Almost done!

I am a mere six working days away from starting my final weeks of vacation.  I officially retire at the end of January 2019.

No decision has been made yet as to whether I will resurrect this blog or continue with the new one.  Or perhaps I'll post in both...that's not likely as I'm far too lazy for that!  I expect if I choose not to post here, I'll post a link to the new blog to allow those who once followed to do so again.

It's been nearly two years since I mostly discontinued posting here, and a lot has changed in my personal and my work life.  The absolutely best was the birth of my grandson, pictured here on Halloween.  This little boy has brought joy beyond measure into my life.  He is definitely the apple of my eye, smart, cute, and downright adorable.

As I've noted, my employment is nearing an end. However, even beyond my retirement I am subject to conditions which do not permit any disclosure regarding the workplace.  Suffice to say, the last two years have not been easy for me as I have been under continual scrutiny by those who would wish me ill will.  Enough of that...in mere days they will be behind me.

My next few months will be busy with vacations, three planned cruises, and holidays (Christmas and New Year's), and a very special event, my grandson's second birthday.  Life is good!

To those of you in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you are surrounded by loving family and friends as you celebrate.  To all others, thanks for being part of my journey.  I will be back, in one form or another.

Weekend wrap-up

Hooray, I made it through another work week!  Seriously, I'm finding it more and more difficult to go to work in the morning.  IF I could just win the lottery....  Well, since that doesn't seem to be happening, I've taken to arranging meetings/appointments every day, so I tell myself I have a reason to go to work each morning. Otherwise I think I might use up some of that sick leave* I've accumulated over the past 19 years.  Sigh, if I weren't so damned responsible.  On a happier note I took another marble out of the jar last week.  I've finally reached the jail sentence....two years less a day!

Things are going much better at home. Last weekend was Grey Cup weekend - the final game of the Canadian football league championship.  Our Roughriders had a pitiful season this year; they didn't even make it to the playoffs.  The two teams that played for the Cup were the Ottawa Red Blacks (guess what color their uniforms are...) and the Calgary Stampeders (whose uniforms are also the same colors).  It really didn't matter to me who won, though I cheered a little louder for Ottawa because they were predicted not to win. In fact, many sportscasters and fans suggested Calgary would run over them.  Ha!  Shows what they know...instead Ottawa came out strong and by mid-game the Stampeders QB appeared shell-shocked.  Calgary came back but in the end, Ottawa won the game in overtime.

While the game was on, I brought up the Christmas decorations and started on the tree.  I say start because it takes me a few days to be satisfied with the ornament placement.  It all depends on where I sit in the living room.  I think, a week later, I'm pretty happy with it.  Though Saku just knocked one off the lower branches so that has to be moved....this was one of the approximately 90% of the ornaments that are shatterproof.

Since I wanted the tree in front of the window, I moved the cat tree to the side.  Saku still uses it though he can't see out the window.

There are some new ornaments on the tree this year, including the little stuffed animals that I found at Costco in October (!).  There are also a few large green balls and snowflakes that were on sale at Canadian Tire for $1.43 an $0.73 each....I couldn't resits.

The china cabinet has been dressed as well.  It is as close as I come to having a mantel.  I haven't hung stockings for years and when I did, they were tacked up on the wall.


The living room gets most of the attention, though I do have a vase of artificial flowers on the windowsill by the sink along with a ceramic snowman.  The table will eventually be decorated, however since Saku tends to like to hang out there I don't put out anything that he might be able to knock on the floor.  The light about the table is fair game.

The past few years I've hung the crystal icicles (plastic) from the light fixture.  After Christmas I found these plastic snowflakes and added them this year. I love how they catch the light and I leave them up all winter.

These week I also finished a sweater I started shortly before I left on my cruise.  Obviously it is for my grandson, and I expect it won't fit him until he's 6-9 months old.

It is knit from the neck down in one piece to the underarm, then the sleeve stitches are set on holders while the rest of the body is knitted.  With a pick of a few stitches the sleeves are finished.  I really prefer to knit this way as it means I don't have to sew any seams!

I found the pattern on the internet though, and the instructions were a little lacking  There were no lengths provided so I made an educated guess (using other patterns).  The boy's version is rather plain so I decided to add a couple of appliques.  Pinterest is great!  I  found these little cars to crochet.  The pattern had little black crocheted wheels but I din't have any black wool so I added buttons instead.  When I appliqued the cars to the sweater I left the windows open so they are little pockets too!

There is one big mistake that is visible - I miscounted on the rows for the buttonholes.  So I have one more button than I ought to have and the top two buttons are further apart than the rest.  Regardless, as I said when I posted the photo on Facebook, it may not be factory quality but it was certainly made with love.

This weekend has been busy with the usual household chores, some grocery shopping, and...clearing the driveway of snow.  We had some flurries on Saturday morning and while it wasn't much, it needed to be cleared or it simply packs on the driveway.  Besides we're going to get cold weather next week; the forecast is for minus 16-18C (0-3F) daytime highs and colder still at night.  I plan on staying indoors where it is warm as much as possible. (Except when I have to force myself out the door to go to work.)

On that note, I'll close this post, wishing you all a good week ahead!

*I'm fortunate to work where we are able to accrue sick leave.  I have used some over the years, but have built up a bank of nearly 6 months.  It's nice to know it is there, just in case.  When I do retire, it will simply expire - it does not get paid out as some people think.

Long time gone

My poor, sad neglected blog!  I think back to when this started and how I found something interesting (at least to me) to blog about every day.  Now, I struggle to find anything to share, and even commenting on other blogs has fallen by the wayside.  I used to wonder why some blogs just ended without any real ending...there one day and then never to be heard from again.  I'm not quite there and I truly believe, if I were to quit I'd leave a final blog post to say thank you and good bye.

I guess once in awhile is better than never.  So what have I been up to since the end of January?
No a whole lot really. Just work and home, with some knitting, sewing, and general housework thrown in. Oh yeah, and packing for my trip.  That's been on my mind more than anything else the last couple of weeks.  I've spent a lot of time reading Cruise Critic threads, viewing YouTube videos of the ship, and TripAdvisor reviews of the ports.  Basically, lots of time surfing the net...I like to think it's not wasted time. :)

Work has been, well work.  I'm still struggling every morning to get up and go to work, and when I'm there I'm not nearly as productive as I once was, or would like to be.  I had another session with our EAP counsellor last week.  She suggested that rather than looking at work as something I have to get through, but rather to think of it as a means to the end because every day I work gets me closer to my goal of retirement.  It will certainly help me in the morning, but not so much the feelings of guilt for not putting in as much effort as I think I ought to.  My friend C tells me to quit beating myself up...I've given a lot of time and energy to the department over the years so if I slow down slightly it's not the end of the world.  Plus as she reminds me, it's really important for those who will be leading the organization after we retire, to start demonstrating their commitment now.

I wonder if all my planning for retirement has changed my focus so much it's hampered my ability to stay in the here and now.  Something to think about.

Well, the here and now at the moment is focused on the cruise.  I feel like I'm so prepared for this trip from all my research and I've pretty much finished packing.  I did laundry last weekend, tried on all the clothing to make sure it all fits (it does), and started pulling together all the sundry items I'll need. On Friday I went by the bank to pick up some US cash. I do have a US savings account, which I would normally transfer funds into throughout the year when the exchange rate seemed reasonable.  Well, I did have some money left in it which I withdrew, but I bought another $100 US...it cost me $142,38 CD.  Ouch!  

Yesterday, I had a pedicure, a tanning appointment, and spent much of the day working with my niece on a sewing project.  (More on that later).  In the evening, I went to my friend's C&N's for their annual beach party in advance of their winter holiday.  Everyone dresses in beach wear (well, except for the grumpy old guy friend) and we enjoy drinks and munchies.  The main living areas were decorated with beach items (including a small sand box), and a video of the beach played on the television.  I watched, with several others, the entire video twice through, enjoying the sights and sounds of the waves.  Soon, very soon I'll see it in person.

This morning I put the last of the items in the suitcase and carry-on.  I'm only taking a small suitcase so I can't do much shopping on this trip!  The carry-on has my camera bag in it, along with a change of clothing, a nightgown, bathing suit, a small bag of toiletries, and some reading material.  If, heaven forbid, my suitcase went missing I'd have enough to see me through the first couple of days.  I've only had it happen once and that would be the time I wasn't prepared.

The next few days are going to be tough to get through, because I'm already bouncing off the walls eager to get going.  I told C&N last night, I wish they'd hurry up and leave (Tues). so that my trip would be that much closer.  I'm pretty certain they think I'm a little nuts.

Back to the sewing project.  There's a bit of whine going to happen here so if you want to pass, go ahead.  A year or so ago, my niece expressed an interest in learning to sew and I had offered to help. She spent part of a morning with me and I taught her how to thread the machine, wind the bobbin and we sewed a couple of felt Christmas ornaments.  Well, apparently that wasn't good enough for her mother, so it was decided a family friend C, would take over the sewing lessons.  About three weeks ago, my brother called me to say that L needed some help with a school project, she wanted to sew a a dress, would I be willing to help?  I bit my tongue, and didn't ask about C, and said for sure I'd help.  We got together last weekend, bought a pattern, and the notions, as L had the material.  At that time, we thought the project wasn't due until the beginning of May.  On Thursday, R e-mailed me to say, no it's actually due on March 7. Yikes!

So, he dropped her off at my house yesterday about noon.  By 5 p.m. we had the dress mostly put together.  I showed L how to pin the pattern to the material and cut it out, mark the darts, and read the pattern.  She did most of the cutting, and she only had to re-cut one piece when she nicked the material.  I demonstrated sewing a couple of the darts and let her do the rest.  She also pinned the pieces together (with a little help) and did the back, waist and shoulder seams. We did have to do some ripping out when she bunched up the material...another learning opportunity. It's an interesting pattern, as it is a wrap dress so all the other edges (except the hem) will be edged with bias tape.  There are buttons and snaps that will need to be hand sewn on, once that's done.  She was so excited with what we'd done and so proud to model it for her dad when he arrived.

She told me C has the pieces cut out for her when she's had her lessons, so that all L does is sew them together.  I know, and like C, but I don't think L is learning much from her - better that she get to try it all, make a few mistakes and learn from those. I was talking to R this morning, and he said my SIL was very surprised at how much we'd gotten done yesterday.

Right now the plan is we'll get together the weekend before the project is due to get it done.  I'll probably do a little work on it before then to help her along.  I know how finicky sewing the bias tape around the neckline will be so will spare her that.  But again, it's my plan to get her to do the rest...including the hand sewing.  She groaned at that idea, but said that everyone will believe she made it herself because she can point out the mistakes.  I love this kid!

It's been years since I've sewn.  The last thing I can remember sewing was a Halloween costume for my son.  He's 28 and hasn't been trick or treating since he was 12, and it was well before that...you do the math.  For all the neglect, my sewing machine was in good working order, just a little dusty.  It's got me excited about sewing again, and I found a pattern in the clearance bin at the fabric store, for a pretty summer top.  When I get back from my vacation, I'll pick up some material and have a go at it.

So perhaps, there is hope for my blog too.  It's been getting a little dusty from lack of use - I just need to make time for it.  Thanks for being there when I do show up!

Have a great week everyone!

Random Saturday

It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted, and while I've tried to stop by other blogs I've done a pretty crappy job of that too.  It's been a blend of procrastination, a lack of anything to blog about, and still feeling a little blah.  So, please forgive me if my posting and comments are infrequent.  I still enjoy reading what's happening in your lives!

*****

When I met with the EAP counselor a few weeks ago, she had asked me to have a physical completed by the doctor to rule out any physical reasons for my depression.  I had my appointment last Monday.  Before I go any further I have to say I don't really like my doctor.  He's always in a rush, speaks very quickly so I find him hard to understand, and is never good at answering my questions.  

He started with a list of symptoms, asking me if I'd ever fainted, no, if I was experiencing vomiting or diarrhea, uh...no, if I had any joint pain, not at this moment, and on and on.  He checked my blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, ears, eyes, and reflexes in record time then left the room to allow me to get into the oh so lovely and fashionable paper gown with the modesty sheet.  No giggling was heard before or after.

He returned with his aide (a young woman who I guessed was about 14...she was 19).  From that point on, it was a little surreal, as he and she carried on a conversation about applying for a passport.  All of this went on while the examination was going on and even after I was allowed to sit up.  Since I'd recently renewed my passport, I mentioned that the paper work could be completed on line, and suggested that she attend the office on a weekday morning, not Friday, as it was very busy that day.

As he was about to leave the office, I reminded him that I had found a small lump in my upper right arm and wanted him to take a look at it.  He reached out, felt the lump for a second, and said "it has to come out.  I'll refer you for surgery".  Then he sat down at the computer in the examination room, and immediately sent a referral to the surgeons office.  He also gave me a referral to the lab for various tests.

******

On Tuesday, I planned to go to the lab first thing in the morning, as they open at 7 a.m.  I thought if I was there 10-15 minutes early I'd be one of the first in the lab.  Great idea, but it didn't happen.  

That morning, my car wouldn't start.  I had noticed it was difficult to start the day before, but had thought it was due to the fact it was very cold -27C with windchills near -37C.  Although I had plugged the car in at my parking spot, the electricity is only turned on for 15 minutes every hour.  

After calling the garage to ensure they could get me in, I called CAA for a boost.  They have this voice recognition service so when you call you tell this computer what service you are looking for and it is supposed to dispatch the call.  Except, I've always received a call back from a live operator so why they don't let me speak to a real person in the first place, I have no idea.  Anyway, when the operator called, she asked me what I thought the problem was and I told her it was a dead battery.  It turns out CAA has a service where they'll actually bring a battery out with them, so that if it is indeed simply a dead battery and not an alternator or starter issue, they'll exchange it right there..  I don't know what a battery and install would have cost at the garage but it sounded like a good idea to me.  The young man was at the house within a half hour, and less than 15 minutes later I had a brand new battery in the car and was heading to work.  I drive a 2007 Toyota Corolla and the battery that was replaced was the original.  Apparently, that it lasted so long is pretty impressive.  

******

At work, things are changing again.  My old boss, K has finally decided to retire - his official last day in the office is January 29.  He's been with the department for 32 years, and based on conversations I've been part of or have overheard, he won't be missed.  I'm not planning to attend his farewell, because it's at a pool hall and bar, and frankly I just don't care enough to go.  

My friend K is also retiring.  Her last day in the office was just before Christmas, and she'll officially retire on February 17.  She has been going out to lunch with various friends and co-workers over time and does not want a formal farewell.  I like her idea, as she gets to spend time with those she actually likes and plans to keep in touch with.  We went out for lunch between Christmas and New Year's and then again on Wednesday.  I'm thrilled she's starting to settle into her retirement....she told me she thinks of our workplace as simply a building with people in it.  

Speaking of retirement, I spent some time between Christmas and New Year's doing some calculations.  First I calculated what my pension after taxes would be in April 2019 (it's a defined benefit plan) and estimated what my living costs will be as compared to now.  I eliminated those costs that I won't incur when I'm not working, estimated what my mortgage would be (as I'll be downsizing), utilities, insurance, groceries, clothing, added in some extra money for medical costs....just in case, vehicle maintenance, etc. and I'm certain I will be able to manage.

Then I did a little more math.  If I leave my employment three months early, I'll take a 1% penalty  that after taxes works out to be $50 a month.  Hmmm.....that got me to thinking....so I did more math and calculated leaving at the end of October, and at the end of August of 2018.  The latter date would result in a reduction of nearly $150 a month, and that to me, is too much.  However I will have 7-9 weeks of holiday saved up and/or earned by that point so if I took my vacation from that point on, I could retire at the end of October, which would result in a $100 reduction each month.  Or if I arrange to retire at the end of January, and have the 8-9 weeks of vacation, I can leave at the beginning of December 2018.  

I'm sure that all sounds rather confusing, but basically what it means is that at the end of August 2018, I will be what we call a PM02...piss me off and I'm out of here in 2 weeks.  Do you know how good that makes me feel?  It's pretty freaking amazing!  I'm prepared to forgo $50 a month, and even possible $100...if it means I can be out of there sooner.  While I've left the marble jar as it is, the thought of leaving without having lost all my marbles is a good one.

******

There's lot more to share, but it's getting late on Saturday evening, and I'm tired.  I'll set this up to post tomorrow morning and perhaps I'll get to rest of it later in the day.

Have a great weekend everyone!  

Lessons learned

1. I definitely want to live in Parksville when I retire.

2. I expect the transition will be easier there than in Regina since there is so much to do and see. Even overcast skies and rain have not dampened my enthusiasm.  Yes, there were lots of gray days, but at least it wasn't -22C as it was the morning I arrived home!

3. A few things I did right:
a) I set a goal of walking at least an hour a day though I wasn't always able to - travel days in particular. There were days when I walked more than that so hopefully I made up for the missed days.
b) I made a real effort to get involved in the community, attending events and joining the knitting group. This helped me feel as if I belonged.  My uncle asked me one time if I wasn't bored and lonely and I can honestly say I never was.
c) I didn't consider this a vacation, indeed I thought of it always as "practicing for retirement".  I tried to be cautious with my spending, ate most of my meals at home, and found inexpensive opportunities for entertainment. I really enjoyed having the time to work on my hobbies.

4.  A couple of things I did wrong,
a) A month was simply not enough time.  I spent too long in Victoria and it got me out of my routine limiting my time to meet the same people and thus creating opportunities to build relationships.
b) I had hoped to volunteer while I was there but I hadn't obtained a police record check.  I suspect that would have helped me meet more people.

5. A month however, is a good start to improving one's health.   According to the scale I only lost three pounds but the walking has made a difference in inches...my jeans won't stay up!

6.  Three months would be even better.  In our contract, we have the option of taking a three month or a one-year leave without pay once in our career.  I'll have to do some serious number crunching to determine how much I will need to save in order to take the three months off.  But it's definitely in the back of my mind for April 2017.

7. Retirement can't come soon enough.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Weekend Wrap-up

Sigh.....I'm so glad it's the weekend!    I can hardly believe I made through another of work without screaming out loud or jumping off the roof. Though I did threaten to do the latter at one point.  

We're about to formally kick-off our charitable campaign and another group has chosen to hold an event the same day and time as ours.  I wasn't too worried as I felt the two events were so dissimilar we wouldn't be attracting the same individuals. However, on Wednesday I learned that someone from the other group was talking to though who had purchased tickets for our event, trying to convince them to attend long enough to pick up their lunch and then return to the office for the other session. What a great display of our values; cooperation, respect and professional.

When I took my concerns to our management adviser, she pooh-poohed them.  I think I know why, as she joined us for a canvasser meeting the next day, and there was no one who paid less attention.  It was clearly obvious she feels no connection to what we do or why we do it. I suspect her opinion is indicative of most of management.

This point was proven even more  strongly, when later in the day, I learned the office is planning a safety drill just a half hour before our event.  Not only does this mean our adviser has no intention of helping us set up, but there is a good possibility those attending will be delayed as they are required to attend a de-brief post drill.  

It was at this point I suggested I was ready to leap off the roof.  AND I am terrified of heights!

******

It was a good thing I had yesterday off.  I slept in, then went for breakfast, did a little shopping, had my hair done, and just had a relaxing day.  Later I went for dinner with friends, then came home to watch our Riders play football.  It was a debacle!  We've lost our starting quarter back and our back-ups are just not ready  Our defense kept us in the game, but we lost 24-0.  To add injury to insult (literally) with four second left in the game one of our better receivers went down with a serious injury.

I was in bed by midnight but was awake until nearly 5 a.m.  I tossed and turned, planned the program for the kick-off, made mental lists of all the things I need to get done, and tried desperately to relax enough to go to sleep.  At 4 a.m. I gave up briefly, spent a good half hour writing out the program and my lists before I crawled back into bed.  I guess I should have done that sooner!

*******

This morning I took care of some of my personal to-do list, filled the car with fuel, got my oil changed, had my nails done, and stopped by the dollar store.

I finally got my marble jar.  It will go to work with me on Monday.  Every marble represents a month remaining before I plan to retire.  At the end of each month I will remove a marble from the jar and when I've lost all my marbles I'm done!

*******

Our weather has turned cool again, with rain and wind.  I had thought I'd get outdoors to gather the leaves that have fallen but it is far too wet.  Instead I'll stay indoors, watch more football, and maybe catch up on my sleep!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

 

Fogged in

This is the view that met me this morning when I walked out of the house to water my containers.

The fog matches my current state of mind.

I'm struggling these days to keep myself on track.  I'm tired, often cranky, and forgetful.  Frustration is my middle name.

At work, management would say I'm not engaged.  They'd be right. These days I am either sitting staring at my computer counting the hours to the end of the day or in a total snit about something stupid someone somewhere in our organization has done.

I'm not sure which state I prefer.  Though being in a snit does makes the day go faster! :)

It's not as though I have no work to accomplish, because there is always something needing to be dealt with. The issue is that there is no longer any trust at any level and everything must be scrutinized by someone higher up. For example, recently a peer and I revised an internal document; it's not meant to be used by any other office or area, and is simply a "cheat sheet" if you will for our employees and supervisors to use as a reference for performing a specific and infrequent process.  The goal was to give them the information so they wouldn't have to contact one of three of us who have significant experience with the process.

We sent it off to our managers to review, requesting approval to provide the information to the staff and supervisors.  My manager said okay, mostly because he's less than two years from retirement and is in coast mode, so he really didn't read or review the document.  The other manager, an up and coming individual returned it to my peer because......it didn't meet their senior manager's formatting standards.

WTF?  Apparently we're not the least bit concerned about the content, but heaven forbid if a margin is an nth of a centimeter too wide or narrow, a comma is missed or out of place, or the section headers are the wrong font or incorrectly spaced.  Thankfully my peer is willing to revise the document once more because my immediate reaction was to tell that manager (and senior manager) to stuff it someplace uncomfortable.

We're also taking away the capacity of people to think and creating mindless robots.  On Friday I got a piece of correspondence that's been floating around for about a month.  Actually a month is pretty good.  It was passed from an office in Ontario to one in B.C, then onto Alberta and finally landed on my desk because, besides my regular duties, I've been tasked with this workload.

When I looked at the document, I realized it should never have come to me because it didn't fit the criteria.  So I sent off an e-mail to the three offices to ask where it should be sent to be completed since it was not something within my purview.  I received two e-mails, both indicating they were simply following instructions to send to the next place.  NO ONE had looked at the damned document, because if they had they would have realized it was not what they thought, but instead they had blindly followed instructions.  So now apparently it is my problem, even though it's not my problem.  As a result I'll handle it because someone has to, but I've sent an e-mail off to my senior manager to express my concerns.

When an immediate issue is not causing me frustration, I'm dreaming of early retirement, voluntary or otherwise.  The lottery has to come through soon, right?  Or maybe management will get tired of my rants and ask me politely (and with a large final cheque) to move on?

Now that my daughter has moved out, and my son knows he's next, I've even thought about downsizing and moving into a smaller place.  I could find a job that pays less (with less stress perhaps) and still manage.  The fly in that ointment is a smaller pension.

What is really frustrating is that work is spilling over into my personal space and time.  I find myself dreaming about work.  The other night, I was meetings all night, trying to help the staff explain to management the impact recent decisions have had on morale and productivity.  Just like the real thing, I woke up knowing I'd not gotten anywhere.

I know I'm neglecting all the things I like to do, like this blog, my yard work, and spending time enjoying the outdoors. (If only the housework could wait forever, but when the dust bunnies are bigger than the cats something has to be done).  And yet, like tonight as I write this, I feel an ease of some of the pressure.  Simply writing it down really helps.

Thanks to all who have read this through. Knowing you are there reminds I have supports in my life.

Like the fog, this too shall pass.

Most definitely in four years, 7 months, and 30 days.

Friday Funny

Making plans

Kim asked a week or so ago about my plans for next January.  Like every one of my stories, this is long one so grab yourself a cold drink...or ignore this post entirely.  

I'm nothing if not a planner.  Throughout my entire life, I've always looked ahead to the next weekend, the next event, the next job opportunity, the next move, the next trip...always thinking about where I want to be and how I'll get there.  

It's probably because I'm easily bored or maybe I'm afflicted with attention deficit disorder?

Anyway, while I'm still planning my next trip, (more on that another time), my latest preoccupation is looking ahead to retirement.  The date is still a few five years away, but the ways things have been at work, and the brutal winters of the past two years have me dreaming of retirement almost every day.  If only I could win the lottery! :)

A couple of years ago I started thinking in earnest about what retirement might look like, the financial considerations, and especially where I might want to live.  If memory serves, it all started on Reduit Beach in St. Lucia the year I was on my own.  As I relaxed in the sand, enjoying the sound of the waves rolling against the shore and the heat of the sun I realized something.....I really, really, really hate winter.

In the immediate, there is nothing I can do to change that fact.  I live and work in the province my ancestors settle in (idiots!) and for now it is the practical place to be.  My adult children live with me and for now at least, that arrangement works for us.

But a girl can dream and so I did.

My first dream was to consider moving to a Caribbean island.  Wouldn't that be the life?  Living on an exotic island, living on or near the beach, walking barefoot in the sand, the sounds of the surf lulling me to sleep every night....surely that would be bliss.  But then the practical side of my brain kicked in and I realized there would downsides too.  Foremost is the heat and humidity, which in January feels lovely, but the summer months would be overwhelming for this Canuck.  Factor in the costs of travelling, the distance from family and friends, and the potential of hurricanes...I quickly discarded that dream.

Later that month, back at home some of my co-workers were beginning to purchase properties in the U.S. So with their suggestions of potential retirement communities, I started looking at the cost of properties in Arizona.  Wow, that sub-prime mortgage collapse sure did a number on the house prices there! I could pick up a condo unit for next to nothing, place it a rental pool for other heat seeking tourists like myself, and eventually have a place to retire to.

But I quickly realized despite the low cost, there were a number of disadvantages with this idea. First and foremost, I'd need to refinance my own home to come up with sufficient funding to make an immediate purchase.  Who knew how long the prices would stay so low?  I'd also never visited Phoenix, so I wasn't sure I'd like it there, and like the Caribbean, I know it gets very hot there.  And unlike the Caribbean, Arizona is nowhere near an ocean.  That was deal-breaker for me.

Turning to a map, I started looking in Canada instead.  Where could I live where the weather was temperate, near water, close to an airport, and yet provide some distance between me and my adult children? (Don't kid yourself, even though I live with them now, I'm dreaming of the day that is no longer the case).

My cousin B and I had re-connected on Facebook about this time.  She kept encouraging me to come out to Vancouver Island to visit while giving me a hard time about how much nicer the weather was there than here.  So last fall, I did just that...and spent an amazing five days in my dream location.  It has the rocks, trees, and water I fell in love with thirty years ago when I lived in northern Saskatchewan, except on a grander scale with amenities like highways and Walmart.

I came home with only one thought on my mind...how and when could I get back there for a longer visit and better yet how could I make it a permanent move.

The only negative, as far as I can tell, is the rain.  I'm told that it can drizzle rain for days on end, be overcast and gray, which can be disheartening.  B told me January is the worst so I started making plans for 2015.  First off, I asked for a five week leave of absence from work (two birds, one stone) and it was recently approved.  We have the option of income averaging in our organization, which means I take a reduction in pay (about 10% per pay) but will continue to receive pay checks while I'm off work.  

I'll still need to save some money as I'll the additional costs of maintaining this house, and a rental out there.  That's the next part of the puzzle, finding a reasonably priced rental for the month of January.  The goal is to find a place that is within walking distance of downtown, not only to be close to shops but also as to encourage me to actually walk!  B&G have now offered me the use of their second vehicle, but I don't plan to use it often, except perhaps, when if I'm picking up friends from the airport coming for a visit.

The rest of the time, I plan to spend exploring the community, reading, maybe crocheting or knitting, and enjoying that I'm not working.  I've found a site for volunteer opportunities and although I won't be there for long I hope to do something useful and not simply be a slug.

All of this is part of my pre-retirement planning.  I assume if I can tolerate the "worst" weather I can live there year round.   If not, perhaps I'll look for a place to rent in a warmer climate for a month or so every year.  Maybe somewhere in the States, like Arizona or Texas, or possibly in the Caribbean.

A girl can still dream, right?

Long story longer, this is what I plan to do next January away from the snow and the cold of Saskatchewan.  Are you sorry you asked, Kim?

  

Careful what you wish for

My work life is going bananas! And crazy me, I love it!  Ask me again in a few weeks and I might not be so happy but for now it's challenging, exciting and fun.

While I was waiting in the Nanaimo airport last week for my flight home, my cellphone rang.  It was my boss calling to tell me I'd been selected to lead a new team in our office.  This team is part of a national program, with only a few teams selected across the country so it's a real honour to be part of it.

As those who have been reading this blog for sometime know, I recently missed an opportunity to move to another area within our office after blowing an interview.  You know the saying, a door closes and window opens...well, this is a big honking window that opened.

My new team has three members in our office and five in the Saskatoon office.  We had training on Thursday and Friday of last week, so I had an opportunity to meet and observe my new team members.  But I expect I'll be travelling frequently between the two offices and in fact, have arranged to spend time there next week after the end of the meetings we're holding Monday and Tuesday. (That's the event I've been involved with in the planning....one project I'll be glad to see come to an end!)

My current team will be "re-shuffled" to other teams in the next couple of weeks.  Of the eight, five are being moved to the team of the supervisor who works just down the hall from me.  This should mean they can stay in their current physical locations which is good.  My boss advised me today this supervisor is going to off work for four to six weeks after a scheduled surgery.  Uh huh...I knew where this was going.  He's going to leave the five employees with me until B returns.  It makes sense because I'm familiar with their work so it will less of a disruption but means I'll be very busy.

I know I'm probably nuts for saying this but so far I'm enjoying all the activity.  I've got so many things on the go, and yet it seems the busier I am, the more organized I become.  Well, at least I think I'm more organized....I guess we'll find out for certain if I drop a ball or two.

Besides, every day I'm busy makes the time go faster which brings me closer to this!

One more day in Paradise

On my final full day on the island, I got up about 6 a.m. and headed down the road to the ocean.  I found a piece of driftwood and sat watching the water.  I was hoping to see a blue heron and capture a picture.  Unfortunately the birds weren't cooperating at that point.

Instead I drove into Parksville and checked out the are where I think I may want to live.

On the way back to Riverbend Resort, I was passing by the same beach.  And what should I see....a blue heron!

This photo is a total fluke!  He (she?) was standing in a pool of water in a small inlet. Perhaps the tide was going out.  But somehow I managed to snap the photo just as the bird lifted off and caught the mirror image in the water. If only my zoom on my camera was better!




Back at the resort, and after our morning coffee, the three of us decided to head into Nanaimo for the day.  It's about a 45 minute drive from Parksville.  We went down to the marina and walked along the boardwalk, looking down to the rocks looking for starfish.  AND we found them!

This is one of the two times I'm going to share what a Prairie girl I am.  I've never seen purple and orange starfish before!

We walked along the marina to the float plane dock.  This one stayed at the dock while we were there but another aircraft took off and landed several times.

I don't think I've ever mentioned that when I left highschool I went to work for an air charter service in Northern Saskatchewan as a bookkeeper and dispatcher.  From that experience I believe this is a DeHavilland Beaver...but I could be wrong!

We continued our walk along the boardwalk to a pier where a number of people were out fishing and crabbing.  I left B and G at the top of the pier (she rides a scooter) and headed down to see what I could see.  I was so surprised to see someone had let the dog go swimming where so many people were fishing.

Uh yeah, I'm a Prairie girl and that's a seal!  I did however know that this was a crab.

We headed back towards our starting point and stopped at the restaurant for lunch.

We choose to sit at the outdoor portion so we could watch the water with all of its activity.  

Just as we were arriving at the restaurant we saw this yacht pulling in.  The name on the ship (boat?) was After Eight so B quickly googled to find out who owned it!  Turned out to be the owner of several car dealerships.







After a late lunch we drove through a few neighbourhoods in Nanaimo on our way back to the resort.

This little deer and her/his mother were making themselves at home in this yard.  Mom was busily helping herself to a snack of foliage, while the youngster appeared to be headed to the flower bed.




As we drove back, we realized a storm had passed through so we stuck to the main highway, rather than the scenic ocean route.  It turned out to be a good idea, even though we had a near miss when two vehicles hydroplaned and crashed into one another just a few hundred meters ahead of us.  Luckily G is a good driver!

Unfortunately there was flash flooding in Parksville, though thankfully there was little damage.  We could still see the lightening storm to the north and east of us as we drove the rest of the way home. Apparently lightening storms on the island are unusual.

It was sad to head back to my motel room to start packing.  The time I spent on the island, and the experiences I had - thanks to my wonderful tour guides, B and G, have firmed my resolve that this is where I want to live when I retire.  To be certain I'll try to get out there again every year at different times so I can experience the truly wet weather...but the next 5 1/2 years will be all about making it happen!

Have a great day everyone!

Simple Sunday

When I have a day, as I had today, I hope this is what my retirement will look like.  It's been such a good day, waking later than normal, but still early enough to enjoy morning sun.  Throw in a few chores, time for a visit with family, and lunch outdoors in the sunshine and I feel so rested and relaxed!

I woke about 8:30 this morning to two sleeping cats on the bed.  It was immediately obvious my son was awake ahead of me, since they were letting me sleep. What a treat, as he had fed the cats and made a pot of coffee.  (The third cat was downstairs convincing C to let him go outside.)

I putzed around the house, loaded the dishwasher, put away some paperwork, folded laundry, and cleaned the cat litter before hopping in the shower.  Then I took my coffee and a book out to the sun room, (it was still a little chilly outside), and simply relaxed.

My brother, Deniece and Denephew showed up mid-morning to check out the new patio.  We had a short visit before they headed out to run some errands.  During the visit, we discovered Denephew is a mere quarter inch shorter than I, and Deniece has less than two inches to go to catch up.  They are 12 and 10 respectively and it has been their goal to be taller than aunty for some time now.

After they got away, I made some lunch and decided to enjoy the sunshine on the front patio.   I'd like to say it was much like sitting on a patio at a bistro, but neither the service nor the view was quite as nice. ;-)

There was a robin on the lawn next door, so I took my camera with me.  When I tried to set the custom white balance, however, I discovered my camera doesn't have the proper f stop setting.  I tried a couple of pictures, but they were so badly washed out, I went back to the auto setting.

The robin was gone by then, but I can't complain as it was so wonderful to sit out in the sun. The gazania enjoy it too!

Gazania are one of my favorite flowers, I love the different shades of color in the petals, and the sunny centre.  If it is a cloudy day, or daylight is limited, the flowers close up.  This is the first year I was able to find the pink ones, and I'm so pleased with how well they are doing.

As I write this, the clouds are beginning to gather so I suspect we'll be getting some rain tonight.

Since coming indoors I've put a roast in the oven for dinner, and boiled up some eggs for tomorrow's lunch. I plan to finish my book, have a glass of wine on the deck, and enjoy the rest of the day.

What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday!  I hope you've had a great day too!!!

What would you do?

I have a bit of dilemma, or perhaps better described as a conundrum that I want some impartial advice on.

Frankly, advice from the perspective of "I don't give a crap" will probably be the best"

Here it is:

My counterpart in the office is retiring after 35 years with our organization.  I knew this man before I came to work here as he was a customer when I working the financial industry.  We've always had a passing acquaintance and in the past few years we've worked in the same program area, and for three years I've done the same job as he (is expected to).  

The unfortunate part is, G checked out probably 5 years ago or more.  He still came to work pretty much every day and managed to do the least amount of work possible in that time.  No one took him to task, and the longer he was left to do as he pleased, the less he did and the more he disengaged.

His employees have been the most impacted by this, and have mostly learned to manage themselves.  When I became aware that he was no longer sending them the information they needed to keep them current on procedures and policies, I began sending it to them when I sent it to my team.  I held joint meetings when I felt something was particularly important so they didn't get left behind.

So here's my dilemma.  His retirement event is being held early in January and the entire office has been invited.  As he is part of my work group, I should probably attend.  BUT I don't want to!  I've lost all respect for this man in the last couple of years especially.  I've never directly worked for him or even gone for coffee with him.  I am actually thrilled that he's finally retiring...it should have happened years ago!

So do I do the decent thing and go for a little while or do I do the decent thing and not go (it's being held in a bar, there will be liquor involved, I might just say something I shouldn't).  The invite came with RSVP so I'm going to have to respond one or the other before the end of next week.  

What do you think?  What would you do?

Ticked off Tuesday

Warning - rant below - read at your own risk!


As anyone who has read my blog for any time, you will know I live in my home with my three wonderful cats, and my two sometimes not so wonderful adult children.

They haven't always lived with me, D left home after university and moved around for her work, while C left home after high school and spent two years in Lethbridge, Alberta.

I was happy living on my own.  (Well, almost on my own...I did have 5 (and then six) cats at the time).  I came home to a house that looked pretty much as it had when I left, excepting the cat toys scattered about, and the daily batch of cat hair shed.

Three years ago, my son moved home.  He had reached the point where his income didn't cover his expenses, and I was supplementing his income to ensure there were at least a few groceries in the house for he and his roommate.  He called to tell me he'd quit his job, broke up with his girlfriend and was ready to come back to Saskatchewan.  I drove out to Lethbridge, we packed my car with as much as we could, left the rest for the roomie and headed home.

My daughter has been here for two years, after leaving her teaching position in a small town.  She had taught for nearly six years but came to the realization being a teacher wasn't for her.  Again, Mom's moving service was pressed into action.  This time my brother, my son, and a couple of friends helped out.

Two years we were living in an 820 square foot home.  It quickly became clear this wasn't enough room for three adults and six cats which prompted our move to this home. 

For the most part, we're happy here.   C and D annoy me at times, take me for granted, and don't always pull their own weight.  On the other hand, they love the cats as much as I do and ensure they are taken care of spoiled when I'm away.  Heck, sometimes they are even thoughtful and do kind things for me too!

Sometimes, though, I complain to a friend at work. I tell her my woes wanting nothing more than a listening ear.  Lately she's taken the role of advisor suggesting I should raise their rent, or tell them it's time for them to leave.  Yesterday, she was telling me about a television program she watched.  The interviewee was a woman who had lived at home with her parents and now is promoting selling the secrets of living with adult children. 

According to this website, and my friend, I'm doing my children no favors by allowing them to remain in my home.  I disagree.  Rents in our city are very high and neither could afford to live on their own.  So either they live with me or with a friend or someone they don't know well.  I'm not sure I see the difference.  Plus the ultimate goal is for both to save money/pay off debt so they can eventually move out into a home of their own. 

But what annoys me most, is simply this, my friend has no children, nor does the so-called expert.  There is an saying, ``Don`t judge a man until you`ve walked a mile in his shoes" holds true, except in this case I'm a woman.  My friend's advice, while well-meant, doesn't take into account the dynamics of my family.  The author of the website speaks from the point of view of the adult child, who I suspect didn't follow her own guidelines but now speaks from the position of guilt.  I might be wrong, as I haven't gone through the website nor ordered her book (only $30).

I think we'll keep going as we have been and muddle our way through.  Many years ago I was told not to let my children sleep with me.  By the time they reached puberty they didn't want to sleep with me anymore.  Someday they'll decide to leave and I'll resurrect Mom's moving service.  In any event, there is is deadline.  I retire in six years, 11 months and one day....and I plan to move to a small place somewhere with a more temperate climate. 

If you've made it this far...thanks for listening!  Hope you are having a good Tuesday!!!

How the years go by

Fifteen years ago, four of the people in this picture began working at my current office.  I joined the organization a few months later and became part of the same training team.

This past Monday we got together to mark the anniversary and get caught up on each other's lives. While three of us still work in the same office, we work in different areas and different floors, so we don't see a lot of each other.  Another person now works in our head office in another province, while the fifth is with another department. 

Of the original ten (there was another woman who started when I did) only half us are still with the same employer.  As for the others, two are with other government departments, one is self-employed, and two we've totally lost track of since they moved on many years ago.

Three have gotten married (two are in this photo) and one has divorced and recently got engaged.  Three have had children, and we've all moved varying distances during this period.  

Someone remarked that everyone looked almost the same as they did 15 years ago, and I laughed!  It might be true of the rest, but I know it's not true for me.  I'm now totally gray, have gained nearly 60 pounds, have age spots on my hands, and suffer from menopause memory and hot flashes. 

It made me wonder, as everyone else was in their 20's when they started while I was nearly 40.  I think I've aged more since my 40's than in the time between 25 and 40.  Is it possible, that the aging process speeds up as we get older?  Is it a mind set or is it truly physical? 

In any event, age does have its benefits. While the rest are talking about another 15 years of work (at least), I can see the end in sight.  Just seven years and 23 days if all goes according to plan!  As quickly as the past fifteen years have flown by, I expect the next seven will seem even shorter.

 

Sick day

Woke up this morning after a very restless night, with a sore throat, a cough, and general feeling yuckiness.  I knew within minutes there was no point in going to work - I had the perfect excuse to stay home and rest!

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy my job, but sometimes I just wish for that time in my life where I don't have to go to work.  A sick day, even when I don't feel 100%, gives me a taste of what retirement might be like. 

After calling into the office to let my boss know I wouldn't be in, I crawled back into bed for another hour of sleep.  I dozed off and on, but it was no better than the rest of the night had been, so after 20 minutes I decided to go out and water the containers.  That done, I did the dishes, cleaned up the kitchen, and made a pot of coffee.

I spent much of the morning in the sunroom, reading and enjoying my coffee.  I went in to make myself some lunch, settled in front of the television with my computer to watch the news.   A short nap on the couch with a couple of cats, and a Law and Order marathon later, and I'm feeling back to normal.

If this is what retirement will be like, bring it on!

Almost green with envy

This evening I went to a local restaurant with several people from work to help B celebrate her upcoming retirement.  She's expected to make one last appearance at work tomorrow and will finish her last two weeks of employment on vacation.  Lucky woman!

We worked together a few years ago in another division within our office.  She was there for many years, I was there for less than 2.  I know that everyone who has worked with her over the years will agree that B will be missed by her co-workers.  In her role, as the division's clerk, she took care of ALL stuff that needs to be done to keep things running.  She kept the supply cabinets well-supplied and organised, picked up and made coffee for the team , arranged the birthday, Christmas, and lunch pizza events, in addition to doing her job and doing it very well.  Best of all, she did with a smile on her face.  Though I'm sure there were times she got fed up with the mess and the last minute plans we made she would only laugh and take care of it.

Next week, she's taking a brief holiday with a bus tour to a casino in N. Dakota.  Then she plans to come home to start getting used to being retired.  I have to say it all sounds good to me!  Only 7 years, 3 months and 15 days to go....but who's counting?

The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off.

— Abe Lemons



It was a nice evening, since I haven't worked with most of the people for a few years, it was great to catch up on what's happening in their lives.  Never mind, that we only work three floors apart in the same building.  It may as well be in a different world for as often as we even see each other in passing.  Maybe when I retire I'll have more time for get togethers!

What a day! And it's not over yet.

I took today off work, it seems odd to not be going in to the office on a Monday, almost like skipping school. It's funny since I often take Friday's off as my EDO but Monday feels different somehow. And it is different - because it's my birthday! I have a personal rule that unless absolutely necessary I never work on my birthday. Thank goodness for a flexible schedule.

This is the day I indulge myself (within limits of course), take time for introspection, and enjoy time with my family. This morning I slept in until 8 a.m. - well sort of, because I was awake earlier when C & D left for work at 5:00 and 6:45 respectively. I took myself out for breakfast, enjoyed my Tim's coffee and a breakfast sandwich while flipping through a magazine.

I met with a financial advisor later in the morning. Frankly, I've never thought of myself as a person who needs an advisor...mostly because I never have any money! However, my bank has been a major irritant lately with my registered retirement savings plan investment. It's not worth much as I only started making contributions a year and a half ago, but the bank has managed to take most of the growth in fees.

Besides, I plan to retire in a little over 7 years (August 25, 2019 is my target date!) so it's definitely time to do some sort of pre-planning. Probably a little late, but I guess better late than never! It was an interesting conversation as the advisor was pleased to hear I've thought through where I want to be in next ten years. Such as selling my house, buy an apartment condo with the equity, work part-time, while ensuring I can still travel once a year. I'll be meeting with her again in a couple of weeks to put some numbers down on paper. We'll see if my goals are reasonable and realistic!

When I got home, I got a call from my manager. We've had a couple of recent announcements in our office resulting in the movement of our highest level manager to another office temporarily. As a result, our second in command will be acting for her. No decsion was made (or at least announced) as to who would be acting for the second-level. Today, my boss informed he will be acting in that position for 6 to 8 weeks. Since the other positions are for 6 months, it's not clear to me why his acting is so much shorter. Anyway, he informed me he will appointing me to act in his place.

My immediate reaction was to say no. I've only been a supervisor for three years and this position will mean I am managing a team of supervisors, many of whom I have worked for over the years. I explained it would be awkward and I would anticipate some backlash from some of the supervisors. He agreed but said that I was his choice because "I want someone who will get the job done", the decision had been made, and an announcement would be going out shortly. I felt pressured, but agreed to take the opportunity for two reasons. First, it is only for a few weeks but secondly, and more importantly it will also give me a chance to be involved in the decisions being made. We all know there are changes coming, if I can some influence on how those changes are announced or implemented, that will be my goal.

It's going to be an interesting day tomorrow. In the meantime I'm going to enjoy my dinner with my children tonight.

Countdown

To Christmas 10 days

To my winter holiday 28 days

To my retirement 7 years, 112 days

The first two events are coming up so quickly, and the way time flies by as I get older, so is the last event!