Retirement?

I would probably drive both me and Ceil crazy if I retired early. Really only in the last year or so have I really started to think about actually retiring. Earlier this year Bill, Sandra, and Ronald retired, and Debbie retires at the end of July. I look around and I am one of the two or three oldest guys in the office.

 

My company used to have a plan where you could retire when the sum of your age and years of service added up to 85. I passed that not too long ago. But not many people are hiring 60 year old’s. My friend former SPdL member Mark Fallis found that out a few years ago when he was laid off. Any new job wouldn’t pay as much as the job I have here, even if I stayed in this industry. And new technology drives me crazy.

 

My job right now isn’t too bad. The past two months have been crazy but the stress hasn’t been overwhelming. My skills and temperament match the job well. In a few years we’ll change computer systems, which won’t be fun. Right now I am well-liked by the current regime, but you never know what their eventual replacements will think.

 

I thought about getting a job at SunTrust Park when I retire as an usher or something, but the hours wouldn’t be very good. Not sure I’d want to be tied down to that from April till October. Like my friend in Virginia, I’ll probably get involved in some ministries or maybe an interesting part time job, and/or something like Buckhead 50. Johnson Ferry has lots of stuff like that. I thought about becoming a Little League umpire, but with those hours I might as well work at SunTrust Park.    

 

Monday: Took the two hour lunch to drive down to the World Congress Center to pick up the Peachtree Road Race numbers. Big crowd, since there are so many runners who have to pick up their numbers. Not much to see at the expo. Long lines that I skipped. Got some stickers and bags, and stopped at the Braves and Hawks displays. Listened to Van Earl Wright guest hosting on 680 from noon - 3 pm

 

Ceil was helping W&MC late yesterday so I took the long way home, stopping at Taco Bell and three thrift stores. Bought two nice Columbia t-shirts.

 

Monday Braves: I went to bed after nine innings. I saw Acuna was due up third in the inning. Went upstairs and got ready for bed and checked my phone and saw he had hit the homer. Then in the morning I checked again to make sure the bullpen held the lead.

 

You live by the short porch, you die by the short porch. None of the three home runs (Judge, Camargo, Acuna) would’ve been home runs at SunTrust Park. In the bottom of the ninth that ground rule double in the right field corner hurt the Yankees. Had the ball stayed in play the runner on first would have scored the game-winning run easily.

 

The Braves tried to give the game away early on. Two wild pitches plated an early run. Acuna’s error set up another. Bad foul tip call on Culbertson.

 

Turned on 680 Tuesday morning. I must’ve missed the Braves talk. Steak had already changed the subject. Had the Yankees won he would’ve been talking about it endlessly. Great the Braves won game one just for that reason.

 

When the guy wearing the Chipper jersey caught Camargo’s home run ball it spawned a debate whether grown men should be wearing other people’s jerseys out in public. I always loved to collect jerseys but found them hard to wear because I was scared I’d mess them up. Lately I’ve worn jerseys to games. Lots of people do – more than ever.

 

Thursday: worked until 5:45 then headed home. W&MC had arrived. W and M helped Ceil cook Will’s birthday dinner…roast beef, smashed potatoes, wild rice, black beans, grilled asparagus, tossed salad, French bread, a blueberry and peach cobbler, and ice cream. Smashed potatoes are just that: smashed then salted and brushed with olive oil, then baked. Part crispy, part soft. All delicious. Later M went off to a concert and W,MC,& A went up to The Avenue East Cobb to trade a gift while Ceil and I did the dishes. I went to bed at ten.

 

Coworker Steve made Brad, Rachel, and me wear our Peachtree Road Race shirts to work on Friday. Boss Rodney  brought Chickfila biscuits and hash rounds this morning. He’s sent our team home at 1 pm today. Good day for Waffle House.

 

Wonder when newspapers will start writing game recaps and about player personnel moves about the NBA gaming league.