Work/ Retirement/ Life Balance ..

[Elina]

I'm sure there's quite some variation on here. Do you work, are you retired, have you got your life in balance. I'm interested, people log on at different times of the day/ night. How do your days pan out?

[fiction-factory]

I just work when i want to or when work arises. I used to love work but now just see it as one of many ways to spend my time. Sometimes I work all day every day for a few weeks, sometimes I just do a half a day here and there

[Elina]

I do part time work, I'm up just before 4.am ... out before 5.00am.

[Elina]

What a fortunate position to be in fiction. Are you happy with your lifestyle?

[dannyk13]

Retired log on to AB at 6am until 4pm

[Elina]

How do you find retirement Danny? What do you like to do away from here? What's makes you tick?

[fiction-factory]

Yes thanks Elina. I'll carry on this way for the next 5-years or so before I retire fully.

[Elina]

That's great. What brings you personal happiness fiction?

[dannyk13]

Elina, unfortunately I am housebound (COPD) so really my day is divided between the laptop & the Telly interspersed with cooking and chores.Not very interesting but I am quite satisfied with life.

[andy-hughes]

I work full time in an office job, and I write for music magazines in my spare time.

I do enjoy my job, but I am happy to say that, as retirement approaches, I am ever busier with writing, so at the moment it is a struggle to find time to fit it in, but I can look forward to filling days when I no longer come to work.

With elderly in-laws and five (soon to be six!) grandchildren, I will have plenty to do, and I am really looking forward to it.

A musician said to me over the weekend, 'You don't actually retire, you stop doing that and start doing this ...' and that is a great way to look at it.

[Elina]

I personally don't have lots of free time at the moment. I come on here when I have time to spare, might have a short nap after work. Weekends generally work out one day minding grandaughter, the other is free, but generally I go and see mum/ brother, shopping ect.. I will be seeing more of my grandaughter mid week for the foreseeable future to help them out. I can claw back personal time with holiday allocation, it's all doable.

[Elina]

Danny, my brother has copd & other stuff to deal with. I know where you're coming from there. Sometimes it's accepting limitations & being happy with the simplest things. I think some strive for the impossible which doesn't necessarily bring true happiness.

[dannyk13]

Totally agree with you Elina.

[Elina]

Hi Andy, you sound like you have things sorted, or at least know how you want things to go. Great to have a passion for something. Yes, ageing parents/ in-laws & grandchildren, you will have plenty to do Andy, your friend is correct!

[Elina]

My brother has acquired two cats Danny, he totally loves them and they have benefited him psychologically, he's very chilled out. I'm not sure it's such a great idea with his copd, but may be the other benefits cancel that out.

[Kathyan]

I'm retired and also disabled with arthritis and other health issues. I spend a lot of time on the laptop with ebay taking up quite a bit of my time. TV also features but not as much as it used to, I would rather listen to radio these days. My husband still works so I spend a lot of time on my own, but I do enjoy my own company which is probably a good thing! Then it's nice to catch up in the evening with OH over tea.

[Elina]

What did you used to do Kathyan? How addictive is ebay! Love browsing, I've just ordered a mini gazebo for my grandaughter ;0)

[Elina]

I love my own company too Kathyan, when I get it.

[Elina]

Back later ..

[Kathyan]

I've done many things Elina but my last job was a tailoress for the Army. I love selling on ebay. I'm a bit of a shopaholic and do tend to buy a lot of stuff which I never wear then sell it on ebay. Most of the time I make a profit so it's not too bad!

[shaneystar2]

I'm retired and so is Mr S .We often wonder how we found the time to go to work.
It's nice not to be ruled over by an alarm clock anymore.We find plenty to do and although I have mobility problems I can still manage to get from A to B although not as quickly as I used to .We live on the coast so it's lovely in the summer,weather permitting and I've got plenty of hobbies to keep me occupied plus the house and garden to look after.
I've become adept at turning a blind eye to things that I think I ought to be doing but which are not as important as I once thought they were.
Who cares if the cushions aren't straight:) We're perfectly happy with our life.