To Be Rich...

.. and I don't mean in any way other than monetary. Save all your "count your blessings" speeches. I count them every day and yes, I'm damn fortunate.. but what I'm talking about here is having money. I don't mean dirty-stinking-filthy-buy-a-50-caret-diamond-studded-24k-gold-ass-wipe-roll-holder-just-because -you-can rich, I mean having the money to follow your dreams and your obsessions (if you are, like me, the obsessive type).

I'm back into flying now, and I'm already beginning to remember why I walked away from it for a while (other than the heart surgery). It is expensive. Not super expensive, but in order to do any REAL flying - where you get to go away for more than a day, you need your own plane.

To make those trips with any level of comfort, you need a decent sized 4 seater, and a 6 seater isn't beyond reason (realize that just because there are that many seats, it doesn't mean you can carry that many adults AND full fuel tanks). We are talking between $75k and $125k for this kind of plane; and I don't mean new. I'm talking about a well-maintained 25-45 year old plane.

Frustrating! I've promised myself since I was 16 years old that this (my 35th year) would be the year that I own an airplane. All the planets came into alignment giving me both a well paying job and super low interest rates at the same time, in the correct year, and yet it still won't happen until at least next year. Did I mention that this is frustrating?

How nice would it be if, within reason, you could have what you want? I don't think I'd want it without a *small* amount of work, as it doesn't get appreciated. But somehow, some way, always being able to work it out. Want to tour the world on a motorcycle? Do it. Want to buy a plane so you can go where you want, when you want? Go for it! Want to join the peace corps and (hopefully) make a difference in the world, without losing everything you have? Sure, no problem.

Want degrees in archeology, anthropology, genealogy, and design so you can try your hand at breeding mini pink-polkadot dinosaurs? It's your dream baby, hell yeah!

Are y'all as restless as I am?