Speaking of the Trumpster--which I'm not, because we're not supposed to--I couldn't take it anymore, and am retiring from government service, effective 1 September. There are just some leaders for whom I cannot work. Of course, there are a myriad other reasons: I've done it for 43 years (combined military and civil service); I'm much too old, and the actuarial tables are betting that I don't have much time left; I'm damn tired of it; most of my co-workers are enlisted military people under 25, and irritating as hell; the difference between my retired pay and my current pay is, like, Walmart wages or something, so I'm essentially working a minimum wage job; already put in paperwork and can't reverse it; have to vacate my house because it unexpectedly sold in the first week; most importantly, I need to have time to spend with a son who has a critical illness.

Leaving the South for good. I'm tired of the religion and the Confederacy being shoved down my throat. They may speak English and use the U.S. currency here, but Georgia is an entirely different country from the Pacific NW, with a whole different set of values and bad coffee. What will I miss? Meh. The woods, probably, and the flora and fauna in them. If I understand correctly, there are also flora and fauna in other states.

I may (or may not) see some of you at the ex-Mormon conference. Fingers crossed. I hope to be there at that time, but will possibly also be in Oregon doing some house-hunting.

Aw, Cludgie, I'm glad for you. And probably a bit jealous. I have 6-7 more years to go. Like you, I'm tired of it. But I have to keep plodding away.

Enjoy Oregon! I think it will feel like a breath of fresh air to you.

I am truly very happy for you, Cludgie, that you are retiring and I hope you end up in the Pacific NW. If you and your son are tripping around Oregon, be sure to take the loop from La Grande to Baker on the back road through Union. You will love this place:

http://thatoregonlife.com/2016/06/hot-lake-hotel-oregon-haunted/

We used to go play in the hot springs when we were kids when all the buildings were rotting out. It's so cool what this artistic guy has done with it. A great place to stay is the Historic Union Hotel. And yes, even the mormon church in Union is cool. May be one of the very few beautiful historic mormon churches left.

If you end up settling in Utah find the Unitarians and/or the exmos. That is what saved me the last few years I was there. Best of luck from someone who is extremely jealous.

Congratulations! Retirement is great. I recommend it. I think you will love Oregon.

I'm jealous too -- I'll be another 8 years or so at the grindstone, and I already sort-of retired once!

Yes, there is also flora and fauna in other states. And better coffee. Go explore them. Enjoy life. Enjoy the world. Love your son and be with him. And be well.

All the best to you.

Congrats!

A bit jealous, I have 5 more years. Matches the number of years left on my payments on the new car. Or 5 more budget cycles counting the one we are in. So on Aug 1 2022 I will bid this farewell.

Cludgie I feel like you are talking about Robins AFB. My hubby is medically retired from there, I hate it here in Georgia, but no good choices for us right now. Best of luck to you in Oregon. I'm so jealous. My best to you and your son.

Congratulazioni, ce l'hai fatta! E in bocca al lupo per il futuro.

Si, ce l'ho finalmente fatta.

Oh no ! We've lost another deep-state™ operative !

Good luck with the transition. Sounds like it's time for you to leave.

Good luck to your son. He and you have been through so much. I often wonder how it's going and I want to send good thoughts of comfort and strength.

If you can, stop by Tennessee. Good luck.

Does staying overnight in Nashville count?

Congratulations. I have 10 more years to go. Wishing you all the best.

I don't have to work "around" people, but I have to work with them. My job is gradually disappearing and going to India, so I just hope I make it before I can't do this anymore and have to go out and associate with people all day!!!

I'd say it is a good time for you to retire to be able to spend time with your son.

Partly tears of disbelief. I sometimes never thought I would actually live long enough. Partly tears of joy. I'm FREE now. And I threw my alarm clock away. Never owned another one. I get up when I want to! When my body is ready to wake up!

I LOVE being retired! I catch up on many novels I didn't have time to read, while mired in work.

I had envisioned a lot more travel, but physically, I'm not up to it. But I have come to terms with that.

What matters is that now, I dance to my OWN music, and not THEIRS!!

Best wishes for your retirement. I know you have lived in lots of different places in the world in the course of your working life and hope you find a lovely peaceful place to spend time with your family. Especially hope your boy is doing well and you get to spend lots of time with him.

If you ever make it back Downunder get in touch.

Coincidentally, I'm sitting this very moment in an Outback Steakhouse, which is *just like* being in Australia!! In the same sense that Foster's is "Australian for 'beer.'"

Wow, Cludgie, well done ;-).

How is your son, by the way? Can he still draw/paint?

I sincerely wish you all the very best. You deserve some good times.

And if you're ever in Europe, I'd love to meet you.

Tom in Paris

Thanks. Yeah, he can still do everything. His right side was spared, but once you start having seizures, as it turns out, they never go away. His medications have helped somewhat. I'm trying to get him on medical cannabis, but it's tricky, even in NYC. His type of brain cancer is rare (oligodendroglioma), and not as aggressive as the normal GBM, but still as deadly. The down side of rare gliomas is that no one studies them, because they're trying to do something about the common, more aggressive type of glioma. It's very frustrating.

Congratulations Cludgie.

43 years is a long time to work in government service. I've been at my civil service job 28 years this summer.

Anticipating four more years before I can say adieu to my job, and relocate back west.

Thought your wife was wanting to move to Utah. Did she change her mind along with you?

Congrats too on selling your house in one week.

Talk about fast turnaround!

:)

Hooray for you! And, I'm envious re the PNW!

Congratulations on your retirement and moving on to Oregon! Retirement was one of the best decisions I ever made. Hope you find the perfect place in Oregon!

Congratulations, Cludgie!

I'm 10 months behind you. I'm so jealous you get to go to Oregon. Enjoy this new phase of life!

I'm moving to Centralia this month. Dude. Congrats and love.

Congratulations, Cludgie! My last day at work is Feb. 1st, so I'm right behind ya! Enjoy yourself and spending time with your son. You're one of those great dads.

I was happy doing work that I loved - writing and selling short stories to magazines.

But my then-DH went on a rampage that I get a job - ANY job - that guaranteed a paycheck every two weeks. He would circle jobs advertised in the classifieds. He would circle every job he thought I could do.

The first words out of his mouth every evening were "How many interviews did you go on today? How may do you have lined up for tomorrow?"

We fought bitterly. I LOVED what I was doing. It was a dream come true. But he insistence on a bi-weekly paycheck drove me out of it.

So I ended up doing thirty years' hard time with Social Security. It worked out well, because whenever he got a job promotion that took him elsewhere, I could always get a transfer to the same area. I never really liked the job. It was tedious, detail-oriented, and dull. But it paid well.

Our marriage ended when I had about 20 years in. I couldn't quit then. I hung on for another ten.

I managed to keep my face together when I walked out of that building for the last time. I walked across the street to the parking garage. Once I got in my car, I sobbed for about half an hour over the thirty years I had lost. Thirty vital years in the middle of my life.

I'm now in my 15th year of retirement. I figure I have to last for another 15 to get back what they took from me. At least, they pay a good retirement. I love getting paid to do whatever the hell I feel like doing.

My one remaining Bucket List item is to see the Plimoth Plantation in MA. From what I have read, it is not user-friendly for people who have ambulation difficulties, which I do. But I want to see it, before I get worse. I adored Colonial Williamburg, and I'm trying to talk DH into Plimoth.

I figure I have earned it.

Retirement....like hearing the noise of the parade from three streets over.

Things are a little, OK very tense right now in some areas due to the horrible fires we are having. Email me and maybe I can help in your house hunt. The house next door is going on the market in two weeks ;). Sorry that it is hot and crappy here but it is an aberration as you know. Soon our sky will be it's sparkling blue again. You will have ZERO problems getting medication for your son here. I don't check that email very often but I will try till we connect.

Welcome HOME!