That’s a picture of me from 6 years ago, and I wrote this 6 years and a day ago.

Tomorrow I’ll drive across the bay bridge, keep right and take 104 west.

Not a big deal, thousands of people do it every day.

But it will be a big deal for me, because for the last 22 years, I’ve kept left and taken 590 to 390 to Ward’s.

First time I was a 24 year old kid, just out of college, figured it would be a good place to work for a few months until a real job came along.

I worked for Dan Z and counted cock roaches, and packed elodea, and cleaned frog tanks.  And I learned about taking care of customers.   And I made friends.  And I got married.

Then I went to the warehouse and worked for Jack Mastowski, I built kits and kept track of inventory and supervised a team, and learned a lot more.  And made more friends and my first kid was born

Somewhere along the way, they asked me if I wanted to be a sales rep and go on the road and make lots of money.  They said I’d be good at it, they said it was a great stepping stone. And they were shocked when I said no.   Being with my young family was more important to me, so I stayed in the warehouse a little longer.

Then they asked me if I wanted to go back to the live lab as the manager, and Jack told me it wasn’t’ good to say no too many times, so I said yes.

So I went to work for Ken Ranis, and Bob I and Alex, And I ran the live lab, and managed a bigger team and learned about schedules, and dealing with people and hiring people and letting people leave, and sometimes helping them leave.

And I was there for 9 11

And I made more friends, and I started to see they were more like family.

Then I had a chance to go to work in marketing for Mike Deniz and Jeff Douglass, and work on the catalogs, and learn more and make more friends and travel around the country promoting the company that had become mine.

And we made money and we had fun and we all worked together whatever the job was.

Somewhere along the way VWR bought Ward’s, and we were afraid they would change us, but I think we changed them.

Then they smashed us all together with SK and SW, and I   lost some friends and made some new ones, and I had some more jobs.

There were more bosses, and more plans, and more family coming and going.

And there was always the history of Henry Ward, that’s what made it more than just a job.

There were so many other things to remember, good and bad, funny and sad.   I remember planting trees for Alsea and Norm.   I remember talking to Lynn Maslona and Patti and I didn’t know it was the last time I would.

I remember dunking booths, and snow storms, and practical jokes and watching kids grow up, mine and everyone else’s.

I remember costume contests, and chili contest, and softball games and Christmas parties.

I remember tours and homeschools and golden apples and helping after hurricanes and bob I retiring…..twice.

I remember the nicest thing anyone ever told me was they thought I was the new bob i.

And I remember thinking, I’d retire from Ward’s too.

But things change, and times rolls on.   People come and people go and it’s not bad, but it’s not my company anymore.

And sometimes you just need a change, an adventure, something new.

When I was a baby, my dad quit a good job at a building supply company to become an apple farmer.  With 2 kids in high school and a 10 year old and a baby, he gave up a sure thing, for an adventure.   And it paid off big.

I don’t know if this will pay off  big, but I know I have to try.   And I don’t know what I’ll being doing in a year,  but I know I’ll take everything I’ve learned from Ward’s and I’ll work harder than most,  and I’ll do my best.

And I don’t know where this new road will lead, but I know I’ll take all of you along with me.

Tomorrow is a new day, and I won’t be at Ward’s

Tomorrow I’ll miss my ward’s family, the love I have for all of you made this very hard.

Tomorrow I’ll cry a little, but that’s ok.

Tomorrow I’ll drive across the bay bridge, keep right and take 104 west