Last night I was ready to call the whold thing off...talk to Diane Baca, Candace, and hope to stay until July 1.

Then..awake at 4am..this idea came to me. Why not just have Phoebe move into my condo and hire someone to come in several times a week to clean, and help her with other tasks, such as possibly pulling off email letters, etc. and running interference with problems that might crop up. (The rent at Rome is cheap enough that we do not have to burn bridges by giving up the apartment and I could put Juanita on some kind of retainer.)

Then my job become simply writing a good job description for what I would call a "Companion, housekeeper" ...hopefully somebody working a low paying job at say Crawford Long Hospital (cleaning, cafeteria ?) who would be interested in making an extra $30.00 an hour twice a week by just walking up the street after work.

I would go ahead and level with the Manager, without explaining that Phoebe might start panhandling in the lobby, smoking in the eleavor ...what else could she do ?),seeing that this companion could come in, and explaining that I would be gone for awhile ( I would not have to say how long) and giving Eden's telephone number. If dealing with Phoebe did not meaning having her in their neighborhood or as far away as Rome, I think they could manage.)

I discussed this with my friend Sandy and she agreed that I should not involve Eden in this decision or preparations....she would just object, and I would get depressed, angry, and back where I started.

Marti has her own email address now, and likes to write email messages...so my writing to her is a really terrific idea, I think.

We had a really nice Christmas party for the pharmacy school. Susan and a friend played Christmas songs on Bells, and Julie Hixson-Wallace and the Barber Shop Quartet she performs with ...with includes her mother and another relative...gave us some delightful songs.

Now the really great part.

Laurel has been asked to put my going away party on...and I have sort of taken over.

Big guest list, past colleagues including Sofia.

2-4. Unfortunately it will be Friday so we might get fewer people, but OK.

Laurel will MC and refrain from using the word "retire" in favor of "moving on".

We will probably have Dean Littlejohn, Vince Lopez, and I will ask for Lynette..to speak. Matthews, Beth Hammond and finally Judith will conclude (I have steeled myself to this.)

I really don't want to then throw it open for others to speak...

They will announce a donation in my name (which they will know in advance that I will match) to the Staff Development Committee of the Division of Library Services to be offered competitively for a sabbatical for a librarian. (I am thinking about $200.00)... an interest of mine for a long time.

Then I will present a brief power point presentation about the PC application process, the six islands in the Caribbean where I might be assigned.

Then Trudy will have taken my "packing list"...with things like ..for real..duct tape, a tool kit, voltage adjuster, bathing suit, blouse "without a scooped neckline" and a few other inexpensive things (I will supply the carry on) and will conclude with a "training" aid for my work as a health educator for AIDS...

Laurel has agreed to do a video demonstrating the "cucumber" condom scene from her contraceptive lecture..and at her own suggestion will ask Tom Grapes to participate.

We would show that at the end, and then I might ask Julie Hixson Wallace to lead up in a few of the good bye songs...auld ang sign, etc. Of course I would be sure it was videotaped.

What do you think ?

It would be Friday the 23rd, I would have packed up and ask Lynette, and some other people who could to end up out to drinks and a supper with me.

I doubt if they would really care if I did not come back.

Matthews had suggested the "rocking chair", but I might make a picture of it...they have one in the bookstore, or they DID have one...and put in in the presentation with an X across it...implying that I was NOT settling down to ROCK..I was, yes "MOVING ON".

In discussing this with Laurel it led after lunch into a really long talk. She is about your age, and she too is looking at "moving on" in a few other directions. One thing that she wants to do is to sell the large house and buy something smaller, taking less time to keep clean, now that her son is at Tech. She is also looking at volunteering...and showed me a photograph from Scout camp...in New Mexico, which is something that interests her.

I also got the impression that she does not have many close women friends to discuss things with...things that are really normal..her daughter's SATS, studying in her junior year, getting into college (she wants her to go to Mercer)....and I realize..and told her, now very, very lucky I had been to find you. One difference in her friends, I suspect is that they cannot intelligently discuss work as well as general family and school things..whereas we are equally interested in each other's personal and professional lives.

Oh....back to the party. It was interesting how Matthews sat in the back, basically stayed out of events and let Genise Johnson run things.