I tend to take a "personal inventory" at the end of each passing year. Helps me to see where I've been, where I am and where I'm likely to go. If it's too boring, skip to the "sheet metal pants" thread.
I have all the guns I'm ever gonna buy. I know I said that last year but with the Nov "event" looming, I bought or built way too many AR 15's. I'll be selling a few at a loss, joyfully.
I shot 5 times indoors and twice outdoors, firing about 3K rounds (1K .22's and a couple hundred 12 ga). My shooting has continued to dis-improve. I'm still deadly on a man sized target at 7 yards but so is the average 6 year old. I'll keep at it. Maybe going to 4X readers at the Dollar Store is the ticket.
Both my wife's kids are in college so I'm paying most all the bills. On the $+ side, my son is a manager at a restaurant in the Rocky Mountains and at 27 is making $15K/yr more than me. No, he don't send checks.
I now have an "interventional cardiologist" working on my high blood pressure. First time I went in, He read the numbers and joked "the dial don't go that high." What, 200/110 with 3 meds is high? In mere months I'm down to 160/100 on 5 meds. Progress. I gotta take them in 2 handfuls or I'll choke. The cottonmouth makes me feel like I been in the desert for 40 days. Most of the men in my family are dead 10 years by my age (63) so I guess I'm winning. I could understand this better if'n I was 200lbs overweight but I'm 5' 10" and about 190 (20 lbs overweight).
Working the last 10 years in a government school, it never gets easier. It ain't the kids that are the problem, although they have no idea how to travel the road ahead and they ain't too interested in me telling them what to expect. If'n you think DC is dysfunctional/delusional, it's all remote unless you're living it daily. I have 3 ½ more years to work till 67. I hope the price of Fancy Feast stays where it is, I'd hate to rely on bag food as my steady diet. After that, If my health holds out, I will get the most mindless, minimum wage job in existence. I'm done thinking (solving other people's problems) for this lifetime. "Welcome to JunkMart can I help you find some junk?"
Remained debt free for the 2nd full year. My truck is 7 years old and I have resisted the temptation to add a payment. The fridge quit last month, the new one was 4 digit$ but I don't have to pay for it till end of January. The very expensive LG that quit was a couple months past the "platinum protection plan" expiration date. After spending 3 days on the phone with the entire UN membership customer non-service, I won't buy a flashlight from that company. New one says "Made in America."
I didn't get a proper vacation this year as I had to send my wife to Texas and Indiana last summer. Truth be told, I am my most joyful self in my own house. No place else I'd rather be.
On a sad note, several friends have passed. Don't know if it's my imagination but they seem younger all the time. Just Tuesday a buddy passed from pancreatic cancer, didn't even make his 60th birthday.
On the whole, a pretty good year. I didn't make any money, didn't lose any either. I'm heading for my 7th wedding anniversary in May, longest stretch (oooh, poor choice of word) out of the 3. We are "reasonably happy" as are immediate family members. No elder care issues as they have all passed. Problem with that; I'm next. Happy New Year! Joe
I have all the guns I'm ever gonna buy. I know I said that last year but with the Nov "event" looming, I bought or built way too many AR 15's. I'll be selling a few at a loss, joyfully.
I shot 5 times indoors and twice outdoors, firing about 3K rounds (1K .22's and a couple hundred 12 ga). My shooting has continued to dis-improve. I'm still deadly on a man sized target at 7 yards but so is the average 6 year old. I'll keep at it. Maybe going to 4X readers at the Dollar Store is the ticket.
Both my wife's kids are in college so I'm paying most all the bills. On the $+ side, my son is a manager at a restaurant in the Rocky Mountains and at 27 is making $15K/yr more than me. No, he don't send checks.
I now have an "interventional cardiologist" working on my high blood pressure. First time I went in, He read the numbers and joked "the dial don't go that high." What, 200/110 with 3 meds is high? In mere months I'm down to 160/100 on 5 meds. Progress. I gotta take them in 2 handfuls or I'll choke. The cottonmouth makes me feel like I been in the desert for 40 days. Most of the men in my family are dead 10 years by my age (63) so I guess I'm winning. I could understand this better if'n I was 200lbs overweight but I'm 5' 10" and about 190 (20 lbs overweight).
Working the last 10 years in a government school, it never gets easier. It ain't the kids that are the problem, although they have no idea how to travel the road ahead and they ain't too interested in me telling them what to expect. If'n you think DC is dysfunctional/delusional, it's all remote unless you're living it daily. I have 3 ½ more years to work till 67. I hope the price of Fancy Feast stays where it is, I'd hate to rely on bag food as my steady diet. After that, If my health holds out, I will get the most mindless, minimum wage job in existence. I'm done thinking (solving other people's problems) for this lifetime. "Welcome to JunkMart can I help you find some junk?"
Remained debt free for the 2nd full year. My truck is 7 years old and I have resisted the temptation to add a payment. The fridge quit last month, the new one was 4 digit$ but I don't have to pay for it till end of January. The very expensive LG that quit was a couple months past the "platinum protection plan" expiration date. After spending 3 days on the phone with the entire UN membership customer non-service, I won't buy a flashlight from that company. New one says "Made in America."
I didn't get a proper vacation this year as I had to send my wife to Texas and Indiana last summer. Truth be told, I am my most joyful self in my own house. No place else I'd rather be.
On a sad note, several friends have passed. Don't know if it's my imagination but they seem younger all the time. Just Tuesday a buddy passed from pancreatic cancer, didn't even make his 60th birthday.
On the whole, a pretty good year. I didn't make any money, didn't lose any either. I'm heading for my 7th wedding anniversary in May, longest stretch (oooh, poor choice of word) out of the 3. We are "reasonably happy" as are immediate family members. No elder care issues as they have all passed. Problem with that; I'm next. Happy New Year! Joe
