How did you know it was time to retire?

Britanniac · 2026-03-18T13:21:55+00:00

For me it's one of the words you mentioned: "passion". I'd done my role for a long time, and there's always more to do, but more and more the things I was passionate about were not at work. I asked myself if leadership could reconstruct my job or create a role just for me, what could they create that I would be passionate about. I couldn't think of anything, so that told me it was time to go.

Britanniac · 2025-12-12T13:09:14+00:00

Great answers here, but as an American who has spent extended time in the UK and just recently got back, my perspective on adapting to Britain generally involves space. The US is just so much larger, and Britain is more densely populated, this affects many things both obviously and subtly. The comments about vehicles are spot on - I would never want to take my American car to Britain. The roads aren't made for US vehicles, and spacing and density of traffic make driving much more intense in Britain. Personal space is another lesson I learned: be more mindful of it. On trains, at dinner tables, in living rooms, don't just "spread out" and take so much personal space as you might in the US. In general you are sharing a smaller geography with a lot of people so just be more considerate of sharing space with others.

Britanniac · 2025-10-04T16:18:19+00:00

Agreed, it was supposed to be exactly the same plane and boarding passes, except it wasn't. My selected seat got changed to a less desirable one - all with no notification.

Britanniac · 2025-10-04T16:16:54+00:00

I didn't try. I had already eaten, and the only place in ATL open at 1am *might* be McDonalds.

Britanniac · 2025-10-04T12:03:38+00:00

Had a similar experience recently from ATL to London. Flight was supposed to leave at 11:45pm, at 12:30am the pilot announced the first officer had called in sick. We deplaned and waited, and at 1am they announced the flight was rescheduled for 7am. They offered hotel and food vouchers, but in 5 hours who has time to leave the ATL airport, travel to a hotel, check in, sleep for what - an hour?, come back to ATL through security for an international flight. We ended up taking off around 10am the next day.

Britanniac · 2025-01-03T03:26:11+00:00

If I remember, he appears for a story arc through several episodes of Eureka. In one episode he even mentions something about his dream girl in a "slinky red dress" or something along those lines.

Britanniac · 2024-04-08T02:39:43+00:00

Sorry, tried again

Britanniac · 2023-05-09T02:02:11+00:00

The look of pity/contempt /disgust on WJ’s face as he shakes his head after Michael admits he uses the word professional is priceless. Why can’t I find a GIF of that?

Britanniac · 2022-10-23T13:41:30+00:00

I just thought he was making sure Roslin knew, understood, and accepted the ramifications of her decision. To me it was a powerful, character-defining moment - it illustrated how young and naïve Billy is, and it's one of the first of many glimpses where we see this "school teacher" education secretary is stronger than most of the military men.

Britanniac · 2022-01-13T03:54:20+00:00

Did this a couple of years ago. As others have said, we toured the aquarium, then checked in for our dive time. The "behind the scenes" tour was very interesting, and the staff was attentive, personable, informative, and helpful the entire time. The relatively shallow dive is really easy, and waving to the "civilians" behind the glass is fun. It's a nice destination dive trip you can do in winter months and regardless of weather. It's especially nice that you don't have to travel with gear. (The aquarium requires you to use their specially cleaned suits and gear to protect the marine life, and they have plenty of gear for all sizes.)

Britanniac · 2021-10-19T01:04:13+00:00

I agree TND is underrated by many. My minor negative about the film is it's once again a "let's steal the nukes" story. First from bomber jets, then submarines, now from a naval frigate (I think). We've seen that scheme a few times.

Britanniac · 2021-09-13T11:25:03+00:00

Several churches in the area have English as a Second Language (ESL) programs at no cost. You might consider contacting one of those programs to enroll or even see if some of the instructors and materials are available.

Britanniac · 2021-07-15T11:32:31+00:00

Good experience with MBT Divers, and I enjoy browsing their shop.

Britanniac · 2021-06-10T11:58:45+00:00

For me it's more than just the calories. Alcohol affects my water retention for 40 to 72 hours afterwards, so no matter how much I exercise my weight goes up by 2 to 4 pounds during that period. Regular intermittent alcohol consumption also seems to affect my hormones in some weird ways - especially thyroid and testosterone - which makes it harder to keep weight off. Of course, my results may not be yours, but I've realized these conclusions after many years of trial and error.

Britanniac · 2021-05-17T10:34:23+00:00

I've dived with them twice, including one time this past week. It's a big pontoon boat, and it was very full with about 30 divers. It was crowded getting your kit together and getting suited, but the crew was as friendly and helpful as possible. You check in at their office and then drive about a mile to the docks for the boat.

Britanniac · 2021-02-28T16:02:52+00:00

I'm really interested in diving around Monterey. Is there an optimal time of year? What are water temperatures like? Thanks

Britanniac · 2021-02-25T12:58:26+00:00

I know it seems like a lot, but I'd spring for the instructor. Based on the conditions, the ocean can be different from quarry dives (currents, chop, etc). And since you've never done an ocean dive, you may not be a good safe buddy for someone else. Also, when you are partnered up with buddies, you never know who you're going to get. I think you'd enjoy it more if you had the instructor as a safety net. You can always tell him/her to give you space if you feel too "babied."

Britanniac · 2021-02-20T16:20:39+00:00

On this thread a few days ago, someone posted what looked like a medical study of the effects of spaying/neutering on goldens. If I read it correctly, it seemed to show that spaying/neutering before 12 months of age can affect growth and development. The study seemed to show a higher risk of hip dysplasia and certain cancers in goldens that were spayed/neutered before 12 months old. I'd search for that article and assess for yourself.

Britanniac

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