My normal answer to this question would be pretty good.

However, since 1 January the following have occurred:

- 1 January the father of a player I coached passed on 1 January

- 6 January memorial service for the former

- 8 January a Cousin passed away in another state

- 10 January A neighbor (awesome guy) had a full arrest, lost him several times but so far has survived

- 12 January another Cousin (#2) passed away in the northern part of Mich. Memorial delayed until spring.

- 15 January the girlfriend of an old HS friend (6 of us were very tight and still are) was killed in a car accident. She also was a member of my sisters 4H group back in the day so a family friend as well.

- 22 January scheduled memorial for cousin (#1) cancelled due to covid striking half the immediate family days prior.

- 23 January a neighbor from back home (down the street from my parents) passed away.

- 28 January was the funeral for my buddy's girlfriend on the other side of the state, caught a rock and chipped my windshield.

- 30 January my company restructured and eliminated my position and those of my entire team.

All things considered, I'm still in a fairly decent mood. Happy 2023 everyone!!!!

T, sorry to hear about your past month.

Taking it in the ass at work. I did some work last year that should have cost them 7 figures, easily. Instead, I figured out a way to do it, to save them money, considerable money. Think of getting a brand new Porsche for Pinto money. Had my annual review yesterday, and it’s like none of it matters. Hostile management, and that’s putting it lightly. HR department, they don’t even have a phone number to call and ask questions. Only an online portal which they take days to a week to respond to. Today I get a call from my director that I must sign off on my review today, period. I fucking hate the place and am looking but nothing yet so work is a mother fucker.

Found a spot I want to move to, rural, 280 miles away from where I live now in an adjoining state. Living in a major metro, well, I’m long past it. I, like many here, no longer fit into that Matrix and I’m praying every day my land agent finds the right piece of land for me as I want out of TX, and I want out of the Dallas area. I’ve had it. Everyone, everywhere, is addicted to their phones, and the rest of us have to deal with their addictions. I’m ready to live close to nature and a night and day population density. The county where I want to move doesn’t have a single stop light in it. God help me.

I am tempered by the understanding of how blessed I really am. Over retirement age, in good health, part time work which is really just more fun with guns. I get to be active too.

The last 2 years have been tough on most of us. Covid, THE left, wokeness, and the censorship and divisiveness of big tech / media have led to a loss of many friends, and most importantly also my boys. They think I am the one who has been misinformed. Cannot talk politics, or even leave my gun magazines (paper!) out and about. There is no respect. One of the wives even believes they'll never get over the trauma of Jan 6th!!?? WTF

Most of you have seen some of this, though the family thing is tougher on me than all the rest. Current gov spending and inflation have left me worried, even expecting, the ruination of my retirement. In short daily life is fine till I start reflecting on the future.

All of you here and the forum act as my gyroscope and help me keep my balance, and I am forever grateful.

Thank you for the concern. I’m 72 with a heart condition and back issues. Other than that I’m doing well. The wife is 70 and is in very good health. We are both retired and retirement is going well.

Sat on responding for a couple of days determining how I am doing. Ended up not going to share, because that's just how I am. But that being said, I want to thank you for asking Para as the sincerity in your asking could be felt over the Internet. Made me think about my situation and position in life because the felt sincerity deserved far more than a quick "I'm fine" that I would normally tell myself and most anyone who would ask normally. Thank you for caring enough to ask sincerely!

You know, I am doing good on the surface. Been retired for ten years (retired at 48) no debt takin it easy, but I worry about my health and I don’t like or trust the medical community.
So I guess I won’t know if anything is wrong with me until I’m in hospice, Good enough.
I’m getting board, with everything. People, politics, hobbies and daily life in general.
I want things to happen before I’m too old to do anything but I dont see it.
So there I am.

One of the guys said he wanted to think about it for a while. Yeah, that didn't work. OK, I could lie and put up a false answer, but that would be stupid. So honestly, I'm doing just great. Got plenty of money in the bank. Don't owe any one a nickel, and don't plan on it. Last time I checked, we had a fat account with a bunch of savings bonds. Wife has a similar amount in her retirement. Never thought of us as being millionaires, but I guess we are. I don't like spending money. Don't owe anyone a cent, and don't plan on it. I'm 75 plus. Thats good. Had a couple of heart attacks, or so my doctor says. All pretty good.
Now for the negative stuff. I honestly can't remember when the last time I fired a gun was. I think I have too many guns. Been cutting them down a few at a time, for years now. At one time I had 300. I have no idea how many now. Only care because when I croak, my wifes disposal plan is to let my kids choose which they want. Only bad because one son has never cleaned a gun in his life. Never. I don't trust him to learn on my better Sigs. No way. Left up to him, he'd take the unfired ones out and fire them, just for fun. With no plans on cleaning them.

Live in a fairly new home, though we built it 13 years ago so maybe it isn't new anymore. Tore down the existing home to build this one. I like the view. SS is adequate to fund my needs.

So from that perspective, I'm doing great. Got a nice puppy to keep me company while my wife of 52 years does one of her 4 volunteer jobs. We go out to eat most days. Good places. Don't even spend all I take in each month. She does.

Thanks again to Para. He does a great job.

I can sit and write paragraphs of little positive and little negative things, but really, that's not important. Seeing evildoers roaming unchecked everywhere sometimes gets to me, and it is evident by some of my posting on here. But I'm reminded that Judgment Day is coming, and that gives me great comfort and makes me very happy..Sincerely.

It's been 2 years since the divorce, and I do get a little lonely but I have members her who keep me sane.
the weather has been awful, but at least I got to my mothers last weekend and get her shores done before it got bad.

I can't watch any news, so I focus on retirement in 5 years and hope the stock market will recover by then.

Maybe when it is nicer, I should have another Sig Shoot BBQ and liven things up around here and reattach to people again.

Marvelous! 75 and still alive.

Thanks for asking, sincerely.

I’m doing… okay? I’m fine, at least, I keep telling myself that.

This past 18 months has been nothing short of traumatic, to say the least.

Working from home has been “okay”, but I miss the peer connections. My company has gone woke, and my momentum has stagnated. No where to go but sideways, or exit stage left. But, we need the income. I don’t have a degree, but I am reliable. If I had the ability, I’d go spend the rest of my days in a skid loader pushing snow and mowing lawns. “F” corporate America.

I’ve been fighting like hell for my kiddos’ well-being. My two daughters’ mother abandon them about four years ago. She fell off the deep end, so while that has been a good thing for me, it has had a pretty big impact on them. Thankfully my wife has been a rock for them.
However, they’ve both had serious mental health issues. Both attempted to end their lives last year, simultaneously. Self-harm, addictions, straight A’s to near dropouts and both barely into their teens. Ongoing therapy of many types, constant support and encouragement. We just couldn’t figure this out or connect with them.

Until we found out.

Then everything started to become clear. We had no idea, not a clue, no indicators or suspicions.

Now, we are getting the right help and the outlook has changed some for the positive. But I’m not too optimistic just yet. Work to be done & time to heal necessary.

Then, as recently as two weeks ago, my wife’s children’s father had a mental breakdown on our front porch that required LEO intervention. We hadn’t seen him in three years as his then wife was the intermediary and facilitated the pick ups and drop offs. She left him less than two years into their marriage as she had to learn the hard way what this guy is all about. Apparently back on dope and RX abuse. Easily down 100lbs from last we saw him and thankfully I have 39 minutes of Ring cam recordings to validate his level of crazy.

So, we will have to spend another $20-30k in court to modify her decree on top of the $45,000 I invested to get to a “temporary” custody order for my kiddo’s. I legitimately just paid off my attorney three weeks prior… I also have my trial in April, and with this new filing for her, will have no means to put an end to my girls’ moms custody. I’m going to have to go at this on my own.

So, Mike, thank you for asking. I thank everyone for reading (listening). You asked; I’m fine. I’ll be fine. We will be okay. They will be fine.

I told my family long ago, when my wife and I met and we put this new, crazy adventure together; It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

I’m fine. I hope you’re fine, too.

~K

ETA - I’ve been here 11 years? Holy shit, time flies!

Doing well as can be! Wife and I have adjusted to retirement life. Looking forward to a little traveling in the future. My stress has gone to zero now that I don't watch television anymore. Now if I could just get this arthritis under control things would be great! Hope you are doing well also!

Just spent a week in the hospital, three days in ICU, then four days in a step down
from ICU. Lots of fun!! I've never been poked and prodded so many times in my life.

I usually say "Average."

Honestly, I’m gettin by, life here in the people’s republic of Illinois has gotten darker with the passing of the gun control bill, and word now is there has been at least one confiscation in Rockford IL.
My mother was back in the hospital again this year with low sodium, and according to the staff she had Covid and we treated for it but not given the shots. Instead it was some kind of snit-viral drug.
She is either starting down the path of dementia or has “Covid Fog” which is similar and with no other reliable family I’m her caretaker now.

Adjusting into a semi-retired life, lost my job due to Covid, tried seeking employment wanting something part time but was given the ultimatum that you’ll work the hours we give you or else! But I’m still looking nonetheless.

Staying as active as possible considering, didn’t do much fishing last summer due to Mom and Covid, I’d move but she doesn’t want and quite frankly I don’t want to put her through the stress of it either.

So yeah, I’m gettin by, still get to range but not as often as I’d like.
Thanks for asking though.

I am the most fortunate man you know.
If I fall off of a five story parking structure tomorrow.

I hope that's the way people will choose to remember me
-bendable

Well, I am doing much better than I was a year ago.

Last year I suffered through having a rare form of cancer, thymic carcinoma. The outlook was not particularly good.

But through immunotherapy and eventually chemotherapy the cancer has been halted. Latest scans show no active cancer cells. At this point my oncologist and thoracic surgeon recommends observation. I’ll have scans every three months or so to keep an eye on the cancer.

But, I feel great. I’m back to exercising and working. Still have to worry about my prostate cancer, but that seems so minor to what I was facing with the thymic carcinoma.

Thanks for asking. We moved from Montana to Tucson last spring. We are in a 55 community that offers tremendous opportunities for learning, performing, exercising or relaxing. I like music so I sing in 4 groups that include a rock band, a barbershop group and a choir. I’m taking a course on medical innovation taught by 5 docs. We attend lectures every other week on various subjects. Great restaurants, pools, golf courses. Retirement doesn’t have to be boring.