Part(y)ing is Such Sweet Sorrow

 Ann’s last day of work was August 18. It was impressive to see former coworkers and partners in conversation from all over Missouri show up at her office that day to wish her well.

My work send-off came about a month later, as we gathered at Logboat. Most of my office dropped by, including some people who don’t work there anymore, and I even got a few District Superintendents, as Cabinet was meeting that day. I also got a visit from my good friends Llans and Danica, hailing from my hometown of Belle. Since their home church disaffiliated from United Methodism, he was a little nervous about coming to a United Methodist happy hour. He needn’t have worried, because once I introduced them as lifelong engineers with the Missouri Department of Transportation, disaffiliation was forgotten as my road-weary coworkers instead were able to take the opportunity to lodge complaints about the various road work projects slowing traffic across the state. When the party final dwindled down to the MoDot engineers and one remaining coworker, I finally gave up on waiting him out, only to find he’d been waiting for me to leave so he could get a ride back to the office.

The following night was a Tuesday/Thursday Running Group sendoff at Gunter Hans, with the addition of other miscellaneous Columbia friends. We had the place packed by 5 p.m. I think the band that was setting up must have been excited to have such a big crowd. Then we all left when the band started at 6:30, which must have been a little disappointing.

The next day I got a Service of God Speed in the chapel at work, and a candle with my picture on it. I was really glad to get in one last chapel service – the thing I miss most about not being in person in the office. Chapel at the Conference office is like an all-star game – you get all these outstanding people together in one place at one time and it's kind of amazing. It’s also like an all-star game in that no one there takes it very seriously, which makes it all the better.

We finally ended the week at our favorite place in Boone County, The Mother Farm. Our friends Susan and Allen have an amazing organic farm just past the Pierpont Store, and hosted a take-a-dish for us and some close friends. They were part of what made leaving Missouri a bit harder than we had anticipated.

Two days later was our son Oliver’s 21st birthday. We took him, his girlfriend and Ann’s parents out to Murray’s, one of the few restaurants in Columbia open on a Monday night. It’s also extremely congested with elderly people who eat dinner ridiculously early. We got there at really early (they don’t take reservations) and waited 45 minutes for a table. We saw a lot of people leave, who apparently had gone out for dinner around 4 p.m.

Ann made apple cake via my Mom’s recipe at Oliver’s request, gifts were opened, and we went to bed knowing it would be out last night in Missouri for a while. 

















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