Retirement

 Bucket List

With retirement just a week away, yes, I’m taking some vacation to get out even earlier than planned, I'm thinking about my flying bucket list. Mary and I will take more four day get-away weekends to explore some new places.  Of course we have pets to think about so cats must be boarded and we hope to travel with our lap dog (American Mastiff) Ziva.

I have found a few web links that list rentals for pet owners so at least I have a place to start. I guess the first step in the process is to compile ‘the list’ of where we want to go.  Since Mary does not post on the blog I’ll start out with my list which does include some of our favorites.

We both would like to get back to Maine, really nice people and beautiful views both of the water and mountains. Mary wants to visit family in Boston and we would both like to visit Ted, Laurie and the kids in Ohio.  It would be great to fly down and catch up with Linda and Dick in Nags head South Carolina and enjoy some beach time.  Charleston SC is on the top of our list, Jekyll Island, Atlanta and a host of other southern destinations.  A trip to the Bahamas is also on our short list and getting back to the Keys as often as possible.  Actually we are headed down to Marathon in April for some R&R and to locate rentals that will accept 112 lbs of furry lap dog.

Turning to the west I would like to spend some additional time in Nashville and visit Memphis.  We both want to visit Mackinac and eventually explore farther, finding new locations and meeting up with our flying friends.

Since I turned in my papers I have felt re-energized….I’m getting into work an hour ahead of my normal start time and staying past my normal bolt out the door quitting time. Maybe I just want to make sure my projects are ready to hand off with no issues, maybe I’m just counting down the days.  I’ve taken the time to meet with my close friends at our facilities to say goodbye to the folks who I really enjoyed working with, the core team that always worked well together. My office is empty, just the basics left here to function and my 08Romeo model on my desk to keep me focused on the final prize.

The new chapter that lies ahead is both exciting and scary.  I’m most looking forward to spending time with my Bride, I hope she feels the same about me after the first month.  The blog should be more active with more flying posts and pictures of our travels. Spring is almost here!

 

Stay tuned for our Marathon trip report!