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one day left in this first month of 2025. Lunar New Year of the Snake… a friend posted some positive stuff that goes with the Snake. wisdom and strength.

I’ll claim those words… wisdom and strength.

I cannot and will not allow stressful events to keep me from staying the course, and living every day wisely and strongly as I press on toward the goal of retiring from the federal government when I am ready in 2027. two more years, and not one day sooner.

great day at the office chatting with my trusted colleagues James in our section, and Kevin who works several floors below me but in the same building.

Dream sweetly, dear reader.

this has been a slow week… slow and tough… I began my day well, and had a pleasant ride to the OFFICE with a co-worker who happened to be at the commuter lot! so I didn’t have to make that long walk…that I don’t mind doing, but I didn’t know if there would be another car coming, so I got into her car. 🙂

I also forgot to take my PIV card with me, but got another co-worker who saw it in my workspace, and delivered it to the security guard so I could get into the building. 🙂

felt blessed this morning.

then I read this email about the “four pillars of upon which the federal workforce will be built. 1. be honest. be reliable. be flexible…be professionally kind. 2. decide if you want to resign or retire. 3. show up to work, not stay home and telework.

basically those three, key things. sounded so severe, so sudden.

somber mood in the office. one woman announced that she would retire–she’s young and can get another job probably easily.

I’m working with those who, I think, are better than others. pretty arrogant individuals. they are tough to work with.

I need to start changing my attitude toward them. I need to work on the things I need to do–plan my exit stragegy… get the important work done…one bite at a time.

sending Peace, dear reader.

tough day.

I received a phone call just as I was driving back home that, starting Monday morning, all would be reporting to the office to work. no more telework, and no alternative work schedule.

While I expected this change to full time working at the office to happen in the near future, I did not expect it to be so sudden. less than three day notice. We had the weekend to let it all sink in.

I did not blog Friday night. The news was just so hard to take… I was and am still tired from the 100 mile slog that happened a little over a week ago…and I had a friend come visit on Friday night.

I also went for a 16 mile jog/walk on Saturday with a friend. it was tough, but I tried my best to put on a good face. I think I was successful. We met with two of my close friends for dinner on our way back from the run. It was worthwhile. I had not seen Tom and Gloria outside of church events for a quite some time. They are good people–and one of the reasons why I keep going to church as often as I can.

Sunday, January 26 was wonderful. I had a hard time staying awake during the service… I even went out to grab coffee in the lobby to stay awake…and my dearest and I went to DC to enjoy some warmer temps, walking around to food trucks, grabbing some wonderful corndogs , french fries… It was glorious time. we hit some museums…botanical garden… Reflection Pond between Lincoln and Washington Monuments… walking out to the frozen pond…getting our photo taken… it was a great way to escape from the reality that would hit me the next day… facing everyone at the office, not enjoying being there after five years of not seeing one another much.

As usual, saying good bye was not easy, but I told myself that I got this. It was okay. I went to sleep fairly quickly after he left.

This morning came too quickly. I had to quick like a bunny get out to see my dentist. that went well. then I went to get x ray images of my sternum…frontal rib area. A pregnant female doctor told me my images did not look alarming. she ordered another x ray image (of my sternum) when I asked for that one as well. That one was also not alarming to her. Then I get a phone call from a radiologist indicating that there was some kind of fracture… and that I should see an ortho doc. So I guess I will need to see one.

This news hit me hard. If I had gone to see a doc sooner, I probably would have not gone for that 16 mile run…probably would not have gone for that swim…or do any upper body weights that involve the chest cavity. So…. I will be cautious from now on and hope that in 6 to 8 weeks…. my ribs/sternum will be back to feeling normal.

I just realize tonight that today is 1-23-25. “123!” I love noticing numbers… some have just the right feel to them. like number 7. there are 7 days in a week… 7 children of my paternal grandparents. number 77 that was my bib number at my first 100 mile race in 2005.

This morning did not start well. I overslept big time. it was 6am when I opened my eyes after a late night last night. I stayed calm, gathered my things, and drove to the “slug line” to pick up two passengers.

While I was driving, I asked God to be with me today. keep my mind positive… help me stay calm, and in control. I picked up a young woman and a man. The woman took the front seat next to me. I must have said something pleasant. She responded similarly. her voice was so soothing…gentle, yet she was articulate. I asked her if she’s from this area. She said she was from Kentucky. I asked her if she knew where an area called, “Land between the Lakes” was. She said she did, and her family would go camping in that area often during her childhood. She also has lived in Anchorage and Fairbanks Alaska, and one of the islands of Hawaii. Her job took her to those places. She said her parents are aging, and she has plans to visit them as often as she can, now that she’s not so far away like Alaska and Hawaii. Wonderful ride… I told her that I had a sister who also went to many places for her job, and how I miss her, even though it’s been since late September 2001 when she passed after sustaining a horrific accident of being bucked off a wild horse in Montana.

work day went fairly well. I got to see my always cheerful, always encouraging friend with whom I’ve enjoyed a few bites during lunch time. It was a quick lunch, but better than none at all.

As I drove home, I asked God to be with me, to guide my thoughts to hoping good things, and not dwelling on how cold it is outside, and how short the daylight hours are… I asked God to be with my family in Korea… my bio sister being happy to receive info on my flight in April to visit them for a few days. How I should try to look better than I do now to not have them be in a state of shock of how I’ve aged… hahaha… but it’s true. I will be a little surprised too, I think. When we don’t see our family members often, sometimes it’s tough to see the toll that aging has on us. Anyway. I’ll be happy, and my smile will make them smile. I am so grateful to be able to anticipate seeing my sister, and brother, the two siblings I now have left in Korea.

Dream beautifuly, dear reader.

First Blog.

Okay. Minutes, Hours, Days fly by without me being keenly aware of the passage of time.

I have made this goal before… on 1-1-2020. I recall telling someone that I would start blogging. I never did.

then I joined a writer’s group. I joined but did not write hardly anything. I stopped going to their online meetings. I was so disappointed in myself. The following year, I did not join at all, but I thought of them possibly meeting online, and I did not want to join out of embarassment. I joined them again at the start of 2024, with a stronger desire to really follow through on what I wanted to accomplish…

Get that first draft of my memoir written, so someone could critique it.

I didn’t do that in 2024. I had health issues, and full time going to the office to work issues, few “State” marathons to finish issues.

So today, I’m starting again. Except, this time I’m not going to join the writer’s group. I will join in 2026 when I have my first draft written, and someone who has been waiting for my first draft for several years, to put her eyes on it.

Time passes quickly. It seems like I’m seeing time pass more often than time to come to me. I hardly have any “time” when I’m waiting for something to happen. I have a schedule from the time I open my eyes to the time I close them trying to get some rest before I “rinse and repeat.”

Today was one of those great days. I got out the door, in my car, and into my office garage without incident. I walk into the office gym, and BOOM, there’s Diane. I am elated to see her as we have not been there at the same time for several months, or so it seems. I’m peddaling away on my stationary bike next to her and we are catching up. I have so much to say… and she also was able to share with me her news. and BOOM, she has to leave. and I did not get a chance to ask her if she would be returning tomorrow morning. oh well. I hope she’ll be there… if not, I can always hope for a time when I’ll smile again to see her again.

and the work day begins… there’s a meeting that I did not know about. the meeting went superbly. it was an “all hands” meeting with our new BIG BOSS. He had so much energy… honesty… humor… that solid hour of being on my feet, and yes, I did wiggle a lot, since I had finished a 100-mile race that was very tough toward the last 10 laps of 3.5 mile “loops.” my legs and body is still recovering, but oh wow. being there was no problem at all. my mind was fully engaged in what he had to say… such a “pep talk” we all received. I hope he and I get to exchange few words face to face one day before I retire an move on to my final chapters of my time on this planet.

I don’t know how much time passed since I started typing this blog, but it’s now way past my bedtime and I will need to get ready for some zzzs… rest well, dear readers. I am very blessed with a wonderful family wonderful and Large family of several humans that I can fully trust–whose wisdom, love, wide understanding of different groups of people on this planet…I so admire, and benefit from!

Dad, you were one of seven, with five sisters.. one of whom was your twin… one brother who was also paired with a twin sister… and I have three paternal aunts with you and three others gone to a place we call heaven… a place of unimaginable beauty!

Sleep well, dear reader.