Analyzing the Possibility and the Advantages of Homelessness

Being that rents, mortgages and HOA fees are so ridiculously high, homelessness has become an option for many here in San Diego.  The average rent as of June 2015 is $1,514.  Middle class families are forced to move out of rentals and purchase, which is driving up home prices.  Although, apartment complexes are being built, it could take many years for the home market and rents to drop again.

After speaking with some active duty Sailors that work with me, I have found out that some of them are indeed homeless and are bouncing around on people's couches.  Make no mistake, these guys are still collecting BAH which is the basic allowance for housing, yet they want to pocket that money or pay for a home in a remote location which makes it unfeasible to drive to and from work.  After contemplating this option myself, I have opted not to.  It would be rather simple to just live in my car and shower at work, eat at the galley for breakfast, lunch and dinner for less than $8 a day.  It's quite enticing if you put the numbers together.  The savings are exponential.  A major question I would have for myself would be what I would do with all the extra time?  Would I hang out at the beach all day?  Where would I sleep?  A rental solves that issue since I have a bed, wireless internet, laptop and cable TV to keep me company.  But I've always wondered can I do without it?  Can't I just sleep in my car and read books at the public library to kill time?  Doing things like dating and going to bars is out of the question for me for I pay child support which consumes a big chunk of my pay.  The money I have left is better utilized for food and other basic necessities in order to survive.  So would I do it? 

No. 

Because after speaking with the Sailors actually living on the streets are extremely unhappy with their lives and their current situation.  They tend to be embarrassed to explain what they did on the weekend or end up finding 2nd employment. 

Observances of my years while active duty.

The 20 year mark in the military marks a milestone for the incredibly small percentage of folks that actually stay in for that long.  In less than four years, I'll reach that milestone and it makes me a little bit nervous.  I joined during a period of time when no one used cellphones.  E-mail was rudimentary.  We were using Windows 98.  I can recall vividly when bell-bottoms were worn and I stood watch during the whole Y2K scare where all electronic devices were supposed to fizzle out when the clock stroke midnight when the clocks changed to the year 2000.  The Clinton years were the good times, no one thought about war, the only major thing going on was the BRAC (base realignment).  Bases were getting shut down everywhere.  I remember being in biomed school when 9/11 happened.  The break-room was eerily silent as the second plane hit the second world trade center.  The angry faces of all my fellow Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen as they stared at the television while the events were unraveling had been permanently etched in my mind.  When I checked into Lemoore, I remember President Bush declaring war and sending troops to Iraq.  Some of my fellow friends and Shipmates were sent there and they came back with stories of taking down the statue of Saddam Hussein.  I got married.  I went to more school.  I got stationed half a world away with a weird and quirky culture, Japan.  I was sent to Kuwait.  I traveled some more and got stationed in DC.  I even deployed to Africa and Afghanistan.  Almost got killed several times in my epic journeys.  In some instances, I almost shit my pants but I'm not even allowed to talk about it.  I even honorably served with the President of the United States which was a very humbling experience that made me respect our government even more.    With numerous deployments and absences, I contributed to Navy statistics, I was ultimately betrayed and I got divorced.  The marriage produced two kids who are fantastic little people.  I'm now serving my last and final tour.  Getting closer and closer to retirement.  I've grown from past experience not to trust anyone.  I'm prepping myself for the worst.  Paying off all my debts, saving for 2 years of unemployment and completing my Bachelors in Applied Science.  The life of this Sailor has been filled with death-defying adventure, constant relocation and intense loneliness.  But do I regret joining the U.S. Navy?  Hell no!  All of the above is part of the package.  I look forward towards the next chapter of my life, the civilian life.  I am older, more mature, and disenchanted with love.  I have been trained by the best and I can't wait to move on.  It feels as though as an American, I live to work rather than live to live because living is so mundane while working with people to achieve a common goal is so damned satisfying.

The Lone Sailor Statue which ironically and unexpectedly defines my current life in the Navy.

Awesome Things to do with Kids in San Diego

You can read a million articles online about what there is to do in San Diego.  I have made it my life's mission to find cool and unique things to do that you and your kids will surely enjoy.  With this blog article being a LIVING post, I'll update it as often as possible as I discover new things!  Unlike other posts about family events, I'll clue you in on the parking situation as well, because parking is a premium in San Diego!

1.  Bring your family on a bicycle ride around Coronado Island.  As soon as you cross the Coronado Island bridge, take the first right and another right into the park.  From there, find parking and off load your bikes and go for a bike ride around this island!  There is a long paved road for bikes to travel around this island.  There's free parking if you make two rights right after crossing the bridge.  I've never had trouble finding parking here.

2.  Get an annual pass to the San Diego Zoo!  There are unique events going on throughout the year and having an annual pass gives you a chance to see all the animals up close which is something you cannot do if you just visit the zoo once or twice.  The tigers and monkeys are active during different times.  After visiting the zoo many different times, the tiger only came out for up-close viewing once.
**In the summertime, the San Diego Zoo does Night-time Zoo!  This is truly a unique experience where you get to see animals that are usually asleep during the day roam and prowl around at night.  The kids and I got to hear the lion roar and the kids were terrified.  The predators are active during this time and with spotty lighting, it can be scary for little ones.  There is a huge parking lot here.

3.  Take your family to the beach!  San Diego has several different beaches.  Some have cliffs, some have shallow areas full of wild life and some are completely flat and some are lit up at night. 

• Mission Beach - This beach is lit up at night and is near a carnival.  The carnival, a.k.a. Belmont Park, has a wooden roller coaster, arcade, carnival games and plenty of rides.
• Coronado Beach - This is the only beach in the world with gold flakey sand.  It is not real gold, it is mica which has no real value, but it is really nice to bring the kids to.  It is long, flat and wet which make it a runners sanctuary and sand castle builder's dream.
• Sunset Cliffs - This is off the end of Interstate 8.  It leads directly into the Sunset Cliffs before you get to Point Loma.  There are a lot of surfers and spectacular views.  The edge may be a bit scary for those afraid of heights.  Keep your kids on a short leash.
• Point Loma Tide Pool - After paying the $5 entrance fee, you can see wild sea creatures at the tide pool.  This area is protected by the Department of Agriculture and you can be fined for taking anything you find there including sea shells.  Some of the shells here are perfect for hermit crabs and on occasion, you may see one.  Kids really enjoy this one-on-one experience and beautiful views of the ocean.

4.  Visit "The Living Coast".  This is an interactive aquarium with a sting ray petting area, shark tank, eagles, etc.  They have animal feedings about 4 times a day which draw large crowds.  There's also a trail that leads out to the bay with the ruins of the old gunpowder plant and overgrown railroad tracks.  Parking is free and there is a free shuttle from the parking lot to the nature center.

5.  Go Cruising around Downtown San Diego.  This is rather an inexpensive journey.  From Petco Park to Adams Avenue, there's plenty to see, cool things to discover.  Small businesses thrive here.  Cupcake stores to costume shops.  You never know what you'll find unless you go out and explore.  Kids will awe in amazement with the city skyscrapers of downtown and the beautiful treed landscape while cruising through Balboa Park.

6.  Friday Night Liberty @ NTC at Liberty Station.  Every first Friday of the Month between 5-9 pm the art galleries are no cost.   There are live performances and art studios for kids.  It's also a beautiful place to visit outside of Balboa Park.  Lots of open room, parks and plenty of parking.  www.ntclibertystation.com

7.  The Cat Café.  This idea came from cat cafes in Japan where you can just sip coffee (hot chocolate or whatever) and play with cats.  The price of admission is the cost of a cup of coffee; just buy a cup and they'll let you in.  On crowded days, they let people in in 30 minute intervals and on slower days, you have plenty of time to enjoy the cats.  All the cats are up for adoption.  The cats are not always active so just let them be cats and take all the pictures you want.  Parking in downtown can be pretty hairy so I just park in the south end of Horton Plaza parking structure and get my ticket validated inside to score 3 hours of free parking at the cost of buying candy or something in Horton Plaza.  http://www.catcafesd.com/ 

The FAB FAIR

This year's San Diego County Fair was themed The FAB FAIR which honored the old pop band, The Beatles.  Right before you step in, you'll see the yellow submarine and a museum on the right.  It was pretty fun.  The fair is split into two sides, the adult side and the kid side.  We did both to maximize the fun!

 

 

 

Homecoming Zero Dark Thirty

Soco is back from her six month deployment in Afghanistan!  The girls were so happy to see their mom.  I'm very glad that she made it out okay and a little bit richer.  Being stationed with the Marines is probably the best experience that she has ever had and this deployment was very good for her.

This guy paid off $74K in student loans in 2 years. How he did it.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/17-tips-quickly-paying-down-191300858.html

My Job is to Make Things Better

Red tape makes everything worse.  Incompetence makes things even more worse.  I have found out through trial and error that our average turnaround time for broken equipment is roughly 2 1/2 months.  And no one even notices that this is a concern!  The red tape involved using checks and balances have made ordering parts a nightmare and the recent budget cuts are not helping any.  Of course, high priority items get taken care of within days, but if you have something rather routine forget about it.  So I have made it my duty... my purpose in life in the next year or so to make things better.  Given my past knowledge of how a shop works elsewhere from five different hospitals, have given me vision to spot out all the bottlenecks in our process.  Gee... sometimes I wish I was a commissioned officer because it seems like I think like one.  I'm pretty sure that I have this problem solved so that our turnaround time can turn from months to weeks or even days.  Challenge accepted.

Also, here is a recent video taken by me showing Vicky going across the monkey bars.

Trading in for a newer car.

When trading in your old car for a new one and when they say that they retain a high resale value, ask them to prove it. - Exion H.

The Best Time to Buy Everything

Everything is on a rotational schedule of when they go on sale.  Follow this link:  Monthly Sales Breakdown <-----save afford="" big="" can="" if="" it="" money="" nbsp="" off="" p="" pay="" then="" time="" to="" wait="" will="" you="">

How to Drive a Prius V Three

A 2012-2013 Prius V Three is equipped with cruise control, navigation and backup camera.  I would like to first start off saying that this car is really easy to drive.  But to get the best gas mileage, there are certain techniques that you must adhere to.  I'm not here to tell you how to drive for the best gas mileage because you can find that all over the internet!  I'm going to tell you how to drive it for max performance + max fuel economy.

Now you see next to the steering wheel, there is the shifter knob that takes the car into four modes, "Brake", "Neutral", "Reverse", and "Drive".  The shifter is spring loaded to default into it's parked position which is nothing.  All of these have a very specific function and you can shift into neutral, brake and drive while the car is in motion.  When you know that you need to slow down, drop the shifter into "brake" mode.  It won't put the full force of your brakes, but it'll create resistance which will charge your batteries faster than if you were to completely take your foot off the gas pedal.  Very lightly tapping the gas pedal, puts you into a "coasting" mode which your car is neither charging the batteries or using any energy.  This is what you should be doing most of the time while your car is in motion. 

The car is very aerodynamic and very heavy so that coasting is easily done.  Even while going on a slight uphill with inertia... 

On freeways, keep a two or three car distance so that you may plan to use the "brake" mode if you need to.  Notice that brake mode will charge 2 or 3 bars depending on environmental conditions.  Letting go of the gas pedal will always charge to 1 bar.  But be careful of using the shift brake if there is someone following you.  Your brake lights will not come on while shift braking!

Driving while using cruise control takes all the guess work out of brake mode or depressing the gas pedal on drive mode.  It does all the calculations for you.  It will even use the engine brake and will increase the engine resistance to maintain your speed on down hill slopes.  Most of the time, using cruise control will provide better gas mileage than if you drive yourself because maintaining constant speed throughout your trip enhances fuel economy.

Keeping the car in PWR mode will deplete your battery while powering up steep hills.  It is useful, but avoid keeping it there.  If your battery is depleted, your car will automatically charge the battery back up.  It will do it better and faster if you utilize cruise control and you won't even notice it.

Turn off your AC while going uphills.  Your car will need all the horsepower it can get.  And keep your windows rolled up.  Speeds in excess of 45 mph with the windows rolled down negates the aerodynamics and kills fuel economy.  AC doesn't use much power if you keep your car in ECO mode.  In PWR mode, AC will deplete your battery faster but blow much cooler.

Learn how to drive in PWR + EV mode in the city.  While in PWR mode, the Prius accelerates faster and you also have the convenience of locking in EV mode while in PWR mode so that your gasoline engine does not kick on.  But if you accelerate too hard, the gasoline engine will almost always come one.  If you learn how to manipulate your gas pedal just right, you can accelerate quickly while in EV mode without having the gasoline motor come on.  Of course, your battery depletes much faster, but if you come up to a cruising speed much quicker and when you know a stop is coming up, you can recharge your batteries if you plan it far in advance so that you don't use gasoline at all for short trips.

From what I notice from my trips.  Over 5,000 miles of experimenting here are my results.  Cruising speed: 79 mph = 38-40 avg mpg, 70 mph = 40-42 avg mpg, 55- 60 mph = 42-47.7 avg mpg

If you can think of anything else, let me know!  Thanks for reading and I hope this helps you drive better.  

What it is like leading your own non-profit organization.

A few years ago, I had an awesome idea about cleaning and maintaining forest trails.  The trails in Southern California, especially those near urban areas are littered with garbage which was too much for any official organization such as the Forest Service or city park authorities to keep up with, so I started my own non-profit organization called the Trails Preservation Volunteer Group to help offset the balance between polluting citizens/graffiti artists and cleanup crews.

So far, I've led over 25 meetups and along the way, I have met some awesome people who are passionate about forests, streams and mountains as I was.  The experience is truly rewarding and I would recommend volunteering for anyone who have spare time.  In the past two years alone, my teams have removed over 200 tons of refuse and covered 2 square miles of graffiti.  And I'm very proud that I'm making a difference!  Try it yourself.

Charging a Plug In Hybrid with Bicycle Power Generator

I was crunching numbers and trying to figure out how much distance you would get from 20 minutes of cycling charging a Prius if a Prius was to run on battery power alone.  From a fit person, they would generate approximately 275 watts of power if a stationary bike was connected to a generator charging up a battery for 20 minutes.  That translates to 0.09075 kWh.   A Prius requires 5kWH to go 30 miles which translates to 166.7 watt hour per mile.  A person would have to pedal 121 minutes to go one mile.  5,280 feet in a mile, so every minute of pedaling can take you 43 feet.  So 20 minutes of pedaling will get you 860 feet in a Prius.  Or in terms of mileage, 0.16 miles.  Cool huh?  If my math is wrong, let me know.

 

Week 3 Post Surgery

The itchiness and the redness finally went away.  I put my sling back on and got into the habit of wearing it again.  A buddy of mine who got the same type of surgery told me that because he didn't utilize his sling post surgery, he is never able to reach his back.  That statement got me thinking.  I decided to put it back on again for my sake.  So far, I've had two physical therapy appointments and basically, my treatment plan is to do nothing.  No rehab, no stretching, no lifting, nothing!  6 weeks post surgery is when the pain will commence.  All they did in the meantime is just have me relax on a table, relax my muscles and they moved my arm around.  I also got put on this ice compression machine for 15 minutes.  After a while, it felt like I was getting stabbed and my stitches were coming out.  It sort of hurts.  So never again, I hope.

2 Weeks After AC Separation Surgery

Today, I got to see the ortho-surgeon for my post operative surgery appointment. I took four x-rays and it shows that everything is back in alignment. He snipped off some stitches that were sticking out and offered to put the steri-strips back on. I kindly declined due to the irritation on my skin.
He told me that I needed to wear my sling for up to 6 weeks. To be honest, I only needed it for the first two days. After that, I've been rehabilitating myself without one. The first two days really sucked. I was taking oxycodone which was making me nauseous. I didn't eat very much for 3 days after the surgery and I needed to take fiber supplements so that I could have a bowel movement.

Even though, I was prescribed enough pain meds for 10 days, I was only able to take them for 3 days until I called it quits.  Many people say that narcotics are addicting, but I couldn't wait to wean myself off of it!  Well rather than wean myself off as planned, I just forgot to take them and I didn't take them since. It just shows how bad my memory is.  Anyways...

Overall, I'm getting better.

The 2013 Prius V

So right after my surgery (while my right arm was still numb and while I was high on narcotics), I did the sensible thing and decided to stop by a Toyota dealership in San Diego. I was wanting to trade in my aging RAV4 due to reliability issues and a myriad of flaws due to being a high mileage vehicle.

I have had this for two weeks now and I'm actually liking it. The amount of gasoline that I save is really surprising. My visits to the gas station has been drastically reduced from 4 visits a week to 1. The car gets almost 400 miles to a tank! I am very pleased. So far, I've only been to the gas station twice since I've owned it.

I paid $25,000 for it because it is a used vehicle. It had just over 19k miles on it which is high for a 2013, however for the cost of this vehicle, I got the technology package which comes with navigation, backup camera, keyless entry/ignition, Bing, Pandora and a bunch of other things that I haven't even discovered yet. The windows came tinted which was what I was going to do anyways. So coming with that saved me time and money. Being a prior leased vehicle, it came with hubcaps to protect the aluminum wheels that came with the car. Cool huh?

So how much did I trade in the 9 year old RAV4 for? $8,000! Wow. How could I say no to that. Well, I was originally wanting $9k for it and Mazda was prepared to give me that. However, when I came back to the dealer to turn in the spare key to the RAV, I found out that my salesman was "relieved" (maybe fired???) the next day.

Grade III AC Separation

 

 

This is what my shoulder looked like before surgery. I had a Grade III AC Separation caused by a mountain biking accident. The doctors told me that it would heal and that I should be fine after that, but after almost a year of having this, it was still painful to have so I had surgery done to it.

Shoulder Surgery Pre-Op

It has been a busy week for me since I'm trying to wrap up all my work before my surgery. I'll be getting my right shoulder reconstructed due to a Grade III AC Separation that was due to a mountain biking accident I had in May of last year. My surgeon asked me why I waited this long to get seen because usually people have surgery shortly after their accidents. I just explained to him that I was in a middle of a PCS move from Camp Pendleton to the Naval hospital. To get a consult takes weeks and months. The bureaucratic red tape is a giant hindrance and a big pain in the butt which pretty much explains everything. From my experience, NEVER ever ask your surgeon what he is going to do to you because the gruesome details just might scare the living shit out of you.

Vicky's 6th Birthday

Instead of a birthday party filled with BBQ, bouncing castles, birthday gifts, and piñatas.  I have decided to make a move to a non-financially devastating move to implore exciting alternatives that lasted a whole weekend.  The San Diego Zoo, Babycakes (cupcake restaurant), John's Incredible Pizza and road trip' in all over the place.  Here we go, enjoy the video.  Music credits go to: Cash Cash - Take Me Home.

Another Eureka Moment Again...

I just had another eureka moment again after watching "Jobs".   That movie was very good and it was about Steve Jobs and his life as a jerk with humble beginnings.

So my eureka moment?  Yes, hit me up if you have about 2 million dollars, I have a cool idea that will completely change the world and it is definitely something that can make you and your offspring retire forever.... til the end of time.  So just e-mail me so we can discuss this.  And no, I'm not building a computer.  But I do need to incorporate to execute this business plan so that "we" can protect our assets.  It is a product that is internet proof and cannot be copied by anyone else which makes it even more plausible.  My idea will cost $100,000 to be paid back in full once I reach net positive with your investment in R&D, real estate and in the company with me running the whole operation just like Jobs did.  If I receive no responses within two years before I retire, I'll post my idea on Kickstarter and you "the multi-millionaire" will never be a billionaire.

North Park Park

 

In the heart of North Park is the community park.  The North Park Park!  It is just a few walkable blocks away from my house and the kids love it.  There is sand and lots of activities for your imaginative little ones.  Hidden and scattered throughout the park are 100 frogs waiting to be found. 

Celebrity Power

With thousands and thousands of views on this blog, sometimes I wonder if some of the views are coming from people I know.  It is interesting that once, because I used to post a ton of information about Japan, this blog has gotten me backstage to an Everclear concert.  Someone who recognized who I was, instantly invited me to come backstage.  I got pictures with the band and had a 10 minute chit-chat with lead singer.  This blog has almost gotten me in trouble in the past and got me fired from a job and it's brief removal has also caused some turmoil during my breakup in marriage as well.  To add on to that, I know the government is monitoring this site to see if I make any slipups concerning OPSEC and such. 

I wouldn't call myself a celebrity, because to be considered that, you must have millions of adoring fans.   I'm a normal person just like most of you.  And to all of you who continuously check on this site, I sincerely thank you.  Although, I know that blogging on here is a complete waste of my time and that I get no money from it what-so-ever, I hope this site remains to be somewhat relevant to others.

Since I started Blogging, I have joined a social media thing that you may all know of called Facebook.  It is fascinating and addicting and people can easily be hooked on clicking on pictures and links and stuff.  I have recently came in the realization that it is like a drug and before you know it, you end up spending hours on it.  Hours that I could've spent on doing something more productive, especially since posting on Facebook only reaches a close circle of friends.  Through Blogger, I can reach 7 billion people without much effort.  Now that's powerful.

P.S.  If this is your first time visiting this site then, welcome!  Take off your hat and stay a while.  Click on the time line to the right to view the chronological postings of my insane adventures.

Overlooking the 805 on Adams

Most Fascinating Person on the Planet

One of my friends posted on their Facebook: "If you could sit on a bench and have a conversation with someone living or dead, who would it be?"

For me, it is simple.  Michio Kaku is my pick.  I like how he breaks quantum physics down into lay terms.

Here is the link to how to reverse aging without drugs or creams and stuff.

http://bigthink.com/ideas/how-to-reverse-aging-2

This Guy Nailed It

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/retiring-27-ambitious-lazy-crazy-140000847.html

Read the article above.  My life would have been drastically different if I hadn't decided to join the military to serve my country.  Entrepreneurship run in my veins and being constantly deployed, getting married, having kids and transferring to new locations have always held me down.  Maybe God decided that my talents serve a purpose for the greater good and that I shall be rewarded in the end.  I can only hope.  Realistically though, if I had decided to go to school instead of the Navy, I had already made a conscious decision to become a chiropractor.  I had the school picked out and everything.  Yeah, life would've been different.

Recently, I had an eureka moment (again).  My never ending quest for process improvement has led me to finding shortcuts.  When I was handed over two jobs from two different people who were leaving, I was short on time.  Doing reports take hours and hours to do. I figured out how to do something that used to take 6 to 8 hours and brought it down to ten minutes by schooling myself on mathematics and spreadsheet formulas.  Now my secret?  Haha.  No way. 

Being lazy is always a good thing.

Avoid Crowds, Save Time. Save Time, Save Money.

I hate crowds.  I'm not a people person and I hate waiting in line.  I feel as though my time is not being maximized and if I know there is a place with long lines, I avoid it like the plague.  Here are TEN tips that have gotten me living in the fastest lane at all times.

Kids showing off what they like at the San Diego Zoo.

1. Do the opposite of what everyone else is doing.
• If it is NFL season, just know when people are watching football.
• Nice sunny day?  Everyone is probably headed to the beach.  Wait for an overcast day and dress appropriately.  Ample free parking and plenty of room to spread out and plenty of seashells to pickup.
2. Get a car where the gas door is on the passenger side.  Usually that side of the pump is clear so you never have to worry about lines at the pump.
3. Shop online.  This is obvious, but after a while it is nice to get some sunshine and walk around.
4. Drive in the slow lane when the freeway is jammed.  It moves at a steady pace because everyone is usually trying to move into the passing lanes.
5. Do your chores early.  Go grocery store shopping and get your gasoline early in the morning right before the rush.
6. If you go to the movie theatre, watch movies that have been out a week or two.  You get really good seating that way.
7. Avoid eating out.  Bring food and picnic at a place of your choosing.  It is more relaxing and stress-free.
8. If eating out, eat a late lunch 2-3 p.m. or early dinner between 4-5 p.m.  People tend to not eat between these times and table service is much better.
9. Barbershops are empty on Friday nights on a military base.  Everyone usually waits until Sunday afternoon-evening.
10. Before traveling anywhere, check Google Maps prior to leaving your house to see the latest traffic conditions and avoid accidents on your route.  This is where five minutes can save you hours of headache!

At the Pier

10 Reasons Why Dads make better Parents.

Being that have no reason to fear any repercussions from anyone, I do firmly believe that Dads make better parents.  Why you ask?

1. Dads let kids fight each other.
• It teaches them how to win and how to deal with losing.
2. Dads play rough.
• The outside world is tough.  Dads are tougher.
3. Dads don't care how the kids are dressed or keeping up with the neighbors.
4. Dads love to eat meat.  Lots of it.
• Grilled steak, sloppy joe, hotdogs, hamburgers....  Yum.  Kids aren't meant to eat like deer.
5. Dads watch shows like the Discovery Channel and How Things Work.
• Talk shows are a complete waste of time.
6. LEGOS.
7. Dads are not afraid of bugs. 
• What if your kid is learning to be an entomologist?
8. Dads can go anywhere, anytime, do anything, anywhere and has the strength to do more without reserve.
9. Dads understand mechanics and can answer the daily barrage of questions pertaining to engineering and why things work and why things are the way they are.
10. And lastly, Dads do it better.
• Reading a book for naptime.
• Cuddling
• Walking around the mall with kids hanging on all limbs

Moms are good to, however, I'm having a really hard time trying to come up with number one.

Review of 2013

 

This post marks my review of 2013, solely based on my point of view.  Anyways, with a blog with over 100,000 hits, I hope I can make a difference in someone else's life in what I'm about to say.


Safe and Sound magisto-movie from IncrediblyX on Vimeo.


Last year has had it's ups and downs being that I have been divorced for a couple of years makes it alright.  Being alone has given me much clarity and given me the gift of non-attachment that a single person would enjoy.  I am however, becoming increasingly aware that I'll be retiring in four years and that priorities like advancing at my job has taken a backseat while prepping for the world without a guaranteed paycheck have certainly become a precedence.  Preparing for retirement has suddenly turned into a short-term goal instead of long-term.  Wisdom and things I have learned and learned again:

• It is cheaper to purchase a brand new convertible and dump it a year later than it is to rent one for a year straight.
• Do the math: I paid $27K... okay, okay honestly I paid $30K (taxes, everything), sold it for $22,500.  Now on the other hand, renting one if you can even find one (color, specs to your liking) is $1,200 a month and multiply that by 12 and you pay $14,400 not counting insurance, etc.
• Selling a car is twice as hard as buying one if you're trying to get the most out of your money.
• A house is a money-pit.  There are always problems that are....for the lack of better terms...."expensive".
• Air conditioning?  - $500 cha-ching
• Broken Sprinklers? - I dunno, because I didn't fix it.
• Broken dishwasher? - I dunno, because I washed all my dishes by hand
• Dishwasher not routed correctly?
• Grass is dying....  weeds are taking over.
• Broken this.
• Broken that.
• The list goes on and on and on and on and on
• However, I did fix a ton of stuff myself with my incredible man skills and learned a few things or two.... or three.... or twenty
• All-in-all like a new born baby, a house requires constant attention
• If you are active-duty military, do not.  I repeat, DO NOT buy a home mostly because you're NOT going to live in it for long.
• Instead, my short-term strategy is to save up my money, live in super low-rent housing (or 10 roommates) and put down a good down payment on a franchise or something when I retire.  While the risks are high, the potential for making money via entrepreneurship is much greater and much faster.  Spending my entire life savings on a house to earn a mere $12K a year or less via renting it out while paying my own rent elsewhere does not make economic sense.  Neither does flipping a house that has gone up in value since a good amount of profit goes to taxes, seller fees, etc. anyways.  Think bigger.  If your investment doesn't earn you $10K or more a month, don't waste your time.  Save money for something bigger and invest wiser.
• Remember, the only winners are the realtors, the bank and the government.
• It is better to save enough to pay off a home with cash so that most of your earnings isn't spent on mortgage interest.
• Mortgage is a tax deduction you say?  Yes, but just a small percentage of it actually comes back to you.  Do the math.  I used to be a volunteer income tax assistant for the IRS.  I know taxes.  The government is not stupid.
• Do not buy a house that is not in a renters market if you plan to rent out your home.  Do your research.  Check to see if there are any colleges or universities nearby.  Is it within 5 miles of a military base?
• Temecula, CA is a good example.  Lots of homes for rent, no renters.  Job outlook in the area is awful, everyone commutes a long distance which is clearly evidenced by the horrendous traffic patterns along the interstate leading into and out of the city.  The current trend is that hundreds of people are buying homes to rent out which is flooding the market with empty rentals and driving rent prices lower than mortgage payments.
• Do not listen to a realtor.  It's their job to sell you a home and will feed you false information with a smile.
• Money = Happiness.  Money buys things, services if you're too lazy or busy to do it yourself, and best of all, great memories.
• Have you ever seen a sad person driving a convertible, on a jet ski, with an annual pass at Disneyland, or writing a million dollar check to "Name your Charity" Foundation???   No.
• Money makes the world go round.  Not, "Likes" on your Facebook page or purchasing expensive things that goes towards something else.  Make a real difference by getting rich and go do something that would make a global impact.
• Keep your inbox empty.
• The less there is to stress about, the easier your life will be.
• Do not plan to live anywhere for any lengthy amount of time.
• When I retire at age 38, I plan on moving where I can get a job.  Once I have established that, I can plan on bigger things like finding my goldmine.  Purchasing a home will never be a priority... until I have found my goldmine.
• Kids are going to take care of you, so take care of them.
• Do your best to educate them and don't spoil them.
• It is proven that people who grew up in tough, crappy situations end up becoming the most successful in life.  If you don't believe me, then Google it.  I'm tired of hearing how people who have been pampered all their lives do not know how to perform basic things or lack basic survival instincts.
• Life is a Game.
• Your opponent is time.  You only have a limited amount of turns before you die.  Your success is dependent upon some very vital things:
• How happy you are.
• How much education you have achieved.
• When everything starts to make sense in the "big" picture and when everyone's pitiful gripes start to sound annoying because you are too smart, you have achieved a good amount of education.
• Does this education make you more successful?
• How much money you have earned.
• Did you procreate?
• Did you teach your offspring how to survive in the real world?
• You can afford the basics:
• Sufficient Shelter
• Good Food
• Reliable Transportation
• Stylish Clothes
• Fun
• Have you saved enough money to live comfortably for 12 months with no income?
• Are you making a difference in your community?  To the world?
• What have you done to immortalize yourself?
• If you can't think of a good way, think again.  Try to write to your Congressman to make sweeping changes to policy.
• One example which happened several years ago, I have written a complaint to my Congressman who was the head of the Armed Services Committee about the unfairness of people with degrees getting paid the same as people without higher education in the U.S. Navy.  And guess what?  Degrees are now a part of the Navy's advancement system.  Cool huh?
• Go ahead, be fearless.  Do things as if you're going to die tomorrow.  Chances are, you're not going to die tomorrow.
• Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane was probably the craziest thing I did last year.  But it was totally worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat if I could afford it.
• You have total control of your destiny.  Don't take no for an answer and be brutally honest even if it is going to hurt someone's feelings.  Leadership 101, son.
• Do not feed your kids any sweets.  Dental work is expensive, even with insurance.  That bag of Skittles just cost you $500 in cavity fillings!  Don't do it.
• Do not believe everything that you read on the internet.  Trust your gut, if it sounds like bad advice, it probably is.
• Don't buy organic.  Why?  Are you trying to live to be a hundred?  Organic foods expire faster and taste weird.
• Sleep as much as you can.  It feels good to sleep early and wakeup naturally.  You're more focused throughout the day and you don't need to waste your money on energy drinks and coffee.
• If you don't have a gun, get one.  It is always good to prepare yourself for the worst in case of a total shutdown in society.  Amongst chaos, bullets speak louder than coin when it comes to getting basic needs like water in case of the apocalypse.
• Learn from other people's mistakes and don't trust other people's advice without verification.

Okay, this is not advice.  This is just me sharing what I have learned and relearned this year based off of this year's experiences and life lessons.  It may sound like I'm ranting, but it is me just typing out exactly what is in my head. 

Ending this post with last years, Camaro Cruise which pretty much was the turning point of last year for me.  2013's Motto: "Fear nothing.  Do everything."

Borrego Springs Cruise 2013 from IncrediblyX on Vimeo.

A day visit to the SD Zoo

I got an annual Koala Pass for the girls which gives me access to both the World Famous San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park.

Visiting San Diego Museum of Natural History

Pictures of today's adventures!