2006-01-24

nlbarber: (Default)
2006-01-24 10:22 pm
Entry tags:

Retirement parties

I'm in from an office retirement party for 4 people (including my former supervisor) who retired on January 3. They had something like 126 years of government service between them--Tim, my supervisor, had 32, and another guy had over 40. And the downsizing goes on...all of these guys took the buyout payment, which means that their positions have been eliminated.

not an ideal venue for speeches... )
...but good food )

Thursday afternoon I'm flying to Albany, NY for another retirement--a luncheon Friday for 6 people in that office who also took the buyout. One of the six is Debbie, who I've known since 1984, if not earlier. I dug an old file out on a workshop held in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi in Oct. 1984 which we both attended--Debbie was a guest from the Northeastern Region at this Southeastern Region workshop, and I was a cooperator (meaning I worked for a State agency in conjunction with USGS, not for USGS itself). Through the early 1990's we were on a committee together and we saw each other more often. And since 2000 or so, we were both part of the national water-use leadership team, so there were a few more meetings and innumerable conference calls. Even though it's a luncheon with 6 honorees, I'm going up and will say a few words, and read a letter from the Chief of the Office of Ground Water (which funds the water-use program) on her contributions to the program. Will come home Friday night.