Double retirement parties for Mrs. Prof yesterday. She had her official retirement lunch at a Mexican food place. Lots of people attended, including myself and my son (who drove me over there). After work, her contacts at a major international shipping company (that will remain nameless) took her out to a little German/Austrian food place near our neighborhood. Just three representatives, her, and I attended. She got some very nice gifts from the second group, and some very delicious food from the restaurant. Great dinner reminiscing, with her at the center and me just kind of guiding the reps through the best parts of the unfamiliar meal (case in point: not much sauerkraut was left at the end of the night). Mrs. Prof enjoyed the evening immensely.
I can't say exactly how long she's worked there, unfortunately. She (and I) started in the summer of 1982, but with seasonal employment, layoffs, and other interruptions to her service time, I can't calculate her exact time off the top of my head. Just let it be said that she worked there for a long time, and when the end of the month rolls around, she's going to reap the benefits.