MrEarl Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Happened to run across this while on Youtube, not sure if I ever posted it, has it really been seven years since I retired. A bit personal but definitely Buick related. Lil Rivi-Airhead. Sure miss these folks. Watch all the way through to see why everyone's arms go in the air. Buick Power 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 @MrEarl Those people were all lucky to have worked with you, but I bet most of them drive Hondas. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dship Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Don't seven years go by wicked fast?! Lamar, I believe I'm just one year older than you. In June I'll be retired seventeen years...took a "work force reduction retirement" package and was able to get out when I was fifty four. AND, I certainly enjoy the monthly pension check from that company! Like you said....I also miss some of the folks. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 I guess it has been 7 years. I purchased my 54 just before or around the time you hung up the working spurs. You have filled your retirement time wisely and well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 3 hours ago, avgwarhawk said: You have filled your retirement time wisely and well. In some ways maybe but man at all the things I thought I would have accomplished/completed and or gotten to by now. Advice to those approaching retirement, double the dollars that you think you will need and divide by two the projects you plan to accomplish... you'll still likely come out short on both though. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 19 hours ago, JohnD1956 said: @MrEarl Those people were all lucky to have worked with you, but I bet most of them drive Hondas. Actually there was a pretty strong Buy American attitude in the group. 3-4 Buick owners, young and old among them. If Buick made pick ups that number would likely be much higher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, MrEarl said: In some ways maybe but man at all the things I thought I would have accomplished/completed and or gotten to by now. Advice to those approaching retirement, double the dollars that you think you will need and divide by two the projects you plan to accomplish... you'll still likely come out short on both though. Good advice sir...well noted. Edited March 20, 2020 by avgwarhawk (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRJBUICK Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Lamar looks like you had the good fortune of working with some fun people, love the guys playing the air guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Brink Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 On 3/19/2020 at 2:08 PM, Dave Shipman said: ... I certainly enjoy the monthly pension check from that company! ... Amen to that, Dave! I really enjoy being paid each month to NOT come to work! How sweet it is... Lamar, Looks like you worked with a great bunch of people. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 It is amazing how quickly time flies. I have been retired from GM for almost 12 years. Busier than I have ever been. Especially since we now have two grandsons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelsBuicks Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 Lamar, I sense a bit of melancholy as you share this with us. For me, the surprise of retirement was just how much I miss the people I worked with. These were close relationships I took for granted and unable to recreate in retirement. My 30 year career now seems so distant. I second what you say about retirement preparation. I retired three years ago at 53 and it seems like the cost of everything has gone way up. And, my body just can’t go full tilt like it did 30 years ago. But, I love being retired and have no regrets. Somehow, I got lucky here recently and had my retirement savings protected from the market. I hate to mention this but those people seemed way too happy at your retirement party. 🤔 Enjoy it! -Joel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 It’s still retirement which surely beats working. I’m already cutting back on my hobbies and was saving a lot. Reset for a few months on that. I am out of the old car hobby but still enjoy the cars and conversations. I had a huge fish tank - gone. And I still have 3-4 hobbies. I have some work accomplishments I am proud of. But they are already done. Can’t beat a well funded retirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 Never look back since you can't go back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 On 3/20/2020 at 4:14 PM, MRJBUICK said: Lamar looks like you had the good fortune of working with some fun people, love the guys playing the air guitar! On 3/20/2020 at 9:20 PM, Gene Brink said: Amen to that, Dave! I really enjoy being paid each month to NOT come to work! How sweet it is... Lamar, Looks like you worked with a great bunch of people. They were a great bunch, basically the county Public Works Engineering Division. I headed up the Construction Management Division and the group of guys at the end were my Project Managers and Inspectors. Very talented, hard working and loyal group. We enjoyed what we did. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 On 3/20/2020 at 9:41 PM, Larry Schramm said: It is amazing how quickly time flies. I have been retired from GM for almost 12 years. Busier than I have ever been. Especially since we now have two grandsons. Ain't it the truth, I don't know how I ever found time to go to work Larry. The upkeep and maintenance of the house, barns, pond and 14 acres of Rita's landscaping and flowers gets overwhelming sometimes. I'm thinking about 5 more years of it and we'll be looking for a small house on a small lot with a 4 car garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pont35cpe Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 So Lamar, is the side trim on your forearm the only real tatoo of the bunch? At least I figure yours is real and possibly Rita`s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 On 3/20/2020 at 11:21 PM, JoelsBuicks said: Lamar, I sense a bit of melancholy as you share this with us. For me, the surprise of retirement was just how much I miss the people I worked with. These were close relationships I took for granted and unable to recreate in retirement. My 30 year career now seems so distant. Yep, 39 years for me. Started out cutting briars on a survey crew and ended as pretty much a self educated engineer looking over the contracted construction of county roads and bridges. Had a lot of great bosses and coworkers over the years who I do indeed miss now. I second what you say about retirement preparation. I retired three years ago at 53 and it seems like the cost of everything has gone way up. And, my body just can’t go full tilt like it did 30 years ago. But, I love being retired and have no regrets. Somehow, I got lucky here recently and had my retirement savings protected from the market. Good for you on getting your retirement savings protected. While Rita and I both have our pensions (she worked for the same county gov't as I did) our 401Ks are getting eaten by the virus right now. Luckily my body hasn't caught on that it's pushing 70 yet. I'm still going pretty much full speed, climbing scaffolding, building stuff etc. On 3/20/2020 at 11:21 PM, JoelsBuicks said: I hate to mention this but those people seemed way too happy at your retirement party. 🤔 Enjoy it! -Joel Ha Ha, you may be right. I am sure some of the contractors whose work we use to manage were glad to see me go for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 7 minutes ago, pont35cpe said: So Lamar, is the side trim on your forearm the only real tatoo of the bunch? At least I figure yours is real and possibly Rita`s. Ha ha, yea, mine is the only permanent ink job. One of the guys in design cut out templates and handed them out for everybody to use. I had it done on my left arm and have given up trying to get Rita to have one done on her right so we could cruise with the windows down and arms out the windows and displaying our colors. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 On 3/21/2020 at 7:37 AM, B Jake Moran said: It’s still retirement which surely beats working. I’m already cutting back on my hobbies and was saving a lot. Reset for a few months on that. I am out of the old car hobby but still enjoy the cars and conversations. Man Jake, with all your knowledge and love of the old cars, I find that so hard to believe about you. Why not just get you one nice driver at least. I had a huge fish tank - gone. And I still have 3-4 hobbies. I have some work accomplishments I am proud of. That's great, I'm sure we all do. In my case, roads and bridges, and I see them all the time as we drive around town. The one I am most proud of is the project I spent the last 3 months of work doing. I put together a manual on Public Works Construction Management. Not actually published but it is used by several counties now in NE Georgia. But they are already done. Can’t beat a well funded retirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 On 3/21/2020 at 10:33 AM, old-tank said: Never look back since you can't go back. Au contraire Willie, how else are we to remember how skinny we once were. and you can't tell me you never look back happily at some of the peoples pets you probably saved the life of... ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgreen Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 Lamar, I didn't know that CM on bridges was your field! What County did you work in Clark County? I missed working for you then as I am one of the guys now restoring bridges. The most rewarding was the old covered bridge in Cobb County. We got awards for that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 On 3/19/2020 at 3:21 PM, JohnD1956 said: @MrEarl Those people were all lucky to have worked with you, but I bet most of them drive Hondas. Could be the Hondas built in one of the twelve Honda assembly plants in the US. Or a Buick built in Germany, China, Mexico, or Korea. The only 2020 Buick model built in the US is the Enclave. Haven't we about beat this "built in the US" into the ground? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 8 minutes ago, RivNut said: Could be the Hondas built in one of the twelve Honda assembly plants in the US. Or a Buick built in Germany, China, Mexico, or Korea. The only 2020 Buick model built in the US is the Enclave. Haven't we about beat this "built in the US" into the ground? No, we have not. !! Probably will not change though, just because I think that way. Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 1 minute ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said: No, we have not. !! Probably will not change though, just because I think that way. Ben Then it seems apparent that you won't be buying a new Buick in the near future? In its 3rd year, my 2017 Encore has been 100% trouble free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 1 minute ago, RivNut said: Then it seems apparent that you won't be buying a new Buick in the near future? In its 3rd year, my 2017 Encore has been 100% trouble free. I 'spect not. I have never owned a new one. I have never owned a foreign nameplate. Just me. Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 (edited) On 3/23/2020 at 9:47 PM, kgreen said: Lamar, I didn't know that CM on bridges was your field! What County did you work in Clark County? I missed working for you then as I am one of the guys now restoring bridges. The most rewarding was the old covered bridge in Cobb County. We got awards for that one. Consolidated, Athens-Clarke County. Next time you're over this way swing by Mitchell Bridge Rd at Westchester. This is the last bridge I saw through the design and construction of. Not your typical DOT concrete barrier type bridge as are typically specd out. Proud of this little baby. Surprised to run up on the before shots on Google, cool. Edited March 25, 2020 by MrEarl (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 After 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 8 minutes ago, RivNut said: Question (hypothetically of course.) Suppose the workers at the US Honda plant and the workers at a US Buick plant traded jobs. Would the Buick be the same, better, or worse? Is it the workers, designers, plant, or soil? It's the damn car and the heritage behind it. Can we move on. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 6 minutes ago, RivNut said: Question (hypothetically of course.) Suppose the workers at the US Honda plant and the workers at a US Buick plant traded jobs. Would the Buick be the same, better, or worse? Is it the workers, designers, plant, or soil? For me it is that some people just automatically think foreign is better. Like you, my 2013 Regal has been a great car. Minor problems starting lately, but overall a good decent value. But Americans have been brainwashed to think American cars are stale design and inferior out of the box. And if they had been giving American cars a chance for the last 7 years then maybe my favorite brand would be building more than one car in America today. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwebb Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Mr. Earl, Isaw you were in Athens, I am as well, new member. My dad was a staunch Buick guy. Earliest I can remember was a I think a 53 wagon. He bought Buick wagons exclusively. Bought Sedans etc. for mom but always Buick. Hix Green Buick in Atlanta. My first car was a Skylark handed down from my mom. Man it was a great car,. I'll have to check with my older brother as my memory isn't as sharp as it once was but I'm pretty sure it was a 62. It cold fly. All my buds had Fords and Chevies. Mostly 55-57. A few years bak I decided it was my turn and I wanted to relive the better days of classic rides. I looked and looked for a 53 wagon, I found several but anything in drivable shape was way out of my price range. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuickBob49 Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Very nice bridge! The streamlined architectural design elements on the concrete railings really set it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted June 21, 2020 Author Share Posted June 21, 2020 On 6/19/2020 at 8:01 PM, lwebb said: Hix Green Buick in Atlanta. All my buds had Fords and Chevies. Mostly 55-57. Me and some buds played hookie from school one day to go to Atlanta to car shop for something to replace my '57 Chevy I had just sold. We visited Nash Chevrolet but I insisted on going by Hix Green Buick to check out the new Rivieras. There was a used '65 Black on Black Rivi that I fell in love with. I ended up giving in to peer pressure and buying instead a black on black '67 Chevelle 396 4 speed w/posi traction from my then boss at the local Texaco station. It made quite a few runs down the Greensboro Hwy 1/4 mile bridge over the Oconee river, I suspect you recall that bridge? So @lwebb , what "classic ride" did you end up with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted June 21, 2020 Author Share Posted June 21, 2020 18 hours ago, BuickBob49 said: Very nice bridge! The streamlined architectural design elements on the concrete railings really set it off. Thanks Bob. I was happy that the Public Works Director and Commision went along with the extra dollars for that particular design over a standard barrier type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 (edited) Lamar, Nice work on your bridge. This is my last job at GM. See the orange cables and connectors under the first generation Chevrolet Volt? That would be my last work. Edited June 22, 2020 by Larry Schramm (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwebb Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 Morning Lamar, Well it took me years before I was in position to get a classic. When I turned 65, I started looking for an old Buick Wagon. Didn't have much luck. I almost bought an old Pontiac tin woody wagon but it was in Cal and I didn't have the guts to go for it. When I was in college, I drove a 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe. It was a great car and in amazing original condition. I trashed it over the years and the memory of that travesty always broke my heart. I found one 5 years ago in Alabama. Also in amazing condition. Same color and everything, This one is a four door which makes more sense now in my 70s! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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