maryellen - interesting that you went from 5 part time to 3 full time days. I did a similar spread out schedule for a few months once, and it was OK, but it was also hourly. I'm afraid that with the type of job I have it would be particularly difficult to keep it from seeping out into considerably more than 3/5 time. I want to be responsive to the needs of my supervisor and colleagues, but I think that having a pretty regular schedule and being open to the fact that somedays I'll have to work when I didn't plan it should take care of that. What schedule are you working? I'm thinking Tues/Thurs/Fri -- enough to have a 3 day weekend and a couple of days working in a row to balance things out. Not sure when I'll have to decide....

DebW - envy you the time w/ nephew. I'd LOVE to have that option -- turns out being in different sides of the country and in different COUNTRIES makes that undoable. But hoping I can add a volunteer gig w/ youth as part of this new time. I'm very tempted to take one of the Barnett courses, because it's literally within walking distance of my house. But now the $ is a factor. And I'm having a blast as a mostly self (book)-taught wrench...Finding some part time work in a shop is also tempting. I've worked at REI a couple times over the years and know they'd take me back, but it's a 50 minute bike ride one way and the closing shifts end so late. Besides the fact that I'd likely spend my earnings on prodeals.