RETIREMENT

It's now over 2 months since I posted a BLOG, so very slack of me, well I have some exciting news, I retired my full time employment on Monday 29th February, 2016, so 22 days ago today I have been retired, YAY !!! Why on a Monday you ask, I was paid monthly for every working day in each month so being a leap year it was Monday 29th February.  I worked for the same company BC (before children),  I finished on Monday 29th February 1988, Kate was born on Thursday 24th March, 1988, yes Kate will turn 28 this Thursday..... In the last few weeks leading up to my last day I had quite a few morning teas and lunches and have lots of photos, I am only sharing some of those photos on this BLOG post.
I received this most gorgeous Geisha doll from everyone at work and also some of the guys in Tokyo office put in for the gift as well.  She stands 15 inches tall and was brought all the way over from Tokyo just for me, I absolutely love her.. There is an engraved plaque with my name on it at the bottom. 

One of our ex General Manger's (in Tokyo) asked our current Managing Director to purchase for him to give to me a bottle of Single Malt Yamazaki whisky however he could not find it here so he got this one for me instead which is made by the same company only more expensive, lucky me,.......
Mind you, they are a couple of hundred dollars a bottle, I haven't opened it yet, and will be drunk "neat", no mixers.....

My farewell lunch at Jellyfish Restaurant, on boardwalk behind Riverside Centre (where I worked), Brisbane CBD. 

A photo with all the guys in the office, except for the MD as he had another meeting to attend to that day. 

 

 

My friend Vicki came in one my last day, firstly we had lunch at Nagomi Japanese eatery which is near Il Centro on the river and then we went to Jade Buddha and had and had this jug of Tsunami Sangria.....

I will really miss the most gorgeous views of Brisbane River...

This is my friend Craig I've known for 28 years, he actually replaced me at Marubeni 28 years ago when I left the first time to have Kate, he left in 2009 however I have still seen him regularly since then as our companies have business dealings.  He took me to lunch at George's Paragon in Brisbane CBD which overlooks the river.  Craig's wife was also meant to join us but unfortunately she fell ill and couldn't make it which was a shame.

The restaurant staff wrote a farewell message on my sweets, Oh MY, this is the biggest and best Macaron I have ever tasted.... they gave me an extra one.....

You can see I am enjoying it here.......

Kate and I having a farewell lunch at Il Centro, Brisbane CBD overlooking the water, great food, so delicious, I would definitely recommend if you are in Brisbane CBD...

I will miss these four girls especially Anna (in the purple), we have known each other for the past 19 years, of course we have kept in touch and will continue to do so but it's different to seeing her 5/days a week for the past 19 years, sharing lots of happy times together and also sad times.  We have lots of great memories. 

These two guys are just fabulous, Shinichi one my left has only been in Brisbane for 12 months however we had a great working relationship and we organised my wonderful farewell lunch.  Tommy on my right was my direct Manager and has been in Brisbane for 3 years but I have known him for about 15 years as he came out to Australia when he first joined the Coal Dept in Tokyo and I have worked closely with him since that time. 

 I had so many morning teas and lunches this is just a snippet of my farewell memories.


Cheers
Kaylee