The end...

[olddawg]

Enzo...I "retired" from electronics over 10 years ago for health reasons and am younger than you. What I have found is that it never really ends. I do a repair or project a month (usually for desperate young musicians or friends) or so instead of 10 a day in the shop. The kitchen table, office, or garage becomes the "shop". I kept my hand tools, test equipment and scope. I just have to do it when the wife is not looking, lol. It will be a pain soon when we downscale and sell this house. Enjoy your retirement. I don't see how you guys can stand MI winters!

[Enzo]

Tom, pulling the computer at teh shop meant finally disconnecting from teh world...THERE. I brought it home. I am not disappearing, just losing my second home.


I doubt I will do much work here, I did bring my scope home and will bring the solder gear, but I suspect it won;t come out much.

[Chuck H]

Too dark...

Did you need to title the thread "The end".?.

Every end is a new beginning No $h!t. It works that way until you're dead. Make the most of it!!! Money isn't an issue. There are plenty of things that don't cost much and can be gratifying. This from a guy who use to live in a metropolis in the SF bay area, but now lives on an island in the PNW!!! Life is what you make it. The end is incredibly anticlimactic most of the time. It's about the journey. Sane people don't lay on their death bed and proudly say "Look! I made it. I'm going to die." Strap in soldier. Your obligations aren't over just because you're retired and your shop is closed. It's just harder now because you're old and things hurt sometimes. But you're not done. There's still things to deal with, handle, finish, manage... I don't know a retired guy that didn't say they wished they could just go back to work because it was easier

Nothing but respect on this end. I would address you as comrade, except I don't feel worthy. Understand that your absence from the industry is a loss. But you're doing what you need to do now.

[g1]

What he said ^^^^^^
Sounds like dabbling at home may not be a good fit. I recalled a guy talking about something called 'maker space' which would be a good place to go and fiddle.
http://music-electronics-forum.com/t41523/#post414822
Turns out there is such a place near you, not only that but they have classes and probably need teachers. Could be right up your alley.

https://www.lansingmakersnetwork.org...and-workshops/

[dchang0]

Enzo, thanks for all your help through the years.

If it helps you, I have a friend that is in her mid-80s. She seems more alive than I do, with all that she does. She was taking French lessons, math lessons, computer lessons, working on a screenplay, trading stocks (she did quite well with buy-and-hold on Apple from $94/share), traveling with her husband, volunteering at a charity, exercising even in spite of a bum leg from polio, and more!

Oh, and she reads voraciously--her mind is sharper than many of people half her age.

It ain't over till you say it's over.

[Tom Phillips]

Enzo,
Did Egnater respond to your offer to help with his amp building seminar? That was a very nice offer you made and the seminar sounded like it had the potential for a lot of fun.
Tom

[Enzo]

No, but I don't think he hangs here much. I would like to contact him with lead time for a future event though. I am looking for a job, tough to find, other than ones that involve greeting people entering stores.

[Chuck H]

No, but I don't think he hangs here much. I would like to contact him with lead time for a future event though. I am looking for a job, tough to find, other than ones that involve greeting people entering stores.

I'm reminded of a Family Guy episode where Dick Cheney somehow ends up as a Walmart greeter. Everyone entering gets a cursory "Go f@#k yourself".

Not that you're a misanthrope. I don't get that impression anyway. But you are going to need something more to scale with your talents. Maybe if they did an event where everyone entering gets to bring in something broken and you have to fix it in two minutes or less

[Enzo]

No, I tell them what it needs so they can do it themselves.

A friend was helping me load out, and I came across a sign I had that says "giving the customer what he needs, that's good service."

Ooh, I have to remember my picture of Mr. NAtural saying, "Always get the right tool for the job.

[J M Fahey]

When I saw the thread title and poster I was happy, I thought you were coming to Buenos Aires to watch a show by this Argentine Pink Floyd "tribute" (a.k.a. "cover") band:

hey, they are still playing , so you are always welcome
And bring da` Mizzuz` too

[Enzo]

Thanks, but I swore never to leave the USA again. I like Canada, and would enjoy visiting, but any time I leave the USA, and I am sure Argentina is lovely, I have to then return through US customs, and in my experience they are all total assholes.

[drewl]

Whatever you end up doing I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for all the help over the years.

We just moved our company to a new building.
Sixteen years worth of stuff!

Alot junk we'll never use and could have been thrown away, well I can use alot of the stuff fr repairs!

Hell, our lab isn't even fully wired up.

Anyway, good wishes to the future, you never know what it may bring.

[dchang0]

It's not cost-effective, but couldn't you ship stuff back to yourself from outside the USA? Your stuff still goes through US Customs, but when you come back on the plane and go through Customs, you will have nothing to declare and minimal fuss.

[Enzo]

Oh I don't buy much stuff. I have a drug conviction on my record from 50 years ago, but they would find it. And I look like a biker or something, so... It has been many years since the last trip, but I had the opportunity for them to look up my butt hole for contraband.

[dchang0]

Yeah, that would be a massive deterrent to travel! The gov't wants every excuse to anal probe all of us, and it will concoct any law, rule, or regulation to do so.