Party Time!!

My good-bye part was a smashing success. Between half a dozen people not being able to come on the appointed hour and my over-taxed mental and emotional resources, my cousin Sallie generously offered to have the party at her home.



L to R: Rita, Judy, Jim, Marian, Sallie, Jan and Bob. Sallie's table was a beautiful as always. Delicatessens (and Trader Joe's) throughout the SF Bay Area made for hassle-free preparations.



I stayed overnight at Rita's. The next morning we had a rousing game of Scrabble (Suzanne 324 to Rita's 301)



We took turns photographing my flowers in the morning light.



Then we rendez-voused with my cousin Sallie and Amber for a walk through Pt. Richmond and along the bay.

How not to have a lawn in San Francisco

It was a pretty morning. I can see from these photos that I need to polish my skills at shooting in the crepuscular lighting.



This first example is simple stone and brick.



Some folks have clearly spent a lot of money for professional landscaping.



Others have taken a more free-form approach.



And others ... well this picture speaks for itself. Even the entry path is marble!



I assure you, my neighborhood in Washington is much more modest.

My Routine

I'm an early riser, so retired or otherwise I'm usually up between 5:30 and 6:30. A quick shower wakes me up and then it's off to the bakery about a mile away.



Ambrosia Bakery on Ocean Avenue has been my favorite for the past 20 years. The shelves still haven't been fully stocked at 7:05 AM. In half an hour customers will be lined up to the door.



What's notable about housing in San Francisco is that so many homes do not have a front lawn -- and are very creative about it.



This home on 19th Avenue is a landmark. As you drive south past Stern Grove, past Sloat Blvd. and Ocean Avenue -- there it is.



The cactus looked particularly healthy this morning.

Letting Go

I received a photo album from work -- thanks to Sandee Noda who does this all on her own. It is a remarkable thing!

Not since my mother died have I had the experience of pouring through old photos and feeling such a strong -- almost paranormal -- sense of poignancy and connection. We spend a lot of time in the workplace and take for granted that these people are our community.

This week at work it will be like on Survivor after someone is voted off, "take a look a the new XX tribe."

My first day NOT to go to work

First off, I was up at 6:30 AM. Instead of "nada, zilch, zero" I have 15 days to do the following:

• pack
• advertise half my furniture for sale
• find a way to dispose of what I can't sell
• pack
• make room for things for sale to be accessible (not buried in stuff)
  
• get an "obstruction permit" to clear parking space for the moving van
• schedule moving day, loading day and departure day
  
• write thank you messages
• pack
• have a good-bye party
• take bird to vet for last appointment
• see friends
• pack
• walk at least 40 minutes every day
• lose 20 pounds (maybe not before I leave)
• do NOT have a nervous breakdown
• keep packing
• make travel plans for drive to Washington

I'm sure there's much more I haven't remembered just now. I keep thinking how similar this process is to being pregnant. So much has to be done months in advance -- starting with giving notice at work. This is the final heat now.

My Last Day

These past two weeks have been a blur. I've been taken out to lunch nearly every day. All this saying "goodbye" is like dying without being sick.



We had cake in my office on my very last day. My boss, Dr. Alastair K. Smith and Clarice and Barb pose on the occasion for Sandee Noda.

I will miss this community of people joined in the common effort of making the SFSU Student Health Services function effectively. I am sad to leave and I am very grateful for the experience.

Stacey Thompson will be replacing me -- very capably, I am sure.

My Party (at work)

Nope, there are no photos of my retirement party. I didn't have a photographer (on my camera) and I was too busy being the center of attention.

It was wonderful to get to visit with folks I'd worked with - former staff and colleagues -- some from over 20 years ago. In the blur of the moment I could barely appreciate it. But afterwards, it felt so good and meaningful.



The theme was Easter, appropriatly enough -- death and rebirth. Easter eggs were stuffed with bills. (money travels well -- no boxes needed)



The cards were very clever. (I never knew there was such a vital industry in this market!) I got a kick out of this one.

Count Down

These are the people I work with and will miss. I always tell Patricia Michel that we should clone her. She's smart, proactive and is the poster woman for cooperation and consideration.



Bonnie Agnello is my lunchtime walking buddie. We didn't get enough in. I will miss her.



Tuan Mai is "the dude". We worked together keeping the building's plumbing and light bulbs working and supplies stocked. He's a real trooper.

My Last Week at Work

There is no way I'm going to be able to include everyone, but here are a few:

Barb Salge is an amazing woman! She has taught me that there is no age limit on being a personality and a force in the universe. I will miss Barb's wackiness and ferocity.



Clarice Wong is a dynamo, lightning quick worker with a strong fashion sense.



Barb and Derethia DuVal ham it up. I only recently began getting to know Derethia and she is a delight! Witty, fierce and my kind of politics.

Tornado in Vancouver

Ok, so this is a little bit of old news, but there was a TORNADO in Vancouver this past January. The last one before that was in 1972.



This is just one picture of trees cut in half. You could see whole neighborhoods with new roofs and a few stores replacing siding.

Did I mention the front page story while I was there was about the Portland / Vancouver area being second only to California for immanent earthquakes. Egad!

What a difference a letter makes ...

One of my errands on my visit to Vancouver was to get a library card. As I filled out the form I instinctively wrote CA in the "state" field. I caught myself and corrected it to WA.

Maybe my blog should be called CA to WA. It's a small thing - but sometimes those are the ones that hit home.



My new online link will change from sfpl to fvrl = Fort Vancouver regional library.

Notes from the Northwest

I went up to Washington over the weekend to retrieve my keys from the management company and take a look inside. My house smelled and looked as fresh as the day I bought it.

I'd never seen these bloom at my house before. The tenants always told me there was year-round "color". I'm not a camellia fan, but must confess these are pretty.



It will take a while to get used to seeing snow-capped mountains on my daily errands. The Cascades, Mt. Hood and Mt. Saint Helen's (below) were all in their full winter glory! This tiny picture doesn't do much to convey the majesty of their presence.



A morning walk after a night-time rain found the streets peppered with earthworms. It was hard to walk without stepping on one. This was a first for me.

Gone

In anticipation of the desk coming down my staircase, I sold my two 4 ft. planter boxes at the foot of my stairs.



Flowers on my staircase have been my signature. Here they are in their former glory.



Of course, the round pot was stolen shortly after it was placed on my banister. One of the planter boxes was recently shoved off its footing in an act of vandalism.



These malva were quite striking -- but short lived.

Canceled!

This is my desk "after" removing all non-essentials. Wisely, I left the computer and printer hooked up.



Unwisely, I did not check my email before moving all my furniture to clear a path to the front door.



Only after a wide path was cleared last night did I take one last look at my email and discover that my buyer had canceled out. His fellow mover had bailed.

Home Office

This is my desk at home, "before". It's HUGE and too bulky to move. It's not really suited to the computer. So I've decided to sell it. I got a call within a few hours of putting it on Craig's List.

This really should be the last thing out instead of the first. It will take another day to clear a path out the front door and down my steps (still heavily populated with potted flowers).



After two days, the contents of the desk now cover my dining and coffee tables. I'm leaving the computer set up until the very last minute. I did my taxes last night (with Turbo Tax of course). Quicken is the only application that I can't easily move to my laptop.



It took several hours just to shred all but one year of my bills and statements - banks, credit cards and utilities.



This is the downhill slide. I'm really moving now!