Just when you think things going well and you only have to cruise the final months to retirement that life decides to say - just hang on there, don't get too comfortable.
Changes at work have been the most stressful. A new event software that had nothing but delays getting approved, well of course it got approved and is to be implemented this year. Then my boss that fought so hard to get it... well she quit to take a new job out of town. Applications poured in for the open position and just as the Parks bosses get ready to start interviews we are all informed that they are changing the management of the Convention Center from being under the Parks umbrella to Destination Marketing and the Communications and Marketing Department. The worst of it is that they made it effective immediately just as we were heading into our busiest month in years. Oh and NO ONE in that department has Facility experience or Convention Center experience. They are f'ing clueless as to what we do and how we operate. It is going to be a shit show. I am doing my best to put on a smile and just keep doing my job. If it gets too unbearable I can retire as early as August - just four months away instead of nine months to January.
Since the election this past November I have tried my best to avoid political news. I only watch the local news and really try to limit my online exposure. But holy crap I still hear too much. Tariffs placed by trump are negatively impacting the worlds economies and of course ours here in the USA. Prices that were high are already increasing even more. Gas/Petrol prices jumped fifty cents a gallon this week. Food costs continue to rise and now car prices and repair parts are expected to rise by 20% to 25%. He has laid off thousands of federal employees including many National Park staff and that has led to cutbacks of accessibility and services at many of the parks. Cuts to staff at the Social Security offices which were already understaffed will lead to delays in processing applications. Guess what I did today? I submitted my application for my benefits to begin later this year. I am keeping my fingers crossed it gets processed in time for my benefits to begin on time.
The stock market suffered its biggest loss in over five years yesterday. I am scared to look to see what it did today ( I looked it's down another 1300 points DJIA). I had already seen losses in my investments since November. I don't think I will need to rely on them to get through retirement. It was nice though knowing that bit if extra security was there though.
I really need to go hiking.... a very long hike.... to just need to disappear down a trail for a very long time.
