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Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 5:54 pm
by Noedig
Wife had another op to remove rest of the RHS lymph nodes today, in case more of the evil critturs got off the reservation, so to speak.

She is up and moving around and hungry .... and on a ton of antibiotics so as to avoid the post-op infection she got last time. Including stuff that turns her pee orange. Thought you'd want to know that.

Otherwise, all OK. D1 at college. D2 doing last year of school. Not a lot of drama from them right now.

Due to my investing genius (i.e. "leaving money in the market") like everyone else I am wondering whether to pull and sit on it for a while.

Won't though: market timing is not for me, though I might just regret that old fruit, this time next month.

Contract ended a few weeks back ... have zero interest in going back to work or looking. Sick wife is a reason, but also an excuse. Just don't wanna and don't have to, so won't.

Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 7:40 am
by Noedig
Update:

1. Wife now has all clear, no chemo, no radiotherapy. Tamoxifen for 5 years but that's a detail. Major surprise, especially as she's a doctor herself and expected the full postop gamut. So, major relief that is not so. Is so much counter to former expectation, that it's a bit 'Now what?". Now, on with life.

2. New goals: exercise/diet regime change, as documented
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=9441
124.7kg @ start. Major feature: reward plan (I am my own lab rat. I like rewards). First major challenge will be end of next week annual dinner with old buds - will need to climb back on wagon afterwards and go back into ketosis. Will try major gym session to provoke that.

3. I seem to be thinking about this a lot:
http://www.raptitude.com/2013/09/an-int ... h-the-man/
He is quite plain about what he is doing, also that we do it all to ourselves. I hate to say it ... but I kinda agree with him.

4. Not gone back to work. Not intending to go back to work. Someone may call me and I respond, or not. Don't care, have too much else on to worry, and the bills are covered.

Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:17 am
by halfmoon
Noedig, I'm so glad to hear that your wife is done with active treatment. As you say: now on with life.

Moving on after being so focused on the fight for life is a process. On some days, your wife may not feel as great (or grateful) as she thinks she should, especially if/when longer-term effects from the treatments show up. I just mention this so you can be supportive instead of incredulous in those moments ("But you're alive! Think of all the people who died from this!"). Not speaking from personal experience, of course. :|

Good for you on taking time off to be together, and for spending years laying the framework so you can afford to do so.

Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:34 pm
by Noedig
@halfmoon, that's kind words indeed. I am mindful of the situation with your DH. For which my kindest thoughts in return.

Woven through your blog posts, your DH strides, epically independent and stubborn and fixing stuff up. Bless you both.

Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:10 am
by halfmoon
Noedig wrote:
Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:34 pm
Woven through your blog posts, your DH strides, epically independent and stubborn and fixing stuff up. Bless you both.
Noedig, this is beautiful and poetic. I love your writing style. Thank you.

Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 10:29 pm
by Noedig
It's been 18 months since my last post. Here's what's up:

Wife still cancer-free. Gets very tired, looks much older, but she's still in the game and that's what counts.

Started a keto diet 55 days back. Lost 11kg so far. Rate has slowed a lot, but still hanging on in there. Trying not to let this go the way of previous attempted diets. 20kg at least to go.

Hit my FIRE number just this last Friday. It was a pretty arbitrary number, calculated to be 1k GBP a week by virtue of the 4% rule i.e. 1.3m GBP. I think we can live fine, on that.

No big emotional reaction. I suppose because it's a theoretical event rather than anything "real-world". So, am mulling it over.

As it happens, I am mid contract, so will be carrying on working for a few months. Such dark fantasies as I may once have entertained of just walking out, so as to Stick It To The Man, have drifted away over time. Along with my level of work commitment it must be said. I am content to just fade out. In the meantime, will be "Phoning It In".

Another variable: Brexit. Leaving aside how deeply unwelcome I find it, it has worked in my favour to meet my number, because of the inverse relationship between sterling and the FTSE (GBP falls==FTSE rises).

At the same time, it donates uncertainty to my numbers, because the outcome arrangements for Brexit are famously yet to be determined.

So just as well I carry on working for a while. Until actual Brexit. I want my lazy drift down the Mississippi of later life, to begin after the waterfall, not just before: "What's that rushing noise, Huck?" "I ain't an idea. Also, why's the river getting mighty fast all a sudden?"

Also, I am actually working on Brexit itself. So I can't leave, until it is like, done. Well, unless I actually do walk out, in which case it would analogous to a "No Deal Brexit" where one party just walks away: tempting when it gets frustrating, but likely counterproductive overall.

So in the meantime, I will view the next few months as "Being Paid To Diet Into FIRE By Brexit"

My best wishes to you all in your own journeys.

Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:38 am
by prognastat
Congrats on good fortune in avoiding recurrence so far and hitting FI.

Also nice work on losing 11kg. That's some really nice progress.

Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Wed May 15, 2019 3:57 pm
by Noedig
I gave notice last week. Friday is my last day.

Since announcing it, have had nothing but "Why did I wait so long?" in my mind.

The stock market is currently tanking, but I am still just above my Number.

More importantly, I simply don't give a monkey's.

I had thought, that I would carry on working out of habit and prudence for a few months. But no, it seems I simply yearn to be out of the working environment. The project, management, co-workers are fine: but "It's not you ... It's me".

Goodbye to all that. And best wishes to you all.

Edit: Still on Keto, down now 15kg since mid-Feb.

Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Thu May 16, 2019 12:22 am
by Kipling
Sincere congratulations.

Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Thu May 16, 2019 9:15 am
by Earlybath
Congrats, habit and prudence can do one, I'm sure the digital satanic mills will continue to grind on without you. Be sure to swipe some post-its on the way out.

Re: Noedig's Journal - update on FIRE

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2019 11:28 pm
by Noedig
Update after 4 months of FIRE:

I've no remorse for the decision to quit my work. I had done One More Year to placate my fears, and I am OK with that choice: it's behind me now.

My stress levels are way way down. Now when stress arises I usually have time to mentally examine it and turn it over in my mind, as one would a strange shell or piece of bark, and consider my reaction rather than react in distress of some kind.

The summer was busy, mostly with helping extended family and spending time with my kids. It is only now, after my kids have gone back to Uni, that I am actually finding out what it is like to be FIREd. So far, it's an odd mix of excitement, relaxation, and mental spinning around to find rewarding things to do that fit my mood-of-the-moment. No grand projects so far, just lots of little things.

Just did a three day cycle trip in Scotland. Was good. Intend to do more, but might shelve until next year as it is now getting wet and chilly.

Money: Investments are holding value, despite being based in UK and thus undergoing Brexit uncertainty. This is where having done One More Year has given me some buffer. So far, at least: Brexit may eat through that. I have not yet worked out how much money we are burning...will give it a few months then take a look at expenditure.

Health: I have labelled this year in my mind as my "year of health", from having the view that FIRE will be suboptimal in every way, if my health is poor...and to be honest with myself, the elephant in the room on this topic, was so to speak, myself: I was very very overweight at the beginning of the year. I have retained my weight loss of 18kg since Feb but plateaued over the summer, so am now back on the diet & exercise pattern. That is very much easier now I have control over my own time and sleep schedule.

I have a deepening realization that health and time are the most finite resources, more important than money: I spent too long in the fearful acquisition of excessive amounts of money, and could have made the jump earlier but for my mental barriers.

Good luck with all others on their FIRE journeys.

Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:14 am
by Nuuka
I don’t understand why Brexit has any effect on your financial situation if your savings are in GBP and you live in UK so your expenditures are also in GBP? Are you planning to spend time abroad?

Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:36 am
by Bankai
In case of no deal brexit there's high likelihood of recession, in which case stock market would usually tank. However, as 75% of ftsee100 earnings are made abroad, tanking £ would translate to higher profit when companies repatriate earnings from abroad. So, it's hard to figure out how the index will do.

Re: Noedig's Journal

Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 5:58 am
by Noedig
Bankai wrote:
Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:36 am
However, as 75% of ftsee100 earnings are made abroad, tanking £ would translate to higher profit when companies repatriate earnings from abroad. So, it's hard to figure out how the index will do.
Indeed. Am still 100% in the markets, still waiting for a crash, meanwhile making modest bank.

BTW FIRE this year continues to play out: doing all the usual: diet, exercise, sleep, socializing, family, playing a buncha games.

Uncertainties abound, but to balance the risks, the downside risk of mindlessly accumulating excess resources I will be too old/sick to enjoy >> risk of running out of money.

As for Brexit, I will shudder when it happens, but think I have enough buffer for the economic shock and enough stoicism to largely ignore the other horrors of it. I'm looking forwards to Spring: for the first time in 34 working years, I will have the time to watch it unfold.