Jenn is sitting at the computer.  I am leaning over her shoulder.  We both have our right hands on the mouse, with my hand covering hers.  My index finger on top of hers. "Ready...Set...Click!" And with no more ceremony than the internet banking community can provide Jenn and I paid our last credit card payment...ever. WE ARE DEBT FREE!* Let there be dancing in the streets...or singing...or both!  Maybe a polka? BTW, our friends plan to call Dave with us on Friday. - Sean * With the exception of our house (sigh), however that is soon to follow!

I don't like posting two video's back to back.  It goes against my sense of style.  But this video is too cool to wait. - Sean P.S.  No, it isn't what you think.  Get your mind out of the gutter!  It's about extreme shepherding, and it is quite funny! P.P.S.  Yeah, there really is such a thing as extreme shepherding.  Who knew?

Well worth the 1 minute and 36 seconds it takes to watch.

- Sean

I have worked for small companies for 10 years now and my re-adjustment to corporate life is taking longer than I expected.  Not only that, but being an Independent Contractor means I am treated...shall we say...differently, but more on that in a minute. My first realization that re-adjusting to the corporate environment would be difficult came on my first day.  From 8:00am to 11:00am we had to attend an HR orientation.  I can't believe the stuff they have to put in these HR presentations.  For example, did you know it is against corporate policy to bring illegal drugs on campus?  I know!  It surprised me too!* The second realization that re-adjusting to the corporate environment would be difficult came this morning.  I spent 45 minutes on a conference call where the last 15 minutes was dedicated to each party's ardent refusal to take on a new task.  The task in question made the round trip three times before it was decided that they would wait until tomorrow's conference call, they have this conference call every day, to decide who will take this task.  I am beginning to suspect that people attend conference calls just so they can deflect tasks.  My suspicion is that if you don't attend the conference call then you get assigned tasks whether you want them or not. Oh, did I mention my cubicle?  My cubicle is in the "low rent district" A.K.A. the Independent Contractor section.  Our cubicles are very, very small.  Imagine a small closet you have at home.  Now imagine a space half that size and you have an IC cubicle.  No seriously, since I use a laptop I decided to turn in my full sized keyboard to IT so I could recapture what little desk space I have.  Let me restate that.  My cubicle is so small I had trouble finding room for a keyboard...for a keyboard! FTE's on the other hand (that's Full Time Employee's for those of you outside the corporate world) get a veritable Taj Mahal of a cubicle with 20 some odd linear feet of desk space.  There is enough room in a FTE cubicle for 6 people to stand without touching.  I like to visit FTE's cubicles.  It's like being let into the prison yard after spending time in solitary... or so I am told. On the up side, from my desk I have a view of the A/C unit on top of the building next door.  So it's not all bad. - Sean *  For the record I don't do drugs, never have, never will.

**UPDATE**

I got a lot of feedback telling me the answers I had don't accurately reflect everyone's situation.  Since my goal was not to try and tailor answers to everyone's specific situation, but instead was to get one of three answers (1. not at all 2. somewhat, and 3. A lot) I have decided to alter the poll.  If you have voted already you don't have to vote again.  If you didn't vote then I hope you will find an answer that suits you. - Sean I lost my job in Januray, but thanks to the Biblical teaching of Dave Ramsey, Jenn and I are weathering the situation just fine.   On the plus side there are a couple of deals in the works that might put us in a better financial position than we were in before.  Praise God! - Sean P.S.  Just a reminder all poll answers are private answers.

Jenn and I just discovered Jimmy John's.  Mmmmm.  We have become somewhat addicted.  I am a #9 with light lettuce and, if I am up for the pain the following morning, Jimmy's hot peppers. What is your favorite Jimmy Sub? - Sean

Well, it's official.  I have signed a contract with the IT department of a large company.  I hesitate to say which one, but I will give you a hint...look in your wallet.  It will be nice to get a pay check from them after giving them so much money over the years.  Maybe I will put a Financial Peace University poster in the breakroom.  ;-) - Sean

My Aunt-in-Law has started her own blog.  Babbling All The Way, a.k.a What Was I Thinking, is an assortment of her  curiously interesting thoughts.  Check it out and be sure to leave a comment telling her SeanDareOnline.com sent you.  Maybe then she will return the favor and post a link back to me. ;-) - Sean

I am holding her tightly now.  Her terrified eyes look at me, then the ceiling, then back at me.  Her breathing is coming in short and irregular.  I try to hold her here, but she is leaving.  Her body is jerking, trying to break free. I want to talk to her.  I want to tell her to stay.  I want her to breathe.  Every part of my being is willing her to live.  Tears stream down my face as her breathing becomes even more irregular. Her muscles tighten.  She arches her back, her eyes growing wider.  I hold even tighter.  This is the end.  I pull her head towards mine and put my mouth to her ear. "Oh baby...I love you!" One last spasm.  Her eyes are vacant.  The breath squeezes from her body.  She is gone. I wake up.

Fortunately this was only a dream.  Jenn is still alive and our lives are continuing "normally".  The dream reminded me how much our society takes death for granted.  We often think about tomorrow, next year, even ten years from now, but we fail to realize that all our planning ends the same.  We all end up dead.

Where will you be 100 years from now?

I remember the first time I encountered death.  When I was about 12 years old I had a guinea pig named Sherlock.  I played with him, fed and watered him, and cleaned his cage.  But, as the novelty of owning a guinea pig wore off I played, fed and cleaned him less often. In an attempt to get me to clean his cage my mother moved him outside to our deck.  I imagine she thought that I would miss him and that I would clean his cage so I could bring him back inside.  Instead the adage, "out of sight, out of mind" came into play.  I completely neglected him for a solid week...in July. One day my mother called to me from the deck.  My brother and I came to find my mother standing by Sherlock's cage.  Sherlock was curled up as if asleep.  Eyes closed.  Completely motionless.  When I pet him he didn't move.  I can still feel the hard, rigid form under his fur. Sherlock struck home the message that everything dies.  Every person on this planet will die.  Even you will die. My question is, what do you plan to do with the time you have?  Are you going to neglect your life like I neglected Sherlock? - Sean