11/09/2011
My main news is that I finally reached retirement ,at the grand age of 59, Friday 9th September 2011. It was all a bit of a blur, but some of my colleagues must have put a fair bit of effort, as there was lots of balloons, loads of people, many of whom I hadn't seen in ages. Cake, general party type food, photos, presents, a departmental reception, a trip to the pub and a very nice meal at San Marco's in Stockbridge, there were also speeches, and a large wodge of folding stuff, which I shall take to the tool shop.I have to say I was most impressed with the number of people who turned up, known to me for decades or months. Of course they may have just been passing and stopped for a fortuitous cup of tea, but they were there.If any of the people who came to the various celebrations, or who organized the whole thing, should wander into these web pages, I'd like to thank them. It must have taken a lot of work, and has probably put the waiting lists back by a fortnight.I've worked in Nuclear Medicine in the Western General Hospital. Edinburgh since March 1982 in three locations, if you include the Mobile Gamma Camera, under four Radiologists and with about twenty Radiographers and three Cardiac Labs, Generally it's been rewarding and fun, though some of the shine came off with a rather unwelcome 6 year stint of having to do on call in the RVH. That was supposed to last for a year at most with maybe one patient a month. There's a distinctly Scottish expression, "Aye, that'll be right" used when you think the person spinning the yarn is either deluded, bewildered, or a liar.Several years of that encouraged the idea of retiring early, there's nothing like a lack of respect for your workers to get them hacked off in a hurry. It took me a while to do anything about it, but I never was one for precipitous action. Now, however I am looking ahead to lots of not getting up at 6.45. I doubt I'll be able to make 9.00 a habit, however, the cat likes everybody up and about by 8.00. Anyway, it's much easier if it's not compulsory.
