It is the day after tax day and the sun is shining and the sky is a cloudless blue morning. The temperature in this part of Maine is 35 degrees (and that's above zero!). This time of year in Maine, we say it is warming up. Whereas if this was FAll, we would say that Winter is knocking on our door!

Our room selection processes finished up two days ago. I have signed my last room and board license of my career and I must admit that I have no regrets about that!

Human Resources has sent me paperwork - not too bad, only four pages to fill out. This is the institutional path to retirement. Woo Hoo!

I have several vacation days available to use before July 1. I had thought that I would use up this time by taking Fridays off. And becasue I have so many days, i.e. 29 and counting, I thought an occasional mid week afternoon away from the campus to play golf would be a good idea as well. What I had not figured in was the workload that is typical this time of year and into the early part of the summer to wrap up an academic year. I do not want to be a slacker just because I am about to retire. All of which is to say, my plan is back on the drawing board...not my plan for retirement but a plan for using my vacation time. Stay tuned.