12:01 AM February 1, 2014 - RETIREMENT

ITS OFFICIAL!  

As of 12:01AM today I am a Retired Lady.  My last day of work for the Commonwealth of Virginia ended at 6:20AM of Wednesday January 29th and I turned in all my issued equipment on Friday the 31st.  For the first time in 57.5 years I don’t have to get up and go do something for someone else on their set schedule.  Not since I started kindergarten has my time been this much my own to spend as I see fit. 

So I started my retirement by spending Wednesday and Thursday at my daughter’s place.  We ran some errands, bought a celebratory rib eye steak at Wegman’s and had a nice late afternoon meal of Tofu Pho at a Pho restaurant near the Wegman’s.  Then we headed back to her place and I took a nap.  (My body is going to take some retraining to get it off its night shift schedule.)  We finished off the night by watching the latest installment of Sherlock on PBS-BBC.  Very funny, I highly recommend the series.  The next day we puttered around a bit, watched a bunch of the extra stuff on the Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey Extended Blu-Ray disk and had the rib eye for dinner. 

Friday I went to CWCC to turn in my issued gear and sign one more form.  I took the most scenic way home and truly realized I would never be required to drive to CWCC again.  That’s when it all started to seem real.  Its over.  All the idiocy of DOC and CWCC is out of my life.  No more T-groups masquerading as Learning Teams, no more last minute training classes, no more mandatory OT days, no more flip- flop instructions from management.  I can even talk about what its like to be a Corrections Officer in an open dormitory style prison without being afraid of getting fired.  (Yes DOC has demoted and even fired folks for making what it interpreted as inappropriate comments about The Work either in a public forum or via social media sites.)

I have my life back.  I think I’ll work at enjoying every minute of it.  A retirement party is planned and long time friend from Michigan is coming here to visit.  And there’s a long list of projects involving my yard, my house and my hobbies that’s calling me.  Projects I intend to enjoy.  This is fun.  Right here and right now fun with more on the way.  Oh how sweet it is.  Happy Dance here I come!

FYI – I have a new telephone number.  Send me an email or write me if I haven’t sent it to you & you want it.