Finally got a chance to move this reply that I had in the wrong thread. Excuse me!

When I retired I had my 85pts for full bennies and looked forward to find out my value/worth to companies other than Dow as an experienced None-Degreed Welding Engineer as a contracted consultant. By golly did I ever find out! I worked for several companies as a trouble-shooter for their projects in fab shops across then USA. Within a year I wad being contacted by the companies HR Depts doing a JPR (job performance rating) over the phone. Even though I charged an hourly rate portal-to-portal and used my Dow salary as hourly as a guide, the lowest paying company ask me. Mr Fales. Would it be acceptable to you is we increased your hourly rate by 25%?” I now knew what my value/worth was to companies other than Dow! I ask if that was still portal-to-portal and it was with all of my companies. Did I ever tell folks that I loved my work? LOL I didn’t like traveling to fab shops in 4-corners of our Country though so once I learned my worth, I quit my business shortly after the JPRs because I’d attained my goal to learn and interviewed for a part-time mink trapping job with MSU.

A person might ask me which was a tougher part-time job, working with fab shops & engineers or a couple dozen college students & post-grads? LOL

Retire when im dead.

30 may 1990 from the Navy at 42, from packing for Outfitters at 55, 4 years as long haul driver, now doing ADC work and busier than a one legged man at butt kicking contest at 77 can anyone actually say retired?

Retired at 50 yrs old, that was almost 18 yrs ago.

Did some hunting and lots of fishing all over the country for about a dozen yrs.

Looked at working for a local tech school part time in the Machining/toolmaking/tool design feilds. Turned them down as they wanted too many hours, would of interfered with fishing time.

Now I spend most my time woodworking, making firewood, managing/restoring the land I live on.