When I'm sick of my day job, I'm going to...

[AnnaT]

Whenever I'm heartily sick of work I think "You know, you could be a truck driver" - I like the thought of not having to interact with coworkers sometimes...

[Thipu1]

I had a friend at work who, when things got tense, would always say he wanted to be a shepherd. 

[TootsNYC]

Whenever I'm heartily sick of work I think "You know, you could be a truck driver" - I like the thought of not having to interact with coworkers sometimes...

I read once that whistling a tune has fallen out of use; few people know how to do it anymore. The circumstances that make it easy to teach one's self don't exist in most people's lives (no one around to bother; mentally-non-taxing tasks that leave your brain and mouth available--like, walking behind the plow, in the pre-industrial days).

The people who *do* have those circumstances, and who are becoming the whistlers? Truck drivers.

You could be a truck driver and learn to whistle!

(probably shepherds, of the old fashioned kind, could learn it too)

[ica171]

I have a few pipe dreams; they vary depending on how much money I have in the dream.

Once all the kids are in school, I'd love to rehab old houses, especially those that have been split into apartments. I could theoretically do this if I could get the down payment money together.

If I had a lot of money, like lottery money, I'd like to buy two houses that have been subdivided into a ton of tiny apartments and donate them to the state's historical preservation society. They're listed as endangered houses or something on there.

We watch American Pickers, and we've seen one or two episodes where the people have actual towns in their backyards. They've bought old buildings that were going to be demolished and brought them home, so they'll have a general store, saloon, a few houses, etc. I'd love to have my own town of old buildings to rehab. I also love the idea of preserving the history of them. Eventually we want to buy about ten acres in the country, so I suppose this is doable too.

I've also thought about having my own shop, a combination thrift/antique store where I could also sell furniture I've fixed up. My parents had their own business and I know how much it can suck, so I don't think about this one too much.

[EveLGenius]

I figure that when I retire, I'll become a professional waiter.  Not in a restaurant, but something similar to the housewife suggestion upthread. 

I will wait for you.  I will wait for the package delivery service, the washer repairman, the cable guy, or the phone call.  I will sit in your house with my knitting and answer the door or the phone.  I won't provide childcare, pet care, or housecleaning- I just wait, so that you don't have to.

[jedikaiti]

I want to work at the panda day care facility in China. 

THAT would be awesome.

I always say I am going to buy a ranch and raise alpacas.

[Lynn2000]

You guys have such awesome, creative ideas! I like how they fill those annoying niches we normally just have to do ourselves or do without--I can't tell you how many times co-workers have missed part or all of a day of work sitting at home waiting for a big delivery, repair person, etc..

My pipe-dream is to have a nice home/apartment somewhere--spacious, private, secure, accessible (like with an elevator, so my parents could get around it as they get older)--and I would read and watch TV/movies and listen to music (because I'm always behind on that), and most importantly, get a lot of writing done, and my crafts. And I would work on preserving my old writing and craft projects (typing or scanning them, for example), and I would also work on family history stuff. I'm not big into travel, but I could gather up my info and travel somewhere that my ancestors are from, and stay there for a week or so digging up records that aren't available online. I think all that would be really satisfying.

[lilfox]

My pipe dream has changed a bit over the years.  When I was a kid, I wanted to run a farm for foxes that would be rescued from fur ranches (or whatever they're called).  Or be a mad scientist with the crazy lab filled with bubbling chemicals. (or both)

When I was in grad school, my friends and I would talk about opening our own jazz+dessert bar, something with a laid back vibe and lots of good comfy seating.  I could bartend, another friend would handle the desserts, and another would be the manager.

Lately it's been to move somewhere tropical and own/operate a chartered plane and/or sailboat business.

[ladyknight1]

Part of the plan from page 1 is to take in abandoned and neglected animals. We will need at least 20 acres to accomplish all those plans.

[One Fish, Two Fish]

I'd like to open a movie theater that only showed cult classic movies.  I would host theme nights & special events.  I love that dream....Le sigh.

[ladyknight1]

Like Rocky Horror?

[One Fish, Two Fish]

Yes!  I would even sell kits with all of the props in the lobby.  I have given this way too much thought.

[TootsNYC]

I have given this way too much thought.

No, no, no--indeed you haven't.

How entertained have you been, with making up lists of the props, etc.?

In the first place, that's sheer entertainment. Valuable stuff, that.

And in the second place, you've put thought into "what symbolises this movie?" and "what is attractive to people?" All intellectual exercise that has probably made you smarter and more insightful in other arenas.

[Twik]

I figure that when I retire, I'll become a professional waiter.  Not in a restaurant, but something similar to the housewife suggestion upthread. 

I will wait for you.  I will wait for the package delivery service, the washer repairman, the cable guy, or the phone call.  I will sit in your house with my knitting and answer the door or the phone.  I won't provide childcare, pet care, or housecleaning- I just wait, so that you don't have to.

SOMEONE has to do this!

[TootsNYC]

Oh, I forgot one!

I'm going to start a company that makes items for museum gift shops. items that are more closely linked to the stuff that's actually *IN* that museum.

Like in the Museum of Natural History, there's a big display of clear-ish plastic models of amoeba or sea creatures. I'm going to make tiny versions as Christmas tree ornaments.

Or the beautiful alabaster vasel; I'll make an exact copy. Two--one in alabaster, and one in resin that's less expensive.

Every museum I go to, I pick out stuff that should be made into a gift-shop item. They never have anything close.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art here in NYC has some that are pretty good. But they're the only ones.