time to go

Without a doubt the first question people in my line of work ask when greeting each other is "how long have you got left to do?"
Its a bit weird really because I'm sure some of the people I've dealt with over the last 30 years ask each other the same question but in an entirely different context and in a lot less pleasant environment!

Anyway after much mutual cursing and laughing at the answer - which varies according to whether the answer is in years, months, weeks or days - usually the next question asked is "got any plans for when you're finished?". At first my answer was "nothing really, just catch my breath and relax" which then developed into "probably a nice holiday with the wife and treat the kids".  As the time left began to decrease it seemed the plans began to increase and became "I might go to Greece for a couple of months, rent somewhere and chill out."

Now when I get asked those regular two questions my first answer is now in weeks or days followed by

"We're moving to Rhodes for six months, renting a villa on a beach that sleeps 12 people and working as a holiday rep for a major tour operator."   

After incredulous and confused looks, responses of "Eh?" I then explain (with hopefully not too much smugness) the story of how - what was at a first a dream, became a notion, then an idea, followed by a plan with more ideas and more plans and is now definitely a reality.