The author, nearing retirement, was headhunted for a specialty software role with excellent pay. Their onboarding process was initially slow, with the first six months spent waiting for access. The interviewer, Fred, was highly competent and formed a good rapport with the author. Fred assigned the author the task of analyzing the company's core software to understand and potentially modernize it.Before the author could present their findings, Fred unexpectedly passed away. This event created chaos within the company, and contractors like the author were largely forgotten. For the next eighteen months, the author was mostly ignored, using the time to build a development environment. During this period, they worked alongside a colleague who constantly criticized management.The author's new manager was hostile and dismissive, assigning work grudgingly. The company seemed to consist of older employees protecting their system and a newcomer trying to introduce automation, which was unwelcome. The author contributed to the TDWTF website during this stagnant period. Ultimately, the author was fired, with no hard feelings on their part. They are now working as a postman for their final few years before retirement. The author emphasizes that the risk of dropping dead from work-related stress is a real danger.