tedwords

"Take this job and shove it, I ain't workin' here no more." Johnny Paycheck

There was no martini post last Friday, so guess I actually have to write something here that's original. Hard work, I know. How do people do it?

Last week we had our company off site, which is why I was hoping they would let me officially announce my retirement the week before. So I could connect and see people, some for the last time in person.

It was a very nice time and I really didn't get choked up for most of it. There was one time where someone came up to me visibly upset with tears in her eyes that did make me really sad.

But mostly, it was just lots of nice thoughts and hugs. The new big boss came over to see me at the end of the first day and said, "Let me buy you a drink." That was really sweet. And I saw my old big boss the second evening, and she was feeling no pain and squeezed my arm and said, "Please tell me you are retiring because you are no longer working for me." Then she made me promise to go with her to New York in April to see Broadway shows. I told her Corb and I would be happy to be her gays in New York.

For my team, we held a big dinner the second night at Lola 41, a bistro and sushi bar. We had a secluded space and closed the joint down. I made everyone go around the room and each tell me one story that I would remember them by. That was fun. I never knew my friend Jen had been arrested by the police so many times. Sohana had a roommate in college who stole her identity her freshman year. Jasmine was chased by a stalker.

It was a nice, relaxed, memorable evening. I probably told a story or two that I shouldn't have.

There was a lot of talk about who would replace me. Well, they can try. I was told Thursday that one person was spreading a rumor about who it would be that was categorically false, and I did have to shut that down. I know my boss. She is not spilling any names until she has everything vetted and approved. She is surely a terrific poker player.

Only four more weeks to go. I now fret about things that I never did before. The stock market tumbles have caused me more than a bit of distress this week.

But, I also have moments of sheer bliss.

Saturday morning I woke up with a feeling I haven't really had too much of since I was a teenager. I have been calling it the eternal sunshine feeling. I remember this shivery feeling the summer when I graduated from high school, when I had $300 from graduation and just lived off that money for three months. It's the feeling of stress lifted, of carefree, of sunny joy flowing through your body.

There have been other times, I guess. I also felt that way in Edinburgh when I quit my job and ran off with a theater troupe, relaxing on a grassy patch by Arthur's seat. Or floating down the lazy river in XCaret.

Sunny bliss and eternal sunshine. I do plan to enjoy the year ahead.