I will be retiring from Oklahoma State University on
March 2 of next year but my last day of work will be December 23
which is the last work day before the campus closes for
Christmas break. I will be retiring after 25 years of feeding
and caring for unix computers of various kinds and I retire with
mixed emotions as i will have enough Annual Leave to loaf with full pay during
all of January and February.
	I got this job through contacts while working in a
previous job as a technician with the Audio Visual Center, here
so I have been hanging around Stillwater, OK since May of 1981
and my wife and I have a nice middle-class house just South of
the campus.
	It has been in walking distance of my work by design
because it seems like transportation is a never-ending headache
for non-drivers. We actually now have some mass transit here in
this town of 45,000 souls plus another roughly 30,000 student
souls who come and go with the semesters but none of those
busses drive through our neighborhood so one must walk a few
blocks North to catch a bus. Anyway, I have walked to and from
work for almost 30 years now except for when the weather is
really bad and my wife drives me, then but the daily walks are
good exercise and I keep my cane skills sharpened up.
	After I retire, I plan to walk to the campus and back
frequently so I don't rust out.
	I am eternally thankful that I do not get sick very
often so I should have a few good years left to build electronic
toys and maybe I can work on writing scientific or technical
articles to sell somewhere. There are less and less places that
will buy free lance articles so I have no elusions.
	It's kind of scary but hopefully, I can make this phase
of life work as well as most of the rest of my life has.
	Please don't think I am bragging. I was so absolutely
frustrated in my early twenties when trying to find decent jobs
and get started in the world. Unless one is terribly lucky, it's
a pain in the back side for everybody especially for people who
are blind or have some other handicap. You had better know what
you want because if you leave it to others, you will not get
squat. If you know what you really want to do that is
marketable, then friends and teachers, etc, can help you make it
work and you are more likely to end up at least not hating each
day.
	Well, enough of this off-topic musing from me.

73,

Martin WB5AGZ