John Scott:  

September 2014 Update My time has arrived - retiring 10-31-14. Changed my work schedule from a M-Th, followed by a Tu-F, about 6 months ago, to a M-Th every week. No more 4 day weekends every other week, but rather a 3 day weekend every week, which I prefer. Got seriously behind on my gardening, fishing and vacation travelling, so I figured the only way I was ever going to catch up, was to retire while I would still be able to enjoy them. No travel of note in the past year, but I did enjoy 2 week long fishing trips - one on Kerr Reservoir in early May, in southeastern VA and the other on Lake Champlain in mid June, located in upper state NY on the Canadian border. Make that 3 week long fishing trips in the past year. Left out my week at the Outer Banks of NC, early last December. The weather didn't cooperate, so we spent most of our time in our pent house condo (time share), looking out at the ocean and watching the birds, waves and dolphins. I will be making 2 trips in the next 2 months - one to Afton VA to attend my wife's niece's wedding, which will take place 9-06; the other will be a week long trip to CA to attend our company's national meeting, where representatives (130) from our 7 manufacturing sites around the country, will get together for 4 days of work and play. We have a national meeting every 18 months. For my first 20 years with the company, we had one every year, but as we grew and our employees were getting older, we changed it to an 18 month format. Costs played a role in this change, as well. Looking forward to seeing everyone at our 50th on June 20. John Scott, Sr. September 2013 Update Still working the 4 day week, M - Thursday, followed by Tuesday - Fr. Still getting that 4 day weekend every other week, which has its good points and its bad points - 4 days off is good, but returning to work only to find yourself 2 days behind in your work is bad. This translates into working 10-11 hours a day until I catch up. That usually takes 3 days. I tentatively plan to retire or go to a 3 day work week next summer. Ginny will be eligible for Medicare by then. My daughter, Angela and my son, John Jr. attended my nephew, Danny Scott's wedding last September (2012) in Plattsburgh, NY. We flew out of Knoxville on Friday afternoon and got there in time for the rehearsal buffet dinner/cookout, which quickly evolved into an outdoor party with a huge bond fire. Those NY folks know how to throw a party. The wedding was held in an outdoor setting, on the banks of Lake Champlain, with the lake and the Adirondack Mountains in the background. The wedding was preceded by a 2 hour reception and followed by a sit down dinner under a pavilion overlooking the lake and the mountains. It was an experience to remember. All of this was followed by a party back at the hotel which lasted until the wee hours of the morning - another memorable experience. Aside from the wedding and all of its accompanying activities, it turned out to be quite a reunion for the Scott family, whose first one was June 1977, 2nd in Sept. 2011 and now the 3rd one in Sept. 2012. There's only one single cousin left, Susie Scott, who lives in Plattsburgh, NY, along with the rest of the Charlie (Henry) Scott clan. Another huge celebration waiting to happen? I feel another winter vacation coming on and it's going to somewhere balmy. September 2011 Update I took my 1st step toward retirement by going to a 4 day work week the first of August. I arranged it on a 2 week repeating cycle of Mon. - Thurs., followed by a Tues. - Friday week. With this schedule, I have a 4 day weekend every other week. I will no longer have to use my vacation to get a 3 day weekend or extend a 3 day holiday weekend into 4 or 5 days. Of course, I took a 20% reduction in pay to do this. I signed up for SS benefits and began drawing in July. That will more than compensate for the 20% reduction in salary. i may reduce my work schedule to a 3 day week next year sometime. Then I will have a 4 day weekend every week. That's when i will have to start dipping into my 401K. So, the stock market needs to bounce back by then. or otherwise Ginny will implement austerity measures and put me on a budget. Off to a wedding in Washington, DC this weekend, where my sister, Frances's son will be tying the knot. He's 28 and well employed, so I think he knows what he's doing. (Update - it was held at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in downtown, Washington, DC and it was a gala event. The turnout was huge, thanks to my sister, Frances paying the way for all of the cousins, who otherwise could not afford it. With 12 cousins and spouses present, it tuned out to be a cousins' reunion - 1st ever. No expense was spared - it was 1st class all the way. This was the 1st 6 figure wedding for me and assuredly will me the last. Baby sister Frances has out earned her 4 older brothers and like myself, is working a 4 day week. She went all out for her only child, Zachary.) April 2011 Update 2010 was an "off" year for Ginny and I, as we waited on our finances to catch up with our vacation aspirations. It would have brought me one year closer to retirement if I had previosly chosen a date. I am still vacillating on the notion, as I am still functional, productive and have most of my mental faculties (I think). Couple these with my 43 years of experience in industry in technical jobs, I am loathe to walk away from the challenges and mental stimulation that work brings to my life. For these reasons, financial considerations and he...Expand for more