J leaving

I have known J for 17 years.
She's a sweet lady and someone at work I admired.  She is professional and diplomatic and generally, isn't a problem starter who cannot behave herself.  We need more people like that in the world, and at work.  I wish her much success in her post retirement plans! 

We reserved a long table at Matt's El Rancho back in December.  
Her grown kids came - that was super nice. 

Unfortunately, they had to sit apart from our very long and very full table.  Bummer.

I like eating there - we've always gotten good food and good service. But I don't think everyone did...not sure how J and her family felt about their meals! I heard a couple of complaints here and there, but I was there strictly to say Good Luck to J, and I knew I would be eating dinner later with the fam.

I had a fab time.  I got to leave work a few hours early, got to sit next to C, who is a very fun person when she drinks, got my Mexican Martini paid for by a nice person, ate a few chips, then left to buy Chinese food for my peeps.

Some people from work seem like they are tightly wound no matter where they are...

In general, the people who show up to these sorts of events are my kind of folks.  They want to be happy and have fun.  They appreciate that the person on the receiving end is someone who has given a big chunk of their life to their job, and they want to let that person know they will be missed.  I think its lovely.  I hope someday the people I have enjoyed working with will come to my retirement dinner...

Let's be realistic

Resolutions for the year! 

This time last year I was all about rehab for my knee and getting back to work.  Sprinkled in here and there were items of a more personal nature, some of which naturally worked themselves out.  Nevermind that natural can be cruel.  What's done is done, though.  I'm not going backwards.

Every year about this time I say I will drop some of the pudge I managed to accumulate over the holidays.  I am trying.  Well, on some days.  Ok, not very many days.  I was doing well for a little while, then I lost focus.  I am trying to build enough steam to get going again.  But managing to drink more water and take my vitamins every day is a win.  I am also sticking to the rare cup of coffee with creamer in it; mostly I drink it black.  I set up my FitBit account and am logging as best I can.  And I managed to give away most of my Christmas candy.  Except for these:

Homemade pralines from my mother do not count, calorie-wise.  Like a wise friend reminded me, I won't have my mother around forever to make me pralines.

******

But it's a new year and time to make new goals.  So here goes:

*Read and stitch more
*Watch some really good movies, not just PBS cooking shows
*Take a trip with Mark in Mabel at least every other month
*Stop buying size XL
*Hug my family more often
*Do some major projects around the house
*Leave Work at work, where it belongs
*Be kinder

 Wish me luck.