Retiring is a Lot of Work

Yes, you read that right.  Retiring is a lot of work.  There has been a lot of fighting with the third party benefits center that my employer uses.  I'm convinced that the people who run that hate all of mankind and every living creature that the Good Lord made.  Well, save for one.  I'd better not identify her or she'll get fired.  that lady has gone out of her way twice to help me.

At work, my replacement has been identified, and he is coming up to speed.  He'll  be seasoned in the months to come, but I also know a lot is being asked of him.  He's seen his fair share of trench warfare, maybe even more than I have seen, and I think he'll do well..........if they can keep him.  Morale in our department is still low and since I've announced my departure, two other engineers have announced theirs, and we've got some others actively looking.  I expect my phone will ring in six weeks, with them asking me to come back as a contractor, but I'll tell them again, I am taking the rest of the year off.  I see myself being open to that kind of discussion early next year, but not before.

Meanwhile, I'll have to say some good things about the Social Security people.  They have been very helpful, and more efficient than I would have considered them capable of being.  That has to say something when a government operation is more efficient than a similar private enterprise is.........and that something is not complimentary to the private sector in this case.

The big day is 7/31.  I have been counting the days and it's worse than being a kid and waiting for Christmas.  Three of those days will be consumed by a medical matter.  I am in need of a minor outpatient procedure and that is scheduled for the 29th.  I have had one exam, and another specialist is doing another on the 23rd.  I should be able to drive after that.

A lot of people have been wishing me well.  Their kind word are appreciated.

I will be glad when this is over.  I'm going to need a vacation when I'm done retiring.

Thursday 5/22/25: Some Memories and Some Looking Forward

On this day in 1983, I officially wrapped up a job that I had at Radio Shack.  My final exams were done, my graduation was less than a week away, a new job was pending, and a road trip was planned.

Here I am years later, fondly remembering that time, and looking forward to retirement.  The planned date is the end of July and we are already planning the next road trip.  There are more trips we want to do and those are being planned as well.  The DFW Metroplex is one destination and the Tidewater of Virginia is another.  I expect more travel too.

The one concern I had about retiring was that I was going to second-guess myself about it.  Well, that's not happening.  I get tempted on some days to hand in my resignation and get this over with.  I figure that the temptation will be recurring.  I am trying to get some projects at work completed, and I'm optimistic that they will be done in time.  If not............well I'm sticking to the planned date of 7/31.  

Aside from that, not too much else to report.  I am making a four day weekend out of this weekend and I plan on resting and relaxation.  

I also will be remembering those who served.  That includes some family members who are no longer with us.

I'm Retiring!

A few weeks ago I made the decision to go ahead with retirement.  I've been in this kind of financial position for some time, but held off for a number of reasons.  One was that I was really enjoying my job, and two was that I was really enjoying the people I work with.  Yet there has been this desire to take a sabbatical, and I could use one of about six months.  It is possible that I may come back as a part time contractor (I already have one previous employer wanting me back).  It's just as possible that I'll be out somewhere with a fishing pole.  I can tell you that Sheila and I would like to do some traveling, both here in the Southwest, as well as the East Coast.  

I notified my new boss of this decision early Thursday afternoon.  I knew a week ago that this would be the week.  The hardest part about this was keeping it bottled up inside of me.  Sheila knew, Mark knew, and so did a few others.  I didn't say anything about it at work.  I really wanted to vent.......I went blog silent as this was being mulled over.  I didn't want to spill the beans just yet.

Interestingly enough, I slept really well last week........until Friday night, the day after I informed my boss.  I haven't brought it up at work.  I told two co-workers that I am close to, and asked them not to say anything about it.  Word will eventually get out, and I'm going to let that take its course.  And there's a reason for that.

Morale in my department has been plummeting.  I can go into why I think it is plummeting, but it's best not to.  I didn't want to be seen spiking the football while many of my co-workers are unhappy.  In other words.........savor, but don't gloat.  I've seen situations before where once morale goes south, it never really comes back.  It's only overcome when there has been a huge turnover in personnel.  The low morale is undoubtedly a factor in the timing of my decision, but even if it weren't I still need a huge chunk of time off.  There are guns to shoot, fish to catch, coins to collect, books to read, and ham radio to keep me busy.  If there's a concern, it's that I might be busier than I am now, and I might have to dedicate time for relaxation.  

I am very much at peace about this decision.  It is time for me to step down, and let someone else ride this horse.

As for my last day, that's still being worked out.  Maybe the end of August.  Maybe the end of July.  Professional courtesy obligated me to give 90 days' notice, and I told my boss I would not go out before those 90 days.  He's going to have to work with HR to open a req for my replacement, and even if he gets someone I wouldn't want to be the person that replaces me.  The nature of my present assignment is that it will take six months to break that person in, and another six months of seasoning.  It's been a challenging assignment and a fun one to boot, but I don't a lot of people would have said that if they were in my shoes.

So.........a career that started out in microwave tubes, and went on to missiles, experimental missile payloads, satellites, satellite ground stations, circuit cards, manned spacecraft, cancer detection equipment, life support systems, aircraft engines and test stations for flight hardware is drawing to a close.

Most of it was fun, and I've learned not to have regrets over "what might have been".  

If there is anyone who is more blessed than I have been, I'm not aware of it.

Sunday 2/2/25: Warming Up in the Old Pueblo

 The past week or so saw below normal temperatures.  Today we are above normal and it will be that way for the rest of the week.  February can be a great month here and it can also be a cold month.  I would have thought we would be in for snow this winter, since it does that every third winter or so, but not this time.

Since I last checked in, we were up to San Jose and back for my mother's memorial service.  It was a great service and the whole process went a whole lot smoother than I thought it would.  We took three days to drive up there mainly because I-40 was used instead of I-10.  You can do it in two even using I-40, but I budgeted an extra day of driving since we wanted to bypass L.A..  Even if L.A. wasn't having their fire problems you still don't want to pass thru if you don't have to.

The first night saw us in Needles, where gas was $5.89 a gallon.  We discovered that one road that takes you into Mohave Valley AZ that the locals know about, and got gas there at $3.49.  Gas along I-40 and I-5 varied.  In Barstow and Lost Hills you could get it for around $4.00, but in Kettleman City figure on popping at least $5.70.  In San Jose it varied between $3.85 at Rotten Robbie's to $4.89 elsewhere.  At a Chevron in Morgan Hill where we stopped for a bio break there was a sticker with a QR code that said the high prices were due to taxes, and scan the code to figure out how to fight back.

Well the best way to fight back is at the ballot box, but the mentality of 80% of California voters suggests they aren't capable of processing the concept that if you vote differently you will get different results.  

Anyway, the drive back was also along I-40 and we came home in two days.  We made a mistake stopping for the night in Mojave.  We've stayed there before with no issues but we will never stay there again.  No, we weren't harmed or injured, but Tehachapi would have been a better choice.  (You do NOT want to stay in Barstow unless you want your car broken into overnight!)  

Meantime, I have started the process of getting my mother's estate settled.  I have distributed the first part of the assets with the second part being done pending sale of her house.  I don't see that happening until later in the year, as that we've got to get it ready, and finish going thru her things.  It is going to be a long process.  I have also had to re-arrange some things financially.  All of the debts save for mortgage and HELOC have been paid.  The mortgage is fixed at 3.5%, and with the CD I set up two days ago paying 4% I am in that unique position of the bank paying me more interest than I am paying them.  I can settle the mortgage right now if I want to, but right now it's free money.  

I guess this now brings up the retirement question.  I've had a few co-workers ask me when I'm going to do it.

Last December, when I was asked, the answer was "some time between tomorrow and one year from tomorrow."  A date has been tentatively selected but I am not announcing it, as that it's still subject to change.  I am being treated very well at work and it's been years since I've enjoyed a job as much as I've enjoyed this one.  I will admit there is a desire to take a sabbatical, and come back part time as a contractor.  

And if the sabbatical goes on for a year, no big deal.  I have places I want to visit, books that I want to read, and things that I want to do.  

12/26/24: Nearing the End of the Year

It's now at the time of the year where some of us get to slow down some after a frantic four weeks or so, relax, reflect, and recharge, and yes, I'm in that boat.  There's a lot to catch up on so I may as well get started.

Work has been treating me very well.  The schedule of performance reviews was accelerated to early this month as opposed to the usual February, and I did very well this past year.  To be honest, that was the best performance review I've ever had in my career.  It helps in that my boss and I have known each other for a long time, having worked together at Paragon Space Development here in Tucson.  I was really jazzed up about that review; I had been banking some comp time that day and I went home early so that I could reflect on that.  It was one of those moments where I had to invoke one of my recent sayings:  savor, but don't gloat.  I suppose I ought to expand on that some.

When I was offered a job at another company in early 1996, I was glad to get out of the company that I worked for, and into something really neat that I could do.  One of my co-workers who had also left said something that I've never forgotten:  savor the moment.

Now we fast forward to where I'm older, and hopefully wiser.  My mindset towards things when things are going good has changed somewhat.  It's trying to remember to thank God for the fortune, but it's also to not get caught up on gloating.  Perhaps you have seen some end zone celebrations while watching a football game.  Players can't help but celebrate a touchdown.  It's human nature.  Yet the Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry told his players not to celebrate.  He told them "act like you've been there before".  In other words, have some class about it, and don't rub it into your opponent's face.

I can see where Tom Landry was coming from on that.  Excessive celebration will have the effect of motivating your opponent to fighting harder to win, and some of us, when we want to do something badly enough we will figure out a way to get it done.  If you gloat, that can come back and bite you.  That's one reason.

The other reason, is something I read in the Sermon on the Mount.  There Christ warns people about celebrating your good deeds.  I take that more as a warning against virtue signaling, and virtue signaling is one thing the world could use a severe shortage of right now.  Now can you celebrate inwardly?  I say you can.  Savor, but don't gloat.  

But what about celebration?  And is there a time to gloat?  Here is where what I'm about to say reflects my personal opinion.

If you land a new job, yes, take your wife and family out, and celebrate with a nice dinner.  If you reach a marriage milestone like I'm about to, yes, celebrate (and on that one you had better if you want to stay married...........!!!!!)  And if you want to jump up and down in the privacy of your own living room when something good happens, go for it.  You're not putting on a show for anyone.  

But when is it time to gloat?

Again, my personal opinion is coming into play here.

If you're a ham radio operator and you get someone on Pitcairn Island, then you can gloat.  And there are two reasons.  One, over 99% of the rest of the population won't care about that, so it's not like you're rubbing into anyone's face.  Two, the other ham radio operators will congratulate you and say "good job!", and then ask you how you pulled it off.

Anyway...........we are nearing the end of another year.  One of my former employers is trying to get me to come back.  I haven't told them no, but I haven't told them yes either.  My next job is retirement, and that next job starts sometime between tomorrow and one year from tomorrow.  I'm not ready to announce the intended date, which is subject to change.  Let's say that I'm not close enough to it to where I feel the need to let my management know about it.  

I have also been busy enjoying my time off, mainly in the pursuit of hobbies and simple pleasures.  Yeah, there are some things around the house I need to do, and I've worked on it here and there.

That's it.  

My Mother Has Passed

Five days ago my mother has passed.  I knew some four weeks ago she was slowing down.  She got COVID some three weeks ago, which she recovered from, but she did not recover from the two falls that she got shortly after that.  Falls in that age bracket are sometimes the beginning of the end, which was true in her case.  She was given two weeks to two months, the next day it was one to two weeks, the next day after that she was given one week, and then it was a few days.

My brother and sister were able to make it down here in time.  It was a hard week for all of us.  As I am writing this, I am still dealing with arrangements and other matters related to this.  I have been off of work for these past two weeks, with the exception of yesterday since there wasn't anything to do on the home front (and I felt the need to start working on getting back to the status quo ante). 

We take comfort in knowing that she is with the Lord.  

I regret that due to her dementia, I was not able to have "deep" conversations with her like I was able to many years ago.  To be honest, she was very difficult to deal with this past year.  We were able to get her into assisted living last January, and that was not easy.  

As stated before, I am still working on arrangements.  I am taking today off of work in an effort to get them finalized.  

No comment at this time on the election results.  

And Now Pete Rose is Gone

This afternoon I learned that Pete Rose passed away.  I remember seeing him in person at Candlestick Park with the Big Red Machine.  Baseball was great in those days.  The Reds were great.  I rooted for them in the 1975 World Series and when I saw them play the Giants at Candlestick.

Somewhere along the way, I lost my interest in baseball.  It started coming back when I was in my early 30s, and that was after Pete Rose accepted a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball for gambling.  And when the players went on strike in 1994, that was it for me.  They came off the strike the next year and I went on strike as a fan and have been on strike since.  (This is coming from someone who still refuses to rent from Hertz, due to their previous association with OJ Simpson.  And I have no idea why people say I'm stubborn.)  But let's get this back to Pete Rose.

There is no doubt he was one of the greatest baseball players of all time.  I remember him running to first base when he drew a walk.  From what I have read he adopted a derisive nickname and made it his own.  There was never a Charlie Hustle before and there will never be another one.  

When the gambling allegations surfaced, I'm thinking..........say it ain't so, Pete.  The investigation went on for many months, and I read that Rule 21, prohibiting gambling from the players, was conspicuously posted on the door of every clubhouse.  In other words, Pete Rose had no excuse.  Gambling problem?  Yeah, we learned he had one.  But it went deeper than that.  There was tax evasion and shady behavior on his part.  The man who I saw run to first base upon drawing a walk was doing a different kind of hustling off the field.  I was disappointed, and I agreed with the ban.

For some time, I thought MLB was going to cave, and reinstate him.  To their credit, they haven't.  In my opinion MLB isn't exactly an honest enterprise and a large part of that is due to continued fan support, which I've touched upon in a few posts from many years back.

Anyway........someone who became as controversial as OJ Simpson, but in a different way, is no longer with us.  

I hope that anyone he was ever a role model to will restrict their emulation to passionate execution in what they do for a living, and not in what Rose did off the field.