Two more days….

Ben's last day at work is this Friday.  He goes in to get the final signatures on his retirement papers and then he's out!  Starting next week he'll be working to get the house ready to go on the market in March, but Friday will be a "kick back and relax day," I think.   He'll be on his own, since I'm working that day, and I'm sure he'll enjoy being footloose and fancy free.  

Today Ben was one of one of several people honored in a ceremony to acknowledge the contributions of  Library employees who have thirty, thirty-five, forty, or fifty (!) years of Federal service.  

Ben's retirement party was before the ceremony, a lunch attended by about forty of his library colleagues and customers.   I had a great time meeting people and hearing them say such nice things about Ben and his work.  Most recently his job has been to ensure that all the Library's digital files are stored and backed up properly.  Not only did he do important work well but I heard from many of his colleagues how he had acted as a mentor, helping and encouraging others.   It was a fun and gratifying event.