What I Did On My Spring Break

Whew! I finally got a minute to sit down and catch my breath. I thought Spring Break was a time to kick back and relax, but I've been busy ... busy busy busy.

My wife and I have a deal. For every 8 hours of honey-do's I get one round of golf. So far she owes me three rounds (plus one round I managed to squeeze in already this week). That works out to 32 hours of chores. That may not sound like a lot. But combine that everything else going on around here and it's a wonder I got that one round in.

First was the university-related work I had to do (hey, students get a week off - not faculty). I'm on a committee that evaluates research proposals and decides which ones get funded. We had 20 proposals this year. Each one take 2-3 hours to assess, so that's 40-60 hours right there. Plus I had to calculate and post mid-term grades, plus finalize a research paper, plus prepare my lectures for the rest of the semester. Bottom line - just the academic stuff was more than a full week's worth of work.

Next, our daughter is taking her college visit trips. She's a high school junior, so now's the time for her to decide where she wants to go. Our son was easy - Texas A&M all the way. The girl, however, is treating this like shopping for shoes. She has to try every place on to see how it fits. Early in the week was Vanderbilt (that's in Nashville TN for you SEC-challenged folks). That was followed by visits to Rice (Houston) and Texas A&M. A trip to the University of Texas is also in the planning stages.

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad she's being thorough. And I'm very pleased and proud that she qualifies for schools the quality of Vanderbilt and Rice (and others that she's already rejected). But it is time-consuming.

The next two time-sinks will result in major changes for me and my family. First and foremost, my wife and I have spent many, many hours this week working with a financial planner, crunching numbers, preparing balance sheets, income statements, and cash-flow projections. No matter how many different ways we look at it, the result is the same. Unless things just totally go to hell, I'm going to retire this May - 2 1/2 short months from now!

We have no debt. Our house is paid for, and the little weekend place we have on a lake near here is paid for. Our needs are modest, and we have a reasonable amount of money stashed away in various savings accounts, 401(k) plans, IRAs, etc. We've set aside funds for the kids' college education (worst case, we can move in with one of them after they graduate).

And just in case things really do go to hell, I've got an adequate supply of ammunition and liquor. Plus the situation at the university where I work has drastically gone downhill. Demands and expectations are up, salaries are flat, and morale is down. The administration's attitude towards the faculty can charitably be described as that of a master towards indentured servants. It's not enjoyable anymore -- in fact, it's a downright pain -- and we don't need the money. So I'm headed for a life of leisure.

The other thing that's taken up our time this week is planning for our once-in-a-lifetime trip. With the kids headed off to college in the next couple of years, we figured this summer is our last chance to take an extended family vacation that we'll all remember for the rest of our lives. We've been saving for this trip for the last ten years without knowing where we were going. After extended family pow-wows, we've decided. We'll be spending a month this summer in Australia and New Zealand. But booking flights and making reservations has taken a lot of research and back-and-forth with folks Down Under.

Everyone basically got to pick one week's worth of activities. Our daughter has a soft spot for animals, so we'll be spending time at nature preserves where you can watch kangaroos and interact with baby koalas. Our son is more adventurous, so his wish list includes scuba diving, skiing, and climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge. My wife, bless her heart, wants to spend some time in South Australia touring the wine regions down there. My choice - a truly once in a lifetime opportunity to go red stag hunting in New Zealand.

So as you can see, it's been a truly busy week. But it's been worth it. The 'daily double' of retiring and taking that trip has gotten me more excited than I've been in a long, long time. I'm a little anxious about giving up a good-paying job (even though it is a pain in the ass) during these uncertain times, but we're not getting any younger. We've been prudent and responsible for most of our adult lives, so we figured let's enjoy things while we can.

After all, obama will make sure we're taken care of in our old age - right...?