Very nice, something to be proud of! 
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Thank you.
To say it was an intense few months is an understatement… As one of the guys in the brigade said “we just got twenty years experience in twenty weeks”.
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This is going to sound like a whiny, self deprecating post but its the opposite
After all the crap and nonsense failures ive had in the last couple of years. I am actually turning a profit now.
This month, i am on course to have my best month ever, ive actually smashed my best month by a country mile already but till the 30th ticks by I’m still holding my breath for a disaster to happen.
That makes it 3 amazing months in a row. Incremental increases in turnover each time then a monumental jump this time. So much so that I might even have enough left over to pay myself an actual decent wage for once. Like, proper actual money and not half of minimum wage for a 15 year old.
I’m not gonna sugar coat it, I’m absolutely exhausted but its finally FINALLY making sense to continue working for myself.
I even snapped an expensive socket yesterday and didn’t collapse into a pit of despair and anger like a black hole like before. I just ordered another! Out of everything thats transpired, that little moment actually felt better than any other
I even put the broken socket in the van as a reminder of that (3 months ago, I would of thrown it through the windscreen at yet another cock up)
That is progress!!!
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Is this your transportation business? Sorry I’m a bit out of the loop.
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Rocking it brother! Good to hear!
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Sweet. Sounds like you’re doing it tough but getting there.
Eye on the prize my man 
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Ive kinda slewed sideways. I sold 2 trailers and bought a van which ive converted into a mobile workshop for cars and trucks.
Still running the lorries at night Monday to Friday but now its supplemented by mobile tyres and general repairs in the daytime. I’m bloody shattered but its paying well.
Few months and ill take on a driver for the nights and give myself a break
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Nice, sounds like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
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I have to say. Your resilience and fight over the last few years has been inspiring to read about, mate. You’ve had such challenges thrown at you by circumstances outside your control and you’ve kept pivoting as needed and kept carving your own path.
I’m super stoked to hear that you’ve had three consecutive good months, that’s fantastic! Hopefully soon you can stop burning the midnight oil on the regular.
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Midsummer after a long time training on the Huey as an Airman 2nd Class with the Black Angels I passed the flight/theory tests for Airman 1st Class. I love this group for the difficulty and depth of the training as well as the reluctance to award high ranks to members. Everything has to be earned with a real life German CH53 instructor assessing you. He takes no prisoners.
Yesterday I got these
Having reached this stage my training now moves up a gear with the advanced squadron.
Although a German group, training is in English and it has members from USA, Ukraine, Russia and EU states. Only a basic skill level on the Huey is required to start training in Black Angels. Advanced training requires a lot more.
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Well, I have finally made it…
I turned 55 last week and because I can now take my superannuation/retirement fund as a lifetime full pension, today I ‘handed in my notice’ / quit. As of 01 Nov, I will officially be a pensioner.
For the past couple of years I have been ‘semi-retired’ working five days every fortnight. This was to let us get a lot of work done around the rural property where we live and we are almost at the point where it will be a viable/profitable ‘farm’ if we want to, but at the very least are almost completely self sufficient with fruit, veg and meat.
After doing the sums, I will be receieving more on a pension than what I have been and if I factor in the cost of having to drive into the office (fuel and parking) only about $8K annually (net) less than what I would be getting working full time - so as far a decisons go it was a bit of a no-brainer
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Congratulations old man. That HOTAS is going to see aome use now eh
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Thank you and I hope so? I am sure the wife has other ideas and there are still a lot of tasks that I want to do around the property but I would like, at least attempt, to ‘master’ a DCS module or two 
She doesn’t know it yet but one of those tasks is to finally build a sim pit. I reckon if I tell her it is a new roost for the chicken coop, that will buy me a few days and by the time she realises it will be too late 
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Congratulations!
I turned 50 this summer and I have the option to retire at 55, with less pension of course… When I was younger I dismissed the thought, reasoning that the option wouldn’t last until I am of age. But now, with only 5 years to go, I will give it some serious consideration.
Would be fun to run a Makerspace workshop…
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I hear you. But have a Scottish mother who worked her entire life in the finance industry
I was ‘encouraged’ from an early age to plan for this day - 35 years of committing 10% of my gross salary to a (very generous) military and then public/civil service retirement fund. That and spending my Army deployment ‘bonuses’ on a house, rather than fast cars and fast(er) women… like most of my mates did, is finally paying off
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For sure. I will definitely be hitting you up for ideas and advice… even if
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WTG chaps!
stopped by for some good read and inspiration. need some as I am now unemployed. no big deal, I wasnt happy with the company I was working for. so we part ways.
now its time for some serious thinking
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Congratulations guys! Well earned!
@NEVO I’m sure something much better will come up soon for you mate
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