My mom will retire as soon as my brother is through grad school and is a little more financially stable (her salary is basically used as his safety net.) That doesn't weird me, because I know she'll still be working, albeit in a volunteer capacity. It's what she did the first half of their marriage.

My dad? Well, let's just say, no one has any idea how he'll cope or what he'll do. Including him. He's just looking forward to no more meetings.

My father retired and then went back to work as a consultant right away, no interruption of service. Then he retired-retired, and moved back home (he'd been living in Moscow up till then) and we thought he'd drive my mother insane. He works on a project basis now, and I think he writes for the paper sometimes.

Yeah, my dad not-quite-voluntarily retired at 62, and he spent about 5 minutes thinking he'd actually go ahead and retire. And then he spent maybe 10 minutes thinking he could consult, before starting to look for a new full-time job.

Supposedly, this was the first photo ever to posted on the intebunny. I don't vouch for the truth of it, but just in case, here is the link:

[link]

Given my dad's field and sometimes abrasive nature...not sure how he'd wangle a consulting type thing. Far more likely he'll become a professional gadfly. It's a field that few retire from willingly. Pushed out by universities' policies these days, but in the past, they'd practically die in their offices. Or at the lecture stand. I've only known one who actually retired and left it behind, but there were mitigating circumstances (early onset alzheimers.)

My father retired and then went back to work as a consultant right away, no interruption of service.

Well, yeah. I mean, partly my dad's retiring so he can focus more on his consulting work. But also, apparently, he loves his new house so much he hates to leave it.

Is it too soon to get him a new dog, do you think?

My dad went back as a consultant for more pay, plus had a year's accumulated vacation pay.

Still, I asked "Why? This is what people dream of!"

"I get to travel the world, and people treat me like I'm very important."

Man has a point.

Dear Self-Important Asshole:

You don't have an M.D.; therefore you are underqualified to play God. Ask any MD, and after he's finished pulverizing your ego, get back to me.

The United States, of which you may have heard, considers the age of legal majority to be 21. After 21, American citizens are free to smoke, fornicate, moon the Pittsburgh Steelers, and/or visit physical therapists with God complexes. Nobody gets to stop them, and you know why? Because God doesn't feel like it and nobody else has the authority.

Sometime in your long life, you no doubt took some sort of oath or promise having to do with respecting your patients' confidence. Take a second. Open up the paper bag on the floor, the one next to your thirty months' worth of unpaid bills, underneath the pile of Dear John letters from your girlfriends. Take a good, sincere, look. Notice the bit about KEEPING YOUR DAMNED YAP SHUT.

Yours sincerely,
Me.

So, ita, is your neurologist going to tell them that the medical opinion is that you are good to go or is she going to say the severe concussion/several month's rest thing? Does she think the headaches would abate of you stopped all training?

Project Runway -- Tim Gunn -- such a good sport. Also, how funny was it to see Robert delivering those packages ? How unsurprised am I that Emmett didn't recognize him ?