Financial Advice from Afar

I don’t care who you are and how much money you make, everyone is feeling the impact of inflation right now – and it’s only going to get worse as we crest summer and head down into the colder months.

That said, I have been chipping away to reduce my monthly expenses in an attempt to put more cash in my pocket for the road ahead. As a single dad, I’m doing alright, but I’m always looking to do better – so I’ve taken a few steps, listened to a few people, and I’m sleeping through the night again.

I’m no financial wizard – and I know everything I am going to write from this point on won’t work for everyone, but there’s a lot of stuff out there that people might not know about or think about, and I think you should.

SO!
Here we go:

SWITCH YOUR CELLPHONE SERVICE PROVIDER (to an MVNO)
An MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) is a company that purchases access to larger cellular service providers – like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile – at wholesale pricing to give you name-brand service at a much lower price.

Companies like Mint Mobile, Xfinity, and Google Fi have proven that a lot of us are paying for a name brand when it comes to our cellphone service provider. Even if you owe on your phone, paying it off and switching to an MVNO will save you money, hand over fist.

GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS WITH YOUR HOME HEATING FUEL PROVIDER
In this economy, loyalty isn’t worth the price of a cup of coffee, so you should feel free to shop around for the best price for home heating fuel in your area – and then ask your current provider if they can match any lower prices you find. If they say no, then at least you know you have a choice.

Beyond that, now’s the time to get on any budget plan they may be offering. This way you can spread your payments out across the year instead of getting a massive bill all at once.

Either way, there are ways to save – while staying warm – this winter.

DO THE SAME THING WITH YOUR ELECTRICITY PROVIDER
Believe it or not, you can change the rate you pay for your electricity, as every electricity provider offers alternatives – some more green than others. Those alternatives aren’t overly advertised, and you might need to have a Google – but that little bit of effort can save you a few dollars month to month.

Also – get on budget billing with those folks as well. They generally look at what you’ve consumed over the last 12-18 months and give you a year’s worth of equal payments. It sure beats going broke just because you want to run the a/c on a muggy day.

LEASE A SOLAR ARRAY
Solar power is one of the fastest growing alternatives to energy in the WORLD. That means the cost of products and materials is coming down, while the technology is getting better and better.

Lots of folks frown on leasing as opposed to buying, but with solar, that keeps you under their warranty for a set period of time – which means, they guarantee that system is going to run optimally. Sure, they get the tax credits, but you don’t need to drop $40,000 to absorb the sun to keep your home running year-round.

The added benefit to solar, in 2022, is that most companies offer a battery backup. This means that if the power goes out in your area, it won’t go out in your house. And maybe it can’t power everything, but you would be surprised at how much it really can power.

If you own a home, you owe it to yourself to do a little research and see what solar company in your area works the best for you.

SELL YOUR CAR
If you’re in a lease or making payments on a newer vehicle, chances are it’s worth more than what you’re paying for it when you drove it off the lot.

With inventory on new and used vehicles at an all-time low, you’ve got bargaining power with dealerships – to the point where they may buy you out of your lease or buy your vehicle from you, and you can turn a profit.

Then you can go hit up a private seller and get that jacked-up Chevy Scottsdale, step-side, midnight blue, with Hooker headers that you always wanted – and maybe have a little cash left over to drop in a decent head unit so you can sound good while you’re looking good!

FIX YOUR CREDIT
We’ve all got a past but that doesn’t mean it needs to impact our future to the point where we have to dig ourselves out of a hole. And that means a lot of things – maybe that’s bankruptcy? Maybe that’s selling a bunch of junk in the garage? Whatever it is – don’t sleep on it.

One trick that works is to pay your bills with money you never see – by using a credit card that allows you to build credit, but whose limit is what you put into it – nothing more/nothing less.

Have part of your paycheck direct deposited to this account, funding the card. Pick a handful of regular bills, where the monthly fee is the same each month, and pay them with this account. You don’t have the card in your pocket to spend the money on it – and your bills are safely and securely paid – without any effort from you – as long as you’re getting paid.

All of these are just examples of where you can cut corners or make changes in your situation that benefit you without getting outside of your comfort zone too much. They all take minimal effort but can have maximum rewards.

No one likes change, especially when it comes to the things that we can generally set and forget, but when you’re working with a budget and you can start cutting weight – with positive results – it really is a win/win.

So, take a leap and see where you land. The worst case is that you end up in the same place you started, but have more awareness of the situation you’re in and can keep checking back in on to see where you can save.

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: Keeping up with the Joneses.
I know. I get it. I used to live in suburbia too. There’s always a push to have the biggest and best of everything. But let me let you in on a little secret – the Joneses are superficial assholes, and even they use single ply when the going gets tough. They just don’t tell you about it because, well, they’re the Joneses and that’s kind of their thing. You need to live within your means, and only stretch those boundaries because you want to – not because someone else is.

For Your Consideration: Photos

I’ve been really focused on the things around me lately – absorbing and reflecting. Being that we’re in the center of summer, there’s so much to see and try and capture the essence of.

… So much so that I find myself splitting my free time between looking up places for the girls and me to adventure off to and literary magazines currently accepting both poetry and photos submissions.

I found a few places. We’ll see what happens.

Anyway!

For your consideration…

1. Kaya, tired. Monday, mid-afternoon | Home, July 2022
2. Hops and Wineberries. Soon to be beer | Home, July 2022
3. Hawkweed. Invasive in places where we were invading | Vermont, June 2022

Better Than a Needle: TPBs

I’m not going to turn this into a long-winded proclamation of my love for comic books, but I’ve got a couple of things to say – and I am going to wrap this up with three trade paperbacks that you should get your hands on asap.

I came up in the 1990s reading comic books; an era where Jim Lee was drawing X-Men, Todd McFarlane came out of nowhere with Spawn, and Rob Liefeld redefined the look of mutants and superheroes when he delivered us a juiced-up character called Cable, who came complete with veins and over-sized guns from some dystopian future that we’re still just figuring out.

It was a period of change and growth for the industry – and comic book stores were learning centers for us wayward wonders who wanted to see Batman get his back broken by Bane.

At that particular point in time, I was reading a little bit of everything – because everything was worth reading.

And then I went to college – and all the comic books got bagged and boxed and have lived in various closets and crawl spaces ever since. But I never stopped reading them.

But I got wicked particular.

I abandoned all my favorite heroes and mutants for one comic – and one comic only – “The Walking Dead”. It was my first horror brand of comics and it played into my way of thinking in my late twenties and early thirties: the possibility of surviving through anything.

I have a bunch of issues – the first appearance of Michonne, her saga with The Governor – sitting in a drawer in an old dresser in my shed.

They’re either worth a mortgage payment or nothing at all…

When that started to trend downward, I really got into trade paperbacks. Those collections allowed me to be a reader – instead of a collector – and brought me back, forth, and in between a bunch of different brands and titles – all in one place.

That’s how I got into “Watchmen”, which is still,
hands down,
one of the best comics ever written.

So, that all said – I wanted to share three TPBs that I have read in the last couple months that think are worth your time and money:

“The Last Ronin” | IDW Publishing
I grew up in the era of the Ninja Turtles, so to read about the end of the era – the possible passing of the torch, warts, and all – was a real trip for me. I actually read this issue by issue – which took about a year – and wanted more the minute I hit the last page. The TPB scratches that itch.

“Niourk” | Dark Horse Comics
This was a library find (libraries are the best for trade paperbacks) – randomly sticking out on the shelf for me to find. It’s a post-apocalyptic story – but it’s not your average storyline. It follows this kid and his encounters within and outside of his safety net. This one was so damn good that I bought it the next day. I’ve read it twice since.

“Batman: White Knight” | DC Comics
This is a stellar Batman/Joker story that flips the script on the narrative and puts the Joker in the spotlight as the hero. The story is great, but the art is even better – especially when it gets down to paying attention to details in the background. I especially love the focus on the collection of Batmobiles, which has been a draw for me since Tim Burton reinterpreted the Dark Knight in 1989.

I didn’t link these to any particular site or online shop, as I think people should hunt them down on their own – either to borrow or to own.

I would totally recommend starting at your local library as that turns into a wonderful rabbit hole where you’ll always find your next title – but I would behoove anyone looking for an adventure to find them in a comic book store – brick and mortar – near where you live.

Not only does that support a local business, but you’ll find it easier to feed your new addiction if it’s just down the street.

This Summer I Slowed Down

I had no intention of ever becoming a hermit – if that’s what this all is. In fact, I was quite the social butterfly right up until Covid.

Now, out here – on the other side of the pandemic – I’m quite comfortable with my latest hobby of staying away from the hustle and bustle.

And so are my kids.

Now, let’s not get weird here – I don’t just stay in my house – I go places: food shopping, the movies, the library, out for the occasional pint, and definitely hiking and exploring in the local woods. I just stay out of the major social scenes – and try to hit places up at off-peak times.

It’s amazing.

First off, I haven’t gotten Covid yet. Neither have the kids. I probably will and when I do, I do. But until then, my efforts in retracting from the public eye have paid off.

Secondly, by default – I avoid temptation. I don’t overdo it: drinking, eating, buying things, etc. All of the social expectations of a participating member of modern, American society does – and I’ve been doing – I hardly do.

BUT, when I do, I appreciate it because it’s the exception and not the norm.

I know it’ll be rewarding when I do dip my life back into those bigger settings – but even so, I really haven’t and the drive to do so hasn’t kicked back in.

The mad rush of life just isn’t part of life anymore. And in it, I have found that not only do we get to do more stuff, but we enjoy the fine details of the things we do.

Lost in the minutiae.
Enjoying the ether…

Case and point: in the last two weeks alone, we’ve stayed home – acclimating the new kitten, picking wineberries, running around until the sun goes down, and even then only pausing to see the bats dance across the sky – then we pick it up again for a little while – usually until a mosquito bites one of us in the face, or we hear something rumbling off in the woods and it spooks us enough to kick rocks back into the house, where we tell stories to one another to help us fall asleep in bed.

Or play Roblox together until we can’t see straight.

I will say that all of this makes you feel like you’re one step behind when you get out into a social circle. As if all of the observing I’m doing when I am out and about takes the edge off my known ability of wit and humor.

Don’t get me wrong, I am still me.
I am just a more laid-back and observant me.

I am in tune – I see and hear more. I’m enjoying conversations more. There’s more laughter. And I have the time to digest and take on more if I want to. Sometimes I don’t even get dressed unless I have a meeting for work – or plan on going out somewhere.

I’ve even invested in more lounging shorts and tank tops.

As for the impact on the kids, they’re getting to be kids without the glow of a screen taking over their day. Yes, there’s still plenty of screentime (there has to be if they want to keep up in school), but it’s balanced with catching bugs, watering plants, and applying their limitless imaginations to the shapes of clouds.

They aren’t over-stimulated anymore and I think it helps them approach their little lives with more of an open mind; where they get to process things and toil over things and all of that makes every experience that much more fulfilling.

I have also instituted an hour of free time – every day – where I read, and the girls either read, color, play with clay, or – yes – play on their tablets. It’s 60 minutes of time where there’s nothing to do but whatever you want to do – and it’s wicked refreshing.

I’ve read more books this summer than I have since college.

Now work.

You might say “well dude, you still have to work and all this kumbaya shit doesn’t apply to those eight hours a day.”

Wrong. It actually does.

Being more laid back and observant allows me to compartmentalize projects better and set a more even-keeled pace. I find that I am more eager to take the extra step to get the project past the goal line.

Additionally, this approach has allowed me to let more things roll off my shoulder easier. I realize that I can only be held responsible for the things I am responsible for and that I had been enabling some people to slack off. All of that made me bitter and I found myself approaching work as a lone soldier instead of a teammate.

This might sound easy because I work from home – but if it’s so easy, why haven’t I been doing it? Why was I approaching everything like a firestorm?

All in all – this is my summer of Zen. And it’s the summer the girls will remember where we avoided the hustle and bustle and the quality of our experiences was way meatier.

It’s all been organic and gradual. I didn’t force this change on myself or the girls, I simply accepted it and adapted to it – added to it where I saw room for improvement, took from it where I saw things going off course.

None of this was planned. And for that, I am forever grateful for recognizing this whole movement for what it is and that the girls were up for it as well.

Deep Sigh…

We – as people – are forever changing. We have to. It’s what keeps us putting one foot in front of another. Looking back, just in writing this, I don’t think I am alone in this shift in life. I think a lot of folks found out that they could slow down and in it, they saw more colors, found more words, and things made more sense.

I think a lot of people realized that they were over-complicating their day-to-day and they didn’t need to. So, when they started to pull back a little and saw – like me – that they were just as fulfilled, they saw no reason to go back.

They liked slowing down.

I liked slowing down.
I’d like to stay here for a while.

Foraging

I’m going to get a little native here, but when the spirit is strong inside of you, it’s the only way to fly…

Penny has always had a deep connection with the outdoor world. I’m not sure if it’s a reflection of her being a kid and having a warm and loving personality, or if its got deeper roots – but there’s an intoxicating magic inside of her that settles your soul when you’re with her.

… And the birds and animals feel it too.

This morning, out foraging, we came across the remains of a black snake – who fought something greater and lost. It was a good death for sure.

I collected some of the bones for my pouch, and Penny asked if she could have them for a necklace. Of course I agreed – and I dug into the archives to let her pick what she wanted…

She chose crow beads, stone, and some other bones I had gathered along the way..

And now she carries all of that spirit with her, as well as a great story to tell about collecting berries for breakfast and coming across the remains of a great battle…

#allmylove #notfadeaway #sageandspirit

Penny & Quinn – My spirit guides for the rest of my life…

Postscript:

I recently had a talk with Penny’s mother that had to do with one thing or another, and my response was along the lines of “if you wanted a wallflower for a daughter, you obviously weren’t paying attention to who her father was.”

That said, I am who I am and my daughter is who she is. Yes, she carries the same fire inside of her that has kept me pushing onward and upward, but it’s very much her own brand and is very much fueled by her own purposes.

I am merely the support structure and guide at this point on this journey. I have no doubt in my mind that one day our roles will flip and I will be holding her hand as we walk through the yard, foraging for berries, making memories, and building a ladder to our dreams.

Half An Acre | 6.16.22

With Penny.. On an adventure..

I am following you around the yard.
It’s June and we’re looking for all the things that thrive.
You’re eight-and-three-quarters.

Animals and insects love you.
They stop what they’re doing to greet you.
You spend your time talking to them.

I am amazed.

This is what we do every morning while your sister sleeps in.
We walk our half acre and I talk about what I plan to do with the yard.

A retaining wall out back
where I’ll build up the soil and place our beehives.

A workshop where the shed is
at the edge of the driveway.

And you talk about the ants and spiders.
You wonder why the grass is wet in one part of the yard
But not the other.

You wonder.
We wander.

We eventually make it back to the bunny nest.
You pet a wild bunny the other day.
Then you pet another one yesterday.

It’s become our focus
And I don’t want to forget it.

I don’t want you to forget it.


When you walk by the nest, they don’t move.
When I walk by the nest, they run.

You are everything.
And not just to the bunnies.


It all happened in 10th grade..

Kurt Vonnegut is the reason I am a writer.

No, he’s not my favorite author – and yes, I can count endless books that I would reach for before his – but no one writes like him.

I love the idea of Kurt Vonnegut and the person who was Kurt Vonnegut – I love to think that he closed his eyes and wandered around inside what he was writing.

He lived his words while they were hitting the paper. Experienced his characters and themes as they poured out of him. He was as much of the story he was writing as anything he was writing about.

Kurt Vonnegut isn’t my favorite author because I don’t think he would want me to just read his words and base mine off of just that. I think he would want me to move on and get lost around another corner – come back to him on a rainy day – then move on again.

Otherwise, he’s a lot of my favorite things.

In tenth grade, I had a wonderful English teacher who pushed us into different corners of the literary landscape – poetry, sexuality, creativity. She wanted us to read things that weren’t en vogue because she wanted us to know that there was a much bigger world than what was pushed in front of us.

She had us read two short stories that have stuck to the wall of my brain ever since.

The first was “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury.

The second was what started my relationship with Kurt; Harrison Bergeron.

Now, I hope I’m not breaking any rules by sharing this. I first read it off of a copy of a photocopy that was stapled together and later crumpled in my backpack. This version was hosted on Google and downloaded there.

Either way.
If so…

May the powers that be come and get me if I’ve done something wrong by sharing one of the greatest stories written by one of the greatest writers on our little planet.

Dylan at 81

bob dylan is 81

I got caught up in a hefty Bob Dylan phase in college.

So much so that I couldn’t tell you what album (probably “Desire”) or song (probably “Wedding Song”) that got me hooked – but it was a fantastic time in my life where I could check out – for hours at a time – and toil over his lyrics and their meaning.

I would get into a zone and just feel the music. Feel the words and interpret their meaning. Some of it was love – and the fact that I was in love. Some of it was despair – and the fact that sometimes I liked to feel dramatic out in the sun.

I was a complicated and crispy critter.
This was 2003-2006.
I lived in a wonderful farmhouse
with a once wonderful woman.

There are plenty of songs that I could bring up right now that have had an impact on my life and I – but I don’t want to direct anyone anymore than I have – in parentheses above – because Dylan is best found and experienced, organically.

You see, Bob Dylan isn’t just an author and musician, he’s a culture. And I find his tenets should best be practiced in phases – as he has so many, and so do we…

And it can’t be forced – because there’s just so many different Dylan’s out there: living – breathing – and manifesting throughout his discography.

Even now, if I were to break down my barriers and rattle off a bunch of tunes I think you should listen to – it would be self-serving and could be missed by you of you’re not prepared to receive it. But believe me, I know it sounds like I am avoiding it.

I am.
For your benefit.

I’ve seen Bob twice, once right up front in the outfield at New Britain Stadium (the only time I’ve been there, though I used to live 5 minutes away) and the other I can’t wholly remember – but it happened. Either way, the shows were only a few years apart, but were both very different – due to drastic changes in his voice.

Dylan has compensated for his voice on recent releases and it totally works. But that gravel doesn’t always translate live – and he’s been chastised for it through various media outlets.

Even so – you’d be missing out if you skipped over anything he’s ever put out. Even the bootleg stuff has gems sprinkled throughout their entirety.

I just heard one the other day on the radio and I had to find it and play it to tedium – it was that good and that inspiring.

And I’m not currently waxing Dylan.
I’m out of practice.

But that’s it – that’s Bob Dylan in a nutshell: accessible. And I urge anyone looking to go on a musical pilgrimage to immerse yourself in Bob Dylan – from any random starting point; without thinking about the end.

Happy Birthday, Bob.
May you stay, forever young…

Cycles | 4.28.2022

Sometimes I get sad
and I focus on obscure minutiae
to get me out of that hole.

Lately, I’ve been sad
so I’ve been focusing on a barn quilt
I’m having made for the outside of the house.

Barn quilts are a Vermont thing.
Patterns on wood – painted or otherwise –
placed in place to give passerby’s a hint
of the lives inside.

This one is 24″ x 24″.
Blue
Pink
Yellow
Purple
& Green
Tulips that will be mounted above
where my tulips grow this time of year.

And this all makes me think of this house
Which makes me think of an obituary
I just read for the mother of the woman
I bought this house from.

The woman I bought the house from
who planted those tulips.

And now I’m sad again.


Tastebuds | 4.8.2022

I’ve lived a thousand lives
Each with its own forgotten festivals
In sync and alone.

Sometimes I was in focus
Sometimes I walked along the side –
Watching,
Waiting to be let in.

Keeping pace…
Scrambling over the debris.
Making fires to keep warm.

But whether I was center stage
or just there to pour the wine,

I always gave it all I had.

Save for a little piece of purity
So I had a way to get back home.

And now that they’re all that matters…
Now that the line has been drawn…
You’ve gotta knock.
There’s no rushing in and expecting favors.

I’ve retired.
Like a thousand times before.
And though there’s always room for laughter.
Always room to tease temptation.
There’s no room to get caught on the wind:

Transfixed on a mix of colors…
Calculating how crazy that sounds…
Fascinated on how fantastic it feels…

Not anymore.
Maybe in the next life?
Maybe I’ll find a way to remember?

Maybe this is the memory?
Guiding my hand in reflection.

Out here on the fading tip
of last night’s dream.

I was born in the desert.
I was reborn there too.
Again and again…
I saw the sunset a million times
At the edge of the lion’s den.

Maybe next go around I’ll be a carpenter?
Ignore the wavy lines.
And the soft caress?

Keep my hands clean
Steer away from the drama
Instead of pushing my way in.

Maybe I’ll knock first?
Maybe I’ll focus on sunrises?

Or maybe I’ll kick the door down
And do it all over again?

Sitting at someone else’s table
A court jester with an appetite.

It’s making me smile right now.
It’s more of a smirk.
All the muscles in a march to one side of my face.

Son of bitch.
I can’t get the taste out of my mouth.
Like a thousand times before.