Retired


JazzDad

JazzDad

Gandy Dancer
After my father retired, I would visit him and see all his unfinished projects. I'd ask, "Dad, why haven't you done any of your projects?" He would reply, "I'm retired - I don't have time."

For those of you who are retired, do you find you have more or less time to work on your modeling?
 
I retired on 12/6/19 and so far, I've had far less time than I had hoped for. Seems like there is always something that needs to be done. All the stuff that got put off while I was working is still there and waiting patiently............as my wife gets less patient.:)

I'm hoping that things will settle down somewhat and I will get a better handle on things around here. But that may be awhile off, given all the stuff we have going on, including a likely move to another state later this year.
 
I retired on 12/17/2008, and I really have not had more time for my model railroad. There are so many opportunities and annoyances that seem to get into the way. My current bid, is just now changing from 2015, when I started it. So...

Not for nothing, not having the long day + long daily commute, opened up numerous opportunities for travel, family events, and the inevitable medical encounters. Something is always coming up.

Boris
 
When I retired at age 63 in August 2015, I had visions of sleeping late, drinking beer around noon and working on the layout whenever I wanted. Nope! That got old after a couple of days. I still get up around 4:00 am without an alarm because I like that time of day. I have been quite busy since then. Parts of the SFW estate hadn't seen a mower in 15 years and were overgrown extensively. Trees needed trimming and 19 mulberry trees killed by a drought/grasshopper infestation needed removing. That took three years at my slowed down pace. Things are much more tidy now and yardwork proceeds at a slower pace. My daily one mile walk takes longer than it used to and medical visits are more frequent.:confused: Those medical visits for me and my wife are all 25 miles away, so they take some time and planning. I also kicked her out of the kitchen and have taken over all culinary preparations and cleanup. We have remodeled three rooms in the house ourselves as well.
Fortunately I don't own a pickup truck so I am not on call to help friends and relatives move stuff.
While I have much more time to work on the layout now, I generally limit my time there so I have more time for life's other pleasures that I missed out on while working and commuting 100 miles a day. I also have reasoned that if I spent eight hours a day on the layout, then it would be just like another job! That's why I retired to begin with!:)
My time spent in the train shed has also shifted focus a bit. I am assembling many more laser-cut craftsman kits than plastic "shake the box" structures. I am adding many more details and refurbishing some of the older parts of the layout. More on this over in the Coffee Shop. I am also weathering freight cars (800 of them) that were originally assembled from kits and just put on the layout. I do actually run trains more often.
So yes I do spend more time modeling, but it hasn't taken over my life yet! I do need to find time to make more trees though.:mad:
 
I retired in June of 2012 and never looked back. I found that my modeling time is on par as when I was working due to the other things in life now keeping me busy.

I intend to spend more time this winter on model railroading than before, but medical trips are more common and time consuming. There are some weddings this year that I don't plan on attending, but the Mrs. will go since I don't believe in spending all that money for airfare, hotels, food and gifts to attend a wedding of the children of the Mrs. cousins. I'll use the time to work on the railroad while she is gone. ;)

Anyway, I need to use my time more wisely and forgot those after movies on the cable network.

Greg
 
I did not start Model Railroading until after I retired so I would have say more. I always liked railroads so the wife said one day that I should build a railroad for the grandkids. She wanted an outdoors railroad but it was too expensive and I hate gardning. I built one in the basement. She was kinda suprised that I filled the whole basement but she approves.
 
Definitely much more time to work on the layout! I just retired in Nov.'19 and have done more with the layout since then, than the last 9 months! I started building this layout in 2003 and have begun the transformation from just a tabletop with track to a real layout. Ya . . . I have a lot more time to make my dream become a reality!
 
Retired in May of 2018. I have spent a lot of time on motorcycle trips across country all summer long. I go home for a few weeks then back out on the road to follow my front wheel. The time that I am home is catching up on stuff around the house and maintenance on the Harley.
I do find it easier to get into more projects around the house during the winter months when I'm not riding. I suppose if I started writing down all that I do on the empire, it would be pretty extensive.
 
I retired in August of 2007 and have enjoyed every minute. However, there are far fewer minutes spent modeling. I have never been as busy in my life. Between family, friends, grandchildren and fishing there is never enough time in my day. I have said many times that if you're not enjoying retirement, you're not doing it right. It is the first time in your life you can do what you want, whenever you want, for as long as you want. The problem is the never ending demands for those precious minutes. While working I used to dream about all the things I could do with the free time that becomes available sans my job. While life took care of that rather quickly.
 
I retired in 2004 at the ripe old age of 52. It wasn't until then that I became interested in MRR. I would have enjoyed it full time, but I had other incursions. I joined a choral society, eventually becoming president. I joined the local board of Crime Stoppers. My wife started shopping at a grocery store under a volunteer organization that phones shut-ins, takes their orders, shops for them, and the store delivers and takes payment. I joined them two years ago. We have property, and both the climate and the things we like to grow take a lot of time in repairs, prep, cleanup, moving hoses, weeding, mowing, etc.

It is most often the case that you fill your time as much as when you raised a family and built a career. You'll meet people, find yourself in Probus or in Elder College. You'll join a club, maybe a couple, you'll discover photography, find your roof needs the fascia plates replaced, and that means the gutters have to come down...without ruining them. Bitchute and youtube will take up some of your time. And on it goes. Oh, and you'll spend an increasing amount of time in doctor's waiting rooms, or at emerg, either for your own sake or for your squeeze's sake. Soon enough, it will be harder to bend over to tie your shoes. You'll find that things change a bit every day, and not always for the better.
 
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