Random 5 for February 21 – trains, retirement, Human Resources, reflections, clothes

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Funny about that – I had blogged about a near train mishap I saw recently. The next day there was news feature that the government recommended reviewing all railroad crossings for timing issues. The warning lights and gates are activated by signals which can lose a second here and there, accumulating over time. I never thought my blogging would be in sync with the gov! Scary….

retirementBittersweet – A long time work friend will retire April 1st. She will move back home which is two hours away. Over the years we helped each other get through the rough spots, both personal and business. She is retiring to a full agenda of raising grandkids and resettling. All the best to her. (Oh yes, the bitter is for me and the sweet is for her!)

HR credentials – I’ve been out of the human resources world for four years but occasionally I get a request for an opinion. (I’m full of opinions! Ask me about anything!) This past week I got two but missed both calls. Some things are static but laws are ever-changing. Eventually my expertise will be more about the touchy-feely part and less about the regulations.

Maxine - retirementRetirement – The last two shorts take me back to the days when I was a young whippersnapper in the work place. One company had an overabundance of old men on the brink of retirement which at the time was no later than 65. That was very old (or so I thought). I remember thinking how out of touch they were. Makes me wonder if people think the same of me.

A confession – One thing I miss about working is the wardrobe. I loved (and love) clothes. There is no reason for me to have “that” kind of wardrobe now. Back in the day we had to wear business clothes (no, not business casual but suits, pantyhose and heels). Loved every minute of it. Now I wear jeans and stretchy yoga clothes (without the yoga part). I’m comfortable but miss playing dress up.

So how was your week? What do you miss?

 

46 thoughts on “Random 5 for February 21 – trains, retirement, Human Resources, reflections, clothes”

  3. Kate, I think it’s time for a checkup, particularly since are government is rarely in sync. I wish your friend the happiest of retirements, and it should be fun with the grand kids. They just keeping adding more laws but seldom remove the old ones. I know my kids think dad is out of touch. Mom? Not so much.

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  4. There is a lot of retirement talk in my house these days! My husband is finally ready, and he’s well beyond 65. 🙂 I’m sure there have been many people claiming he’s “out of touch” and for a long time, but he just hasn’t been emotionally ready until now. I think he’s also heading towards April 1, like your friend. And by the way, he’s a Union Pacific railroad switchman–lots of rules and regulations have been changing within this industry. I think he’s going to miss all those bells and whistles. On the other hand, his wardrobe doesn’t need to change! His work attire is good for every day!

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  5. My synchronicity isn’t so much like the government as in your case but with other bloggers. It amazes me how I think about something such as a post topic that I think is original, only to see someone else not only capture it beautifully but also in such a way that I then don’t dare try to attempt it myself. In the same vein, I looked at all my suits in the closet last week and started to wonder if I should toss most of them. Nope… can’t do it (yet).

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    • I can relate to that. I wrote about a colonoscopy. Then I read Dave Barry’s article. I try not to do anything he did because he is so much better. When you are ready, you will get rid of your suits. So far (4 years out) I got rid of half of my “business” clothes. I still have a number of blazers/jacket/suit type things. They are good for funerals although I bought a funeral dress. Each year more goes out.

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  7. Maybe you and your work friend could meet somewhere, say, an hour from home. I do that often with a friend of mine and we make a day of it.
    I’m sure younger people look at me and think I’m really, really old. When I was about 20 and first started working full time, there were gals in the office in their late 20s. They actually seemed old to me! It’s all perspective.

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  9. H is retiring in 3 months. Me? I’ll probably work forever it seems, ipbut doing it from home doesn’t feel so much like work. I worry about him not having much purpose in life any more. He’s a high school band director. He keeps saying he may go back to work. Maybe a middle school job or teaching private lessons.
    And what am I going to do with all those khaki pants and button down shirts hanging in his closet? Not much use for those as a Florida beach bum! ~Elle

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  11. I have always had my closest friends live hours and hours away from me. We live in an age where distance means very little except you can’t be in the physical presence as often. But you can speak to them daily, text them, email them. So, I think you willl be surprised at how little your friendship with your friend actually changes.

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  12. When I think about my retirement from the workforce, the only things I miss are the students and many of my colleagues/friends. The Grade 4 age, nine and ten year olds, is so much fun. They are curious, enthusiastic, and want to love their teacher. That worked for me.

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  13. Even when I was young, I don’t think I was very hip. In some ways, that’s good — not being up on pop culture meant that I missed being indoctrinated by stereotypes. Why shouldn’t I change a tire, mow the lawn, or be outspoken, just because I’m female? And who cares about make-up or the latest hairstyle?

    On the other hand, I kind of suck at pop culture trivia. No one wants me on their team come game night.

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    • I am totally out of touch with current music except for the occasional song that I really like. That usually happens once a year because I have my car tuned to an oldies station. I watched the Grammy’s. I kept saying, “Who is that?” Not good at current entertainment on game night either.

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  14. I don’t miss wearing suits, stockings, and pumps at all. I don’t even like complying with a “business casual” dress code.

    I like casual casual. I was born to be retired! :mrgreen:

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    • Then it’s your time for sure! I was born a “girlie girl” who loved dressing up. My mom would often let me wear a “Sunday” dress after my bath for the half hour before I went to bed. I’d be in heaven!

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  15. I’m not a Facebook girl, but admire your cyber skills Kate. I’m one step up from a Smith Corona.

    Sorry your friend is moving away. I’m experiencing that too at the moment though mine has four legs.

    Clothes. Me too. Have three great suits I sometimes just put on so they don’t disintegrate in the closet. Nothing like a woman sporting one with heels.

    Always enjoy your Sunday musings. 🙂

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  16. My daughter came home from work the other day commenting that she felt “too dressed up” in the office. Part of me was stunned, while the other part remembered how lax some of us have become with their wardrobes. I told her “it’s better to stand out because your wearing a dress, than it is to stand out because you’re in pajama pants.” Am I right Kate? She’s working in a courtroom for god sakes!

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    • Facebook has made it easy to stay in touch not only with people I worked with but also the parts of my family I don’t see often. It gets tedious sometimes because of the way it works with ads and revisiting things I’ve seen several times before but scrolling through it all doesn’t take long.

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