WHOO HOO RETIRED!!!

Hello all.
                       The big day finally came. I am officially retired.
  After 37 years working, it is weird thinking I will not be going back. It really hasn't sunk in.
 Maybe next week it will when 9 pm comes and I don't have to get ready to hit the door.
  I have spent almost all of my time working on 3rd shift. It was mostly my choice. It worked out well when the kids were growing up and always gave us a head start on Friday mornings for the weekend campouts.  The big downfall was Sunday nights going to work.
  So now Wendy gets to hear me snore nightly (lucky her). It will be a change. We have had a quirky nightly ritual ( OK mostly me) At some point in the evening I would ask if I could stay home. She would always say no-you gotta go or they might miss you.  Well now I can hear her turn it to can't you go to work tonight?

  They had a nice gathering for me on Thursday morning.  Two nice cakes and some cupcakes.
 I guess I wasn't prepared, as they said a little something and then handed the floor to me. It was one of the most uncomfortable times. I should have made some notes. I am not a big fan of being in front of a group and there were quite few quiet moments where I was looking for a hole to crawl into. But we finally got through it.

                                  On Thursday night my coworkers put on a nice little feast.

 Then after work I snuck out early, ran home and got Wendy and met some of the guys for a couple beers and chit chat.
     As always it is the nice people that will be missed most.

      As I jumped in my truck to leave work for the last time I started it up and right while I was pulling out Zac Brown's song "Free" was playing. Wow, how fitting.