January and February of this year seemed to drag on forever. I used this time creatively, however, and mapped out a few things – strategies mainly. It’s not like there was much else to do in the middle of a Canadian winter – what with four feet of snow and -30C temps.

I knew the type of lifestyle I wanted to maintain. I calculated how much per year I would need to fund that meager existence. And, I had a plan to generate enough money to cover my needs.
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The way I saw it, I had two choices: Not work at all and become homeless after my money ran out, or try to find a way to generate a simple income to sustain my simple lifestyle. Keep in mind that holding down a job is not the only way to create an income. It took me a long time to get that into my head – All part of society’s programming, I suppose. Read the rest of this entry

The two months I spent back at home proved to be invaluable. It provided the time and space I needed to do some serious planning. In fact, it would have been perfect had it not been for the fact that I sensed some resentment among other family members. Yes, I’m sure they thought I was “back home for good” – home to sponge off my parents. Hey, it’s not like I was 20 again. At 46, that would have been weird, and it’s simply not the way I wanted to do things. Read the rest of this entry