mtefft: April 2008 Archives

I have been retired for 2 weeks now and so far so good. I still don't think I have fully realized that I do not have to get up and go to work any more. I expect it will sink in soon but for now I am in the twilight zone. I do know that I am having trouble remembering what day of the week it is, that must be a good sign. I have been filling up the days by reading, watching my Teaching Company lectures, and going places. This weekend I visited the War Memorial Museum in Hampton, which I have not visited for years. Teresa and I had lunch at the restaurant where Dana is now working. The last two mornings I went over to my Pastors house to help him setup his wireless network. And I have been doing a lot of yard work although the weather has not been cooperating much. Today is a perfect example of lousy weather keeping me from working in the yard. So I will read, surf the net, work on my blog and maybe go out somewhere. The only concern I have about retirement is how far my money will go with the price of everything going up. I just hope the Alpo beef chunk dinners scenario does not become a reality.

I have been retired for three days now. Last Thursday, April 3rd, was my last day of work. I had a very nice retirement ceremony, complete with three plaques, a commemorative photo signed by everyone in my office, a commanders award for civil service from the Army, an American flag, and a retirement pin. Not bad for 28 years of service. We then had a nice luncheon at a local Chinese restaurant and I was on my way home to see what all this retirement stuff is about. To be honest being retired has not sunk in yet. It may take some time before it finally does. I do know that I will be staying busy as the three days since I have been retired have not been boring. So I am off to a good start and I hope I can make my retirement as exciting and rewarding as possible. I don't plan on wasting a minute of it, unless that is what I want to do. To the Golden Years !!!!!

Tomorrow will be my last day as a civil service employee. After a retirement service and luncheon I will be heading home to enjoy the rest of my life as a retired person. Everything is go and I am really excited. There is still a little apprehension about things but that will go away after a month or two and I realize that I can get by on my pension and the other savings I have. My mother had her 89th birthday recently and the entire family gathered at my brother Jeff and his wife Donna's house. It was Mexican night and the food was great and spending time with my family was even better. I hope that being retired will allow me to spend more time with my family and do some of the other things that I have been wanting to do for so long. So many plans, I just hope I will have the time to realize them.