Only 27 working days left. March is my last full month of work. I return to work May 1st for one day after using up my vacation during the month of April, taking every single day off.

Upon return, I am treated to sheet cake and ice cream with most of people who I work with in five buildings on the site, then at noon, I go uptown Decorah for steak and all the trimmings at a great restaurant with twenty handpicked work mates of mine, plus my wife. Then I am presented with my new $1200 Marin 29er mountain bike from my local bike shop. A new bike to the fleet never hurts.

All in all, I feel pretty darn good about this company I have worked for for 31 years.

Thanks for reading, and boy, am i ever getting lazy out there now. :) Knife lake, right around the corner!!!!!!!!!

It sounds like you worked for a really great company; they seem to be dwindling away these days. Thirty one years is a long time with one company, especially these days. Enjoy your long vacation and your one last day of "work", then enjoy your retirement.

Congratulations!

Yoo-hoo for you!

That's awesome, Curt. And they'll be serving you dessert BEFORE the meal! Exactly the way it should always be! :)

Congrat,now use that bike and get some exercise. That is one of the first job requirements when you retire. Try to exercise and stay healthy.

Short timer!!!!!!

I would be dreaming of the logistics of a month long solo if I was you. :)

Pinetree: "Congrat,now use that bike and get some exercise. That is one of the first job requirements when you retire. Try to exercise and stay healthy."

no problem there, i have been bike commuting to work for over 25 years, this year with the extreme cold i have driven more (6) days than in most years.
it's a 5 mile daily commute. all in all, if i tally up all the miles i have biked, just to work in 25 years i have biked across the U.S., and back about 4 times.
we have a local 11 mile bike loop soon to be increased to over 30-40 this year.
it will be nice now waiting until the sun comes up for my morning ride, rather than in the dark.

TomT: "I would be dreaming of the logistics of a month long solo if I was you. :)


"

my knife lake trip in may just got longer, with no end date :)

boonie: "It sounds like you worked for a really great company; they seem to be dwindling away these days. Thirty one years is a long time with one company, especially these days. Enjoy your long vacation and your one last day of "work", then enjoy your retirement. "

thanks steve, yes there have been some growing pains, but all in all i stayed because they did treat me well. i saw it transition from the original owners, passed down to his son in law and daughter. 25 % of the Decorah site will retire in the next 5 years. a hiring task for them for sure.

Jackfish: "That's awesome, Curt. And they'll be serving you dessert BEFORE the meal! Exactly the way it should always be! :) "

thanks pete, we can meet up sometime now in your travels :)

Congratulations! I've been retired for 3 years now and have no regrets whatsoever. And yes, longer trips up north (or anywhere) is a real perk. Ever since retirement, my spring trips have gradually increased up to 12 days :-)

Good people to work for, indeed! That's some really nice acknowledgments.

bwcasolo: "

Pinetree: "Congrat,now use that bike and get some exercise. That is one of the first job requirements when you retire. Try to exercise and stay healthy."

no problem there, i have been bike commuting to work for over 25 years, this year with the extreme cold i have driven more (6) days than in most years.
it's a 5 mile daily commute. all in all, if i tally up all the miles i have biked, just to work in 25 years i have biked across the U.S., and back about 4 times.
we have a local 11 mile bike loop soon to be increased to over 30-40 this year.
it will be nice now waiting until the sun comes up for my morning ride, rather than in the dark."

When I lived in Eau Claire, I used to drive Highway 29 to Green Bay several times each winter and I'd often seen Amish people bicycling. It would be 19 below zero and the wind would be howling and they'd just kept pedaling. It made me laugh because when we think of tough people, we might think of Harley riders, but a Harley rider pedaling into a howling, biting wind is unimaginable. Curt, you're Amish tough!

bwcasolo: "

boonie: "It sounds like you worked for a really great company; they seem to be dwindling away these days. Thirty one years is a long time with one company, especially these days. Enjoy your long vacation and your one last day of "work", then enjoy your retirement. "

thanks steve, yes there have been some growing pains, but all in all i stayed because they did treat me well. i saw it transition from the original owners, passed down to his son in law and daughter. 25 % of the Decorah site will retire in the next 5 years. a hiring task for them for sure.
"

Hey there - I think we chatted on a post awhile back - I live in Decorah also. We should grab a cup of coffee sometime! Congrats on your retirement, enjoy! I have a ways to go...lol - Scott

missmolly: "

bwcasolo: "

Pinetree: "Congrat,now use that bike and get some exercise. That is one of the first job requirements when you retire. Try to exercise and stay healthy."

no problem there, i have been bike commuting to work for over 25 years, this year with the extreme cold i have driven more (6) days than in most years.
it's a 5 mile daily commute. all in all, if i tally up all the miles i have biked, just to work in 25 years i have biked across the U.S., and back about 4 times.
we have a local 11 mile bike loop soon to be increased to over 30-40 this year.
it will be nice now waiting until the sun comes up for my morning ride, rather than in the dark."

When I lived in Eau Claire, I used to drive Highway 29 to Green Bay several times each winter and I'd often seen Amish people bicycling. It would be 19 below zero and the wind would be howling and they'd just kept pedaling. It made me laugh because when we think of tough people, we might think of Harley riders, but a Harley rider pedaling into a howling, biting wind is unimaginable. Curt, you're Amish tough! "

thanks, that's a great story!

scotttimm: "

bwcasolo: "

boonie: "It sounds like you worked for a really great company; they seem to be dwindling away these days. Thirty one years is a long time with one company, especially these days. Enjoy your long vacation and your one last day of "work", then enjoy your retirement. "

thanks steve, yes there have been some growing pains, but all in all i stayed because they did treat me well. i saw it transition from the original owners, passed down to his son in law and daughter. 25 % of the Decorah site will retire in the next 5 years. a hiring task for them for sure.
"

Hey there - I think we chatted on a post awhile back - I live in Decorah also. We should grab a cup of coffee sometime! Congrats on your retirement, enjoy! I have a ways to go...lol - Scott"

yes we will!

Congrats. I have another 8 years until I can even consider retirement. There won't be a steak dinner or a new bike or even a work party for me. But that's okay. I like my career but I like other activities even more and I can't wait to spend more time on things other than work. Your story gives me inspiration. Something to work towards. Thanks for sharing.