A Plan

Gainesville

Think I've figured out what to do about the retirement party thing. Before bed last night, I willed myself to dream up an answer. Was disappointed this morning to realize I remembered no dreams at all. During the day I kept mulling it over (giving it what Mom calls "prayerful thought") and tonight, while swiping the drainboards and shining the sink in the kitchen, it came to me-- a compromise.

I know what I want: a nice lunch with my department (Systems); and what is expected when a long-term geezer retires: a library-wide excuse to eat, waste time, and embarrass the hell out of the retiree. (As our HR guy Brian says, the funeral is not for the benefit of the corpse, after all.)

I will propose a joint library-wide celebration for me and Betty Mitchell, a dear sweet woman in the Accounting Office I've known forever who is almost exactly my age and retires in December. She'll get a Librarian-type send-off, and I'll get... company! I'm so happy with this idea. I just hope she will go along with it. It will be fun to have the big party be in December, when I'll already be gone and glad to see people, again, and instead of "What will you do?" the question will be "What are you doing?" Much easier to answer.

And sometime during the week after next, a low-key lunch with Systems and a very few close friends. This just feels so right, what FlyLady calls a God Breeze. Wish me luck in making this happen.

We got home at a quarter to seven. I had to go ahead with the BBQ Confetti Meatloaf recipe, as I'd started thawing a pound of ground beef last night. Before even changing out of work clothes I started pre-heating the oven, chopping, mixing, and all that stuff-- and dividing it all into muffin tins so it would cook faster. It worked quite well, though greasy, since there was no place for the fat to drain off. A bit of slightly charred stir-fried cabbage and a salad to go with.

It rained all day. Maybe the season really is changing.

Hope the California trip goes well! Wish it were just a few weeks later, and I'd go too. Maybe next time we can all be out there together. How long has it been since THAT happened?