Glad to hear from you! And glad to hear no more a-fib.

Rest up! Thanks for checking in.

Hey everyone. I started reading 6 hours ago, and kept nodding off every couple of sentences.

Everything went well yesterday. I was there from about 5am till after dinner. Not eating or drinking since the evening before was rough -- i cleaned out the vending machine on the way out the door, and then only ate one thing going home. That Mrs. Freshley knows her ****

They used general anesthesia, and it might have kept me from sleeping last night. Hence the all-day grogginess. And the places on both sides of the groin where they put the catheters to reach the heart are really sore. But they stopped the Afib, and I've got a normal heart rhythm. Fingers crossed it lasts.

Thanks for asking after me. I'm going to take a nap.

At General Motors, when you had your 50th birthday, they called you into the office and made an early retirement offer. They were generous buyouts with the company paying you your social security and pension until you turned 67 and qualified for full retirement. Every year following the buyout amounts increased.

It made it easier to get rid of the older workers and replace them with younger ones. I was not ready at 50 but one of my friends took the buyout and ended up with a very stress-free life. She took a part-time job at a church near her home and spent her time at home with her husband and cats.

I finally retired at 62. For a few years, I spent my time at the gym, the pool, and took up line dancing three or four nights a week. I took a lot of vacations and did whatever I wanted. Then I decided I wanted to do something else and income tax was something I liked and could do for a few months a year.

When I was younger, I worked doing hair. I went to college at night and got a computer degree. I went to work for GM and still did hair on the weekends and in the evenings. It took me a while to finally quit the hair and just work at one job. It was a big decision to quit but such a big relief when I finally did.

As long as you have your health, you can always work. My brother-in-law is 88. He retired from Ford and has had his own tax business for more than 20 years. My sister wants him to quit the tax business, but he does not want to do that. He plays golf every morning and has a part-time job at the golf course that allows him to pay very reduced greens fees.

It might be a good idea to just concentrate on your new position without the added stress of trying to maintain the cookie business. The minor illnesses can be a sign that your body wants more rest. I think the first year in any job requires your full-time concentration to learn new skills and new routines. I always wanted to be free to try new challenges at work.

You worked hard to get your current position and there is nothing wrong with taking time for yourself. The cookie business has been a great adventure, and your talent will always be with you. I believe the secret is listening to your body and doing what feels best for you.

Thank you. I will send them to him now.