No place like home.

Today, I spent the day cleaning out the refrigerator and the cabinets.  Why may you ask? Because I can.   I am a man of leisure now. Besides whats Sally going to say,"Oh Honey please don't do that,it will still be there next week and the week after that.........After much debating with myself and my wife, I decided a couple of weeks ago to go on medical leave. It was a really hard decision for me to make.  Working has always been important to me.  It always gave me great satisfaction and pride to do a good job and provide for my family.  Getting paid while I am not working feels like I am stealing.  

I am at the point I have been experiencing more bad days then good. I am always tired. I am on pain medication as well and I do not feel like it is safe to run machinery while under the influence.  I wanted to leave work on good terms, on my terms without being forced. Short term disability is for 6 months.  My wife promised that she would not give me any grief  if I decided to go back to work before the 6 months are up(she says this now).  I am hoping I will feel well enough to go back.  In the mean time, there are a lot of things I need to get done. I am also going to apply for social security benefits just in case I am not able to go  back. I do have the intention of being back but, if I don't pass my "going back to work test" it would be selfish to do so.


Since there was no urgency on taking my leave, I was able to give work a weeks notice.   I wanted to be able to say all my good byes and to let everyone know my reasons.  I wanted to try to avoid rumors but I am sure there where rumors going on about me.  Which isn't something new.  On my last day of work, I was called into the break room. To my surprise, it was filled with people I work with and most I remembered who they where. There were two cakes sitting on the table. One for me and the other one for everybody else to share.  I was touched and honored by this grand gesture. A couple people from management  had a few kinds words to say about me. I bet that was hard for them to do......find kind words to say about me that is. Many people came up to me with heartfelt warm wishes. They probably wanted first dibs on whats in my locker.Then there were a couple of people who walked in the room and walked right out to avoid me. They probably knew they weren't going to get anything out of my locker, besides I still own it. Its a nice one too. Not sure what I did to them.  Never the less, it made me realize once again how lucky I have been to work for a great company that is filled with even greater employees.  


With that said I am planning on writing frequently.  Not sure about daily but hopefully a lot more then I have been.  Being at home and with the family, I am sure I am going to be having lots of blog material. I have things now that haven't made it into a blog yet.