ER + 7 weeks

[NotReady4Purple]

Well, tomorrow I will be seven weeks retired. I thought I should come and give an update as you all were so helpful and encouraging in my pre-retirement day.

It's been wonderful - and I can't say that I miss working at all! I spent Thanksgiving on the East Coast, then hosted a very stress-free Christmas and am now in Southern California where yesterday I saw 7-8 whales migrating south. That was simply magnificent.

By the way, an unexpected bonus was how relaxing it is to travel when you know that any delays won't really disrupt any plans. My (still unretired) husband has not yet achieved that but he definitely noticed how unpressured I was.

I had a DDS appointment a few weeks ago where they routinely take your blood pressure. 119/57! Talk about relaxed! (and in a dentist chair, at that)

I've signed up for an American Sign Language Class in my community - as I have always enjoyed languages and am starting to slowly add other things. I am in no hurry to fill my days with scheduled tasks.

Initially, I found that (for myself) I needed to have a daily "To-Do" list - even if the items on it were just for pleasure. (For example, Play WII Fit, do laundry, update iPod, etc.) That felt like a nice crutch to help transition from corporate days. Sort of like, "See, I did so something, today." I think that I will need to do less of that over time.

I'll let you all know more as I learn more about this....

Best regards,

NotReady4Purple

 

[Moemg]

Congratulations on a smooth retirement !

 

[Dawg52]

Yup, retirement is a beautiful thing. I getting all teary eyed.

 

[freebird5825]

Sounds like you are adjusting very well. Isn't it amazing?

Whale watching is magnficient - what a tremendous way to spend the day. I've done that in California (near Catalina I), Cape Cod and Alaska. Best sightings ever were in Alaska. I was lucky enough to see an actual breach by a humpback.
Did you get any pics, by chance? If so, please post one!

 

[Khan]

Well, tomorrow I will be seven weeks retired. I thought I should come and give an update as you all were so helpful and encouraging in my pre-retirement day.

It's been wonderful - and I can't say that I miss working at all!

I never did.

...

I had a DDS appointment a few weeks ago where they routinely take your blood pressure. 119/57! Talk about relaxed! (and in a dentist chair, at that)

I'm another one whose BP dropped a long way.

...

Initially, I found that (for myself) I needed to have a daily "To-Do" list - even if the items on it were just for pleasure. (For example, Play WII Fit, do laundry, update iPod, etc.) That felt like a nice crutch to help transition from corporate days. Sort of like, "See, I did so something, today." I think that I will need to do less of that over time.

I still make lists, as I am very lazy, and stuff won't get done if I don't write it down.

I'll let you all know more as I learn more about this....

It's a journey into the unknown.

Best regards,

NotReady4Purple

Good to see you're liking your new life.

 

[NotReady4Purple]

Photo of Migrating Gray Whale

freebird,

Here's the best photo we got of a gray whale.


http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZcJDCQ-Y1nuxW4L8TGPgaw?feat=directlink

(I wasn't successful imbedding a picture. I think the link will work.)

 

[CuppaJoe]

Beautiful picture. Keep us posted.

 

[freebird5825]

Excellent fluke shot.
That is not an easy thing to do - get a clear photo of the whale tail in motion.
You made my day!

 

[Meadbh]

I'm another one whose BP dropped a long way.

I've had a rather stressful day in the ICU. Everything I started was interuppted by a crisis. There are so many monitors dinging that I have been hallucinating that my beeper is going off constantly. All day I could feel my blood pressure rising. I don't know how much longer I can take this.

 

[NotReady4Purple]

So sorry to hear about your day Meadbh. Constant crisis mode is not something we were meant to handle. I hope your tomorrow is calmer.

 

[mf15]

Congrats Purple: Looks like we went out about the same time.
Well I am at about 9 weeks, not bored yet. Was good to see new granddaughter
over Christmas. Went into work to visit people before the holidays,and yes they can
get along without me,at least in my department, trained them well. Hopefully the company with new owners will survive the downturn without laying more off. The implementation of their global matrix, perhaps may be slightly more difficult with many of the older folks that actually know what they are doing, gone.
Old Mike

 

[NotReady4Purple]

Thanks, Mike.

I had to laugh though as words like

The implementation of their global matrix

have disappeared from my life.

Regards.

 

[freebird5825]

Thanks, Mike.
I had to laugh though as words like "implementation of their global matrix"
have disappeared from my life.
Regards.

This post and the one that triggered it really struck a chord with me. For many years, some close friends told me they could never understand what the heck I was saying when they asked me about my w*rk (engineering, govt position).
Your posts just made me realize how drastically w*rk transforms us. We have to adopt and speak the company language. It pervades our lives.
I haven't used the techie-based ancronym nonsense for almost 2 years now. I speak normal English. I'm still into technology but I use MY OWN WORDS. I am now back in control of my personal vocabulary set, not theirs.

 

[Khan]

This post and the one that triggered it really struck a chord with me. For many years, some close friends told me they could never understand what the heck I was saying when they asked me about my w*rk (engineering, govt position).
Your posts just made me realize how drastically w*rk transforms us. We have to adopt and speak the company language. It pervades our lives.
I haven't used the techie-based ancronym nonsense for almost 2 years now. I speak normal English. I'm still into technology but I use MY OWN WORDS. I am now back in control of my personal vocabulary set, not theirs.

Heck yes.

Between IT speak, gov speak, motivation speak, and contractor speak...

I recall trying to explain my job to my parents, and realized they would have no idea what most of the words meant (and they were intelligent well-read people).

I can no longer remember many of the words/acronyms/organizations/names/... and guess what? That's just fine.