Sally Hass was one of the more memorable and inspiring characters I met while researching THE NUMBER. Sally, you’ll recall, was the indomitable education manager at the Weyerhaeuser Company (Chapter 7, “The Forest for the Trees”), the leader of the company-sponsored, pre-retirement workshop I attended a couple of years ago. At the end of that chapter, Sally reflected on plans for the twilight of her own career, no small detail of which was the 120,000 pound, steel-hulled, full-displacement trawler she and the man in her life – lately arrived – were building by hand. The other day, Sally sent an update on where things stood.

“The pre-retirement planning seminars continue to be a smash hit,” Sally wrote in her note. “Unfortunately, Weyerhaeuser, like other large manufacturing companies, is currently involved in some downsizing and restructuring. For me, this means working with employees who are losing their jobs. As far as many of them are concerned, this is devastating due to a lack of readiness for an early, or unplanned, retirement. The message is clear — none of us knows the hand we might be dealt. Thoughtful and early planning, monitored regularly, is the only answer.”

Then, on a happier note, Sally proudly announced that she and Dan, now engaged, had just the other day launched their beloved Spirit of Balto, whose baby picture I’m pleased to share here. “We plan to sell the big house and move aboard soon,” she said. “And who knows…wedding bells may not be too far off. Let the adventure begin!”