OPPORTUNITY?

First of all, let me say that I had an absolutely awesome time in Utah. Rosey and Dan, thank you so much for letting me into your lives for a week. I enjoyed every minute, yes, even mucking around in the yard. Your neighbors may never get over the sight of a 60 year old spandex-wearing woman in your yard covered with dirt !

The flight home was a frustrating / interesting adventure. I was pulled out of the normal security checks at the Salt Lake Airport and given the "terrorist" treatment, pulling me way over to a side area. Something about having to change my airline at the last minute triggered an alert, I suppose. First they told me to unload my carry on baggage all over an open table, underwear and all, and then walk through a "puffer machine", which blew air up my blouse and pants legs, sniffing for radiation or bombs? They wanded everything in my carry on bag and purse, testing each wand in an ionization machine to see if it also contained bombs or radiation. About now I am really stressing that I will miss the flight on Frontier they had just made an heroic effort to transfer me to when my original flight was not going to make my Denver connection. These guys wore badges and were not about to be messed with, in typical government arrogance. Then they say, "repack and good luck,,I don't think I could get all that stuff back in there". Hummm. Peeved.

The flight to Denver in the tail of the plane was extremely rough and on landing we were not allowed to leave the plane for an hour due to lightening. They announce, "Not to worry, your connecting flights also can not take off". On release, I sprint to the train, hearing overhead my name being paged to report to my United connection. Running all the way, they chew me out for late arrival and fling me onto the full flight to Denver and tell me to sit anywhere, we are taking off. Not so. They decide there is again too much lightening, and now they boot me to Coach and we sit there 2 hours. So at 1:30 AM Monday morning I get into Birmingham, retrieve my car from a lot that had stayed open until I arrived ( bless them) and got to bed at 2 AM.

I had been warned while in Utah that the other Regional Manager doing a similar job for my company had been laid off the Friday before and that I should expect trouble. I was dreading the return to work all weekend and prepared to assume his duties, but not to be laid off myself. Yup, that is just what happened. So now I am a mostly retired 61 year old, not quite ready to retire but staring it in the face. So many decisions to be made right now. Financial decisions which, if made incorrectly, could really matter down the road.

Sometimes when these things happen, there is opportunity to change your life. I have been a hard-driving person in my field for 45 years ( yes, I started working in a lab when I was 16) --is that still what track I want to be on? Or is life giving me a nudge, saying I should re-prioritize the next years of my life? I will not want for things to do. Sierra Club will fill up each second of my life, if I let it--not going to happen. And is my heart really here in Alabama now?--I don't think so. Should I go for a fun, part time job as a Naturalist for the next few months, or will this mess up my Social Security entitlement or unemployment insurance benefit, should I need to use it? I have no intention of working another job here as I have held before, missing out on the birth of my grandchild by having to start over again with no or very little vacation.

I am going to have to spend some serious time on the internet and reading all this retirement information my previous employer is going to send me. And there is not just myself to think about... how will my decisions impact those I am close to? It is just a good thing I am not the type who panics. This is opportunity and time to make lemonade :)

PS: I will post a picture here of me with Dan on the Harley as soon as I get the camera cable left in his car. That was a real treat, Dan :)