Decisions Decisions

Okay, once again we have changed our minds. Big surprise. I am talking about our desires for retiring. We have been going back and forth between selling the farm here, buying a condo up in the Chicago suburbs, moving up to Lake Geneva in a condo, or staying here, adding on to the house, but most of all, turning the property from a farm to an estate with a pond, jacuzzi, and things like that. We're back to the last option there, staying put and changing what we have here. After all, we have 10 acres of land, the resale is in the toilet right now because of the mortgage market, but the possibilities are endless. The thing is, it will cost a lot of money to do what we want to do, which is okay, but it also has a big learning curve. For instance you have to learn all about pond pumps, you have to investigate the various builders and decide on what to do with the house, you have to learn about the different types of jacuzzi tubs. There is a lot to think about and do to get it right. Luckily where we live there are very few zoning laws for instance we don't have to have any permissions to dig a lake, etc. That, however, is also a plus to where we live vs living in the city where you have to have a permit to sneeze.

3 WEEKS!

Well, I really never thought I'd get this far but it has been 3 weeks now since I stopped smoking for the last time. I had attempted to quit a few times in the weeks leading up to this attempt but this one seems to have stuck. I'm not going to say it has been easy, it hasn't... but this weekend is three weeks!

Fast and Convienient

My daughter just finished a college degree online and it really made me think about the wonderful possibilities now. The University of Scranton offers MBA courses that are 100% online. That's something you have to check out when you contemplate an online education as some schools have courses that incorporate both physical and online classes. The luxury of doing an entire program online allows you to go to the school of your choice no matter where you are located or when you have the time to attend classes.


The online MBA offered by the University of Scranton is fully accredited so you can be sure that the education you receive will be respected and recognized no matter where you go. In many cases you can even complete your online MBA in 2 years! That is an excellent incentive to get started right now.

Entourage

The new season of "Entourage" on HBO started Monday night. I enjoyed it. It makes me happy when a show I like a lot can manage to keep the momentum going past a few seasons. I'm hoping the other two I like so much that have just started out enjoy such a long run. It is also making me a little apprehensive though. Entourage is getting to the 'age' where it will probably not be long until they run out of things to do. It will go the glorious way of SITC, West Wing, MASH, and other wonderful, long-lived series that I hold dear.

Pinnacle of Success

Like most people I use the Internet now to look up everything from pet care to recently getting my boating license completely online including all the study materials. I use it to find diet pill reviews and carpet stores, pots and pans as well as beauty supplies. There's very little you can't do online. You can talk to your best friend for hours on messenger for no charge unlike on a cell phone or land line phone. Spend a few minutes conveying your personal perspective on everything from art to sports and your work day on a blog. The Internet created the most complete form of communication and connection the world has ever known. I can't imagine ever topping it and yet I'm sure a century ago people thought the same about the telephone, and then the TV and of course, around the same time as the Internet the cell phone... so in a century I wonder, will people then be thinking that the newest invention is the best form of communication ever and will never be topped? Or have we truly reached the pinnacle of success?

New Birds

Birds that I brought home night before last. They are so sweet and very hand tame.

Stereo Surround

Stereos are so small today that the big cabinets are hard to find, but there's something missing in the small units and that's power and quality. I still love a full stereo system and an elegant stereo cabinet. Many stereos today are incorporated into satellite TV, DVDs, and surround sound which improves the quality even more but you have to have a nice place to put all that equipment. A classy stand ads to the decor of a room so its important to choose carefully.

Motivation

I'm sadly lacking that lately. There has been such a combination of punches in my life in the last two weeks that I can barely concentrate when I do sit down to work. I know that it is not something that only happens to people who work for themselves, or people who work from home, or even writers, it happens to anyone in any job or profession. I think though, when you do work for yourself, from home, as a writer, you are hit heavier by it because there is no one who will stand over you with a whip, and even more, friends and family are likely to make excuses for non-performance. We're writers after all. It's understandable.

It might be, but it's not good and the feeling in general is aggravating. I like feeling inspired and juiced. Feeling empty and listless, without that spark is more than just a job problem it's an emotional problem.