End of career note

Well folks, today is the second to last day for me at old Thornridge. More so, I think it's the end of my teaching career. It has been a strange and wonderful journey. Starting at Bloom Trail, quitting to contemplate priesthood and then realizing it wasn't for me, enrolling at UIC for grad school because it was the last one still open for admissions, getting called to interview at Thornwood from my old ISU RA, teaching a year, meeting Mary, getting RIFFed, being off a year and then getting called back to teach at TR. That's the journey in a nutshell. What I did in my career was multifaceted. I started teaching english, theatre, stagecraft, speech, radio and tv and then I became a librarian and then the AV Guy and then a librarian again. I retire as Conan the Librarian.

In the meantime, Mary and I reunited and eventually married, had Nora and of course Daisy Grace. Nora just graduated from Augustana with a degree in English and Speech Communications Ed. She is looking for a job in a very tough market. If you have any leads... It's kind of exciting to be joining Mary in retirement just as Nora enters the profession. I like that kind of symmetry.

Well, I'm sort of killing time in the library waiting to go to lunch with my friend Dave who is also retiring. I guess that's been a kind of pattern for me writing this blog. So, what are the plans? First, it's to get out with my dignity. I really haven't been too tempted to do anything inappropriate, but there's still next Tuesday when I get to address the faculty for the last time. It will probably be a speech full of hope and gratitude. I am truly thankful for the life I have had thus far. Mary and I will be doing some traveling: initially to see Sean in Murfreesboro, then Dan and Nancy in North Carolina on the beach, and then to Italy with Aunt Deb and then to see Carole and Daniel for an extended stay in Florida sometime this winter.
I plan to play a lot of guitar. In fact, I hope to secure my street performer's license next week as soon as I can get to the Mayor's office to plunk down my $100.00. My goal will be to recoup that money by playing on the street. We'll see... I want to play some golf with Dave and his dad, Bill Meder and Nora. I want to fish and kayak. I haven't really spent too much time in that pursuit lately and I really want to do some exploring on the Fox, the Au Sable, the Kank and Hennipen. I even want to try some back waters of the Mississippi and the Rock river down by the quad cities.
Nora is staying down there for the summer so I hope to get down there to visit and play some with her. Hopefully she will be coming up here a bit for interviews. Keep praying for that.
We currently have Charlie, the "grand dog" for a couple of weeks while Nora settles into her new temporary digs in Rock Island. Charlie has had a positive impact on Daisy Grace. She really perks up when he's around. It's not that she likes him, but she knows she better be on her A game or else she might get her food stolen or miss out on going outside or a treat. Daisy's recovery has been remarkable. She's kind of like her old self again, just old. She gets a little wobbly on her feet sometimes and gets confused as to which foot to put forward first, but she can still hop up the front stoop when she comes in.

So, that's it for now. If you would like to visit, give us a call, drop a line or catch me on facebook. If you want us to come see you, do the same. We intend to visit all of our friends and family we have put off for this time in our lives. Keep in touch. We want to see you and we thank you for your friendship, love and concern.

Peace to you and to those you love.
Mary, Rob and Nora and Daisy Grace and Charlie