends to me now are checking for sales and avoiding crowds. Weekends as rule are my break from daily MSNBC news and not getting my blood pressure up! LOL! Turner Classic Movies and Hallmark mysteries rule my TV on weekends.

Is there a three-day weekend coming up??

I work from home for my partner. I can be very busy some days and others, not so much. I don't take a huge salary at all, but it doesn't matter. I still haven't had to touch my retirement account, and I have more than enough money to buy what I want. When I turned 65, I thought I wanted to retire, but I do like having something to do. We still have time and money to take vacations. My partner has the business going well, so he's willing to leave it to his employees while we go on vacation. I do sometimes forget which day it is because it always doesn't occur to me to look at the calendar. I didn't really think about Labor Day at all, probably because we no longer go to Southern Decadence.

[quote] Losing the urge towards impulse buying or spending on fripperies which the day after purchase you already don't want...

I love fripperies! I have a credit card at "Fripperies Are Us" and use it every day.

R58 Working from home for your partner isn't really working, though, is it? What's he gonna do if you screw something up, fire you?

For our dear friend at R48:

[quote] Does the start of a 3-day weekend seem just as fun as it did when you were working?

No.

[quote] Or does it seem like any other day?

Yes.

R60 - I work. I get what he needs done, done. I have a good work ethic. I get paid for it. It's a job.

R62 Do you get annual performance reviews and merit increases? Do you have to submit a monthly accomplishments memo to your husband?

Not long since I retired -- just about two months ago. It's the summer so it's sort of a soft landing as I take the majority of my time off in July and August. I live in a coastal town so the weekend is really busy but then the majority of the tourists will depart.

I take (or took) a large part of my self-esteem from the job that I did well and that had an impact on my community. A relative told me not to be afraid of being bored -- it's part of the reward. I'll probably take some low-stress job somewhere, someday. Here's the weird thing -- I really don't enjoy cocktails as much as I did when it was a way to relax after a long or particularly frustrating day.

R44 Finance/Private Equity

I'm about to return to piano lessons. It's been about 50 years since my last one.

[quote] I'm about to return to piano lessons. It's been about 50 years since my last one.

I am in a play at our community theater and have started watercolor classes during the normal workday. Retirement is the bomb!

I would think it’s fun because there are events that occur on those days not to mention being secretly happy that everyone has to go back to work and school and you don’t.

I feel so grateful I am retired every time I walk into Subway Sandwich to collect my weekly foot long Cuban, while my housekeeper cleans my home. Those poor Subway artists suffer so from un-Godly rude cretins! I always tip well.

You live in Florida and get a "Cuban sandwich" from Subway, R69?

For shame.

That's like living in Maine or Massachusetts and getting a Filet o' Fish.

The "Big 3 Summer Holidays" never meant much to my husband or me, they still don't.

I do like having the luxury of shopping when and where it is less crowded.

When I worked in a supermarket I always had to be mindful of the day and date, because I dealt with perishables. Now that I'm retired(it'll be 13yrs next month) it is difficult to sometimes be aware of what day it is. Bi-weekly(Mondays and Fridays) bingo games at the local Senior Center keep me on my toes in this regard. A paper calendar is useless in this respect though(although it IS great for recording appointments) so I'm glad I can look at my phone and be absolutely certain that it's Tuesday rather than Wednesday. Going to various stitching groups is also a helpful reminder of what day it is.

I just don't feel right in "celebrating" Labor Day(whatever the hell THAT would entail) since I don't labor anymore.😉🤫😁 I highly recommend retiring as soon as you can swing it. I've never seen it fail, that a retirement did not work out better than folks thought it would be. Naturally, you have to prepare thoroughly and have reasonable expectations, and you WILL be making some decisions that are unalterable. Do all you can to make it so. We've busted our humps all our working lives, so yes, we DO deserve a wonderful retirement. Bon chance!

What is a week end?

[quote]Do you get annual performance reviews and merit increases? Do you have to submit a monthly accomplishments memo to your husband?

We're a six-person operation, including him. He's had two employees for over 25 years each. The other two are new, but it's not that kind of operation. I worked at a corporate job for almost 30 years, and consistently had exceeds expectations or superior reviews. I don't take increases because I choose to keep my income low for tax purposes. He knows exactly what I do on a daily basis. I would be very expensive to replace and he's quite aware of that. He appreciates the job I do.

Man, what a miserable cunt. You just can't believe people can be basically decent and have relationships based on trust. I won't say I feel sorry for you, because I don't, but it's sad you live such a miserable life.

R70 how do you know I live in Florida?

It's less calendar-based and more activity-based. "Swimming Day" (M, W, F); "Going for a Pint or Two Day" (Tu, Th), "What's New on Kanopy and Netflix Day" (F), "Trader Joe's Day" (Sa), etc.

Ugh... Waiting for next Tuesday! I ventured out today nothing but screaming fetuses whose parents allow them to run like hyena in the African desert! September and October are my favorite months travel is easy and cheaper, weekday adventures are fun and no crowds. I did play the Powerball hopefully I get some good news later tonight!

R69, i.e. Talluah, [italic]everybody[/italic] knows you live in FL, just like everybody knows I live in Florida.

I just found it amusing that you would go to Subway for a Cuban sandwich.

I linked a place I've gone to that's pretty good, although I'm not a fan of Cuban sandwiches.

[italic] R78 Senior Lesbian, is that you dear? [/italic] So lovely to hear from you, if so!

Well, I must admit my Subway Cuban sandwich is my own divine creation and not on the menu. I have them trained to make it just the way I like it, only $6.99 for a footlong. However, I must say Villa Pinar looks wonderful. I must wander over to Summerfield one day and try it. Best wishes to you, sweetie, and I hope the hurricanes stay away this year! Kisses...

For R48, it doesn’t much matter to me when it’s a three-day weekend and/or a holiday.

TBH, even when I was working, I had to check the calendar often to know the day/date. (For many years I had work schedules that changed often, including at the last minute.) Still true now.

Like others have mentioned, I’m also taking advantage of the extra free time by taking college classes for fun. It can be a little weird being decades older than both your classmates and your instructors. A little.

And like R68 said, it’s great knowing that many are back at work or in school most weekdays; I prefer going to the park, the beach, the supermarket or the movie theater on weekday for the relative peace and quiet.

Depends where you are. Crowds are my main concern - I hate them since retirement and plan my life around going off peak everywhere. In the city, it can be better than a normal weekend because my neighborhood is usually overrrun with partiers on weekends - but less so on holiday weekends because people leave the city. In the country, ithings can be more crowded or less - while people have off so they may be out at restaurants and stores, many residents also go to the beach or vacation on holiday weekends - so again crowds can be better than usual weekends.

As someone who hated my high stress job, life didn’t begin until I retired. So grateful I actually got to truly live - not just survive - before I died or got sick. Retirement is what life is - not corporate slavery to the 8-8 grind. Except for caring for elderly parent, life is ideal.

"For those of you who are retired"

97% of Data lounge.

Be careful about fabricating statistics

We have real statisticians here.

[quote]Most people drop dead a year after retirement. Most people drop dead a year after retirement. Nothing to do all day speeding all those years saving for what? The people who live the longest tend to keep working until their 80's and beyond until drop. Basically they have nothing to live for without a job. That's men mostly.

R2 forgot to cite his source, the Department of Statistics I Pulled Out of My Ass. I'm a man, and I've been retired for four years, and this could not possibly describe me less. I had a good job that I certainly didn't hate and that kept me interested, but the idea that, by retiring, I now have nothing to live for is completely laughable to me. And to get back to OP's original question, weekends still feel different to me. I'm not sure why, exactly. Just habit and a lifetime of memories, I guess.

R74 Someone seems awfully defensive about the fact that they don't have a real job.

I’m a retired teacher with many friends and colleagues who have also retired. And not one of them died within a year of retirement. All are doing just fine many years after they retired. Probably because teaching is a very grueling job and it’s a relief to quit. Also it’s not a high status job so you’re not going from Mr. Big to Mr. Nobody. Maybe that’s what gets certain types.

I like my job well enough, but I deeply wish work vs retirement weren’t this intensely binary all-or-nothing deal, the way it is with nearly all employers/ companies/ organizations. I would be much happier (and likely healthier) at age 58 working just 25-30 hours a week and taking a 25% pay cut and feeling sort of 25% retired. Life would feel easier and more spacious, especially as an older parent.

As it is I have about seven or eight years to go, unless fate renders me jobless sooner than that.

I love being retired. No more dreading the end of weekends or vacations or holidays. No more pointless obligations. No more worrying weekends or at night about stuff which is being done which is out of your control but is your responsibility. No more commuting.

People say but what do you do with your days?! Uh things I love perhaps? Catching up on my music collection. Rewatching on Blu-ray movies I love. Having time to cook and clean. Study languages I love.

As somebody said the only negative is watching your body grow old. It's still strong but the inevitable outward aging is distressing. The changing of skin, muscles, veins, sagging. The way people treat you. That really sucks.

Yup, it's me, Tallulah @ R78. Thanks for asking about me!

I'm no longer signing my name because I was put in t/o numerous times, and I thought I'd just be anonymous and see if that helped the situation -- which it did. So far.

I'm just hangin' out, waiting for my little dog to die so I can go to Panama. She'll have 5 or 6 good days and then a bad day -- yesterday was a bad day. She shit black goo all over the floor and refused to eat, But she'll probably be up to snuff today, although her baseline is getting lower all the time (as is mine). In fact, I just checked, and she's already eaten about half of her dog food.

Putting my life on hold for the dog has created a host of problems, most of which have to do with (relatively pricey) things I need to buy/do that I can't justify spending money on if I'm just going to leave the country anyway. Bah.

But at least it's getting cooler at night -- down to 72 at my place! I didn't even have the air on to sleep!

Anyway, it was good to hear from you.

R89 Aw, sweetie. Yes, life rolls along up and down like a roller coaster and often we do not feel strapped into the seat. My little Cavalier, Sammy, is almost ten and had developed a bit of a limp in his right back leg. It has just started and I am praying it was because he was laying on it and it fell asleep. I already see future vet bills racing through my meager savings. But, alas, we all have our aches and pains, taking them all with a grain of salt and trying to enjoy the ride and the beauty of nature in our beautiful forest.

So, you still have plans to move to Panama? Talk about humidity! That place makes even the straightest blonde hair curl into an afro. LOL!! (¿Hablas su idioma lo suficientemente bien como para llevarte bien y sentirte cómodo?) Besides the money issue do you know where you are going to go and how you want to live? Any friends or family there?

I often think about you living up in the Ocala forest and riding your motor bike all around. I remember last year when you evacuated twice because of the weather. While we haven't had any hurricanes, yet, this has been a terrible year for lightening around here. We have several very old giant Southern Oaks that have lost limbs, recently. I have one neighbor just two blocks away who had her roof struck by a giant lightening bolt that made our windows rattle. Everyone in the community is on alert. This ladies home was struck on the roof which then spread fire to the whole house and gutted it. She was lucky to get out with her little poodle and the clothes on her back. She lost everything! Our community is having a BBQ for her at the community center and all the proceeds will go to her. It is so wonderful to see that even in these trying times the best in people comes out and they rally to help others. Certainly makes us who have little feel blessed and grateful when we see others who have none.

Take care, my pet, and know you are loved by many, most of whom you will never know. You make a difference in our lives and we wish you all the best! ¡Ve con Dios, mi amiga!

It's easy to lose track of days on long weekends. I woke up this morning and had to concentrate to remember it's Sunday.

Mostly, I don't care what day it is. I do what I want when I want. However, I must check the calendar at least once a week to see if I have any medical appointments coming up.

Well, Ms. T. at R90, apparently my Spanish is not quite as good as yours! But I had four years in high school back in the Stone Age, and I get by well enough. The two times I was in Panama to get my Jubilado visa, I spoke Spanish to [italic]everyone[/italic], and I was complimented many times on my language skills. My vocabulary isn't what it should be, and I can't conjugate verbs to save my life, but people think my speaking skills are better than they are because they say I have no trace of an American accent. Actually, I'm good with accents in general -- you should hear me imitate my Brazillian ex-gf!

That's one of the reasons I want to (yes, I'm going to say it) [bold]evacuate[/bold] this country (which scares me more every day) for a Spanish-speaking country because I've always wanted to be fluent in Spanish -- and perhaps now I can be.

I think I'd like to live in Las Tablas, although I haven't visited there yet. It's in the Arco Seco, so not as much rain, and a half an hour from the beach. The weather is just like it is here in the summer in Central FL, but it's the same temperature all year (and perhaps a bit cooler), so you get a chance to actually get used to it.

We should meet up somewhere! I suggested to you before that we should meet at that big AYCE Chinese place in your burg, or even at that Cuban place I just suggested. Or any other place you think this vieja pobrecita can afford. Any other DLer wants to come, they're welcome! Let me know :-)

Now -- back to our regularly scheduled program.

I'm not retired but have a 3 day work schedule. I actually prefer working weekends then living my life during the week when things are quieter with fewer people around. I very glad the working at home thing is finally abating.

- Yes, it's all about me.

[quote]People say but what do you do with your days?! Uh things I love perhaps?

I got so tired of hearing this question after I announced my retirement at work but before I actually left. "How are you going to fill your time?" "What will you do with your time?" These questions struck me as idiotic before I retired, and actual retirement made them sound even stupider. My stock answer became "Whatever I feel like doing." But that I was asked this so often, and continue to be asked it several years into retirement, shows me that some people really do struggle with a perceived loss of identity and loss of purpose after retirement. That was never a problem for me. Filling my time is never a problem. People don't realize how the perception of time speeds up the older one gets. It's one of the things I don't like about aging. I continue to feel as though there aren't enough hours in the day. Retirement has made me wonder how I ever got anything done when I had to spend so much of my time at the office.

Three day weekends just create an extra day of avoiding people who have time off from work. R1 said it: we have all week to play, so we let working folks get the restaurant tables at weekend.

Another issue is the blogs I read add the holiday to the weekend when no new posts are made, so it's less to read.

Very true, R9.

So glad to (finally) be in the retirement club! (March 1st of this year was Day 1 of my retirement.)

I’m not retired, but I feel a little twinge of dread each morning when I open up the house (curtains, blinds) and another twinge when— what feels like five minutes later— I close up the house for the night.

Life is busy and feels very repetitive and I wonder what I’m doing with my life.

But then, when I get some time off, I don’t know exactly what to do with myself, though I have lots of interests.

Maybe I’m clinically depressed.

I retired at 53 so holidays on Monday’s are the same as when I worked, a chance to get together with friends who have the day off.

[quote]I had a good job that I certainly didn't hate and that kept me interested, but the idea that, by retiring, I now have nothing to live for is completely laughable to me.

Agree completely, R84. To reach one's sixties or retirement age and not to have taken any interest in life besides the successful and timely completion of work tasks, whether your own or someone else's, seems fundamentally sad -- and insulting.

The idea of people, especially men, dropping dead a few weeks or months after retiring is propaganda meant to prioritize work above all -- and not for the benefit of prolonging workers' lives.

R2 Is that true. It can’t be because most people still retire around the age of 65. But then again I had a lot of family members with well paid positions in the federal government. Is it really that hard in the streets for low wage workers.

Retired or not just remember after this weekend you can NO LONGER wear white....

I actually knew a woman -- a nurse -- who dropped dead 9 months after she retired. She was 60.

Of course, her son, a real queen I worked with for a few years in my 20s, likely drove her crazy. He lived with her his entire life until, soon after her death, a series of small strokes left him institutionalized. His entire group of gay friends hung out at their place and and called her "Mother."

She was a nice woman who died too young. R.I.P.

No. I was planning to shop for groceries tomorrow morning, remembered it was a holiday, and changed my plans. I prefer shopping in less crowded stores.

I wouldn't expect stores to be terribly crowded on the morning of Labor Day, R104. Presumably, people will have other things to do on a summer holiday.

I live in an area where there are many retirement communities and they are always busy. I find the best times for grocery shopping are Sunday mornings (when they are at church) and mid-late afternoons when they are taking naps.

The only complaint that I have about holiday weekends is that there are too many people everywhere.

Loved long weekends when I worked but find them boring now.

We have a little weekend/ summer cottage where we planned to spend a lot of our retirement time. We even sold the big co-op flat in the city and downsized to a smaller condo in a 55+ building and invested a lot of the difference in upgrading, and finally finishing, the cottage.

But weekends up there are more noisy than the city. We can't see the houses nextdoor but we hear them. Labor Day is worse than the beginning of July. The lake is filled with drunks in motorboats. The roads and forest trails are crawling with ATVs.

Next weekend I'll be out there on the lake, quiet, in the canoe with the dog while Husband relaxes with a good book on the deck before he fires-up the grill.

We've so busy in retirement that a 3-day weekend is a relief. Husband's job as chef was so overwhelming we never had one while he was working. For first time in our relationship we actually have weekends.

R50 you seem to type as if you think you know a lot. Help us out here, explain yourself!

Every day is Saturday, in a general sense. The practically reality is that, in Manhattan, I do all of my fun stuff on weekdays—when the office drones are busy—stay close to home on weekends. I find it all too crowded on Sat and Sun LOL. I also spend two months out of the year traveling to Europe and Calif/Hawaii.

—retired at 60 from Wall Street law …and never looked back.

Today, for example: too many people on the Hudson River Park route. Lots of young, shirtless, eye candy helped make it better.

Three day weekend is annoying. Today went into a favorite restaurant, knew what I wanted. Was told "Today's a holiday, we have a special menu." I left.

[quote] We should meet up somewhere! I suggested to you before that we should meet at that big AYCE Chinese place in your burg, or even at that Cuban place I just suggested. Or any other place you think this vieja pobrecita can afford. Any other DLer wants to come, they're welcome! Let me know :-)

R89 & 93 EL!! My dear, this would be lovely! Perhaps, the restaurant you suggested for next week in Summerfield, as it is much closer to your forest? Let me know what you think.

A foot long Cuban is just a sandwich?

You ladies got it all wrong—no wonder FL is going down the shitter.

I can’t imagine anyone enjoying holiday weekends in retirement unless you socialize with a lot of people that still work.

I just turned 53 and I have 7 years until retirement (unless the startup I work for gets acquired or goes public 🤞). My pension starts at 60 and I have done a really good job with turbocharging my 401k investing since I turned 40. I look am so looking forward to getting out of the rat race of corporate America. I have thought about moving to The Villages for retirement because there are so many activities there, but I have heard that it is super conservative there.

Does anyone on here live in the Villages or no anyone that lives there? How is it?

It's nice having a condo where little brats don't pee in the pool. Instead we have old ladies doing it.

The hot tub, which would help.my rheumatoid arthritis, reeks of old lady urine.

Husband and I in the sauna have made some decent threesomes though .

Full of STIs. Even worse are the special tax assessments and HOA fees.

[quote[ Does anyone on here live in the Villages or no anyone that lives there? How is it?

r117 I live in Leesburg, which is right next to the Villages. What would you like to know, besides it is MAGA country?