16 to 728

[Lightningbolt]

WOW! I just logged in and I always like to see just "who" and "how-many" folks are on the board at any given moment. I thought it interesting that just now there were 16 members and 728 guests roosting around these parts.

I thought it interesting for a couple of reasons: First, it was almost a banner day since I noticed that the most folks ever logged in was 839. Secondly, I thought that 16 to 728 is quite a wide spread for the ratio of members verses guests. I'm certainly not complaining because I sure have a number of places on the net where I only "lurk" (ah-hum... did I say "youtube"?)

I just thought it interesting. Hey, participants are great but I like lurkers too!!

[Kenny_S]

Guess I need to be more observant. Never really thought about it. I don't know, 16 is a good round number. No? Maybe some of those 839 guest are members who have not logged in yet. Hmmmmmm Verrrrrry interesting!

[gene-messer]

728 carvers ... Are any of them flat planers ? .. I hope so !

It's getting lonely at this ..

Gene

[Kenny_S]

Gene, tis better to be a Flat Planer than a flat liner, for sure. Best to you

[DarrellA]

With the number of visitors increasing it is nice to know that others are realizing what a good resource this site is to carvers. It wa probably too hot yesterday about 1:30 to do anything outside so lots of people logged on.

Darrell

[squbrigg]

It is interesting to see the increase in numbers, tells us that the word must be spreading about all the great carvings on here. More and more folks are retireing, so they are looking around for something to do with their time. I wonder how many thought about the time to fill during retirement as they grew up, and planned for it?

How many of you planned for your retirement? How many of those who planned, did your plans work out?

Just curious.

Bob

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Judy and I sat down in 1978 and figured out a set of goals to work toward so we could retire at 50 and be clear enough to do what we really wanted. That gave us about 15 years as I walked out the office door on my 50th birthday in August of 1993. We saved every penny we could get our hands on, invested and then reintested and then reinvested again. We were in the Foreign Service and to make extra money we volunteered for some of the worst posts out there...the USSR, Rwanda, Senegal, Swaziland, Ghana, Lebanon as they paid a differential due to the bad health and living conditions. I became known in the Department as the "Third World Kid" cause I was always headed in that direction. Did it work? It sure did. Now, because of all the prior planning we do what we want which is even more hard work! But we do it at our own pace.

[AlArchie]

Well I didn't plan much for retirement but it worked out pretty darn well so far. I pulled the pin after 25 years withthe MSP,and the pension & bennies are quite good. I do regret not making some investments along the way, but we had stashed enough off to give us 10 years of "play money" to drag our travel trailer all over the country, touching home only about 2 months ever year. The only thing that really put a stop to that was the rise in fuel prices! Been retired since 1993 when I was 48!

Al

[Kenny_S]

We, My little bride and I set down years ago and set goals also for retirement. Like Lynn and his wife, we saved and saved, even when it hurt and joined every savings benefit my company offered. Took on second jobs and save from that. Wasn't as lucky as Lynn and retire at 50 but at 56, I walkd away from my compant after 35 years with a nice package and then we got a finanical advisory we knew and trusted. there are some who invest your money and don't watch it.
Billie left the teach profession before she was able to retire but will have the the time in in tow years to go ahead and retrie as she subs at the school and funny thing, makes more than when she taught. Go figure.
Like Lynn said, we do basicly what we want but have to work at it.
Trouble I see for the younger generation, there is no tomorrow to them. Spend, spend, spend.

[Lightningbolt]

I'm still working so I'll have to speak from a "planner's" point of view.

I've invested well and it is my plan (with "plan" being the key word) to step down from paid employment in the next 2 to 4 years although I'm well prepared at this moment to "jump ship". It is my "plan" to build up a little farm and see how self-suffiecent that I can become. Have a few animals and a good ole dog that will greet me every day with a big slurpy lick right in the face!

I want to work in the shop building and carving stuff when I'm not maintaining the farm and post all the cool projects here so that everyone can enjoy them. Perhaps I'll have time to volunteer teaching some woodcarving merit badge classes at the local scout camp and stuff such as that.

I would also like to take at least 4 to 6 month's each year to travel since there's still just so many bend's around the river that I haven't yet seen and so many mountain peaks that I still haven't seen on the other side. Yes, I will travel a LOT I'm sure.

It's a plan and I'm sure that time will make a lot of changes, shifts, and adjustments but for me it's this dose of uncertainty that makes it worth waking up another day!