I'm retiring due to health reasons. AMA

[BigRedChief]

I have short term memory loss. The doctors can’t seem to find the root cause. This isn’t some forgetfulness, it’s serious. They tell me I have about 10 years before I will lose all short-term memory. I will retain all long-term memories. So that post you make about me in 2006 is still going to be up there in my noggin.

I have previously shared this diagnosis with the mods. I asked them to keep this information confined to the mod lounge. Which they did and I appreciated their consideration. They encouraged me to share this information with the rest of the Planet. It’s time to come clean.

I also have CLL (Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia). Its only put me in the hospital once and it usually does not kill people these days.

Would not be a BRC post without bragging so…. Last 10 years of my career, I architected, designed, and implemented the first cloud at Bank of America, the largest private cloud in the world for the military and for IBM, the world’s largest serverless IT infrastructure services provider with thousands of enterprise customers, thousands of applications in more than 60 countries.

You cannot do that kind of work without a functioning short-term memory, so I have no choice but to retire.

I’m 65. I’m being forced to retire a little early but only losing a couple of years anyway. I’ll have a comfortable retirement alongside my wife of 34 years.

AMA

[BlackHelicopters]

Hope something comes along soon that helps. Sorry to hear about this for you and your Family. Praying for you.

[Iowanian]

How many times have you been in trouble at home for forgetting to close your xtube browser?

[Rainbarrel]

Is Nickelback really country? You forgot they exist? Sorry, there is a good side to this though

[MeaTy The Pimp]

I have never really had any interactions with you good or bad. That being said, Sorry you are going through that. I hope you can fully enjoy your retirement anyway.

[BigRichard]

How long before we should expect a duplicate thread made by you?

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

How many times have you been in trouble at home for forgetting to close your xtube browser?

I design clouds but I can’t close a browser? Well crap, maybe she can watch and learn then?

Originally Posted by BigRichard

How long before we should expect a duplicate thread made by you?

over/Under?

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by MeaTy The Pimp

I have never really had any interactions with you good or bad. That being said, Sorry you are going through that. I hope you can fully enjoy your retirement anyway.

since 2003? That’s weird. I don’t remember anything either. But anyway, thanks for the kind words.

[MeaTy The Pimp]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

since 2003? That’s weird. I don’t remember anything either. But anyway, thanks for the kind words.

I don't post much either. Most of the time, if I have something to say or contribute to a discussion, someone has already said it, and I don't like saying the same shit over and over. (...because you know the 'Repost Police' will pipe up)

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by Pinchshot

Wow a retirement party! I haven't heard of those in 20 years. Especially for those of us in IT.

Good for you.

That's because the other IT guys are busy removing all of their co-workers access while saying **** me at least 47 times to the new, increased workload :|

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

That's because the other IT guys are busy removing all of their co-workers access while saying **** me at least 47 times to the new, increased workload :|

Yeah last time I had one was in 2010 as a contractor leaving the Federal government to go work for the military in Tampa. They told me they had never had a going away party for a contractor.

There are 3 locations in the USA where every damn thing associated with the federal government is stored. The applications are hosted and the SAN/SQL storage is.

One is in KC. I modernized the shit out of that place. Virtualized the largest SAN in the world(at the time). Virtualized a huge number of IBM racks of servers and storage. All firsts for the government.

Wait response time fir clients went down 90%. Cooling costs went down 325% and Licensing for all those servers I made obsolete, 100%. They'd better thrown me a going away party especially since I was moving out of the state.

[GloryDayz]

I've seen a few retirement parties in IT, we had a virtual one for myself ~6 months ago, but with the virtual nature of our work it's become more rare. It's not a bad thing IMO, I was 100% telework for many many years before it became popular across the larger industry. The engineers who worked under me in my organization were spread all over the country and globe, so office space was pretty-much a waste of space since our recurring meetings were 99% virtual, and over time we were able to cut travel down to crisis-only situations. I enjoyed my virtual during work party, and know my family and dogs really benefitted from me being home unless I needed to travel.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

I've seen a few retirement parties in IT, we had a virtual one for myself ~6 months ago, but with the virtual nature of our work it's become more rare. It's not a bad thing IMO, I was 100% telework for many many years before it became popular across the larger industry. The engineers who worked under me in my organization were spread all over the country and globe, so office space was pretty-much a waste of space since our recurring meetings were 99% virtual, and over time we were able to cut travel down to crisis-only situations. I enjoyed my virtual during work party, and know my family and dogs really benefitted from me being home unless I needed to travel.

I worked remotely from 2013 when I finished working for the military. I was tired as **** with spending 80 minute commute back and forth. Another 30 minutes getting in and out of security.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I worked remotely from 2013 when I finished working for the military. I was tired as **** with spending 80 minute commute back and forth. Another 30 minutes getting in and out of security.

That's why I'm 100000000000000% down with the movement that is "Telework" if your job allows it. Lots of luddites disagree, but **** IT people going into the office, it's just not needed.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

That's why I'm 100000000000000% down with the movement that is "Telework" if your job allows it. Lots of luddites disagree, but **** IT people going into the office, it's just not needed.

Its just ridiculous. Especially I.T. (except desktop and hardware jobs) there is no reason to come into the office. Productivity issues? That's an office issue, not your well paid I.T. staff.

I guarantee you once a tech gets to our level, he's already knows how to be self-motivated, a "go-getter". You can only demotivate them.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Its just ridiculous. Especially I.T. (except desktop and hardware jobs) there is no reason to come into the office. Productivity issues? That's an office issue, not your well paid I.T. staff.

I guarantee you once a tech gets to our level, he's already knows how to be self-motivated, a "go-getter". You can only demotivate them.

Yep, and I'll add that being at the office offers WAAAAAAAAAAY too many opportunities to keep your best and brightest from staying focused. Not that email and applications like Teams isn't a concentration killer, but people interrupting your day is just silly.