Bunch of OLD Teachers Get Together Last Friday

I meet Kip for breakfast on most Fridays. He was at Magee a year before I got there in 1973, after having taught a couple years in Minnesota. He taught wood shop for many years, until the district dropped the program and he was transferred over to the high school where he taught a REAL subject, social studies, until he retired about four years ago.

We've remained good friends though and continue meeting at Dino's in Fox Lake (near me) and the Triangle Restaurant in Grayslake (near him). It's good to keep up with old colleagues.

He had a surprise for me when I showed up at the Triangle last Friday. An old buddy of mine from the high school, John, was in from Nevada where he has been living for seven years after his retirement. He says he can't believe how fast the area where he now lives is building up. His subdivision in Henderson was way out in the sticks when he moved there, but Las Vegas has grown out to it and past it.

They need teachers very badly and often try to get him back into the profession. But he has resisted. Why work when you can collect 75% of your pay? AND, do exactly what you want to be doing.

Then, Paul dropped by from Kenosha. He has been retired for three years and lives in Kenosha, Wi, about 40 miles away.

Everyone agrees that retirement time really goes by fast and that you just don't get as much accomplished as you thought you would. There's that, "I'll do it tomorrow mentality." I know I have barely scratched the surface of what I wanted to do this past year.

We had a great time talking about the old days and have a tentative plans to get-together out in Las Vegas in early December.

Kip and I usually get to breakfast at 8:30 and leave by 10. I had planned to do some shopping at nearby Gurnee Mills since I was in the area. We ended up staying until noon.

Here's to Good Times, Here's to Good Friends. --RoadDog