The company at which David and I are employed, offered an early retirement package for which we are both eligible. It’s a good package. Depending on how long you have been employed they are offering some months of salary and money toward a health savings account until you are eligible for medicare. We never really had an end game plan for retirement and but this made it seem feasible and we agreed that one of us should take it. I chose him.
- I really enjoy my job. His is fairly stressful.
- He is useful around the house. I am not.
- He will be eligible for Social Security soon. I’ve got a few years.
- Regardless of who is home, life is easier with one of us home and not working
To say he was giddy about the idea for a few days is not an understatement. He will retire at the end of October (he built a countdown program – 61 days). A few days later I asked him, since he was retiring, would it be okay for me to accelerate my dream of adopting a senior dog from a shelter? He knows me and asked me which one I had in mind. I showed him Cressie. She was the most senior dog at the Wake County Animal Shelter at the time, listed at 10 years, 1 month. I took Friday the 20th off to go to the shelter to visit her. She was smelly, her skin was scaly, her belly splotchy and she was pretty nervous (she didn’t get many visitors) but she sat on my lap and I knew she was my dog. I was able to bring her home at 3:30 Monday, August 23rd (I was worried about her all weekend and giddy all of Monday)
It’s Sunday, the 29th now and she’s a different dog. Her new name is Blossom (we had a Cane Corso named Bubbles who was my birthday present in 2002 named after one of the Powerpuff Girls so decided to continue the theme) She’s had 5 baths in 7 days. Her belly is less splotchy and her skin is in much better shape. She cries for a bit at night when we retire upstairs (sounds like Dory speaking Whale). But she LOVES everyone she encounters, especially our friends’ 3 year old daughter Ruby, who practically rides her. And when she’s on her feet she’s got helicopter tail. Finn is a little jealous but doing okay.
Hummingbird update:
I have many many hummingbird photos to post. 2022 is going to be a good calendar. All that want one will get one! I’m working on it now.
