So, I've been away. Letting the world get me down. But I'm feeling a little better now.
I've been feeling like a failure. I'm a specialized engineer with nine years of experience, but I don't feel like I could afford a nice home and a family. I like my house, but it's not what I imagined I'd be living in at 31. I think getting out of Connecticut would help that. If I moved to somewhere in the MidWest, I could get a very nice house for half the cost of my house. I could probably afford a house with a driveway
or even, dare I dream, a garage! 
Connecticut, and the whole NorthEast Coast, is so friggin' expensive. Seriously, $200,000 here buys you a shed on a postage stamp. Compare that to Sulivan, Indiana where I could charge a house on my credit card! Look it up. 
So, the major stress was about money. Surprise surprise. I left my contracting company a little over a year ago. And I decided to cash out my retirement plan to help pay for the renovations I did to my house. Originally, I thought I was going to get the money in April of '05. Then I was told that I was going to 'eligable' for '05, so I wouldn't get the money 'til April of '06. I've been anxiously awaiting that payout. But I was kinda okay with it, since I thought the account would be worth more money in the lapsed year. To my shagrin, the account has been losing money. Anyway, my old company got bought. And I got a letter from the new company saying that the retirement plans weren't going to cash out for at least 6-8 months, and probably much longer. Brankauti and I were going to use that money to open up a tattoo shop for her. Turns out the I'm going to get the money. I hope in April. But I had to make some agrevated emails and more phone calls than I care to count. grrrr And I have to fill out forms they forgot to mail me.
So, anyway, I've been busy at work. Feeling under-appreciated and under-paid. But, hey, I got to bowl at work yesterday. The base had a team competition. I haven't bowled ten-pin in years. So, I'm proud of my three games of 116, 155, and 155. On the third game, my team of five non-bowlers totaled 707. I was very proud of all of us.
Several people had the best games of their lives.
Hope everyone is well.
I've been feeling like a failure. I'm a specialized engineer with nine years of experience, but I don't feel like I could afford a nice home and a family. I like my house, but it's not what I imagined I'd be living in at 31. I think getting out of Connecticut would help that. If I moved to somewhere in the MidWest, I could get a very nice house for half the cost of my house. I could probably afford a house with a driveway
or even, dare I dream, a garage! Connecticut, and the whole NorthEast Coast, is so friggin' expensive. Seriously, $200,000 here buys you a shed on a postage stamp. Compare that to Sulivan, Indiana where I could charge a house on my credit card! Look it up.
So, the major stress was about money. Surprise surprise. I left my contracting company a little over a year ago. And I decided to cash out my retirement plan to help pay for the renovations I did to my house. Originally, I thought I was going to get the money in April of '05. Then I was told that I was going to 'eligable' for '05, so I wouldn't get the money 'til April of '06. I've been anxiously awaiting that payout. But I was kinda okay with it, since I thought the account would be worth more money in the lapsed year. To my shagrin, the account has been losing money. Anyway, my old company got bought. And I got a letter from the new company saying that the retirement plans weren't going to cash out for at least 6-8 months, and probably much longer. Brankauti and I were going to use that money to open up a tattoo shop for her. Turns out the I'm going to get the money. I hope in April. But I had to make some agrevated emails and more phone calls than I care to count. grrrr And I have to fill out forms they forgot to mail me.
So, anyway, I've been busy at work. Feeling under-appreciated and under-paid. But, hey, I got to bowl at work yesterday. The base had a team competition. I haven't bowled ten-pin in years. So, I'm proud of my three games of 116, 155, and 155. On the third game, my team of five non-bowlers totaled 707. I was very proud of all of us.
Several people had the best games of their lives.
Hope everyone is well.
VIEW 8 of 8 COMMENTS
kenyon:
you have a photo idea for me, really? whisper it . . .
amphetamine:
Bowling! I haven't gone bowling in awhile. I miss it. And yeah, CT sucks. My aunt in Missouri was shocked at how much little houses go for out here- her house is probably twice the size and went for a third of the price, and she's really pleased with it.