C40's Journal

[spoonman]

Thanks for the thorough response. You know, I am realizing more and more how insanely ingnorant I am about bikes. It'll be something to look forward to in the years to come =).

Btw, have any of you guys ever seen a bike with rear gears inside some sort of "gear box"? I saw this bike that had such an arrangement, with a thick chain made of some of some sort composite material. The guy told me that the bike was heavy, so that's probably a major downside, but it seems like such an elegant concept.

[henrik]

Btw, have any of you guys ever seen a bike with rear gears inside some sort of "gear box"? I saw this bike that had such an arrangement, with a thick chain made of some of some sort composite material. The guy told me that the bike was heavy, so that's probably a major downside, but it seems like such an elegant concept.

You mean an internally geared hub? I ride one of those. Not sure what the thick chain had to do with gearing though?

[C40]

The thick chain would either be a 1/8" chain, which is a thicker size used for track bikes (and others?), vs the more common 3/32" width chains.

Or, they may have been talking about a belt-drive bike. I got the chance to ride a prototype belt drive bicycle briefly back when I worked for a belt manufacturer, around 2,002. I don't know when the first belt drive bikes were actually sold. It was nice because there was essentially no play between the pedals and tires. (Even with a fixed gear bike, there is some from the chain/gear interface). I think changing the gear ratio might be more difficult with a belt because you cannot adjust the length of a belt like you can a chain (?).

http://ww2.gates.com/ptdesign/trek.html

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2012/02/urban ... ive-bikes/

https://www.youtube.com/user/GatesCarbonDrive/videos

[spoonman]

You mean an internally geared hub? I ride one of those.

Yup, that's the one. But instead of having a regular chain it had one of the belts shown in C40's post (that's what I meant by "thick chain", I just didn't know the terminology). The guy had told me that it was nearly impossible for the belt to come off.

I just thought it was pretty cool.

[mxlr650]

It can, at times at least, be more fun to ride. Your mind is freed from the consideration of when to shift. It feels like you have a more direct link to the drivetrain - especially if you use fixed gear, but I don't anymore because I think some of the drawbacks (tight cornering becomes riskier, harder to manage jumping curbs, not being able to stop pedaling when going very fast (downhill esp.))

I always wondered why SS do not have freewheel? You get a real SS behavior when freewheel fails (keep pedaling). In many developing countries where bicycle is THE mode of transportation/hauling (instead of lifestyle/fashion machines like here in developed countries) most bikes are single speed with freewheel.

Also, If toothed belt can work for Harley, it sure can be made to work for bikes. Less maintenance too.

[C40]

Here are the terms used to describe the two setups you're discussing:

FIXED GEAR - is a single rear cog drivetrain with no freewheel. It can drive the wheel either forwards or backwards. Whenever the wheel is turning, the cranks/pedals are turning. The cog is "fixed" to the wheel. (this is what you're calling single speed or SS without freewheel - they're referred to as fixed gear)

SINGLE SPEED - is a single rear cog drivetrain with a freewheel. It can apply force to the wheel in one direction. So you can "coast" while the bike is moving just like a normally geared bike. (What you're calling 'single speed with a freewheel' - it's normally just called single speed)

[C40]

I’VE BEEN TESTING MY OWN PATIENCE

Three things happened within the last month that triggered a mental journey which is now trying my patience and testing my resolve to stick to my plan.

I wrote about these three things in my July journal update. I don’t recall which of the later two happened first. These, in unison, are having a much stronger impact than just one or two could. Some adventurous and daring part of me has allowed these two to collude against my patience, my persistence, my instincts and habits of preparation enough for certainty.

FRIENDS AND PNW
The first of these three was my recent trip to Washington. There were two important things about that trip. One: spending time with my closest friends. Two: the location.

I don’t get to see these friends often any more – and very rarely all three of them at the same time. When we get a chance to all be together it often has a strong impact on me. The first big trip we went on together, back 10 years ago, sparked a (good) social aggression in me - to be much more assertive about what I want from other people. Before this, I had only been internally aggressive. I drove myself very hard, but I kept that energy to myself rather than sharing it with others. Then later.. a year or two ago , seeing them and one other old friend drove me to think seriously about what I was missing by not having serious romantic relationships, and I’ve been acting on that.

Now these days we’re all getting older. Friend #1 has been married a year and it appears he may be feeling stagnant or even disappointed with where life is going (that’s actually why I went out there to see him but then everyone else came so I couldn’t really tell). Friend #2 is now married with a child on the way. Friend #3 is working like crazy, and driving a ton to work in two different locations – one of them quite desolate. He's also eating himself to an early death from diabetes (which he brought up when talking about how his forefathers died - also overweight & got diabetes). It wasn’t all gloom – we had a lot of fun together. I see them moving on to the next phases of the lives they are going to live (which contain a mix of good and bad).

Seeing them take their next steps through life pushed me to go on with the life I’m having/going to have. Being around them also gives me a boost of confidence and inspiration. So I feel restless to take the next steps.

The second important part about Washington was the location – the scenery, the clean air, the possibility of the land there. We went exploring one day, and spent the next day relaxing at a lake. It is a beautiful area. I found myself checking out areas and buildings and thinking, “I could live up here”. I found myself at the lake thinking “who needs a house, a city, when you can have this for $1 a person!?”. (It only cost $1 a person to enter this area/park).

CO-WORKER SAYS "FUCK YOU" (To our boss)
So he’s gone now and today our group met to discuss what we’d do next. As is usual, my boss was frustrating. He wants to give up on the important things he should be driving.. “Well, the priority is blah blah blah*, so that’s what we have to focus on for now…”

* the "blah blah blah", coincidentally, is the only thing he’s comfortable doing. And.. I'm the one who actually does it. Not him. So, yeah... An hour after that meeting, a guy who I have a some tangential work relationship with came to me with a good idea, but I didn’t even want to talk about it. Just basically said “Ok.. yeah.. that’s good.. you know what – yeah talk to xxxxx and let’s figure it out later”.

The co-worker that quit was the strongest in our group. Then there’s me. And then there’s a huge chasm of skill gap down to the other co-worker and out boss. I guess the good part is that I’m more indispensable now. But when you’re not doing something that feels important, or when you see a fairly low ceiling on what your work can deliver, it gets really boring. When I’m out at the factories it will be ok. I’ve been at the office a lot the last few weeks and that’s when it gets draining.

So, having work be less than fulfilling, and seeing another leave – it makes me think about bailing too.

[Side note here – when the co-worker that left was talking with the boss months ago, and he had basically told him he plans to leave, the boss said “I can get you more money”. The thought has popped into my mind a few times to demand more myself. On multiple times my boss has asked if I was frustrated or thinking about leaving. He can be awkward so I don’t know exactly where this came from. It’s clear he feels the ground shifting under him. Feels his job is not stable due to his performance. One strong member just left our team. He wouldn’t want to lose another. He’d probably be willing to pay me more to keep me. If I could get another $15,000 per year, I’d retire 6 months earlier. I don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of him while he’s down though, so I probably won’t do this... Maybe if his search for a replacement of our co-worker goes on too long.. or if I decide I want to work part time or something then the time will be right. If he's still my boss, he'll still be on shaky ground. Our company is too 'nice' to fire him, but I could see a change coming within a couple years if they make or get him to change positions]

VAN-TOURING -- DREAMING AND PLANNING
I also mentioned something about course corrections in my last post, and about planning ahead. Well, I started with the dreaming/planning side. I had been thinking about the merits and order of van living/touring vs moving to other countries for a few years or more. /expatriation. I had settled on doing the van-touring first.

Feeling restless one afternoon at work, I took a few sheets of paper and wrote “EXIT PLAN” at the top of the first sheet. I drafted out steps to start living in a van. One section related to selling my house. One, a list of family and friends who might welcome me to live with them while finding and prepping a van. I’ve considered what I’d get rid of vs. try to store. I have a list of family that have storage space I might be able to use. Another list is of cars to look for right now for test-runs. These are cars/SUVs/vans that would work as a replacement for my car now but that I could also sleep well in. The list has things like whether the back seats fold fold down flat, interior space, and fuel mileage. (If I enjoy these, I’d get a larger vehicle after quitting. I’ve started researching those as well. I’d like to get a Sprinter. Vanagons are trendy but they are expensive!.) Another sheet now contains a list of all the systems to figure out. Electricity. Water. Hygiene. Storage. Internet access. Etc.. I’ve started doing vehicle research. I have a list of different car models that might work. Interior dimensions. Whether the back seats fold down flat. Fuel mileage. When I’m driving or riding around I now look at cars and think “would that work?”.

I got a couple books. I started finding and reading blogs. (Two of my favorites: http://wheresmyofficenow.com/ (great videos) and http://63mph.com/)

SHUT UP ALREADY C40...
This three-pronged impact I’ve somehow devised against myself really has me itching to act. I've been asking - can I quit now? When? My plan has been to quit in 2,017 but I right now I don't feel like waiting until then. I’ve done math in my head a number of times – “ok, if I rent the house, that would get me…..” “ok.. if I can get $500 per month of shirt income, then….. “. But when I look close at he numbers, I see that the money isn’t ready yet. I see that if I just stick it out three more years then I won’t have to worry about what-if’s or about going back to work. I’d rather just do it now and be done with it than to have looming questions about whether I’ll need to work a significant amount or whether I’ll need to get a career job again.

I think the prudent thing to do is to keep myself busy searching for and outfitting a car to take test-runs in. I have a pretty good vacation balance so I have room to do these. I plan to run my vacation balance down to zero before quitting, so I can take 5-6 weeks off each year. Should be plenty of time for test runs. Gotta figure out if I actually like doing this before I get crazy about it. I also started up a counter again (I used to have a white board on my fridge with the number of work days to FI). I have it in my phone now since I’m gone often – it has a spot for the number of work weeks to FI (30) and weeks to RE (134).

[Tyler9000]

Your car test-run plan sounds like a great idea.

I went through a similar negotiation phase a few years ago. For me, committing to the goal by moving to a new city (to establish true retirement-level expenses) and starting a new job (to do something new & enjoyable in the meantime) did the trick without simply calling it prematurely. I was that close, but in retrospect I'm really glad we stayed the course and kept saving. I just needed a renewed sense of purpose and a reprieve from the previous lackluster job.

Perhaps I missed a previous post, but what's the plan for the two work years after FI? Are you saving for additional savings buffer, or for a specific goal?

[spoonman]

About a year ago I thought about bailing early, but came to the same conclusion you did: it's better to stick it out a bit longer for a better margin of safety and more options. I mean, you could run off to Thailand or Ecuador and be fine, but you probably want more options than that. Since you are not adding an extra year to your baseline plan it's not a case of "One More Year Syndrome".

I like your idea of testing things out with the vehicles before actually taking the plunge.

Back in 2012 I was bitten by the RV bug. I was totally obsessed with RVs and researched the subject to death. Then, later that year, my obsession disappeared for whatever reason (I would like to go RVing one day, but not in the first few years). If you continue to be excited after doing some test runs then you're probably on the right path.

[mxlr650]

Here are the terms used to describe the two setups you're discussing: FIXED GEAR - is a single rear cog drivetrain with no freewheel.

Thanks for the clarification! I am not into bikes so its nice to know the right terminology, not just how it works.

I think the prudent thing to do is to keep myself busy searching for and outfitting a car to take test-runs in. I have a pretty good vacation balance so I have room to do these.

Working diligently towards a goal (retiring at certain age, working towards PhD, or even going to evening school for Masters) has the dark side of having to deal with the mental rebellion against the best laid out plans. Being in a steady relationship/hobby that you enjoy, and keeping yourself busy (assuming you enjoy your work) could make a world of difference.

Is it a possibility that you could find a job in PNW and move there for a while? How about spinning a story that allows you to work remotely out of PNW for next 6 months? That would probably make you lot happier than say $15k pay raise.

Good luck!

[mxlr650]

The list has things like whether the back seats fold fold down flat, interior space, and fuel mileage. (If I enjoy these, I’d get a larger vehicle after quitting. I’ve started researching those as well. I’d like to get a Sprinter. Vanagons are trendy but they are expensive!.)

Sprinters can be expensive even if you account for better mileage/ergonomics. Unless you plan to spend more time inside the van, walk-in cargo area may not bring-in lots of benefits. I would start out with Econoline and Chevy Express which have surprising amount of space. Then there is Transit Connect, and few years down the road there will be used market with lots of Ford Transit that got introduced recently.

I have an Econoline cargo van, and did few mods on it such as installing passenger seat, cargo separation panel, backup camera, eyelets for tie downs, wheel chocks, 12V sockets etc. it can easily haul 3 dirt bikes, and I can sleep in the passenger seat or pitch a tent outside.

[C40]

Perhaps I missed a previous post, but what's the plan for the two work years after FI? Are you saving for additional savings buffer, or for a specific goal?

It's just to build up a buffer. For things like:
- If I end up wanting to spend more money (Travel bug, new hobbies, land/real estate, etc.)
- If I want to provide for a SO/Wife. If I have kids. (Wouldn't necessarily cover all that)
- To potentially pay for increased healthcare expenses as I age
- Who knows what else? (Capital if I decide to start a business? Lawyer money if I get myself in trouble somehow?)

Basically so I have options, so I have money for doing different things without the need to go back to work later on. I really want to be DONE when I quit.

Is it a possibility that you could find a job in PNW and move there for a while? How about spinning a story that allows you to work remotely out of PNW for next 6 months? That would probably make you lot happier than say $15k pay raise.

Not really. I wouldn't do that kind of thing unless I was selling my house and moving there. It is within the realm of possibility to do this. I only need to be in St Louis about one week per month. So it would increase my travel costs unless I move to a city that has a factory I visit that often (none of my current locations would be candidates). The PNW would be a bad place to go. Portland is tough flying to/from, and its a long ways from where I go. The city where my family live could work (Big airport, all my immediate family are there and that could be part of my reason for needing to move there.. something like "my dad is in poor health and I need to be there on the weekends"). I'd only do that if I move in with my brother. I don't know if he'd want me to.. But if he did it might be a good idea. I've thought about moving there and living with my brother or dad for a while - to spend a lot of time with them, and if not done yet (and if I still plan to) to outfit a van for long-term touring. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll keep this idea in the back of my head.

Sprinters can be expensive even if you account for better mileage/ergonomics. Unless you plan to spend more time inside the van, walk-in cargo area may not bring-in lots of benefits. I would start out with Econoline and Chevy Express which have surprising amount of space. Then there is Transit Connect, and few years down the road there will be used market with lots of Ford Transit that got introduced recently.

I have an Econoline cargo van, and did few mods on it such as installing passenger seat, cargo separation panel, backup camera, eyelets for tie downs, wheel chocks, 12V sockets etc. it can easily haul 3 dirt bikes, and I can sleep in the passenger seat or pitch a tent outside.

Yes, they look pretty darn expensive. I haven't done serious research yet on big vans (I'll do that later if I enjoy the test-runs). There are plenty of options:
- Mercedes/Dodge sprinter
- Ford or Chevy cargo van
- Transit connect
- Dodge RAM Promaster
- Nissan cargo vans (NV series)

There's probably a couple more to add to the list. Then there are smaller options: Vanagon, various minivans, truck+camper, etc.. Nearly all of the trendy bloggers have Vanagons. It's easy to look at them romantically and start with them as a dream vehicle. If I'm going to get one of those, I'd probably do something similar to what Glen at ToSimplify.net did and replace the engine and some other suspension & drivetrain parts. I could find a cheap Vanagon to start that project on, but then all the conversion/upgrade costs could add up to a lot.

I'll have plenty of time to figure that out. If I really get the bug, I could get and outfit the vehicle before quitting and be ready to hit the road right after quitting.

[steveo73]

Basically so I have options, so I have money for doing different things without the need to go back to work later on. I really want to be DONE when I quit.

I feel the same way. I'd rather work another year or two or even more to give myself more options within reason. I don't want to have to go back to work.

I suppose the point becomes where is the line and when does work suck enough not to do it at all.

I also have 3 kids and I figure my expenses have to drop as they get older so maybe I already have buffer built in.

[spoonman]

PDX might not have as many connections as other airports, but boy it's soooooo much more laid back than LAX or ATL.

[C40]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUGUST 2014
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPENDING - $1,350
- Home - $650
- Transportation - $290
- Food - $200
- Entertainment $130
- Family - $80

Transportation includes $205 for the bike I bought and posted about before. The $80 family cost is for a Cardinals baseball game ticket and dinner out with my dad and brother when they visited. Entertainment/hobby cost was almost minimal, except I bought $70 of tea.

As noted before, I’ve been feeling unmotivated with work, and have been thinking a lot about post retirement plans – right now, about van touring. I’ve also had some periods of feeling pretty lazy. But hey, life’s pretty easy right now – no big deal. Much of the anxiety has passed and now I’m trying to channel those thoughts into positive action.

September will have some spending on car maintenance. I’m expecting to replace some wear parts (tires and maybe brake pads), plus a windshield and maybe a MAF so I can pass inspection. My windshield mine has a crack and the government here wants to decide for me that this crack is going to cause a disaster - ANY DAY NOW!! I’ve been driving the last 9 years with this crack – just teetering on the edge of certain death due to windshield crack! Thank god I’m still alive. Thank all of the gods.

CHARTS

I reached a milestone this month: 3.5% of my net worth broke $1,000 per month! Woo HOO!!!



As you can see, that that wouldn’t cover my current spending, but my net worth is very close to my bare-bones FI target. That opens up options of quitting and making changes to reduce my spending.





I’ll be buying $10k of dividend stocks soon, so next month I should be able to post my dividend income chart with an increase. Also, I've had around $40k sitting in my 401k in cash for almost a year. I finally bought some funds with it. Half in a Bond fund and Half in a "Real Asset" fund.


FAMILY VISIT, SPENDING STRESS, ERE CONVERSATION

FAMILY VISIT – “YOU NEED TO BUY ….. “

My brother and my dad came out to visit for a long weekend.

The first day, after showing them around the house, they were saying “you need to buy this, you need to buy that” and I was saying “no,… no I don’t want that.. no, I don’t need that because…”

They wanted to get me a housewarming gift (They like buying things so much that they want to buy my stuff for me). They kept asking, “Come on! What do you need to buy?” We ended up going to Home Depot to get some garden stuff. While at the store, I wasn’t 100% sure that they were going to be buying this stuff. I wouldn’t have gone and bought any of this, and in the back of my head I was asking myself “are they going to pay for this stuff? I definitely wouldn’t be buying this right now myself. What if we get up there and they don’t pay?”

I’ve noticed a trend. I hate it when someone forces/pushes me to spend money that I don’t want to. I really, really hate it. When I moved here and went to register my car, I was told I needed to go to a safety and emissions inspection. They told me I need to replace my windshield because it has a crack in it (it's fine and it doesn't obstruct my view while driving). That really pissed me off. I don’t want this kind of bureaucracy forcing me to buy a windshield and throw away one that works fine. I’m capable of deciding this. Fuck off!!

This happens other times as well:
- A number of my family have told me, separately, that I should buy a new car now. Why, you ask? “you’ve had that car for a while now”. My dad brought up the maintenance work I had mentioned needing to do on my car soon – but it’s just wear parts like brake pads, tires, etc.
- My brother and dad over the weekend – You need to buy more drinking glasses (I have like 15, or up to 50 if you count jars), a wall clock, a bed for the spare bedroom, a new car, a shed, an ice-maker, etc.
- When a (now ex) girlfriend decided I needed to buy something for my house and then started reminding me about it, expecting that I would buy it just because she decided I should.


The problem here – When other people say these things, I end up interpreting their statements much differently than they intend.

WHAT THEY MEAN:
They are making suggestions about how to spend money that they assume was already going to be spent. There’s an included assumption at the end of their statements. Not just “you need to buy this” but “you should buy this instead of some other thing that you would’ve bought on the way to spending all of your income”. Often people use the word “need” when they don’t really mean need. They mean something more like “I think you should”, or, “you might like”, but “you need” is engrained into common language now. I suppose people must think there are countless things they “need” to buy but aren’t or haven’t yet. “I need…” is often used when they mean “I wish...”

WHAT I HEAR:
- That I should increase my spending. That I’ll have to work longer and amass more capital to fund this increase spending for the rest of my life
- That I’ll now have to be responsible for taking care of this new item. Cleaning it. Storing it. All that business.
- That they know what I want better than I know what I want
- That there’s something wrong with how I’m deciding to spend my money

I’m taking a normal consumer-focused statement and turning it into a source of conflict and anxiety. A lot of times I feel the need to correct them, to explain that I don’t even want it, let alone NEED. In most cases, they’re only making suggestions. If I make a suggestion to someone, I don’t really expect them to either do what I say or have a discussion with me about why their current method is better. I just expect them to consider it. Sometimes I suggest things not even expecting they’ll do them – but just to plant an idea that may come back to much later, or that may carry over into their thinking on some other subject. I just expect them to think “Ok, I understand your suggestion”.

I’m going to work on thinking and responding that way.



FAMILY VISIT – ERE CONVERSATION

I used to talk regularly with my brother about ERE a few years ago. I was sending him monthly journal type updates when I was first working on lowering my spending, before I started my journal. He knows about my plans pretty well. I’d never spoke about it with my dad. But I expected it may have come up between my brother and him.

We were at the baseball game and my brother brought it up. They both started out asking questions like: “What in the heck would you do? You’ll get bored. Why would you want to do that? Nobody does that!” I started out just trying to explain that I would be a normal human being. My dad says “That’s not normal at all to quit work so early! Normal is to work like everyone else”.

I tried to explain that I’d have time to take care of myself, learn, be fit and healthy, pursue hobbies, help other people when I feel like it, and have flexibility to do new things. I’m not good at explaining that on the spot so they didn’t get it. I have a list of things I may want to do post RE, but when people ask me, I’m not good at recalling and listing them.

So I switched to a different direction.

But first, a little back-story. One day back in 2,005, I was at work, in the mail/copy room of our factory. A guy from Finance was also in there. He was in his 50’s. He’s a smart and intuitive guy. He generally “gets” things. He asked me, out of the blue “Hey, C40, Is this what you really want to do with your life, working away to make WIDGETS?” (our product)… At the time I just said “I don’t know… for now, yeah. I like it”. His question faded from my thoughts quickly. For the next 5 years I was a good little consumer. I went out to bars and restaurants. I bought nice bicycles, electronics, vacations. 5 Years later I came back to that question, and my answer was a definitive no

So – back to the baseball game conversation. I told my dad something along the lines of:
“well, as for what I’ll do, I don’t know exactly. I have a whole list of things I might do. But I know what I don’t want to do – I don’t want to spend all my time and my energy in my life working for someone else just to make WIDGETS…. You know what? I don’t give a shit about widgets. I definitely don’t want to spend all my best hours and efforts on this! …. Aren’t there better things to do?”

The wheels turned quickly in their heads. All the sudden, they seemed to get it. My brother has been working many 14 hour days. My dad worked from home for himself for about 20 years. He worked a LOT. He worked pretty much every evening. He worked every weekend – at least half days. If I was looking for him, I’d go straight to his office in the basement. He works for a company now and complains about inept co-workers and office politics. I think they both took a quick look at all the time and energy they spend working.

My brother talked about wanting to stop spending so much money, particularly to stop going spending binges and buying things he doesn’t even want that bad. He recalled being on a cruise ship once with other family, buying something stupid, and our uncle asking him “hey man, how many hours did you have to work to buy that?”

My dad was reflective and a little regretful about how he had made his work his entire identity, and didn’t have much of any pursuits/interests outside of work. He said many evenings, when he was otherwise done working, he’d wonder what he should do and think “well, I don’t really have much of anything going on, I suppose I could go get some more work done.”

I don’t know if I see them changing anything themselves– and I’m not trying to get them to - but I think they understand my point of view better now.

We spoke some more about what I might do after quitting, and they were now interested in and imaginative about it. They suggested and then got really excited about the thought of me buying or building a small cabin up in the mountains near where they live – where they could come up to stay and go camping/fishing/skiing from. My dad told me about an idea he’d had for a while but never acted on - to sell his house and buy a camper to live in, travel slowly, and do his work from there. Kind of funny – Pops and I got basically the same idea. He dismissed it as too much of a hippie idea.

[spoonman]

I tried to explain that I’d have time to take care of myself, learn, be fit and healthy, pursue hobbies, help other people when I feel like it, and have flexibility to do new things. I’m not good at explaining that on the spot so they didn’t get it.

That's one of the reasons why I keep my activities on the quiet. I lack both the patience and the verbal agility to explain myself to people who don't understand what I'm trying to do.

It sounds like you've managed to get through to your dad, so congrats on that.

[GandK]

You're so close to FI now... what an exciting time for you! And it's great that your family are beginning to see the light. I don't think mine ever will. But kudos to you for saying it in a way that they began to hear!

[Tyler9000]

So – back to the baseball game conversation. I told my dad something along the lines of:
“well, as for what I’ll do, I don’t know exactly. I have a whole list of things I might do. But I know what I don’t want to do – I don’t want to spend all my time and my energy in my life working for someone else just to make WIDGETS…. You know what? I don’t give a shit about widgets. I definitely don’t want to spend all my best hours and efforts on this! …. Aren’t there better things to do?”

Amen.

I sometimes compare leaving an unsatisfactory job or career to leaving a bad relationship. Nobody will admonish you for not lining up a new significant other before leaving the old controlling one. They understand how valuable it can be to just be single for a while.

[C40]

I bought some CLX (Clorox) and MCD (McDonalds) this week.

I also considered buying BAX, MMM, SJM, JNJ, T, MAT






These are all of my dividend stocks:

[C40]

.. and now this week my mom asked me for a list of personal finance and investing books, and then tells me she's been reading MMM and sent me the name of a blog of a girl that lives & travels out of her van whom she saw recently.