Happy 2024

Wow!

I can't believe it's been over 2 years already!

So much time has passed... where to even begin lol

Whelp, for starters...

i'm still at that job my buddy got me in at. It's been almost 27 months and I'm still here. (really Cra-Cra for me!)

The contract was only supposed to be about 15 months... which was fine-by-me since they were paying a King's Ransom.
But towards the end of 2022 (around Thanksgiving), they asked if i wanted to stay on for another year...

so i did!   LOL
I decided to sacrifice 2023 so that i could Bank a huge pile of cash.
Very Inconsistent behavior for those who know me...
Giving up my Vacation Time purely for the sake of Money is Blasphemy!

But yeah.... i took the $$$ 
(and then 12 months later... i did it again lol)

Okay... so time out.
i guess i should probably mention that i also kinda hopped aboard the F.I.R.E. bandwagon. I'm trying to pull off this BDE / hare-brained scheme of banking Half a Mil into the stock market... and then letting the magic of compound interest carry me the rest of the way. 

Whether or not i will be able to pull this off... is another story  :P
but 2023 was another productive year. I was able to contribute to & reach 2.3/10 of my goal! I'm essentially knocking on the door of Stage 7.
and by my Caluclations... i'm only 48 months away from Stage 8.

At that point, i could consider quitting I.T... and finding something else to do part-time.
Hell... i might even be able to pack up and move to that tiny house overseas!
(oh yeah... forgot to mention that i made a 40k bet on a vacation home getaway lol)

More on that later!

Fall 2021

Whelp... Summer is over.

So.... let's find out What Happened. 

(in my best  Amber Ruffin impression)

Turns out.... 

i Was really bummed about losing my buddy Sam.

like, REALLY bummed out.

I was actually surprised at how much he meant to me.

Since late 2011, i had been taking care of him. 

But during all that time... i had always referred to him as "My Grandma's Cat".

Well apparently, the only person i was fooling... was Myself.

At some point, he became "My Cat".

And, i guess... i still had some greiving that needed to be done.

I had actually started a new Job the week after he passed...

but i didnt like it.

i didnt like ANYTHING about it.

So i QUIT at the beginning of August (after about 5-6 weeks).

i can't pinpoint the exact reason; but it probably had something partly to do with Sam.

(i took the rest of the summer to reflect and say goodbye).

But on a bright note.... the job (apparently) forgot to ask for their computer back:

So... i got a nice parting gift :]

(a $2,500 value lol)

What else....

So, i also just started another gig.

My buddy AG pulled some strings, and got me an interview.

(it's nice to have friends who are look'ing out for you lol)

The job has some good potential.

It's only been 3 weeks... but i already like it a lot better than that Summer DUD.

I get to work with my buddy (who is a network guru), and i get to work with Palo Alto firewalls.

Folks... that's what we call a WIN-WIN.

Needless to say...  i am cautiosly optimistic :]

It's also paying a bit, more Money.

Okay.... a LOT more Money.

Okay okay.... it's paying BOKU $$$.

in fact, im in the process of getting a financial planner in order to help me set the stage for beneficial a 2022 lol.

Oh, and lastly...

My mom relocated outta the house we grew up in.

She had been chilling there for 33 years... but we had to get her out basically ASAP.

the House has a ton of stairs (3 levels)... while Mom has a bad knee issue.

Fortunately, my sis was able to leverage her network of people to pull off the move

(Shoutout to Darnell lol)

Granted, there's still plenty of work to be done;

the house still needs to be completely cleared out, etc.

But for now.... i think we can 'pause', and just help get her settled into her new apartment.

And THAT concludes the monologue.... did you guys like it?

💓💓 :)

this job Sucks!

 

Sam Bernardino

 I lost my buddy yesterday...

Sam Bernardino 💓💓

He was everything that good & pure in the world.

Winter Break is here :]

 it's a Wrap, folks!!

After much griping & complaining (self-centered, i know)... i decided to stick it out (at my job) and hangon till the Fall.

lol

I've been off for a week now... and frankly, i am quite happy.
(separating yourself from a bunch of whiners & complainers can do Wonders for your Health :)

I just got a New furnace installed; that cost a pretty penny ($4300), but it was long overdue.

i played a little Batman Arkham Asylum,
Watched quite a few hours of TV shows & Movies i hadn't gotten to earlier,
Rode my bicycle around the neighborhood,
Completed and Dropped off my Ballot (Green Party 2020),
and Started working on updating one of my computers.

Not bad for Week #1; but still plenty to do :]
 

Next week i need to figure out my health insurance situation... because... you know... the U.S. sucks.
I also need to begin a minor workout schedule; as well as start studying/reviewing my network knowledge (so i can get a better job paying even more $$$).

Other than that... the Corona still persists.
Most countries have still closed their borders.
U.S. and Europe cases are spiking (as the winter gets closer).
The economy still stinks for millions in this country.

As Presidente Chump so eloquently put it: it is what it is...
/shrug

Oh, one other bit of positive news,
i did get the chance to grow a mammoth Sunflower :]
 

I got a late start (didn't plant till 4th of July) but things turned out pretty swell!
Not even the neighborhood squirrel was able to bring it down lol

Corona Time :\

So where do i begin?

This whole Corona Situation has been a major bummer.

I mean, YES,  people are dying... and that's a terrible thing.
And YES, millions of people are losing their jobs Every week.
And YES, millions are losing their health-care too (don't even get me started on that one).

But my situation is a bit different.

You see, i was already planning on quitting my job in early May.
The Plan was to take the Summer off.
Sleep-in, goof off, watch netflix, play videogames, practice my Spanish, get back in the Gym, ride my bicycle (cardio), do some gardening, travel/fly places for pleasure, and of course, Study/Learn new computer stuff (for my next job).

But all of that is Out the Window now because of Covid-19.


Quite Frankly.... i am very salty about this.

Here in Michigan, we only get 4 months of great weather. And as i have gotten older, i have come to value it more than money. So, the only reason that i put up with working in an office all day... is knowing that i can Quit my job when the Summer arrives.
it's really quite rational, i assure you :]

But now, the economy has ground to a halt, and the future is uncertain. Add to the mix, the murmurs about a "2nd wave"... and the whole situation is a mess.

So what to do?

On the one-hand,
i can quit my job now, salvage what i can of the summer, and hope/have faith that i can find a better job in the Fall.
~ Downside: i might find myself outta work until 2021...

On the other-hand,
I can stay at my job, and keep working until the Fall. Then i can quit and take the rest of the year off (avoiding any potential 2nd waves).
This is probably the safer option.
~ Downside: i would have to sacrifice my summer vacation (and you know how i feel about enjoying the weather).

Meh.


In addition, my job has gotten very annoying over the past 2 months. Being an 'essential' worker has been quite the hassle. And the 'Busy Work' & Weekend-emails look to only be increasing.

Yuck...

My Grandma's cat is dying...

Amos is his name.
He's a Siamese. i've been taking care of him & his brother since 2012.

Honestly... he's a pain in the @ss.
And, for several years, i had been waiting for him to kick-the-bucket.... so i could finally be rid of him.

But Two summers ago, he was pissing on my stuff (yet again), so i took him to the vet.
Doc said X-rays showed he had TWO tumors; one near his bladder, and i forget where the other was.
Given his age... the Doc told me that, as long as he was still eating, and still seemed fine.... to just roll with it.
Doc gave him some fluids, and i took him back home.

Our relationship changed after that.
Not sure how exactly.... but it did.  He just stopped pissing around. Maybe it was because i was Home/not-working for the summer. Or maybe it was because i felt guilty about not taking him to the vet sooner. Either way... he & i suddenly started getting along.

watching TV

Fast-forward 2 years later... and now the time has come.
Kidney Failure.
He stopped eating... so i knew it was bad (even before the diagnosis).

So now, here i am.
Gonna have to put the guy down tomorrow.... and im freak'in devastated.

I don't know.... i guess i assumed they'd eventually go "peacefully in their sleep".
But Life rarely works that way.

Mercifully,
The sun came out today.
The high somehow got up to 60 degrees.
He and i sat out on the porch for the afternoon... it actually felt warmer.
Amos always liked the outside.
Walking around.. eating the grass...  and throwing up in the house (did i mention he's a PITA??)

One last halfway-decent day together.... i'm grateful for that.


Still Hurts....
.