And here it is!

About 28 years ago Bill Pickens was the principal at Funston Elementary and Lorraine Van Dolah was his secretary - they had both been at White Elementary when Laura started kindergarten and Lorraine's daughter had three daughters that were friends of my kids so even though my kids didn't go to Funston, I was very comfortable there. I did volunteer work there, putting test results on this new thing called a personal computer that the teachers hated. I thought it was fun so spent hours doing it. Then Bill needed a detention room lunch aide so I said sure - I can work an hour a day and get paid - I'm here a lot anyway. Well of course I did exceptionally well (and someone quit) so I quickly moved up to a 1 and 1/2 hour lunch period aide. Lorraine's daughter Judy and I would stand around visiting with each other and the students at lunch and had a great time. I even met a little girl named Maranda George there and let Jimmy know that he would probably like her when they went to Jardine together. Then in January of 1984 the reading paraprofessional, Nyla Dillmore decided to retire and I applied for and got the job as a para. This meant I was a permanent KPERS paying almost full time (6 hours a day I think) employee of USD 259.

After a couple of years being the para, one day I came to work and Bill informed me I was going downtown that day and taking the test to apply for a secretary position. I freaked out and said no way and he said yes way - I already told HR that you were coming now go. So I did and passed. That summer in June, Bill called me up at home and told me I was going to be the clerk at Longfellow and also at Cleaveland Elementary. I said What? And he said yes, that he had been transferred to Longefellow and had an opening for a clerk and had already talked to the principal at Cleaveland and he was fine with me filling the opening of the half time clerk there too. Bill said, you be a clerk one year and I promise you will be a secretary at a school next year. So I spent the year as a clerk, and the next year became the secretary at Franklin Elementary (after Bill had gone to coffee with the principal, Ace Cleavinger and told him I was a good employee). I spent nine years at Franklin - good times, bad times, scary times, funny times and always very interesting times. In 1998 I decided to go full time as the kids were all grown and I didn't need summers off. I spent a couple of years working in payroll (still trying to forget those years) and a couple of great years as secretary to the CFO of the district then almost eight years ago I became the procurement card technician. This has been a very busy, interesting and mostly very fun job full of responsibility and challenges.

And now tomorrow I report to work for the last time as a regular employee of USD 259. Where the years have gone, I really don't know but I know I am happy to have worked there and just as happy to retire. I figure if someone wants to pay me to stay home I will take them up on the offer. Next fall I hope to do some substitute work but also plan to spend a lot of time doing my hobbies, knitting, cross stitching, sewing and more time with grandkids.

I also plan to catch up on this blog! I have tons of pictures and experiences in the last month to post but wanted to get this retirement thought out first.

So tomorrow there will be tears and laughter and then I start a whole new chapter of my life.