60+ year old thread.

Got laid off today - not unexpected. Mining business is in the toilet and I've been in it for (gasp) 42+ years. So I dragged my stuff home and will think about what to do tomorrow. Maybe work on the Taco! My wife says sign on for Social Security but I hate to do it........ Seems too much like retirement!

 

Sorry to hear, happening all too often.
Should be able to collect unemployment for a period, then sign up for SS.
OH, and that retirement thing------try it, you may like it!

 

Sorry to here Steve, what kind of work were you doing in the mining industry?

 

Yeah, looks like maybe unemployment might be worthwhile thing for a bit. Build up the potential SS amount perhaps? I already get a fixed amount payment from a job that ended 20 years back - it had a contract amount that starts when you are 65 so the Taco payments are being made - even if we starve!

 

I'm a mechanical engineer - been designing and building shovels and crawlers since 1974..

 

Sounds like a interesting career, I have 35 years at the local Cat dealer and it is / was a company built on the coal industry. We are also being feeling the results of a over regulated industry.
Again I wish you well.

 

Sorry to hear that. I was worried 8 years ago, but made it through down sizing and out sourceing. Enough folks bought H-D's to keep me employed.
Duane

 

evening boys

sorry to hear that... go for unemployment as long as you can before hitting up your SS.

 

I can't complain about my career - l've been on every continent (except south america) and made a workable living building or repairing huge machines on all of them. Our outfit recently rebuilt the underpinnings of the NASA transporter and I got to participate in that as well. I worked for (as go-fer) and assisted men who designed that transporter and some of the biggest machines in the world. Just can't complain too much..... But I do wish I hadn't frozen my feet so many times!!

 

Sorry to hear this, Steve. But, it sounds like you've had an amazing career!! Use the UC and take some time to decide what you want to do next.

Lynn and I still crew for our local hot air balloon ride company. I got to fly last night - beautiful evening and a perfect flight that set down smoothly in a recently cut hay field surrounded by woods. We launched from Nicholson, PA in the Endless Mountains of northeast PA. The bridge you can see is the famous Nicholson train bridge - a massive piece of engineering.

 

Very sorry to hear this.

 

Nice pics. Mark!

 

Nifty photography - great location for a scenic flight!

 

Steve, the only thing bad about retirement is you do a LOT more work .... for free.

Mark, have you followed the hot-air balloon tragedy that happened near me in Texas? Really sad. I would never take a ride on one. Why? Because balloons were the only aircraft that I, as a glider pilot, had to yield to.

Tex

 

Oh, forgot to mention .... even though my name isn't on the home page, today is my birthday (66). Got plenty more to go.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 

Tex - I have followed it. Sounds to me like it will be pilot error with weather being a contributing factor. From what I've heard the visibility was marginal from early on and it closed in during the flight. The pilot never saw the power lines until it was too late.

The pilots we crew for are amazingly safety conscious. It sometimes pisses passengers off when they cancel because of marginal winds, etc. but Tony and Dawn are very conservative when it comes to weather and safety. Two years ago we had a flight where we flew both my mom and Lynn's. My mom was 79 and her mom 80. But, the oldest on the balloon was a 93 year old former pilot who learned to fly B17s during WWII and continued after the war in commercial aviation. He had his balloon rating - something that used to just be a stamp in a logbook - but had never flown. During the flight, he got some burner time so the very last entry in his logbook was as a balloon pilot. I've had my private ticket, but haven't flown in years and spent time in gliders, too, but flying in a balloon is truly unique. Try it sometime!!

And, happy birthday!!

 

Thanks Mark.

I saw one story about possible fog, but I have to tell you we haven't had ANY fog in these parts for some time. I drive through Lockhart quite often on my way to my hometown .... fog this time of year is really rare. I just don't buy it.

 

Thanks for the ideas Carl. They sound great. The missus doesn't quite agree with them all so it's either "Happy wife Happy life" or divorce court. Couldn't afford any of the good stuff after that. Nice country up your way and Marks. I would love to live upstate but "Happy Wife, Happy Life" comes into play again.

Sorry you got laid off Steve. Unemployment might be the way to go and give you a chance to see which road you want to follow: get another job or retire. It's your decision when your ready to retire. Good luck.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Tex. Your still a youngster at 66.


Great pictures Mark. Been hot air ballooning and love it as well. Ballooning gives you a whole new perspective on "birds eye view". It must be really beautiful in the fall when the leaves change color. Enjoy.

 

Evening all:
2 for 2, I'm a dirty sweaty mess again! Just got done cleaning the coal stove to get ready for what's coming. Even checked the chimney which was OK, if not would have had to go up on the roof to clean it. When it gets colder I also need to clean the oil burner, I just ordered some 1.25 30deg H Hago nozzles for it off of e-bay. Those are getting harder to find locally, both the brand and the 30 deg.
Chugging right along!
OH!!! And the shopvac took a chit while I was cleaning the stove, went to a backup but now need to buy another one.
Just thinking, I have 3 others, but always have 1 just for the coal stove and furnace. Should start looking for a soot vac at auctions, they aren't too common and the good ones are expensive.