I'll just have water

[ultrarunner]

Long time friend is college maintenance guy retiring in December. He recommended they hire assistant to learn job. No signs of that happening. Meanwhile, paying hefty fees to property maintence company to do the work he cant get to.

I see this as the new normal… also cutting back on stock of spare parts to maintain high reliability.

Just in Time Supply Chain crashed and burned during the pandemic.

Will your friend retire as planned.

Yesterday I mentioned to my Admin that it might be wise to bring someone in for when I’m no longer here…

Her response is you are not going anywhere… take tomorrow off and I promise no one will call you as it’s a staff training day with no surgeries on the schedule.

Admin is 71 and a powerhouse of energy and detail… putting in the long hours as necessary… leadership by example.

In todays world of employment the win for hourly employees goes to Registered Nurses.

 

[2manyrocks]

He has always done what he says he intends to do. Gave college plently of advance notice. If they don’t find a timely replacement, it is on them, IMO. Plus, his wife is retiring, too.

 

[ultrarunner]

Change phone numbers along with moving will solve that… actually common in California to retire and relocate.

When mom retired as charge RN at 62 they gave her a great send off…

About 6 months later she was asked if she would be interested in coming back part time… mom said she didn’t think she would have time to comeback.

The Director of nursing ask if she would consider 6 hours one or two times a week.

Mom said ok… if you really need me I’m willing to give it a try… and in her 50 years as a RN said the final years working 6 to 12 hours a week were the best of her career… she really enjoyed it and was paid an hourly rate higher than she had ever made and the staff adored her…

It was great to see her so happy unburdened no longer being a charge and she felt great contributing and making a little mad money as she called it.

She was the best IV starter in the entire hospital… one and in.

 

[2manyrocks]

The other part of the challenge for you is working in a setting that saves lives. You may not be the doc or nurse, but you help make it possible for them to do their jobs helping other people. Makes it tougher to decide when…

 

[ultrarunner]

33 years without a cancelled surgery due to engineering/facility.

That changed when one 1995 steam boiler was down for scheduled service and the second went down… no steam, no steam sterilizing… several patients cancelled that afternoon.

Root cause… aging equipment with capital expenditures on hold.

More recently the Saturday/Sunday operating room HVAC replacement encountered many complications exasperated by after hours work… installing contractor work day and night all weekend with second crane called and supply houses opened after hours… several long total joint replacement cases cancelled that day…

It’s a huge deal to cancel when the surgical team is in place and everything is staged ready to go and you break the news to the patient…

Eye surgery not affected as totally separate HVAC…

 

[newbury]

Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make it Do, or Do Without

Lived by that motto all my life.

On the subject of when to retire. When I was about 20 I planned on working until I was 75, if I made it. That would be next year.
About 3 years after that plan my Grandfather, a hardy practicing Mormon died due to a blood clot causing him to be stranded in a field ~ 50 yards from the house. Neither my mother nor grandmother heard his screams (afternoon TV). My Father found him after work, got him to the hospital, but Grandfather passed away.
In 2009 I was finishing 35 years working for the Army Corps of Engineers Topo Labs with about 300 other civilians. Still planning to work until 75. I lived ~1 mile from "work", my job had me travelling world wide frequently, life was good. Then my lovely wife (who worked as an attorney for the Corps) had 2 strokes. It basically took her 3 years to fully recover and retire. Lot's of Physical Therapy.
In the course of those 3 years 4 of my "cohorts", similar age full professionals, getting ready to retire, passed away, out of the blue. People I had spent moths deployed with overseas.

Due to our pay grades we both could and did retire.

Another motto I live by -

You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done

 

[tradosaurus]

Dude. You're wiping with your hand.

Not when you combine that with a bidet. Also less chance of clogging your septic system using one ply toilet paper.

 

[tradosaurus]

Spend it if you can afford it.
Get rid of it if it's not being used for at least 5 years.
You came into this world with nothing
You will leave this world with nothing.
Don't leave your fortune to others. Spend it!

 

[Jstpssng]

I'm guessing that nobody on this thread is the guy I got stuck behind as he decided which scratchoff he wanted to piss his money on. "What number is that one? No, the one next to it. Oh I don't like that. How about that one over there? NO, not the red one. That's bad luck. That one over there.

Now I need to cash these in for a powerball."

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

I can't believe I forgot the number 1 thing: (puts on flame-proof suit)

• If you want to save money, don't have kids. That is not my main reason for foregoing having children, but it is definitely an advantage.
• Bonus Answer: If you get married, find someone who does not have expensive taste and is not enamored with material possessions.

My wife had a normal delivery. I have not had the courage to add up the post-insurance cost, but I am guessing $30,000 for prenatal through 4-month pediatrician checkup. Let's not discuss diapers, painting the nursery, furniture, 85 kinds of grease, 4,000 rompers...

My son is wonderful, however. He lies on his mom, staring at me over her side, waiting for me to wake up. He smiles when I snore because he thinks I'm talking to him.