Guess what?
I'm retiring.
I taught for one full semester. On Friday I will be done teaching, and on Monday I will be all done grading and tying up loose ends.
I have three more days, and the weatherman says it's supposed to snow tomorrow, which would make it two more days if we get a snow day.
Shawn got a job in Illinois. After living in New York for 25 years, it is going to seem really weird to learn a new state, new spelling of the state, new rules and laws. I wonder if you have to get your car inspected every year in Illinois?
We will be leaving our kids behind. Well, not exactly, but Shannon will be on the east coast, the farthest of any of them. Jon is going to college! He only applied to one college, but by the grace of God they took him. It's Lulu's college, so that might simplify driving issues. They'll be 8 hours away instead of 5, but I keep telling myself, "It's less than double. It's less than double." We don't know yet where DJ will go to medical school; he has one acceptance that he likes a lot, and he will hear from a couple other schools in March. Then he will decide.
I can't figure out what kind of house you look for at this stage of life. I was looking at houses with floor-plans similar to the house we have now (2 story colonial types). Then I realized that I would probably be very lonely rattling around in a big house like that without any of my kids. Ugh. But we still want to have plenty of room so they always feel welcome to visit.
I feel a little bit like throwing up.
Teaching was interesting. Parts of it were good, and parts were not. I like kids (most kids, most days), and I like teaching in the classroom. I despise grading.
I also despise school bathrooms, even school bathrooms that are only for the staff. When your body is not quite right, and when that is actually one of the reasons you are retiring, you rejoice at the thought of being at home in the comfort of your own bathroom, no longer struggling with facilities that seem to have been imported from inner-city Moscow.
4 comments:
Ruth, how wonderful that you are finally moving closer to your family! I know that the advantages to that are severely tempered, though, by having your kids live so far away. Perhaps after they finish their schooling some of them will come join you in the mid-west.
When I was a girl, we lived in IL - Wheaton. It is (or was at that time) a nice family-oriented place. I hope you will like your new place and maybe even find a medical professional who can shine a new light on the causes behind your feeling so unwell.
I have never traveled out of the country; in fact, I haven't even been west of IL so I don't know what the bathrooms are like in Moscow but I'm guessing pretty bad?
rypdarOh, I haven't ever been to Moscow, either. I'm just imagining what it would be like: Cold in winter, hot in summer. Gray, concrete floor. Leaky pipes. No hot water, ever. Inconsistent supply of soap, paper towels and toilet paper. Old, worn, hard and colorless.
Blech. So that's why it wouldn't post the first time I tried... I somehow typed the crooked words (the ones that identify me as not-a-spammer)into the comment box by mistake.
Oh I didn't know the blog owner had to prove she wasn't a spammer! I almost never get those things on the first try.
Yeah, that bathroom sounds grim. I can hardly stand public bathrooms. I do appreciate if they try to keep them clean and add a comforting touch, even if it is fairly futile.
Are you starting to pack? Sorting, organizing, and packing are truly horrible parts of moving for me. I hope you don't hate them as much as I do. I am "still" bringing stuff from our old house (we moved within state) and it seems never-ending.
I wish you luck with your house-hunting. It is tough when you are so far away and don't have the luxury of time to look around. At least it is a buyer's market and the photos and virtual house tours on the web can help narrow down the list.
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