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I took a job in Northern Virginia... kind of a dream job with a big company doing cool stuff. The wife is shopping million dollar McMansions with pools acreage... good schools and plenty of hospitals for her to work. If we can survive the traffic and rat-race, should be happily ever after. Plus, Brain and I can get the band back together... might even end my 13yr no-Miata-having streak. I can't believe I still hang out here with no freaking Miata for over a decade.
But... stupid virus bullshit is messing with my plans. Governor Ige (who is doing the best job that can be done out here) just dropped an inter-island travel restriction with mandatory 14-day quarantine. This doesn't affect me directly, but based on what's happening in other states, and the absolute shitstorm that will result if there's a breakout on any of the smaller islands, people are finally scared here. Kauai has 60k people with a huge elderly population... and three hospitals (two that are tiny and very "local" with no surge or overflow capacity) that will hit max bandwidth quick.
I had planned to fly back to VA for a couple weeks in May to indoc and get up to speed on the job... and then fly back and move the family during June... that **** ain't happening now. At least I know I'm employable.
I was going to comment on maybe saying you could at least look at a Honda Fit over the Prius but now that you're shopping million dollar McMansions I trust the Prius is off the docket.
Congrats on the good fortune. But also eff you for retiring in your 40's and finding a dream job thats going to pay McMansion moneys lol. Ooc, what sort of job are we talking about here?
Aviation safety. Naval Aviation anchors pretty hard in safety. Most aircraft crash due to human error, and while I love a good "zero-defect mentality", the tradeoff for keeping the tip of the spear sharp is that we crash some getting there.
Been looking at lots of options for my daily. I like Jeremy Clarksons take... "if you're going to spend a lot of time in a car, it should be a nice place to be"... not that I'm gonna spring on a used Bentley GT. I'm all done with cloth seats though... forever. Car choice will depend on commute time. Trying to keep it under 30 minutes... unless the wife decides we need to live WAY out in the country, there is still plenty to choose from in the low-mid $800k's north and east of Dulles.
I keep toying with the idea of a used AMG big dick. Something like a 2010 C63 to daily for a year while I prayed nothing expensive broke... get it out of my system while I'm still young.
Aviation safety. Naval Aviation anchors pretty hard in safety. Most aircraft crash due to human error, and while I love a good "zero-defect mentality", the tradeoff for keeping the tip of the spear sharp is that we crash some getting there.
Been looking at lots of options for my daily. I like Jeremy Clarksons take... "if you're going to spend a lot of time in a car, it should be a nice place to be"... not that I'm gonna spring on a used Bentley GT. I'm all done with cloth seats though... forever. Car choice will depend on commute time. Trying to keep it under 30 minutes... unless the wife decides we need to live WAY out in the country, there is still plenty to choose from in the low-mid $800k's north and east of Dulles.
I keep toying with the idea of a used AMG big dick. Something like a 2010 C63 to daily for a year while I prayed nothing expensive broke... get it out of my system while I'm still young.
Go talk to Scott about how he spent this morning working on his Benz.
Go talk to Scott about how he spent this morning working on his Benz.
Actually, have done tons of homework... 2005-2006 C55 is pretty much the short-list. Naturally aspirated, normal suspension, limited electronics, bulletproof engine/tranny, easy to work on.. still plenty of sexy... and way less expensive than you'd think. For me though, apparently, there were only 143 white ones ever imported... so the pool is very small.
Only in white... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...nz-c55-amg-20/
I've gotta get "AMG" out of my system at some point.
A Prius to daily and a Cobra replica is also on the table...
^This was inevitable. Another company bought 60 Mirages last year. The demand for red-air is only going to increase, and the cost of having our own military aircraft and pilots fly against eachother to simulate the enemy is ridiculously expensive. I popped off a resume to those guys last week... fully expect an interview. I wouldn't be interested in a flying billet, but rather in a safety role. Bonus that I'm a Hawkeye NFO and know how stick-monkeys think and how to feed them.
Exit, stage right. Last day in uniform today. I transition to the IRR 01July, but today is my last day of work. RETIRED! I'm on the right, Steve Rogers got nothing on me, that's Americas *** right there! Went to colors this morning and got my flag. The best Chief I ever worked with helped me fold it... well, actually, Chief and AT2 folded it while I held the other end tight. 3 hours to go, then I take it off for the last time...
OK mods, I need another title change... "Almost retired Naval Officer takes up his sword to defend freedom one more time..."
Maybe that's a bit much, but captures the moment.
I've been on terminal leave for a month. "Terminal leave" is an official administrative status where I remain on Active Duty at the very end of my service approaching a specific retirement date, but I'm on leave, can't put on a uniform, have no official duties, but retain full pay. Military personnel earn 30 days of accrued leave per year... and I have about 70 days saved up, which means for 2+ of my 20 years in the Navy, I never took any vacation. I had that time saved up and am taking it all at the end to "retire" a couple months early. I won't go into specifics about the other 2+ years of leave I lost because I never used it in time.
I have a signed copy already of my DD214 dated for 01July20, and have been on terminal leave since 01May. However, starting Monday, 01June, I will return to uniform for the month and save those 30 days of leave. Will enable me to sell back those 30 days of leave at full base pay when I officially retire on 01July. I already have a job and an assignment here on the base for the month that will keep me gainfully employed, and it's going to be pretty cool, if long hours and short notice. The extra money from selling back my leave will keep the family in the black for July.
In any case, the big-money corporate job in DC is still there, it's just taking a lot longer for the paperwork since Governor Whatshisname shut down the state 2 months ago. Apparently the state gets back to work this week, and hopefully I can be issued a start date around mid-June... that start date will be for sometime mid-July, and I will be on the tip-of-the-spear once again.
Damn fine luck... my admin was approved today. I guess my paperwork was sitting on desk of somebody who hadn't been in the office for a month... first day back to work for that guy and I'm approved. I can start work any day... too bad on Friday I extended in the military for another full month. Good news, blessing in disguise. Plans proceeding at flank speed.
"War hero, torn between his duty and makin' that good contractor money!"
It's coming down to the final week. I know I said I was done back in May, but lucky they needed the lefty and I was still warmed up. Been a productive few weeks back in uniform after a month of leave... my hair is so nasty out-of-regs even dog doesn't recognize me. Anywhoo... next week is my last week (again, for the first time, for the last time) and then we can close this thread. Stay tuned for my mega X-country trip thread in the works.
03-30-2020, 10:48 PM
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