Fin del Mundo... the end of the world...

As I get closer to becoming FIREd (Financially Independent Retired Early) I have noticed something I never thought would occur in me.  I am starting to slack off some at w$rk! I have always been a very loyal employee putting the business first and my needs a close second.  I have always had a a very strong w$rk ethic. I am a "tell it like I see kind of guy" which isn't great for advancement but at least I ended up in jobs I liked since I have never been a suck up of any sort. This has likely cost me money in terms of advancement or merit raises over the years. All that aside I always put in my hours and the managment always got both quality and quantity form me in the work place.

But things have really changed since I reached the financially independent part of my life - the time when I realized that I could quit soon and I would very likely be just fine financially. There is nothing more liberating in working than achieving the state of 'mental empowerment" - that time when you know what "the FIRE date" is and thus know when you plan on not working any longer. Knowing this date mentally empowered me at w$rk to be even more a "tell it like it is" guy and it also allowed me to further explain to my superiors that my actions were done so with no agenda in mind now that I was retiring soon.  It really is amazing how this little bit of knowledge in the w$rkplace changes so many co-w$rker and management attitudes towards you. Now there is a downside to being mentally empowered.  It has resulted in a negative behavioral trait that I now have knowing that my w$rk time is waning.  My sliding w$rk ethic due to my reduced motivation at w$rk has resulted in more slacking in my w$rkday. This has been an awkward challenge for me since I have always had a very strong w$rk ethic.  It is out of character for me to let my w$rk ethic slide but it equally satisfying knowing that my day is coming soon, and the end of this world as I know it...

Florida park review...

As I mentioned this past week we were at Gainesville, Florida to see my daughter play softball against the University of Florida.  We flew into Daytona Beach and rented a car with the intent of having time on our last day to exlore RV parks along the road back from Gainesville to Daytona. On the way over to Gainesville we saw numerous parks alongside the road but it was night so we didn't stop at any of them.  No problem, since we really had planned to stop at some along the way back since we had the whole day to catch out 5:00 PM flight.

So while in Gainsville we enjoyed watching some fast pitch softball for a few days and when the tournament was over we said goodbye to our daughter and then we planned a different route back to Daytona.  This route was a little further north than the one we came over on and went though an area of Florida with a lot of water features.  So we were sure to see many RV parks, right?  Wrong!  We did see a lot of RV's on the road but did not see any RV parks until we reached the coast where we found a small state recreation area that had several RV's in it.  So we parked the car and got out to take a stroll through the park.

The park, Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area, extends across a barrier island just a ways north of Daytona. It is on the Atlantic Ocean and to the west is the Intracoastal Waterway. The park is small but has a  total area of 145 acres.  We strolled around the park and took in the sights.  The park was about half full of RV's and we were hoping to see one of the ones we are hoping to buy.  But there were no Tiffins at all in the park.  We did stop and chat with the camp host only to find out that this park is usually booked some 10-11 months in advanced...WOW!  Also you can only stay for two weeks and must leave for 24 hours but can return if you have reservations.

The local ranger said that this time of year that the wright whales were passing through although we didn't see any. It is also said to be a prime nesting beach for 3 species of sea turtles from May through September. The area also offers excellent surf fishing and sunbathing and has easy access to the beach. While we were scanning the horizon with my binoculars we saw lots of gannets diving for fish just off shore.  Now I may not have mentioned before but I used to work as a wildlife biologist and as a result I am an avid naturalist and of course a bird watcher as a result. So yes, I keep a bird list of all the species I have seen in my life.  We birders refer to it as a "lifelist" and guess what?  The gannet was a new "lifer" for me to add to my list!  Since I didn't have my camera I borrowed a picture of one like those we saw.  Pretty cool, can't wait to get to do this full time...