Increasing the FIRE Payoff

[sgeeeee]

I've just gotten back from a week long camping trip in Colorado. I spent the week doing some archaeology work collecting data about the barely defined and poorly understood Gateway culture in and around the Uncompahgre National Forest. Camp was at about 6300 feet -- 80's in the day and 40's at night.

Next week I'm off to Santa Fe National Forest to do some more archaeology work surveying and mapping sites from the Gallina culture.

I don't want any of you to worry about my mortgage payments while I'm out traveling . . . I've got automatic withdrawal.

 

[wabmester]

SG, did you solve the riddle of the Gateway culture (were they the ones wiped out by the Dell indians)?

Seriously, give us the dirt you dug up on these guys.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

DAMMIT, I was ready with the Dell joke and everything.

 

[BigMoneyJim]

BTW: Hope that auto withdrawal thing works for you, I think that's how we got our first couple kids.

LOL. Also:

What do you call people who use the rhythm method? . . . Parents.

Oh, and nice story SG. Quite a few years ago I was tempted to quit my job and be a ski bum out in the Durango area after meeting a guy who worked ski patrol in the winters and raft guide and helper on archaeological digs in the summer. (When oil companies looking for oil happen upon artifacts they must by law notify somebody-or-other and usually a university team comes out and excavates.) Definitely a different lifestyle that I chose; I'm not sure if I made the right choice, but then maybe I can get back to that in ER.

 

[sgeeeee]

SG, did you solve the riddle of the Gateway culture (were they the ones wiped out by the Dell indians)?

Seriously, give us the dirt you dug up on these guys.

You really have to be an archaeolic to appreciate the Gateway.

We found hundreds of stone tools, dozens of rock ring structures and maybe a handful of pottery sherds (clearly brought in by Anasazi -- not locally made). We visited two petroglyph sites with very crude geometric designs and two others (slightly outside our study area) that were clearly Anasazi. From the points, it is clear that these people had bows and arrows (~500 AD or later), but they never seemed to interact enough with the sedentary Anasazi immediately to their South to acquire ceramics(~400 AD or later). Nor did they develop a distinctive petroglyph style. They seem to be a culture that was left mostly behind (in the Archaeic stage) during the formative developments that defined other cultures in the Southwest and Northern Mexico.

But in answer to your other question . . . Yes, I believe they did wipe out the Dell indians.

 

[sgeeeee]

. . . Definitely a different lifestyle that I chose; I'm not sure if I made the right choice, but then maybe I can get back to that in ER.

And of course we can never know whether the decisions we've made would have led to better or worse results. So why think about it?

My wife and I made really good money in engineering for about 20 years, eventhough we weren't thrilled with the engineering environment for the last 5 or so. Now we can spend that money pursuing our other interests -- or in Gold Crown condos if we wanted. For us, spending weeks in a condo on the beach ranks just about even with being Iraqi POWs. But whatever turns you on, right?

 

[unclemick]

Remember the old TV ad about two guys on a dig - the old guy was having fun and the the young guy complaining about working conditions and pay. Of course the old gent was financially independant due to the brokerage that made the ad.

Anywise, once FIRE is achieved, the choices become broader AND not fixed. WE were happy rip tearing RV/caamping early in ER and are still happy nesting/remodeling in one place AND will be happy if we change our minds and do something else. Once you have a firm grip on dryer sheet principles, a lot of possibilities open up.

 

[John Galt]

I think unclemick has it right, maybe because we are at
the same stage of ER. I feel like the whole world is our oyster and this feeling grows with the passage of time.
In other words, we can do anything we want, we just can't do everything. The trick is to enjoy what you have
as opposed to lusting after what you can't have/don't need. When I began to contemplate ER, I told my
high maintenance first wife that I thought if pressed
I could adjust to a "subsistence" lifestyle. I doubt she believed it. I still do though.

John Galt

 

[John Galt]

Hello salaryguru. I'm with you on "roughing it".
My camping days are well behind me. Work too.
I have been thinking about what they say when someone has been ailing and are now on the mend;
"resting comfortably". I strive for that more and more.
I last slept on the ground in 1991. Vowed that was
the last time and have kept my word.

John Galt

 

[John Galt]

Oops! I meant to address my comments to GDER as
salaryguru appears to enjoy the "camping life".
I have a fishing buddy older than I am who still
canoes and camps in the Minnesota BWCA. I would rather be boiled in oil, although I wouldn't mind a
canoe trip if there were no portages and pretty nice
overnight accommodations including a nice bar with a view of the water.

John Galt

 

[sgeeeee]

. . . Jay Leno said in vegas you can get a woman to lead you around naked on a leash for ~$500.. . .

Well, I hadn't thought of this before, but since you've brought it up -- Do you think that maybe these soldiers were just trying to get some experience they could put on their resumes in contemplation of a career change after the war?

At $500 a shot, this line of work could lead to early retirement.

 

[sgeeeee]

. . .
I last slept on the ground in 1991.  Vowed that was
the last time and have kept my word.

Actually, John, whenever I can, my camping sleep arrangements include a matress in the camper shell of my Dodge RAM. From one of the previous discussions, I'm guessing it is as comfortable as a guest bed in the home of the average FIRE poster.

 

[haha]

At 63 I can still sleep well on a flat rock. I don't do well if I can't stay reasonably warm and dry though. I haven't been winter camping in 5 years. I don't want to go soft; you know the primrose path and all that.

The toughest thing is staying in good enough shape to have the energy when you need it. It is definitely true that the legs age first.

Mikey

 

[John Galt]

"Going soft" is the least of my worries. I am still a bit
short of 60 and I don't sleep that well on a flat bed, much less a "flat rock".

John Galt

 

[sgeeeee]

. . . Let's see, 1) flat rock -- 2)mattress in truck bed -- 3) 1300SF 2bdrm/2bath condo w/2 person jacuzzi full kitchen beautiful outdoor pool as well as indoor pool and hot tub, steam room, sauna, fitness center, etc.  I think I'll take door #3 -- thank you.  
. . .

LOL. Can't argue with you about this. If all my decisions were made based solely on my sleeping comfort, I would never leave the comfort of my own bedroom. Why even take a chance on that Hilton mattress?

My wife gives me a hard time because I will choose a hotel over camping even if it means driving an hour or two extra every day. But there are some things you can't do and see unless you are willing to camp and/or backpack. Maybe it's a curse that I want to do some of those things.

 

[John Galt]

salaryguru............it's not a "curse". I would "rough it"
if I could. I had lots of adventures in mind (canoe trips,
bike trips etc) that included some slightly primitive
lving arrangements. Can't do it now. It's okay though
as I will run out of time before I run out of adventures.

John Galt

 

[sgeeeee]

Re: Increasing the FIRE Payoff

Just got back from a week in Santa Fe National forest. We had a really great time collecting information about the Gallina culture ( ~1050 -1250 AD). This retirement stuff is really pretty nice. My DW and I spent the trip back to Mesa planning three more trips -- Ft. Worth, Southern Illinois, and Alaska -- to round out the Summer. Southern Illinois will be another archaeology outing, but we will be spending time with family during all three trips.

Although we're camping in remote areas for some of these trips, we're also redeeming a lot of hotel & frequent flyer awards from all those years of company travel. This is turning out to be a corporate benefit we never counted on.

 

[Billy]

Hi Salary,
Did you camp in the rent? or RV? That is beautiful country.

Billy
Web-site www.geocities.com/ba264

 

[Billy]

LOL..sorry about that..

In a tent?

 

[sgeeeee]

Hi Salary,
Did you camp in the rent? or RV? That is beautiful country.

Billy
Web-site   www.geocities.com/ba264

Hi Billy,

We camped in the back of our pick-up (10 year old Dodge RAM with camper shell). We've talked about getting an RV or a pop-up, but a lot of the places we go are not accessible to RVs and trailers. We did pitch a tent but only used it to store our food and gear and to change clothes in.

 

[sgeeeee]

Just got back from another week of travel -- this time to Fort Worth, TX. GDER will be glad to hear that we stayed downtown in the Worthington hotel . . . no camping for the whole week.

I am enjoying retirement a lot lately.

 

[John Galt]

HI salaryguru. The Worthington! Great goggly mogglies man that's
way out of my league. I was only there once, for Sunday brunch. Never saw the like. BTW, glad you
are enjoying your ER. I've had my share of troubles
but never had a time that I was not glad I did it.
Should have gone earlier with more money, but
otherwise, certainly one of the best decisions of my life.

John Galt

 

[sgeeeee]

Welcome back SG... Not familiar with the Worthington, but if John says it's nice, it must be.  I tend to steer clear of Texas, the last time I was there, I had to volunteer for an Iceland assignment to get away!!

BTW: Did you have your old Dodge ram & camper shell in the hotel parking lot -- JUST in case...??

Iceland vs Texas ? ? ? I can't even think of a basis for comparison on that decision. I trust your judgement.

No camper on this trip. We drove the Saturn VUE. I confess that I did feel a bit anxious in the evenings when I would curl up in that bed instead of a sleeping bag.

 

[John Galt]

I favor the Terhorstian view of ideal weather. Hot is no
problem for me. My 4 years in Texas convinced me of that. Truly, I can not recall a single day when I thought it was too much and sometimes it would top 100 degrees every day for a week or more. Loved it!

John Galt

 

[BigMoneyJim]

I favor the Terhorstian view of ideal weather. Hot is no
problem for me. My 4 years in Texas convinced me of that. Truly, I can not recall a single day when I thought it was too much and sometimes it would top 100 degrees every day for a week or more. Loved it!

John Galt

Sometimes it stays over 100 at night, although that's more rare. If you move there in the winter or spring you can better acclimate to the heat. But you have to limit your midday yard work in the summer. I remember one time coming in from mowing the lawn midday, turning the shower on cold only and not being able to cool down enough for a while. That scared me a bit and I was more careful after that. (In mid summer the "cold" water isn't all that cold, though.)

In August, smaller outdoor swimming pools can get uncomfortably warm.

But as in any climate the trick is to use your head: you don't run to the store in Chicago in January in a t-shirt and jeans.