We're getting there. Yesterday was Art's retirement party. He had to turn in his keys to the building. And when I updated our "executor information" spreadsheet, I replaced "PUD" (his job) with DRS (his state pension), SSA (Social Security), Veterans Administration (his disability pension), GHC (Medicare Advantage plan), and The Hartford (long-term disability). I told him now that he's retired, he's more important.

I have 44 more days to work. This week my supervisor asked what kind of sendoff I want. I told him a lunch for friends, no obligation, no management obligation, no toasts, no roasts, no gifts. Just lunch with friends. Actually, I'd like to just take my box of stuff home and call it a day, but I think markers are important for me and for my colleagues.

Who have already begun to detach. My friend Ken says that's human nature - everyone is getting ready for how it will be when I'm gone. I feel like Iceland - one foot is on one plate (in retirement, but not yet), and one foot is on the other (at work, working, but detached). I didn't feel like that before we went to Maui last week, but I do now that I'm back. It feels like Neverland - not very familiar, but not too uncomfortable, either.

Art will be working for the Census Bureau for a couple of months, so this week I signed up for the online ESL course. He'll be gone evenings and weekends, so I might as well get a head start on deciding whether I want to teach English while we're traveling. Seems like the right thing to do now.

On the travel front, we're making our July plans for Disneyland with our twin granddaughters. I think we'll be driving down with my ex rather than flying - and I can do that, now, since I don't have to count vacation days. Then, in September, we have a six-day schooner cruise in Maine. Just this week we found a couple in Maine who'd like to do a home exchange with us, so we'll be spending Maine week #2 on Peak's Island, just off the coast of Portland. Another instance of no vacation days to count. I like all of this. But I'm feeling some guilt that we'll be leaving our designer cat, Larisa, home alone. She doesn't like solitude at all. So simple travel won't be so simple. Still, I'm glad we've got her for the times we are at home.

As I wade through paperwork and other tasks this weekend, I'm looking forward to days after June 25 when I can work just a bit, then set the rest aside.