It has been hard to find dependable help for most of my career and it has become worse at time goes by.
That is the part that I will never miss, helpers that do what they want instead of what their job is and the ones that keep talking to a cellphone all day long don't get an opportunity to come back tomorrow.
Also, the only deadline is my deadline and most callers want it yesterday for next to nothing.
The only thing that is getting better is that according to local gossip, County Clerk records are supposed to become available online next year back to Volume A, Page 1 (yeah, our county exhausted many alphabet volumes and the next volume after Z-8 was Volume 234?ñ - that too is a mystery).
Still, I always have something to do and the calls keep coming in.
I do not see retirement as a choice, one unforeseeable day it will just end.
I Wasn't really ready to retire in 2008, but the economy did it for me. I scrambled to get used to it, but now I would not trade it for anything. A lot of what I see people having to put up with in general these days convinces me just in case I regress and think I would like to do it again. The situation that I spoke of some time back about helping my old mentor did not pan out, soooooooooooo! Happy days are here again.!!!!! 🙂
Loyal, post: 455487, member: 228 wrote: I had hoped to [semi] retire this year, but I have been busier than any year that I can remember.
At 67 with 49 years surveying (32 solo), I am getting REALLY tired of 7 day weeks.
I doubt that I will ever REALLY retire (100%), until I'm dead, but I do hope to get into a part-time (couple of days a week) mode next year.
We'll see.
Loyal
"... but I have been busier than any year that I can remember."
What does that have to do with retiring? If you're solo didn't you do it to yourself? Perhaps you need to have a talk with you and see what you can work out...
Lookinatchya, post: 455485, member: 7988 wrote: I have been running a small 3-4 man shop for the last 21 years. No vacations to speak of.
I'll be 65 in the spring, and in the 24 years I've been self-employed I've made sure to carve out time for vacations with my family. At least a week every year plus a few 3- and 4-day trips, and a major trip (10 days to 3 weeks abroad) every 4 years or so. Setting up my work schedule so it can accommodate those vacations is always stressful, but at the same time it has always worked out. Those experiences with my wife and son (and occasionally friends or other family) have been invaluable.
I have no plans to retire; I figure that something will happen eventually that will impose it on me. One really good health issue -- an injury, a major illness, a hip or knee replacement, something like that -- might be enough to sideline me long enough to force my clients to find other consultants and make restarting the business unworkable. But until that happens, I'm pretty happy doing what I'm doing.
ACD Surveyor, post: 455494, member: 494 wrote: I'm also 67 and have been working for local governments for over 40 years. I've been thinking of retiring and doing a little part time private surveying. A lot of the local surveyors have passed so there is a shortage of local surveyors. I'll interested in anyone else that has done part time surveying and how it has worked out for you. How does maintaining liability insurance work for a part time surveyor with no previous liability insurance?:worried:
You have got to be someone I know, but I'm not going to throw out any names.
One question, though: did you ever work with Bob Hamm; God rest his small (but not anti) government soul. He once told me that if he needed the fire department, he??d let them know and then pay them for their time, but he didn??t want to pay them when they weren??t working for him.
He was a good man despite such silly attitudes.
If you are who I think you are, I can tell you from experience that, as you know, you've got unlicensed people plowing your fields with remote supervision. You probably need to resolve that before you retire.
Or not. I'm retired now myself so I don't really care.
Why do you want to work after you retire, anyway?
Don
A Harris, post: 455527, member: 81 wrote: It has been hard to find dependable help for most of my career and it has become worse at time goes by.
That is the part that I will never miss, helpers that do what they want instead of what their job is and the ones that keep talking to a cellphone all day long don't get an opportunity to come back tomorrow.
Also, the only deadline is my deadline and most callers want it yesterday for next to nothing.
The only thing that is getting better is that according to local gossip, County Clerk records are supposed to become available online next year back to Volume A, Page 1 (yeah, our county exhausted many alphabet volumes and the next volume after Z-8 was Volume 234?ñ - that too is a mystery).
Still, I always have something to do and the calls keep coming in.
I do not see retirement as a choice, one unforeseeable day it will just end.
The software will be so hard to use you'll have to go down to their office and have them help you find what you're looking for. I can't get past the sign-in B's.
[USER=9224]@Skeeter1996[/USER]
Opening pubic data files are no problem.
Knowing how to obtain the data files is the trade secret.
Uh, Mr. Harris..........................................are you certain that is what you meant?:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
OMG, where did my "l" go.
paden cash, post: 455490, member: 20 wrote: Choosing and picking what you do and when you do it is a great personal freedom.
Then things can revolve around your schedule. Not vice-versa. 😎
Can't retire me and SWMBO would probably kill each other. :p
I can't wait to at least semi-retire. Me and the wife want to do more volunteer work, travel, and move on with th next chapter of life.
Some say that they will work hard now and take vacations later. While I try and be frugal with my money, I still take trips now and try to enjoy it now while I am in my 40's., I'm not waiting till my "golden years", if they come. I lost my mom when she was 48. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us.
Lookinatchya, post: 455485, member: 7988 wrote:
I still enjoy surveying but I thing I am starting to get grumpy old man syndrome. Don't handle all the remarks from planners, nosy neighbors, clients questioning my work etc., to well any more.
Here that is called OCD (Old Cranky Dude)
I have had several bouts of OCD lately
James
Jim Frame, post: 455586, member: 10 wrote: I'll be 65 in the spring, and in the 24 years I've been self-employed I've made sure to carve out time for vacations with my family. At least a week every year plus a few 3- and 4-day trips, and a major trip (10 days to 3 weeks abroad) every 4 years or so. Setting up my work schedule so it can accommodate those vacations is always stressful, but at the same time it has always worked out. Those experiences with my wife and son (and occasionally friends or other family) have been invaluable.
I have no plans to retire; I figure that something will happen eventually that will impose it on me. One really good health issue -- an injury, a major illness, a hip or knee replacement, something like that -- might be enough to sideline me long enough to force my clients to find other consultants and make restarting the business unworkable. But until that happens, I'm pretty happy doing what I'm doing.
Preach brother!
Very well said.
Don Blameuser, post: 455593, member: 30 wrote: You have got to be someone I know, but I'm not going to throw out any names.
One question, though: did you ever work with Bob Hamm; God rest his small (but not anti) government soul. He once told me that if he needed the fire department, he??d let them know and then pay them for their time, but he didn??t want to pay them when they weren??t working for him.He was a good man despite such silly attitudes.
If you are who I think you are, I can tell you from experience that, as you know, you've got unlicensed people plowing your fields with remote supervision. You probably need to resolve that before you retire.
Or not. I'm retired now myself so I don't really care.
Why do you want to work after you retire, anyway?
Don
"Why do you want to work after you retire, anyway?"
That strikes me as an oxymoron too...
imaudigger, post: 455510, member: 7286 wrote: Yup that's him. Lloyd Baker. I would love to sit down and have a couple cups of coffee with that man.
Hopefully someone has enough insight to do some video documentary of his stories.
106 and just retired last year.http://kingfm.com/wyomings-oldest-man-is-still-singing-and-dancing-at-106-video/
Loyd was at the fall technical session, as usual he livened it up by telling a story. Since the session was about water rights (hum-dinger that was) his story about his grandpa building a canal was a welcome break. It's way better when he grabs the mic from the presenter and sings, he has a pretty good voice.:)
I hear he is done working.
A Harris, post: 455628, member: 81 wrote: OMG, where did my "l" go.
Down the toilet.
Once upon a time in a high school chemistry class I honestly was attempting to talk about something in front of the whole class that required me to say the word, "function". What I said, several times, as I attempted to correct myself was much nastier. I had to give up. Everyone was rolling with laughter as I turned beet red and the teacher took pity on me only because he could tell it was accidental.
After my folks retired, they made very good use of their time. Kept very busy. Volunteering, traveling, social engagements, etc, etc. So much so, they "joked" they might have to go back to work in order to find time to relax. Now in their early 90's, they are Finally slowing down a bit. But still active enough to make many look like sloths.
Of course, a good part of the equation is having enough money to do all those things you want to do. Otherwise, life can become one of sitting in front of the TV all day. Suffice to say, even though I do watch way too much TV, that is not the life I would want in retirement (should I get the chance to have one.
Speaking of retiring, anyone want to buy a small but well established NW Oregon surveying business - 1 crew for about 18 years, the last couple of years mostly solo in semi-retirement. I'm semi-serious...
Holy Cow, post: 455720, member: 50 wrote: Once upon a time in a high school chemistry class I honestly was attempting to talk about something in front of the whole class that required me to say the word, "function". What I said, several times, as I attempted to correct myself was much nastier. I had to give up. Everyone was rolling with laughter as I turned beet red and the teacher took pity on me only because he could tell it was accidental.
Karl Shapiro once penned a poem titled "Auto Wreck". For an assignment I was asked to read the poem in front of my American Literature class in HS. The day before I did a quick scan of the poem and it looked like a slam dunk.
I remember thinking I might even pull a "Paden" and head up to the front of the class with the fly on my britches open...by high school I had a persona that needed defending..my fellow students expected me to cut up in some sort of fashion. I didn't let them down, but it was very unintentional.
At the appropriate time the next day I took my book to the flimsy podium at the front of the class and cleared my throat. Ms. Thatcher had already cautioned me against any "horseplay". I began to read the poem out loud in my best "poem reading" voice.
Now for me to vocally inflect the proper iambic pentameter of a poem I have to read about a line ahead of my mouth. In this process I mentally read the line :
"One (cop) with a bucket douches ponds of blood Into the street and gutter"
...and I froze with the thought of having to say "douches" in front of the fairer co-eds in class. I realized my mouth had stopped working...and my heart was pounding in my throat.
Ms. Thatcher told me to "go on.." I turned redder yet and told her "I can't..."
I think by now she had caught on and asked me why I couldn't say the word "douche". The class erupted in laughter and I got several shades of a deeper red. I took my seat and she finished reading the poem to the class.
It was demoralizing. I still cringe when I think about that day