Ohhh Canada....Pt.1.

Yikes, don't tell me you all turned Catholic? Anyway, how are all of you? This end you ask,....Status Quo.

• Mrs. Titus:....still sick
• Grandma:....doing better and wanted to try living on her own again.
• Neck:...still fucked up. Disability rating jumped from 7% to 17%.
• Local commercial development in neighborhood:....moving ahead, maybe some of my property value will recover after all.
• The "Branch":....still sucks. Looking for a tie dyed "Barack Obama 08" shirt for casual Friday. I figure hell, why not stir up the hornets nest.
• The ex:....child support went from $400 to $1500 per month.
• Mrs. Titus:.... finally decided to move forward with a career change. She was accepted to school and will start in May.

So....Mrs. Titus and I have been discussing retirement for the last several years. As it stands, I can retire in just over nine years. Considering how my neck has deteriorated in the last three years, the reality is that I may only last another three to five. The kids are almost grown and should be on their own in two years. We have planned to look for property in the pacific North West. If we are able to unload some of our California assets in the next two years, our relocation time line may move quicker than expected. I've been in the California Bay Area my whole life. Frankly, I'm sick of it! One plan we are researching would have us relocate north of the border :>). With Mrs. Titus having a new career (and the old one to fall back on for side work) and my retirement....we should be able to live well.

More to follow....
Jake

Pack Yo Shit!!!

The down-sizing continues. Over the last few weeks I talked about the "Company" down-sizing. Two "Branches" closed there doors last Thursday. As a result, people with more seniority than I have been sent out to the remaining "Branches". Subsequently I have been displaced from my "Branch" and am being sent to a "Branch" that I am not that fond of. It sucks, but there is nothing that can be done. Tomorrow is my last day at my current "Branch" and begin working at the new one on Thursday morning. It's weird having to pack all of my stuff into numerous brown file boxes and milk crates. I've had to clean out two lockers and a "cubby" in the kitchen. The carcase isn't even cold and my replacement his frothing at the mouth to move his shit in. I'll be working with a new group of people serving a district that I have had only limited dealings with over the last ten years. I'm doing my best to remain optimistic and make the most of a situation I cannot control. Life is chaotic right now. But considering everything going on across the country, I guess I'm not alone.
Jake