I think about retiring every day. I'll look into working part time at the company I work for and doing other things to make money.

You forgot "Budtender"

I shortened this quote, but it's worth going back and reading the whole thing. Erak is literally just down the road from me and he makes a good point about how health care in Canada is affordable. You can get stuck on waiting lists, but, you won't lose your shirt to get care.

The point about "Do what you enjoying doing... " is spot on. I just retired. It's been great. If you need extra cash, there's a lot of ways to manage that, but make sure you're covered health wise.

The anecdotes about wait times come from what people in Canada say have happened to them, people such as the person I had quoted, and, well, from these things that you wrote:

If you retired and have knee pain you can expect to wait a few months for an MRI.

Everyone on the wait list is rated

they told me right away your going to wait.

You're talking about wait times in what you wrote, are you not? That's where I hear about it. You state these things as if fact, yet you refer to it as a myth, but maybe you meant something different than how I am reading it.

My issue is that such wait times are not mentioned in the same posts when uninformed Americans compare the American system with the Canadian system. They always talk down the American system with respect to cost, never mentioning any downsides to the Canadian system, while I would rather hear some more about what isn't being said.

I'm not deciding which system is better nor saying the American system has no wait times. All I am saying is that Americans need to hear about any negatives in the Canadian system. This could mean these wait times of which you speak, which in their application may be different to what Americans are used to, and, from what you wrote, their length seems to be influenced by the job you do, how critical your issue is deemed, and then, from what this next gent wrote, if you will pay cash to improve your place in the waiting line:

So, choice is available, I guess, to pay for immediacy or wait for a freebie (er, fully subsidized). That's more than I knew yesterday about the Canadian system.

I got my CT scan within the hour, in the USA, but I was in the Emergency Room. If it was less critical, yeah I'd be making an appointment for the next available opening which could be a few weeks out. But, I'd have no option to get its cost fully subsidized.

In fact, there is a scam going on in America when the insured person needing Emergency Services naturally chooses an In-Network hospital in order to avoid the higher out-of-pocket costs that would be assessed if an Out-of-Network hospital was chosen. This person/patient is not aware that the In-Network hospitals staff their Emergency Rooms with Out-of-Network physicians (at least at night). Then, weeks later, the patient gets ambushed by way of a large "balance billing" for physician services, an amount that is deemed out-of-network and you gotta pay up because your insurance company won't cover it at In-Network levels. The hospital knows they gotcha when you are in an emergency and can't shop around for price. They won't tell you that this is what they are doing when you choose an In-Network hospital. It's very lucrative for these physicians. This has happened to me. About four States have made this practice illegal. I have opened a complaint to my State Insurance Commissioner and the US Dept of Labor. It's a racket, I tell ya! I'll cut my story short here, for now.

Kind of what I said in post #202

Ahhh , The Ol' Tennessee two step !
Makes everything feel alright !

This , everybody read this !
Spot on

F'um...

No 10k pinball machines here. Way out of my price range. I'll stay with the old EM machines, although some of those 10k are pretty cool indeed!

I hear pizza delivery can be quite lucrative.

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You've inspired me. I need to get a new pair too. Mine our so thin now and I turned in my notice to work I'm done at the end of next week. Unfortunately I can only be retired for a week then back to a new job. But what a week it will be.

13's I think they're the ones on the far right.

Some of the best things of not working are the mid day naps and drinking. When I had my own business it was the waking and baking and taking trips down the coast and long lunches in cool bars.

I'm eligible for full retirement but the pay and benefits are too good at my job to retire. In the meantime I'm building a side eBay business with a high cost to profit margin and making some money from it. My plan is to be my own boss so I can pop a beer or do WHATEVER I want while running the eBay business part time or full time after I retire.

I feel you're living life fully if what you're doing brings joy to your life.

To retire or not to retire... that is the question and I'm debating whether to buy more duct tape or take the plunge.

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Hell yeah! I lived most my life that way when I only had myself to worry about. A flat of eggs a bag of potatoes and weed and drink. Did a lot of spontaneous free diving and surfing off the coasts. Just being responsible enough to keep it going. I think I can get back there once the kids are all grown up. Although a set of rollers with the biggest board I can find is more my style of fun. Small boards and thrashing is for the young in my book now a days. LOL

I bet the islands are going to be epic. For me tastes have changed. Last time I tried to show some kids how to drop in and skate a pool went real bad and I was only like 32 at the time. Now I'm only 46 but it seems like the old coordination has gone a little side ways. I did ride my sons razor scooter to pick him up from school last week so I'm not totally lame yet I guess.

Those lake waves get big, but they just don't have that same roll to them. I've always liked Michigan more in the winter when all the humidity and bugs are gone. Lots of bars and bowling alleys.

When you first mentioned it I was picturing a pair of these old classics:

Rainbows

Your version looks a bit more substantial.

You should start a pinball commune. Fresh organic food tasty waves and bud with a big dose of pinball.

Good call, but I think historically cults are much more profitable for the founders than communes. I'd recommend that route.

Someone has to pay for the gas in the van.

Bud, pinball, and waves sound good enough.

Unfortunately you and I can remember a much better uncrowded California. Now those were the days.

Fucking beaches look like a refugee camp nowadays.

Shouldn’t you guys be in the “you know you’re getting old…” thread?!

How many times did you go to Lake Delores when you were younger? Fun times.I miss them.

The metal water slides and rope were the best back then.

I got pretty skinned flying up on the beach or actually dirt.

The pier didn't have a sign with like 20 fish you shouldn't eat. LOL

Two of the best and funniest threads going.

Holy shit I would just use the inflatable raft. Kudos to you sir.