OT 20: rotisserie roller coaster

[MexicanYarisTK]

What in the blue fuq is going on around here, you crazy bastids?

Im back in the land of the free and sleep at 9-10 and always wake up early with full of energy due to 7 hour time difference.

[MexicanYarisTK]

I've no interest in traveling anywhere in the US, except maybe Hawaii/PR.

My fantasy is to spend summers in France while saving enough money to retire and move there permanently, then spend time traveling around the rest of Europe with somewhere like Marseille as our home base. It'll never happen of course, but that's the dream.

There's areas of Europe that aren't THAT expensive. I think the hardest thing would be working through the time difference if you had a gig here. Wife and I have talked about spending a few months in Spain, maybe it'll happen at some point.

Spain is a great option. Also Malta, Croatia (especially Dubrovnik), Montenegro, Greece (even islands). Rents are also a lot cheaper than in the US as well (especially metropolitan areas like I live). Making 600 Euros a month in Greece is considered to be a little above minimum wage and people are happy that way. Most upscale restaurants cost 30-40 euros per person at most.

Any more questions about Greece, you can ask me and Wap for it.

[troyguitar]

There's areas of Europe that aren't THAT expensive. I think the hardest thing would be working through the time difference if you had a gig here. Wife and I have talked about spending a few months in Spain, maybe it'll happen at some point.

Spain is a great option. Also Malta, Croatia (especially Dubrovnik), Montenegro, Greece (even islands). Rents are also a lot cheaper than in the US as well (especially metropolitan areas like I live). Making 600 Euros a month in Greece is considered to be a little above minimum wage and people are happy that way. Most upscale restaurants cost 30-40 euros per person at most.

Any more questions about Greece, you can ask me and Wap for it.

How do you move there if you are not already a citizen?

[wap]

I've no interest in traveling anywhere in the US, except maybe Hawaii/PR.

My fantasy is to spend summers in France while saving enough money to retire and move there permanently, then spend time traveling around the rest of Europe with somewhere like Marseille as our home base. It'll never happen of course, but that's the dream.

There's areas of Europe that aren't THAT expensive. I think the hardest thing would be working through the time difference if you had a gig here. Wife and I have talked about spending a few months in Spain, maybe it'll happen at some point.

If you're thinking of Spain, you may want to consider Portugal. Similar climate, nicer people IMO, better food IMO, equally interesting history IMO, etc. but cheap, for an EU country.

[wap]

Shit, I could occupy an entire lifetime just learning languages and reading old books. I'm a nerd so I would also be down to play video games for a few hours a day. That was fun as hell as a kid. I want to learn some martial arts and fencing too. I want to learn how to weld and paint and make some cool project cars. I want to get my ass in shape to do some triathlons. I want to spend a month at the Acropolis. On and on and on...

I also want to sit on my ass and RELAX for a few hours every day.

Curious, what would you do for a whole month on the Acropolis?

[wap]

There's areas of Europe that aren't THAT expensive. I think the hardest thing would be working through the time difference if you had a gig here. Wife and I have talked about spending a few months in Spain, maybe it'll happen at some point.

Spain is a great option. Also Malta, Croatia (especially Dubrovnik), Montenegro, Greece (even islands). Rents are also a lot cheaper than in the US as well (especially metropolitan areas like I live). Making 600 Euros a month in Greece is considered to be a little above minimum wage and people are happy that way. Most upscale restaurants cost 30-40 euros per person at most.

Any more questions about Greece, you can ask me and Wap for it.

Also, Poland was mentioned before. It's a pretty cheap place to visit, with surprisingly pretty towns, good food, beer, culture, etc. However, the people tend to be a bit aloof to strangers, but no doubt comes from their history of being invaded and wiped off the map a couple times in their history. They do warm up once they get to know you a bit,

[wap]

Whelp, Mom had her surgery this morning, and apparently came through like a (90 year old) champ. I talked to her a couple times and she sounded great, though a bit loopy thanks to the morphine, lol. She got out of surgery around 1:30 pm and didn't get a room until after 8:30 pm. She had to stay in Recovery that whole time. Could be worse, I suppose. Gonna visit her tomorrow.

[MexicanYarisTK]

Spain is a great option. Also Malta, Croatia (especially Dubrovnik), Montenegro, Greece (even islands). Rents are also a lot cheaper than in the US as well (especially metropolitan areas like I live). Making 600 Euros a month in Greece is considered to be a little above minimum wage and people are happy that way. Most upscale restaurants cost 30-40 euros per person at most.

Any more questions about Greece, you can ask me and Wap for it.

Also, Poland was mentioned before. It's a pretty cheap place to visit, with surprisingly pretty towns, good food, beer, culture, etc. However, the people tend to be a bit aloof to strangers, but no doubt comes from their history of being invaded and wiped off the map a couple times in their history. They do warm up once they get to know you a bit,

and they're quite racists too against my boss and the people I met through its headquarters in Thessaloniki, they all hate albanians, pakistani's and sometimes . But thats because of their bad experience with those in particular they dealt with.

Ill never forget that one time in High school I had a black friend over and my dad came and told me if im crazy and he could've rob our house.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

There's areas of Europe that aren't THAT expensive. I think the hardest thing would be working through the time difference if you had a gig here. Wife and I have talked about spending a few months in Spain, maybe it'll happen at some point.

If you're thinking of Spain, you may want to consider Portugal. Similar climate, nicer people IMO, better food IMO, equally interesting history IMO, etc. but cheap, for an EU country.

We really want to get to Portugal too. Separate trip from Spain, maybe we'll go there first.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Whelp, Mom had her surgery this morning, and apparently came through like a (90 year old) champ. I talked to her a couple times and she sounded great, though a bit loopy thanks to the morphine, lol. She got out of surgery around 1:30 pm and didn't get a room until after 8:30 pm. She had to stay in Recovery that whole time. Could be worse, I suppose. Gonna visit her tomorrow.

Glad she pulled through like a champ! Hopefully recovery isn't too bad?

[MrH42]

Live look at Mama WAP

[wap]

If you're thinking of Spain, you may want to consider Portugal. Similar climate, nicer people IMO, better food IMO, equally interesting history IMO, etc. but cheap, for an EU country.

We really want to get to Portugal too. Separate trip from Spain, maybe we'll go there first.

Really curious what your impressions will be for both countries. Hit me up for Portugal tips, when you're ready to go.

[wap]

Whelp, Mom had her surgery this morning, and apparently came through like a (90 year old) champ. I talked to her a couple times and she sounded great, though a bit loopy thanks to the morphine, lol. She got out of surgery around 1:30 pm and didn't get a room until after 8:30 pm. She had to stay in Recovery that whole time. Could be worse, I suppose. Gonna visit her tomorrow.

Glad she pulled through like a champ! Hopefully recovery isn't too bad?

Thanks. It's going to be a long road of recovery and rehab. Probably several months. But, as she likes to say about herself, she's "a tough old broad."

[wap]

Live look at Mama WAP

Accurate.

[D Griff]

Not much here, went to Connecticut for the weekend for a little college reunion of sorts. My buddy and his wife who both went to college with me live on a small lake up there, so we mostly just chilled on the water, did a bit of hiking around, and eating/drinking a lot. It was 5/7 but I found my motivation at work today is zero. I've been really struggling of late with it. I just have zero give-a-shit about this job/company. Hopefully I can pull some motivation out of my ass tomorrow.

What's new with you?

Fly or drive?

We flew. It was a far better experience than I've had flying in a long time, basically identical to 2019 level flying plus a mask. No ass holes on the plane trying to unmask, no long wait times at TSA, all of the airport eateries appeared to be open and didn't have crazy lines (we didn't actually get anything but it looked fine). I was relieved as it's been extra shitty lately.

[D Griff]

Not much here, went to Connecticut for the weekend for a little college reunion of sorts. My buddy and his wife who both went to college with me live on a small lake up there, so we mostly just chilled on the water, did a bit of hiking around, and eating/drinking a lot. It was 5/7 but I found my motivation at work today is zero. I've been really struggling of late with it. I just have zero give-a-shit about this job/company. Hopefully I can pull some motivation out of my ass tomorrow.

What's new with you?

Sounds like a nice little trip.

Fun Story re Connecticut. My wife went to a wine tasting at her brothers house in Jersey this weekend.

Her ex boyfriend (lets call him Asswipe) has remained friends with her brother and all the guys that my wife and her brother grew up with.

What they all don't know is that while he was dating her, he cheated on her with my wife's friend (lets call her 2 bit whore).

He did wind up marrying the bitch and they settled in Connecticut.

A few weeks ago while Asswipe was golfing with my brother-in-law and the crew in Upstate New York, 2 bit Whore decided to buy a car on Facebook Marketplace. When she and her 16 year old son (lets call him Innocent Fruit of Ill Begotten Love) got to the "sellers" place, they were held up at gunpoint by 4 dudes in masks who took the $1800 in cash that she brought with her and fled the scene. They are still at large.

Moral: Karma and Comeuppance are mutherfuckers...and so are A.W. and 2.B.W. I do feel bad for I.F.o.I.B.L

5/7 story and delivery

[ChrisoftheNorth]

We really want to get to Portugal too. Separate trip from Spain, maybe we'll go there first.

Really curious what your impressions will be for both countries. Hit me up for Portugal tips, when you're ready to go.

I've been to Spain on my own and absolutely loved it. I've been told by many to check out Portugal, and it's relatively cheap overall so it'll probably be our next destination.

I'm still about int'l travel as tourists how other countries would view Muricans or if we'd even be allowed to visit and travel around. Probably sometime next year or maybe the year after?

[D Griff]

A few retirement notes from someone who who is starting to close the distance on that goal, and frankly probably SHOULD just say fuck it right now.....

1. Unless you are going to rent an apartment in Marseilles (which would be ) you need to have SOMEPLACE to live rent free/mortgage free. Slay at least one house payment and don't look back.
2. One thing you guys are pretty good at is focusing on HEALTHY hobbies like cycling. These are the retirement hobbies that will keep you ALIVE and out of the health care system.
3. Do not underestimate INSURANCE COSTS in planning your exit. You will need both medical insurance AND long term care insurance to make sure all the money you saved up doesn't get annihilated by you or your spouse getting stuck in some kind of assisted living burning 9 grand a month. Benefits matter.
4. At age 52 I am really starting to appreciate that tomorrow is promises to no man, WAY MORE, than say four years ago. The urgency to enjoy what life has to offer while I am still above ground is getting stronger by the day.
5. My kid will be in UCLA for the next 2 to 2.5 years so that makes me want to stay close to home until she's done but the chances of her staying in CA are slim and returning to the desert are NONE.
6. I have been focused on someplace else to call home in the U.S. when we really say fuck it.........but I'm not sure that's the way to go anymore. I think all the comments about renting for a few months a year someplace new are a great idea and my U.S. presence may become a Sprinter Van instead of a house.
7. Last comment is that some of you young guys might want to think about a self-directed 401(k)/IRA that would allow you to create an income producing business like a self-storage which would provide far larger retirement returns than simply whittling away at whatever block of cash you have saved up.

Having driven all over the US many times at this point, it never really gets old and there is always a ton more to see. I know we have our resident US haters here, but as far as natural beauty and diversity, our country is second to none, IMO. Other nations do offer some better cultural/historical destinations if that is more your thing.

I will definitely vouch for number 2, the olds/grandparents I've known who stay active all seem to be going stronger. Even if it's just obsessive level gardening/yardwork, moving about and staying busy keeps you alive.

I think it would be pretty neat to move back to Miami in retirement and just get a pretty small beach condo for hopefully less cash than whatever house we're coming out of at that time, so paid off house plus some extra capital. Adding a mountain cabin for summers/maybe van life vehicle storage would be pretty cool as well if financially viable.

[D Griff]

Really curious what your impressions will be for both countries. Hit me up for Portugal tips, when you're ready to go.

I've been to Spain on my own and absolutely loved it. I've been told by many to check out Portugal, and it's relatively cheap overall so it'll probably be our next destination.

I'm still about int'l travel as tourists how other countries would view Muricans or if we'd even be allowed to visit and travel around. Probably sometime next year or maybe the year after?

Iceland was by far the most approachable non-US country I've ever visited (well possibly equal to Canada outside of Quebec). It was great and I'll be back, but honestly I have any desire to leave the country again amidst this COVID shit.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Fly or drive?

We flew. It was a far better experience than I've had flying in a long time, basically identical to 2019 level flying plus a mask. No ass holes on the plane trying to unmask, no long wait times at TSA, all of the airport eateries appeared to be open and didn't have crazy lines (we didn't actually get anything but it looked fine). I was relieved as it's been extra shitty lately.

Man, you got lucky.

We had layovers in Chicago on both ends of our NYC journey, and the food options were JAMMED. Couldn't even sit anywhere really, which sucked because we had a few hours to kill on our way back and I just wanted to sit and have a few beers.

ORD is a bit of a cluster overall it seems, and unfortunately looks like it'll be my main connecting hub from TVC.

[D Griff]

Live look at Mama WAP

[ChrisoftheNorth]

I've been to Spain on my own and absolutely loved it. I've been told by many to check out Portugal, and it's relatively cheap overall so it'll probably be our next destination.

I'm still about int'l travel as tourists how other countries would view Muricans or if we'd even be allowed to visit and travel around. Probably sometime next year or maybe the year after?

Iceland was by far the most approachable non-US country I've ever visited (well possibly equal to Canada outside of Quebec). It was great and I'll be back, but honestly I have any desire to leave the country again amidst this COVID shit.

Yea, it's the COVID aspect I'm worried about. In normal times, I've had good experiences everywhere as a tourist. But with COVID and being from Murica, it just makes me nervous. More so about .gov restrictions and lockdowns and whatnot. Things can change so rapidly, I don't want to get stuck somewhere like an airport for 5 days straight.

[D Griff]

We flew. It was a far better experience than I've had flying in a long time, basically identical to 2019 level flying plus a mask. No ass holes on the plane trying to unmask, no long wait times at TSA, all of the airport eateries appeared to be open and didn't have crazy lines (we didn't actually get anything but it looked fine). I was relieved as it's been extra shitty lately.

Man, you got lucky.

We had layovers in Chicago on both ends of our NYC journey, and the food options were JAMMED. Couldn't even sit anywhere really, which sucked because we had a few hours to kill on our way back and I just wanted to sit and have a few beers.

ORD is a bit of a cluster overall it seems, and unfortunately looks like it'll be my main connecting hub from TVC.

Yep, we laid over in Boston and NYC (well EWR) to/from Iceland and it was similar. Six hours in Boston with no options but a way overpriced convenience store. Mmmm $8 Pringles.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

A few retirement notes from someone who who is starting to close the distance on that goal, and frankly probably SHOULD just say fuck it right now.....

1. Unless you are going to rent an apartment in Marseilles (which would be ) you need to have SOMEPLACE to live rent free/mortgage free. Slay at least one house payment and don't look back.
2. One thing you guys are pretty good at is focusing on HEALTHY hobbies like cycling. These are the retirement hobbies that will keep you ALIVE and out of the health care system.
3. Do not underestimate INSURANCE COSTS in planning your exit. You will need both medical insurance AND long term care insurance to make sure all the money you saved up doesn't get annihilated by you or your spouse getting stuck in some kind of assisted living burning 9 grand a month. Benefits matter.
4. At age 52 I am really starting to appreciate that tomorrow is promises to no man, WAY MORE, than say four years ago. The urgency to enjoy what life has to offer while I am still above ground is getting stronger by the day.
5. My kid will be in UCLA for the next 2 to 2.5 years so that makes me want to stay close to home until she's done but the chances of her staying in CA are slim and returning to the desert are NONE.
6. I have been focused on someplace else to call home in the U.S. when we really say fuck it.........but I'm not sure that's the way to go anymore. I think all the comments about renting for a few months a year someplace new are a great idea and my U.S. presence may become a Sprinter Van instead of a house.
7. Last comment is that some of you young guys might want to think about a self-directed 401(k)/IRA that would allow you to create an income producing business like a self-storage which would provide far larger retirement returns than simply whittling away at whatever block of cash you have saved up.

Having driven all over the US many times at this point, it never really gets old and there is always a ton more to see. I know we have our resident US haters here, but as far as natural beauty and diversity, our country is second to none, IMO. Other nations do offer some better cultural/historical destinations if that is more your thing.

I will definitely vouch for number 2, the olds/grandparents I've known who stay active all seem to be going stronger. Even if it's just obsessive level gardening/yardwork, moving about and staying busy keeps you alive.

I think it would be pretty neat to move back to Miami in retirement and just get a pretty small beach condo for hopefully less cash than whatever house we're coming out of at that time, so paid off house plus some extra capital. Adding a mountain cabin for summers/maybe van life vehicle storage would be pretty cool as well if financially viable.

See, I like the idea of keeping a mountain retreat as a homebase/storage area due to overall stability. I know everyone this, but there's a decent chance that places like Miami will be under water by the time we retire. I'd rather just visit areas that are still viable to visit rather than invest in real estate there.

[D Griff]

Having driven all over the US many times at this point, it never really gets old and there is always a ton more to see. I know we have our resident US haters here, but as far as natural beauty and diversity, our country is second to none, IMO. Other nations do offer some better cultural/historical destinations if that is more your thing.

I will definitely vouch for number 2, the olds/grandparents I've known who stay active all seem to be going stronger. Even if it's just obsessive level gardening/yardwork, moving about and staying busy keeps you alive.

I think it would be pretty neat to move back to Miami in retirement and just get a pretty small beach condo for hopefully less cash than whatever house we're coming out of at that time, so paid off house plus some extra capital. Adding a mountain cabin for summers/maybe van life vehicle storage would be pretty cool as well if financially viable.

See, I like the idea of keeping a mountain retreat as a homebase/storage area due to overall stability. I know everyone this, but there's a decent chance that places like Miami will be under water by the time we retire. I'd rather just visit areas that are still viable to visit rather than invest in real estate there.

Yeah it's not something I would buy prior to retirement I don't think, but it would be easy to sell a house in Charlotte and get a condo down there for the same or less cash, so I could see doing that. I think living in an urban environment would be fun and you could just choose a cool one and go. Even if its somewhere with expensive real estate, presumably a condo would be viable as a 'straight swap' from a larger house in another major city.