Thoughts and reflections form the past week or so from my own financial independence campaign.
Progress on my goals
Boat plan
Fixed most of the electronics, pending receipt of a few items so we can fit the new Chartplotter and internal network. Yes, boats have networked instruments. I didn’t know that three weeks ago but now I really do.
There’s a chance we can be returned to the water on Friday, but it depends on the tidal depth that day. It’s because we get lowered down a ramp on a tractor-pulled cradle. There needs to be enough water over the ramp that the boat floats, but if the tractor lowers the crane in too far it falls off the ramp and we all sink to the bottom of the 10m deep marina.
So, yeah. We can’t rush it. I have some sympathies for the marina crew, even if I’m climbing up the walls in my mother-in-law’s house trying to get back aboard.
There’s more electric stuff to do. I’ve repaired the wiring that’s there, but the design is… flawed at best. We’re probably going to redo a whole lot of it.
Fortunately, with the wiring I’ve already done, this should be fairly simple: a suite of new circuit breakers to replace the failing old ones, and a wired positive terminal connection to each breaker instead of the big copper bar that connects all the switches in parallel.
That’s actually really easy even if it’s going to mean putting more wires back where I’ve just stripped them all from.
Distractions and detours
Applied for new jobs
Last week’s update bothered me a bit because I read it back and it sounded kind of whiney. Who does SierraWhiskyMike think he is? Get a grip, lad!
So this week I sent off a couple of job applications for other law firms. I don’t know how successful those will be, but I figure I should put myself out there as available. Maybe a change is as good as a rest?
I still want to work for myself, but I’m a little way off that yet – and, frankly, the things I want to do only really work if I have a bit of money behind me already.
If nothing else, I figure that moving to somewhere new might confirm if I actually want to rage quit my job or if I just need a better fit. We’ll see if anything comes up.
reading: the Stormlight Archives series
OK I fully fell down the rabbit hole with Brandon Sanderson. I’m now on book 4 out of 5 of the Stormlight Archives series and it’s really gripping me. Probably going to have a book hangover when this series is done…
Non-FIRE goals
My guitar rock god quest (AKA learning to play)
Second week of Lenny Kravitz Are You Gonna Go My Way?. It’s still a long way off. I can sort-of play all the non-solo parts, but not even remotely in time with the music and I can’t transition between them smoothly at all.
I’m miles away from the solo.
This could take some time.
We also – at my request – started incorporating the Aeolian mode of the minor scale into warm-up. I’ve nailed the scale shapes for the pentatonic scale because I basically use them as a warm up to playing, so the theory is I can now repeat that with the Aeolian mode minor scale and memorise the spacings that way.
At some point I’ll need to learn more of the notes on the fretboard by sight and this should help out a bit.
I’ve been practicing a lot more of late. I guess it’s because I now know enough to get in some kind of structured session: start warming up scales, progress something I’m working on, take mini-breaks to play old things when frustrated, play along to metronome, and more recently play around with improvising at the end. Oh, I still suck, but it’s now sort-of tuneful and listenable.
Fitness
I got my first wall-supported handstand in this week!
Well, it’s a little under-impressive. My front was to the wall, it wasn’t a kick-up, and it wasn’t exactly vertical. It’s still a big win!
The Jack H Woods thing is really working out for me. I’m getting leaner and stronger all the time and it’s probably the most effective muscle-building plan I’ve had for a long time.
Following the plan, I think I need to start switching from pike push-ups to handstand push-ups, even if that means I’m still sort-of walking up the wall for now.
Importantly: it’s coming along!
I’m miles off front levers and one-arm chin-ups, but I’m also making a lot of progress from where I was when I started this.
This week I managed to get in a light cardio day and a second training session. The second session was basically pull-ups and dips with a 10kg weight belt, side lateral raises for time under tension and a two-mile light jog. The main gainer session is still the one big heavy resistance calisthenics session.
Final thoughts
This week I got more time to do some of the things I love. Not much more time, mind you, but more than zero.
IMy mood has picked up from the downer of last week. Boat’s going in as soon as things allow so we can get back to living aboard, I’ve taken positive steps to change my work situation by applying for other jobs, my fitness goals are looking more achievable and OK, I still suck at guitar, but it’s coming along.
Yeah, things are heading the right way again. As they should be.
My financial independence campaign continues!
