Posts by dustyeagle62

There’s actually one more option on the table.
Just get remarried—ideally to someone with a serious bank account.
He handles the grind, while you enjoy all that newfound free time, sort of like those characters in a storybook. You could easily set up a little passion project in a spare wing of his house just to stay busy; let's be real, though, you wouldn't even charge visitors since you aren't looking for a paycheck—you're just looking for freedom.
How does that sound for a plan?
Plus, you can finally invite your old boss over for a backyard BBQ, so he can be the one eating at your table instead of you sitting there waiting on him!

Megan Campbell51 said:I’m definitely not the only one scavenging leftovers from the boss's lunch... there are five of us constantly eyeing what's left. It usually comes down to whoever is the hungriest getting the biggest share, so I don't really feel like my dignity is at stake. It’s not like we're digging through someone's trash; the boss always buys extra for himself and puts it in a big serving dish. He takes his portion, and whatever is left over, the rest of us just scoop onto our plates and call it a day. Sometimes there’s plenty, sometimes nothing at all. Occasionally I eat it here at the office, other times I bring it home. Most of the time, though, the boss actually invites us to sit and eat with him, which is honestly great. It’s just the boss and the CEO who eat without a care in the world, while the rest of us wait to see what they’ve ordered so we can decide whether to chip in for our own meal or just hope there's enough extra to go around.👍 As for flexibility, my job doesn't really allow for much. I'm a professor, and my lectures run strictly from 8 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday, per Department of Education regulations. So, I don't really get to pick my hours. My boss knows that things will shift again in about four years. Actually, I’m quite the opposite of what you might think—I’m pretty much on equal footing with the boss when it comes to working conditions. If I need something, I ask for it, and it happens. My colleagues wouldn't dare dream of it, but since I have a highly specialized degree and more industry experience than anyone else they've hired, I can make demands without any fear. I have a lot of leverage. If I need something, I ask, and I get it. I don't push for a raise because I know the company's financial situation and realize they just can't afford it right now. For example, I recently requested that starting next year, I won't be teaching lectures past 4 PM anymore (I used to work from 9 AM until 8 PM!). Now I have this new schedule, but my pay stays exactly the same. Other employees can't pull that off; if they need to stay late, they stay. When I say I'm heading out, my boss doesn't say a word.

Besides, you can't lose your dignity just by trying to survive. Some people find it shameful to eat scraps, but for others, it's just life. I’m not saying I eat out of a dumpster, but if I absolutely had to, I wouldn't feel ashamed, and it certainly wouldn't hurt my pride. You know what’s actually shameful? Giving up or dying. But regardless, the gym plan is still on!

🙂So just enjoy it and keep moving forward!

Megan Campbell51 said:I’ve already done the legwork. There is definitely a market for this because, from what I’ve heard about the two local unisex gyms around here, one has aerobics classes that are way too slow and just plain boring, and the other is full of guys with massive egos who just stare at you while you're trying to work out—it totally drives the women away. And honestly, I used the word "gym" a bit loosely. While I would love to open a fitness center, I’d make it strictly for women. No 300lb bench presses or heavy lifters; just a few treadmills, some dumbbells, maybe ten aerobic steps, a Plasma TV, and that's it. I’d focus much more on group classes rather than individual training sessions.
Since I completed a full self-defense course, I could actually teach those classes too. I’d just grab a heavy punching bag and let the crew beat the hell out of it every single day for $33 a month until they're exhausted.😍

I totally get why you're worried about the future, but if you really want to launch something like this and run it yourself, kudos to you and good luck. Just, please, try to relax and stop panicking. Panic hasn't ever helped anyone, even when things are actually going south—and it's certainly not helping you four years early.
Also, please, have some dignity and stop scavenging leftovers from your coworkers. I mean, where does it end?
You’ve got your planning down, provided you don't get fired or end up in the hospital first!
I have to be blunt: if you keep acting like this, you're on a fast track to burnout, and you're also cruising toward getting fired. Once word gets around the office that you're eating everyone else's scraps—and trust me, people talk—and if your boss finds out you're plotting a side business, they'll decide you aren't loyal enough for the job. They'll see your behavior as a liability to the company's reputation.
Then you'll be out on the street, sick and unemployed.

You'd be better off focusing on building a reputation at work that earns you a bit more flexibility in your role. You have four years to play this right. If you stay composed, you might be able to negotiate something with management. But if you lose your dignity and your reputation, everyone is going to start avoiding you.

As for the gym idea, keep working on it, but keep your plans under wraps for now.
At the end of the day, you're wasting a ton of energy that should be focused on reaching your actual goal.

Scott Sanders6 said:Does anyone actually have experience with the JJ Center over on Broadway?

Oh, come on!
The dojo itself is top-tier, but what about everything else around there???