March Madness in a Good Way

Yesterday I found out my request to work part time was granted. I've been working thirty nine years full time with no breaks - thirty one years in a health care career in Milwaukee, and almost eight years here in DC as a civil servant. It is the first time I will be away from work more than be at work and takes me one step closer to retirement, hopefully in about two years. But there are a lot of milestones to celebrate in March. We received a package yesterday from our dear friends and neighbors in Milwaukee for our wedding anniversary - a bottle of red wine with our initials and date on it. Our son retired from the army after twenty years and three deployments. He and his family will be stating a new life when they move to Virginia (but sadly, away from us) and he begins his new job as a civilian cardiac surgeon. My husband will be celebrating another milestone birthday. I found a dollar bill in the stairwell at work! This week we are having our tiny house repainted and freshened up and putting in a patch of grass just in case we decide to get another dog! We miss our beautiful Borzoi Tatiana. On top of that, it was Persian New Year, the start of spring, my parents are still hanging in there in their nineties, and we have  wonderful friends and family all over the world. My little digital art business continues to grow. You could call it March Madness, but I can't remember the last time this all happened at the same time - and it's all good!

The Last Nine Hour Shift - One Step Closer to Retirement

This is my last nine hour work shift. Since starting a Federal career almost eight years ago I opted to work a complex schedule. That allowed my to be off every other Friday but I had to work nine hour days. It was worth it just to have a three day weekend but the days are really long. I'm not quite eligible or ready to retire and phased in retirement is not in the cards yet at our institution. So after a 31 year career in health care, full time without a break, in Milwaukee, almost 8 additional full time years at the Library of Congress, plus five years of part time work in high school/college, my request to work a part time schedule was finally approved. I am so thrilled to be away from work more than I am working, cover health insurance expenses, and move one step closer to official retirement. My husband has been retired for the last 15 years. At least now we can hopefully do more if we want, I can spend more time doing my digital art, and still have a little bit of structure in my week. We are celebrating our son's retirement from the army after his twenty year career and three deployments this weekend. I'll be celebrating my eight hour shifts and four day weekends.