6/26/2007they had a retirement lunch at work today for myself and a bonding supervisor. It was very nice. A large crowd of my coworkers showed up and I was presented with my badge encased in a plaque. I also got to hear from a lot of people with whom I've worked through the years. (Boy did they look older!....not like us,right?)Unfortunately the large crowd of people served as a reminder on why I was retiring. I was seated up front, well away from the door and fresh air. All those people and all those fragrances  and poor air circulation. Not good. 20 minutes into the affair I had to leave the room for a bit because I was starting to have a stupid flareup. Once I got things under control breathing wise, I returned ,but relocated to the table by the door. After this small setback, everything went smoothly. I'm going to miss a lot of those people but breathing is now a priority. At least I won't be bothered by self doubts. I went as hard as I could for as long as I could. I gave it my best shot.Now I know I can't do it anymore. there's some comfort in that. I still have 4 more shifts if I can do them but the end is near. It's been a good career.tom