And then there were none

At the end of this month I will be retiring after 20 years at the hospital. It’s been an interesting journey – mostly good, some not so good.

It’s also been some what of a family event. When we moved to California from Tucson in 1987, it was because my ex-husband (He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named) had been recruited to a position here. I had been working in a hospital in Tucson and decided I needed a change. But after seven months of working for a developer, I was bored out of my mind and applied for a job at the hospital. Started here on January 4, 1988.

In June, 1991, my brother, Tony, finished medical school in Tucson and started in a residency program at my hospital so I was able to see him almost every day. He met his wife, Nicki, in the Neonatology unit where she worked as an RN. So now there were four of us! He completed his residency in 1996 and they moved to Chicago. It was so sad for me when they left and I could no longer run into him in the hallway.

But shortly after that my daughter got an administrative job in the School of Medicine and was there for seven years. We were able to have lunch together several times a week which I loved. Two of her good friends became nursing assistants in the Neonatology unit, and on of my best friends, Jerre, worked in my department and in administration for a few years. My son, Joe, got a job in Food Services passing trays to patients for a couple of years while he was in college.

In 1994, HWSNBN “left” his position and in 1995 moved out of state (see me jumping up and down with joy!!!). My brother moved within a year after that, my son only worked here for a couple of years, my daughter’s and my friends moved on to other jobs, and my daughter left to begin her teaching career three years ago. So I’ve been the lone family member since 2004-ish.

Now my time here is up. There are some things I will definitely miss – but not enough to feel even an inkling of regret about retiring. I am SO ready!!! Counting the days!!! Planning the next phase of my life which hopefully will last another 20 years or so. And will include working part time with my husband in his real estate business, babysitting for Jenni when needed, volunteering time in Jenni’s class, taking classes of my own at the junior college, and the two best things: turning off that friggin’ alarm and being able to stay home on a rainy day and read a book!

Ho, ho, ho, it’s retirement life for me……..