for my dh! Yesterday we went to a meeting where dh filled out his retirement application. His last day of work will be June 30 and his official retirement date will be July 1. However, for up to five years thereafter he will be able to participate in a program offered by his employer that allows retired faculty to work 50% of their former assignment. So in reality, dh is transitioning into retirement. But this is good for him because, unlike me, he would keep working until the day he dies even though he has been teaching for 35 years.

And, this is not such a bad thing, to keep working. It's just that dh is in the season of life where IMHO work should be redefined to allow a few adventures here and there. We will have long stretches of time from December to August to travel, enjoy a slower pace, and do some of the things we've only talked and dreamed about... like living in another country instead of just visiting. Then in the fall for up to five years, dh will teach 3-4 classes and get working out of his system for a while.

In the financial area, dh will continue to have health benefits, so we were happy to have this verified. His benefits will complement those we receive from my former employer and we think they will be about the same as they are now. But we're checking into the dental coverage as we are not sure about this one. If we lose dental coverage, I will add dental to our monthly expenses and make necessary adjustments to the budget.

And, because dh will not be tax-sheltering any income and eliminating expenses like parking and union fees, his net pension amount will be higher than we previously estimated. Nonetheless, we are ready, willing, and able to live on less. Now, the application is complete, but we can't turn it in until after April 1. The pension plan won't accept applications for retirement unless retirement is within 90 days. So we made an appointment for April 2 and I'm counting the days.