There were several Special Awards given during the ceremony and JB received the one for Best Marksman. He's shown being recognized and receiving the award below.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
JB's Graduation
Last weekend we went up north to attend JB's graduation from the Police Academy. I also managed to get in my first round of golf since retirement, but given the wind it was not the best I could have hoped for. The wind was so strong it blew out the plastic shield in the front of the golf cart on the 2nd hole. Several graduation pictures follow:
There were several Special Awards given during the ceremony and JB received the one for Best Marksman. He's shown being recognized and receiving the award below.
There were several Special Awards given during the ceremony and JB received the one for Best Marksman. He's shown being recognized and receiving the award below.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Retirement Party Pictures
Going for the goodies - sorry, a rookie is posting pictures for the first time out of order.
Jim, presenting Cindy with flowers and myself with some retirement gifts - an RJ model, a GPS for the mission, and Eric Mitchell gave me an iPod Classic with two $25 gift certificates from the team. Sweet! Jim also gave me a scrapbook and I opened it and looked at the first 2 pages and then quickly shut it as the emotions were coming on fast and hard. It was close, but I kept my composure barely.
Over 100+ application projects were listed on the board, all completed during my time at SkyWest.
Some of the Applications Development team members. Typing this is bringing back the emotion of not being there any more. Bummer.
With my sweetheart companion!!
Brock, Emily, and Taylee drove down Thursday night to surprise me and were there at the retirement party. I was surprised and Cindy had to go around and unlock the doors and turn the outside lights back on after I went to bed because I was messing up their plans by locking up and turning the lights out.
Who's got the full stomach? Not mine this time.
Back again with an update
Check out the retirement card Cindy gave me on the 11th. In case you cannot read it, it says with candy bars in italics and bolded: "Dear Sweetarts. Look! Today's your PayDay for the Mounds of work you've done over the past 60 years! Now, Take 5 and even more and let's go on a retirement Spree. The 2Musketers just might take in a Symphony, do the Mamba on the beach, go to New York and walk 5th Avenue or eat Hot Tamales south of the boarder. Twix you and me, we know there won't be anymore 100 Grand paychecks, but I hope UNO that doesn't matter to me as long as I can Rolo-ver and see you with me each day! You're my Big Hunk and Almond Joy! Love and Kisses, Me."
We met with the bishop tonight, so 1 down, 1 to go. I had a relapse and got into an email exchange with work yesterday and today, but I've repented and will knock that off. Retirement is growing on me and I may get to the golf course yet. Last Saturday, we ventured into the boondocks to find Lone Tree Arch way west of St George and a had a great day together, even got to use my 4-wheel drive. Did not think ahead and take a camera, so unfortunately, no pictures.
Monday, April 14, 2008
First real retirement day
Monday and the first real day of retirement. Cindy thought it was great, someone to go to lunch with, a companion for running around, her handyman immediately available to replace a kitchen light that burned out this morning, and I'll have to admit, I really enjoyed it to. I went out on my bike again on an absolutely perfect morning, sunny, no wind, upper 70's, couldn't get any better.
While Cindy and I were at lunch today, we saw Tyler Butterfus from SkyWest and it was enjoyable knowing he was heading back to work and we could sit as long as we wanted to and linger over lunch. I think I'll take tomorrow off too.
One thing about being retired, I'm home to enjoy some of the events of nature that go on around the house during the day. For those that followed the saga of the humingbirds last spring, the momma bird is back and sitting the nest again. She is a fierce defender of her turf and going out the front door, if you linger too long on the porch, she will get after you. Arnold Swartzalizard is back and still doing push ups on the top of the back wall, and we have a new addition this year in a pair of mourning doves that are building a nest in a tree in a back yard corner. But do not mistake this writing as any indication that I am going to sit around and become a bird watcher. What I do have though is an assignment to get a bird feeder put together quickly.
While Cindy and I were at lunch today, we saw Tyler Butterfus from SkyWest and it was enjoyable knowing he was heading back to work and we could sit as long as we wanted to and linger over lunch. I think I'll take tomorrow off too.
One thing about being retired, I'm home to enjoy some of the events of nature that go on around the house during the day. For those that followed the saga of the humingbirds last spring, the momma bird is back and sitting the nest again. She is a fierce defender of her turf and going out the front door, if you linger too long on the porch, she will get after you. Arnold Swartzalizard is back and still doing push ups on the top of the back wall, and we have a new addition this year in a pair of mourning doves that are building a nest in a tree in a back yard corner. But do not mistake this writing as any indication that I am going to sit around and become a bird watcher. What I do have though is an assignment to get a bird feeder put together quickly.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Retired ... finally
Yesterday was quite a day, my last day at work. The morning went by pretty fast as I had several things to do and the team took me to lunch at Cafe Rio at 11:30. But time passed so slow after we got back waiting for the retirement party to begin at 2:00 PM.
Cindy, our daughter Emily, son-in-law Brock, and granddaughter Taylee were there when I walked into the room. Both conference rooms downstairs were set up for the "party" and most of the IT department was there along with a number of people from other departments. Jim Jensen, my boss, called Cindy and I up front and briefly outlined what I had done for the company and laid some good praise on me. The large whiteboard behind us was filled with beautifully written lines on it that listed all of the systems that had been implemented during my 8 years there, essentially everything that SkyWest and ASA are using today to run the airlines.
There were a couple of presentations, Jim gave me a 35th anniversary CRJ900 model and a GPS, then Eric Mitchell gave me an iPod Classic with $50 in gift certificates as going away presents from the department. I was doing fine until Jim handed me a thick scrapebook with pictures and inscriptions from the team and department. I opened it and got to the 2nd page and had to close it as the emotion and tears started to come. None of that. I briefly thanked everyone for everything they had done, etc. and then it became a reception and everyone went for the goodies that were spread out on several tables. By 3:30 PM, only a few people were left and Julie Imlay was finishing up adding pictures to the scrapebook that Jennifer Peters had taken during the reception. Love digital technology.
Later, Cindy and I and Emily, Brock, and Taylee went to dinner at the Texas Roadhouse in Washington. They got me on a saddle and I got a yeeha from everyone for retiring. It was a fun, but emotionally tiring, day that started pretty early for me when Cindy presented me with a "card". It was a posterboard she had made with candy bars and some beautiful sentiments about retirement and me. I'll get a picture of it along with some of the party added here later.
Rode my bike for 20+ miles today and boy am I out of saddle shape. We'll see what happens Monday when my first official day of retirement is a reality. Weekends do not count because nothing seemed different at all today.
Cindy, our daughter Emily, son-in-law Brock, and granddaughter Taylee were there when I walked into the room. Both conference rooms downstairs were set up for the "party" and most of the IT department was there along with a number of people from other departments. Jim Jensen, my boss, called Cindy and I up front and briefly outlined what I had done for the company and laid some good praise on me. The large whiteboard behind us was filled with beautifully written lines on it that listed all of the systems that had been implemented during my 8 years there, essentially everything that SkyWest and ASA are using today to run the airlines.
There were a couple of presentations, Jim gave me a 35th anniversary CRJ900 model and a GPS, then Eric Mitchell gave me an iPod Classic with $50 in gift certificates as going away presents from the department. I was doing fine until Jim handed me a thick scrapebook with pictures and inscriptions from the team and department. I opened it and got to the 2nd page and had to close it as the emotion and tears started to come. None of that. I briefly thanked everyone for everything they had done, etc. and then it became a reception and everyone went for the goodies that were spread out on several tables. By 3:30 PM, only a few people were left and Julie Imlay was finishing up adding pictures to the scrapebook that Jennifer Peters had taken during the reception. Love digital technology.
Later, Cindy and I and Emily, Brock, and Taylee went to dinner at the Texas Roadhouse in Washington. They got me on a saddle and I got a yeeha from everyone for retiring. It was a fun, but emotionally tiring, day that started pretty early for me when Cindy presented me with a "card". It was a posterboard she had made with candy bars and some beautiful sentiments about retirement and me. I'll get a picture of it along with some of the party added here later.
Rode my bike for 20+ miles today and boy am I out of saddle shape. We'll see what happens Monday when my first official day of retirement is a reality. Weekends do not count because nothing seemed different at all today.
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