Wowsa! Retirement!!!

I didn't take the time to write a post about my last days of employment at the school board or about my first few days of retirement since my husband, Bill, did it for me and did an awesome job! I was too busy basking in the whole idea. Yes, I got royally spoiled on my last day, lots of nice things including cards, jewellery, chocolates, flowers and hugs and kisses! I love the hugs especially.

Gift card and jewellery from friends and co-workers

My little guest book

Quite the haul, I was blown away!

And then we went out to dinner at The Bistro in St. Thomas on Saturday night. It used to be The Beanery so some of you may have been there.  What a lovely atmosphere and terrific meal. Even the piano entertainment was classy background music. I enjoyed my half rack of ribs with loaded baked potato and Bill said his 12 oz T bone was perfect! We'll definitely go back when in the area again. My son lives in St. T and had given us a gift certificate to try it out, Great choice!

For whoever told me that I would love it, so far they are right and I can't see that changing. For those who said that it would just feel like a vacation for a while, they are also correct, it does. Even those who told me that I would be busier than I was before and not have time to work, yup bang on. But I do need to justify the last one. I was only run off my feet busy these two weeks because of the situation we are in.

Remember that our closing date for the house is Wed. Apr. 20. We plan on pulling up stakes in our fifth wheel on Fri. Apr. 15 to go to Golden Pond RV Park in Putnam so a few days sooner than closing. Whether we have to make a trip back in to finish cleaning will be determined. If so, I can do that.............because I'm retired. :D



So I hustled and bustled and carted and lugged all our prized 'must keep' possessions the 10 steps out the side door and up into the rv from the first day of 'freedom' until now. Friday night we took the bed apart and moved the large dressers out into the dining room for pick up on Saturday. We pulled the living room sectional bed sofa apart and shrink wrapped it for easy transport out the doors. Well, easier transport since it is a very poufy sofa.

Still doing it but there is less left to lug now, basically fridge food and a couple of gravity chairs we are sitting on in the living room. The house is really really empty! 











It is sad to see Bill pack and leave for work each morning. Yes I am up each day with him, just not at 5:30. Sometimes I am awake and lay there in bed because I can but I like to be up before 7 so I can kiss him goodbye and start my day. On the nice mornings without the cling-on of snow on the walkways, I am dressed and out for my walk. Otherwise, I have a tea before getting to work.

This was one of the cold mornings with snow but I
wasn't working at 7 o'clock am!

Living room disarray

Bedroom

Spare bedroom where 'give aways' gather

Clemson, our cockapoo, is all in a dither, poor thing.
  

 He'll be fine, we know that, but right now he thinks his parents have lost all of our sanity. On Friday night we dismantled the bed and pulled the dressers into the dining room. We pulled apart the living room sectional and shrink wrapped it for the couple picking it up on Saturday. Bedtime, around 9 Clemson goes down the hallway, stops at the bedroom door where he usually has to position himself for the high jump onto the bed and looks back at us. ???? What the???? He wanders into the spare bedroom, which is completely empty of furniture.............double what the???? He'll get it eventually and once we say "we're sleeping in the trailer" he sits on his little butt and waits for his ride out to the 'other' bed.

He doesn't know yet that he will be 'homeless' on the weekend coming. At least the 'home' he knows at this point.

Within the first week I had pulled all of the things we couldn't sell or couldn't be bothered to sell to the front door. I first thought I'd load them in my Toyota and take it all to Mission Services. This was after taking a full car load to Value Village already. My oh my! Where does it all come from? When I found I was adding more and more to the pile than I could do in one load I called M.S. and asked if they could pick it up. By Friday they had come and loaded everything tout-suite into their van and I had made a noticeable gap in the house. What a great feeling getting rid of stuff!

Don't let Clemson see this picture, his rv bed went out the door!

We're getting there though and it is exciting and nerve-wracking and dare I say stressful. More for Bill, his mind while at work is thinking of all of the 'things' we have to do before Friday. For me, I'm home and if I think of something to do I can mostly do it. We are made of different stuff, I am a shrugger (you know, laid back 'oh well' kind of person) but my dear hubby is the worrier. We make a great team!

Now that we've had our LAST snowfall (did you weather Gods hear that??) things are looking better for our full time adventure to start on the weekend. It sounds surreal since we have been planning for this day for 2 1/2 years. Awesome!

Today, Monday, was finally a lovely warm walk

Thank you for taking this journey with us and for all the tips along the way.

See you out there soon and if you feel like dropping a line today, we'd love to hear from you!