Virtual Coffee Break - Chat

Hey person, just wanted to let you all know I'll be hanging around until Sunday, but after that, I'm going to be off the grid for a bit. I'll definitely check back in once I'm out of the hospital.
peace🙂☕🙂

Best of luck, and I’m really hoping for some good news 😘

mellowfox56 said:Hey person, just wanted to let you all know I'll be hanging around until Sunday, but after that, I'm going to be off the grid for a bit. I'll definitely check back in once I'm out of the hospital.
peace🙂☕🙂

I really hope you come out of it fully recovered.😁

So, I'm doing fine—just buried under work, honestly—so I haven't had the time to sit down and type much... though there are plenty of kind souls here giving solid advice along the way 😍

Yeah, we really should catch up more often... take care.

mellowfox56 said:Hey person, just wanted to let you all know I'll be hanging around until Sunday, but after that, I'm going to be off the grid for a bit. I'll definitely check back in once I'm out of the hospital.
peace🙂☕🙂

We'll be waiting for you to get back; hopefully, everything goes smoothly and quickly.🙂

mellowfox56 said:Hey person, just wanted to let you all know I'll be hanging around until Sunday, but after that, I'm going to be off the grid for a bit. I'll definitely check back in once I'm out of the hospital.
peace🙂☕🙂

I truly hope everything turns out great for you—really, from the bottom of my heart. Though, I suppose there isn't much advice I can give, especially since you were always the one here helping everyone else figure things out.

Wishing you the absolute best—please reach out when you have some good news!

I haven't been around these forums for quite a while, which doesn't mean I haven't been keeping an eye on things. I just don't post very often...
Dubravka, wishing you a speedy recovery and a quick return!

Man, there are just so many of you ladies here... I really need to watch my tone and make sure I'm being extra polite!

Man, I highly doubt we’re going to get treated with kid gloves here. 😍

I’m not holding my breath. 😛

So,
Jessica Grant56, am I really the only guy left hanging out with all these ladies?
Where did everyone go, Dante, Vlad...
Hey, did you notice Nat popped up too? It’s like the old crew is back together, plus some new faces.
Honestly, it makes me so happy to see this.
I was looking back through some of your old posts—man, when do you actually sleep?
Do you even sleep at all? You're like a little machine that never shuts off.Let's grab a coffee down by the pier if it isn't freezing where you are.☕

mellowfox56 said:So,
Jessica Grant56, am I really the only guy left hanging out with all these ladies?
Where did everyone go, Dante, Vlad...
Hey, did you notice Nat popped up too? It’s like the old crew is back together, plus some new faces.
Honestly, it makes me so happy to see this.
I was looking back through some of your old posts—man, when do you actually sleep?
Do you even sleep at all? You're like a little machine that never shuts off.Let's grab a coffee down by the pier if it isn't freezing where you are.☕

Well, they say old dogs can't learn new tricks—or maybe they just don't bite as hard anymore... though every once in a while, they still snap! Anyway, Vlad is swamped with work, poor guy. Drop us a line when you can.

My actual "secret" side hustle—and I mean real secret, since everything is officially under the company umbrella—is something else entirely. Honestly, you can't make a living off retail; you're basically just treading water. But if you have expertise in mechanical engineering, electronics, or IT, you can actually sell those skills for five or six times what retail pays. I only keep the shop running so a few family members have a steady paycheck, and even then, it's mostly because the rent is already paid regardless. Since a lot of things in the service industry—hotels, parking garages, shopping malls, etc.—happen overnight, my workday usually starts when everyone else is sleeping. And hey, you can definitely charge a premium for that!

Here’s the reality of what I’ve learned: you can sell your brainpower, but selling physical goods is a gamble. Unless you hit something essential—like pharmaceuticals or eyewear—it’s tough. People always need medicine, and people always need glasses (even if they overpay for designer frames), so those sectors stay steady. Everything else? It's either breaking even or bleeding money. Every day, some new entrepreneur pops up trying their luck, only to vanish shortly after... there are more empty storefronts in my downtown area than I care to count. We're sinking, sinking, sinking—and if the bottom of the ocean is somewhere around 36,000 feet, then I guess we've still got plenty of room to fall. I really feel for the younger generations coming up behind us; it's an uphill battle.

Henry Edwards33 said:Man, I highly doubt we’re going to get treated with kid gloves here. 😍

I’m not holding my breath. 😛

And you better keep doubting! I’ll just quote this old saying—you know, the one about the old hen and the soup, or that other one about the rooster (let's call him a singer, just so the ladies don't feel insulted!!), but I won't say it—mostly because I'm trying to be a gentleman here!

Raymond Martinez10 said:Kicking off the weekend here in the big city ☕

Oh, please—don't act like you're living in some massive metropolis. You need to head down South for a bit, you little North Star!

Jessica Grant56 said:And you better keep doubting! I’ll just quote this old saying—you know, the one about the old hen and the soup, or that other one about the rooster (let's call him a singer, just so the ladies don't feel insulted!!), but I won't say it—mostly because I'm trying to be a gentleman here!

As if anyone actually buys that line🤣🤣🤣

Raymond Martinez10 said:Kicking off the weekend in the big city ☕

Is this purely for pleasure or some sort of business trip? 🙂
I really ought to be heading into NYC myself, but honestly, I just can't find the motivation to move an inch...
🙂

If work demands it, fine—I'll put in the hours during the week. But the weekend? That’s strictly for decompressing and getting away from the office grind.

Is anyone else still grinding away at this? 🤦

Henry Edwards33 said:Is anyone else still grinding away at this? 🤦

Me.😍

Lucky us 😍

Someone actually had the nerve to laugh at me and say, "Hey, you could always just pull an extra hour of overtime once in a while" 😠

What an absolute idiot I am :chuckles:

Henry Edwards33 said:Lucky us 😍

Someone actually had the nerve to laugh at me and say, "Hey, you could always just pull an extra hour of overtime once in a while" 😠

What an absolute idiot I am :chuckles:

Lucky us! 😍
May God protect us (and the drunks). 🤣