So my father's really actually retiring, has set a date and let the department know and everything, which I'm just finding... odd. I mean, great. But kind of odd. (Part of this may be from playing Sims 2 for the last several days, in which after you reach a certain age, you jump in the air, spin around, come down white-haired, saggy, and wearing frumpy clothes, and are then able to retire.) Also, weirded out by his talking about the experts at his retirement fund. It's like he's rich or something.

That oddity is in my future, as in the next decade or so. I just realized that my grandparents all were retired by his age. Different generation. I think the last my paternal grandfather worked was when he was 55. My maternal one, later, but that was just waiting for my uncle to take over the farm. I was born after they had retired.

Well, it's not clear that my mother will ever retire (mostly for lack of funds, though also academia's a different animal), so it's just... it's weird.

I think it will still be awhile before my dad retires, but like everybody else in his line of the family that is around his age is essentially retired or running toy businesses. More becuase they are all independently wealthy than because of age.

My mom will retire as soon as my brother is through grad school and is a little more financially stable (her salary is basically used as his safety net.) That doesn't weird me, because I know she'll still be working, albeit in a volunteer capacity. It's what she did the first half of their marriage.

My dad? Well, let's just say, no one has any idea how he'll cope or what he'll do. Including him. He's just looking forward to no more meetings.

My father retired and then went back to work as a consultant right away, no interruption of service. Then he retired-retired, and moved back home (he'd been living in Moscow up till then) and we thought he'd drive my mother insane. He works on a project basis now, and I think he writes for the paper sometimes.

Yeah, my dad not-quite-voluntarily retired at 62, and he spent about 5 minutes thinking he'd actually go ahead and retire. And then he spent maybe 10 minutes thinking he could consult, before starting to look for a new full-time job.

Supposedly, this was the first photo ever to posted on the intebunny. I don't vouch for the truth of it, but just in case, here is the link:

[link]

Given my dad's field and sometimes abrasive nature...not sure how he'd wangle a consulting type thing. Far more likely he'll become a professional gadfly. It's a field that few retire from willingly. Pushed out by universities' policies these days, but in the past, they'd practically die in their offices. Or at the lecture stand. I've only known one who actually retired and left it behind, but there were mitigating circumstances (early onset alzheimers.)

My father retired and then went back to work as a consultant right away, no interruption of service.

Well, yeah. I mean, partly my dad's retiring so he can focus more on his consulting work. But also, apparently, he loves his new house so much he hates to leave it.

Is it too soon to get him a new dog, do you think?