Retirement party report

The party was last Friday, and was very nice. To get the clothes thing out of the way, my "casual" ended up as a flowered rayon skirt, beige blouse, and a red blazer. Skirt and blouse were new, blazer was dug out of the things I took from my mother's closet after she died (in 1997...) and was going to donate to somewhere that would make a little better use of them than the American Kidney Fund, my usual donation spot. And now most everything fits, so I've gained some nicer dresses and several blazers. "'Vantage number two!' said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake." My outfit was certainly in line with what others where wearing--maybe a little towards the dressy side.

Anyway, the retirement party was under tents, in a garden behind the Southface Institute near the Civic Center. Atlanta weather cooperated, and it neither rained nor was too hot and humid. Several bigwigs were in attendance--Roy Barnes (the immediate past governor of Georgia) was the most prominent, though Lindsay Thomas (former US Congressman) is close. There was an hour or so for socializing, then dinner (fajitas and sides, served buffet style from lines inside the Southface building), then a somewhat-too-long program. Well, not much too long, as almost all the speakers had good stories to tell on Bob Kerr, the retiree. The one that stands out involved Sen. Sam Nunn, a overturned canoe, and the Okefenokee Swamp, at midnight...

Anyway, my father had a nice time and saw a number of old friends and acquaintances, and I enjoyed myself, too. There were a couple of people I know professionally there, plus (having tagged along with my parents to many Georgia Conservancy events over the years) I have a passing acquaintance with many of my father's friends as well. Certainly plenty of contacts to let me feel comfortable mingling in the crowd.