Did I Say I Was Retired?

Most of you know that I officially retired in August, 2011.  However, I hadn't been gone for a month before I received an email saying "we're swamped", and so I signed up to come back on contract, as needed.  As you know, I have an expensive bucket list, and so I was happy to do so.

Retiring was actually a scary thing.  I am blessed with a good pension, and could live on it, but not in the style to which I was hoping to become accustomed.  So, I applied to another agency, The Mental Health Review Board (stop it!  I can hear the cracks from here!), to see if I could get some contract work there.  It was such a long time ago that I had almost forgotten, but just recently, I got appointed to that board as well.  On Monday, March 5, 2012, I chaired my first hearing.  The neat thing about administrative law is that hearings, although they vary in format, the basic requirement is simple; natural justice must be done.  For the uninatiated, that basically means that the claimant must be heard, must hear the evidence involved, and must be able to have the ability to rebut that evidence, and, of course, be entitled to a representative.  Beyond that, the western world as we know it will not come to an end if mistakes are made.  Luckily, the Mental Health Review Board panels are three person panels.  I was chair, with a doctor and a community member as wingers.  They were both seasoned veterans, and graciously shared their expertise with me, and, after the trauma of making sure the recording device was working, all went well.  It is actually quite exciting to get to know people from different backgrounds, and mastering new problems.  I have four more hearings scheduled for this week, so, hopefully, by the time I leave on Sunday for Palm Springs, I will have the routine down.  These hearings are always available, so I will be able to pick up where I left off in June, when I get back to Vancouver.

Wednesday night, I was back to the usual bridge game with the boys.  Every once in a while (i.e., when there is a coupon for lobster fest in the paper - some of us still read newspapers!), we spice it up with dinner at the Boat House before bridge, and this was one of those nights.

Yes, those are palm trees.  They were planted years ago, on my favorite street in Vancouver, Beach and Denman, and I caught the sunset before we went in to dinner.

from the left, John, Dennis, Tom, and Yours Truly

On Thursday, there was actually an open house at the Mental Health Review Board, as they had just moved to lovely new offices in New Westminster.  No, no pictures available; see excuse in the previous blog.  However, it was lovely, and, as there are about 70 members of the board on call, nice to get a chance to meet some of them.

Sunday morning, one of the gals in the spin class invited a few of us over for brunch, and there I did remember to bring a camera.  You all have seen what my place looks like, so I thought I would show you another of the wonderful residences in Steveston.

Interesting architecture, great view of the Fraser River

lovely presentation!

Kelly, our hostess and gourmet cook on the right, and Sue, her trusty sidekick doing Mimosas on the left.

Donna, just coming from another class!

And lots of healthy food!

Jeannie, instructor and friend, finally arrives, bringing yet more food (as if we needed it!)

And another week has whizzed by.  When you hear from me next, I will be in Palm Springs, where, presumably, it is not howling a gale, with rain blowing sideways, and where, presumably, I will not be freezing!

Till then!