Still Keeping It Real on Monday Moanin':

(or Why do people retire - and then get jobs?)

I found out today that my mom has a job with the Census Bureau. She bought a cell phone and ponied up for the GPS service so that her phone can give her driving directions to the destinations on her appointed rounds. After reaching age 65 and retiring from her job - now she works for the Census Bureau.

In between church and...church (that is, the Children's Concert held at my church - where I served as Master of Cermonies this afternoon), I showed Mom how to save names and numbers into the new phone, I downloaded and installed the GPS application on it, and walked her through the steps to enter a destination in the phone and get driving directions. She didn't do too badly for a former retiree.

It didn't really strike me while my Mom was visiting - now I'm wondering why she went back to work. I assume the pressures were financial - but she's only been retired for about six months. I don't believe her financial situation has changed that radically in so short a time (although she probably wouldn't tell me anyway - so that could be a poor assumption). More likely, she disliked her previous job to such an extent that she decided to retire at the first opportunity and deal with the fall-out if or when necessary. She may have even decided to take the job just to do something different.

My mom likes to dabble. I wonder how long she'll dabble with the Census Bureau.

I'm not planning on retiring or getting a new job anytime soon (although the MAW did suggest on Saturday that I arrange for our company to provide a full-time support person in the Boca Raton, Florida office - then get myself the job). But I do expect that this week will usher in a new phase of "nose to the grindstone" focus at work. I expect this phase will extend for at least two months - and, perhaps, to the end of summer. I need to get myself and my team to the middle of June intact - and I think things will proceed smoothly from there. The work will be like rolling a huge ball over a hill - we need to get it over the crest of the hill and then follow it down the other side (as it crushes everything in its path).

Maybe then I can retire. And, if and when I ever do, there is one thing you can count on.

I won't be going back to work six months later.

Take care.