Productivity

It has been more than a month since my last blog entry. Being back in Dallas is starting to take its toll on my well being. I look back to the days when I was working and wonder how the heck did I get so much done in a day. The number of meeting, emails, call, experiments, reports, etc. It was amazing that I was able to get as much completed as I did during those days. Now, I'm lucky to get in a run, grab a coffee, and mow the lawn before 4 PM.

Speaking of coffee, I've been planting myself at the coffee shop just to get out of the house. The house is death if you are unemployed and are not actively looking for a job. Now I know how bored retirees are when they are at home all the time. Anyway, I've noticed certain types of characters who are always at the shop. I'm not talking about the people who come and go, but those whose lives seem to revolve around the local coffee shop. You have your pseudo intellectual reading the New Yorker (but you know its a prop to pick up girls, albeit smart ones). The rocker who played a gig last night and working off the hangover with a triple shot. The creepy old guy who checks out every girl who walks in the place. The writer, to has his mac and earbuds likely writing about the shitty show the rocker dude put on last night. On a side note, I saw an ex of mine roll up to the shop in a $50K sports car and fat wedding ring. Have I really been away for that long? Just a reminder of how my life has been on pause while everything else keeps on moving.

The sailing trip in Italy has exploded into another huge excursion. I've invited my cousin who just graduated from design school to join me. The plan now is to travel through the north west part of the country then to Switzerland. Hopefully Emma and Hamish will be in Saas Fee and I can get a day or two of summer skiing under my belt. From Switzerland, we fly to Spain. hopefully we will be indulging in some great food and wine along the way. The cost of this trip will be much higher than the previous ones. The money is starting to run out, so the job hunt will definitely pick up a notch when I return in July.

The Horror

I have come to realize that one big reason why I loved travelling other than experiencing new cultures, meeting new people, and catching up with long lost relatives, is that it was an escape from the realities of life in Dallas. It seems that I'm spending more money being at home than I was when I was on the road. As a reality check, I came home to a leaky roof and unkept yard. Further investigation of my surroundings yielded a long list of items in the house I need to address. That takes a back seat to other more pressing items.

Before I left, Thad and I bought a house in the historic district in Dallas. The house has been on the market since September of last year. The time on the market has started to drain all of my "In case shit happens" back up cash. At this point I see no end to the bleeding of my checking account until the house is sold. The issue now is that the house IS complete, but it is not exactly restored to the period when the house was built. I'm faced with the delima of pouring in extra cash into the place to make the interior match the exterior. Pooh!