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| The View from my Hotel Room OAFS Photo |
So this week it's just Tuesday and Wednesday. I'd thought to take those two days off as well, but my better half, The Missus Herself thought it would be nice to have back to back five day weekends. I liked the concept, so there it is.
Some people refer to their wives as "their better halves" somewhat ironically, I don't, she truly is the best thing that ever happened to me. So of the two person team we are, she is most certainly the better half. (No doubt the progeny would agree.)
I'm still thinking about which fictional saga I shall pursue next (I know, I know, "saga" is a bit of a stretch, but humor me). I'm leaning towards finishing the prequel to "Almost a Lifetime" but in reality it's a prequel in two parts. I need to come up with a name for Part One, as I called it, it stands by itself but is part of my planned trilogy.
Well, "planned" is a bit of a stretch, I didn't plan it, it just sort of happened, nevertheless, trilogy it shall be. (Maybe, who knows, might be a part four for after the war, and beyond.)
I also need to reread Part One, it's been a while and I need to refresh the story in my own mind before continuing.
My way of saying "it might be a few days."
After all the excitement (not in a good way) of Sandy Eggo, it's going to be hard to go back to the normal day-to-day way of life. But it's welcome, I'm not a big fan of excitement of the type I had out west.
In other news ...
I just finished rewatching HBO's Rome, which if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend.
It's about many things Roman - Julius Caesar, Octavian Caesar and his mother and sister. Marc Antony and Cleopatra, Pompei Magnus, Cicero and a bunch of others.
I don't know how close it holds to actual history, but it's a great story, well told, well acted, and the settings are truly magnificent. It almost looks as if they resurrected ancient Rome for the series. (To some extent, that's exactly what they did, it was a very expensive series which ran for two seasons.)
But one of the very best characters in the series is played by Polly Walker, Atia of the Julii, Julius Caesar's niece and Octavian's mother.
Lover of Marc Antony, scheming constantly to get her family ahead, she is also at the heart of the series. You have to watch the show to see what I mean.
At the heart of the series are these two fellows: Titus Pullo (played to great effect by the late Ray Stevenson) and Lucius Vorenus (played to perfection with iron and steel by Kevin McKidd). Both are great characters and the series rather revolves around them.
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| Atia of the Julii (as played by Polly Walker) (Source) |
It's not something for family viewing, lots of sex and violence, after all, we're talking about ancient Rome and Egypt as well. So it's not a "let's watch it with the kids" kind of show. But it is good, damned good.
Now that I've finished watching that (third or fourth time I think) it's time to get back to work. Both at the paying gig and this here blog.
We'll see what happens.
Ciao!
Nice to be able to reverse the work week, 2/5 instead of the usual 5/2 Sarge. Hmmmm, think I'll take action on your Rome recommendation.
ReplyDeleteI really liked it.
Delete5 day weekends sound like an amazing thing.
ReplyDeleteI have heard good things about the Rome series in terms of its portrayal of Rome as a real place.
My vote is always write what you enjoy.
Well, if I don't enjoy it, why would I write about it? (Thinks back to his school days ...)
DeleteI used to call the ex "the best half". I didn't read all the fine print. It happens.... I thought you were working towards a Roman angle on the stories... Kind of a "Richardus Magnus fouled up the infantry exercise and was exiled to Germania. There he met Brunhilda's neice, Broom-Gilda. Their offspring inspired and expired until the production of a wee lad named Adolt Hitlansburg...."
ReplyDeleteI like the way your mind works.
DeleteAgree that Rome is a great series. If you care for good documentaries, I recommend "Formula 1" and "Tour de France" on Netflix. I care nothing about bicycle racing but the documentary had me literally sitting on the edge of my seat!
ReplyDelete-Barry
I'll have to check those out. Oldest daughter and her husband are big into Formula 1 racing.
DeleteAnd a suggestion of an older book about Roman history "Roman Realities" by Finley Hooper (1979), going through a thousand years of Rome.
DeleteNot looking to read up on Roman history at this time, but I'll keep this one in mind!
DeleteOoh! Ooh! Let me give you a title for one of the parts- "Just when things were looking up..." It leads heavily towards what usually happens while we are making other plans. "Best layed plans", so to speak.
ReplyDeleteirontomflint
Heh, I like that. Appropriate as well!
Delete5 day weekends, yep that's the way to go! Good luck with the work week :-)
ReplyDeleteIf only it were permanent. Thinking seriously of going to 7-day weekends next year.
DeleteIt was hard to actually stop working, after I retired and took off in an RV it was not long before I had a workcamping job.. for 18 months I did different workcamping.
DeleteThen I forced myself to take 6 months off paid work... once I figured it out it's been fun doing what I want to do (for the most part).
Doing what you want to do is great. It just doesn't pay very well.
DeleteThat "pay well" part depends on how you value time.
DeleteTime is valuable, but you can't buy groceries with it ...
DeleteAnd you don't need groceries when you're out of time -shrug-.
DeleteBetween my CG retirement and SS I have enough to buy groceries and keep the lights on ... it's your life to use as you see fit but we really have different views on the value of time :-)
I have no doubt that I can live comfortably on the three pensions I'll get when I retire. My point was that having the time to do the things you like is great, awesome, but sometimes money is required for certain activities. Some of my hobbies can get expensive.
DeleteYou'd be surprised to find out how expensive working is. No more work clothes, no commuting costs, reduced wear and tear on Blue, so forth and so on.
DeleteI know how expensive it is, still more income working than retirement, no matter how you cut it.
DeleteAgain, I must have been lucky. No real commute, working clothes were (fairly clean) shirt and blue jeans. Steel toed engineer boots even in the office (could go directly into pilot plant areas without changing shoes). Dress shirt (no tie) and black jeans for most client meetings. My one suit came out of the closet about as often as for funerals. My meeting image gradually went from "up and coming young scientist" to "you're talking to the pros here".
DeleteHeh. Good work if you can get it.
DeleteI, too, married way above my paygrade. She truly is my better half. When I said such mushy things in the SCA, in a medievalish way, I could get the ladies to swoon and say awe... Stupid ladies then tried to separate us. Much to their chagrin I resisted.
ReplyDeleteFunny how being happily married is such an aphrodisiac to single women. The same types of single women who didn't notice me other than look at me like an alien bug that got squished when I was single. Too bad, so sad, ta-ta future and present cat-ladies!
"Rome" was just too violent and oversexed for Mrs. Andrew. Same reason we only made it 4 episodes into "Game of Thrones" and "Yellowstone." She doesn't mind some violence nor sex, but just, well, too much, bleh. Now, she just got done watching the first 4 Dirty Harry movies and immediately ordered the 5th, and she was at the edge of her seat with a bloody grin on during the fight scenes of "300" so she does do violence and sex but just not over-too-much.
Eh, it is what it is.
Glad you are happy. That's what matters about work. And if you ever decide to actually retire, remember what I said, find out what the contractor rates are at your company and charge accordingly. They might like paying you to come in for a week or two once a year to help, or even the occasional hour or so. But make them pay.
If I do (when actually) I will not return to the old company. Ever, unless they're willing to pay me around a thousand bucks an hour. They won't, they're cheap.
DeleteOkay, they are cheap, but you are not. If you like to keep the option of some extra cash, at your convenience, not theirs, leave them with a proposal that you may be available for consulting at that rate on an extremely limited basis. You can do it as a sole proprietor or LLC with very little paperwork beyond a business card and mailing address. Use a generic name like OAFS Services, Victory Associates, or CGR Consulting or something vague and you can use that for your publishing empire as well. If you use your name as part of it, you don't need to file a fictitious name, and sole proprietor or LLC are relatively easy tax procedures.
DeleteAs a writer of historical material, or for tech stuff, it may be a work expense to travel to do documentary or geographic site or artifact research. Need to make a profit 3 years out of 5, but careful planning may lump your expenses over profit into a suitable pattern.
Who knows, they may call someday. And, you will be amazed by how much more they will value your contributions when they actually pay for them! Of course, they may NOT call, and thus not mess up your seven day weekends which will become very busy before you know it, even without the ex-employer begging for your valuable time.
John Blackshoe
I have 'consulted' for two companies that let me go. Funny, nobody noticed how much I did until I was gone. I did make the jerks pay, which was nice. Both companies could have hired me back, at more pay, and acknowledge my work, but, no, can't have that. Both companies were profitable when they got rid of me. Both companies floundered and perished within two years of me leaving. Serves them right.
DeleteMy area of expertise is rather volatile. Things change and I would not be able to keep up without access to certain information. I have zero plans to do consultation, for anybody. When I retire, it will be permanent.
DeleteBottom line - I've had enough of defense contracting.
Delete