Hi xango. Lots of rain here also. Went out for a bit and there was a deluge. Some of our streets are overflowing with water. Had hubby pump the brakes just in case. They are fine. More rain expected tomorrow and part of Sunday. Our drought should be over soon.

Hi Sami. I was very concerned and heard about the riots not realizing you were in the area. Please do what you need to do. Primarily, please be safe. Take care of yourself and include your children and grandchildren. Hopefully, things will quiet down in the next few days. It’s usually a small group that starts and the rest follow.

Pipman, I hope you see this. What you are going through is something that happened to me a few years ago. I, also, was offered an early retirement, but, I was not of age. I was 54. 5.. I had 35 years of service because of summer employment. My husband was already retired. I had friends that were also retired and divorced because they couldn’t make their marriage work beyond retirement. There was a lot for me to consider. I had a choice of which month I would retire in. Choice was July or August. I had also just started a new career within the same company and for a better salary. The offer included a retirement salary based upon the highest three years I was employed and a raise every year for 20 years plus a percentage based on the number of years I was with them, full medical paid by the company for 20 years. I had also paid into a retirement plan and an IRA. But, like you, would not be eligible for SS for a number of years. The one thing in my favor when making this decision was that I was still young and I could do a number of things. One was to find another job. The new employer would not have to pay me any benefits since I had these with the retirement plan. I could now enjoy that every night was Friday and every day was Saturday. Oh what a relief it would be to chuck that alarm clock and to not have to face driving in the snow, sleet or freezing rain to work in the winter. I could go to the beach every day or just stay home. As far as being bored in marriage, I looked back and realized that I was never bored so why would this worry me now. Besides, my hubby couldn’t wait for me to be home full time so we could enjoy whatever came our way without batting an eye. I finally made a decision to retire. The next question July or August. I chose July. That was my only regret. I think the extra month would have given me additional $$. But, one thing for certain, I have never looked back. You can still pilot if you can as long as your eyesight is OK. You may not be with an airline, but maybe with someone like UPS, FEDEX, USPS or maybe as a pilot for small aircraft where you can take our furry friends who need a new home or a place that doesn’t kill. You could also pilot a helicopter for people who need to get to an Emergency Room in a matter of minutes. Or, better yet, you can take the skills you already have and put them into other things such as being a social worker, a meteorologist, travel planner with Costco (OK not Costco), PR person, etc.. Or, you can return to school and learn new skills. The door is opened to you. Take it if you can. Take a look at AARP. I’m laughing now as I write this. We were members of AARP for many years. We often used them for traveling. When we started driving to Florida I was astonished to find that it was only 850 miles from my door to our rental. It was closer to 1500 miles door to door. The travel agent had left out the States of South Carolina and Georgia. Somehow or other he/she must have thought that our vehicle could jump from North Carolina to the Gulf Coast. Retirement is not the end of the world, but, rather, a new beginning filled with countless opportunities that are endless. Remember, when you asked for a “leave of absence, ” you were so looking forward to having fresh air to breathe and not having to work every weekend or to be called at the last minute because another pilot took sick. Do you wish to stay overnight in a hotel room only to fly home a day or two later? I have never been bored from the day I said goodbye to all my co workers. I now have time to do the things I totally enjoy. Don’t look back, look forward. The decision is yours. Do what will make you happy and don’t worry what others may say. You are in the driver’s seat. Go out and do whatever. Enjoy today for a better tomorrow.

Accepted. You brought a smile to my face. You will never know how much I needed that. Thanks.

You are welcome Rosa. I enjoy hosting the Community’s Trivia event. It’s something I look forward to every week. It’s the players here who make this thread happy and meaningful. We all have problems, yet, we meet here and for a little while a giant weight can be lifted. Times are tough for many of us now. Many are unemployed. I had to get some groceries yesterday and was astonished how many businesses are not reopening. There were many strip malls closed tight. These included fine dining establishments, barber shops, hairdressers, retail stores. So sad. Yet, there were people on their bikes with smiles on their faces. People on street corners waiting for the bus and talking six feet apart. But it was the smiles that made my day.

jmc thanks for popping in even to say hello. It means alot to us here to see someone like yourself join us for some fun and frolic. Please stay safe. Please remain healthy.

Thank you Rosa. I really cannot understand why people have nothing better to do than to criticize others when a smile, a happy greeting, and turning one’s cheek can make all the difference. Sometimes I feel that these people have no respect for themselves as well as the inability to like themselves. Guess they have nothing better to do than to pick on others for whatever reason. I still have not accomplished half the things that I wanted to get done. I haven’t read half the books that I wanted to delve into. I haven’t washed the car inside and out that I said I would do weeks ago. But the one thing I have done many times a day is to turn to my husband to tell him how much I appreciate him and to say “I love you.” Maybe, if everyone did that to a friend, a passerby, a person in community, to your spouse, then maybe, just maybe, the world would be a better place. Just imagine what the other person would say when you let them know that they are appreciated. WOW !!!!!!