Five Years Since Retirement

It’s hard to believe that it has been five years! I retired in February 2016 after working for ten years at the Library of Congress. It was a great experience after working in health care for thirty years. The job brought us to Capitol Hill from the Midwest with all of the fascinating events and activities associated with living in the nation’s Capital. We also had the opportunity to live down the street from our grandson until they moved to central Virginia five years ago. I don’t miss working at all especially in a pandemic. A lot of things have happened since I retired. We took two cross country road trips - the first one to California and the second to Washington state and back. We moved to northern Virginia almost two years ago, and my mom passed away last year. That was the last road trip we took - to Florida - a trip we took frequently for as long as I can remember. The monthly breakfast gatherings with my brother/wife and my sister stopped. One occasionally wonders if the decisions made in life made sense. On the whole I would have to say things have worked out fairly well and once we both get our vaccinations it might feel like it once did again. Right now I feel like we are stuck in limbo with at least a small shred of light at the end of the tunnel. We never really did much anyway. Time sure is flying by - even this last year. There aren’t a lot of “happy” milestones to look forward to at this age. I suppose each age group is affected differently by this last year. Staying healthy is the most we could ask for. 

Retirement Anniversary

It’s been four years since I officially retired from the Library of Congress and permanently from working life. It was actually on February third, but a lot was happening around that time. It was also my mom’s 97th birthday, and I had a feeling that it would be her last. I had a feeling in December that it was the last time I would see her. After a bad fall in January, she never really came back so it was just a matter of time. She was born in February and passed away in February. Maybe I picked that retirement date so I would remember it. It’s hard to believe that it’s been four years already. And I don’t miss it one bit. It still feels weird that mom isn’t around anymore as she was a big part of my life. I just keep thinking that everyone else goes through the same thing. Anyway, as life goes on the milestones and landmarks are changing. This year started off on a different note than all others before it. It’s a good time to reflect on the things of yesterday and hope for happy tomorrows. Getting back to a routine will help and I’m looking forward to it. 

Retirement Party at the Library of Congress

It’s been a while since I visited the Library of Congress. I worked there for ten years and retired two plus years ago. One of our friends - and my colleague - had a retirement party yesterday. He sent us an invitation and we thought it would be nice to go. We have a few things in common. He went to Florida State, as did I; both of his brothers played Major League Baseball - my brother was drafted by the Orioles; he grew up in West Palm Beach - I grew up on Florida’s east coast; we are about the same age; and we ended up working in the same department at the Library. So we had many morning coffee breaks together and have since become good friends. So my husband and I walked on over after lunch. The affair was in a Congressional Reasearch room on the second floor - the same floor my office was on. From the minute we got there I saw so many familiar faces and I was happy to finally introduce my husband to so many people he had heard about. All I  can say is that it feels so much better visiting than working. And I’m hoping we will see more of Mike now that he’s retired. 

Retirement Victory Garden Rose

When I retired a little over two years ago from the Library of Congress I received a little rose plant. It came all the way from Wisconsin from four of my friends/colleagues. These are very special people - I worked in health care for thirty years in the Midwest and met these folks a long time ago. Whenever we visit Milwaukee we always stop by to say hello and have kept in touch since we moved to DC. So we planted the little plant in our garden patio. Last year it came back and bloomed. This year it’s grown to twice the height and is just starting to bud. We weren’t sure it would survive the very erratic weather we’ve been having. Aside from the fact that roses seem to be difficult to manage sometimes with all the bugs and such that like them so much. So I’ve been spraying it with the rose potion and it’s doing okay. Once it has bloomed I’ll cut it back to keep it more in check. But every time I look at it I think of our friends in the very friendly Midwest. We do miss their company - but what a great way to remember them. 

Retirement Second Year Anniversary

It just occurred to me that I have been retired for two years. All I know is that it feels a lot longer than that - but even better - I’m so glad I don’t have to go to work! I actually “retired” after thirty years in healthcare when we moved to DC from the Midwest twelve years ago. Another ten years working as a civil servant at the Library of Congress was an eye opener, as you can imagine! I still have connections to work via the employee art show and maintain a few friendships from there. My husband and I still attend programs of interest. One of the residents in our building works there and every once in awhile she has a get together at her place that includes the people in her office. I don’t know them but we have that common element of having worked at the same place. So I’ve taken the last two years to see what it’s like to actually live in DC rather than work in DC. We can’t seem to make up our minds about staying here or leaving to an even warmer climate. I guess it all boils down to what is most important. And on some days it makes moving very tempting given the constant problems and frustrations inherent in living in an urban environment. So until we make that decision about lifestyle and convenience, we aren’t going anywhere. But I’m very happy I don’t have to work in it anymore. 

From Cole Haan Heels to DSW Memory Foam

How things have changed! Since I retired in February my style of clothes and shoes has really changed. I haven't yet gone through my wardrobe to dump half of the things I will probably never wear again. Yes, I still wore stockings and heels to work, although for the last few months I was wearing primarily flats. I can't imagine ever wearing heels again, especially since I think I may have plantar fasciitis on the right foot. Something just felt like it ripped one day when I was getting up off the floor. Isn't it fun getting old? Anyway, wearing size 11 shoes doesn't help the matter much either. It was always - what do you have in my size? - rather than please show me this! Since we have been walking every morning and my walking shoes are over ten years old and have water leaks, I decided it was time for a run to DSW to see what we could find for my new life. It started out pretty depressing as there was nothing in my size. But as we headed toward the athletic shoes, things changed a bit and I was finally able to find three pair of comfortable, memory foam, form2u - whatever you want to call the - shoes. I never thought memory foam would be so important until now. Walking on anything without a padded foundation is out of the question. I still have an urge to visit Cole Haan again for a step up comfortable, less old lady flat for more formal occasions. I really need to dump all the old stuff too. I just need to find some time. Since I retired, it seems there is even less than before! But now I am really looking forward to our morning walks in my stylish retired old lady shoes. 

Your Federal Retirement Benefits

We moved to DC almost ten years ago and when we did, I restarted my career at the Library of Congress after thirty years in health care. It was a very different experience from what I was used to in so many ways. In February I decided it was time to quit - I just didn't want to work anymore and be on someone else's schedule. We planned for this day to make it possible, and I worked part time for the last two years so the idea became even more appealing. But since that day, it hadn't felt real because all the paperwork was in limbo - until this week. I received my official booklet with all the details and phone numbers. Luckily most of the transactions can be done on line. But now it feels like it is really real! I'm supposed to get my first pension check next month. One of the biggest, and frankly unplanned benefits, is healthcare coverage. If nothing else, working the last ten years in the federal government was worth it just for that. You don't get any special healthcare deal in the private sector even after working in healthcare most of my working years. Even with insurance any medical visit or emergency is expensive. So in the end, it was a good move for a lot of reasons. And getting the official booklet was a great reminder. 

OPM Case Closed!

It's official! The paperwork for my retirement is completed and the case is closed! I retired in early February from the Library of Congress. I never quite felt legitimate until all the paperwork was squared away. I just received my unused vacation pay a couple weeks ago. I read mailed a password to access the OPM (Office of Personnel Management) website, but did not have a case number. So I couldn't use the website to find out anything, which I would obviously prefer! Everyone said it takes a few months, and they were right. I did contact our HR office to find out why the vacaction wasn't paid out, but they never responded - surprise! I tried calling OPM at the time they said was best, and the line was always busy. When I finally got through, it was a forty minute wait. They weren't of any help either. I emailed OPM to get a status and they said they could not help me without my claim number - which was what I was asking them about. Thank goodness my career was not all government based, and we are not depending on this pension to survive. It's about enough to cover my health insurance premiums, which is no small thing indeed. So now I'm waiting to see the first deposit of blood sweat and tear money that I worked so hard for over the last ten years to show up in my bank account. Let's hope it goes smoothly - but I have my doubts. 

A Retirement Haircut - Inspired by Mickey Bolek

He's been talking about it for quite some time. Every visit to visit my stylist, Mickey Bolek, is a treat. So today when I walked in for a long overdue haircut at Michael Anthony Salon, I asked for a retirement haircut. We talked about a pixie, or an exaggerated longer one side and shorter on the other, but decided what I have is the best. I really like it - an asymmetrical cut I've had for several years. But what about that pink streak? Well, I just read that Cate Blanchette colored her hair pink, and so many more are highlighting their hair in unconventional ways. Having gray/white/silver hair since my thirties made coloring out of the question - for me. I always liked the "natural look." Now silver and prurple are all the rage. So we decided to take the bold step and go for the pink. After all, it is cherry blossom and Easter season. What would my husband think? Mickey thought the hair extension would work better than the chemicals and I agreed. The result was fun and drew an immediate reaction from every one in the salon. Thanks Mickey for the inspiration! And by the way, my husband loved it! 

Retirement Perks After One Month

It's been exactly one month since I retired after over forty years of working in both health care in the Midwest and ten years of federal service at the Library of Congress. Just saying it sounds strange. We stayed up until almost two AM watching a movie last night. I wake up when I want to and then we go for a walk in the morning when we want to. I still have this nagging feeling in the back of my head that I still need to go to work, and then pinch myself. But that doesn't stop the dreams I have about getting assignments about things I know nothing about. Someone told me it will take about six months to adjust from the working mindset. There are definite perks! I don't have to buy any more stockings or sort them separately in the delicate wash cycle; I don't have to ask for vacation time or sick time off; I don't have to schedule well in advance a hair cut appointment - I can call and ask for next available time; the alarm clock no longer exists; I don't have to walk in bad weather unless I feel like it; I don't have to wait in line and walk through a metal detector to just get in to work; spreadsheets are a thing of the past unless I need one for my digital art business; the OPM alerts are checked just out of curiosity; I can control the temperature in my room - freezing is not an option; and I no longer set out my clothes for the next day. The best thing about it? I love doing absolutely nothing. I highly recommend it, and hope to have another forty years of it! 

Roses from Wisconsin

We were waiting for our new couch to be delivered when the phone rang. They said they would be there within one minute. I didn't see any truck rolling down the street, but a cab turned in to the driveway. We ignored it because we didn't order a cab, and we were not expecting any deliveries. Then we say a guy standing in front of the building waiting for the door to get opened. The phone rang again, and we answered it. He had a package in his hand. My husband went out to answer the door and he returned with a floral arrangement that was addressed to me. I was surprised to say the least. But when I read who it was from I wasn't surprised at all. Four of our dearest friends from Milwaukee sent a retirement red victory rose plant in a cheerful container with a red bow. It is so touching to be remembered by friends from afar. I've known them for over thirty years as colleagues and then as friends. We always see them whenever we visit Wisconsin and stay in touch regularly. That is one of the most difficult things about moving away from a place you lived for so many years. It is not easily replaced. Thanks so much Marlene, Carol, Jean and Janet. 

The Vacant Chair

After over thirty years in health care in the Midwest and another almost ten years in the federal government, I am retiring today! What more can I say?!

Separation Clearance and Long Hallways

The countdown is on! I have two more working days until my retirement. The closest thing I've come to this experience is when I left my last job in the corporate office ten years ago in the Midwest. All told it was over thirty years in healthcare. It was a weird feeling to walk out of the building one last time, get in the car, and drive home. But I was heading to a new job in DC at the Library of Congress and only had three weeks off to move to a new town and get prepared. Yesterday I began walking the "separation papers" through all three of the Library of Congress buildings obtaining signatures to verify I don't have any books or open accounts. The last stop will be tomorrow afternoon when I turn in my badge and keys. It was another weird feeling. I've passed through all the halls many times over the years and saw a few familiar faces. It feels a bit surreal now that it is happening - but in a good way. I've been thinking about it for quite some time and am looking forward to another new adventure. This one does not include another job in another place. This time my husband plans to meet me at the door and walk me home. Who could ask for anything more?