What's the Frequency, Kenneth?

It has been just under 2 weeks since I made the monumental decision of becoming voluntarily unemployed. I tell ya, this time has been great. The primary focus so far has been going to the gym every morning, a few days a skiing mixed in here and there. I hope that by releasing endorphins I will put myself in a good place mentally to make some good decisions. However, life is all about what you choose to make of your bad decisions. God knows there have been many...

So one may ask what the game plan is. To that one, I say "great question!" Basically I can afford 4-5 months of "non-work", but hopefully it does not last that long. Ideally, the breakdown will go something like this:

Month 1: Free my mind; that is completely rid myself mentally of all the pressures/stresses associated with working. Or working a "sales" job, that is. Hopefully some brilliant ideas about the rest of my life will come to me as I free my mind. I plan to travel a bit. Traveling is a way to free the mind, soul search, correct? I am spending 6 days in Vail next week, then a long weekend skiing in the White Mts in NH, then a weekend in Chicago. After these next few weeks, I hope to have some new ideas, not just a bigger beer gut and less short term memory. But seriously a week of generally behaving in the Mtns of Vail, that high altitude, wind in the face type of thing, something's gotta penetrate that deep thinking brain of mine.

Month 2: Just an FYI, Months 3-5 I have no clue whats on the menu...So after these trips I may start to contribute to society again. Although writing a blog is contributing to society, right? I have my application in to be a substitute teacher at the middle school level. Remember all those piss poor subs we had back in the day. I think I could be a million times better than those bumps on logs. But that could be wishful thinking...I am doing this 1-to make a little spare cash and more importantly 2-to get a different perspective on things. A new lease on life of sorts. Perhaps by "giving back" to the younger generation I will be able to learn something new for myself. But what if I fall in love with teaching? In all honesty a 50% pay cut from every job I've ever had since college? Is that realistic? Do I give up the Infiniti? But then again...a teacher's pay is 100% more than I am making right now!

I also have an appt at a local Pharmacy school admissions office. Both the old man and his old man went there and created nice lives for themselves as Pharmacists. Yes, I did have the opportunity to go to Pharm School back after high school, but all that math and chemistry, 6 years of school??? I was 16 years old when I went looking at colleges, in hindsight I did not know a thing about anything. So what did I do...Business School! I'll just graduate and be in business. Great! I think the Pharmacy school thing is a long shot (at least 4 years of classes), but I want to keep the options open...

Months 3-5: TBD....hopefully there will be some "Dyn O Mite" stuff going on here. Is it appropriate to swear in a blog? Because I have held back or edited myself like 18 times already. Some things are best left to the imagination...

And I suppose at some point soon I should get some resumes out there? Not quite there yet, since I don't know what I want to do. And I hoping to capitalize on the whole warm networking concept. However, I do have 2 books I will read over the next few weeks: What Color is Your Parachute: 2009 A Practical manual for Job-hunters and Career Changers. The second is The 4 Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live anywhere and Join the New Rich. . Yeah! I'm sure the ideas will be flowing after reading these fine publications. I also had some personal business cards made up. So I can give them to people, who will then contact me with some big opportunities. Or perhaps the future Mrs. Utley will end up with one...

So if anyone out there on the InterWeb has any bright ideas about my future calling, please feel free to comment. I will examine everyone's ideas with a fine tooth comb. I am open to anything, however I have gotten used to a certain standard of living...which I'm not sure is a good thing or a bad thing. A question to ponder if you will. And much like the first few seasons of Lost, there are currently many more questions than there are answers...

And so it goes.