(no subject)

a week into my new job, and i like the hell out of it. everybody i work with is nice as can be, and i already know the store, because i've been shopping there for 6+ years. the bennies are insane. full everything. the employee stock ownership program (ESOP)is off the hook. i was talking to a guy the other night who has been with the company for some years: the manager of the puyallup store started 18 years ago as a cart boy. now his account in the ESOP is worth close to 3 million. cesar the forklift guy told me about one of his philipino friends (i work with a lot of Pinoy)left after 10 years of part-time work he went back to the philipines with a check for 250K after he cashed his stock out. so yeah, i'm 51, and barring some unforseen tragedy, i've got another 15 - 16 years of hustle left in me. this is going to be my last job.
cousin christy (AKA upstairs wife) started her new gig today. she's working with some company that's affiliated with the gym she goes to. she's part time for now, and will go full time after she gets her LPN certification, and she'll stay with them for most of next year until her RN program starts. as usual, Tory's working on like 4 projects at micro$oft, and staying as busy as the proverbial one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. we're all doing really well. this is a good time for us. now all i need to do is lose the 60 pounds i put on over the past 2 years and i'm set. and quit smoking. or at least stop cigarettes and smoke a pipe or something. it's noon, almost bedtime. i'm off the next few nights, so i'll be getting up early (6 pm) so i can hang out with the family before they crash.