Sabbatical

[FC]

I'm thinking I'm going to go into semi-retirement/ sabbatical for a while. I'll still manage and move things, but I need to focus on things that directly affect my career and family. Well, I'm a little burned out too from working non-stop on the site since August, 2002.

I also am weary from dealing with the drama of human interaction from my employees and my daughters, and don't want to add more to it from wranglings online.

I'll still be looking in regularly, but I feel the need to power down a bit. I'm not the board- you all are. I just oversee the shop. I'm just getting stretched too thin emotionally and time-wise.

[karlunity]

FC.

 

If you need an Ear, you have my E-mail.

Feel free to drop a line.

 

karl

[FC]

Okie doke.

Just not enough of me to do all the stuff people say I need to do. Now I'm being told I HAVE to have a master's degree. Don't want to do it, but I need to do it. Plus, a bunch of Army professional military courses.

[Guest Guest_z1r_*]

Tony,

 

If it helps any, I too am faced with the realization that all the things I am involved in may have become too much. At least for now. Sometimes things have to take a back burner for a while. We all need to prioritize. It is the key to happiness & success. Family and homelife have to come first and that includes providing for them.

 

I start a new job next Monday. I left a very cushy job because quite simply I need to earn more to buy a house. No more surfing the web during the day and I'll be busting my A$$ but in the end it what I must do, for now anyway.

 

Not to say you won't be missed but I'm sure your creation will make do without you for a while. Don't worry about the arguements here too much. They will sort themselves out.

[Guest Uncle Rudyard]

If you ain't here "Gaseous One".....who shall "wipe our asses and kick our noses"?.....or the other way around.......karl is.....well no way of getting around it....a Marine, and you KNOW how he gets, Fritz don't like me, the rest don't know me, I shall be at loose ends and will get into mischief.......

 

 

... like the "KING" used to say before busting a gut trying to pinch off a big ol "Clinton"....TCOB

this place is only an illusion anyway.

Uncle Rudyard AKA "Tye"

[karlunity]

HAVE to have a master's degree

 

FC

 

This is a good thing.

If you leave the Army and have an Masters in administration, it will pay for itself.

See if you can do it "online" on the internet...check"The University of Phoenix."

Find out how long you have and pace yourself.

 

As for the kids, teenagers are ALWAYS a pain in the butt, but leave the girls to the wife to handle.

We are good with boys, the ladies are good with girls.

 

karl

 

.......karl is.....well no way of getting around it....a Marine, and you KNOW how he gets,

 

 

Hey..I resemble that remark..I karl, am perfect..modest too. : )

 

 

karl

[FC]

Teenage girls- a whole 'nuther story. Well, only one is a teen, the other two are on their way.

 

Tye, you can be the cruel and unusual punisher.

 

I have to stay active duty. The wife pointed out that I made more than I thought, and my pay would be cut in half if I go back to the reserves.

 

I was informed of some unpleasant possibilities for moves that will happen, not next summer, but this winter. Not one thing I requested. Crud, maybe Iraq would be a better choice, maybe with a follow-on to here or San Antonio so the wife can finish her degree.

 

Like I said, I'll look in on the joint. Somebody else will have to do the yacking.

 

Z, you gotta do what you gotta do.

[rwims]

Good luck FC, you have my sympathy in raising your girls. Do a Karl suggested, see if you can find an acredited school that offers what you need online. Some schools have programs that will give you credit towards your degree for work experience, check that out too, it could shorten your class time. Don't worry about us we'll survive. It'll be tough but take care of your family first.

 

rwims

[karlunity]

Iraq would be a better choice,

 

FC.

 

As far as Iraq, I would say that, yes, you should go back and do your best IF you get orders to go.But we are both pass the age to go looking for a firefight ..been there done that.

Plus, you have a new wife to consider.

 

You are not alone in professional BS.

I was informed that I had to take 72 hours of training for a certificate, that it turns out I had,

but the school let expire. You three years to complete it....I am going to take the three years. : )

 

karl

[fritz]

Tony,

 

While I never did like being told what I HAD to do, maybe this masters degree thing is the best for you right now.

 

Hell, I take it the army will help pay for it (since they ordered you to do it). And do you realize what a civilian would have to pay for the same education? Seize the moment and run for the goal line. You have our support on whatever you do.

 

Hell, we have been friends too long to not help each other (and I don't really dislike Tye.) Trust us, and do what you want to do, but please consider the future. If things had been different for me while in the service and I had the chance for a masters degree, I would have jumped on it. But I had a ranch waiting (and needing) me.

 

Now I am a jack of all trades, and master of none!

 

fritz

[FC]

Well, they might pay for it, but there's a lot of paperwork, planning, and strings attached. If I do it on my own it will cost me some. Shoot, University of Phoenix is $500/h! Walden is cheaper. But the Army does have a program to send you to school. They ask for assignment preferences, but did they look at those? Nope. Talking Ft. Huachuca, AZ, which is on the border with Mexico, Ft. Irwin, CA (Yuk), and Ft. Benning, GA. My wife needs to finish her degree, and moving around doesn't help her. That's why I was thinking Iraq. Yeah Karl, we're too old for this doo doo, and the young are too young. Barbara's son is still in Iraq with the Marine Reserve MP's till Nov.

 

Anyway, I'll try to get around to moving posts to archives, and will keep up with the bills that come. Invision wanted money for phone support, but I declined it. We have a perpetual license.

[karlunity]

will keep up with the bills that come.

 

FC.

 

If and when it is time to pass the hat to keep the ole place open, let us know.

 

As far as a Masters in Nursing, I leave that to your professional judgement but as far as grad school, a word to the the wise.

 

LOCK down all the requirements in writing and get it approved by a counselor.

 

One of my brighter students, E-mailed the agreed requirements to his advisor and got a confirmation back.

 

He told me that he was glad when the school tried to add on last minute requirements.

 

Make sure that the grad school you pick will accept your BS degree.

 

Some will let you enroll for the MA program, then say that parts of your Undergrad degree are "out of date'

and require you to do over at their school in order to continue.

 

Karl

[Horsefly]

I often have wondered how you get done all you do.Thanks for giving this great site to us,and as long as we know your still in the background,we'll be ok.Don't worry about us and you gitter done.I'm not what I consider as busy man,and all I can squeeze in on this 'puter is 30 min. a day,so I know what you mean by being spread thin.Good luck Tony!Jerry

[odies dad]

Tony, Thanks for all your hard work. I really do enjoy this place.

Best wishes on whatever you decide to do.

[Gothmog]

Hey FC , I hope the 'break' allows you the time to focus on your priorities.

 

As Karl says, do let us know when its time to 'pass the hat' ... I just ran into a small stash of American dollars I had squirreled away some time ago and forgotten about.

 

It would be nice if someone with the ability to do so could get our smilies up and running. Has anyone seen Badone lately?

 

 

[AzRednek]

Tony, first of all thanks for what you’ve done. I’m guilty of not saying it before. As Z said you have to do, what you have to do for yourself and family. I once had to give up a job I loved for the security of a non- sales commission steady paycheck and health insurance to meet my family’s need.

 

After my experience raising teenage girls I’d be reluctant to wish them on my worst enemy. Their relationship with their father is based on their relationships with men in general. I had two in particular that learned from the time they were about 13 they could control men and our relationship became adversarial. They demand a lot of male attention and if they don’t get it from dad they seek it elsewhere.

 

I certainly hope you don’t wind up at Ft Huachuca, that part of Arizona could easily be given back to Mexico at no loss. That area was used during WW2 for training for North Africa and I can speculate it is being used for training for Iraq, with a similar climate and plenty of sand. I can't recall the exact remarks but General Patten was quoted as to saying something about it being as close to hell as one could get. He also said something in Europe when asked about fearing hell and he claimed he had already been there in a place called Arizona. I’ve known three that spent some time there, including a Marine. The Marine was working in drug enforcement and the other two GI’s were training in intelligence. My nephew learned Spanish there, more specifically the different dialects after learning Spanish while stationed in Europe.

 

It’s good to be back on the board after nearly a one month hiatus. Hate to admit it but I missed you guys!!

 

[FC]

Well, thank you one and all. I'll still be around, just not yacking much.

 

I haven't heard from Badone in many moons.

 

We've got a 17 y/o Polish exchange student, female, coming when she can get a flight. The London junk has held her up.

 

Trip to SD, Black Hills was good for the girls. I have never seen it so dry and hot there. 3 fires, drought for 7 years, and temp of 103 daily in the mountains, and 109 to 110 all the way east to Chamberlain. The cattle are having a bad time of it. I really overheated my van going up the mountains. The water in the reservoir boiled. My wife decided to get a Jeep Commander. Gee, now to pay for it. Maybe I should have just stuck with old faithful, the Plymouth van. Saw the most unique gravestone in eastern Colorado in a tiny town. A cowboy died in 1988 or so. He had a picture of him with his boots and lariat. He had a horseshoe-shaped gravestone. In the middle, which was cut out those boots and lariat were bronzed and secured to the gravestone in the middle of the horseshoe shape. Very strange.

 

buffalo and girls

 

girls with Annie Oakley at Wall Drug, SD

 

Ass's colt at Custer Park

 

Iron Mt., SD

 

Rushmore

 

natural bridge on Iron Mt., SD

 

Deadwood

 

 

Take care. Have a good weekend.

[Guest karl]

They look like nice kids.

 

Well, we can be glad that they look like their........MOM : )

 

 

Well done sir.

 

Karl

[rebel49]

Hey Tony:

The very best of luck in what you are doing. I will miss the flatulent chickens posts around here, but I know what it's like to be swamped with projects,work and homelife. Pay close attention to the homelife portion, that's is really what counts.

Nice looking kids, looked like they were having a good time. Of course now I'm jealous after seeing the pictures and knowing that I am unable to go out to the Black Hills this year. The wife and I have had some enjoyable times in that area with the bikes. We had the donkeys sticking their heads in the window of the truck the last time we were out there, fed them dog treats, our Akita was not happy with that. Our hunting group passes through there everytime we go out hunting in Wyoming, always stop at Wall and give them our left over money. Good Times!!

Rebel49