One More Day

This coming Monday will be my last day with the only employer I have had since 1964. Only time will tell if the decision to participate in the VRIF was a good decision. I never had realized how much work it would be to organize my paper and electronic files for handover and clean out my office. Hope one day will be enough to finish. With normally being off most of December due to the holiday shutdown and burning off unused vacation, it probably won't really hit me until I don't go back to the office after January 1st.

Starting in December, I will have to figure out what to do; write a book, become a consultant, spend more time on the air as a ham operator, or finish up a few hundred of the many projects I never got to. Since I have not had time to golf since 1966, I doubt I will take it back up.

Maybe I'll use this blog to get up on a soapbox and comment on the automation & control business. Possible topics could be:

• Why are the DCS suppliers impeding the I&C business
• Alarm mismanagement by design
• Should operators be trained on situational awareness
• Why is anyone still just using Basic Process Control
• How to blow up your plant with a Safety Instrumented System
• Why are the technical societies unable to actract younger members
• Will ISA and the DCS vendors ever make up

In case any one reads this and wonders where I am coming from, I have spent most of my carer on I&C for burning "dirty" coal to make steam & electricity. Along the way I have also been involved with nuclear and solar boilers, carbon capture and automation of industrial ice cube makers.

Oh well, right now I have to get my office cleaned out by day's end on Monday so I can pack to accompany my wife on my "retirement cruise". Stay tuned to see what if any of my plans develop or if I apply to be a greeter at a big box store. The latter seems to be every retiree's goal any more.