1/2 price living

Well November 2009 is in the books, and I gotta say .. I'm quite impressed!

We are a family of 4, living on 15 acres out in the country with a house, quonset, 2 vehicles, a couple roosters, and a dog ... and in November 2009, We did it on $1550.00! I find this pretty damn good.

Now I will have to say, We didn't take a vacation, no major bills were due (taxes, car insurance), and We didn't have anything major go wrong. So I guess it was one of the better months for expenditures.

However!! With that $1550.00, We had people over for a huge Thanksgiving meal, took the kids skating at the local indoor arena, bought the kids some mascot clothes from a school fundraiser (total gimmick), rented movies, went to a downtown Holiday festival, and took the kids swimming, and went out to eat once or twice. Not to mention the 'basic' things that just about everyone does ... pays for the mortgage, heat, electricity, satellite TV, internet, gas, and all the things that go with daily living.

Now I'm sure the government would say that We are living in poverty by only spending this much. I bet the government statistics would say that We need to earn closer to $3000.00 to be considered normal, and that We should be getting food stamps and heating assistance and such. Well you know what? The government can 'Eat My Ass'! I think We live pretty damn good. I may not have a brand new car, a small mansion, 3 cell phones, 6 credit cards, or the latest and greatest gadgets .. but I also don't have a lot of stress in My life of how to pay for all that shit, and I'm not running like a chicken with his head cut off trying to constantly entertain Myself and My kids by involving them in every activity known to man.

So what's the point of trying to live off of less? THE JOB!! It's the job stupid! Not only do I have less stress by living a 'simpler' life, but I'm not pinned down to a job requiring 40, 50 hours a week, and all the stress and responsibility to go with it. Yes .. I am working (I'm sorry), but just barely working!! I work a few days a week, and only 6 hours a day on top of it. But to top it off, I have NO responsibilities to anyone, I just show up, take My time doing stuff to keep Me busy, and leave. And their happy with that because most people these days don't even show up half the time. And apparently they're going to throw a few hundred bucks into My checking account now and then. Good enough. And to top it off, I could quit tomorrow and We'd still be just fine.

So half price living has it's advantages. It's cheaper (duh!), it's simpler, it's a lot less stress, and it really keeps the family tightly together because you rely on each other, instead of the rest of the world to entertain You. Yeah .. I might not have My kids in advanced karate, or ballet .. but We do pull out the 'marble board' and the 'Sorry' game quite a bit, or I have time to personally help them with their homework ... and I think in the long run, that will pay for itself over and over, and I ain't talking about money either!

So everyone out there who lives a more 'sophisticated' lifestyle than Me, have a nice life. You can have the stress of paying a lot of bills that you don't need, and worrying that your next raise will cover the the balance increase on your credit cards. I, on the other hand, think there is nothing much better than NOT having to say "I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go."

WORK SUCKS

Well I've been gainfully employed for one whole week now, and it sucks!!!

After having a year off, I now know more than ever that work truly does suck! IT'S STUPID!

What the hell is the matter with us? Why do we do this? Wouldn't it be easier just to live off the land? Maybe dig a big cave in the ground, line it with rocks, build a fire, and live for free? Why do we torture ourselves by going to work for someone?? This is insane.

Granted, the first day wasn't so bad. The second day, pretty good. But by the third day, it started to get boring, and I don't even want to talk about the fourth day. I mean .. who gives a shit about supplying products just so other people can come in and buy them? Let them get their own damn shit! Why should I have to be there to meet YOUR demands?

Your hungry? - GO KILL SOMETHING!

Your thirsty? - GO DRINK SOME WATER .. OR DRINK SOME TREE SAP!

You need toilet paper? - GO USE A HANDFUL OF LEAVES!

You want some booze? - GO FERMENT SOME FRUIT!

Jesus H. Christ!! Why is everybody so damn needy these days!! We don't need any of this shit! We don't need a house, we don't need a car, we don't need water, electricity, heat, or even this damn internet!! We don't need any of it! It's all out there ... everyday .. FOR FREE!!!

I would love to have spent Thanksgiving with My family in a underground hole, coming out every now and then to check on the turkey that I killed, cooking slowly over an open fire. But NO!!! I gotta go to work so we can cook it in an oven, with a kitchen, and table, and chairs, and carpet!!!

So in closing, I can't guarantee just how long I'll be employed. My average seems to be around 2 years at any one job, but that time line seems to be diminishing with every new job I get. The problem is .. I can't think of a job that would make Me say, "God! That would be a blast to work at!!" I've searched hundreds and hundreds of jobs, and they all have one thing in common .. THEY SUCK!! God help Me as I turn 40, then 50 and 60 ... because I ain't gotta clue when I'm going to find out what I'm going to do when I grow up!!!

9 Days Short

Well about a year ago I quit My job and said I never wanted to work for the man again ... or at least not for a year. Well as it turns out, I am not only going back to work part time, but 9 days short of a full year off.

Looking at the bright side, who else do I know that took a year off in the middle of His life? No one! It's been great, and I wish I could convince the rest of the family to follow My retarded ways of cutting off the power and water supply to the house and just living off the land. Getting water from a well, eating food from the garden, getting heat from a wood stove, and getting light from lanterns. But, as fate would have it, I live with other rational people who insist on using today's technology to make an easy, convenient life for us .. and PAYING for it I might add.

And looking at the negative side of it, I'm really disappointed in Myself. I had such high hopes of doing cool things and really changing the way we live. I let a few small 'let downs' get a grip on Me and kept Me from pursuing My goals. When My goals of selling certain items to get some capital to use for My projects fell through, I became really chicken about digging into savings to make it happen. Now that a year has gone by, I kinda wish I would have taken the plunge, after all .. you only go around once.

I guess I did do some stuff that I might not have had time for if I was working 50 hours a week. I put in a large garden and tended to that all summer, and considering what a crappy summer we had, I'm fairly happy with the amount of food we got out of it. I plan on keeping it going next year again. I also took the family on a vacation which was the highlight of the kid's year. Speaking of kids, I spent more time with them this year than I probably have rest of their whole lives, and that right there makes it worth it alone. And I installed a woodstove in our living room which I'm excited to see the difference in heating bills from last year.

So ..... I may not have the roof plastered with solar panels, nor do I have a field of wind towers built, but I guess having a year off to get some other stuff done, plus plenty of relaxing time was well worth it. Not to mention becoming the little "Hero Daddy" again that I once was to My kids, but kinda lost it with the long and odd hour jobs that I've had. I am once again the 'cool' person to play with in the house.

So, I guess I'm doing the next best thing. Although I am working, it's only part time, and it's about as menial a job you can get next to flipping burgers or pushing grocery carts. I accept NO responsibility at My job, other than showing up, doing My part, and going home. I don't care if other people quit, don't show up, stuff is late, stuff is early, don't got enough stuff, or got too much stuff. Not My problem. I ain't climbing no corporate ladder, or advancing to another position, or going to salary, or moving to management. I AM at the bottom of the ladder, and that's where I'm gonna stay! Money ain't everything, and hanging at home on the farm is MY full time job.

So as of tomorrow at 8:00 AM, I will become, in the most modest sense, a wage earner again. I'm sorry.

4 Day Work Week

I really don't have any say in this topic as I have a zero day work week compared to most of you, but I've been saying for years and years that America should adopt the 4 day work week. That is, adding 2 hours to each day of work, and having an extra day off during the week.

This is an obvious choice as far as I'm concerned. Why in the hell wouldn't you want to adopt this plan is beyond Me. A WHOLE day off in exchange for 2 more hours of work!! A lot of you who are not in the retail business would have to work Monday thru Thursday ... then have a 3 day weekend each and every week!! You would be actually getting close to the point where your days off would be almost equal to the days worked!!! Isn't that a good thing??

Utah's government workers has been doing this for about a year now because of the economic crunch we're in, and it's worked out great! Not to mention all the money it's saved on having the businesses closed an extra day. Think about it ... the electricity, gasoline consumption, time saved going to and from work ........ it's a win-win situation. Why on God's green earth someone ever invented the 8 hour-5 day work week is beyond Me.

I guess the only people who would be against it are the worthless parents who would be forced to spend that extra full day with their kids. Yeah ... I'm sure there are some people out there who would fight to keep that 5th day in the work week just to not have to stay home and raise their own kids. But, I don't see how your vote should count anyway, so SHUT UP!

Anyway, My solution would be to have a zero day work week as I have adopted for the last 3 months of My life, but for those of you who won't take the risk of doing that, at least get on board and join the 4 day work week. It's the smart thing to do.

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Todays blog was brought to you by P.E.T.A. - People for the ethical treatment of agnostics.

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Todays RBV: Deuteronomy 28:55 So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates.

AGAIN, I state. THIS BOOK is what people base their morality and faith on!!! Insane!!

BREAKS OVER !!

I've officially burned up my vacation time that I earned working for the man. Now I truly am ON MY OWN.

Other than a little Holiday shopping, and resting my back, I didn't do crap last week. I also received my last paycheck last week and I cashed it and buried it 15 feet underground in a coffee can for when the end of the world comes. Not sure what cash will do when the end of the world comes but "oh well", you never know. That paycheck will buy A LOT of Duct tape, and really .. that's all you need when the world ends.

So today is the day of preparation. My new job will consist of spending most of my day out in the pole barn or out in the yard working on stuff. I've got a personal empire to build DAMMIT!

To do list:

- Cut out and paint signs for the corn maze

- Winterize the chicken coop

- Figure out how to set up a battery bank to hold power from solar panels.

- Learn how to build a windmill.

- Go to neighbor and offer a "buyout" on all his farm equipment from His corn maze.

- Chopping logs - free exercise, free heat.

- Establish a blueprint on how to get water from the roof of a pole barn down to cover 3 acres of garden.

- And MOST important - I will NOT come back inside until I take 2 God Damn Sticks and make fire from them!!!!!!!! If need be I will be out there for days, but I SWEAR .. I WILL CREATE FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the list goes on and on and on. It's not easy being self sufficient, but it's worth it. All of you make sure and say "Hi" to your bosses today ... I don't have one. Ha ha ha!


P.S. - My black coffee with honey tastes just a wee bit better than it did yesterday. I guess it's an acquired taste.



Todays RBV: 2 Chronicles 16:12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.


Again pointing to the idea that seeing a doctor is a BAD idea, that ALL sickness must be cured by praying to the Lord. Yeah, give that a try and see how that works for you and let me know.

OFFICIAL NEWS UPDATE !!!

It's OFFICIAL ! I told my boss to "Take this job and shove it!" I'm DONE!! I'm NEVER working for the MAN again! I will be self supporting, self sufficient, and living off the power grid. I'll eat wild critters over an open flame, grow a beard down to my belly, and live in a hole in the earth. YEAH, I'll show 'em allright!

O.K., that's not quite right. I am officially quiting my job, but I have another 6 weeks or so left. And the reason I quit is because the "old back" just can't take it anymore. I think half my paychecks are going to the chiropractor, not to mention spending half my time off laying on ice packs and hobbling around like a 90 year old. Soooooooo ...... I told Him I would duke it out for a couple weeks until He hires someone, then I'll stick around a few weeks to train the new guy in (while making Him do all the grunt work). Basically my doctor said, "Keep this up and you'll spend retirement in a wheelchair.", so that was kind of an eye opener, even though I'd love all the good parking spots.

So, the question is, what does one do without a job. The typical answer is "Find another one." Did I ever mention I'm NOT typical? THIS is my opportunity calling to DO STUFF! I'm going to build a greenhouse that's half in the earth and have it heated by the sun and grow food all winter long. I'm going to get some hens and have my own eggs. I'm going to build a corn maze and have thousands of people come in at 3 bucks a head. I'm going to build some small windmills and have a bank of batteries to have some FREE electricity. I'm going to get some cows and figure out how to make my own milk, cream, butter. I'm going to get some pigs and have and endless supply of bacon! I'm going to sell organic vegtables in the summer. I'm going to heat the house with a wood burning stove and cut my heat bill to nothing. I'm going to get a well and and have free water. I'm going to make my own clothes out of bark and leaves. And last of all, I'm going to START MY OWN RELIGION AND CASH IN!

So this is a great example of how to turn what "normal" people call a bad thing into a good thing. I say it's a way to turn a good thing into a better thing. Any other person would go out and find another job and hate it just as much as their last job. Not me, I say "Why go and do something that sucks again?" It sucked the first time, it sucked that last time, and it sucked everytime inbetween. We are just programed to work for a living, like hamsters on a wheel. Who the hell said working is "required" for life? Who made that rule? Piss on them! There's got to be a better way, and DAMMIT I'm going to try and find out what it is. Were all a bunch of ants running around everyday just working for a livin', trying to make ends meet. Yup, a bunch of pre-programmed robots doing what our bosses want us to do. Well it's time to change that for one person ... ME! And I'd rather go down in flames than give in to the typical life that we're all pre-programmed to live. I say, "You only live once, and there AIN'T NOTHING after we die, so lets have some fun DAMMIT!" Do you want to go to your death bed knowing that all you did is work for someone else all your life, or do you want to be on your deathbed knowing that you built your own little personal self sufficient empire? I'll choose the latter! PISS ON NORMAL PEOPLE!

So my retirement countdown went from just over 40 weeks, down to somewhere around 6 weeks or so. Hell if a fake that my back totally gave out, I could be done TOMORROW! If I could type in 20 foot letters right now, I would. WOOO HOOOOOO!!! I just KNOW this is the right thing, God told me!


Todays RBV:

1 Kings 11:16 For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom

Well that's just super duper! A six month killing spree! Yeah, this is the shit I want my kids learning about the Bible.

I'm retiring !!

Yup, I'm 38 years old and before I hit 40 I AM going to retire.


Retire from "working for the man" anyways. I just can't seem to fit into working for a typical job for a living. It's boring, lame, half the people I work with at any job are lazier than crap. I just feel out of place at the job. I have a strong work ethic and feel that working hard and doing a good job not only is the right thing to do, but it also makes the day go a lot quicker. I can't stand working with people who's entire goal is to milk the clock for every second they can. There is nothing worse than making a 12 hour day seem like 20 by dragging it out by working slow, but that seems to be the trend these days.

So, the question is, how does one retire at 40 without a big inheritance? Well, to be honest, it's not an official retirement. It's more of a retirement of working a typical job. I'm going to figure out how to make money without punching a time clock. I am confident there has GOT to be a way to do SOMETHING on my own and make money at it. I still don't know what it's going to be, I just know that one day around this time next year I'm going to tell my boss that I QUIT! And when He asks me "Who are you gonna go work for?" .. I'm going to get a big ass grin on my face and say "NOBODY!!!"

And you know what, it might not work out. I might crash and burn on this idea. But you know what, you only go around once, and I'd be rather disappointed if I didn't give it a shot. Life is just to damn mundane now to NOT give it a shot. And if all else fails, I can always fall back on a sure-fire plan that has never failed in 1000's of years. That's right .. I'll start my own religion. BIG PROFITS, no taxes, all bullshit. Sounds like fun to me!

Yeah, all you other people are worried about having a new car, a better house, nice clothes, a bigger ego. NOT ME. I'd be happier walking around in 10 year old ripped underwear and working for ME than to punch a time clock and drive a Mercedes. I think I'd rather have my testicles tied in a double knot than to work at a typical job for the rest of my life. I'm confident there has to be a better way. You can keep your corporate image, your expense accounts, your working off the clock, your having 10 bosses, your backstabbing co-workers, your "at work" gossip. Yeah ...... you can keep it all. I, on the other hand will be doing what I want, when I want, and how I want.

So I'll keep you all posted on ideas that come to mind that I might be doing, I have a whole year to figure it out. But when that day comes, I'll wake up one morning and open my eyes and say "Free at last ... Free At Last .... THANK GOD ALMIGHTY I'M FREE AT LAST !!!! "

So here's to 345 left until I'm done working for the man. Take this job and shove it baby!!

Don't forget to grab a worthless boss and have them spade or neutered.


Todays RBV:

Mark 12:25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.


Huh? There's no marriage in heaven. I guess that could be viewed as a good thing. Wonder if they allow drunken orgies?

WORK SCHMURK!!

Have I mentioned work sucks? Why do we do it.

Today I figured out my "work history" and it ain't good (if you go by todays normal standards that is)!

I started working at age 16 like most everyone. Now that I am just over double that age, I have had 9 different jobs!! And not ONE of them would I really want to go back too. They all had the same thing in common, some worse than others. Bottom line, after a year or two or three ... it's FRICKIN' BORING!! Give me some excitement for the God's sake!

Here is my resume, which by the way, needs extra sheets of paper to complete these days.

Job 1 - 4 years

Job 2 - 2 years

Job 3 - 2 years

Job 4 - 1/2 years

Job 5 - 2 years

Job 6 - 7 years

Job 8 - 2 years

Job 9 - 1.5 years

Job 10 - 1/2 year and counting.

Are you starting to see a pattern? Me too! I figured it out ... if I work into my 60's I'll be expecting to have about 10 MORE jobs until I reach the age of retirement. I think it's safe to say I'm slightly "unsettled" in the world today. And on top of all this, now I have to wonder "WHAT THE F#$% ARE WE DOING HERE!!!" You see ... I used to believe that we all acted nice and went to church and drank Jesus blood, and we went to heaven. But then I grew up! Now I have no clue what the hell is the purpose of being here, which if it's to work at a job and make a living, then life ain't worth it!!!

I mean, who gives a crap that you go and sell something or make something, or advertise something for someone else? What fun is this?? There is always some schmuck at the top getting rich at MY labor! I say SCREW IT ...... were all on our own!! Yup, it's caveman days again! You need food, go kill something. You need to get somewhere? Start walking. You need money? Ahhhhhhhh, got you!!!! There is no need for money in the caveman days!!

This is also a great idea to get rid of a lot of stupid people. You see, stupid people won't survive because they don't have any survival skills! They are too stupid! So I have yet again, created another way to rid the world of stupid people! I know, I'm a genius. I really believe that back in the caveman days, we had a lot less stupid people. You know why? Because they died! They couldn't make it. That's how it should be today! But no, unfortunately if your stupid today, there is probably a government program to help you out for the rest of your life. Want proof? OK! How about food stamps, bankruptcies, government bailouts on all kinds of shit, counselors, psychiatrists, medication for every stupid thing imaginable, "help for the homeless". Need I go on?? Because I could all day!!

I think we've become a bunch of wimpy pussies of human beings today. It's a damn disgrace how spoiled we've become. And I'm not being a hypocrite (like usual), I'm spoiled too. I think we need to thaw out some of the frozen caveman in the glaciers up in Antarctica somewhere and have them show US what it takes to survive!! Trust me, you can learn a lot from a caveman!

Yup, I think technology is cool, I think improvements are nice, I think learning is great. But for some reason, somehow, in many ways ... we've become stupider, lazier, and more useless than ever before. So put all this together, and I don't know what you've got, but it's a big pile of crap and we're all living right in the middle of it. Amen.

Now if you'll excuse me ... I gotta go to work!

Don't forget to help control the stupid population .. have a friend spade or neutered today!


Todays RBV:

Numbers 23:22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

Ha ha, this is just great. One make believe thing talking about another make believe thing. I betcha the Easter Bunny is going to beat up the tooth Fairy next!

Unemployed by choice

Most people think to work is a good thing. I think it sucks. IT'S BORING !! I wish my boss would call me right now and say "I'm sorry, but we're letting everyone go because were going out of business." WHOO HOO!! Now I'm not working, but I didn't quit.

Most jobs I've had I give a year or two to figure out, then it's just boring as hell. There has got to be a better way to go through life than just working for a living.

What do we need to live ?? Hmmmm. Food, shelter and well ........ that's about it. Everything else just extras. Really, it is. In some form all the other crap is all extra. Cars, electricity, water, phone, internet, cable, insurance, X-box, condoms .......... IT'S ALL EXTRAS !!!

So, in order to live, we need some sort of roof over our head that will keep us alive through extreme temperatures, and some food in our bellies. Let's see. Sell everything extra to pay off the house, get some cows and let them reproduce, grow a garden, dig a well. EASY !!!

Ahhhhhh shit, property taxes. How the hell do you get out of that one ?? Hmmmmm, collect aluminum cans on the side to pay for taxes. On the other hand, why should I pay taxes ?? I won't be using the roads because I don't have a car, I'll home school the kids. Yeah, skip the taxes.

Sure will be boring having all that extra time and not having the internet. Hmmmm, collect more aluminum cans to pay for wireless internet.

What if one of the kids comes down with some strange disease ?? Hmmmmm, set up donation funds at all the gas stations to help the needy. Yeah, why not. Everyone else does it !! I've had to donate to other peoples needs, now it's MY turn.

Gotta keep planting trees because I'll need them to heat the house, and for cooking. I really should build a windmill so I can have some form of electricity to recharge my computer. Otherwise it would be such a waste collecting all them aluminum cans to pay for the internet if my computer is dead.

Actually some sort of battery bank would be nice to hold electricity just in case the wind doesn't blow for a few days. Hmmm, wonder how you make one of them?

I guess all this quitting my job still needs a bit of ironing out yet. Maybe I'll go watch Little House on the Prairie and get some pointers.

Well maybe I just need some inspiration from the good book to keep working.
Let's see what todays RBV says :



Ecclesiastes 5:12 The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.

I disagree, I'd sleep alot better with a full stomach and nothing on my agenda list myself.