Nearing the end of a chapter

My time in Tennessee is newly limited. I have decided to go back to work. The firm for which I have consulted these last two years has agreed to hire me full time, on the condition that we move to Houston, TX. I accepted the job offer, and start September 30. So we have put our house up for sale, and I will drive there at the end of the month.

My lovely wife will be somewhat occupied here while our house is being marketed. Her aunt passed away a couple weeks ago, and she is the executor of her aunt's estate. There is a lot of stuff to go through in the house, so she and her friend Sue are doing just that. Sue's husband will be here this weekend, and I will join them to help as well.

We had made plans months ago to visit friends and family in Milwaukee next week, and we still intend to do that too. Boy is this September busy!!

Jumpin' Jack Flash, it's a gas gas gas.....

We are all so relieved that the price of oil is dropping a bit. And ever so thankful that gasoline is getting a bit less expensive too. But no one is asking the big question: WHY?

The news is saying that U.S. demand has dropped. That's true, but demand has been dropping significantly since May. And oil & gas are just now dropping in response??? Bull!

T. Boone Pickens' ad was running, encouraging support of alternative energy, less dependence on oil, especially foreign oil. And a few politicians were trying to get approval through for significantly increased oil exploration and drilling off the coasts of the US mainland. But all of that has fallen by the wayside since we've experienced a few dollars off the price of a barrel of oil. Wake up America!!! We are being manipulated again.

Big oil, especially OPEC, is afraid that we actually might develop alternative energy sources and make a huge dent in their flow of US dollars. The best way to cut that off at the knees is to lower the price of oil. All of a sudden, we as a nation are being swayed to drive again, use lots of gas and oil now that it's cheap again.

We need to keep up the pressure to develop those other energy sources. If we don't, this will happen again, oil will rise again, this time to well over $200 per barrel.

Things on my mind

I am contemplating going back to work. My old employer called and asked me if I was interested in helping to write a proposal. It would be something I can do from home, mostly. And just today, an engineering contract labor firm asked if I was interested in a 1-2 yr assignment in Indianapolis as a Project Manager. Both offer pretty reasonable rates of pay. I want to talk to the firm I am currently helping through a consulting agreement before I actually accept one of these positions, especially the latter.

To be candid, I am feeling a bit useless, just golfing and putzing around. My consulting work is just a couple hours per week, and really doesn't help much in terms of monthly expenses. The financial advisor told me I need to do something for the next couple years to generate some additional income, and I really don't want to be a WalMart greeter, despite the fact that I would be really good at it. Lowe's might be fun, but when I compare the pay rates ($8/hr vs. $45 to $75/hr) the consulting and working out of town sound so much better.

The bathroom is done

It has taken just around two months and about what we thought it would cost. In fact, our contractor was within 1% of what he estimated. I can't imagine being better than that.

House Painting

Our house was looking a bit drab and tired, so we decided it could use a paint job. I hired a local contractor to do the job. He came recommended, and we are quite pleased with how it all turned out, as well as how his workers accomplished their tasks. They started out by washing down the whole house with bleach water and scrub brushes. No pressure sprays to penetrate our log home with unnecessary water. Then they filled in every crack and opening between pieces of wood with caulking, and the primed spots that needed it. Finally, they painted the house a golden brown color, accentuating the logs and the wood. Trim was done in a dark green, and the ceilings of the porches were done in light blue. Supposedly, flies and other insects do not like that color, and will not hang out. Here are some pictures showing the completed work.

Almost done with the new master bath

We are waiting for the mirror and the shower enclosure, but here is what it looks like so far:

PSA Tests are important

A few weeks back, as part of my regular visits to the doctor, my blood tests came back showing a PSA reading of 4.4. It was up from right around 3 the previous year. As a result, my Doctor referred me to a Urologist for further investigation.

The Urologist did the digital exam and said the prostate seemed enlarged and smooth. But he also wanted to be sure, and wanted to perform a biopsy on it. So we scheduled that appointment. The first time, I hadn't read the prep instructions well enough and hadn't discontinued taking my daily 81 mg aspirin dose. By the next week, I was fine, and he did the procedure, which is "uncomfortable" to say the least. Today, four business days later, he called to tell me that the results were negative. I do not have prostate cancer. But I do have to get my PSA levels checked every six months from now on.

Good news.