Signed

Today I signed officially with my realtor. Perhaps this will be the last time I trust him. He plans to put it on the MLS (multiple listing service not major league soccer) on Monday, Feb 12th asking 415K. You should be able to see it on websites after that.

I was curious about what tax implications this might have, and the web research seems to point to none. This link says I can sell my place and make tax free capital gains profits of up to 250K and not pay any taxes. (Since I paid 168K, if I sell it for 400K, no tax). If you know the rules to be different than this, please let me know.

Like I Needed More Impetus

Most people who know me, know that I have been disliking or really hating my job for a while now. The IT industry isn’t quite as fun as it used to be, especially at public companies where Sarbanes-Oxley rules are pretty constricting.

Because of a “re-org” in my division last year, I ended up in a purely management position. I’ve always sort of enjoyed the technical side of the work, so I looked around, found a manager I used to work with, found an opening he had that was half management/half technical, and we agreed that I would take that job. Unfortunately, when he discussed this with my actual boss, it was determined that I was too important to the project to be allowed to transfer.

So I ended up forced to stay in a position that I really didn’t want. When they informed me of this, I was told: “Would you please stay in this position, and BTW if you do, you will get a 33% increase in your year end bonus this year.” As I’d suspected, I’ve ended up not liking the position. And when I ended up getting no increase at all in my bonus this year, I strongly expressed my dismay, and got managers talking to managers confirming whether the promise was made. (And the manager who had offered me the other position has told me he knows and agrees that this increase was promised to me.)

Today I was told that nothing can be done. I will not be getting the increase I was promised. Just adding fuel and momentum to the trip.

I have 20 vacation days, 3 personal days and 6 sick days to burn through. I told her I was taking all of next week off.

Post Work

What a difference it makes to know I am going to quit. All the annoying things seem less so. Knowing I am just putting in the time makes it so much easier to accept the crap.

It is going to be difficult to not tell anyone. Eventually I am going to have to tell some of the key people who report to me. They could end up in an awkward situation when I do leave and they have no boss in the area. Also, as I slack off a bit, they will understand what is going on and perhaps pick up the slack.

I still haven't figured out how to get laid off. Quitting or getting fired are easy. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

Work

Tomorrow I return to work for the first time since really deciding I am going to quit. My number one rule right now is Don’t Say Anything to Anyone…yet. It’s going to be hard to do, but they really should be the last to know.

I also have to plan what I am going to say when I do quit. Here’s a beginning list:

1. I’m burned out.
2. I didn’t want my current positions. I didn’t ask for it. I asked to transfer to another group, but was not allowed to. I was forced into it. And I really hate it.
3. I find it difficult reporting to someone in Florida and I think it is not a good thing professionally.
4. The whole Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) thing has ruined the enjoyment of the IT profession, especially at banks and brokerages. There is far too much red-tape and paper pushing. Too much bureaucracy to get anything done.
5. I was deceived/lied to about an increase in my bonus this year.
6. I was disrespected in this year’s compensation review. On a year where I moved up 3 level of management, went from managing 5 people to managing 22 people, I should have been given a sharp increase in pay and bonus, instead I got the norm.

If anyone has suggestion of what to say and what not to say, please let me know.

Again – Don’t Say Anything to Anyone…yet.

Realtor

I headed out for lunch and to see if Realty places were open. At the corner of Washington, a guy was putting up a sign for an open house. I asked, "Realtor or home owner?" So Phil is now my realtor. He's coming at 6 to see the place and talk things over.

Need to research realtors and find out what to look for and ask. Here are some quick results:

Are you a full time Agent?

• How long have you been in the Real Estate business?
• Are you an MLS (Multiple Listing Service) Member?
• How familiar are you with the area where our home is located?
• How many homes did you sell in this area in the last year?
• Can you supply 3 names and addresses of recent clients for whom you sold a home that I can contact for reference purposes?
• How do you arrive at the suggested listing price for my home?
• What is your specific marketing plan for my house?
• How do you plan on keeping me informed of the progress of the sale of my home?
• What professional designations do you have?
• Do you have a personal assistant, team or staff to handle different parts of the purchase?
• What are their names and how will each of them help me in my transaction?
• How do I communicate with them?
• Do you have a Website that will list my home? Can I have your URL address?
• Who responds to emails and how quickly? What’s your email address?
• What do you do that other agents don't that ensures I'm getting top dollar for my home?
• What is your average market time versus other agents' average market time?
• Do you have a performance guarantee? If I am not satisfied with your performance, can I terminate our listing agreement?
• How will you get paid? How are your fees structured? May I have that in writing?
• What will you do to sell my home?
• Who determines where and when my home is marketed/ promoted?
• Who pays for your advertising?
  

Time to start the actual blog...

So, being methodical as I am, and with the techy background, I have now set up the raw shell of what I want to blog about. Time spent setting up this shell...3 hours. I am thrilled with it so far.

It is helping me consolidate what I am thinking. Hopefully this will aide me greatly in both the impetus to undertake the trip, as well as the obvious...trip planning.

So far, I have set up a gMail account and created this blog. I first started to brain storm, then an hour into that, it all started to steam roll in my mind. And after pulling together 10 pages of hand scribbled ideas, it led me to decide to start a blog on this.

Actually, I first started thinking I needed to create a Power Point presentation. But as I continued to storm ideas, I began to think that was a bit limiting, because what I would like to take a stab at is not a straight forward as a .ppt file. It is more free-form that that.

A website would really be better than this, but then again, I just started.

Lots to learn. Much more to think about. My brain is totally buzzing. This is great. Really, I haven't been this excited in a long time. I feel different; this is good.

I am forcing a hard stop now...I could write all night, but the sensory overload is hyping me up even more.

Anyway, this was just supposed to be a test...just kept writing and couldn't stop.

Hi Mom!!!!

You're Invited...

Care to join me? I'm open to suggestions...please reply to this post...I will be watching for suggestions and our paths may cross. So keep an eye on flight prices.

Some things I'd be interested in:

• Rafting down the Grand Canyon
• Check out New Orleans, and add a little to their economy
• Wine country?
• South of the Border? Or even North.
• need to add more

Trip Tasks

Some Random Stuff

Things To Bring On the Ride:

1. Books: (This might have to become it's own topic soon.)

• On The Road - Kerouac
• Street Atlases
• Books On Tape - Buz?
• Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck -- his travels across the country with his dog. I remember it as fascinating (like Huck's trip down the Mississippi)-- Buz
• Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Pirsig
• Grapes of Wrath - Steinbeck
• Complete Guide to Full-Time RVing: Life on the Open Road by Bill Moeller --Thx Seismic for this and the next 8 - looks like I will be spending some time at Amazon or B&N.
• Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways (Road Trip USA) by Jamie Jensen --Thx Seismic
• 1,000 Places to See Before you Die: A Traveler’s Life List by Patricia Schultz --Thx Seismic
• Route 66 Adventure Handbook by Drew Knowles:
• The Great American Road Trip (Book Brick) by Eric Peterson
• Live Your Road Trip Dream: Travel for a Year for the Cost of Staying Home by Phil White and Carol White
• Road Trip America: A State-by-State Tour Guide to Offbeat Destinations by Andrew F. Wood
• Undiscovered America: 250 Great Places You Might Have Missed by Don W. Martin
• The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips by Robert J. Dolezal
  

2. Phone

3. Camera

4. Tent - TBD??? And then what sterno, generator, hot dogs - I really don't think I am a tent person - I need the shower and TV.

5. Cooler (sm, med, lg?)

6. Golf Clubs - This is a must...but it could eat up a lot of space. I am pretty certain that I can't do this in the SAAB because the trunk is too small. Definitely pointing me to a new vehicle. .

Things to Cancel Before Going:

1. Armando

2. NYTimes - Cancelled 2/1/2007

3. Cable (phone/computer/cable)

4. Gas Electric

5. Mail - well not really cancel, redirect to either a PO box or MaPa

People to Visit On Trip:

1. Relatives:

• Mark
• Kristin
• Cousins - Murphy's, Meyers, Lavins, Greene's

2. The Pierces

3. Seismic

4. Glinwin

Random Places to Visit:

• Chicago
• New Orleans
• Cincinatti
• Arizona
• San Fran
• Grand Canyon
• Yellowstone
• LA
• San Diego

This will be one destination and I wanted to test adding a picture.

People who may join at some point:

• Joey - First trip plan so far - Jersey to Chicago, Wrigley, Drive down the Mississippi River, both sides - New Orleans. From there I either mail him home, and go to AZ, or turn back and hit Atlanta on way to dropping him off and recharging.
• Pierces - I plan to abduct you

Let me know to add you to the list.

What to do with Vader:

• Find new owner - Glinwin? Pierces? Mark/Maria? Jack? Mom? Battlestar/Lisa?
• No kill shelter on Long Island
• Freeze

Some notes from people I want to remember but don't have a place for yet:

1. Living Will, just in case something should happen to you out there on your big adventure. - Glinwin

2. Absentee ballot just in case you're still on your adventure when voting time comes. - Glinwin

Technologies

Looking for just the right combination of some of these:

• Phone - too bad I-phone won't be out in time.
• LapTop
• TV
• IPod
• Camera
• Radio - XM, Serius, Radio Tivo?
• EMail - gmail...just got it: Scott.RoadTrip@gmail.com
• TiVo - AnyWhere? Bring it with me?
• GPS Navigation System

-------------

Seismic - THANKS for sending me these wireless internet access from anywhere options -
a. My boss says Verizon has the best coverage for broadband anywhere: http://b2b.vzw.com/productsservices/wirelessinternet/

b. But my company has also used Cingular for such purposes (although not as great coverage and a bit slower)
http://www.cingular.com/midtolarge/wifi

c. And it looks like there are other options out there as well, but some require antennas/satellite dishes mounted on the roof of an RV:
http://www.groundcontrol.com/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,12447-page,1/article.html
http://www.equitekcapital.com/Investorinfo/Webpagecontent/flarion_articles/flarionrtptvreview.htm
http://www.internetanywhere.us/
http://www.direc-way.us/Scripts/default.asp

Vehicle Options

SAAB - I've ruled this out. Not enough trunk space to carry clubs, clothes, etc., and also fit the rag top.

RV - Class A? Class C? Other? - Ruled this out too. Too clunky to drive around and parking restrictions. Also too expensive to rent per day compared to just staying in a hotel.

Prius - the leading candidate. Dix tells me the trunk is big enough and love the gas mileage.

Other Options - non-Prius Hybrid? - I hear a lot of talk about the Hybrid SUV's. Will have to look into this further.

VW Microbus - There's a brand new one coming out, but not soon enough. But it does look cool: VW Bus

Train? - No
Flying? - When/if I go international.

Treasons (Trip Reasons)

These are my Treasons (Trip Reasons)

Will never get a chance to do this again: no kids, no wife, enough money.

I hate work.

I need a change...stuck in a rut.

If I am still doing the same stuff next year, I will go crazy.

Been a bit depressed.

What an adventure!!