Final Night at the County

I worked my last shift at the County tonight. It was a busy night- likely remnants of the full moon. I had my exit interview at the beginning of the shift. I could hardly stand working the last fifteen minutes of my shift. I suddenly felt very emotional as I walked out the door. I work with such wonderful and high caliber humans there- people of uncommon quality. Part of this is likely unique to working with others in social services- just as it attracts a handful of rather dysfuntionally crazy individuals, it largely attracts excellent individuals who choose to work in a non-corporate, profit-free industry. Part of it is also because I still have no credentials, and the sum total of my knowledge in the "industry" I learned on the job. Three of the employees go back with me almost fifteen years from when I started my full time job. I held that job for seven years- and certainly experienced enough knocks that I haven't been considered "the new guy" for a long, long time. I really loved working there. I will truly miss it.

It is probably a good thing that I break up these "good-bye experiences" in chunks. I still have three more days of work. Somehow I really should ride to work tomorrow so Lise can attend an after work dinner with her co-workers. I really wish I could just call in sick the next few days. At least I've been turning things over to my replacement. I no longer need to be as useful. I need to remind myself that I felt this same level of anxiety when we purchased a house- that it was some undoable commitment that signified that the wild days of living downtown were behind us- when indeed those days ended years before we actually moved.

Last night we attended an even with the Crown Prince of Norway at the Landmark Center in Saint Paul. It was a kick-off to the Peer Gynt performance at the Ordway. We skipped the opera, and met up with some friends at Kincaids, then walked next door to dine at the Saint Paul Hotel with our bosses. We were aptly dressed- me in a black suit and Lise in an excellent black dress (that so inspired a neighboring older gentlemen to ask her if she were Swedish). We had an excellent meal, excellent conversation- then drove home in their Porsche. Their generosity knows no boundaries! Unfortunately, it took us almost an hour to drive home, since there was road construction on I94.

I phoned Lise's brother today to inquire about buying a mountain bike in Norway. He just purchased a Deore equipped Scott for a great price. I am interested in a similar bike, since it is cost prohibitive to ship a bike quickly to Norway. I simply cannot live without a bike for a month and a half. First I'm moving to Norway, and now I'm contemplating a mountain bike? These should be followed by "just shoot me now please."