Fred Moore says it took him about five years to adjust to his retirement. "I felt kind of guilty not going to work every day," he admits. After doing installations at CMI for nearly two decades (1976-1996)in the TI department, one could understand why it would be a hard habit to break.

During his first year of retirement, Fred put a new roof on his house and replaced the windows just help him cope. After that, he warmed up to the concept of free time , and "we went on a few trips..." he says modestly. Hawaii was their first trip together. The other trips included an east coast tour, a trip to Canada, a cruise through the Panama Canal, an exploration of Mexico. His favorite trip was the two week cruise in Alaska, Fred recalls.

Travel took the back seat when his son, John, dropped off a charming Hungarian bird dog named Ellie. Fred now enjoys taking the overly active dog for daily walks during the week. His two-year old great granddaughter, Alyssa, also comes for frequent visits and she keeps Fred real busy. Fred says that he and his wife have put their travel plans on hold for a while, but looking after Alyssa and Ellie is well worth it!

Bob McDonald spent just three years working for CMI (from 2000 to 2003) before he retired, but he says he wishes he'd had the opportunity to join the CMI team years before.

At 52, Bob was easing his way out of full time work and enjoying a leisurely semi retirement schedule of six months on and six months off when his long time buddy "Zero," AKA Steve Z., called and offered him a job at CMI. The opportunity to join a company he had long admired was the only thing that could have tempted him away from retirement.

Bob felt right at home in CMI's architectural detailing department where he worked on specialized copper finish work for custom homes. Bob explains that, while he loved every minute of working for CMI, "The call of the wild got to me."

Now, Bob is dreaming of the new Alumaweld 18-foot fishing boat that he ordered a few days ago. For Bob, retirement means fishing. "Every day is Sunday!" Bob exclaims with enthusiasm. Full retirement leaves him with plenty of time to head up to his cabin in Gridley, just north of Yuba City. "Zero calls it Glumly," he says laughing. But to Bob it is a place to "collect my thoughts" and seek out his favorite fish, the Kokenee Salmon. Bob isn't joking when he says his favorite fishing lure is called the "Wedding Ring." He says it works like a charm.