New Beginnings!

Well, I will retire in a couple of weeks and was wondering if there is a support group for Retired Astronomers? So, I will be a beginner in the retirement category. Any advice?

Figure out medical benefits.

Watch out for the "I can do it later" syndrome. It is absolutely easy to put anything off, because nothing again ever has to get done.

Depending on your age, be aware that everybody else has to work. So, you hang around with the wife and such on the weekdays and goof off with your working buddies on the weekend.

There are probably other little things to think about, but there will be time to think about them. (I can do it later.)

Alex

Judson, I'll let you know in about 20 years or so...

Judson Mitchell said: Well, I will retire in a couple of weeks and was wondering if there is a support group for Retired Astronomers? So, I will be a beginner in the retirement category. Any advice?

I discovered that the retired amateur astronomer has one great advantage over the others: He can visit the local dark sky sites for leisurely observation of the deep-sky objects not accessible from his light-polluted home during the work-week; the others have to struggle for parking and viewing spaces on crowded weekends, especially near a new moon in the summertime. I am not familiar with your observing environment, but I speak from the experience of a Southern Californian who does dark sky observing at Mt.Pinos (in the summer) or a campground in Joshua Tree National Park, but who wouldn't dream of visiting those places on new moon weekends. I wish you a happy retirement with clear skies.

You are RETIRING!!?? You dont look that OLD! Actually I look older than you! A famous money advisor told me that if you dont retire .........you need not worry about it!

Good luck with retirement........you can come and see me at my restaurant cooking and cleaning tables!

Time will be spent cycling, woodworking, yard work, working out, and oh yeah, some astronomy.