2020: In the Bag!

Whew, it felt like we just started this year and it’s finally, holy shit! It’s still, April!?!? Whoa… I don’t know if the rest of you feel that time has lost all sense of relevance and has been distorted recently. I know I have. It reminds me of the scene in the Jerk where Steve Martin’s character is talking about time distortion…

Navin Johnson: (Speaking to Marie in bed while she sleeps) I know we’ve only known each other four weeks and three days, but to me it seems like nine weeks and five days. The first day seemed like a week and the second day seemed like five days. And the third day seemed like a week again and the fourth day seemed like eight days. And the fifth day, you went to see your mother and that just seemed like a day, and then you came back and later on the sixth day, in the evening, when we saw each other, that started seeming like two days, so in the evening it seemed like two days spilling over into the next day and that started seeming like four days, so at the end of the sixth day on into the seventh day, it seemed like a total of five days. And the sixth day seemed like a week and a half. I have it written down but can show it to you tomorrow if you want to see it.

Yep, it’s been like that around here. Kind of crazy if you think about it, how time gets distorted.

For me, it’s been a slap in the face of what “traditional retirement” would look like. I didn’t realize how much time I spent at the kids school, and the CASA office until they shut down. And holy hell, did I turn into the old guy just puttering around the house, talking to his little dog about the government, politics, and the weather… Yikes! Seriously, I turned “retired” really quickly! The first week or so was super productive. Then I went into #sluglife mode for a week and a half. Mostly, I was dealing with mild depression and apathy for life, and went with it. That burnt me out on tv, lol. Then I decided I needed to be more productive. Between the divorce, trying to start a new business, and all the projects I had from before, I have a lot to do.

Life Gets Lonely

Before this whole quarantine started, I had already moved out of the house and started figuring out how to adult again. It was really quiet, especially those first months before visitation had been agreed upon and I was only getting to see the kids about 10 hrs a week. Boo… Then, enter The ‘Rona, and I had te misfortune of getting sick with who knows what, during Spring Break. That led to a 4 week quarantine from me and the kiddos. It was 5 weeks before I would get another hug from them. After the 2^nd week of lockdown, I literally said to none, “Fuck this, it’s too quiet without the kids AND a dog.” With Lola getting put down over the holidays, I couldn’t bring “my dog” Jack with me anymore and it was too quiet.

I started emailing shelters and rescue places and much to my shock, I had Bolt within 36 hrs… Yep, it was quick! He’s been great so far, if not a little challenging. I’ve never had a small dog, much less a Chihuahua mix, he seems to be Mini Pinscher and Chihuahua. He’s basically a 10 lb cat that barks. Aye, yi, yi… But, he also fetches and loves cuddling and snuggling, so that’s been awesome for companionship. Now that I’m “off quarantine” life has been less lonely. The kids come over and we hang out. This Monday, we made these from some free pallets my neighbor got rid of. Life has gotten better.

Support Crumbles

I’ve lost a lot of my support network during this shutdown, as I wrote about 2 weeks ago. It’s been rough. Our DBSA group imploded and the head people just shrugged and said, “Covid, makes for strange times”… Yeah, but. That would seem that people struggling with mental health issues, depression, anxiety, bipolar, etc… would need even more support during these trying, uncertain times. A core of us founded our own group and now do meetings once a week, and check in with each other WAY more regularly than before. Holy hell, it’s like an actual support group, lol. If you know of anyone that could benefit, here’s a link for virtual dbsa meetings. They’re anonymous, private, and there to help, so if you want to be heard, look into logging into one of these. They’ve been great for me. DBSA Online meetings link If you know anyone struggling with addiction issues, they can also be having a rough go of it. Here are links for support for them as well. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Link These are both great resources, please share them!

Also, the divorce was finalized, and the insurance company made a retroactive cancellation of my coverage. Whoospies! So, I waded into the ACA and picked out a catastrophe plan that doesn’t cover my anti-depressants and is essentially and $8k deductible plan… Yikes! Fortunately, it’s only $286/mo for essentially medical bankruptcy protection. Yay, ‘Murica… If I get an actual job with health insurance, that’s money back in my pocket each month, lol. That’s about it for updates there… I do get some contract work out at the house now though. I did this brick paver project, for free, evidently… And I got paid to mow the yard last time, but I’m done mowing 1.5 acres with a walk behind mower, even if it is self-propelled. Sure, it’s exercise, but it’s also 5 hrs, and at $60 to mow, I’ve got better things to do.

Also, I lost one of my friends, Mr. PIE, to glioblastoma. That really sucked. I knew it was coming, but it didn’t make it easier. He was another support for me and it sucks he isn’t there anymore either. I did get to go visit with him though and meet his family and sons, so that was great, getting to meet them. He shined a light in my life when there wasn’t one for me to look towards and stuck around as a great friend from then on. You’ll be missed buddy. I love you man!

New Income Sources

I wrote, way back about researching creating my own income streams and starting a business. I’ve been honing those down and I’ve all but ruled out the dispensary. It’s too tight of a market, and man, there are places in Norman, you can stand and see at least 3 dispensaries in your view… Insane. I’m surprised we haven’t passed Oregon yet, for dispensaries per capita, but we’re coming for you Oregon! Lol

Medical Marijuana

With all those dispensaries, they need medical herb to sell, so I have been researching growing more intensively. I think it would fit my schedule and skill set way better. Plus, if I can get in with a local dispensary, not a chain, I can provide for them, whether their house bud, top shelf, whatever they want. It also has fairly low startup fees. The biggest drawback is needing a place to grow. I’m researching commercial rentals and also looking into just buying a couple of acres. Some places out east, I can find 2 acres for $35k or so, but that’s still pretty hefty, and they’re too far out for me to want to live there, later on. So, renting, it is! I’m tweaking CRE prices with my business plan, but that looks like a go, once I cross the 2 yr OK resident threshold in June. Then, applications will get sent in, supplies ordered, etc… Yay, income!

Child Advocacy Center

The Child Advocacy/Visitation Center (CAC) is slow to get going. This is for a few reasons. One is that I have to find a local bank if I want to get approved for an asset based loan. Quicken was less than helpful, or knowledgable. Literally, the guy I talked with didn’t know what I was talking about, and had no answers for me. He got off the phone with me to consult with a supervisor and call me back. An hr later his replies were still very un-knowledgable except for vague arm waving answers.

Quicken: Well, you’d need a 30% down payment to start with…

Me: Great, that sure beats a 100% down payment!

Quicken: You’d also need, like, about a million in assets.

Me: I’d need “about a million” or I’d need “a million” in assets? That’s not very specific. What size loan is that for?

Quicken: Crickets… Um… Well, that would be what you’d need to start with.

Me: For what exactly?

Quicken: An asset based loan.

Me: …. Mkay. I’m gonna go be productive because this went nowhere… lol

I don’t necessarily want to cash out my brokerage accounts to the point I just cash float a house to start the CAC with because then I’m capital poor’ish, and would have less to use for opex. So, my partner is all about it, but with her mom and health issues, she has been super distracted recently.However, she’s on board for taking a yr or so without pay, and helping with the mortgage approval. We just need to sit and discuss financials in detail and a more detailed business model, because mines looking like swiss cheese, the more it comes together, lol. Not Swiss chees, but there are more “funding holes” popping up and risk is increasing as it materializes. It’s moving, just slowly for now.

CASA Supervisor

More news on the CASA supervisor front. They have a supervisor that just split with her fiancé, sad, I know. BUT, now she has no ties to here and may want to move to the big city (OKC) and start there, which means leaving CASA. Score! So, while she hasn’t tendered a resignation yet, even if a new position doesn’t materialize, I may be able to backfill an existing position. So, that would rock! I’ll keep you tuned in for more on those updates as they come along.

Also, having a job would open me up to explore mortgages for a house for me, but to be honest, I think I may just wait and see how this real estate market plays out over the next 9 months and scoop up a sweet deal between town and the lake, when it comes along. More fingers crossed!

Summary

That’s about it for updates from No-klahoma. School is all but wrapped up for my first semester teaching. I was told, I can expect a contract for fall and spring next year, so a double hooray for having rent covered for the year. 😊 It’s the little things at this point in life. Now I just need to find another $6-7k to cover bills for the year and the rest goes towards fun stuff. Man, cost of living is SO low for me right now. With no debt, I just have to float monthly expenses which are working out to be roughly, $2k/month. Not too shabby really. That’s with life as I’ve been experiencing it now, so that’s cool.

What about you? Have you experienced the “Covid Time Distortion”? How’s your quarantine going? Let me know!