luncheon with chem nerds!

I almost said "nerdesses", but I think it would be regarded as non-PC, so I didn't.

But I don't believe that Yvonne or Lea or Nicole would have objected one whit!

I have no photo of our group, so my dining choice will have to do.

That's the BEP Wrap, one of the specials at the kayak Kafe Midtown today.

In other words, the black-eyed pea pattie, with avocado and other healthy options, in a tortilla and served with a side salad.

We met just before noon, meaning I'd had breakfast not an hour earlier.

That meant half my entree went home with me for later!

And the conversation?

It started out with talk of children between Yvonne and Lea, but by the time we were all finishing our meals, we were firmly entrenched in chemistry matters.

That went on for an hour!!!

Even after we paid our tabs, we sat and talked and talked!

I very much enjoyed that... and was glad, once again, that I retired 6 years ago.

Yvonne is still very new to retirement, but I hope she'll find her joy soon.

Suzy Carpenter retires at the end of this semester.

That will make Lea the lone female chemistry instructor on the Armstrong campus.

Wow.

How very different from the days when I was there.

aarp cinema, so to speak

Back to my own house, I am!

My brother and sis-in-law are safely home from Missouri, since just past noon30.

Good for Dane and good for me!

I had a ZOOM scheduled at 2 PM with AARP and Senior Planet to become more informed.

"Fact-Checking In The AI Age" was given by Devon of the News Literacy Project.

I just may have to watch it again.

He gave us a lot of information in that hour talk.

The best thing he told us to do to protect ourselves from misinformation and false images?

S-L-O-W D-O-W-N.

Take a few moments to do these five checks against anything presented, especially on social media.

Consider the context of the story or image; check the authenticity of the news; use your own reasoning skills; look at the source of the post; and, if in doubt,

look for evidence from other sources to validate the story or image.

So many examples he gave us for verifying something, rather than blindly passing it on!

Even so, when it came to images, those are the hardest to distinguish real from fake.

That's okay, as he even has some difficulty with that.

For close views of people, count the fingers, look for odd facial features, check the background.

However, for images like these two, of firefighters on the scene, one may be stock footage and not for the actual blaze still burning.

That's the case for Image A.

Looks pretty real to me, though.

Yeah, I think I'll watch that webinar again...

but not right now.

Rain is coming and the yard beckoned.

"Bring it," said that wild green that I left yesterday.

So I grabbed the Ryobi and we set to work!

By that time it was nearly 6 PM, so the day was cool enough and the sun had nearly fled the back of the house.

The growth was dry enough that I made short shrift of the task.

Then, to show the weeds I mean business, I changed the mower to its lowest setting, and went back over that open expanse.

Like I said, more rain is coming, and the weeds grow quickly.

I don't intend to mow every other week! 

I took a popsicle break and watched "Mr. Monk Goes To A Rock Concert" as I started dinner.

Ah, one of the little touches that was a sure sign I was home: "Monk" on Peacock!

(smile!)

I was so enjoying that part of life in retirement that I was late for this movie at the AARP MFG!

"The Blue Angels" is a new documentary about the US Navy's aerobatic demonstration team and I tuned in about 30 minutes late.

What an informative look at the training program!

How incredible that the new team members are chosen by the current team... and that the vote must be unanimous!

That's certainly understandable, though, as they have to be able to trust each other completely.

When flying in that "Blue Angels Diamond" formation, their wingtips are less that 2 feet apart.

Moreover, when they are making those rolls toward the ground, only the "boss" pilot is actually looking at the earth rushing up.

The three other pilots are sighting off him and each other, keeping the line tight.

That's why, in 1973, when the "boss" miscalculated and hit the ground, two others crashed right on top of his plane, with only the 4th in line seeing the error in time.

The movie didn't talk about that, but it did show us this framed painting multiple times.

Those are the 28 members who have died over the SEVENTY-EIGHT YEARS since the formation of the Blue Angels.

Amazing to have such a low mortality, given the inherent riskiness of their maneuvers in the air!!!

I'm looking forward to seeing this on Monday on the silver screen...

but, shhhh!

My friends don't know I've already seen it.

Yes, I've done that again, but it's okay.

My birthday is next week and I'm arranging these special times with others, watching movies they have agreed to see with me, and I am greatly looking forward to their company!

Dinner and a movie, or luncheon and a movie - both are just fine with me!

(smile!)

free at last, free at last, yvonne and cathy are free at last!

Today's three-hour retirement luncheon was in honor of these two women!

Hooray for them!!!

Cathy Mac (seated) will be flitting off to Michigan, her home state, with family nearby for the first time in more than thirty years.

Yvonne (standing) already has her daughter living in this area, so she'll be hanging tight while hanging out, but letting loose.

I am so very happy for both of them!

(smile!)

That's Donna Mullenax in the Armstrong t-shirt.

"Once A Pirate, Always A Pirate" - for sure!

Gotta love that West Virginia moxie!!!

She's the one who organized this event, so brava to her!

B&D Burgers set us up on the patio, too - perfect!

(smile!)

Nice to see some other familiar faces here!

These two fellows I've both seen fairly recently.

Brandon Quillian was at the ACS dinner in March.

As for Richard Wallace, it's been a bit longer.

That was last summer when I sat with him and his wife at "The Phantom Of The Opera".

(smile!)

As for these two fine fellows, it's been much longer ago!

I haven't seen Leon Jaynes (left), my former physics professor, since the 2017 year-end soiree at the Pirates' House!

As for Pete Zipperer, he and his lovely wife were both at "The Little Prince", in 2019, to see their grandson - and he was fabulous as the Pilot in that opera!!

Ah, those bonny, pre-pandemic, years!

(smile!)

And who do we have in this trio?

That's the ever-ebuliient Jim Lobue, the bfe, and Ria of Trinidad!

Jim retired last year, but still keeps an office, so he was able to share a ride with Ria, who was new to me, but quite engaging.

The physicist had bounced over to warn them about me - hahaha!

Too late!

Jim has retired and is free at last along with me, as are the old pros  Leon and Pete!

Welcome to the new world, Yvonne and Cathy!!!

I'm looking for others, like Suzy Carpenter, to join our ranks next year!

(smile!)

all saints sunday, with another dose of dia de los muertos

I was up an hour earlier than I needed to be.

I'm synced with the sun, and all the pruning around my house has left my bedroom windows unblocked from full sunrise.

No matter that American society has deemed fit that the clocks should manually fall back...

my body knows what time it really is.

(Sigh.)

As I told Sherry at the Big Coffee Hour, I used to dread this particular Sunday.

The names of those gone from this sweet Earth in the year since the last All Saints Day are voiced during the service, and the heartache would rise anew with those breaths.

This time, Rev. Billy had changed things up.

Rather than have everyone who had lost loved ones say those names, he would read the list of Asbury Memorial members who had died... and those would be the only names aloud.

Nope.

That didn't do it for me.

After he read those sixteen names...

which included three that had been dear to me:

his Mama, Joan Hester Byrd...

Virginia Holliday...

Mary Pulwarty...

I breathed five others into the air...

Willie Smith...

Bobbi Griffin...

Christa Eallonardo...

Todd Hizer...

Eugene Wolfbauer.

I know Mother Pat's consort died two years ago, but this year is when I knew that loss.

That's the important thing: I found out he was no longer among my living.

My saying their names aloud was a balm for my patchwork heart.

Having Holy Communion was an additional balm, somehow, as if The Universe had fashioned love into those missing eight pieces.

There's a nice thought, isn't it?

Then, after church, we all dined in Holliday Hall, feasting and comforting and healing.

I stayed on, even after that.

 

A speaker had been arranged to talk to us of age about Medicare.

I've already decided what I'm doing with that this year, but I wanted to hear her out.

Melissa McBride-Stille is an insurance broker, and, apparently, those Asburians becoming eligible for Medicare felt the need for a voice from the darkness.

I only wish I could have spoken to her earlier this year, when I was slogging through that federal box of worms and trying to make a decision.

Actually, last year, during this open enrollment period, when I was going to seminars of the subject and trying to make sense of it - yeah, then would have been nice.

I don't really know why Linda Combs and Helen Downing were there.

They both have more than a decade of being with Medicare, but I know how beneficial it is to have a real, live, person in front of you instead of a stranger's voice on the phone.

That's why after dealing with the time delay of two remote games - voicemail tag and email tag - with Molly Aldridge about Travelers, I had gone to the physical, brick-and-glass, office in town for GEICO and spoken to Randy and Heather.

At least they were able to find an address for Travelers.

 

As for me, I very nearly got locked in the courtyard garden after the talk.

I park on Henry on busy Sundays, so as to not clutter up the parking lot.

My game plan had been to attend the Medicare discussion, then head out for the the 2 PM Curator's Talk about the Richmond Barthé exhibit.

Nope, that didn't happen.

I mean, my going to that didn't happen.

I had not realized that the front gate at Asbury would already be locked.

So, after carefully closing the door behind me, I found myself trapped.

I could not exit the courtyard onto the street because of the locked gate, nor could I return to the sanctuary, as that door locked behind me, and then, to my chagrin, I found the door to from the courtyard to the hall was also already locked.

Repeated banging on my part, growing a bit more desperate as minutes ticked by, finally caught the attention of Ray Ellis.

Hallelujah!

I was so flustered that I got in the car and drove home...

which is where I am now.

I've missed all three of the events for this artist at the Jepson.

At least I got to enjoy the art when Kristin was in town with her son.

Strange how the pieces fall into place sometimes.

I'm glad I had that time in October with those beautiful bronzes.

a dragonfly, o-hi-o, and cheesecake

Remember that I had a dragonfly light on the tip of my index finger yesterday?

That one had clear wings, with brown smudges on the edges, and a black body.

Well, this afternoon, as I was heading out for a cool matinee on this hot day, I was stopped short by another!

The type that usually visits me in the summer has a black body with black blocks on its transparent wings.

This one has a big white body, but the same wings.

I think it was waiting for me!

It lit there just as I turned back from locking the door...

and then, there it stayed...

clicking its wings, but otherwise motionless...

even posing long enough for me to zoom in!

I thanked it for the shot and explained that I really did need to go, and it left.

Nice!

 

After the movie, I popped by the Food Lion.

They have the cherries on sale this week, so I got another pound.

So juicy and sweet!

Tony texted back about the photo from Saturday with the kids, and he had an invite to a cookout for the 4th!

Anything I could bring, since I was at the store?

Oh, yes! A cheesecake for their anniversary!

Sure, I could pick up one of those!

I finally chose the New York style, plain, so he and Laura could top it with fruit of their choice.

So lovely and creamy!

Then, I sat down to tune in the Bananas game, sure that it would have fireworks at the end.

Whoa, it was already into the seventh inning???

But it was not yet 8 PM, which made it 7 PM there at Canal Park in Akron, Ohio.

Ah, but they had started the game at 6 PM... odd.

That's okay, I was able to watch the kid on stilts serve up the yellow balls to the batter.

The Bananas ended up getting the point for that inning, were they acted as the visiting team and the Party Animals were the "home" team.

Every time the camera panned the stands, I looked for the telltale signs of yellow shirts on the fans...

but I guess those folks were just out to see what a circus looked like when the costumes didn't include spangles or fright wigs or red noses.

(smile!)

The Party Animals took the point for the 8th inning, continuing to secure their lead by 2 points.

Then came the critical 9th inning. 

When every run counts as a point, the Bananas had a chance to at least tie it up... but did not succeed in doing so, as they failed to get a runner across home plate before the last out.

The Animals jubilantly raced onto the field, lighting sparklers along the way, and doing a victory dance!

Hooray for them!

They won both of those Ohio games!

Now, it was time for some real fireworks!!!

There goes the countdown...

and I heard the cannon boom...

but the sky was still so light at 8:33 PM that only the initial burst of the explosive catalyst was visible.

A puff of grayish smoke was the only result.

More booms of the fireworks cannon, over and over!

More puffs of smoke vying for space with the clouds.

Well, drats.

Even the big finale, shown here, had barely discernible color.

That was okay, though.

Plenty of folks in my 'hood were shooting off bottle rockets and such, with an occasional burst of color making it through the trees.

In fact, that's been going on since Thursday night.

I expect the big blasts to go on at dusk tomorrow!

(smile!)

 

Oh, and here was a bright spot at the grocery store!

One of the workers there was trying to get a motorized grocery cart back into the store, along with a short string of regular carts.

I had grabbed that train as I came up to him, then pushed them inside, having to slow down for some shoppers on their way out.

A dark-haired woman had stopped when she saw me, watching until I had the carts in.

Then she came up with a big smile.

"Do you remember me?", she asked.

I knew her face, actually mistaking her for one who was in the neighborhood fb group.

"Jamie?", I asked.

No, it was Mara King, one of my former students!!!

Wow!

I told her that August will make six years that I've been retired.

She told me she still had her notes from my chemistry class, that she had so enjoyed learning chemistry from me, and that she has a daughter who is now taking chemistry and concerned about doing well with it.

She had told her, "Don't worry, I've got you on this, I still have my notes."

Isn't that amazing???

I just beamed!!!

How blessed to have that encounter!!!

Right place, right time... and I was doing a good deed, shining my light.

i thank You, God.

(smile!)

the chicken or the egg?

Which came first?

Would it be the Running Chicken Nebula?

Or perhaps it was the Egg Nebula? 

From us, the Egg is 3000 light years, while the Chicken is 6000 light years distant.

Who's to even say which was first?

Perhaps my favorite physicist could postulate on the question.

He does, after all, teach astronomy, and has for years.

But to try to truthfully answer such a question, wouldn't the center of the universe need to first be determined?

Then, one could surmise that the one which came first is the one that is farthest out from that center, correct?

Since the universe is continually, albeit slowly, expanding, the space structure which is most distant would have have been first on the scene.

And though, from our perspective, it's nice to think that our tiny Solar System in the outer swirl of the Milky Way Galaxy is the center of the universe, that isn't the case.

Oh, the science to ponder during retirement!

(smile!)

grinchy fun with lunch-e-on

Had to get it to rhyme, didn't I?

Of course I did!

It's been one of those lovely days, 

even if 'twere a bit chilly.

That's because I was in the company 

of the Chemistry Ladies!

See?

This is us, taken at my insistence 

just before we departed.

Our group has grown since

our last Christmas Luncheon

at Cracker Barrel.

Lea, in the teal top, made our fifth.

Brooke, bless her, is still the youngest,

but the gap is not as wide now.

She's getting in her nursing practice now,

so she stays crazy busy.

Then there's Cathy, Yvonne, and,

wearing Mama's Christmas tree pin,

me, in a top that looks lighter than it is.

Those two plan to retire in two years, or,

as they put it, four more semesters.

Hooray for them!!!

(smile!)

 

And what did we have at Cracker Barrel?

Well, two of the party had the fried turkey.

That was not my choice.

That was the selection of both Yvonne and Brooke.

Another had the vegetable soup and a salad.

Nope, not mine, either, but for Cathy, our eldest.

Leah had the four veggies plate.

Good choice, and one I tend to get often.

However, not this time.

Nope!

With so much Grinch viewing of late, I had a taste for one thing, and one thing only: Roast Beast!

Oh, so very good it was, too!

And everyone, including the waitress, got a kick out of me calling it that!

(smile!)

Best of all, there was a gracious plenty of it, with me taking home half of the meat and the fries.

Even better, after seeing "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" again this afternoon - to catch the bits I'd missed on Saturday - I knew exactly what to do with the leftovers: Who Hash!!!

The recipe built itself in my mind on the drive home.

Celery?

Onion?

Yes, and yes, bought at Aldi's last week!

I diced up a medium purple onion and a large stalk of the celery and set them to saute.

Then it was to dice the steak fries and roast beast from the luncheon.

Into the pan they went!

Then, to please the Grinch's taste buds, generous sprinkles of Mrs Dash Garlic & Herbs!

Oh, my, what a heavenly aroma!

But something else was needed...

I've got it!

When I was growing up, hash was always served atop rice!

I'd bought some of that at Aldi's, too!

Perfect!

And it was, too.

Ah, such a lovely day I've had!

(smile!)

taking care of bizness, y'all

It all started Monday.

That's when I washed the dishes, after not doing so for a week.

Oh, wait, that means I need to back up to Thursday.

That's when I decided to do some sweeping of carpet, not so much because of dirt as to get rid of the shed hair.

I started with my bedroom, and that went pretty well.

Then I swept the rug in the dining room... and got a blister on my left thumb.

Drats.

I didn't want it to get infected, so I stayed away from anything dirty.

That meant the dishes sat and waited, and waited, and waited some more.

By Monday, it had healed rather nicely and the scab had shrunk, so I deemed it ready.

Seven coffee mugs and seven water cups and all of the soup and cereal bowls agreed.

(smile!) 

On Tuesday, I actually listened to the Mayor's Address - for the first time in many weeks - and was delighted to find that Savannah Ghost Pirates will be our hockey team and plans are in the works for nonstop flights between here and Las Vegas, so our rivals can more easily get here to play.

Marvelous!

Then I voted, which is something I regard as a task, right?

I also watched a free webinar about finances, given live by Suze Orman on her website, titled "Your Financial Roadmap For The Rest Of 2022". 

It was primarily aimed at folks in their 30's and 40's, people just starting to look at starting up retirement accounts.

That's okay, she let me know what the TIAA rep had told me more than a dozen years ago.

Still, it was nice to have someone else confirm that I'd made some good investments back then.

It's good to know that Smitty will be able to retire this year, too, thanks to the SIMPLE-IRA I got him - and me, of course - invested into back in the late 1990's.

Yesterday, after I took a shower, I clipped my toenails.

Let me say that again for emphasis: I clipped my toenails.

That's a big deal for someone who gets dizzy by bending over.

That's why I did it right after the shower, when those nails were softer, allowing me to get the task done in the shortest amount of time possible.

I left the big toes alone, as they always require the most time.

Maybe I'll try to trim them in a few days.

(smile!)

I then washed clothes and I seem to have picked a very good time for that.

Sandfly Laundry was deserted!

By the time my wash was done, only one other customer had come in.

One more arrived by the time the dryer was done, about 3:30 PM.

Sweet!

Had I known, I might have done a load of towels, but... that can wait.

Panties and bras and nightgowns and shirts, not so much. 

That brings me to today.

Breakfast featured an omelet made with the broccoli and carrots from the Texas Roadhouse birthday feast.

I had minced them up and added some cheddar - yum!

There was even one last roll to accompany all that protein!

Plenty of protein is very important with the Whole Body Reset food plan that I'm following.

It's given me a steady weight loss, so that's good.

I'm going to see the cardiologist on June 6th and I'd certainly like for him to see that I'm truly invested in getting my heart healthy.

(smile!)

Fueled by that meal, I attacked the Lane Bryant website.

As they have in years past, the store had granted me a twenty-dollar shopping gift for my birthday.

I've been looking online for several days trying to decide how best to spend it.

Yesterday, I decided to go to the store in Savannah and shop in-person, so I'd looked up its hours online.

Nope, that trip wasn't going to happen - that place is 'permanently closed'.

I'd have to go to Pooler to the Tanger Outlet if I wanted to try clothing on before buying it.

No, I'd rather not drive that far or go to that huge place.

So, as bras were what I needed, that's what I wanted.

And guess what?

I found a cache of them that were only half-price!

But then I found two that I really liked.

Which one should I choose, "Swirl" or the "Vivid Ditzy"?

Well, they were both on sale...

and with my extra bday64 discount, they'd only be about eight dollars each...

and my current bras had broken wires and holes...

so, I allowed them to treat me to both!

I'm looking forward to getting them next week!

(smile!)

I finished off the task list by doing a bit of grocery shopping.

Food Lion was the closest, and they had my lactose-free milk in stock - hooray!

They even had asparagus and cherries on sale - double hooray!

In fact, I was able to get all I needed and have hardly anyone there.

I guess everyone else is waiting for the weekend to buy groceries.

Ah, one of the perks of being retired!

(smile!)

dale, yeah!

This matinee performance by the Armstrong Masquers found me in my seat in Jenkins Hall.
"The Great American Trailer Park Musical" is the last of the 'free' faculty tickets I received last fall... just prior to submitting my school ID card to the personnel office.
That's right, folks.
Before I went into 'retirement' from this university, I made sure I had a ticket to all three of the main stage productions as well as both of the black box productions.

I think of it as part of my severance package.
I think Betty, Linoleum, and Pickles would be in complete agreement with me.
(smile)
They're the Greek chorus for our journey into Armadillo Acres, as well as representatives of the three most popular hair dyes: redhead, blonde, and brunette, respectively.
I had already seen the play last May, down at the Tybee Post Theatre, as part of my birthday60 celebration. (I had intended to write about it, but at least someone else did.)
However, that cast was a bit different in age, skewing upward, actually closer to the actual ages of the characters.
Today, it was all college students, so that meant they were making up in energy what they lacked in age.
Boy howdy, they sure accomplished that!
From my seat, I saw the surprise on their faces as I sang along, too!
Yes, indeed, from the opening lyrics of "This Side Of The Tracks" by the trio of women, to "The Buck Stops Here" from stripper Pipi, through "The Great American TV Show" and "Storm's A-Brewin'", and right on in to Duke (aka Elvis Aaron Garsecki) wailing about "Roadkill" as he speeds to reclaim his ex-girlfriend.
Who might she be?
The stripper, of course, played adorably by Cassie Martinez, with an overbite that rivals that of Queen's frontman.
Bravo to all for such a rousing performance!

What else have I seen during this GA-BOR-mandated "traditional" academic year?
The first was "The 39 Steps", which I had mistaken for the serious Hitchcock version.
I was so very wrong about that, as were Barbara and Jackie, there with me.
Instead, the Masquers performed the play written as decidedly tongue-in-cheek.
Amazingly, only four actors are needed to portray the entire story line!
This troupe allowed nine of its members to inhabit the multitude of characters - and much hilarity ensued!

I opted to not see "God of Carnage" when it rolled into the Black Box last October, even though I had a ticket.
I simply was not up to the task of watching people behaving badly to each other.
I'm sure someone was glad of my vacated seat in that small space.

I most definitely was present for their "Twelfth Night", though!
I adore that bit of Shakespeare, no matter how often I get to see it!

The fourth production, again in the Black Box, was "Bright Ideas". I made sure I was there for it, too! Sure, it was also about people behaving badly to each other, but with much mirth, so it was quite palatable!

And now, this afternoon, I have seen the last of the five offered this season.
Maybe I can talk someone into getting tickets for me next year...
we'll just have to see about that, won't we?
Now, though, I'm going to have hot dogs with chili for dinner - it's been quite a few years since I had that!
Somehow, this play put that cuisine into my thoughts... imagine that!
Thanks, y'all!
(smile)

bounty from the boil

The Coastal Empire ACS hosted a low country boil last night and I made sure to RSVP!
Last year, only five people had responded, so the annual event was cancelled.
I kid you not.
I was one of those five who were told the event was not to be after all.
As I feared this may be one of the last times the seafood feast may be held here, I was sure to head out early.
Good thing I did!
The traffic was horrid, due to a fatal accident on I-95 and I-16.
It took over an hour to get from my house to the Lakeside Pavilion at the Bamboo Gardens.
Cathy MacGowan and Todd Hizer were the only ones there, doing the work, as always.
I had Cathy put me to work! Together, we cut sixteen packages of sausage links into three-inch chunks. Together, we peeled eight bags of onions. Together, we opened sixteen 8-ear packages of corn on the cob.
I helped Todd get the second pot of water onto the gas stove to get it heated.
The second pot was destined to be the shrimp-free pot, as some folks who were coming had that unfortunate food allergy.
Then we waited for the water to come to a boil and attendees to arrive.
The time was about 5:40 pm, and we were to eat at 6 pm...
and we three were the only ones there.
About five minutes later, two alumni arrived.
We turned down the heat so the boiling water wouldn't boil away.
By the time it was 6:15, Todd decided we should go ahead and start cooking.
Cathy and I helped open the eight 5-pound bags of yukon gold potatoes, emptying four bags into each pot.
Then four bags of peeled onions were added to each pot and the timer was started.
In twenty minutes, the food was going to be done and people should be there...
hopefully.
Thirty-five people had responded that they would be at the low country boil.
When the potatoes started cooking, we had less than ten present...including us.
Thankfully, by the time the food had finished cooking, about twenty folks were there. Fortunately, two of those were strong guys (Walter and Brandon Quillian) to help Todd pour the bounty onto the tables. Cathy and I held the sides of the tablecloths up, so no potatoes or shrimp could escape!
So, one table had the pot with shrimp, the other was without.
Each had the same amounts of corn on the cob, potatoes, sausage, and onions.
Got the picture?
That meant there was a surplus of sausage.
The sausage is usually the first thing to disappear!
Not so this time.
Almost all of those who had rsvp'ed showed up, except for three.
(Two of those three absent were the physicist and his 'Cole. Cathy mentioned their absence at least three times. I found it odd myself, as he had told me just last night at our dinner-and-a-movie that he would be here tonight.)
I did have a good talk with Yvonne, about the old days at Armstrong during our stint as students there in the mid-1980's.
Then we talked about how we came to be teaching there: Henry Harris had asked and we had accepted. Just that easy! No long applications, no long interview process, none of that nonsense of today. I think Lea and Cliff Padgett were a bit shocked! Hahahaha!
I assured all that I've been enjoying the flexibility of my forced retirement. I can travel any time, to anywhere, for however long I wish to be there... and not waste my weekends and evenings with the grading of lab papers! Hallelujah!
They all assured me that I had gotten out while the getting was good.
So many changes, none positive for them, all involving more travel to Statesboro and possibility of layoffs in the future.
Seriously.
Jim LoBue was uncharacteristicly quiet when he arrived with the GaSoU contingent.
That was sad.
I tried to brighten spirits of all, best I could.
Mostly, though, I made sure that * I * had a good time there.
After all, who knows when I might see any of these people again?
Plus, I regarded this as the retirement party they meant to give me for twenty-plus years of dedication to students.
(smile)
And when Yvonne and Delana started making to-go bags, I did the same. The time was heading toward 7:30 PM and we were to be gone at 8:00 PM... or pay more money.
Out we would definitely be!
The goodies on my sunroom table are what came home with me.
8 pieces of sausage, 2 onions, 12 pieces of corn on the cob, 24 potatoes, 10 shrimp.
I carried a bag with more than twice that (but no seafood) over to my youngest brother and his wife.
That'll be meals we won't have to buy or cook!
Happy birthday to me!
Happy retirement to me!
i thank You, God!

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 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.

Knowing 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 containing 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 from TIAA 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.