my east coast hiatus......

OK ~ so I don't want it to sound like a vacation.......it's just a business trip. I once again find myself in the land of concrete barriers and NO Left Turns!!!

I am back in Allentown for my semi-annual global meeting. So far it has been a very productive and enjoyable trip. The weather has been mild and my co-workers are always fun to spend time with. You will never make anyone feel sorry for you when all of your meals, transportation & lodging are covered by the company ~ but...........

Here is a down side of business travel (regardless of where it may take you and who is paying)

10. You sleep in a strange bed with pillows that others have drooled on
9. You are haunted by those TV exclusives showing bed bugs and dust mites on hotel mattresses

8. The same TV special did a black light scan on a room and you remember the body fluids they discovered
7. Your rental car was most recently rented by a guy who smoked a cigar
6. Different time-zone, different TV and radio channels
5. Eating alone in restaurants
4. Continental breakfast can be anything from a box of Hostess Donuts to a great layout
3. You are seated next to a salesman on the airplane who wants to sell you on he himself
2. Jet lag
1. Your wife receives the mail and discovers everything you have been winning on Ebay.

mission complete..........

We got the 5th wheel Wednesday evening so we could de-winterize it Thursday morning before our departure. Although the de-winterization went well ~ it wasn't without obstacles. The water pump had a small leak at a fitting that partially soaked our carpet. I noticed some corrosion around the pump when we bought the RV and thought it might cause problems so I bought a pump on eBay for about 33% the cost of retail. It was a good investment because I had to use it to fix the leak.

Molly is a great camper. We took her crate but didn't close the door when she went to bed. I woke up in the morning with Molly's head on the pillow next to mine and she was snoring. Later in the morning we had breakfast and Kaneke made eggs and sausage links. Eight links in fact; Kaneke ate one, I ate two, and while we were clearing the table Molly snuck in while our backs were turned and she ate the other 5. Her belly gurgled all day but she never got sick.

All-in-all things went really well. We are now ready to venture farther from home. Hopefully our next trip will be to Lake Havasu for Cinco De Mayo ~ if we can get RV Park reservations.

once again ~ we will try the maiden voyage..

Last weekend Kaneke and I were rained and snowed out for our 2006 - 5th wheel maiden voyage. We will try once again this weekend ~ although the forecast predicts rain for Saturday and Sunday.

Arizona is not all desert......

OK ~ our dry streak is over after 143 days. Arizona has finally received much needed moisture. In the rim country it came in the form of snow. Our elevation is only about 3,360 ft. so we didn't get as much as Flagstaff which is at 7,000+ ft. but we will take what we can get. This picture was taken from our backyard and is of Mingus Mountain. The top of Mingus is about 7,000 ft.

pet services ~ ?

OK ~ here's the deal....... Check it out......be it dogs, cats, ferrets ~~~ There seems to be a lot of pet indulgence everywhere, so why not cash in on this extreme passion?

In event of the unfortunate passing of a beloved pet, special funeral or memorial services could be custom designed to meet the needs of the loving "family" of human caretakers remaining.

How about performing Pet Weddings? It could include weddings among pets of different owners, adopting a pet into your family, blessing the birth of a litter or offspring of a family pet, celebrating the birthday of a family pet, consecrate mating or breeding activities, etc.

With all the bizarre personalities in Sedona and Jerome ~ this may just be a profitable venture ~~~ or would that be better stated as an "adventure"?

narrowing my vision.....rational decision making

Thoughts:

If I sell a product I will:

• Have to charge federal & state taxes and keep track for Uncle Sam
• With all probability have to accept Mastercard and/or Visa

On the other hand, If I sell a service:

• There will not be (or most likely will not be) any taxes involved
• I most likely will not have to accept Mastercard or Visa
• I think it might be less stressful than selling a product

Ah Geeze ~ decisions, decisions.....

soliciting opinions and advice........retirement is near

As most of you know, I recently turned 55, and with this milestone achieved ~ I feel it is now time to get serious about creating a sideline business that will serve to occupy my time and generate a small amount of revenue to offset my pension.........

My goals/limitations would include.....

• Run business from my home
• Will not require a huge investment in inventory
• No specific window for sales hours (i.e. 8 to 5 M-F)
• Tax deductible for normal business expenditures
• Legitimate in the eyes of the IRS
• Limited Liability

Here's what I was thinking......

• Maybe an eBay type of enterprise (gotta be able to find a niche tho')
• Something with crafts (maybe stained glass or southwest gourds)
• Something I could sell from under a booth / tent at shows
• Become an ordained minister and perform weddings for bizzare situations (mountain tops, hot-air balloons, etc.)

OK ~ here is where my blog buddies come in........ got any ideas or recommendations? Let's hear it?