Today is my last day at work................

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have been supporting myself since age 15 when I began roughnecking for my Dad on oil rigs. Since then I have had full time employment or was agressively looking for a job .

Over 34 years ago I got out of the U.S. Navy having taken a job with a company 3 months before my enlistment expired. That company was bought by Johnson and Johnson. Some years later they sold us to a much bigger corporation. Due to the sudden death of my left ear last July and the profound loss of hearing in my right ear, I haven't been able work for safety reasons. Thus after 24 years, today is my last "working" day for this large corporation . I haven't had to look for a job in 34 years.

My wife has decided to retire too and since yesterday was the last day of the semester, she retired yesterday. I spent most of the day attending the celebrations for her at the elementary school where she has worked with special education children for 25 years. She became a CNA because some of her students had to be fed by a stomach tube or had other medical needs. In her years there she had to attend funerals for some of her students as they can often not live to be adults. They held a surprise luncheon for Sharon and 30 or so teachers and aids attended up including many who were retired before her.

The last 2 weeks I have spent cleaning out my office of used parts, and shipping them to recycle. My test equipment and special tools were either reassigned to my local coworker or returned to the test equipment pool.

Later this year I hope to have a cochlear implant implanted into my left inner ear.

It's gonna seem strange........

More shop time! Woohoo!

[Charlie Reals]

Congrats Ken enjoy it.

[Matt Winterowd]

Ken, congratulations on your retirement and your long career. Both you and your wife have definitely earned some "me time". Good luck on the adjustment. Here's to more shop time!

[Dave Lehnert]

Enjoy the time off

[Brian Kent]

Ken, congratulations on a lifetime of good work. I hope you can enjoy 40 years or so of healthy (and at least adequately wealthy) retirement. There's a great little book called "Half-time: moving from success to significance" by Bob Buford that I might recommend for some fun inspiration if you get in a reading mood when the glue is drying in the shop.

You have a wonderful family. Enjoy them. Enjoy your wood shop. Enjoy whatever happens next!

Brian

[ray hampton]

enjoy your retirement

[Chris Padilla]

Well-earned, I'm sure! Now don't go all cuckoo on us with the sudden spare time on your hands! ;)

[Mike Blessing]

Congrats and good luck with the hearing!

[David G Baker]

Ken,
Congratulations. You may find that you will work harder after you retire than you ever did on the job. Now that you are your own boss try to take it a little easy on yourself. I found out that I am a terrible boss, I make myself work long and hard hours, sometimes seven days a week. On occasion long into the night.
Enjoy your retirement and I wish you the best of luck with your cochlear implant.

[Glenn Clabo]

Why would anyone want to retire so young? I just don't understand it.
Oh wait...yes I do...it's the best thing that has happened to me...AND I'm sure you will feel the same way Ken. CONGRATS!

[Lee Schierer]

Congratulations Ken, I hope your retirement goes well. Mine isn't too far off.

[Steven DeMars]

BIG BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ! ! !

Enjoy your retirement . . . .

Steve

[Steve Schlumpf]

Ken - I hope you enjoy your last day at work! Here's wishing you and Sharon only the very best of what life has to offer! Take a deep breath - enjoy the freedom!

[Bruce Page]

Congratulations Ken, it only gets better from now on!

[Joyce Baldauf]

Congratulations, Ken. Don't be too surprised to find out that you still run out of time to do the things you want to do. I call it the retirement time black hole. Good luck with the implant.

[Charlie Jones]

Congrats Ken. Now you can start that new career !

[Bryan Morgan]

Hope it works out for you! My uncle has "retired" 4 or 5 times now and always gets bored and goes back to work. :)

[Warren Johnson]

Congratulations. Now you have some more time to spend with those "little" people you fondly post about.

[Brent Ring]

Good luck Ken!

[Brian Brown]

Congratulations Ken, and Good luck. Tamara and I look forward to hearing and seeing what you get done in the shop. Our thoughts are with you on your implant, and we wish you the best.

[Brian Effinger]

Congratulations Ken!!! :D Enjoy retirement, and I'm looking forward to more turnings from you. ;)

[Paul McGaha]

Congratulations Ken, I think you're going to love being retired and I'm sure you've earned it.

[Rod Sheridan]

Ken best wishes to you and Sharon, have fun together, you've finally made it to the fun part.

Regards, Rod.

[glenn bradley]

Congratulations. Enjoy it, you both deserve it.

[David Weaver]

Best of luck, Ken!

Smart move by your wife retiring at the same time (i think!).

[Gene Waara]

I think I'm +27 on the congrats. I'm jealous. I've put in 32 years at the same company and my wife and I are both targeting December 31, 2013 as our final work days so we have a couple of years to go. I can't wait to see all the pictures of shop output.

[Rich Aldrich]

Congratulations on your retirement. I hope things go well and your hearing improves with the implant. Enjoy your free time.

[Jim O'Dell]

Ken, still sorry that this came up for medical reasons, but my wish is that you will put the extra time to good use. Now do like Tyler did, take a 2 week vacation...I have the feeling you'll need to rest up some before you get totally into this retirement thing! Jim.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks everybody for the well wishes!

Jim......don't tell Clabo...they have a "free" medical clinic in town and I am going to volunteer there. While they don't have any x-ray equipments, CT or MR scanners install or maintain, I can empty trash cans, set up chairs, help direct people etc.....

But first.....we are headed to Yellowstone Park......I bought 2 sets of chains, a tow rope and jumper cables for the Honda Pilot. We have reservations at a nice hotel and 2 different day long snow coach tours scheduled. Mosey over and back. Couple mountain passes between here and there and they can be a little exciting this time of year.

[mickey cassiba]

Congratulations Mr Fitgerald! Yellowstone is awesome this time of year. Don't forget to bring us back some pictures!

[Dave MacArthur]

Congratulations Ken! Long career for both you and your wife, some time for yourselves well-merited I'm sure! Good luck on the hearing surgery.

[Brian Effinger]

Thanks everybody for the well wishes!

Jim......don't tell Clabo...they have a "free" medical clinic in town and I am going to volunteer there. While they don't have any x-ray equipments, CT or MR scanners install or maintain, I can empty trash cans, set up chairs, help direct people etc......
If that doesn't work out, just practice these three words: "Welcome to Wal-Mart" :D :p :p :p :D

Sorry, I couldn't resist! :p

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Brian,

I don't think I'll have to apply for that job this month. Next month however, reality may set in and I may be there placing an application.:D

[Jerry Olexa]

Ken, Congrats and best wishes!!! Now you have time to pursue what you would like...Enjoy it!!!

[Brian Effinger]

Brian,

I don't think I'll have to apply for that job this month. Next month however, reality may set in and I may be there placing an application.:D
I can see you now, standing out there with the other old folks..... :D :p Hehehehehehe

[Phil Thien]

Enjoy your retirement, Ken, it is well deserved!

[Bill Huber]

Well that is great, I am sure you will have a lot of fun and now you will have the time to come back to Dallas.

I am thinking maybe this fall, it could be sooner, I got a letter from the Scooter Store today so that means I must be getting old.

[Ted Calver]

Congratulations to you and your wife. Now you have lots of time to enjoy each others company. Get plenty of exercise, eat healthy, take care of yourselves....now there is no competition from jobs for your time, so enjoy it!!!

[Jim Koepke]

Hope you do well. Maybe like me you will get so busy in the shop and around the house you will wonder how you ever found time to go to work.

Good luck on the ear. One of my wife's children by her first marriage had ear problems that required surgery. Two of our grandchildren have had to have tubes put in their ears. Jacob is about five and it was just recently that it was discovered that he had a hearing problem in kindergarten. He had surgery yesterday.

jtk

[Keith Outten]

Congratulations Ken,

Good luck with your honeydo list, you know that the list never retires :)
Try to find the time to enjoy your retirement whenever you can.
.

[Chris Damm]

Enjoy your retirement! You will soon wonder when you ever had time for work.

[Belinda Barfield]

I'm excited for you on both the retirement and the coclear implant! I hope you and Sharon don't have to go through an adjustment period like my parents. Both always worked and when they retired they discovered it was a little rough being in the same house all the time.:D Dad didn't have a hobby and a workshop like you though! Can't want to see more pictures of Thing 1 and Thing 2 with the grandparents! Enjoy!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Belinda....very perceptive of you. We are going to be there for their 1st birthday party!

Sharon has a love of palm trees. At her surprise luncheon at school, they had a beachwear theme and the entire staff wore very conservative beachwear...beach bum..type clothing that day. It slid right over her head and she didn't have a clue. I was asked to speak at the luncheon and you should have heard the gasps in the room when I repeated that often told story of our meeting and short engagement. Then I proceeded to relay the fact that she was shy, timid and quiet when she went to work there 25 years ago and that she had none of those problems today thanks to the self confidence instilled in her by the staff. I thanked them for enriching our lives as a result of their relationship with Sharon.

In closing, I offered to add to the "beach" theme of the dinner and take her to Fiji, Tahiti, the Cook Islands.....

She turned me down.:confused:


After further discussion this morning.....1/30/2011 I was told to correct my own post. She said the reason she turned me down was she wanted me to have improved my hearing first so that I could enjoy the trip more.....

[Charles McKinley]

Enjoy you time with your lovely wife Ken. Thoughts and prayers for a great result from the implant.

[Gene Howe]

Ken,
Congratulations to you and your wife. The LOML also spent many, many years as a Special Ed. teacher. Those who dedicate their careers to that field are very special people!
I always enjoy anything you post, and will generally open any post of yours immediately. Consequently, I sorta think I know you, and I will eagerly look forward to lots more of your reasoned and knowledgeably articulated contributions.
Enjoy, my friend. You deserve it!
Gene

[Rich Engelhardt]

Come Aug. I'll be joining in the fun myself.
Congrats!!

[John Shuk]

Good job Ken. Enjoy life to it's fullest.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks everybody for the well wishes.

Gene,

I couldn't be a special education teacher or aid. I don't have that kind of emotional strength. People who can do that for long periods of time have my complete respect.

[Jim Becker]

A hearty congratulations to both you and She Who Must Be Obeyed!

[Michael MacDonald]

congrats. big change. since you already have activity outside of work, I know you won't have to work too hard to enjoy retirement. (for some folks it might be a tough transition, but I expect not for woodworkers.) I look forward to the day myself.

[Ron Jones near Indy]

My most sincere congratulations to you Ken and your bride Sharon. I know the conditions aren't as you would have liked, but I believe you will enjoy your new life. As you may remember, I retired last May after 42 years of teaching. I have the utmost respect for special ed teachers, especially those in LOYL's areas--I couldn't have done it.

Boredom has not been a problem for me, as I'm sure it won't be for you. I don't understand how I ever found time to go to work. Each day needs to consist of at least 36 hours. Shop time is WONDERFUL!

If you get back to your Hoosier home, be sure to let me know. We need to get together if possible.

[Dave Ray]

Congrats Ken, and best of luck with that ear thing.

[Marc Himes]

Congratulations on your retirement Ken. Congratulations to Sharon too. She sounds like a very special person. Good luck with the cochlear implant. Enjoy every day.

Marc Himes

[David Freed]

I hope everything you have planned goes well.

[Richard Wolf]

Ken, I just noticed this as I don't always come to off topics. I did notice your retirement in another thread. Congratulations and have fun.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks Richard....and everybody for the well wishes.

I'm still cleaning up the little things from 34 years of operating out of a home office. Another hour and I should have it reclaimed.

The wife and I are just getting things done that we need so we can progress into this retirement thing.

We discussed getting a laptop. Our daughter works for US Airways and we can travel cheaply. We need a laptop so we can make our own reservations when away from home.

Even though currently I can't hear or understand anyone on the phone, we discussed getting cell phones. There is a service for fee available, where someone can call your cell phone and leave a voice mail. This in turn is sent to you as a text message. Sharon and I are pretty independent and she will be traveling more than I. We have decided we'll research cell phones so we can communicate when away from each other or away from home. After I get my cochlear implant, using telephones, hopefully, will no longer be a problem.

[BOB OLINGER]

Hi Ken,

This is the first time I've wandered away from the basic woodworking forum - and I see this business on retiring. Congratulations!!!!! Our best wishes for you in the coming years.

[Steve Mawson]

Congrats on the retirement thing. Best of luck with the implant, have a friend or two that have had very good success with that. Also getting close to hanging it up myself. Just needing the stock market to get back where it was a couple years ago. Look forward to more "turning posts". All the best.

[Bill Satko]

Congratulations Ken! I think I can speak for Larry, Tom & Toni by saying that we really enjoyed our visit with you last year.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks Bill!

I enjoyed the visit! You wouldn't recognize my shop. I was so embarrassed by it's condition when you were here that I built several cabinets and rolling carts. Things have been put away, cleaned up. I built an assembly table. I finally finished that cherry table and it's in the livingroom. I'm in the design stage of an entertainment center now. Hopefully get it finished this spring.

Thanks again! Drop by again if you are ever in the area.

[Mike Henderson]

Congratulations on your retirement, Ken, and good luck with the implant.

Mike

[Rick Huelsbeck]

Congratulations Ken

As someone who has some experience with a Cochlear implant (My dad has one after being 90% deaf his whole life) it has been a blessing. It's a wonderful thing to talk to my father and not have to yell (-: I really feel you will really benefit from the implant. Let us know how it goes. My understanding is that the closer you are to losing the hearing the faster you are to adapt and learn to use it.

[Michael James]

1 chapter closes and another opens. Sounds like you and your wife were both major contributors in community, so you have earned the right to do the next thing. We're about 4.5 yrs (but who's counting) behnd you and definitely looking for some retirement yrs. May you have many!

[Joe Mioux]

I just saw this thread for the first time today.

Ken, Congratulations on your retirement, have fun and I hope the hearing procedure goes smooth.

all the best
joe

[David Foshee]

congrats Ken

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks everyone for the well wishes! We are going to enjoy our retirement.

We have just been making airline reservations to visit some family members later this year. We hope to do some serious traveling. The wife will definitely travel a lot more than I as she enjoys it more. About 3 days anywhere, visiting anyone and I become uncomfortable and am ready to come home or move on.

I plan on doing a lot more woodworking. I have several projects already lined up for me by SWMBO. They are all woodworking related so I won't argue.

[Walter Hickman]

Ken - the best of good luck and a long healthy retirement.

I am at decision making time for retirement also - and my hearing is part of the consideration.

Walt

[Rob Lindquist]

Ken congats!

I didn't read all the posts here, so it may be in there, but I wanted to mention to make sure to see your service advisor at the VA hospital nearest to you. There may be benefits available for your hearing loss, I know someone getting $400 a month due to hearing loss. He served in the Viet Nam era and recently lost his hearing. I guess it depends where you served and what you did, but its worth a call. That could buy some wood!

[mreza Salav]

Congratulations to both of you Ken. I wish you a happy and enjoyable retirement.
All the best

[Tom Hamilton]

Ken, welcome to the wonderful world of "redirected." We don't "retire" these days, just redirect to other activities. You and Sharon have many wonderful experiences ahead of you.

As a 20+ year "redirected person" I feel authorized to offer a couple of tips: first, separate personal time from couple/honey-do time. If you don't your personal time (read shop time) can quickly evaporate. Second, you are responsible for making your own lunch. Sorry, not Sharon's job. Third, get your own phone, but that sounds like it is under control.

I'm so pleased to learn you are in line for a Cochlear implant. Obviously that will make a huge difference in your life.

Finally, when you buy the monster RV and start filling in the states visited map on the rear panel, know that you've got a meal, beverages, and bed in Douglasville, GA.

Looking forward to seeing you and meeting Sharon,

Blessings, Tom

[Mike Cruz]

Ken, I'm a bit late to the party here. But congrats on a lifetime of hard work that seems to have paid off for you. Good luck in your next life...one of fulfillment, quality time, selfishness, and shop time.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Wow. That is awesome Ken. You have sure earned it! Enjoy the shop time.

Joshua

[Randy Dutkiewicz]

Ken,

Congratulations to you and your family! You both have definitely earned a time of "me time" now. As for myself, I work for the Federal Government (GS employee) and I am jealous! I don't think they've even identified a year in the Almanac for when I can retire:/ At least it seems that way. I wish you all the best of luck with you future endeavors and especially with the ear procedure - I'm sure it will pay off big dividends. Now, get out into that workshop and make yourself your first "retirement" project!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Once again.....Thanks everybody for the well wishes!

This first week has been busy getting details straightened out for retirement and making a few other decisions.

Filing our income taxes.

I met the best salesman in the world yesterday. He sold cell phones to a deaf man. Since the wife and I will be traveling separately a lot, it only made sense to get a Smart phone so we could talk, text message and acess the Internet to change our reservations if necessary when away from home. The good news was that they give a tremendous discount to employees and retirees from the large corporation from which I retired . I didn't know that until I went to pay for the phones.

[dan carter]

May your troubles be less, your blessings more, and may nothing but happiness, come through your door. Wishing you well on your retirement. Hope all goes well with your implant.

[Don Bullock]

Ken and Sharon, congratulations on your recent retirement. My wife and I retired two years ago after both of us spent 37 & 38 years in the classroom. We wish you the best as you discover the joys and tribulations of your new freedom and a limited income. We have a friend who had a cochlear implant and hope that yours goes as well as hers did.

[Pete Janke]

[QUOTE=Ken Fitzgerald;1621935] Later this year I hope to have a cochlear implant implanted into my left inner ear.QUOTE]

Hi Ken,
Sorry for the late congratulations on your retirement. A very active retired friend lost his hearing in a diving accident. He has had good luck with the cochlear implant. His experience was it took some time and tuning to get used to it.

[Jeff Nicol]

Ken, Congratulations to you and your bride, I hope you get all the time you can in the shop creating wonderful things! I am trying to re-retire as my body can't handle what I keep asking it to do. We got 14" of snow and it is still snowing here in WI and I have plowed twice and will have to do it one more time tomorrow when it quits blowing and drifting. Good luch the the implant for your ear, I am not sure if I could handle not hearing so I won't complain about all my ailments!

God Bless and have a great retirement,

Jeff

[Will Holt]

Congratulations Ken! Now you can focus on fun stuff in your shop.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Ken,

Congrats on your Retirement. I thought you were working on the plan way back when, when you visited my garage. Sorry I missed all this. I hope the hearing improvement plan is underway. I'm only 50 and I spend far too much time thinking about retirement. Work is a distraction from the things I am good at.

Frank

PS: you get to Illinios to see the in-laws we'll have to plan another visit.

[Don Orr]

Congratulations on your hard earned and well deserved retirment Ken. I hope you and the Mrs. enjoy every minute of it.

And good thing you aren't working around MRIs anymore-no cochlear implants allowed there (as I'm sure you already know). I sure hope it works well for you.

Take care,

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks Don....and the hearing aid I am currently wearing says it can't be worn around x-ray so that pretty well eliminated working on x-ray and CT.

[Jim O'Dell]

Ken, I missed that the implant was around the corner. Great news. Hoping and praying for a great outcome! Jim.

[Seth Poorman]

Hi Ken
Its been a while since Ive been on SMC ,I dont know if you remember me or not,as it has been a couple years since Ive been on.
Congrats to you on your retirment !!!!!!! And good luck w/ your implant. now you can just focus on being in the shop ..

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks Seth! I am enjoying it. For the first time in 46 years, with in reason, I can do what I want.