Great Retirement Gifts

On Wednesday night the organization that I have worked for - for a very long time gave me a retirement dinner.   It was the fourth such event commemorating my work with this group. (Each one offered by a different but associated group.)

Over the course of these events I have received some interesting things.  Two songs were written about me - one in English and one in Spanish.   Someone made me an honorary Kentucky Colonel and gave me an engraved Louisville Slugger.  I got a vintage SC jacket.   But the most intriguing was offered from a friend at Stanford.

In 2007 USC was on a roll and played Stanford.  The Cardinal's regular QB was out so a second stringer came in.  SC was favored by a lot.  SC had a good year - beating Notre Dame by 38-0 and UCLA by 24-7.  They went on to win the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin by 49-17.  But they lost to Stanford 24-23.   And that back up QB scored the winning TD with less than a minute to go.

A friend from Stanford got that QB to autograph a game ball with the score on it.   Some gifts you appreciate - others you treasure.