Calling It Quits

[Richard Wolf]

After 25 years of building stairs and railings in the Long Island, NY market, I'm closing up shop. This Friday I will be moving to Charlotte, NC to start a semi retirement life. I will still need to work, but at a much more relaxed pace. Hopefully, only two or three days a week. Maybe railings, maybe something else, we will see how it works out.
The cost of living and running a business in NY has gotten out of control, and I'm tired of the grind. Next time I talk to you, I may have a southern accent. LOL

[Frederick Skelly]

Best of luck Richard. There's a lot to like about Charlotte. Let us know how you are doing after you get settled.
Fred

[Bruce Page]

Richard, enjoy the next (best) phase of your life!

[Von Bickley]

Richard,
Welcome to the "Wonderful South". Ya'll come on down and we'll have some grits.

[Jim Matthews]

Great town, nice weather, pleasant neighbors - may your move be uneventful.

http://charlotte.about.com/od/2013-Readers-Choice-Awards/ss/Best-Hot-Dog-in-Charlotte.htm
PS - Appalachian Oysters are an acquired taste, and not from the sea...

[Paul Wunder]

Good luck to you. May you always be able make choices. Don't retire from the creek!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Richard,

Here's wishing for you the best of everything as you go in to semi-retirement.

I will miss the photos of your most current projects. Your skills have been and always will be an inspiration to a hack like myself.

[Shawn Pixley]

Richard,

Congratulations! I wish you well in your next endeavor. I hope that you will stay a member of the creek. Your work and commentary has helped to make the community the wonderful place it is. I have appreciated your contributions and admire your work. Best wishes.

[Gary Herrmann]

Good for you, brother. Enjoy the warm weather.

[jerry cousins]

best of luck in your new adventure and thanks for sharing your work all these years
jerry

[Bob Altig]

Congratulations. I decided to retire three years ago and it was the best decision I ever made. I'm loving it. Just remember not to retire from something, but to retire TO something and you'll have a ball.

[Leo Graywacz]

Quitter :D

Enjoy. Might be tough to slow down so suddenly. Work your way down slowly.

[Jim Tobias]

Richard,
Congratulations on your semi-retirement and also on your move to Charlotte! You will love Charlotte! My 3 grown kids(spouses) and 10 grandkids all live in Charlotte. My son in law is from NYC(my daughter/his wife) went to school in NYC. They moved back about 3 years ago and love it. They loved NY also but after having kids, they were looking for a more relaxed lifestyle.
My wife and I live in Winston-Salem , NC (about 70 miles north of Charlotte) and head to Charlotte about 3-4 times a month to visit. I think you will enjoy your move.
If you ever head to upstate NC(Winston-Salem), look me up. And keep posting, your staircase work is nothing short of phenomenal!

Jim

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hopefully, only two or three days a week.

Just remember - you're retired (or semi retired)....

Those plans to only work three days a week sort of go the way of the wind in a hurry.

I retired over two years ago and earlier this year found myself working nearly 80 hours a week.

Bookmark this thread and come back to it in a couple of years & see how that two/three days a week thing is panning out. ;)

[Jason Roehl]

Best wishes on your move, settling down and future endeavors, Richard! Check in here to let us know how you're faring.

[Will Boulware]

Congrats, and enjoy! Let us know how it's going! Also, you'll learn to enjoy that southern accent and all that goes with it. We're pretty good people, and the food's hard to beat! :D

[Peter Quinn]

Best wishes and best of luck on your new direction. I'm familiar with the NYC grind, gave that up 10 years ago, though not for retirement. Turns out, contrary to what the people there seem to think, the sun doesn't revolve around the earth, and the earth doesn't revolve around NYC! I'm sure the new market will be happy to receive your excellent craftsmanship.

[Pat Barry]

Good luck to you, and please send us a postcard from Mayberry.

[Perry Holbrook]

Good luck to you, and please send us a postcard from Mayberry.

Actually Mayberry is about 1 1/2 hour north of Charlotte.:)

[Pat Barry]

Great, he'll probably drive right thru it on the way to Charlotte.

[Gordon Eyre]

Richard, I hope your move goes well and you enjoy the south. Best of luck on your semi-retirement.

[John TenEyck]

All the best Richard. I've appreciated your help from time to time and hope you stay a member here because I learn something nearly every time you post your work. Like others, I'll be interested to hear how your reduced work load works out. One thing I am pretty sure you'll soon find out though - retirement is great !

John

[Val Kosmider]

I made the move to the sunny south --Tennessee--a year ago, and could not be more pleased with my decision. After 25 years of Manhattan, you have to get accustomed to a whole new way of life. Charlotte is very much that way, as well.

A local friend of mine here in North East TN is a stone mason, originally from Philadelphia. He brought his business with him, so to speak, and he just thinks it is the greatest thing in the world. Whereas in the Metropolitan area everyone had their hand out, things bustled with a frenzied pace, but very little actually got done, pit falls, land mines and law suits were everywhere, and customers were way up there on the PIA meter; here in TN people's word is good, suppliers WANT to be helpful, he doesn't have to grease very palm in order to get materials delivered when and where he wants them, and folks just behave more like understanding human beings than a bunch of over-wired psychopaths.

You should be very happen on both the personal and professional fronts. Best of wishes.

[Dave Ray]

Good luck Richard, please keep us informed as to what you are doing. Your work has inspired a lot of people thru your emails

[Ralph Okonieski]

Best wishes for your retirement. May your plan go exactly as you wish !

[Richard Wolf]

Thanks for all the kind words. I plan on staying at the Creek, for sure. I hope to put some of the fun back in woodworking. I always felt lucky to be able to make a very comfortable living working with wood, but the dealing with people got to be to much work. I already feel like a lot of pressure has been removed. One of our daughters lives in Charlotte and my wife's brother is close by, so we will have family there and are both very excited for this chapter in our live.

[Charles Lent]

Richard,

I made the same trip from NY to Charlotte for the same reason, but I also wanted to get away from the brutal cold weather. Winter here is just a few days of bad weather, by comparison. I moved to the North side of Charlotte 30 years ago and now I only go back North in the warmer months every few years, when I want to visit the few relatives and friends who still live in NY and CT. It takes some adjusting, but you will be very happy here and you will quickly discover how many others have already done the same

Send a PM when you get here and we'll do lunch or something.

Charley

[Larry Edgerton]

I am happy that you are getting out of that rathole. No one gets rich in this business, so you may as well be happy. Now that you are living someplace civilized I may have to bump into you.

Later Buddy, Larry

[Pat Meeuwissen]

Rich, for those of us left behind in the rat race I'm green with envy. I hope when I get ready to "retire" that I can find a place that has alot more calm environment. Good luck!!

[Mike Cutler]

Congrat's Richard

I always liked your posts, and the work you displayed was fabulous. That "climbing router" you had to do hand rails was one of the coolest tools I ever saw.
My first job out of the Navy was construction and start up of the Catawba Nuclear Power Plant, 25 miles south of Charlotte. I loved the area. It's changed a lot since then, but I'm sure it still doesn't take long to get to a place where the pace is slower.
Good luck my friend.

[Keith Outten]

Richard,

Welcome to Dixieland.

[Julie Moriarty]

After 25 years of building stairs and railings in the Long Island, NY market, I'm closing up shop. This Friday I will be moving to Charlotte, NC to start a semi retirement life. I will still need to work, but at a much more relaxed pace. Hopefully, only two or three days a week. Maybe railings, maybe something else, we will see how it works out.
The cost of living and running a business in NY has gotten out of control, and I'm tired of the grind. Next time I talk to you, I may have a southern accent. LOL

Y'all enjoy yaself down in Charlotte, Richard! Jus be cahful not to break yo neck cranin' at them Suthen belles!
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OuKIMUeA20M/TMEJZ1asY-I/AAAAAAAAELA/AM03g_jeGgk/s1600/katherine-pierce-southern-belle-dress-hat.jpg

[Cody Colston]

Congratulations on your life change, Richard. Just learn to say "y'all and "fixin' to", develop a taste for fried foods and sweet tea and don't miss the snow. I think you will love the South.

[Dave Kirby]

Best of luck Richard! NC is a beautiful state! Enjoy!

[Alan Sweet]

Well Richard, welcome to Dixie. Come on in. Y'all stop bye if you are in the neighborhood. No need to call.

[Richard Wolf]

Thanks again everyone for the kind comments. I am now down here in Charlotte and will be taking my time to adjust. My two golden retrievers seem to love it already.

Thanks y'all

[George Werner]

Welcome to Charlotte from this guy in Concord. I was born and raised in NY and moved here 3 years ago (after 16 years in VA). Absolutely love it here.

[Jim Matthews]

Remember that you're in Nascar country.

No need to signal left turns.
It's expected.

[Rod Sheridan]

Richard best wishes on your partial retirement.

Thanks for sharing your expertise all these years on the forum, I've never done any stair work however I always admired your skills and willingness to share.

regards, Rod.

[Gary Muto]

Richard,
Congratulations and Best of Luck. I lived in Raleigh for 2 years and have very fond memories of "The Old North State".

[Doug Mason]

I've enjoyed your posts over the years! Very informative.

[Keith Hankins]

Everything is better in the south! You will love the area!

[Jim Becker]

Richard, I'm very happy for you to be able to step into the next part of your life! Best wishes on the move and all that comes afterward!

[Don Morris]

Richard,

I always loved to see your beautiful work and respected your comments. I understand about living in a high cost area. DC is about the same as NYC. I spent most of my career down in the area you're now in and agree, you'll enjoy the more relaxed conditions. Work at whatever pace you like, when you like or not if you like. That's about what I do and it's great. Enjoy.

[Floyd Cox]

Richard, Congratulations and Best of wishes.... Hope you don't put on too much weight with all the south's good food.