Retirement Milestone - April 2007

Well, I retired on April 6, 2006. I just celebrated my 1 yr anniversary. So, how has it been so far?

I thought it waas going to be scarier than it has been. Financially, it's been much more positive than I expected. (My investments in this 1 year have made almost double what I was making in salary, and without me lifting a finger - just sitting on my ass!)

Headhunters have called me - but, I still can't seem to get enthused about showing up for work everyday. One even said I could set my own hours, work only on projects I wanted to work on, AND work from home if I wanted to - but, although tempting, for right now, it just didn't interest me.

Some folks have asked - "Well, I bet you miss the people you worked with?" There are a few of those, but, let me say this about a LOT of other key people there: My life is a helluva lot more pleasant and comfortable these days without a knife sticking out of my back every day!

Enuf said about that. As I said before, quitting was the best decision I ever made. I recommend retirement for everyone - jump at it when you have the opportunity.

I Need to Blog More Often

OK - I'm lazy. I retired a year ago - gee, people say you have to keep busy when you do that or you'll go nuts. I haven't and I haven't - go figure.

Anyway, maybe I'll waste some more time in here.

Any ideas what I should talk about?

iPod Nano Accessory Disaster - UNFRIGGENBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!

This just happened to me today!!! It is so unfriggenbelievable, I don't know whether to laugh, cry, send pictures to The Letterman show, Leno, and/or Bob & Tom!!! Any of you who have iPods know how ridiculously expensive accessories for them are - like $35 for a velcro armband so you can wear it while jogging?

Well, my kid just got a new Nano for Xmas. So she asks me to buy her a "cover " for it. So, we go to Best Buy, an electronics chain here in Bakersfield. Everything is like $20 - $40. What a rip-off - materials must be worth about $1 and labor another $2. So, anyway, she's my kid. She spies a "Liz Claiborne" wristlet for iPod nano. Black patent leather. $24.99 plus tax!!!!!! Box says it "keeps all ports easily accessible for iPod controls." WHAT A JOKE!!!!!!!

We wait in line for 20 minutes to buy it. Thankfully, we thought, we aren't in the "returns" line, which stretches all the way around the store. People have been waiting in that line since October it seems!

Anyway, we get home, get it out of it's box, slip the new Nano in, and my kid goes, "Dad, the hole in the top is on the wrong side!". Sure enough, I look at what we just bought and she's right. All Nano's have a "function lock" switch on the top left side of the Nano. The opening for it on the Liz Claiborne wristlet is on the top right!!!!!! Unbelievable!!! How could a store like Best Buy have such a ridiculously flawed item on their store shelves!!! How can Liz Claiborne, a respected clothing and accessory retailer, have its name on this joke of an item????!!!!!

Gawd, what the hell is the world coming to when something as simple and obvious as designing something so that the hole is in the right place is ignored and people are charged outrageous prices for it?

I'm speechless...

Lamb Videos

Lamb is a cool downbeat band that I really like, as do some special friends. Here are some links to some cool music videos of two of their tunes:

Cotton Wool


Gorecki

Bakersfield Sucks - here's a tune to show why

Bakerfield sucks. Geezuz what a crappy town. Here's a video to show why that is:

The Armpit of the State - Bakersfield, CA