This isn’t really a secret in the US. Every who’s gotten out of the military recently that I’ve talked to from all different backgrounds all say the same thing, war with China is inevitable and the timeline has been moved up to 2027 from 2030. The US will not allow them to take Taiwan, too much at stake. Doubtful we’ll initiate.

We bought a bunch of card games and some board games recently that are great.

• Tower Stack (like physical Tetris)
• Hues and Cues
• Uno No Mercy
• Farkle
• Five Crowns
• Phase 10
• Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle (Deck Builder)

Want me to even look at a Tesla? Boot Musk. Otherwise, pound sand.

Nope. But I have my info stripped from the internet weekly and are on the do not call registries. I get spam from time to time of course but haven’t had any lately at all. I get FAR less than my wife. I also don’t sign up for crap to get discounts like she does.

Ah, I see you have a Samsung refrigerator.

TSA Precheck. Yes, it’s borderline extortion but it really is a LOT faster and more stress free at major hubs.

For me it was finding joy in work.

I, partly, became a manager to help others develop. I’ve been fortunate and worked for a few companies that believe the company can’t be at its best unless we’re training others to do our roles, train up mentality. I found that it’s a major kick to see someone succeed in something they never thought they could achieve.

I’ve helped a guy making decent money, make a lot more, raise his credit substantially, and fulfill the dream of owning a home. That’s something he never thought he’d be able to do. He was stuck in the mentality of born poor, die poor. He just needed someone to show him how our capitalist systems work and how to take advantage of that. Not only is he making more money but he’s happier and therefore more productive and does better quality work. No other sense of accomplishment has come close for me than directly affecting others lives. It’s really something.

And echoing what others’ have said, you do build endurance to the hours and grind the more you do it. I can basically work all day and not feel tired until I finally relax. I’m fortunate enough to have a job that has shorter days to balance the longer and I’m not stuck in an office all day (which I HATE). Not all jobs are office only / physical labor only. The great thing about COVID is that it forced remote work and a lot more flexibility in a lot of industries. I’m more of a hybrid work is best for me person.

It also helps to build a solid daily, weekly, monthly routine or “battle rhythm” as the military puts it. This helps break up the monotony of the days while keeping you on track to succeed. Consistency is the major thing that separates those that accomplish their goals and those that don’t.

I’ve got a bug out zone extremely close to a bordering country that’s self sufficient. Staying put unless things get wildly out of hand. We could probably house another 2 families if needed.

Army of Darkness. I mean it’s freaking Bruce Campbell. Kiss the king baby.

Tom’s hardware is still good.

Technically that’s a Drain tech. A plumber will almost certainly tell you they don’t unclog drains (even though there is GREAT money in it, since no one wants to do it themselves, but will complain about the price anyway).

There’s a lot of different pay plans out there. No idea what roto rooter is paying their techs these days.

Galveston Island, TX for a family get together later this year. We just got back from Alaska and it was a pretty great trip.

Good survey. Very relevant to what I’ve experienced so I hope my answers help you in your thesis. Good luck! 🍀

Lol! You definitely win.

A few reasons I prefer the exclusive handheld game route.

1. Gets you away from your internet connected device. No distracting notifications coming in
2. It’s dedicated to it so it’s really good at it.
3. No battery life hit to your phone.
4. Higher learning curve (this goes to time filler which is what you wanted).
5. Sitting on the couch, playing it outside/while traveling is great with it.

Physical Games

Not sure what your personal in-person social circle looks like but playing physical games (board/card, etc) with people is great. Spent 2 weeks with family and we had a blast playing some games every night.

A few I really enjoyed:

• 5 Crowns
• Phase 10
• Cribbage (good grief the rules are nuts)
• Hues and Cues
• Organ Attack

3D Printing

A time sink hobby is 3D Printing. It’s a challenge enough, and can be so low cost per part, that it’s fun. Starting with a lower cost 3D printer means the cost of entry is not much. Once you get a printer dialed printing things for people and functional prints for home is great. You can also learn 3D Modeling enough to design your own prints. Definitely gonna take some time to do so.

Retro Gaming

If you like retro games setting up a retro handheld is a ton of fun and then playing the games is great too. Handhelds from Anbernic, Retroid, or Powkiddy is a low cost of entry and much higher quality than you think, and they can run up to PS1/N64/Dreamcast. Took me ~1 month to go from never having done one to having a great OS with a tailored UI (Anbernic RG40XXV running Knulli OS). Going over guides from Retro Game Corps (YouTube and website) was easy but took long enough to teach me a ton.

Gardening

Obviously depends on your personal circumstances but even if you’re in a city/apartment a lot of cities/towns have community gardens. Setting up a raised garden is pretty easy and doesn’t have to cost a ton. Maintaining it is a challenge based on your location and takes learning many different skills. We grow Lettuce, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Green Beans. We had no success with Tomatoes in our climate (although a lot of people have no issue growing them). We’ve had limited success with potatoes (another really easy to grow crop, that we suck at, lol).

Canning

My wife LOVES canning. That’s a massive rabbit hole in its own right. Cost of entry is decently mid due to having to buy canning supplies like the glass jars (called cans), lids, rings, canning pots, pressure cooker, etc. You’ll get incredible quality vegetables and fruits out of it and can can meats and other things. My wife has been canning for 5 years now and we don’t buy store bought canned vegetables and fruits anymore. You wont really save any costs but you will know exactly what you’re eating. Does take having access to fresh produce at local markets to make it as cheap as the grocery store.

Sit time doesn’t make a difference for my hair so it’s solely down to how much warm water I want and how tired I am (I’m an afternoon-evening showerer).

As soon as everything has reported (I don’t wait for it to come in the mail). We generally file as early as allowed. We’ve already gotten our Federal refund back. Now state, this one takes AGES, probably won’t see it till April sadly.

Servant Leader.