Bud’s Bits and Bytes

Well, I am all packed and ready to pick up the truck in the morning, have the 2 guys I hired help me load it and hit the road. I took the Vette out for a nice spin today to make sure the battery is charged so when I fly back I can jump in and head down 95 (again). Should be a nice ride in the Vette. Phil said it is no problem to leave it in his garage until I come back to get it. Saves a lot of hassle of moving it to storage. It was a beautiful day here today. I know the hot weather is coming - it is just as hot and humid here in the summer as it is in Florida. I am anxious to visit the big flea market on highway 19 this weekend. In a little while I will disconnect the computer. My next update should be from Florida.

It is Saturday morning and today, from noon until 10:00 pm will be my last day at Micro Center and if all goes well, my last day working for anyone else except for me. I have everything fairly well organized and ready for my move. I will pick up the 14′ U-Haul truck on Monday morning, I hired two guys to help me load it Monday afternoon. I will put the Corvette into short term storage, tow the Hyundai, and hit the road either Monday afternoon or early Tuesday morning. Due to heavy southbound traffic in the afternoons out of DC, it will probably be smart to wait until early Tuesday. I will make sure I stop for the night before American Idol starts so I watch my man Tayler Hicks win. I am the only one in the office pool that picked him to win. I will unload part of the truck at Mom & dad’s (they are getting my large home entertainment center and some bedroom furniture) and the rest at my new home.

Everyone at Micro Center has been so wonderfull. It is nice to be liked and respected by your co-workers. I will miss (most) of the people I work with and I will definitely miss the employee discounts. I guess the fact that my future purchases will be tax deductable because they will be for my business will help make up for it. The last couple of days I have made some last minute purchases so I will have everything I need to get my new business going. I am really excited about it (and a little scared). From now on - my success is up to me and only me. My rewards will come strictly as a result of my efforts and I find that exciting. I am so excited about getting my studio set up and getting trained. Having the time to perfect my new trade and the thrill of marketing my services/product is exhilerating.

Well, I will be glad when the move is complete and I have settled in. I plan to spend a lot of time in shorts and sandals driving the Corvette year around attending all the classic car gatherings (where I can also promote my business), and watching sunsets over Hudson beach as often as possible. I am honored to have the opportunity to give back to my parents some of the love and caring they have given me over the years. I truly believe I have the best parents in the world.

Have you seen the insurance commercial where all heck breaks loose and the announcer says "life comes at you fast"? Well, That’s how it is for me. Without going into all the behind the scenes detail I have decided to move to Florida. I have signed a lease on a double wide mobile home in the Ponderso Park where my parents lived for a number of years after they moved down. I am also starting my own business and will work from home in Florida. Wow, I thought the move to Virginia was a bold one but this tops it. My new home is only 3 Miles from Mom and Dad’s house. Four years at Micro Center has been interesting but is not where I want to be for the rest of my life. I will have my studio set up and be trained in operations of my new business the week of June 19th. If you want to take a peek you can link to FamilyTreeVideo.com from my links. I will be provided my own customized web site and let everyone know when it is operational.

Well, I know I promised more frequent updates but life gets in the way. Work is a real struggle lately. I do not enjoy what I do anymore - I feel that my ethics are being tested - way too much push on extended service plans which anyone who has done any research knows are a sucker bets. I don’t mind offering them to customers and letting the customer make the decision but I do not like the way some sales people misrepresent the benefits and then they are treated like hero’s and an honest salesperson is put down. I refuse to twist peoples arms. I cannot stay in this job much longer. Tammy and I will be traveling to Vietnam July 14th until 28th. We would like to spend longer but her duties at work don’t permit her to be away for longer. We will fly into Saigon and then journey north to Hanoi and a number of other cities. We also want to visit the prison on the island where Tammy was held for a year after her capture. I plan to take a lot of pictures and video. Her 2 bothers and will go also. We are going to celebrate her fathers 80th birthday. Her sister Minh will not go because Phil (100 years old) insists on going also if she goes and there is no way we are going to take him - he went with her several years ago and she said never again. I will get to meet her other sister who lives in Saigon. I have to get a number of shots before the trip and have been warned to stay away from poultry due to the bird flu. Well, For now I have to jump in the shower and get ready to leave for work. I work today from noon until 9:00pm and tomorrow from 8:00 until 5:00pm. I actually have Saturday and Sunday off - I am looking forward to a nice weekend with Tammy. We will take the Corvette out to the countryside to join some of our friends at Richard and Jackie’s house. It is really nice - they have their own lake. Let’s hope for good weather.