When you work for yourself, Friday is no longer TGIF (thank goodness it’s Friday).  Monday is not longer dreaded.  Self employed often work longer hours and both weekend days.  Often this goes on for months or years.  Funny thing in our case, Sharon and I both are happier working longer hours and longer weeks than we ever were working for someone else.  For us, as you have seen, our weekend can be one day in the middle of the week or three days.  This is a freedom you have, but it is dictated by how much money you want to earn in a month.  There is not sick days or vacations days with pay.  I like this lifestyle.

As you have read, we also get to go camping during the week when campgrounds are not as full. This is a real plus, especially in the summer time.  Even week days are often hard to get campsites at the beach, weekends are impossible without reservations. 

We may get our modem today. Yesterday I told you Verizon sent us the wrong one.  DUH!  They don’t know what system is used in each area.  Supposedly they next day shipped it and I should have it today. I HOPE!  I have been without DSL for over one month due to Earthlink and Verizon not being able to solve a problem.  I now appreciate what others with dial up connections go through.  I haven’t had dial up since about 1998. I don’t miss dial up and have been reminded why.

Of course full timers are on slow connections.  They either use a cell phone connection or a satellite connection.  Both are slower than cable or DSL high speed connections.  Actually my Verizon Mobile Office cell phone connection is a lot faster than my NetZero connection on my desktop computer.  I recommend Verizon with their Mobile Office kit.  The problem is free minutes are after 9 P.M. Last night I was in bed by 8:40.  We only get 400 minutes a month on the $39.99 plan we have. No roll over minutes.  Normally we only use 30 minutes or less a month. We are not heavy cell phone users, obviously.  Last month we used 190 minutes, mostly connecting to the internet.  Your computer connection is important if you plan on full-timing or even  on long vacations.

Albertson's grocery store had a 1/2 price sale on some alcohol.  We bought a few bottles.  NO, we don’t drink that much but it doesn’t spoil and a bottle of peach schnapps was only $3.50.  We like a shot glass of schnapps after dinner.  We got peach schnapps, pucker – sweet & sour peach schnapps, root beer schnapps, and vanilla schnapps plus a few flavored rums.  We didn’t like the rums. They have a sharp alcohol taste. These are 30 proof alcohol drinks..  Our regular peppermint schnapps is 60 proof. 

I stepped on the scale and I’m back to pre-county fair weight. Actually a little lower. I am at 209.5 pounds this morning.  I really recommend 30 minutes of exercise a day. This is what is helping me lose the weight.  Watching what I eat is a small part of it, but the large meat lovers pizza with bread sticks last night isn’t diet food.  Neither were the chocolate custard and twist donuts Sunday.  I do eat salads for lunch, often with left over chicken or sliced lunch meat such as turkey.  My belt has now moved in two notches. That is really exciting to me.

As I have said before, join me.  Get healthier with some exercise and better eating.  A real diet would be nice, but watching some of what you eat works for me.  By the time we go full timing we’ll both be ready to ride bikes and hike trails and not be worn out afterward.