Updating

I've been retired for a week now, and you know what? It's nice.

I've had a few unstructured days so far (i.e., with no doctor appointments) and I have kept myself entertained and busy and have not spent whole days eating. So, all good. I'm nearly finished with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which I didn't know if I'd like, but it sucked me in. My sleeping at night is mostly horrible, but I'm also weaning off a muscle relaxer I've been taking for about a year, so disturbed sleep is to be expected.

Just about twenty minutes ago, I took an odd phone call from the ILs. The subject of the conversation -- the first half of it -- was certainly sad. The Hubs' dear uncle is to be taken off life support tomorrow. After that, the MIL asked me if I was okay, because I didn't sound too peppy. Uh, hello? Didn't you just tell me that someone we all love very much is going to die tomorrow? How peppy should I sound? And then the FIL asked me again to spell out the name of K's new school for him. Okay, I've said it before and I'll say it again: there is something that doesn't connect for the Hubs and his family (his parents and his sister, that family) when it comes to death. Either they don't get it all, or it doesn't bother them at all, and I know the latter is not the case, because the MIL still cries when anyone mentions her father, who was killed in a car accident in 1956.

I am so glad that Uncle Al will find his peace tomorrow, and go on to the heaven he believes in, if such things do occur. I'm picturing him sitting around a table with lots of angels and stuff, all with coffee and good cake in front of them, and he's telling stories and bungling the punchline, as always, and all of them, including him, are laughing their asses off. If you hear giggling from above tomorrow, you'll know he's there.

Nes Gadol Haya Po

As anyone can tell you, "Nes Gadol Haya Po", the words symbolized on a Chanukah dreidel, mean "A Great Miracle Happened Here." And so it has.

Earlier today, maybe around one, K came downstairs from her room and asked me if I wanted to help her -- help her! -- clean the basement. And so we did. The major challenge of my entire retirement, the next 20 or 30 years, and we did it. We didn't finish it, of course, but after we throw out the garbage on Monday and then move all her crap to her new place in a couple of weeks, and move the spare bed down there upstairs, it will no longer be a challenge. At that point, it will be tidying up and organizing, no big deal, an hour here or there for a few weeks. And then, as my father used to ask me to clean my room when I was a kid, it will be pretty enough for a magazine to come and take a picture of.

It's a beautiful thing.

In other news, I guess I've decided to get some new clothes that fit, and lucky for me, Old Navy is having a big sale, and I am wearing size 10 jeans! Which is good, because I was pretty much wearing 14s until now, and they were falling off me when I walked. The worst part of all this is that I have to give up my beloved denim shirts, of which I have several, because they're all mens mediums, and I'm not anymore. :( They're so soft, just the way I like them. My eldest nephew is in visiting from California and I think they might fit him, so at least I know they'll have a good home.

Otherwise, things are nice and slow, just the way I like them.

And ... Done.

Yesterday was emotional, sad, happy, and wonderful. Really, how bad a day can it be when dozens of people keep telling you that they love you?

So, I am retired. I embarked on my first day of retirement thusly:

I went to the drive-in window at the bank. I couldn't pull out straight onto the street because there was roadwork there, so I backed up out of the drive-in lane and took my driver's side outside mirror clean off. Hmm. I picked it up and put in the car, and drove the block to my mechanic's, where I have an appointment for service on Monday anyway; I wanted them to be able to order the part in advance.

I ran numerous errands and then went for a physical with the new doctor. All is well; she found me remarkably healthy for someone with as many ailments as I have and who is on as much medication as I am. Then I went to the lab for bloodwork and an EKG. I'll leave out every little detail, but the EKG printed out that I was currently having a myocardial infarction, which I clearly was not having, and the doctor had just pronounced me in good health, and I felt totally fine. So, no, I wasn't having a heart attack, although I'm guessing their EKG machine was. I have a regular visit to the cardiologist next week and I'm sure he'll do another one.

Tomorrow I have another doctor, and my massage, and then I want to do a little of K's packing in the living room to make room for more. Oh, did I mention that R and the SnL have also found a new apartment, and will actually be moving a week before K moves? So that's both of them moving within the next ... month, I guess it is. Oy.

I took a couple of parting pictures of the high school, but I don't have them on the computer yet, so I'll post those next time. I spent the last two days upgrading the phone to ios4 and converting and uploading books, and such. But I forgot to do the pictures.

I'm going to read a magazine now, because I can.

Sunday

I wanted to show you my retirement gift, but by the end of Friday's post, I was in no condition for pictures or anything else. Anyway, here it is:


They gave all seven of us keys, but each one is different. The teacher who presented them said something about keys to the rest of our lives, yada, yada, but in fact, it's a lovely symbol and a lovely idea. They've never had this many at once before, so there was never any thought of a theme for the gifts. Most of the women's were more ornate than mine, which means that personal thought was put into each one, since I only wear simple jewelry. The best thing about mine is that, without actually meaning to, they got me one with a hidden Mickey in it! So I love it, of course. The one gentleman in our group, who is well known for his service in Special Forces during Vietnam, got a dog-tag with the cutout of a key on it.

Last night the Hubs and I went out dinner with the future in-laws, and really? It was delightful. It was very relaxed, we have a lot to talk about with each other, and nothing awkward about the wedding ever came up. We did banter a bit about how when a baby comes, we'll be fighting each other for 24/7 presence, hah hah, but listen, that baby's mommy is my daughter, y'know?

Anyway, so that's the father's day update for today; happy father's day to you and yours out there. K is making a vegan dinner for her daddy later on, a lovely thought. I'm going to get to my regular Sunday morning bookkeeping tasks.

Almost

Well, I've had a week. I got misty here and there, sad a little bit, but mostly it was okay. Here and there, it's been incredible.

I have two more days, Monday and Tuesday, until my teaching career is over. I know that's a dramatic way to put it, but that's what it is. This whole process since April has been pretty strange, but this week has been very surreal. I know next week will be even more so.

Let's see if I can hit the highlights. The school dinner was Wednesday; there were seven retirees honored. All but one are what we are calling "the Christie retirees," in other words, people who were bullied into retiring by the governor, as I was. Only one of the high school's seven retirees this year had the luxury of deciding on her own and in her own time that she was ready to retire this year.

Anyway, the dinner was great. I had good friends there, my two speeches -- one for the Other Chai and one for myself -- were well received, as were her two (one for her and one for me.) I had a lot of good laughs, and good food, and we made our escape as soon as dinner was over and they started pounding the loud music for dancing.

Last night, I went to the monthly dinner attended by former teachers at the high school; i.e., the retirees' dinner, and as of now, I'm no longer an honorary member. Some people were there who live farther away and rarely make it, and it was great to see them.

Okay. Today.

Deep breath.

First thing this morning, two of my favorite students, sisters, came in with a camera and wanted to get a picture of me with them. Yes, I'm choking up now. They have my email address; I expect to get a copy, which perhaps I will post. I adore these girls. One is graduating this year anyway, and the other is so disappointed that I won't be "her librarian" for the next three years.

The principal and I finished interviewing for my job this morning, and we agreed that the only contender is the middle school librarian in town, who has been a friend of mine for 25 years. Our kids were in daycare together. So I'm passing my life's work off into capable hands. Yes, I'm crying now.

Midday, a woman, a visitor, came into the library schlepping a big rubbermaid-type trunk. I asked if I could help her. She said the class of 1990 was having a reunion this weekend, and she was there to pick up their time capsule. I said that I remembered the class of '90 well, and what was her name?

She had been one of my junior class officers, but I didn't recognize her all grown up. She was beautiful. She's a teacher, she has three children. (Twenty years ago, OMG!) I asked her about so many of the others, and asked her to give them my love at the reunion, and I said I was glad she'd stumbled upon the new library in her travels through the building. No, she said, she looked for the library so she could see me. I thanked her and hugged her, and said how extra special this was because I was retiring next week. Oh, she was stunned. She hugged me again, and when I thanked her, she said, No, she thanks me, for everything.

Yes, now the tears are running down my face.

You know, through all this, this is the first time I've known the release of tears. Not because I'm that sad, but because, I just have to say: today was the day that I knew for sure, felt for certain, that the last 33 years actually meant something. I mattered. Lots of emotions there, and the tears are helping me release them.

Despite what our governor says about the lazy greedy teachers and all that, there are actually very few rewards in teaching, or at least, the real rewards are very few and far between. Today I got the biggest payoff of my career.

It was worth it, all of it.

'Morning.

It's Monday morning, I'm at work. I recovered somewhat from Strange Saturday, although I'm still tired, and haven't slept well since then, although I haven't had freaky sleep either. Just not enough. I'm remembering to take my meds, anyway.

Yesterday, the Hubs and I went briefly to a party. Someone I work with who's retiring had it at her home, which is not far from ours, so we walked. It wasn't a pretty day, gray skies, humid, and very buggy. She had a tent over her yard, but we left after about an hour because the humidity was getting to me. Although it was really a very nice little party. But the good thing is that the Hubs and I walked there and back, and I even walked back without my knee brace on and I was okay. Very worn out by the time we got home, but that was mostly the humidity. And we beat the storm by perhaps a minute; it started to come down as soon as we got back in our house.

There is very, very little for me to do here in the library at this point. The kids are taking finals this week, so I won't see many of them in the library, and anyone who does come in will be studying, and won't need my help. I can't start any projects, since I won't' be here to finish them. I've taken everything home that's mine except for the things in one bag, which I have in a desk drawer. The last things I'll take home are my spare sweater (which is a varsity letter sweater with my name on it, from my junior class advisor days), a small framed picture of my parents, a small stuffed Sebastian (from the Little Mermaid) and my Disney World ruler. Everything else is already gone.

The yearbook came out on Friday, and I got the library's copy today. (There's a rumor that each retiree is getting one at no cost, but I have no idea if that's true.) There are two pictures of me in this yearbook, both horrid, especially the one taken before I lost weight, but there's something very nice written about me on the retirees' page. I'm sure it was written by the yearbook co-advisor (who is also the drama club advisor) because he's said things like this to me over the years. I don't know how accurate it is, but it is nice.

There's an hour til lunch, and then we have an hour for that, since it's finals week, and I need to run out and do some of the things I never got to on Saturday. The big errand, which wasn't ready to do Saturday anyway, is to go get the invitations printed for the shower. Wonderful Niece's husband made an adorable graphic for the front, and the invitation is very simple, just two on a page and then folded, but K thinks it should be on cardstock, and I can't trust the library's laser printer not to crunch it up, so I'll go to Kinko's or someplace.

Our weather is dismal, and is really putting a dismal cloak over everything. There's no sun, it's humid and sticky, but not terribly hot, only 69 degrees at the moment. So it just feels icky out there, and the air in the library is stagnant; I guess it's not hot enough to trigger the a/c.

Oy. Six more days.

Terrible, Horrible, Etc.

It was a very weird night for me last night. Consequently, I am not myself today, consequently we are not going to that wedding we were supposed to go to tonight. What happened was, I fell asleep last night before taking my night-time meds, which include my allergy med, as well as the stuff that makes me sleep like a normal human being.

But if I fell asleep, you're thinking, do I really need that stuff? Oh, my. I believe I do. I fell asleep around ten, and slept until about 12:30. During this time, I apparently slept, because I had some strange and vivid dreams. First, I dreamed I had to pee. Now, this happens to me from time to time, and after peeing about three times in dreamland, my real brain gets it, and I wake up and I go. But last night, I was not waking up, even after maybe six or seven times of finding a bathroom and going in dreamland, and here's why. I didn't want to wake up. Other than the peeing thing, I was having the best dream ever.

This dream, like all the dreams I had last night, took place in my parents' house, the one I grew up in. Like all the dreams I had last night, it started with me sleeping in bed next to the Hubs, although I'm not sure what bedroom it was. In the dream, I woke up in this bed because, of course, I had to pee, but I couldn't find the bathroom. Then I realized what house it was, and I knew there were three bathrooms there, so I could find one to use. (There were really only two in that house, including one in the basement that we never used.) In the dream, I found the bathroom, peed, and came out into the same house, but in the past. It was maybe the mid-seventies, but I was still the current me. I went into the dining room, and sitting at the table were my parents, and my Aunt Rose and Uncle Ben, all looking like they did back then, which is to say, in their fifties, so, young. None of them looked like senior citizens; no one had gray hair or were in any way infirm. In the dream, I was all choked up, and knew this had to be a dream, but it was wonderful. I sat down at the table, but after a moment, I asked my mother to get up, and I got up too, and I hugged and hugged her. (I'm tearing up as I type this.) It felt incredibly real.

As the dream went on, I was still in that house and looking for a bathroom, and now I was looking for the family again, too; I wanted to hug all of them, or at least see them smile, as I had when I first came across them. Eventually, I woke up, for real, and got up and found the real bathroom, for real. I couldn't wait to go back to sleep; maybe I would dream about them again.

Did. Not. Happen. For the next several hours, I tossed and turned, hot and cold, hot and cold, awake and asleep, again and again. I saw all hours of the clock, but I slept for minutes at a time, here and there. After five, I got up again, found the bathroom again, and fell back to sleep. And had one of the worst dreams ever.

Again, in the dream, I was asleep, in that same unknown bedroom in my old house. (All night, each time I would wake up, I would have to look around the room to see where I really was, because that bedroom was getting pretty creepy.) This time, when I woke up, I went into the kitchen, where the Hubs was standing. It was maybe six in the morning and he was wearing a suit. "What?" I said. "What happened?" He wouldn't tell me, so I said "Oh! Who died?" remembering the uncles. (The really sick uncle, btw, has actually improved a great deal, and was discharged from the hospital yesterday, in real life.) And in the dream, the Hubs said "My father." And I screamed "WHAT!!!!"

So, in the dream, he told me that his parents were out in the car, his father was driving (at which point, in the dream, I said to myself, This is dream, he doesn't drive anymore) and they were caught in the crossfire of a high speed police chase. His father was shot in the head, the car was totaled, his mother walked away from it. At this point in the dream, I was screaming.

K got up, but the Hubs wouldn't tell her what happened, until finally, I forced him to, and he told her that her cousins -- the ones on his side, a niece and a nephew around my kids' ages -- were killed in a car accident last night. K started to scream and I was screaming "WHAT WHAT YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT!!" and then he told K that her grandfather was killed last night too.

At which point I woke up for real and was absolutely terrified to go back to sleep. But I was exhausted, and it was maybe six in the morning for real, and I spent the next two hours dropping off and thenwaking myself up immediately, again and again and again.

Can you tell I'm still shaken?

It was only when I finally forced myself to get up after eight that I saw my pills from last night still on my desk. So I didn't sleep soundly enough to get true REM sleep, just enough and long enough to freak me out. And I didn't take my allergy pill, which is why I've been a big giant hive all day, a big giant hive with a runny nose.

I felt like I was buzzed all day, still do. I didn't attempt to drive or do a single errand; the only thing I was up to was laundry, and only towels. I was reluctant to pay any bills or lay out my meds for the week. (Yes, I have old-person pill containers, for each day and all that.) But I did, because I had to take my lunch pills, and I had to call the pharmacy and renew what I'm out of.

So, no wedding tonight for us. (The guy getting married is someone the Hubs used to work with; they get together to watch basketball a couple of times a year.) I don't think I would trust myself not to fall in the shower. I don't feel bad or sick, as such, just not all there, and shaky. And itchy. You wouldn't believe how many typos I've corrected in putting this together.

But I had to, I had to get it out. I did share a lot of it with the Hubs this morning, but I was still so out of it then, I have no idea what I even said. At least when I told him I dreamed that his father was shot in the course of a high speed police chase, he chuckled. (I softened the story a little when I told him. But I wanted him to know what had me so shaken up.)

So that's how I've been spending my Saturday. I think I may be ready to attempt to wash some actual clothes now, but I'm not paying any bills online until tomorrow, just to be on the safe side.

Catching Up

I tried to post from home the other day -- I know, I haven't done that in ages! -- and I got one sentence done and then got sidetracked. I tried from school yesterday, but again, got called away. So. Now.

It's Friday, June 11, 2010, the last full day of school for the year, or in my case, for my life. Next week we're having finals, so all of those are half days for the kids, after which we get an hour for lunch and then come back for an hour, but it's nothing like a regular day. Next Friday and the following Monday are half days, but every period meets, just shorter, and then the hour lunch, etc., but on Monday 6/21 we don't come back in the afternoon because we have to come back at night for graduation. The last last day of all is 6/22, a day for teachers to make sure grades are in and their rooms are clean for the summer, but for me, especially this year, it'll be a big day of nothing, just saying goodbye to people.

Oy.

In shower news, I realized yesterday that the invitations have to go out next week and guess what? We don't got no invitations! Oops! So I looked online and I may get some printed, which will save time. Get this, K thinks that anything computer-printed will look tacky, so instead, we should go to a Hallmark store and get fill-in-the-blank invitations and do that. For one, I am not writing those; my hands protest after writing out a hall pass. And those, I think, are way tacky in this day and age and I don't even know if we'll find anything like that. If we get the graphic my niece's husband is working on, which will be the theme of the shower, maybe K will agree to use that. Either way, I think some decision needs to be made TOMORROW.

We have actual social events to attend this weekend. Tomorrow, a former colleague of the Hubs is getting married, church ceremony at noon, cocktails at four. Needless to say, we're skipping the church. And Sunday afternoon, one of the other retirees, who is 77 years old and had to be talked into retiring, is having a party at her house, which is in my neighborhood, so that should be nice. As for the wedding, I can only hope that we're out of there by seven.

Next week is a very busy week in terms of social gatherings. A long lunch period every day usually means we go out, or else I go home. On Friday of next week, R and K have told me that they are taking me out -- now that's new -- and will include the Other Chai and the Colleague, since they too are retiring or have retired this year, and the girls have known them all their lives. The end of the year school dinner is Wednesday, and my monthly retirees dinner is Thursday, and I guess I'm no longer really an honorary attendee at that one, eh? So, lots of that going on.

In family health news, the Hubs' dearest uncle, the best man at our wedding, is nearing the end of his fight, we hear; everything is starting to shut down. If I were someone who prayed, I would pray for his end to be easy and pain-free, and that he will meet St. Peter at the gates and flash his smile and St. Peter will let him right in, because he deserves that. Another of the Hubs' uncles, we just heard, is in the early stages of liver failure, so also, not so good. But he and both of his sons are doctors, and I'm sure they'll come up with some kind of treatment plan that will make it as easy as possible for him. These would be the first losses for the Hubs (and his parents) in that generation of his family, and I don't expect things to go well. (Not that they should go well, I just think they're all clueless.) As for me, I lost the last of that generation in my family last year, the last two aunts dying within a week of each other. All of my aunts and uncles are gone, and even one of my cousins. Now I sound macabre.

So I'll change the subject. Today was my last fire drill EVAH and you know what? I didn't go out! Hee hee hee. Finally, after all those years as a student and then as a teacher, I am a bad girl, just this once! I hid out in the library and ate an apple. Hee.

I promise that I will keep writing even when I'm home for real, for full time. I just need some new structure, that's all.

10:00

It's ten o'clock of the a.m. and things are moving along here in Library Land. Coincidentally, I've got ten days left in the school year/my career. Winding down.

The governor, btw, that sack of crap, announced yesterday that Oh yeah, he's not going to go ahead with those changes he was proposing a few months back, hah hah, sorry about that. Tens of thousands of teachers in New Jersey retired based on what he said he was going to do, so yes, he did bully us into resigning, which is exactly what he wanted to do. So listen, if this name ever comes up in a national election -- it's a crazy name, who would name a child this -- DO NOT EVER VOTE FOR CHRIS CHRISTIE OF NEW JERSEY BECAUSE HE IS A LYING, MANIPULATIVE SACK OF CRAP. That said, I am still totally fine with retiring, my mindset is there now, and all will be well.

I think I have edited my retirement speech to the last comma. It's been gone over by a gang of excellent editors: Joan (aka the Colleague, former library secretary, who has gone over everything I've said for the last 26 years), the Hubs, and both of my kids. I would say all three of my kids, because the SnL also listened to me read it, but I think he felt that he was not ready to step in and critique.

R and I went to David's Bridal yesterday and got her real wedding dress, the one she's really going to wear, and she's happy and I'm happy. It actually cost less than $500, and the one that was custom made for her and that we're now going to sell only cost about $800. I know that's not expensive for a wedding gown, for either one, but mine only cost $83 back in the day, and for many years, I refused to buy any item of clothing that cost more than that, on principle. Let me see if I can find you a picture of the dress.

It's here. (Hope that link works.) But she's wearing a navy sash, and not the little jacket over the dress, and birdcage veil that she's making herself. The current thinking is that where the sash ties, she will pin my mother's opal brooch, and she will ask the MIL if she can wear her pearls and pearl earrings. It looked wonderful on her, and I knew it would, because the bridal consultant who helped us was named Ida, and that was my grandmother's name. (And part of R's name in Hebrew as well.)

My big fear in this whole eleventh hour retiring thing was that I might not get the documents for my new health and prescription plans by July 1, when I'll need them, but it's all arrived within the last few days, so I'm good there. Still, I have many doctors' appointments this month, because either it was time for them, or I wanted to fit them in before my coverage changed. This afternoon, the Sibs and I are going for our six-month check at the radiologist, which means we are both going for breast ultra-sounds. Which are often accompanied by needle biopsies. Oh joy.

Yesterday, K got copies of the curriculum she'll be teaching in September, and you never saw anyone so excited about Otto von Bismarck and German Unification, not to mention the Constitution. (To tell the truth, I would love to teach the Constitution some time. It's so rich; there's so much there. Hmmm. Perhaps there's a citizenship class I can teach somewhere. I imagine they wouldn't care if I was social studies certified or not. Hmmm.)

I finished a book the other day called The Solitude of Prime Numbers, which was very well written, but which I did not enjoy. All I can say is that it reminded me of when K's senior English class was studying Death of a Salesman, and she was out for a few days, and when she came back, someone in class said 'When Willy Loman died ..." and K said "Hey! Way to spoil the ending!" and everyone said "Duh. It's in the title." And she said that Oh, she'd thought it meant figurative death of a salesman. Anyway, with this book I just read, solitude is not figurative, and the book was damn depressing. Maybe something light next time, as the Queen said in Shakespeare in Love. Maybe some Fannie Flagg, I love her books.

Next week will be the awards presentation at school, at which they'll show the video that a group of kids made for it; they do it every year, but I'm supposed to be in this one. I filmed a few scenes, and an interview, but I don't know how much made the cut. Some, I'm told, but probably not much. I have no plans to go to the presentation, which is at night, but the teacher involved is a buddy, and he said he'd make me a copy, along with all the footage of me. That should be amusing, I think.

My bad knee has been particularly unpleasant this last week or so. Come summertime, I think I'll be giving serious thought to when I'll have to have it replaced. Here are the pros and cons. Cons: why have the surgery before I really need it? It will limit my mobility for quite some time, a hassle. Even though my knee hurts, I'm not in agony, and I can still walk (with a brace and sometimes a cane.) Pros: I'm going to need it at some time, there's no question about that. The younger I am, the easier the recuperation would be, yes? And here's the big one: I'd rather have it done before R has any babies or is even pregnant -- yes I know, she's not even getting married until October -- because if it becomes an emergency and I have to do it then, I won't be available to help her, or especially to drive to wherever on earth she's living all the time to hug that baby. Anyway, at the very least, I'm going to ask the doctor when I see him in July about possibly getting a custom-made brace, which I think might be a big help.

So, 10:30. Fourth period now, and time for another bathroom break for me.

I Have Lost Track of All Time

I'm guessing that it's Wednesday. I did watch Glee last night, so it probably is. But we had Monday off, and those weeks always confuse me. Well, I guess for not much longer. (14 days.) Pretty soon, I'll never know what day it is.

Things are jumping here in Bizarro Town High School as we wind down to the last day of school. Tomorrow, the seniors are leaving on their class trip, to return Sunday night. You may recall I chaperoned this trip several times in the past. I hope they have good weather and a good time. The school is always nicely quieter without them.

When they come back on Monday, I get to try to put the fear of God into them about returning all their textbooks on time and what dire consequences will befall them if they don't. Obligations. Last. Time. Ever. There's one thing I won't miss.

This is also the time of year for inappropriate dress in school; I wish I could take pictures and show you. There is one girl walking around here in a cotton halter top, not tight or revealing in and of itself, but under it, she is wearing a racer-back bra, and when she sits down, the back of the tank top pulls down and voila, she is wearing a bra. Earlier, there was a girl in here wearing a cotton dress, just gray, the kind where the top is almost like a tube top, elastic above and below the boobage, and nothing holding it up but luck. Also, when she sat down, the back pulled down, and I thought, disaster is coming for this kid any second. I went over to talk to that one, and when I got close, I could see that her arms, shoulders, neck, and collarbone area were badly sunburned. So she got a pass just for coming to school (something I understand this particular kid does not do often enough.)

Lunchtime soon. I'll be back.

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So I'm back. It's quiet, it's hot. Once again, my employers have demonstrated their utter lack of a moral compass, but I won't go into that. I'm ever-so-slightly bummed by the festivities that often accompany a retirement and which I will not enjoy because I lack a department to create them for me. Even though I did it for Lou (the SCM, who retired last year) and Paul (the HMM, former head librarian, who retired about 20 years ago.) No, no one left even to bring in bagels for my last day. Boo hoo poor me. Well, it is bumming me a bit, but there's nothing I can do about it, so there. There will be an end-of-the-year high school dinner at which all the retirees will be honored, so I'll be part of that, and will first speak on behalf of the Other Chai, and then after she speaks about me, I'll get to say my piece. Which, trust me, is already written. Some of it for years now.

I'm so tired today; I've been sleeping so strangely. And after school today, I have a new doctor to go to, oh boy! I don't know if I mentioned this one. I have to see a gastroenterologist who specializes in endoscopy with ultrasound, because Resnick, my trusted GE, saw something on the endoscopy he did that he couldn't bioposy or otherwise examine; it needs ultrasound. I'm just going to meet the guy today, and his office is in Hoboken, which is maybe a half hour away with no traffic, but traffic is a given, so the Hubs will be driving. Oddly, I've never been to Hoboken in my life, outside of the train station there, but it's said to be a very charming little city, much gentrified in recent years, very desirable. (As opposed to its just beginning to gentrify neighbor just steps to the south, Jersey City. There, I've been; no need to return.)

I have an hour and a half to go, and the book I'd like to finish is at home. :(  Time to eat some Pez.