Retired (again)

Yesterday was my last day at work and so I am retired again or as my daughter likes to put it for the fifteen millionth time.

I think I have retired five times not fifteen million.

First time I took a redundancy back in 1996 and thought that I would enjoy retirement, we had a new house on some land and I was looking forward to gardening sewing and all those other household chores that seemed to get done in a rush.

 Over the years I had become pretty good at getting things done quickly and so by 9am house work was done. Gardening was hard work and once it was done only required a bit of weeding, didn't even need to water as we had a septic which used the sprinkler system once it had been treated. Although we had two and a half acres we also had a ride on mower. Sewing, well, I was no longer going to work so no need of any more clothes. Basically I was bored. When a course was advertised in the local newspaper to do a secretarial work including touch typing, I was there, as I had always wanted to touch type. A few months into the course  local business wanted a secretary/receptionist for a couple of days a week. Yep, I could do that, I stayed for five years.

Retirement number two as we moved states to be closer to family and a warmer climate .

As house prices had increased we couldn't just sell one house to buy another so started looking for some work. That was difficult so ended up in China teaching English for seven or eight years. Warren decided that he wanted to be at home (Oz) once he turned sixty so we said goodbye to China.

 Retirement number three

A conversation between myself and daughter resulted in me nannying for her, she paid me what she would have paid for childcare plus a fuel allowance to get there and do any ferrying around of the boys that was needed. I did this for two years until Aidan was five. Warren wanted to return to work in China so we went back for one more year. Not sure if this was retirement probably not as I went from one to the other.,

Retirement number four.

Quite happy at home, Warren played tennis twice a week and had taken up archery. I was sewing up a storm for charity, all was good. Daughter rang and asked me about doing some work at her school. One of the teacher aides was taking a five week holiday in term time and they needed some one to fill in. Sure, I could do that. Towards the end of that five weeks, I was asked if I was interested in a casual position of three days a week. I really enjoyed the work so said yes.

A few years ago we had agreed to do a "Big Lap", date was set, caravan bought and so I have retired for the fifth time to do that. My boss said yesterday that she hopes I will come back to do some fill in work every now and then, we shall see what develops.

Thirty days, one month until we leave on the Big lap. We have bought our tickets to the tennis and have booked a caravan site in Melbourne as it will be school holidays as well as the Aussie Open, we haven't booked anywhere else as yet.

A Boost to the Ego

Today at work one of the teachers, whose class I go to help with on a Wednesday afternoon, told me that she was so glad I was back. She said the boys from the class had been pestering her if I was coming back. She said that they had really missed me. I had been away the last two Wednesdays. I thought that it was nice of her to say so.

Its a class of year ten boys most need a bit of help with either writing, reading or just to encourage them to do some work. Nice kids but definitely in the "naughty" stream. Annoying and frustrating but I cant help liking them.

I went to the canteen to get a bite for morning tea, very unusual for me and I saw two of the boys there, they rushed over and stated "You're back!" I agreed with them, they rushed on and asked if  I would be in English, I said "Yes" and B said "Thank heavens as I need some help" he has never asked for help from me before although I have helped him.

It was a good lesson and we got a lot done although one in particular said to me "You just write it for me" I said , No that's not how it works, you tell me what to write and I will type it for you" Between us we got half his assignment done and one of the other boys that I helped as well is almost finished, they have one more lesson to finish it.

They know the story and was happened in the story but find it hard to put it down on paper so need a bit suggestions or reminders.

Poetry!

One of the things I found when I started back at school this week I had been allocated to two English classes, one year eight and one year ten, both classes are doing poetry this term. Yay! not. I hated poetry with a passion when I had to do it at school.

However the first class with the y10's was about some war poems,  knew them as songs but of course songs are poems  set to music.   Thursday both classes (and me) went to a performance, three actors had come to the school. The year eight performance was about about the different type of poems, it went for about 45 minutes and the guys were very talented, it was fun and entertaining. Year ten was about a first world war poet and then weaved a story about this guy and included his poems, again very clever and interesting, so much so that I am going to do a search to find more of his poems. huh, and I thought poetry was boring.

Yesterday there was a class with year eights and the teacher and I read a poem which had been written and delivered by the two Ronnies. That was fun and quite difficult to read as it of course rythmed but our accents or use of the words changed it slightly so the rhythm was a little off so we had to say the words with an English accent.