third

When I checked this morning, it was there, just as it has been for the last two months.
i thank You, God.
Retirement is definitely suiting me, now that I have the money on a schedule.
I thank Ricky Pavelock, too.
He's the liaison between me and the Teacher's Insurance and Annuity Association of America, the ones who manage the College Retirement Equities Fund. (Those are better known as TIAA and CREF, respectively.)
When I had met with him on June 15th, to discuss the possibility of me retiring, he assessed my finances and pronounced it definitely doable.
Such a huge relief!
I had been nearly panicked on April 11th, when I was called about the termination of all adjuncts by the Georgia Board of Regents.
Making it through the semester intact became my driving force.
I simply carried on as if all was well, not giving my students a clue.
I had even carried on with my end of semester plans for vacation.
That was very good for me.
On May 13th, after having lunch with astronaut Brian Duffy, I allowed myself to think seriously about retirement, even though I was not quite 60 at that time. The astronaut was just a few years older than me and had retired early. Why couldn't I?
After all, I'd socked away money for thirteen years into my SIMPLE-IRA account when I was working for Smitty's Hardwood Floors. (My brother Smitty has benefited from that that retirement plan, too, and is looking forward to his own retirement in January of 2020, at 59 1/2 years old.)
I had transferred all of those monies into my brand-new TIAA-CREF account in 2010, when I first began my full-time temporary teaching position at Armstrong. I then had three years in that full-time position, with the university adding nicely to my own funds there.
The investment vehicles I selected grew very nicely over the years since then. I had chosen my investment portfolio with the help of Motley Fool, making sure to diversify, but with a heavy emphasis on Social Choice, a multi-asset equity fund. I specifically chose them because of their stance as a "long-term total return that reflects ... the overall U.S. stock market while giving special consideration to certain environmental, social, and governance criteria". As I had told the TIAA-CREF representative at the time, I wanted to "put my money where my mouth was" and invest in pro-Earth industry.
That strategy has been beneficial for all, including me.
i thank You, God.

Know that I was retiring, I started getting ready for it mentally.
I contacted TIAA and made arrangements for the first deposit of funds from one of my two accounts with them, initially selecting my tax-deferred annuity plan. (That's the account continuing all monies I transferred in, as well as from my full-time paychecks.)
On July 30th, I released my book bag.
On sweet August 8th, the first deposit was made to my checking account.
Success!
August 22nd found me on the newly-named Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University. I had been notified by email of the need for me to complete a newly-created Separation Checklist. (I had them print it for me.) I then traipsed around campus collecting signatures, from Lane Library, from the Controller's Office, from the Recreation Center - the last two being places I had never been. They hardly knew what to do or where to sign. Apparently, of the many adjunct faculty released, I was only the second to perform this signature-collecting task. (My guess is the other person who did so was also prior military and already familiar with this process of leaving a duty station.)
I also went to Fine Arts and made sure to get tickets for future events on campus. Might as well do so while I still had a faculty ID card, n'est-ce pas?
I had tried to get Will Lynch's signature then, too, as head of the Chemistry Department, but he was out of town.
The following week, I was out of town, working on becoming a pirate.
(smile)

On September 11th, the second of the monthly deposits from TIAA landed into my checking account.
Hallelujah!!!
I was actually beginning to believe that I truly had retired!
To celebrate, on September 18th I threw all of my teaching materials into my recycle bin. No more need for all of those written lecture notes! No more collecting of old tests or the rubrics used for grading lab reports! No more desire to have that in my house, taking up space!
What a sweet relief to toss that all away!
The very next day, I finally met with Will and successfully acquired his autograph on my Separation Checklist.
I also had the folks at Parking Services mark their spot on that form.
Then, I returned to Becca Smith, to submit the completed form, my ID and keys.
Nope!
I would do that when I had my Exit Interview with Willette Stevens, who was out of town.
(smile)

Finally, on September 26th, that last task was completed.
Willette also informed me that the university itself did not regard me as retired. Apparently, they have some rule about being a full-time employee for at least ten years for that word to be officially applied.
Little did I care if I had their granting of that term!
I have given it to myself.
I AM RETIRED.
They can have the school ID card and my keys and even my email.
I AM RETIRED.
The proof?
The third retirement check was deposited into my checking account today.
I AM RETIRED.

i thank You, God.