According to Tamara Erickson, author of the upcoming book “Retire Retirement,” the days of golfing through one’s retirement years are gone. No longer do retirees want to spend their golden years gardening, learning a new hobby, or watching TV movies. Erickson’s book suggests many people are taking advantage of retirement as an opportunity for a second career.

“We’re living in a day and age where the last 30 or so years of your adult life are as important as the first 30,” Erickson said. “So much of what you read or hear about older workers is kind of gloomy and presents retirement years as scary and dismal. Meanwhile, it’s really an opportunity for people to look at their lives and say, ’If I could do it all over again,’ and actually do it all over again.” (Source: Asscoiated Press)

What about you? Will you use your retirement to "do it all over again" or do you want an old-fashioned retirement, filled with golf tees, a nice breeze, and little else? Do you see retirement as a chance to tackle a new profession?

Top 10 most outrageous reasons for showing up late

PRNewswire

If the minutes on the clock seem to fly by in the morning as you frantically run around collecting your keys, getting your kids out the door and grabbing your bills to make it to work on time, you’re not alone. According to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey, 15 percent of workers say they arrive late to work at least once a week, while nearly one in four of all workers (24 percent) admit to making up fake excuses to explain their tardiness.

The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Late to Work," was conducted Feb. 11-March 13 among 2,757 employers and 6,987 workers.

"Although flexible schedules are more common in the workplace these days, it is still important for employees to be mindful of their arrival times," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder.com. "Consistently showing up late can affect how others in the company view your work ethic and discipline, as well as affect your productivity."

While 43 percent of hiring managers say they don’t mind if their employees are late as long as their work is completed on time with good quality, others are much stricter and would consider terminating an employee if he or she arrives late several times a year.

When asked to identify the primary cause for coming in late, more than 32 percent of workers claimed traffic was the culprit. Falling back asleep was the reason cited by 17 percent, while 7 percent pointed to a long commute as the main cause. Other popular reasons included getting kids ready for school and day care, forgetting something at home, and feeling sick.

While the majority of hiring managers believe their employees’ reasons for being late to work, more than 27 percent say they are skeptical of the excuses.

Hiring managers provided the following top 10 examples of the most unusual excuses employees offered for arriving late to work:

1. "While rowing across the river to work, I got lost in the fog."

2. "Someone stole all my daffodils."

3. "I had to go audition for ‘American Idol.’"

4. "My ex-husband stole my car so I couldn’t drive to work."

5. "My route to work was shut down by a Presidential motorcade."

6. "I wasn’t thinking and accidentally went to my old job."

7. "I was indicted for securities fraud this morning."

8. "The line was too long at Starbucks."

9. "I was trying to get my gun back from the police."

10. "I didn’t have money for gas because all of the pawn shops were closed."

By Mary Ellen Slayter, The Washington Post

About a third of workers say they have either initiated or been the target of an April Fool’s Day prank, according to a survey by Harris Interactive for CareerBuilder.com. Covering someone’s cube with aluminum foil, faking a resignation or gluing office supplies to the desk were among the most common pranks reported in CareerBuilder.com’s survey. But, a few others were more memorable:

• Placing a pair of pants and shoes inside the only toilet stall in a men’s room to make it appear as though someone was using the stall. They sat there for hours until someone called security to check if the person had died.

• All the women in an office individually spoke to the president, confiding their pregnancies. By noon, he "knew" that all of his female workers were pregnant but could not tell anyone because each had asked for confidentiality.

• A vending soda machine filled with cans of beer.

• Placing a sign on the rest-room door that read, "The Company ran out of toilet tissue; please use your own resources."

If you’re planning a prank of your own, keep in mind the culture of your office as well as the attitude of your target. Even at the most-laid-back office, not everyone will share your idea of "fun." Avoid anything that could be construed as mean-spirited, such as fake love notes.

What pranks have you played/experienced at work?