Last Thursday I officially retired, separating in the morning as that last minute things come up, which they did. The previous night was a bit rough with a family member needing an ER visit and I was short on sleep that night. I popped awake at 4:15 AM, and thought I might as well get this day out of the way. There was some confusion about the process. And it wasn't a great week for my boss, as that he lost two other engineers to other departments and only one of the seven offers outstanding were accepted........and he lost that person to another department.
I was not prepared for how tired I was going to be that day. I knocked off two naps of about one hour each, and I was still dog tired after that. My body clock is still waking me up around 4:30ish. No big deal, I can take all the afternoon naps that I want. That time of morning is great for ham radio as that I can get Japan and Australia on the lower frequencies, and I've been on the air quite a bit.
As for regrets..........only one. I should have added one more "gripe" to the exit survey that I begrudgingly filled out. I did complain about the unsafe drivers that we have working there, and about how some managers spring the "Friday Surprise" on you ten minutes before you start what you think is going to be a weekend off. I did remember to point out that managers who spring this on you still get to watch their kids' soccer games or go skydiving while you have to explain to an angry wife about why you can't make that day trip to Patagonia.
Well, the "Friday Surprise" was an almost weekly occurrence when I was at Paragon Space Development, which has struggled with high turnover in addition to business volatility. Almost everyone I knew there has since also left, so I have no idea what's really going on there any more aside from noticing that they are hiring again. I'll pass; I'm done with manned spaceflight.
Which I guess now begs the question, am I done? I won't say that I am. All I know is that I am taking the next six months off, and I may or may not seek a part time position as a consultant after that. The pay for that is really well, and one former employer has unofficially spoken to me about part time work. I am in the financial position of not really needing the extra money but I can see having to feed the travel appetite somehow.
As for retirement itself, I don't feel "retired" just yet. That might change this evening as I go out on the back patio with a radio and a cold drink, and tune in those distant stations on the AM band, and knowing that this time I can stay up as late as I want to. Tuning in to distant stations is what got me into my career field many years ago, and I'm going to have to tell that story sometime.
And as I'm making this transition, there are some things I have resolved to do. One, get a gym membership going. Two, start eating better (that starts today). Three, go out on walks a lot more often, which heat advisories as of late have constrained that. But, it's cool enough around sunrise to do that, and the dog likes going out on walks too. I think the dog and cats are going to like my retirement maybe even more than I will.
One important point I want to make. This is not an end. It is a beginning. And I pray for health.
