At least, none of any sigificance.
Okay, my car needs a new starter. But that’s easy, I just need to take the time to swap it out. Even if it dies completely, I’ll just take the other car.
I’ve been self-employed since '96 and even though it’s all had it’s ups and downs, I have finally fine-tuned my niche and business is currently going along marvelously. I suppose I could complain about that- I don’t have enough time to handle all my potential customers.
The work is thoroughly enjoyable, it allows me to be creative and inventive, to work at my own pace, and it’s literally sought by people worldwide. (Guam, Norway, England, Germany, Okinawa, etc, just to name a few.)
I recently added new machinery to the shop which has made a huge improvement in both speed and capabilities, and I can now take the time to rebuild the older stuff, possibly even upgrade to computer controls for semi-production work.
My older (sixties) project car is finally starting to take shape, and if all goes well, should be back on the road and painted by early fall.
I have the house/shop computer network more or less up and running (upwards of five PCs at times, including a couple of laptops.)
I just won an auction for a hard-to-find assembly for one of the older machines today. Factory piece is $2,750, I got it used for $280.
My website sees about 8,000 page views daily, my bulletin board has been pushing 19,000 and my comic strip another 3,500. (One was recently published in a national magazine.)
All family members are doing very well, house renovations are proceeding as well as can be expected for a do-it-yourselfer with many other projects to occupy his time, and the weather so far this summer has been great.
My overhead is low, my debts nearly nonexistent. The cars, house and tools are paid for.
I suppose I could complain about the lack of handy and nearby feminine pulchritude, but I also realize it would take a rare and unique lady to put up with me.
So please, by all means flame me extensively for not complaining, for not dwelling on my faults, flaws or setbacks, for not giving up when things looked bleakest, and, I guess, just having a generally positive outlook on life. I know that’s not the “in” thing right now, but hey, don’t take it out on me, eh?
