Made it to Lake Lanier!

We picked up the trailer Wednesday, July 18, and brought it up to the Lockheed Martin Longhollow Campground on Lake Lanier for storage. We were not yet ready to stay in it - too much to do at the house. The picture of the rig includes Bill talking to another Bill who retired from Lockheed several years ago.

Yesterday, July 21, we finally brought an initial load of stuff up to the lake and set up on a site. It is amazing what I forgot to bring. We were so used to having the basics in the old motorhome just waiting to travel.

There is hardly anyone here - just some other retirees who stay all summer. The weather has been fantastic. We have a great view of the Longhollow inlet. We have just slept in and goofed off. Tomorrow we are going back down to the house to spend the night and gather up some more stuff to bring up here.

I saw an orthopedist about my knee yesterday and tried a cortisone shot to put off surgery. It hurt going in, but the knee is a little better. It is supposed to continue to improve for about a week, then last 3 to 4 months. The orthopedist says the risk of infection is high enough for me that I should have Emory do the replacement if I want it. If the cortisone works well enough, maybe I will wait until after Alaska for the surgery.

I will post some more pictures of the rig next time.

Betty's IIBA Retirement

My FIRST retirement event was on June 23 at the Greater Atlanta IIBA meeting. They completely caught me by surprise with a balloon, two cakes, a beautiful photo album, and a Funsaver camera to start creating entries for the photo album.

I was very lucky to be there when that first what-is-the-IIBA-and-do-we-want-to-start-a-chapter-in-Atlanta meeting occurred and got to contribute my two cents worth to defining the role of the BA to the world over the following years. From that day to this I have not missed an IIBA meeting. I made many new friends that I will always cherish.

Bill's Lockheed Retirement

Bill worked for Lockheed for 25 years. He worked on the C-130 and F-22 assembly lines, did a stint as a research mechanic where he and his team tested an F-22 against all types of torture, and even worked in transportation for a while. His final months were spent in Quick Turnaround. That's Bill in the black tee-shirt.

Bill's family members attending the party included his wife Betty Baker, his son Shane Baker, his ex-mother-in-law Sarah Johnson (grandmother to Shane), his granddaughter Alison Baker and her mother Janice Baker.

Click here and select Slideshow to view more pictures of his party.

Betty's Silverpop Retirement

This is the first of many posts, hopefully for years to come. Thought I'd start with thanks to everyone for my Silverpop retirement party. It was lots of fun, and the loot was great! I just wish the people from outside Atlanta could have joined us somehow.

Click here and select Slideshow for more pictures from the party.

Walking out the last day felt pretty weird. I have worked steadily from the time my daughter entered daycare in September of 1974 until June 30, 2009, with time off only for vacations and illnesses - never unemployed! I really appreciate Silverpop's willingness to use my services on a contract basis for a while. It will make the transition to "bum" easier and even bring in a little money.