Just So Wow

I opened up my blog this morning and went to the draft folder - fully expecting to see several drafts that I could polish up and post....but there's nothing!  Not a one!

Life is crazy busy and taking the time to write is something I only do in my dreams now, apparently.  'Cuz I could have sworn I've been drafting posts since we got home from the cruise.

I've been back at work four weeks and it has absolutely zoomed by.  My replacement started a couple weeks after I got back from the cruise and she's great!  Starting this Tuesday, she will be seated at the table during Board meetings and I'll be a part of the audience.  I'm super excited about that - she's really hitting the ground running and it's a HUGE relief to have someone who knows what they're doing.  Also starting this week, I will be handing off the day to day 'stuff' to her and I will spend hours in my office with door closed and ear buds in working away on the last budget I will ever work on - at least for this school district. 

It's been a lovely Mother's Day - way better than last year which had so much drama.  The boys both gave me things I love - Starbucks gift card and an iTunes gift card!  Yay!  J. has gone to get breakfast, Starbucks and then took my car to be washed.  Also made a quick Costco run and returned home with lunch. 

I sort of want to take a nap...and might. 

H. is working at the Arco near us - about 30 hours a week.  It's within walking/biking distance but also easy enough for us to take him and pick him up for his hour lunch.  He likes the job and sees people he knows which is also nice.  He had his court date this past week - all but two counts dropped.  He will do community service and pay some fines and his public defender fee.  Luckily, he can do community service in San Joaquin county which is great - we won't have to get him to/from San Mateo.  Personally, I think he/we should send R. an invoice for half of the fees - 'cuz she put him behind the drivers wheel (when they were parked) so she wouldn't lose her license.  But we won't.  No amount of money is worth contact with her. 

Tomorrow is the first of a few retirement celebrations - an open house for anyone in the district and a handful of people I sent invitations to to attend - J. will be there for sure.  I like the open house feeling - I am the only retiree who agreed to any sort of 'party' - the other retiree this year said 'no' to any celebration - so an open house with people coming and going will be good. 

By my count, I have 31 work days left between now and July 5th (my last paid day).  Since it's budget time, there will be a lot of weekend in that count and I anticipate my last physical day in the office will be something in the week of 6/17. 

I've got a trip to Reno planned for the first weekend in June - it's throwing caution to the wind because I've never taken an early June weekend off in twelve and a half years.  It was to be J. and I for house stuff but he booked a show with his friend R. - so I think I'm trekking up there solo for a few days.  I'm excited about it - will really enjoy some down time before the last big push to finalize the budget and wind down a career. 

The Carson City house is officially not going to be done until October/November - and while we're disappointed, it's fine.  I'd been wishing I'd retired in March to give myself more time between leaving work and the move - and now I've got that!  We were planning to list the house at the end of May but will now list it in late July/early August - we'll have a better timeline once they've started on the build.  We've made all the design choices except exterior stone and exterior paint.  We also have an electrical/lighting walk through at some point - but now that there's a break between retiring and moving, we've got gobs of time to get up there as needed.  We've made a couple trips with two fully loaded cars - making good use of the storage unit rental. 

It's going to be a beautiful home and I'll do my best to post pictures as the build happens.  We are very excited about this new chapter in our lives - it's been a whirlwind year and the next one will be more of the same - lots of changes to navigate and look forward to.

I hope to post more as work winds down and the move winds up.  Thanks to you, loyal readers, for hanging in there when I've gone (unintentionally) dark.  I've missed you!