Thanks Everybody!
Howdy, Folks!
Nice to sleep in a little later.
Still, I was out late last night, and won't be making a habit of this.
Gotta keep a decent schedule...
Former co-worker I went out with last night was astonished, and concerned. Not too concerned for me, but for himself; he's in our IT department(weathered several rounds of layoffs, so it looks like he'll do okay), which is certainly not a field to get laid off from these days.
No...reason he was worried about himself:
"If I were in your shoes, I'd lose my house and possibly my car about a week after my last paycheck."
What IS it with people these days?
This guy's SMART, he gets it. Still, he's like so many others out there, leveraged out the A$$.
Weird to me, especially since he's not married, and no kids. You gotta wonder...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taking stock of the situation(and if Missus Shimoda doesn't lose her job), I can sit @ home and do nothing and maintain for 8 years, if I stretch it. This won't allow for any extra purchases(building materials for the house come to mind), so figgering those in I'm guessing more like 2-4 years. If The Missus loses her job, we could "maintain" for prolly about 2 years(she's got way more exensive health issues than I do).
If I wanna take a 50% pay hit, I can get a job today in state gub'mint; there are several out there right now that are literally going a'beggin'. That'd get me bennies, and kee me from dipping into savings/preps.
However, dunno if'n I wanna go that route.
Besides, thery're the kinds of jobs that'll be there in two years, if I don't create or find sompin' else to my liking.
There's two businesses I'd really like to own and operate in Austin; both are currently up and running now, but in different locations. I'm going to sit down with the owners(both are locally owned and operated), and float the idea of a "franchaise" in the location I'm interested in. If nothing else, I think they'd be interested in going into the areas themselves; one may certainly be looking for a business partner in a new location(or someone to franchaise out her business - it would be the first of such).
Only drawback to the above; the area is gonna be under develoment for the next 15 years. FIrst major "anchor" business(a children's hospital - both of the businesses in question would service the hospital staff and the patients and their families very well) will be up and running in about 3 years. SO...I can literally get in on the "ground floor"(and the city is offering incentives for local bid'nesses to come into the area), but it'll be kind of a long wait. This would be more like a "marriage" in that I'd need to commit for many years to this venture before I could even think of getting out of it(turnkey, or just wanting to change). There are plusses and minuses to that, I suppose...
[Hehehehe...using my doomer/prepper mentality, I can also scrounge materials for one of the said bid'nesses from liquidators and auctions, as well as HFH, dumpsters, and other "sources." I know how to keep startup costs down.
Then there's always retraining; education is always good.
I've also got some different ideas on some other projects I'd like to embark upon.
My former boss(before the one I just left) is in bid'ness for herself, doing GREAT. She's said before she'd love to work with me again. The work she's doing fascinates me, so that's a possible option. Need to send her an e-mail this morning, touch base...
There are a coulpa art projects I've been wanting to work on; now would be a GREAT time to launch into those.
FInally - I can make more money(via saving) by doing the house restoration work myself, instead of hiring someone to do it. "Sweat Equity" - it woulda cost me about three times what I was making to pay someone to come in and do what I can do. This I like - I can imrove the value of my home, have a nice place to live, and save money - all @ the same time! What's not to like?
[Added bonus - by staying home and keeping busy, there's less incentive to get out and <i>spend</i> money. Junketing about town costs gas, and there's always the lure of a greasy spoon diner or sompin' like that when out on the road, instead of a nice bowl of solar-cooked rice 'n' beans after swingin' a hammer.
]
So, really; my main problem @ this point is:
<b>I have too many options!</b>
Not a bad position to be in, I guess.
Thanks for all the support 'n' kind words; really, this is gonna be good!
Now, off to fix my lovely wife and I some breakfast(she took the day off - yesterday was a "stresser" for her, with my little bit of "news" and dealing with her folks)...
More later!
Check out your UE office for jobs.