Wow, big news! Congratulations, Annie! I can't wait to see what you'll be doing. I know it will probably involve more work than you're doing now....

She's just changing gears. She'll be happier, I'm betting.

Happy Friday y'all!

Oh, let me add my Happy Retirement greetings too! I suspect when that happens, Annie will wonder how she had time to go to work, since I know she'll be busy.

Lars, I had to grin about the repackaging into Foodsaver bags. Nice! I agree with you about cooler temperatures being perfect for gardening. You can work up a sweat without sweating! Enjoy your time at Huntington Gardens; it's a favorite place for me.

Happy Retirement to you Annie!!

TGIF to all... clinking my water at the keyboard :-)

Well I'll be damned!

Good for you Annie, so what's next? Rebuilding at the farm? When does Ellery retire?

The girls are on their own, happily married with their own families. NOw is your turn.

The adjustment is a bit tricky , but trust me you'll get over it.

Congratulations and good luck.

Sharon

Happy Retirement Annie. It will be fun to see how you use your new found "free" time. I'll clink to you with something in a few hours - for now I'm raising my mug of tea.

We had about an inch of snow this morning, not sure if well have more overnight, but that amount doesn't even slow traffic down.

We have to shop for and replace the instant hot water dispenser in our sink. Other than that just taking it easy after the fun time with our house guests.

Happy weekend to everyone.

Lee

Hope you find something you like to "clink" with.....congratulations from me!
I'm just watching the marmalade get to the jell stage and trying not to let it go past!

Lars, I had to laugh that Home Depot closed the garden department because it was 63F! To me, that's shorts and tank top weather! LOL

Happy Friday everyone. I have no plans for the weekend other than shampooing the carpets.

A big shout out to Annie on her retirement, too! Somehow I think she'll be busier than when she "worked"! LOL

Linda

Oh my gosh! That's huge news! Does that mean full time with Elery now?!

Linda, I couldn't believe it either! I was wearing a short sleeved shirt and was perfectly comfortable, since it was sunny at the time. We did our shopping outside, but then had to take everything inside to the opposite side of the building, and then haul it all back to where we had parked in front of the garden center door.

Annie is probably too busy celebrating (or something) at work right now to see this!! I'm curious to hear how people at her work are taking this.

Lars

thank you, everyone. this is not exactly your normal retirement, it's actually an "I have a new boss and things have changed and I don't like my job anymore" kind of retirement. I've been there 33 years and was astute enough to keep the old defined benefit plan, so now I just sit around and wait for that monthly check to come. Yeah....

actually, my first project will be to fix up my house here in town and get it up for sale. Elery and I have three houses and we need to get started on paring that down to one. He has been telling me for 4 years that he'll retire in 2 years. I told him he just knew that when he retired he'd have to live with me and that's why he's still working!

Anyway, I'll do that, I have the farm, of course, and Elery wants me to spend more time there. Dave wants me to keep the books for the garage. Both girls want me to babysit, and Makayla wants me to come and live with them. I'm thinking I'll probably get a part time job and just "ease into" retirement. If I can sell the house I'll rent somewhere over by the farm and look for jobs in that area.

So, we had the proverbial potluck. tonight a few of us who have worked here for a long time are going to the local bar. I'll drink Diet Coke and take pictures, I figure I can live off the extortion money for a couple of months. (grin) Tomorrow I'm taking The Princess and Bruvver to Lowe's to build dinosaurs, Sunday everyone's coming over for dinner. Monday morning I'll be sitting in my pajamas and drinking coffee at the time I'd normally be going to work, so it's going to be different.

But, life goes on, and so a clink of my teacup to you all. it'll be a change, that's for sure.

Oh, and lars, I did get your box, thank you so much. I'll post a picture tonight or tomorrow, I promise.

Annie

Annie, I thought about you this morning, knowing it was your last day at work. Take some time to smell the roses and enjoy. I hope you can spend as much time with Elery as possible before you get caught up in everything else.

Spending a quiet weekend at home here due to weather.

Nancy

Congrats!

No matter the circumstances, CONGRATULATIONS ANNIE! You've done good for a very long time. 'Bout time you get to decide how to spend Monday morning. You're really earned it girl.

DH's retirement was also a couple years earlier than we'd planned. His company fired him when he asked for family leave to take care of me (hint for everybody to read the fine print on that law!). It's worked out great though. He's doing all sorts of things that he's always wanted but never had time. He just started his 3rd semester of creative writing last night & is still taking piano lessons (from moi!) & has progressed to be considered fully an intermediate student. Several other irons in the fire.

I'm sure you'll have no trouble filling your time. The cool thing is that now it's YOUR time.

Enjoy the weekend making those dinos...sounds fun.

/tricia

Hey, Annie! Welcome to the other side of the mountain! (No, it's not the beginning of a long downward slide; it's just an alpine meadow with a lovely new view!)

I, too, didn't exactly plan to retire. I'm afraid to go into the details because I always get myself worked up and upset each time I think about it. Best not to relive that awful time. It took me a while to adjust to the sense of freedom, but eventually, I learned that I did better when my week had some structure (specific days for different household chores and errands, for example).

Wishing you an easy transition!

Sue

Congratulations from me, too, Annie. Regime change is hard. My DH suddenly became unemployed under similar circumstnaces at the end of September and we are still trying to figure out what to do. We're just a "wee" bit shy of 60. The suddenness of it took my breath away. I've been going through all of the classic stages of grief, and some of it hasn't been pretty lol.

Best wishes to you,

seagrass

Congratulations Annie. There is no doubt that you will find all kinds of things to fill your time. I don't know anyone that does more than you in one day. Enjoy your new found freedom.

Ann

Wonderful you are now Retired! Yay Annie! Be very proud of your career and recognizing when it was time to leave. Be especially happy & proud that you were able to leave on your terms, even if it was earlier then you planned. You have a wonderful new life ahead of you.
Enjoy Monday morning coffee in your PJ's~I'm jealous!

Congrats Annie,
In a few months you will wonder how you ever had time to go to work!

Claudia

I'm sorry to hear that it wasn't on ideal terms. If they couldn't please you, they must have been truly horrible- you seem to have mastered the live and let live philosophy. I will hope that the unpleasantness fades from your mind and that the freedom is awesome.

Congratulations on your retirement. It was weird at first for me (5 years now) and I always figured I'd find something else to do but ya know.. no thanks. Retirements much much better. Everyday's a holiday and you can put off till tomorrow what you don't want to do today and repeat. Like cutting the lawn. Love it, although I did think I'd get more done with all the free time things haven't quite worked out that way but I'm not complainin. noooo.

A new life to live! Congratulations.

Sorry the circumstances forced your hand, but Happy Retirement Annie! I hope you settle into a happy routine and enjoy your freedom!

What good news Annie. congratulations !! Knowing you, you'll be busier than ever and I do wish you get a special thrill monday morning when you realize you don't have to be anywhere else than having that coffee quietly.

TGIF (Thank God I'm Fired)!!!!

Life style transition yes.
Retirement? Not a chance!

dcarch

Hope you're sleeping in after a wild night, Annie! Glad to hear you don't have to do " the daily grind" anymore! I do know despite being retired, there will be no moss growing under your feet!

Love that cartoon!

Wow, Annie, I can't believe it. I wish you all the best. I can't see you being idle, so I'm sure you'll be twice as busy now with that list of things you have planned, especially the baby sitting.

Cute cartoon, Dcarch.

Sally

Congratulations Annie!! Somehow your version of "retirement" will not be retiring!! :) I know you'll be busier than ever!! But maybe now you'll get to do more of what YOU want to do and WHEN you want to do it!!! XOXO, Deb

Somehow I missed reading that you are retiring.
Congratulations!

And I second what everyone else has written.
Especially the ones that say
You will soon be wondering how you ever had time
To hold down a job!

Rusty

Guess I missed the "announcement" too, but I wish you all the best, Annie! Enjoy any morning spent sitting quietly with your cup of coffee!

I tend to look on any big change as an adventure - one to look toward with excited anticipation, new possibilities, new things to learn, new things to see, new friends to make.

Teresa

Congrats on getting to hang out in your jammies, Annie. I had nearly the same experience two years ago. One day I was working full on, then I went to work and was told my job was eliminated and the next day I was drinking coffee in my jammies at 8 in the morning. I nearly got whiplash from that sudden change!

Anyone who says retirement is an easy transition is wrong. It's a huge life change. I'm glad you already have lots of things in your life to keep it fulfilling. After two years, I am keeping an eye out for a PT job to keep me from going nuts.

Teresa has a good outlook -- look at it as a new adventure -- because it is!

I missed it, too, and sure am glad I saw this! Congratulations, Annie. You are so going to love "retirement." Dcarch's cartoon sums it up.

Sherry

For those of you who missed it, here is the announcement made last week. I was shocked about the part that she had worked continuously since age 14 - I need much more time off than that! Although I'm older, Annie has definitely worked more years than I have. I got laid off in 2001 and could relate to Dcarch's cartoon at that time, but I was also very happy to get hired back at the same place. Anything can happen in the future, and I think Annie has great plans in place!

Lars

Clink to Annie. Retirement is good!!!

Annie I just read your post and I must say ...if anybody deserves some time to do things her way it's you.
Enjoy, stop and take time to smell the roses...as the saying goes.

Yes, Lars, I've been continuously employed since 1969, I worked 60 hours a week all the way through high school. They didn't have girls' sports or anything like that back then, so there was nothing much to distract me other than a job in a chicken joint. When I married in 1974 I worked four jobs to put my ex through college, and at one point I had a fifth job. One full time, four part time, I didn't know where I was supposed to be sometimes. When the girls were born I went down to two jobs, my full time at the Prosecutor's and part time bookkeeping. I've only had one job for about 10 years now, so it kind of felt like I WAS retired, LOL. I've never been unemployed, never laid off, never fired. I'd been in my last job for almost 34 years. I've also tended bar, waited tables, worked in a typing pool. I've fried chicken, pumped gas, washed windshields, made Hush Puppy shoes, kept books, broke and trained ponies, delivered pizza and owned my own restaurant/bar. I've cleaned houses and babysat and drove a school bus. If I could make an honest buck doing it, i did it.

Thankfully, I stayed with the County's pension plan when a lot of people bailed out. When the stock market was high, just before 9/11, a financial planner came to the county with figures and told everyone how they could roll over their contributions and make a ton of money. I declined, it just sounded too easy. It was, the market tanked and several long time employees now can't afford to retire. My defined benefits just kept plugging along.

Now, the difference between my paycheck and my pension is about $500 a month. Elery said it was an "IQ test". Basically, I was working for $500 a month, getting up every morning and putting on pantyhose to go to a job that I disliked for somewhere around $3 an hour. He did point out that I could get a part time job at minimum wage and work 20 hours a week and make more than that and that $3 an hour probably didn't pay for my pantyhose. He was right, of course.

Now the County has financial problems, as do all of them now, I think, and so I won't be replaced, my job duties will be absorbed by the legal staff in the office, so, although my hand was forced somewhat earlier than I had anticipated, things aren't necessarily going all that according to plan for anyone.

I'm only 56, so I'll be getting at least a part time job, when I decide what I want to do next. The County Clerk told me she hoped it "all worked out for me". I told her that if it didn't, I'd just do something else. She said I had the biggest attitude she'd ever seen, LOL.

So, life goes on and if retirement doesn't work out for me, I'll do something else!

dcarch, that is a cute cartoon, but wouldn't it be easier just to not set the alarm? (grin)

Annie

Annie! I am so happy for you! I think you just may be the only person I know that will do well with retirment. You have such a great attitude and a bundle of energy to go with it. Congrats girl, you deserve all the best in life and more!

I really need to check in here more often!

I'm a newbie here, probably have never posted but read often and enjoy your recipes. All the best, Annie. Someone with your interests and energy will find plenty to keep you busy. The plus is that you do in on YOUR schedule. Congrats!

I don't get over here as often as I used to, but am glad I checked in and saw this. I'm adding my best wishes to you on your retirement. Enjoy your well-deserved break!

Whew good thing you stayed with the old DB pension plan. They came around offering us a switch to a DC defined contribution plan which sounds very similar to what they offered you, place your money and takes your chances on the stock market, I didn't take it either. Nowadays though that's pretty much the only choice new employees get.

Annie, congrats on your retirement. Although you may find yourself even busier now, then when you had your job! Take care and enjoy your free time. NancyLouise

Congratulations, Annie. I'm glad for you that financially it's a no-brainer. Like everyone's already said, I'm sure you won't have to try hard to fill up your days. Good luck.

dcarch - Good luck to you, too. Something tells me that if you can't find a job, heck you'll just make one up!

Dcarch, really? You're fired? I thought that was a joke...

Annie

Fired? I have co-workers, but no boss. Difficult to get fired. :-)

May be in a few days, if I get all the 6 numbers correct, I will look into the mirror and, "dcarch, you are fired!"

dcarch

Ooops, sorry, guess I misread "Thank God I'm Fired" and subsequent comment about lifestyle change. Didn't mean to start a rumor!

Dcarch was just using a differed acronym to TGIF, FOAS.
Very fitting, by the way!!!

Annie, if you want to really take a few days off and try and relax a bit, we would understand. You don't always need to rush right into a project and go full-tilt. Although I believe your system doesn't know anything other than full-speed ahead!!

Enjoy your new-found freedom, or partial freedom! All the very best in this new venture Annie.

Enjoy Annie!

Now that you have time on your hands, I cant even imagine how much MORE you will accomplish!

Alexa

Congrats, Annie. I know you'll stay busy and have fun. And Cooper is going to love having 'Mom' home all day.

Congratulations! You will just find that much more to do.

I really don't know now how I ever had the time to work, how did I get it all done!

Congratulations Annie! Something tells me you won't be sitting still or chillin' for very long. I'm sure the grandkids will love being able to spend more time with you too. Guessing you might have time for a garden this year. I remember you not planting one last year due to many things.

Woodie, LOL, I'll take all the blame for that!

David