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Why do older retired people get up so early?

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Why do older retired people get up so early?
Posted by divebardave on Saturday, January 18, 2020 2:17 PM

As I stumble home from a 3rd shift stint job I see that same ol guys at 500am at my local diner getting there coffee sitting at the same table for the last 40 years...You are retired sleep in and snuggle with your "Ol Lady" thats why you worked all these years!!Big Smile...I first ran into this in Sayre PA which was the Steam Shops for the Lehigh Valley Ry. The Shops had been closed for years but here we are the same old guys getting there morning beer and tomato juice at 6:00am..

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Posted by SD70Dude on Saturday, January 18, 2020 2:19 PM

To rush over to A&W for breakfast and read your posts on the free wifi of course!

Greetings from Alberta

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Posted by divebardave on Saturday, January 18, 2020 2:27 PM

Wait....A&W has Breakfast??  Root Beer and Pancakes!!!

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Saturday, January 18, 2020 2:29 PM

Retired and up at the crack of dawn?  Not me pal, no damn way!

I miss getting up at "zero-dark-thirty" the way you'd miss a zit on the end of your nose!  

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Posted by SD70Dude on Saturday, January 18, 2020 2:33 PM

divebardave

Wait....A&W has Breakfast??  Root Beer and Pancakes!!!

Do they not have it in the States?

Up here you can get eggs cooked to order, and they serve you at your table.  Their coffee (Van Houte) is not my favourite, but they use real ceramic plates and mugs.

You can order Root Beer (in a icy mug) instead of coffee!

Greetings from Alberta

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Posted by divebardave on Saturday, January 18, 2020 3:01 PM

There is a A&W in Superior WI but is not the most appittsing place to go to..BTW it seems that many Americans in "Da States" Eat Breakfast at 200am after a pub crawl and many diners that had Breakfast are OOS like Howard Johnson-

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Posted by SD70Dude on Saturday, January 18, 2020 3:15 PM

A&W's are found in many smaller towns out here that apparently are not large enough to rate a McDonalds etc.

Here is the breakfast menu.  I usually get the All-Canadian Special:

https://web.aw.ca/en/our-menu/breakfast

Greetings from Alberta

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Posted by MMLDelete on Saturday, January 18, 2020 3:37 PM

I'm retired. We're up around 8:15 fairly consistently.

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Posted by York1 on Saturday, January 18, 2020 3:42 PM

Lithonia Operator
I'm retired. We're up around 8:15 fairly consistently.

 

I'm retired, too, but I am still on the clock.  For 45 years I was up and  exercising at a field house by 5:30 a.m. and at work at 6:45 a.m.

My clock hasn't been reset by retirement.

I have walked two miles, made bacon and eggs for breakfast, walked the dog, read the morning paper, and worked on the layout before my wife even begins to stir.

I know quite a few retirees who are like you, finally able to get up leisurely.  I haven't been able to yet.

York1 John       

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Saturday, January 18, 2020 6:42 PM

Some retired folks,  mostly men,  awaken early because nature calls. 

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Posted by Penny Trains on Saturday, January 18, 2020 6:46 PM

Thomas Jefferson said the sun never found him in bed.  Personally I'm just happy when I don't see dirt above my face.  Wink

Trains, trains, wonderful trains.  The more you get, the more you toot!  Big Smile

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Saturday, January 18, 2020 6:56 PM

divebardave

There is a A&W in Superior WI but is not the most appittsing place to go to..BTW it seems that many Americans in "Da States" Eat Breakfast at 200am after a pub crawl and many diners that had Breakfast are OOS like Howard Johnson-

 

Ah, now if you're looking for diners open 24 hours a day and serving breakfast menus all those 24 hours you've got to come east to New Jersey, "The Diner Capital Of The World!"

All Jersey diners (the REAL diners, mind you) serve breakfast all day and night.  And you can usually find one on the menu called "The Lumberjack" or "The Super-Lumberjack" on the menu.  Pancakes, bacon, sausage, ham, hash browns (or home fries), eggs, and toast.  Yum!

If it wasn't for the diners, pizzarias and other Italian places, the burger and hot dog joints, and the bakeries and ice cream places everyone in Jersey would have left long ago like I did.  It's the food keeping everyone there!

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Posted by Penny Trains on Saturday, January 18, 2020 7:14 PM

My favorite restaurant:

Corned beef!   (drooling noises...)   Chef

BTW, I worked in the building for a week or two in 1987 when it was a Sister's Chicken.  No glorious fast food career for me.  Wink

Trains, trains, wonderful trains.  The more you get, the more you toot!  Big Smile

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Posted by 54light15 on Saturday, January 18, 2020 7:19 PM

I'm not retired but I get up around 9 am, read the paper, have my coffee while my cat claws my leg. I leave my place around 10:30 most days, look at boilers for a couple of hours and am home usually by 2 to 3 pm. I write up my work for the day and then I'm done. If I'm lucky I work 5 hours a day and people wonder why I'm not retired. Why the hell should I? I like driving around, talking to good-looking receptionists and looking at interesting machinery.

If you think manufacturing has all gone to China, you are wrong! I'm in factories all day and yes, the average household item is made in China. For example, the landing gear for that 2-story Airbus plane? It's made in a suburb of Toronto by BF Goodrich. I love my job and will do it until I can no longer climb a vertical ladder and I have no problem with that, either. 

One thing I do miss here in Canada are the diners! We had plenty on Long Island and there are a few along the Taconic Parkway in Upstate New York like the Chief Taghkanic in Hillsdale. It's been there since it was built and has never been upgraded, restored or anything. It'a a chrome, nickel and formica masterpiece still dishing out the good grub. Worcester, Massachusetts has some really old ones, some that I think started out as railroad cars. 

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Saturday, January 18, 2020 7:26 PM

Penny Trains

My favorite restaurant:

Corned beef!   (drooling noises...)   Chef

BTW, I worked in the building for a week or two in 1987 when it was a Sister's Chicken.  No glorious fast food career for me.  Wink

 

Looks good!  What do they have besides corned beef?  

This is my favorite...

http://www.frankswest.com    

I usually do my best posts after a dinner there and a half-carafe of the house merlot!  Or chianti. Or chardonnay.

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Posted by SD70Dude on Sunday, January 19, 2020 12:06 AM

Flintlock76

I usually do my best posts after a dinner there and a half-carafe of the house merlot!  Or chianti. Or chardonnay.

Does the dinner contain fava beans?  And maybe a delicate selection of fresh liver?

The guy next door told me they go well together.

Greetings from Alberta

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Posted by selector on Sunday, January 19, 2020 1:14 AM

I have been retired since 20014 (at the ripe old age of 52 no less).  I keep busy and active, or did until I developed severe sleep apnea and its daughter, atrial fibrillation.  

I'm rarely in bed before midnight, and rarely still in bed after 0730.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, January 19, 2020 8:59 AM

SD70Dude

 

 
Flintlock76

I usually do my best posts after a dinner there and a half-carafe of the house merlot!  Or chianti. Or chardonnay.

 

 

Does the dinner contain fava beans?  And maybe a delicate selection of fresh liver?

The guy next door told me they go well together.

 

If your next door neighbor has a strange resemblance to Sir Anthony Hopkins you may want to consider moving!  Or climbing in your SD70, slamming the door and never coming out!

Seriously, the only time I've ever had liver was in a Marine chow hall, it was either eat it or go hungry.  Wasn't bad, but not something I'd go out of my way for.

No fava beans on the side though.  

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Posted by MMLDelete on Sunday, January 19, 2020 9:28 AM

SD70Dude
fava beans?  And maybe a delicate selection of fresh liver?

If you eat this, do NOT smoke.

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, January 19, 2020 11:04 AM

Soon to be 88, I'd like to reply to the original question.  When I was active professionally, living in New York City, age 38 - 64, my routine was up at 6:15, subway at 6:45, synagogue to 7:40, subway and Metro North to White Plains office at 9:00, with bagel or doughnut and coffee or tea bought at GCT and consumed on the train, work with healthy lunch-break (with us partners discussing our work, but the White Plains North Yard diner, eating vegitarian) to 5:00, Metro North and subway back to synagogue with dinner at nearby restaurant or friends home, before or after depending on time of prayer which depends on time of sundown, then home or concert or play and to bed by 11:00 or so, usully getting about seven hours continuous sleep.

Now I find that whenever I go to bed, I usually don't sleep for more that four or five hours, and usually that is interrupted by a potty call in the middle.  But I do need to doze for an hour or two or three, sometimes in two or three bits, in the middle of the day.  I think we older people have a modified metabolism that allows an earlier wake-up.  I also find I need a very substantial breakfast after morning prayers, and then except possibly for snack as part of class with a teacher who likes food to be consumed along with ideas, its on to dinner before another real meal, instead of three squares a day or the tiny breakfast and substantial lunch when I was really working.  Does this explanation help?

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, January 19, 2020 3:02 PM

Sounds like a pretty good day!

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, January 19, 2020 4:27 PM

When I was working - Midnights - it was get home and go to bed about 8 AM or so and sleep until I woke up - 1 to 2 PM.  Now that I sleep nights - I am getting 7 to 8 hours starting at Midnight or 1 AM.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Penny Trains on Sunday, January 19, 2020 6:48 PM

Flintlock76
Looks good! What do they have besides corned beef? This is my favorite...

Classic diner fare.  Sandwiches of all sorts, burgers, fried chicken, soup du jour, etc.  My favorite pizza comes from Antonio's, they use provalone instead of mozarella.  Boy does it make a difference!  Chef  http://www.antoniospizza.net/

Trains, trains, wonderful trains.  The more you get, the more you toot!  Big Smile

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, January 19, 2020 7:01 PM

Sounds like a good place!

Hmm, provalone instead of mozzarella on a pizza?  Diffferent.  I'd try it, I'm not that much of a purist.

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Posted by Enzoamps on Sunday, January 19, 2020 7:05 PM

I live in an old folks home, After 9PM most windows here are dark.   We had a new years eve party, and this year it actually lasted until almost 10PM!!!  You go to sleep at 9PM, you are likely to wake up REAL early.

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Posted by NKP guy on Sunday, January 19, 2020 7:24 PM

   I'm surprised that so far no one has suggested that some retired folks get up early because in a number of ways it's the best part of the day.

   When I taught, I arose at 5 AM and was in my classroom by 7:15.  These days I rise around 6 or 6:30 AM and think I'm getting away with something because I can sleep in!

   Early risers see the dawn; need I say more?  Ahead lies a new day of seemingly endless possibilities and things to do.  People who walk dogs early, especially in parks, see things and creatures that often cause joy and wonderment and that frequently leads to prayers of thanks.

   One last thing:  My grandfather, born in 1887, was very much of the opinion that people who were not awake before 8 AM might just as well go back to bed since they'd already missed the best part of the day.  As a kid I used to scorn that notion; the older I get, the more I understand it.

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Sunday, January 19, 2020 8:13 PM

SD70Dude

A&W's are found in many smaller towns out here that apparently are not large enough to rate a McDonalds etc.

Here is the breakfast menu.  I usually get the All-Canadian Special:

https://web.aw.ca/en/our-menu/breakfast

 

Sliced tomatoes with breakfast? Is that a Canadian thing?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by Miningman on Sunday, January 19, 2020 8:37 PM

Sliced tomatoes with breakfast? Is that a Canadian thing?

You betcha!! 

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Posted by MMLDelete on Sunday, January 19, 2020 9:00 PM

If I could sleep more soundly, I'd get up earlier. But between usually two toilet runs per night, and (I have sleep apnea) my CPAP mask slipping off or whatever, I tend not to sleep well between 2 and 5 am; it's sketchy during that period. But once I doze off around 5 or 6, I sleep like a corpse until about 8. Go figure.

Ideally, I would sleep 11-7. I do everything best in the morning. I take a nap every afternoon. I think the sleep apnea prevents me from ever getting a good night's sleep, hence the afternoon crash. However, I LOVE my maps.

If I need to do something well, it's really best handled in the morning.

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Posted by divebardave on Monday, January 20, 2020 3:57 PM

SD70Dude

To rush over to A&W for breakfast and read your posts on the free wifi of course!

 

  Why do you Canadians keep making all this cold nasty weather and exporting South to US USA? What did we do to you?

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