Goodbye PK

Well this week PK showed up at work on Tuesday after another couple of weeks off on holidays.  On Thursday about 60 of his closest friends and some that just wanted to make sure he was going to leave for good, had lunch on the roof at work and had about 42 pizzas ordered as well as chips, cake and softdrink etc.  It was PK’s retirement lunch from work.  My association with PK started about 17 years ago, when PK’s section at work (Office Systems Unit) shutdown and all the guys from there were redeployed to our central office in other teams.  That is when I met this ratbag.  I found out he had an interest in model trains among other things.  He wasn't a bad bloke either.  He used to swing between being bald with a beard, hair and no beard, a dead ringer for Santa and different combinations.  On the Thursday at work, various photos from his work history were plastered around the office in stairwells, inside lifts and on some doors.  He even looked like a porn star with a mow in a few of the photos.  PK always knew his stuff.  I have had the pleasure of being able to wander down between floors and have a talk to PK (as well as other model railway guys at work) when I needed to get away from my desk before I went postal.  We could also reminisce about some dork at the Club, something funny from Tuesday Nighters, something that occurred at an exhibition, or just have a chat.  PK is a great source of jokes, funny photos and train information.  He will be missed at work.  Although he barely spent any time there this year with holidays and long service leave.

Thursday was the first party.  His work mates got him a selection of presents that were quite funny.  He also got a few bottles of alcohol which apparently he will slowly demolish.  I also presented him with two HO scale clothes lines I knocked up just for him the night before.  PK built his 12 m x 7 m train shed apparently 4 years ago (I think it was longer) and has all the materials in it to insulate and line it.  They have been there for a couple of years.  Also in his shed is his trusty clothes line.  He can dry clothes in any weather.  He also has a clothes line post ready to install outside his shed, so he can then get around to insulating and lining his shed, and move into layout building mode.  He just needs to dig a hole, put the post in, and back fill with a bag or two of pre-mix concrete.  We have been waiting for ages.  So that is the reason for his present.

Santa leaving work with his retirement goodies (Photo by Cookie)

On Friday PK and about 40 to 50 of his mates went to a local hotel and had a very nice lunch and a few cold drinks.  I pulled up stumps just before 3:00pm to get home and do things as the daughter had a school dance to go to, and I had to look after the son.  Apparently PK kicked on until about 9:30pm.  Various photos were posted by his mates while he was in various degrees of inebriation.  It was a very nice arvo and we had many laughs, caught up with some people who have moved on to other jobs, but generally just farewelled a great mate – PK

PK having a drink on Friday (photo by Rob Hawkins)

On Friday Night after deciding that the two clothes lines I put together for PK looked pretty good, I jumped into putting together two more clothes lines for myself.  I painted them on Saturday.  I just need to string some line on them.

Today was a Buy and Sell day at the Club.  Plenty of sellers, plenty of buyers and I resisted and ended up not buying anything, although plenty took my fancy.  I did not have a very happy day selling some of my excess NSW stuff, and having to buy food for my apprentice in tow.

We have all been threatened with a phone call from PK on Monday asking what we are doing, as he will be lazing around drinking coffee with his feet up in his pergola, reading the paper followed by a train magazine while we are trying to still save for our retirement.  See you on Tuesday night PK.  It has been lots of fun.