Thanks all....
It humbles me to read here your thoughts... I just felt that I did what needed to be done in my mediocre career. I decided that I wasn't going to work for a contractor after I left the FAA, mainly due to then having to work for the same FAA that I have come to despise. It has indeed gotten that bad over here.
I do intend to continue on here and the other forums that I play in because I enjoy all of you, as much as I enjoy aviation. The FAA could NEVER take that from me.
As far as retirement, well full retirement is going to have to wait a little while. I have accepted a job in the Town that I live in. You see for the last eight years I have worked as a reserve fire fighter there and for the last 7.5 years as a part time police officer. So I am going to go to work full time as a police officer for the town. Good benefits, a four minute commute to work <G>, get to eat meals at home and start working on a third retirement. It all just looks GREAT!!! I'm only 51 at the moment and have a few more years left in me to get some work done... By 60 I will come to full retirement and enjoy it quite well... If any of you find yourself out in the wilds of the Dallas Fort Worth area, give me a ring.
As to having time to go to the UK, <sigh> not this year I am afraid. We have been planning a trip to Germany for Christmas for the past couple of years and this year it is going to happen. Going to spend time with my relatives in Hamburg and near Salzburg... Now NEXT year may be a different story <G>, we will have to see how the vacation and the money goes. If it works well, I would love to see friends and family in the UK... Would also like to find time to make a quick chunnel trip across to Normandy...
Take care y'all...
Scott