10 year soberversary

 Music:

Summary:

• So busy I forgot
• Deeper into real estate investing
• New job, Same company.
• Pulling up stakes from South Florida
• A college degree at 51
• Got into the grandkid-raising business
• Still not drinking!

So busy I forgot!

I'm forcing myself to sit down and write this, as I would rather be working on one of my projects.  But this annual-ish touchpoint is important, so let's do it.

My Soberversary was actually 16 days ago.  At the time I was at an industry conference presenting a couple of my science projects and entertaining customers.  

  

It's weird to think on my 10-year soberversary I was in Las Vegas entertaining people on a company credit card.  Thoroughly enjoyed watching my dinner guests get buzzed, while I was drinking sparkling water and not feeling the least bit self-conscious or awkward.  Did not have that on my 2012 bingo card!

Deeper into real estate investing

In the last year, Caroline and I purchased two more Airbnb properties.

One of them was big money for us, which equals big stress.  Went over time and over budget on repairs, but we did get it up and running earlier this month and it's paying its own bills so I'm sleeping a lot better now.  It's a beautiful home, nicer than anything I've ever lived in by far.  It's weird; living on the property, I felt a little uncomfortable like I didn't belong.

The builder of that home owns the home below it and he's quite a character.  A bit of a local legend having built or renovated a number of significant properties on that part of the mountain.  He shares his lifetime of knowledge about the land and building things freely and without pretense, what a delightful man.

The other home we purchased is the polar opposite. Bought it for pocket change.  The place was a complete mess, but I loved the parcel and it had good bones.  We call this property Black Bear and this is where we're living right now.  Caroline is in charge of the interior.  I plan the structural and outside work, performing science experiments to figure things out when expertise is lacking, which is actually a lot of fun.

I've got two men doing the work, one semi-retired, the other young and full of energy.  They complement each other and make a great team. After having chronic worker problems (a big part of the stress of the expensive property) they're an absolute delight.

Our excavation guy is an amazing person too, a complex and interesting man with deep ties to the community.  

These relationships have been an unexpected dividend in fixing up and renting properties on the mountain.  An enriching experience.  It's notable how much more comfortable I've become with other people over the years.

New job, same company

In April I accepted a new role doing Cybersecurity stuff.  The customers are based in Virginia.  It's a much more demanding job than my old one, but of course, it pays better and is more interesting.  I have a gentlemen's agreement with my boss that I'll move to Virginia sometime next year. So that will be an adventure.

Pulling up stakes from South Florida

Last December we sold our condo in Pompano Beach.  I thought I would miss it a lot but I really haven't.  We have a rental house in Jupiter that's been sitting empty for months as we've been in North Carolina fixing up the properties we purchased.  Probably sometime in July we'll have Black Bear finished and we'll be back for a few months.

Once the lease is up though, that's it.  Time to go.  We're thinking about buying an RV and living in that for 9-12 months while exploring Virginia, but we really don't know.  And oddly enough, I find that comforting.  Wanderlust has always been part of my makeup.

A college degree at 51

In March I graduated from Western Governors University with a Cybersecurity degree.  Took me just a hair over two years.  I'm already enrolled in a master's program which I hope to have finished by year-end.

It's been a good experience for me and I'm super glad I did it.  My ability to read/write/speak/reason have all improved.  It's nice to work for a company that pays for stuff like this.

The Grandkid raising business

I have two step-grandsons aged four and six from Caroline's daughter.  Their momma is someone who is living with a similar kind of demons that I used to battle, but to this point in her life at least, has decided she likes that world, which is unfortunately not compatible with child-rearing.  These kids have seen a lot of dark stuff, and it's left a mark.  Hard not to be angry about that.

Anyhow Caroline has custody for now so they've been living with us and it's been pretty great honestly.  They're good kids and it's fun and refreshing to see the world through their eyes.

Still not drinking

So here we are, 10 years no booze!

The quit. If I can do it anyone can.  If you're sick of waking up with hangovers and having money problems,  If you're tired of your plans never working out, you can change it at any time. 

May you care for yourself with ease,

-s