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STUFF is a really problem. It used to be a much bigger problem for me. I needed a lot of stuff. Expensive stuff. Not necessarily expensive to buy, but expensive to maintain and periodically replace. A wage slave to my stuff.
There are a few things I still "must" have. I know that I don't really need these things, but they are more or less required for my quality of life. Still, finding a way to make it cheaper to have these things works for me. :)
Here is the list of "must" have items.
1. Car. As much as I would love to live in a tight neighborhood that includes all the stores I could want, it is not really possible for me to live without a car. And for this, I want something that has a healthy drive train, but I don't care a lick about what it looks like or how old it is.
2. Computer. I'd like a better computer than I am currently using. Mine is old and slow. Old enough and slow enough that I'm probably on the edge of a failure -- hard drive or mother board.
3. TV,VCR,DVD,Movie collection. Now, this might stop being an issue with my new computer. I have a few things on video tape that I would like to watch again, but I might be able to burn it to DVD. If my new computer runs DVD movies well, then I won't care about the TV anymore.
4. Music collection and a stereo. I don't want my computer to take over this function.
5. Clothes. The minimum set of clothes to deal with day to day life and RHPS.
That's it. I don't other stuff.
A few things to rent or lease but not own:
1. Shelter. I don't require much. Clean and quiet. A room will do.
2. High speed Internet access.
3. Phone service. I'm thinking that my home phone is about to go away. I'm paying for two phones right now. That is silly. If I liked my cell phone better, the desk phone would all ready be gone. That is coming soon.
Simplify. Simplify.
When I own a lot of stuff I feel trapped. But it is more than a feeling. Owning a lot of stuff does trap one. And I would would love to be a gypsy. Local, state and federal law has made it very, very hard to be a gypsy. It would the only "hone" I wouldn't mind owning. A motorized gypsy wagon. :) Then I would go when and where and why as I want. And that has always been a very attractive idea. Living in a cheap motorhome or camper. It would work so well for me. Just not possible. Too many laws designed to prevent folks from living like this.
That is another dream that just isn't going to come true. But it doesn't stop me from longing for it. It's so close. Very close. Nearly available. I'll have to give this some more thought. I can see a possibility here. Hmm.
There are a few things I still "must" have. I know that I don't really need these things, but they are more or less required for my quality of life. Still, finding a way to make it cheaper to have these things works for me. :)
Here is the list of "must" have items.
1. Car. As much as I would love to live in a tight neighborhood that includes all the stores I could want, it is not really possible for me to live without a car. And for this, I want something that has a healthy drive train, but I don't care a lick about what it looks like or how old it is.
2. Computer. I'd like a better computer than I am currently using. Mine is old and slow. Old enough and slow enough that I'm probably on the edge of a failure -- hard drive or mother board.
3. TV,VCR,DVD,Movie collection. Now, this might stop being an issue with my new computer. I have a few things on video tape that I would like to watch again, but I might be able to burn it to DVD. If my new computer runs DVD movies well, then I won't care about the TV anymore.
4. Music collection and a stereo. I don't want my computer to take over this function.
5. Clothes. The minimum set of clothes to deal with day to day life and RHPS.
That's it. I don't other stuff.
A few things to rent or lease but not own:
1. Shelter. I don't require much. Clean and quiet. A room will do.
2. High speed Internet access.
3. Phone service. I'm thinking that my home phone is about to go away. I'm paying for two phones right now. That is silly. If I liked my cell phone better, the desk phone would all ready be gone. That is coming soon.
Simplify. Simplify.
When I own a lot of stuff I feel trapped. But it is more than a feeling. Owning a lot of stuff does trap one. And I would would love to be a gypsy. Local, state and federal law has made it very, very hard to be a gypsy. It would the only "hone" I wouldn't mind owning. A motorized gypsy wagon. :) Then I would go when and where and why as I want. And that has always been a very attractive idea. Living in a cheap motorhome or camper. It would work so well for me. Just not possible. Too many laws designed to prevent folks from living like this.
That is another dream that just isn't going to come true. But it doesn't stop me from longing for it. It's so close. Very close. Nearly available. I'll have to give this some more thought. I can see a possibility here. Hmm.
Re: Stuff
you can live in a motorhome or camper; that's not against the law. though you can't park it just anywhere you want and live in it for weeks at a time, but there are still lots of places where you can stay undisturbed for a while. it's actually a bit harder to stay somewhere for longer periods of time -- then you get back into leasing a pad. but if you just want to stay for 2 week periods, there are lots of places. harder, too, in urban areas, or maybe easier -- depends. harder to find a nice, 100% legal spot; easier to find a free spot in not-so-good neighbourhoods. i had an interesting conversation with a family who lived in their motorhome in santa barbara, on the cheap side of the tracks. as long as you're not an actual romany caravan, you don't have the same problems.
that all doesn't go so well with the highspeed internet yet though.
but i definitely empathise. the boat is gonna do that for me, i hope. before the boat, i was definitely headed the motorhome route.
Re: Stuff
If I do all my development on my local machine and just move finished product to the server, that should work.
If I were to take Ed Fallon up on his offer, I could move to Des Moines and work on his run for governor for two years. I would get room, board and a small "allowance." If I lived cheap for that time, I could save nearly $20k, maybe more. That would be enough to get a small motorhome or camper.
There's a lot to recommend that. But, there is even more to keep me in San Diego. Too many people I just can't bring myself to leave. The more I think about this, though, the smaller than number gets. But I think I've pared the list down to as low as it will go.
I guess I'll just be George Bailey and be happy to have the people in my life even though I don't get the dream I wanted. (I'm in the camp that thinks the moral of "It's a Wonderful Life" is really lousy. :)
Hmm. The boat idea is also perking in the back of my head. It would take more maintenance money that a motorhome, but I'd like living on a boat. A lot. I'm enving you your boat.
If I get my shit together enough for a road trip in the summer, I'll want to see it.
Re: Stuff
i keep thinking that some form of communal life would be great for you, if you could find the right sorts of people with whom to have it -- even if those people aren't romantic loves. instead of trying to create it from scratch, maybe joining an existing group that has already shown it's working for them? i may be wrong, but whenever i think of the gestalt i have of you, i see you in a small commune.
yeah, the iowa idea doesn't sound all that great to me, for lots of different reasons.
anytime you want to visit, you're welcome. :) there's a chance that the boat will be in the water next summer.