Sunday night chat

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

Tough work,but someone's got to do it eh IGI.

I dread to think what it's cost in travel fares.

[teamsaint]

You surely haven't tried hard enough Edgers. You attack those British music CDs with much greater gusto I suspect.

So pretty bad you are.

I agree. He needs to get his priorities straight.

[teamsaint]

I dread to think what it's cost in travel fares.

not really swung the sympathy vote yet,i'm afraid, Inqui.

[EdgeleyRob]

You surely haven't tried hard enough Edgers. You attack those British music CDs with much greater gusto I suspect.
So pretty bad you are.

I agree. He needs to get his priorities straight.

[Alison]

I agree. He needs to get his priorities straight.

Furthermore, having known Him now since July, it would seem that Robbo simply doesn't do Austria.

[teamsaint]

Anyway, enough ER bashing, can you lot get some smoothie recipes in before tomorrow morning please? I need a change of brekkie !!

[EdgeleyRob]

Furthermore, having known Him now since July, it would seem that Robbo simply doesn't do Austria.

Been there ,done that.

Been in a Beethovenhaus,Schubert Geburtshaus,Gesselschaft Der Musikfreunde,seen Beethoven's tomb,even seen the Johann Strauss monument.

So there! ner ner ne ner ner.

[Alison]

Been there ,done that.

Been in a Beethovenhaus,Schubert Geburtshaus,Gesselschaft Der Musikfreunde,seen Beethoven's tomb,even seen the Johann Strauss monument.

So there! ner ner ne ner ner.

Blimey, that's a lot more than this Essex girl then. Soz.

[EdgeleyRob]

Blimey, that's a lot more than this Essex girl then. Soz.

Seriously Alison,if you ever get the chance visit Vienna you must go,it's a fabulous city,especially for music lovers.

[Alain Maréchal]

As I'm now bordering on my 6th decade I've become a bit preoccupied with time - or to be more precise, the lack of it. All I seem to be doing is spending the day at work, a couple of hours of music and then bed. There are so many books to read, so much music to hear, so many places to see, friends to catch up with and barely time to do any of it. I begrudge the time I give to work (40 years is enough for anybody) but short of finding an alternative part-time job nearer home there's not a lot I can do about it. Usual Sunday night thoughts, these.

Petrushka, there is a lot you can do about it. You are in the same position as I was some time ago. Bear in mind the words of Philip Larkin ("Toads")

Lots of folk live up lanes
With fires in a bucket,
Eat windfalls and tinned sardines-
they seem to like it.
............
No one actually starves.

It took me a long time to steel myself, but I took early retirement, fully prepared to live up a lane, as an alternative to a stressful job. As it happens, although our lifestyle is simpler, we didn't have to move into a caravan, so I recommend getting out to anybody who wants to. As "The Joy of Not Working" points out, most people calculate how much they need to live on, whereas they might be happier if they worked out how much they had, and decided to live on it. Now I find that the weeks fly by, and concious of my age, I have such a lot to fit in while I still can. There are no longer sunday evening blues.

[Beef Oven]

As I'm now bordering on my 6th decade I've become a bit preoccupied with time - or to be more precise, the lack of it. All I seem to be doing is spending the day at work, a couple of hours of music and then bed. There are so many books to read, so much music to hear, so many places to see, friends to catch up with and barely time to do any of it. I begrudge the time I give to work (40 years is enough for anybody) but short of finding an alternative part-time job nearer home there's not a lot I can do about it. Usual Sunday night thoughts, these.

I quit at 50 for all the reasons you list. I have to take assignments twice or three times a year to buy Apple products and other things I don't need. And although my income has dropped drastically, I am so much happier. I read those books, I listen to that music and I catch up with my friends.

I say quit your job. You will not die because of it. You will survive and remember, you only live once, don't waste your little time on this planet on work!

UPDATE: I've just seen Alain's previous post (doh!). I bet he and I are chalk and cheese but we are saying the same thing (albeit he more erudite!).

[Alain Maréchal]

Beef Oven: kind of you but there's nothing erudite about my post - a linguistic identity crisis means I double-check my typing as much as possible.

You're braver than me - at 50 I was working long hours and it took a stern warning from a medical colleague to stop me ("you can choose a heart attack or a nervous breakdown, it's up to you"). After two years part-time I was back on the treadmill, in a ridiculous work regime with much travelling (unintentional, it just built up because I never said 'no'), until I realised that I was miserable and the money was not consoling me. Madame M. had been pointing it out for years, but I was hooked on the fees.

So, Petrushka, you now have two of us suggesting you find a way out - and there IS a way out.

[BBMmk2]

I dont think myself and my wife will be able to afford to retire. I am a retired nuirse, due to ill health and have taKen up a part time job at a school near me, but retirement, i think not?

[teamsaint]

I dont think myself and my wife will be able to afford to retire. I am a retired nuirse, due to ill health and have taKen up a part time job at a school near me, but retirement, i think not?

I think that there are different options for people in different situations, BBM.
Lots of people my age have no pension provision, and no likelihood of anything of any note.
Thus the options are more likely to be downsizing , or taking less stressful work, or perhaps shorter hours.

[Petrushka]

Early retirement would be what I would prefer as an option but, despite having been with the same employer for 23 years the result of taking such a step would have a devastating effect on my pension. But then again, I know people who live off the State and can afford more stuff than I can. There are no easy answers, I'm afraid. I will be 60 in 15 months time and I really need to be looking at taking the plunge then. A part-time job with no travelling would suit.

Love the Philip Larkin quote from Alain Marechal.