June

Last working day of the month. It looks like I've surpassed my goal amount again this month. By how much will be determined by how busy I am today and I won't know until I show up later today.

I tend to think in terms of a month at a time for goal/income setting purposes. I know how many working days I have each month and approximately what that can mean for income. Some days I wish I got a salary but come tax time, I am grateful I am self employed as we do get more favorable tax treatment.

We sold a set of speakers for $150 a few days ago and our list of available inventory is shrinking. There have been a few new items popping up and a few I've decided to donate if they are not sold by a certain time. It has been surprising just how much we are selling to people out of town that require shipping. I would have thought most if not all sales would be to local people.

We were visiting some great people over the weekend and they are more appropriately described as my "parents". I have gained many sets of "parents" over the years -- people who love and care and want for me the best, like our real parents.

This couple is my inspiration and the topic of world travel came up. They have been around the world twice -- each time for a year -- before they had children. We were discussing the pros and cons of that in today's society.

Surprisingly enough, they felt that it is more difficult to do that today than it was during their time as the pace of life and competition they felt, were faster and higher so you would be left really behind after a trip like that. I would have thought they would wholeheartedly agree a year off before going into a career be mandatory!

I can see that their point was, they were working in government and teaching respectively at that point and were able to take their 2 sabbaticals without fear of losing their jobs and they had saved up before going in the first place.

That led to me telling them what the latest rendition of my retirement vision was -- To teach skiing for the entire season and then use the money to travel for the rest of the year. The main house and or the cottage would be sold meaning a chunk of money in the bank along with retirement savings that wouldn't need to be touched much at all. I would be a citizen of the world. Something to look forward to in the next decade or so.