I have about 3 weeks before I retire... :-)
Here is what I have planned for this year. Am I a slacker?

March 10th- Retire at 62 3/4 years old
Rest of March- Fish local reservoirs and lakes
First 3 weeks of April- Fish same lakes and Lake Erie
Last week of April- Ohio Turkey season comes in
May 1st- Start walking the northern half of Appalachian Trail (West Virginia)
June- Still walking the Appalachian Trail
July- Still walking the Appalachian (ending in Maine)
1st 3 weeks of August- At home "slacking off"
August 26th- Sept 5th- Canoe the Allagash River in northern Maine
Sept 6th-9th- "4 day slack off at home"
Last 3 weeks of Sept- Road trip with wife to Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons, etc...
October- Bow season for deer starts in Ohio
November- family wedding in Pennsylvania during the deer rut :-(
November- Missouri week long deer hunt
December- Still hunting, if not dead yet!

Next year: Southern half of Appalachian Trail?
Road trip with wife to NE US states?

" Where can I squeeze in a BWCA trip this year?"

FISHONFISHOFF

Yes, you are a slacker.

WOW, that schedule looks action packed! Hope you can take it all in slowly and really enjoy the adventures.

Looks like an awesome schedule to me. I especially like your deer hunting plans for October and November. Those are the best two months of the year for any deer hunter. Too bad about the family wedding that got planned during the rut. We have a law in our family that no one gets married or dies during the month of November!
In regard to fitting in a BW trip - I would slip in a week long trip sometime during the first three weeks of August. Maybe the second week to give you a buffer week before and after the trip.
Enjoy your retirement!

I have 6 years before I can be as big of a slacker as you are. When I get there, we have a slacker contest.

SLACKER!

If you want a free night's lodging when in Maine, I'm happy to provide that.

That's a long time to be away from family

DRob1992: "Yes, you are a slacker. "

Agree. Where is your ambition in life?!

All jokes aside. Enjoy retirement!

JW

I should have said, my wife is VERY VERY understanding! She is going to be with me for the turkey hunting (staying at the campground with 2 grand-daughters) and going with me for the Missouri deer week (staying in the house with my sister-in-law and nieces).

FOFO - Wow - You can't be called a slacker if you have your whole next year planned. That's impressive. You might have slacked a bit posting 3 times, but hey, you were probably excited to share.
Do you mind if I ask you a question about retiring. I'll be 61 in April and am thinking about it. When I googled the required retirement age in Illinois it said it is now 67. If I take it now it is 30 % less. Since we are close in age does this sound correct to you. I'm going to look into it seriously, been paying taxes since I was 15 so the first step is to see what my options are. Made some good dough back in the day, but that ship has been sailing away for too long and I don't see it getting any better. Tired of beating my head against the wall. Just thought I'd ask. Enjoy your life of leisure, sounds like fun.

Why are you jamming so much into Year One of retirement? If you are terminally ill, I understand. Otherwise, chill a bit and relax.

scat:
Do you mind if I ask you a question about retiring. I'll be 61 in April and am thinking about it. When I googled the required retirement age in Illinois it said it is now 67. If I take it now it is 30 % less. Since we are close in age does this sound correct to you. "

Scat, you are right about SS. You can get full benefits if you wait until 67 to start drawing out of SS. You can't draw any benefits until age 62 and the payments will be about 30% less. They will not increase except for cost of living raises.

I also have been paying into SS starting at age 15. I often wondered what my retirement would have been if the SS taxes were managed by a private company.

FOFO

bobbernumber3: "Why are you jamming so much into Year One of retirement? If you are terminally ill, I understand. Otherwise, chill a bit and relax."

B#3, the stars just happen to align this way.

I was asked to join 3 others on the Appalachian Trail this year. Hardly anybody in our area does this and at my age, thought I'd like to try. Its been on my bucketlist for many years.

The Allagash river trip is a canoe trip we take every 2 years but usually to the BWCA.

The 3 week trip out west is a trip which was canceled last year due to Mr. Covid.

The wedding trip is out of my control! LOL

The others are normal adventures which happen every year.

I do need to slow down and smell the roses, I just need a lot more practice. Maybe in the treestand while bowhunting in southern Ohio. :-)

FOFO

FOFO

Good on ya, and congrats at the incoming retirement. Your planning for the rest of the year reminds me of this quote from Sigurd Olson:
"When one finally arrives at the point where schedules are forgotten, and becomes immersed in ancient rhythms, one begins to live."

Or this one from Mike Tyson:
"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

I am envious of your hiking the Appalachian trail. Have a great time and enjoy the views!

Lazy! Lol :)

fishonfishoff: "

bobbernumber3: "Why are you jamming so much into Year One of retirement? If you are terminally ill, I understand. Otherwise, chill a bit and relax."

B#3, the stars just happen to align this way.


I was asked to join 3 others on the Appalachian Trail this year. Hardly anybody in our area does this and at my age, thought I'd like to try. Its been on my bucketlist for many years.


The Allagash river trip is a canoe trip we take every 2 years but usually to the BWCA.


The 3 week trip out west is a trip which was canceled last year due to Mr. Covid.


The wedding trip is out of my control! LOL


The others are normal adventures which happen every year.


I do need to slow down and smell the roses, I just need a lot more practice. Maybe in the treestand while bowhunting in southern Ohio. :-)

FOFO
"

It's better to burn out than fade away. Let 'er rip!

Happy Retirement and Congratulations!

Congratulations on your retirement, FOFO!

Some say, "don't retire from something, retire to something". Sounds like that is exactly what you have planned. Enjoy your adventures...may they be filled with many joyful experiences! :)

I though retirement was about rest and relaxation.

mgraber: "Lazy! Lol :)"

Hey that was my line.

Total couch potato

If you're a slacker, then I wanna be you.

Thanks to all for the kind words. Missmolly, Don't be surprised when I am knocking on your door!

Slacker !
;)

OneMatch: "If you're a slacker, then I wanna be you.
"

Yep! I wanna be a slacker too. Good for you and congrats! Good luck hunting southern Ohio - that's where I'll be too. Oh and you better hug and kiss on your wife. Sounds like an angel. Cheers!

PF

I always heard that once you retire you will be busier that ever. Its true, enjoy.

PeaceFrog: "

OneMatch: "If you're a slacker, then I wanna be you.
"

Yep! I wanna be a slacker too. Good for you and congrats! Good luck hunting southern Ohio - that's where I'll be too. Oh and you better hug and kiss on your wife. Sounds like an angel. Cheers!


PF"

What area of SO do you hunt? I hunt mostly in Pike, some in Adams,and occasionally in Scioto. I'm actually looking for new territory for the coming years.
My wife is a keeper and I will make sure I do everything possible to make her happy before the Appalachian Trail trip.

Three months on Arizona and I remembered I still have a job... haha! But next year I’m not going to come back til the sap is flowing! I’ll be that magical 67 and while health has my hands tied some, I’ll be on the road a lot.

Congratulations... and btw... Miss Molly by golly is a great host...

You could always bow hunt in the boundary waters in October.

It's unfortunate that some couples don't put more weight on Deer Hunting. They see a good deal on an open weekend in Nov, and sign up for the venue, and it doesn't occur to them WHY that date was available, and discounted. While many of them don't hunt, I guarantee some of their guests do.

But the NFL is guilty too. Now that they've moved the superbowl to the 2nd Sunday in Feb, there will be times when Valentines falls right on Superbowl Sunday. I'm sure that will cause a few conflicts. It's not a whole lot different than having fishing opener in Minnesota on Mothers day weekend.

AND if one of the prospective spouses actually do hunt, then it's really silly, because they're going to have that anniversary on hunting opener every year. It's kinda like that old saying "If you're a hunter, don't have sex on Valentines day". It's not just the year that she gives birth that's going to screw you for hunting. There will likely be several years of 'must attend' birthday parties.

Congrats on your retirement. I hope my retirement schedule looks like that. If I own hunting land by then, I would imagine some of my schedule will be hinge cutting and planting food plots etc.

Thanks, Ben. Do visit, fishonfishoff.

Maybe the wife can give up one of the three weeks in September she was allotted. Seriously, three weeks...that is overkill. :)

fishonfishoff: "

PeaceFrog: "

OneMatch: "If you're a slacker, then I wanna be you.
"

Yep! I wanna be a slacker too. Good for you and congrats! Good luck hunting southern Ohio - that's where I'll be too. Oh and you better hug and kiss on your wife. Sounds like an angel. Cheers!



PF"

What area of SO do you hunt? I hunt mostly in Pike, some in Adams,and occasionally in Scioto. I'm actually looking for new territory for the coming years.
My wife is a keeper and I will make sure I do everything possible to make her happy before the Appalachian Trail trip.
"

Ross and Vinton County

You can do better. You have to want it.

That's it? WTF? Yeah...slacker.

ENJOY!!!!

JimmyJustice: "Maybe the wife can give up one of the three weeks in September she was allotted. Seriously, three weeks...that is overkill. :) "

You might take some of that September time and do the MN border Route Challenge with the gang. Rainy to superior in 8 days. September 3 - 10.

Grandma L: "

You might take some of that September time and do the MN border Route Challenge with the gang. Rainy to superior in 8 days. September 3 - 10."


Maybe next year, it sounds interesting. We will still be in Maine when the Challenge starts.

You may not be a slacker. . .but you also may not be married with all that time away from home.