Fresh Idea Living Picnic Table

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

Fresh ideas, inventions that I pass along to the world. Maybe they’re useful. Maybe they’re fun.

Skip tablecloths and being careful with the tabletop. Make a picnic table that has a garden of groundcover for a top. Living roofs are used for houses and buildings. Why not for furniture? Check out Matthew Swett’s architectural portfolio (Clinton Beach) for an example of a living roof.

Most picnic tables are made so stout that they should be able to hold up a layer of dirt and groundcover, especially something like creeping thyme or moss. In wetter regions, like around Seattle, there’d be no need to water the plants. Spills might even help. The table wouldn’t have to be cleaned off to use. Scraps and crumbs are already in the right place for composting. And it would definitely be a conversation piece. Instead of shading some patch of plants, the table, which is rarely used, would be a home and a source of oxygen.

Just an idea. Just having fun. Tell me if you do it.

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Washingtons Gift Of Marijuana

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

Washington State has re-legalized marijuana. Prohibition retreats. It’s taken less than a hundred years since the re-legalization of alcohol. See? Society progresses. But progress doesn’t happen all at once, though it may seem that way in retrospect. Sitting here, typing this post from within the state where the voters have spoken, I still can’t indulge my curiosity, legally. I hear things have changed since my college days. What’s it like now? It will take some time to find out. A friend on facebook asked; “Are you considering a new business opportunity?” My response, “Always.“; mostly as a way to witness the subsequent trends.  And there are a lot of trends beginning.

The discussion about legalizing marijuana makes it sound as if it was illegal forever and we’re breaching ancient walls. Back when the country was started marijuana, alcohol, and even opium were legal. I wonder if, what, and how much the founding fathers imbibed. I guess we are returning to traditional values. (That’s a joke folks. There will be more.)

Of the three, marijuana, alcohol, and opium, marijuana is the most natural. Let’s put aside opium because I see no way that it will be legalized unless the nation becomes unanimously Libertarian. Alcohol requires significant processing. Marijuana is a natural plant. Fires happen. Smoke happens. People breath. It probably didn’t take much for people to discover the effects. It is far more accessible than coffee and chocolate.

But marijuana is not legally accessible in my neighborhood yet. My layman’s understanding is that the law doesn’t take effect until December 6th. On Pearl Harbor Day, December 7th, it will be legal for me to possess a small amount of marijuana because I am a Washington State resident more than 21 years old. From what I can discern, the legality ends there.

Possession of marijuana continues to be a Federal offense. But maybe the Feds are busy enough, and their incentives are small enough, that they won’t investigate, arrest, prosecute, charge, and incarcerate individual consumers. They’ve got enough to do.

It is also not legal yet to buy marijuana. The legal supplier will be the state government. It may take them a year or so to draft the proper regulations and set up the state-owned shops. This is ironic because we voters just privatized the state-owned liquor stores. If we’d left them in place, the state would have an existing infrastructure in place. But who expected the referendum to pass?

So, if it isn’t legal to buy it, is it legal to grow it? Nope. But it’s a naturally occurring plant. Like so many non-native species, maybe it just happened to take root and propagate some seeds. Nature happens. If it grows itself, is nature breaking the law?

Even if Washington State made every aspect legal, there’s a tricky situation with the money. The banks are federally controlled. Could non-Washington State banks legally accept deposits that were the proceeds of marijuana sales? Maybe this is an opportunity for local banks, currencies, and alternative economies.

The holidays approach, and those thoughts carried along some possibilities. Maybe marijuana isn’t legal to buy or sell or grow, but maybe it can be given as a gift. If it happens to grow naturally, and the plants become larger than the legal amount, is a landowner required to cut them back and distribute the excess? Happy Holidays! Imagine the wreaths, oh, but there’s a one ounce limit. That’s a tiny wreath.

Gardening businesses are probably already supplying the illegal growers, so maybe they won’t see much extra business. Though it would be fun to see pot sales go up. Buy a pot that just happens to have dirt and fertilizer and oh so sorry but it may have some non-native seeds in there. There may be a new set of gardening classes to tend your Pot In A Pot. (Maybe I should register that trademark and domain name. Rats. It’s taken.)

There will probably also be new sets of culinary classes. Brownies are iconic carriers, but I’ve seen marijuana added as an herb in omelets, cakes, and even tea. One of the few times I was surreptitiously seduced was by wonderful woman who served me an herbal tea that had amazingly relaxing properties. Pardon me as I take a sip of my very legal, personally blended, mint tea and reminisce.

Ah. Okay. What was I writing about? Oh yeah, trends, marijuana, and my neighborhood. Let’s get expansive.

The bigger trends are the ones that will have the greater, and equally welcome, effect. One of the reasons I’ve been in favor of marijuana legalization is that the cost and benefit of legalizing marijuana is much more compelling than criminalizing marijuana. Criminalize it and the prices go up, which draws in the dangerously illegal organizations, which requires more money spent on enforcement and less effort directed to more damaging crimes, while disenfranchising the citizenry. Abuse is possible. I’ve seen it. I’ve also seen people abuse alcohol. Neither should be driving, and those laws remain in effect. Given the choice between being around someone who used too much marijuana or too much alcohol, I know that it is the drinker that makes me worry. Whether it is from becoming an angry drunk or possible blood poisoning, alcohol is much more dangerous.

Whether it is new businesses to support the legal growth, distribution, or consumption of marijuana, or old illegal businesses becoming legal, Washington State can greatly benefit from this legalization of marijuana. Those same benefits can extend to the federal level. Before there was an income tax, and yes, there was such a time, a great portion of the nation’s revenues came from taxing alcohol. As a revenue generator and a cost reducer, marijuana is a marvelous growth industry (pardon the pun but wordsmithing around that would take too much time.)

Amidst all of those considerations, I asked myself that question my friend asked me on facebook, “Are you considering a new business opportunity?” The answer is still “Yes.“, but I realize that I’ve already established a business that works in that regard. I consult with creative individuals and small businesses. Now that marijuana is legal, my best contribution may be to help folks with that transition and expansion. I’d enjoy that.

“Quick! You grab the kayak. I’ll get the skis. We’re out of here!”
“Ah, dude, I think we might have a few problems with your plan.”

Another thought came to mind amidst all of the possibilities. As a landscaping feature, is marijuana deer tolerant? Will bunnies and slugs devour the plants? If not, great. If they do, will they get the munchies to such an extent that they’ll eat my lawn and save me time mowing? That would be a major benefit right there – and probably the source of a stream of YouTube videos.

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Help Find A Friend A Job – Jeff Kurtti

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

Resumes don’t tell the tale, especially now that resumes are read by bots. Networking still works and stories are powerful. Welcome to another installment of my interviews with friends seeking jobs . I provide an opportunity for their story to reach people who know of jobs for my friends.

I met Jeff Kurtti at various art venues. There were definitely some lively conversations. He impressed me with his passion for his job. Watching him talk about the Disney Museum project was witnessing someone who didn’t just show up for work and a paycheck.

Here are his answers to a few questions.

> Who are you? No, really, not the job titles, but who are you?
A child of the 1960s, deeply ingrained with all of the attendant pop culture touchstones; a voracious reader who became a writer, a cinephile who became a filmmaker. Husband, father, thinker, doer. Efficient communicator and grateful teacher.

> What are your dreams? Not necessarily your dream job, but your dreams. Maybe someone will create a new position for you.
To wake up every day excited by the work that needs doing, to work in ego-free collaboration and mutual respect, to go home at night without the work as a ponderous baggage, and mostly to feed my family and my soul and the future of my children.

> How long have you been looking?
Since March, 2012.

> How are you getting by?
A fortunate chain of free-lance and temporary consulting jobs, and occasional project-based work.

> What title fits you that would never be picked up by a resume robot?
Practical dreamer.

> What job jazzed you the most?
The Walt Disney Family Museum, as it brought together all of my skills and taught some new ones in a venue in which I had never worked. Unfortunately encumbered by disrespect and politics which sullied the experience, but I am proud of the results and grateful to have been a guiding force.

There are lots of dreamers out there. But being a practical one is rarer, and therefore more valuable. That sounds like a great title to have on a business card. I hope he gets to live that life.

A note to my friends: If you’re having a tough time finding a job and want to participate, send me an email. You are welcome to nominate other people too.

A note to bloggers: You’re welcome to do the same thing on your blogs. Crowdsourcing works. Why not use it for finding jobs? Maybe using the same title, Help Find A Friend A Job or the hashtag #FAFAJ will help spread the idea. The more people hear the stories, the less likely they’ll see unemployment as a statistic or the unemployed as a stereotype. Decreased unemployment sounds like a reason to stop, except for those of us that are still unemployed. We might as well try. It would feel good to succeed.

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Changing Odds

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

All hail the secret ballot. All hail the power of We The People. We don’t know how a person voted, unless they let us peek, but we do know how the people voted. That’s the secret behind our nation. Watching the results was probably more fascinating than anything on TV. I wouldn’t know because I got rid of my TV, but some of my friends stayed up past midnight making sure the right people won. What fascinates me more are the breakthroughs and larger trends underlying the details of individual races. The nation is changing because the people are changing, and the changes are real, not academic. Within the next 30 years, the life of a typical mortgage, the way we live, deal with money, and interact will change. Our votes make that happen.

I’m an extreme independent moderate. Guessing which way I’ll vote is so hard I can’t remember which boxes I checked. I don’t need to dwell on irrevocable decisions. I vote for the best candidate, regardless of party, because that’s what I see is the job of a voter. Trying to pick the winner is more popular. Picking winners is the role of bookies, which is one reason why I regularly posted on facebook the odds from British bookie firm Ladbrokes. As I type this, the Democrats are 5 to 4 and the Republicans are 4 to 5 for winning the 2016 election. Yes, the race has already begun. The Independents are 25 to 1, and I’m glad they continue to try. Someday, someday, they will succeed. Bookies and pollsters have different incentives. Pollsters make money running polls. The closer the race, the more polls are conducted. Bookies make money by guessing the winner.

Every electoral race seemed to be accompanied by a map. Reds and Blues. Where are the Greens? We’ve become accustomed to the coasts being mostly Blue, except in the South; and the middle being mostly Red, except in the upper Midwest. There is a bifurcation in the nation. We’ve had it before. There’s an excellent Red and Blue political map produced by ace web comic xkcd that shows the ebb and flow since Washington. At one point the differences became so extreme that our nation temporarily became two, from at least one point of view. Will it happen again? Joel Garreau in the book, The Nine Nations of North America, drew boundaries based on economics and culture that roughly match the divide between red and blue. One scenario that could precipitate such a division would be for the Parti Québécois to successfully secede from the rest of Canada at the same time that some place like Texas secedes because it is tired of federal management of border issues. North America could rapidly become as divided as Europe. I haven’t found the odds on that.

My address provided me with a fractal view to the Blue/Red divide. The national map is familiar. Washington State divides along the Cascade Mountains. Whidbey Island divides north versus south. I’m not sure if this extends to my neighborhood or my street, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Hmm, take it one level internally and maybe that’s why I’m a moderate.

Washington State just passed two referenda: Yes to same sex marriage, and Yes to legalizing marijuana. Yep. The maps split along the same geographical lines. Regardless of the closeness of the vote, someone will now find a way to host a LGBT wedding and serve a powerfully mellow wedding cake. Let’s just make sure everyone is of age and no one has to drive. And the lovely couple may just be recent immigrants to the state. As some states become more open, they attract people who appreciate that. As other states become more protective of a different set of values, they too attract people who appreciate a different that. Bluer becomes bluer. Redder becomes redder.

The Constitution of the United States, something Barack Obama will swear an oath to soon, does an admirable job of giving the states the rights to be unique, while maintaining an overall structure. The strength of that document, those words, and those ideas will probably be enough to maintain the integrity of the nation – as long as we follow it instead of merely using it for an oath.

Thirty years is a reasonable time for a mortgage and probably my remaining life expectancy without a digital singularity sneaking in. Within those decades we will sort out marijuana legalization, same sex marriage, and a swarm of other political platform planks. We will either sort them out by making the decisions more general, or by allowing the divisions to become more distinct.

As a Washington resident, I am glad we made the choices we made. Simply based on economics and balancing risks, rewards, costs and benefits I believe Washington State’s economy will be healthier within a few years. The state will be making more and spending less. And the people on the west side of the mountains may be happier and mellower. Sounds good to me. As I type this I wonder what opportunities such changes make that help me lead a thriving life. I’m sure I’m not the only one pondering that issue.

As an American, I worry about our country. Even though it is doubtful that a dissolution would occur, we could effectively produce the same result. By the Constitution, contracts that are valid in one state are to be effectively respected by the other states. But ideologies aren’t protected. I think we already see a lack of unity that impacts our collective health. Radically different approaches to science education are enough to make me wonder if some states are going to become dependent on others for technology. I’m impressed with the Amish, but how would it affect the nation if a breadbasket state left behind evolution, genetics, and ecology?

Our economic crisis is becoming easier to accept. Jobs are increasing. Inflation remains low. Interest rates are ridiculously low. Yet our nation’s debt, deficits, and delayed repairs are unresolved. They don’t impact our daily lives, yet. I don’t see the trend that suggests that we’ll all agree to a set of solutions.

Despite a clear electoral college victory, the legalization of marijuana, and the approval of same sex marriage we lack clear majorities. Each race was decided by a few percent. Even a clear win of 75% would mean 25% were on the other side. Imagine a dinner party of twelve where nine decided what the other three had to eat. Three people allergic to shellfish would more than mildly disapprove of nine people telling them to eat clams.

Thirty year mortgages assume the world doesn’t change within that time. I look at these trends, throw in the minorities such that there is no such thing as a majority, throw in a disaster or two, and I wonder. And I know that the best thing to do is plan for things to continue, and expect things and the plans to change.

Sunset on election night produced an amazing collection of colors. Red and blue swirled within contentious winds as another cycle sets. They produced purples. Maybe that should be a new color for our map.

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Balancing Frugality

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

“You shouldn’t tell people that!” “But, it’s the truth.” “Yes, but while telling them the sad truth you obscure the other more important truth.” Ain’t that the truth.
“I’m impressed with how you’re able to stay upbeat with everything you’re going through. How do you do it?” “What else can I do?” Really, being upbeat is as good an option as any.
Those are the paraphrased versions of a pair of conversations that happened after Wednesday’s post. They weren’t the only ones. I’m in the midst of a balancing act, and my friends help by pointing out my pessimisms and optimisms. I’m also in a balancing act because I’m chronicling my journey publicly via this blog, while also running a consultancy and applying for jobs. As if balancing a finances with a declining net worth wasn’t enough, I have to balance emotions and be aware of perceptions.

Wednesday’s blog was about how many folks are crossing their fingers, toes, arms, and legs (but not eyes and not while driving) for me as I pursue Plans A, B, C, D, et al. Friends and family are sweet. One friend even made that literal by buying some of my art and then tipping me with an entire flourless (gluten-free) chocolate (good anti-oxidants) cake (dessert!). It took me two weeks to finish it. Going through my financial turmoil would be much tougher without everyone’s help.

Many of my friends are coaches, counselors, consultants, advisors, or independently successful. Many of them are also active in social service charities supplying help to those who need food, shelter, health care, clothing, child care, or emotional support. And of course there is overlap.

Conventional wisdom is that to be successful I must act successful. One of favorite authors, Sun Tzu, in his book, The Art Of War says, “When you are small, appear large.” I believe a variation on that is “Fake it until you make it.” Success breeds success. If I am putting myself out there as a consultant who helps others towards success, then I should emphasize my successes. That makes a lot of sense. In terms of the nine-step program championed by New Road Map, and in the book Your Money Or Your Life, my financial turmoil is largely restricted to step nine. I understand all of the steps well enough to help others through them. (I was Board Secretary of New Road Map, am a case study in Your Money Or Your Life, and wrote my own book that is the basis of this blog, Dream. Invest. Live.) I sincerely think that my step nine hiccup is largely monstrous bad luck. To emphasize my success I should be writing about the earlier steps. I should also spend more time on this blog passing along the testimonials of this first wave of clients. I’ll work on that. It goes against upbringing, but I understand the power of public positivism.

My passion is for people and ideas. Writing, photography, teaching, speaking, and consulting are the tools for following my passion. I am also an extreme independent moderate because I enjoy being in the middle. It’s easier to see each extreme that way instead of just one. It also means I know many people who are apparently successful, and people who aren’t meeting basic needs. Despite grand programs and strategies, it is too easy to underestimate the power of luck. The successes become public anecdotes and can readily take credit for their situation. The unlucky become statistics and are more likely to withdraw from sight and sound.

From what I hear, it turns out that I am helping give voice to some of the unlucky. None are going through exactly what I am going through because none of us lead identical lives. That’s amazing considering 7,000,000,000 people. But many are glad I am providing at least one example. It is too easy for misfortune to convince someone that it’s their fault. They must have done something wrong with career, family, health, attitude, emotion, or even spirit in this or previous lives. If nothing is going right, then are they doing everything wrong? Others with the same job, family, diet, social skills, philosophy or religion are successful, so what did they do wrong? Mistakes do happen, and introspection and retrospection are worthwhile. Bad luck happens too. Someone who wins the lottery and writes a book about how they did it will sell copies. Someone who loses the lottery and writes a book about it better make the book a comedy.

I’ve chronicled my financial life by blogging for almost four years now (anniversary next November 5th). I’ve gone from a net worth that was rising dramatically with the possibility of rising further, which prompted the comment, “I didn’t want to read that you’ve made more money.” In the last eighteen months that net worth has declined over 95% from historically poor portfolio performance and attrition. Now I hear the opposite. Well, this blog is about balancing life and money, so money will be a topic. Being honest about the fall has been painful to read for some of my friends, both because they are empathic and because they feel it isn’t a good business tactic.

My life is a balancing act. Whose life isn’t? This blog is a balancing act. I can see why most writers stick to the “strong declarative statement”. An unequivocal declaration or emotional expression is easier to present and can be much more concise. It works for politicians and pundits and sound bites. Businesses and organizations use it for branding. I am more familiar with balancing. My job at Boeing was essentially understanding how to balance the forces acting on the airplane. My studies in karate require intuitive and continual awareness of balance. My financial lifestyle has been a continual effort to balance risk and reward. Yet, airplanes, bodies, and money can fall out of balance.

I live frugally. Frugality isn’t living cheap, though that may be a consequence. Frugality is living my life according to my values while respecting my resources. Money, time, energy, emotion, community, and the universe are all resources. I stay upbeat because I am frugal. I’ve been able to persist through an over 14 month job search because of my frugality. Frugality has meant that I live my life according to my values. I’ve done so for years. As the money tightened I’ve cut back on many things, but fundamentally every day is spent living a life similar to the one I led when I was a millionaire. Frugality is also why I believe I can re-attain a thriving, sustainable lifestyle yet again. It doesn’t take much money to dramatically improve my life. This weekend’s clients have had an enormous effect. (I particularly liked that two of my recent clients have insisted on paying more than I charged. I guess they like what I did for them.)


My frugality, my respect for people, including myself, is why I chronicle the good days and the bad days. We all have good times and bad times. From what I can tell, many who have had similar financial downdrafts like mine don’t tell anyone about the details until after they are successful again. It is hard to be honest when things are going poorly. I write throughout to guard against selective amnesia.

I look forward to reinvigorated finances for the obvious reasons. The writer in me looks forward to writing about the upside that follows the downside. There’s a lot of good material there. And as another friend put it (paraphrased of course),
“The best person to ask about relationships is someone that’s had heartbreaks and found love. The best person to ask about recovering health is someone who got sick and got well. Maybe the best person to listen to about money is someone who’s lost a lot and got it back. The priest, the perpetually fit, and the heir may have useful things to say but they can only talk about half of life. Someone who’s seen more can also talk about more of life. Maybe you’ll be that person.”

Balance is hard to achieve from only one side or from out at an extreme. Frugality taught me that. Money isn’t everything, but it also isn’t nothing. Time is everything, but it can’t be spent only doing one thing. Every day my life exercises that balance. Stay tuned. It’s the only way to know if I’ve balanced it well enough.

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Twisted Fingers

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

A friend asked me to cross my fingers and arms and legs and toes if possible. She had a surprise job interview. If she got the job she’d go from struggling single mom to single mom making just shy of six figures within days. Having friends in the right places helps. Readers and friends have said that they are doing the same for me. They’re crossing whatever they have available as they hope something good happens to me and my finances. It’s been over a year now. Some of them must be getting cramped appendages. Each morning I wake and remind myself of the positive possibilities. Something grand is bound to happen, if for no other reason than so all those fingers can relax again.

My fingers and toes aren’t crossed. It is hard to type with crossed fingers. I’m on the move so much that I’d trip if I crossed my toes. Internally there are a lot of tangles though. Long before I started looking for a job I started fishing for opportunities. A recent comment from a friend with their own set of lines and active appendages helped me reframe those lines as backup plans. I am more organized than I knew. Some of those plans have been going on for months, others for years. One of my strengths if perseverance. It is how I bicycled across America, completed a three year narrative of nature in Washington’s Cascades, completed a five year photo essay of Whidbey Island, and walked across Scotland.


Unfortunately, so far, that hasn’t been enough. My apparent net worth continues to shrink. The rate has decreased because of my frugal lifestyle and my consulting, teaching, and art endeavours. They may all combine to counter the slide and lead back to a thriving life. Consulting alone can provide such an income, and be that job that I enjoy so much that I’d do it even if I wasn’t paid. Teaching and speaking can do that too, but it involves finding people and places off the island. Feel free to pass along suggestions. Art can create wonders; and my books and digital photography can provide more than enough passive income if word of mouth spreads the word and creates a wave of sales.

(Writers can appreciate what just happened. I hadn’t intended to list all of those positive possibilities, but they just flowed out; probably because I practice thinking of them every morning. )

There’s a similarly long mantra of collaborations. Every job application carries the same hopes. So does every lottery ticket. And I’m aware that serendipity happens in unexpected ways. I know of a few folks with imminent windfalls.

My boosterism is necessary, especially as I am reminded of the wealth around me, and my financial obligations. Ads have become laughable. Really, will buying that new car or using a moisturizer really be the thing that makes my life better? Gee, I thought it would be making a mortgage payment on time, or getting the septic system pumped. I feel a pang when I see remodeling in the neighborhood, review the plans I had to renovate my home, and realize that I’ve decided not to afford the lumber to fix a window frame.

My life has always been frugal, and now I have an even finer appreciation for what is important to me. My morning mediations are done under the covers. I recalled a friend who said they wake every day in fear. I’d come to understand that, and feel that. Then I realized that where I was was warm, safe, and comfortable. My body was more relaxed than it had been the night before. The twitches and back spasms always subsided in the night. For those few minutes before my work ethic got me out of bed, I was in an environment that couldn’t be improved with money. Companionship, yes. Money, no. (Pity those two are somewhat related.)

I now carry that realization throughout the day. As I type this, more money would change the bills that are waiting to be paid, because they’d be paid; the house would be in better shape, because I’d paid for the work; and well, there’s undoubtedly more, but they don’t come to mind. The house is warm enough. I’m dressed comfortably enough. I enjoyed my breakfast. The computer and the internet connection would be the same. I like this desk and am fine with this chair. My neighborhood is quiet and I expect to meet a friend for a rare lunch after I ride into Langley on the free bus. With a few hundred thousand dollars more life would be the nearly the same. I know. That’s the life I led two years ago.

Society makes me aware of what I lack. I remind myself of what I have. Advertisers, pundits, and politicians won’t do that. I must do that for myself.

Some interesting synchronicities have arisen in the last few weeks. I thank the universe for serendipities even if they don’t seem to make sense in this world. They may all be building to something wonderful and grand that I can’t imagine. Strange things happen every day.

Ping. The email sings. Pardon me as hope rises and I step away from typing to check what arrived.

Oh nothing. It’s an email from a fascinating company. I applied for a job there, got turned down, and ended up on their email newsletter. Great work folks. Wish I was there to help you.

I thank everyone who is crossing fingers, toes, and limbs as they hope I find a solution to my financial situation. It is touching, and I realize you may feel frustration too because you see the most you can do is to cross your fingers. The thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Like I said, my fingers and toes are too busy to keep crossed. After my fingers type this I’ll use my toes to walk the 1.6 miles to the bus. And maybe that walk will help me unknit my furrowed brow and unclench my jaw. My finger and toe muscles may not be knotted but other muscles seem to be taking their place. Fortunately, it’s a pleasant walk through a forest and along the bay. It’s fall. The rain has stopped. (We’re supposed to get an inch or two.) The wind has calmed. (It wasn’t a hurricane but it was windy enough to shred the leaves from the trees.) The colored leaves are scattered making sure every view has a pointilist’s attention to detail.

I’m heading to lunch to check in on a friend and our collaboration. Who knows what will happen? Well, you will – if you stay tuned. Cross your fingers.

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Minimalism Meets A Carport Sale

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

 

Wind, rain, a few degrees within fifty degrees, and I’m having a carport sale. Not the best timing, but finances suggest I should do this. (Almost Everything Must Go) I’m certainly not doing this because I want to do this. Yet, there’s a good feeling of release as I put out things that I haven’t used in years. I’m a minimalist though, so there isn’t much. It will be an interesting day. I will chronicle it like I did with the Open Studio Tour because it is Saturday and I blog on Saturday. Welcome along on the ride.

7am
Breakfast first. Glad I took a shower last night. Now it is time to walk around the neighborhood putting up cardboard signs in the rain. Ah, Western Washington in October.

What a messy day. Signs deployed. One broke and I didn’t have a backup, so that effort got scaled back. The sign got reassigned closer to home because I don’t have the time, or another person helping out, to get it to where I originally intended. Being six miles from the highway has it’s drawbacks. (Geographically Desirable Or Not)

Time to add the more delicate items to the collection of hardier goods that mostly survived outside in the carport last night.

8am
The carport is filling, but it simultaneously looks full and yet not as filled as most garage sales.

Lighter items try to skitter out of the carport on the wind. Whoa!

Pricing. I’ll put a sign for $40 at the front of the carport, and $1 at the back and stage things based on price, which will be negotiated anyway. I rarely go to garage sales so I have very little experience with this.

Oh yeah, and put more flyers in the For Sale sign. You know my house is for sale, right? (Home For Sale Alas)

Each event, every post is advertising and possible revenues. That’s true of life. Every moment, each person we encounter, every choice we make tells the world a bit about us, and gives the world the opportunity to compensate, recompense, give us value for how we’ve lived.

My head went there because I was thinking of how much I could make, and how little some garage sales bring in. If I sold nothing that I placed in the carport, but someone bought the house, the carport sale was worth the effort. If I meet someone that hires me for my services, either as a consultant or an employee, then the carport sale was worth it. If I sell a lot of stuff that I wasn’t using anyway, and that can find other more productive uses, then the carport sale was worth it. If I sell enough to pay the mortgage, well then, the carport sale was definitely worth it. Who knows? Stay tuned. Oh yeah, you’re reading this after the sale is over and I’ve posted this. You can skip ahead. I can’t.

9am-ish
Of course the early birds sweep in a few minutes before opening. I’m here. I’ll sell you something. The coveted bike stand ($40) went first. Then a handful of items. One person came in just because she saw the signs. So, that effort was useful.

Fifteen minutes later they’re all gone.

What and why am I selling? That question is asked with every piece. Everything arrives for a reason: need, want, gift, dreams, history. I just sold a bunch of bicycle tools that I can’t identify. Surely they’d be useful for maintaining my bicycle, but I’ve had them for over seven years without a single use. I won’t sell heirlooms or career momentos – yet. But last night I did find some shirts that I’d put aside for sentimental reasons, and decided that those memories weren’t as powerful anymore. The logos on those polo shirts probably don’t mean anything to anyone else. They just came out of the box and are in the closet, or will be after I wash them.

Metric: It took a day or two to set this up, and will probably take about a day to take down, unless everything sells. Each day’s living expenses are about $100 – $150. Sound like a lot? Take your yearly expenses. Divide by 365. What do you get? If your household income is $73,000 before taxes, and you don’t manage to save or increase your debt, then you living expenses are about $200 per day. That’s a nice hotel room. So, for every $100 I basically earn one day’s expenses. Years of accumulation, metered out.

Well, I’m not going to type continuously while no one’s here; at least not in this blog. I’ve got a book to work on. Hmm, this weather. Scotland. This might be a very appropriate time to work on that book.

Bags. Gotta remember to have bags, and change. Nothing less than a dollar though. Have you seen someone drop nickels and dimes into the “Leave a penny.” cup? Dollars are the new quarters regardless of standard measures of inflation.

10am
Drumming rain and no one since the first crowd. At least I’m getting work done on the book.

Internet data bit: Over 160 people read Almost Everything Must Go. So far 10 people have shopped. That’s better than my usual click-through rate. My blog and web sites get lots of traffic, but the click through rate is less than 1% and the buy rate is necessarily less than that. Of course, indirect sales may make up the difference. Like I said on one of my posters; “The past and the future are ideals. The present is real, and messy.” (Available as cards, mugs, and tote bags over on smugmug. Can you tell I am in a selling mood today?)

Well, this is quiet enough I might as well bake cookies. (Gluten-free oatmeal raisin)

11am
No one has interrupted my baking session.

Cookies in the oven. Time to clean the beaters.

11:28 is someone actually showing up? Yes, but they sped up as they drove past.

Cool. Got a call for the camping hammock. What am I asking again? Gotta come up with a number.

Hmm, cookies.

Noon
– and no one since 9:30-ish.

If something doesn’t sell, does that mean the universe wants me to keep it? Follow that logic. If I can’t get a job, does that mean the universe thinks I don’t need one? If the house doesn’t sell, does that mean I don’t have to move? Taken far enough, this creates an interesting, and appealing, scenario. Maybe I get to live here, don’t need a job, and don’t have to sell my stuff. Throw in an appealing way to sustain, maintain, or even thrive, and this can be very nice.

As I type this a great blue heron is hunting in the vacant lot across the street. They do little but sit and wait, and they don’t always wait where we expect them to. They primarily eat fish, but on stormy days they retreat to the fields and eat rodents. (A neighbor watched one spear a rat, fling it into the air, and then swallow it as it came back down. It wasn’t elegant, but it was effective.) They are patient and adaptable and willing to be unconventional. Okay. I can take a hint.

1pm
Pardon me as I whistle. There’s nothing going on. The weather abated awhile ago, but evidently that isn’t enough. Maybe they’ll show after their lunch. I ate mine an hour ago.

Another car drove up and kept going. Maybe I need a bigger sign, or more people, or more stuff. But I’m a minimalist, so more stuff isn’t going to happen. More people, well, that would probably be the case before Labor Day.

2pm
Yay, a sale! They drove by first, then while they turned around I made a new sign. It turns out that she has one of my books on her night stand (Twelve Months at Merritt Lake) and she was buying a piece of camping equipment I used and wrote about in Twelve Months at Lake Valhalla. A nice sale, and visit, and introduction. Her son got creative with some of the pieces and created a laughing, grim, alien reaper costume. Awesome.

A congenial lookie-loo in a Cadillac. No sale but a gentlemanly smile.

Time for more tea.

3pm
A fellow writer dropped by with her husband. They left with a laundry rack, and left me with a few dollars, homemade applesauce, and encouragement. He found a job after years of searching, and it was by luck and networking. It can happen any time.

Two drivebys, including one around, but neither stopped.

4pm
The final hour. Cue dramatic music.

Another driveby.

This feels a lot like the Open Studio Tour, though not as intense. Publicity was involved. And there’s also a public element too. Here’s my life. During the Tour, “Here’s what I have created.” During a carport sale, “Here’s what I’ve accumulated.” The day isn’t over yet, but the profit per day is about the same. That’s not exactly an incentive to create.

With selling art, things that are worth very little are turned into something that has greater value, artistically and financially. The markups are nice, but there’s a lot of sunk costs in unsold inventory.
With selling stuff, things that cost a lot are sold for very little, and there’s a lot of unsold inventory. The markdowns are unfortunate, and while the release feels good, subtraction has a limit.
I’d rather make money by selling my art than by selling my stuff, especially if they are equally profitable.

Quick, a spot of meditation while things are quiet enough to hear a car pull up.

Already sorting what comes back into the house and what goes into the car. There will be a trip to the donation station early next week. The spiders may be pleased to get some of their former lodgings returned.

Hey, a car drove up at five minutes before the hour! They stopped! They got out! And then they picked up a flyer for the house. Well, that sale can eclipse whatever I have going on in the carport. Buy the carport and the house too.

One step in the Nine-Step Program championed by New Road Map Foundation and Your Money Or Your Life is to estimate your net worth, including the value of everything you own. I’ve done that, and used garage sale estimates, but that assumed that everything sold. I’ve witnessed a sobering caveat. Not everything sells.

Chicken soup is simmering on the stove. I’ll want comfort food after I get back from pulling in the signs.

5pm
That’s it. Like I said above, maybe the universe doesn’t want me to get rid of my worldly possessions. Glad to have you back. And glad to send the other pieces off into the world, some for a fee and some for free.

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My Jobs Report Month 14

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

Fourteen. What an anniversary. Fourteen months of applying, hoping, re-evaluating, trying other venues, updating resumes, trying to remember passwords for dozens of job sites, and following leads with a blend of enthusiasm and restraint. What’s an aerospace engineer, consultant, entrepreneur, and volunteer to do?
“Do… or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back
Let’s check what I’ve done and see what I should do.

What I’ve done is partly that long list in the opening paragraph’s longest sentence. The details are in the previous months’ job reports. (See links below.) Looking for jobs isn’t simply filling out forms and waiting for offers. Job sites make job searches sound methodical. Companies, insert your requirements here. Applicants, insert your qualifications here. Stand back while we sort through millions of database records and match up jobs with people. Maybe it works that way somewhere, but everyone I know that’s found a job got help by gaming the system or getting help from a person. Job searches rely far less on fancy stationery and interview suits, but they continue to rely on conforming, networking, perseverance, and luck. Hey, I’m flexible, have a broad community of friends, and am known for persistence; am I only lacking luck? Of course, maybe the luck I had was bad and life will improve as the good luck arrives.

When you keep trying the same thing and it doesn’t have the desired effect, do something different. So, I rewrote my resume (Links below.) starting with a blank file and suggestions from friends, commenters on the blog, and the reddit community. One friend was nice enough to post My Jobs Report Month 13 on reddit, which spiked my traffic to record levels, and produced a very public review of my resume. Two things were apparent. One, I have an impressive career history. Two, readers had to sort through a lot to make sense of it. Now my resume headlines my three main careers: aerospace engineer, consultant, and entrepreneur; and adds a slice of my volunteer work. Maybe they’re right. Maybe shifting the words around the page will somehow make a difference to the resume bots or the Personnel people. Maybe simply making my plight and resume public will produce results.

The main thing that hasn’t happened has been getting positive responses from companies. That’s one step before getting a phone interview, which is one step before getting an onsite interview, which is possibly many steps before getting a job offer and a paycheck. In fourteen months I’ve only had one interview for a full time job. I was called in because they were impressed with my resume and wanted to meet someone like me. They were pretty sure I couldn’t do the specific job they wanted to talk about, but they thought it would be interesting to meet me. Thanks for the compliment? At least I got in the door that time.

All of the other interviews have been for part-time work, none of which included benefits or would pay enough to keep my house and pay my bills. I live frugally and, until I voluntarily resigned to spend more time looking for a paying job, was Board Secretary for a non-profit personal finance foundation (New Road Map, aka FinancialIntegrity.org). I know money, can get by on very little, and marvel at how anyone can be expected to live comfortably in America at entry wages. Some of the jobs I’m looking at now pay about the same as I made as a part-time general laborer in a steel mill outside Pittsburgh in 1977. Last time I checked we went through a bit of inflation in the last 35 years.

Political commentaries talk jobs and economy. I’ve had people on both sides try to convince me to vote their way because of what their party can do for me. What they can do for me is nothing. Any jobs legislation, stimulus package, or financial support is probably a year away if the parties decide to act mature. Extrapolating my declining net worth crosses the axis long before that, possibly right around the Inauguration. People in crisis don’t need legislation. Legislation during this crisis aids people in the next crisis. The only relief I’ve witnessed was the comic relief of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

Conventional wisdom was that a person should have six months of living expenses saved in case they lost their means of making money and had to find a job. Until August 2011, I considered myself semi-retired because I had about eight or ten years of living expenses, and had reason to believe that I’d soon have enough to consider myself retired. Frugal living and long term investing have their benefits. But bad luck happens, and again, and again, and again. In August 2011 I watched my net worth drop 50%. After that it dropped again and again, while I also had to sell stock to pay bills. Six stocks in my portfolio are down 80%-90% and attrition from paying bills means my portfolio is down over 95%. It’s hard for a portfolio to recover from such a drop, but I’m an optimist. Granted, that optimism has been tested and my expectations diminished, but some optimism remains.

Imagine how many people didn’t have such reserves and encountered bad luck. My bad luck was financial. Others have had accidents, foreclosures, medical emergencies, all the injustices of life. They’re probably not waiting on election results either.

I continue to apply for jobs, and I also continue to pursue other plans. I think I listed about a half-dozen in a previous post. (Links below.) One plan shows up as two elements in my resume: consultant and entrepreneur. My passion for people and ideas may become that “job that I’d be willing to do for free if I didn’t need the money.” The same can be said for aerospace, fostering innovation, facilitating major projects, or getting to work with fun people; but, it may turn out that the job that hires me is the job that I create. So far it hasn’t succeeded in making a mortgage payment, but it could. So far applying for jobs hasn’t succeeded either. So far I’ve had savings and a credit card to help me get through. But so far can only go on so long.

For now, the sun is shining. The room is warming without burning propane. After I post this I’ll start cooking a chicken soup from a chicken broth I made last night. In an odd quirk of frugality, rather than buy box wine I’m opening the bottles that I bought years ago for special events. Last night I opened a Trimbach Pinot Gris from 2002. I’ve always wondered if there’s a family connection. Maybe a long lost rich relative needs to hire a consultant for a few weeks. The winery is in Alsace in France. I could do that.

Stay tuned.

Here’s the collected links. I decided to group them here in case anyone wants to pass along the main text without hyperlinks. It’s worth a try.

Resume
My Jobs Report Month 9
My Jobs Report Month 11
My Jobs Report Month 12
My Jobs Report Month 13
Backup Plans
New Road Map
Reddit
Trimbach Winery

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Almost Everything Must Go

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

Everything must go, eventually. In the meantime, let’s see how much can go this weekend. I’ve never had a garage sale, so I’ll try something similar: a carport sale. My finances are not fading as quickly as before, but that’s not good enough. Selling things I rarely use, or that are backed up by something else, can at least raise some cash to help hurdle another month’s bills. The challenge is that I am a minimalist. What do I have to sell?

Saturday, October 27th, 2012 I will have a carport sale. I spent a few hours this afternoon opening drawers, chasing away spiders, and reviewing everything I own to decide what to sell at this first event. Selling everything this first time was a goal, but I found that I’m not emotionally ready to go that far. But still, the couch can go, because I have a futon bed/sofa too. The fancy kitchenware can go because the cheap cast iron can cook almost all of the same meals. Spare electronics, duplicate garden tools, extra laundry racks, replacement bicycle parts, and some floor lamps are a good start. Totaled they cost thousands. If they all sell on Saturday I might get hundreds. That’s the nature of such sales. That’s also about the same as my health insurance premium.

I have an advantage sorting through my stuff. Decades ago I followed the nine-step personal finance program described in Your Money Or Your Life. One of the steps, (step 1?) includes inventorying everything I owned. Pick up every item, don’t just glance at it. Write it down. Remember what it cost. Guess how much I can sell it for. It took days. And then days again, because I’ve done it more than once. There are few surprises as I walk around the house.

One of the consequences of the inventory exercise was to be conscious of purchases. It made me much less likely to buy another one of – whatever. The minimalist in me liked that. I live in a small house (868 square feet) and have empty shelves. Storage has not been a problem. The spaciousness is appreciated. Temporary projects don’t have to clutter the middle of the room. They can be put away if necessary and are less likely to be forgotten.

It isn’t perfectly pristine. I just came across a bunch of candle making supplies (and subsequently made a candle), and found a bunch of packing material that would’ve been handy during the Open Studio Tour, but at least everything was within reach during today’s perusal. Now there’s a temporary cluster of clutter in the living room and in the carport as I collect the candidates. But that is temporary.

Many garage sales are getting rid of excess stuff. The American consumer economy fuels garage sales. I didn’t think I had any excess stuff, but now that I look around, I see things that haven’t been used and boxes that haven’t been opened in years. If you read yesterday’s post you know that I helped a friend who is moving into house that is less than one fourth the size of mine. Definitely an inspirational experience. The tiny house movement is gaining momentum. If they can get by with so little, what else can I get rid of?

The decision to sell has been emotional. As if this blog wasn’t public enough, a carport sale is an open admission that I haven’t been able to raise enough cash from my investments, my business, a job, or by selling my house. The act of reviewing my possessions has also been emotional in a good way. I’m glad to see that my life isn’t filled with clutter. I’m glad to see that I am able to take a positive step. I’m also tickled to realize that this may be one more way to get people to look at buying my house. (Home For Sale Alas). The Open Studio Tour brought in one visit. Maybe this will too. And it only takes one visit.

I feel that this sale represents the end of an era. Each item sold frees me a bit more to move onto a new life. Each item sold may also help someone else in some aspect of their life.

Another realization is that, except for the gifts and handmade artwork, almost everything can be replaced. Sur La Table continues to sell kitchenware. Radio Shack sells electronics. Home improvement stores sell almost everything else that I might sell. If my financial situation dramatically improves, I’ll be able to buy new and improved replacements.

Or not. I might find that I don’t need what I sold. If my house sells I might find myself living in something much smaller, maybe even a sailboat. Furniture won’t be useful then.

I’m taking this one step at a time. That’s one reason the New Road Map Nine Step program works. Take one step at a time. I’ll let a few things go, for an appropriate amount of course. Then I’ll see where I stand. Then I’ll take the next step. A lot can happen between each step. My portfolio can recover. My business may maintain and even gain momentum. (The consulting and speaking aspects are gratifying.) I might get a good job, one that I enjoy that pays me well too. My house might sell, or not.

Almost everything must go, and in life, eventually everything does go (until we get that immortality treatment perfected.) Things may go. And then we’ll see where I must go.

Stay tuned.

In the meantime, for those in the neighborhood, here’s a partial list of what’s for sale.

  • Couch (I can always use my futon/sofa.)
  • Brazier (Cast iron works good too.)
  • Turkey Deep Fry Stock Pot (I never used it. It came with the propane burner I’m hanging on to.)
  • Mini-Cuisinart (I’ve got bigger and smaller so the middle one goes.)
  • Games (Scrabble, Robo Rally) (There are plenty of other games that are smaller.)
  • Laundry Racks (Got a dryer.)
  • Metal Bed Frame (Left in the attic by the previous owner.)
  • Table Lamp (I don’t use it.)
  • Floor Lamps (I use them but I’d prefer other ones.)
  • Clock (I don’t use it.)
  • Phone (It’s a spare.)
  • Computer Speakers including woofer (That desktop PC went away.)
  • Picture Frames (Old and dusty and don’t fit with the ones I use for my photos.)
  • Bicycle Shop Stand (Very handy, but I’ve worked on my bicycle on the side of the road too.)
  • Camping Hammock with rainfly (I exceed its weight limit.)
  • Extendable Pruner (The covenants declare that I can’t have a tree over 14 feet tall.)
  • Leaf Rake (Duplicate.)

and

  • An assortment of cables, wires, light bulbs, (because they are inevitable)

and of course

  • Stuff. (Because I am human.)
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The Joy Of Helping

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

Allow me to state the obvious. Helping is fun. Politics turns help into a pawn, and loads helping others with baggage by judging actions, motivations, incentives, and consequences. It’s almost dinner time and I’m going to eat late so I can write this post. This Saturday has been a day of help and fun and no judgement. The world can be as simple as that.

This morning I taught my Modern Self-Publishing class. (Here’s the book in case you missed the class.) Yes, I do that as a business venture. I charge for the class. Originally I charged because people recognize value when something is valued. Free concerts are overlooked and walked past because the only fee is an open instrument case or an upturned hat. If you haven’t read the story of Joshua Bell in the subway, well, here’s a link that reveals human nature. A master musician who can fill a concert hall made less than the price of one ticket when he gave the music away for free. Whoa, that was a digression. I’m not suggesting that my class is that valuable. Maybe it is, but I’ll get to that later. My point was that I charge for the class, but originally I taught it for free because I enjoy teaching. My passions are people and ideas, and helping people further their ideas by introducing them to other ideas is a joy. Of course, now my financial story is different as regular readers know, so I charge.

While teaching the class I watched one of the students light up. After the first hour she interrupted to tell me that the class was far better than she expected, that I should be charging $150 not $60, and that she’d enjoy helping me teach it off-island where she was confident there would be a larger audience. To me, she looked like her joy was more from the opportunity to help someone else (me) than it was at having found a good deal. Quite a few times she mentioned that “We’ll talk.” Sounds good to me.

I was disappointed when class was over and they had to get on with their days and I had to clean up and lock up the rental space. I was having fun, but it was time to move onto something else.

You see, a friend of mine is building a tiny house and I wanted to help. My construction skills are, hmm, underdeveloped; but I’m over six foot tall, willing to lend a hand, and am a photographer. If she needed a hand or two, I could help that way. If she needed some photos for her blog, I could help there too. I’m happy to help because it is a joy to help a friend get something done, especially something vital like housing as the season progresses. By the time I left we’d moved in her futon, positioned the range, and I’d taken a few dozen interior shots. At the same time it was fun visiting and watching someone pursue a passion.

When I got home I was surprised to find a box filling my mailbox. A friend had put together a care package of homemade teas, soaps, and tinctures. He also threw in a couple of lottery tickets. That was sweet. It was also fun calling him up to say thank you. He’s a very self-aware guy, so I knew to trust him when he said, “Hey, don’t worry about it. I did it because I enjoyed doing it. It is fun to help a friend and I knew you’d appreciate it.” He’s a writer and was surprised to learn that Mark Twain wrote an essay based on the concept that every good deed is done for the donor’s benefit more than the recipient’s benefit. (What Is Man? – Mark Twain) I assured him that if I won the lottery jackpot with the tickets he’d at least get the dollar back.

Go Google “The Joy Of Giving” and stumble across more than enough research that shows the positive emotional benefits received by giving. It truly is better to give than receive. There’s an animation on YouTube that does a great job of showing that, but I took so long not finding it that I decided to skip the links before I lost the writer’s thread for this post.

Two separate friends have even based their financial work on giving. Dianne Juhl, the founder of Feminine Face of Money, and I have some wonderful email exchanges on the gifting economy and giftivism. (Stay tuned. We may publish them some day.) Mike Brady even worked giving into the title of his business: Generosity Wealth Management. There is a joy in helping people, and yes, in some ways, money can buy happiness.

I am an extreme moderate independent because I am sure that many of the solutions are in the middle that neither party pays attention to, but my stronger affiliation is apolitical. It looks like inside of politics help is judged, measured, manipulated, and exploited. I know that outside of politics I can daily witness people helping people because they want to, not because they have to. They give because it feels good, and it’s one thing that feels good that the doctor won’t complain about.

This blog is about my book, Dream. Invest. Live., which many interpret as money, money, money. A bit of that is appropriate because today’s society is strongly influenced by money. That’s something I am very aware of right now. But the basis of the book is more about Dream and Live. I find it encouraging to witness those episodes in life when people help people with their dreams and lives, and enjoying offering their help. Of course money can be involved, but we frequently celebrate a job when the person says. I’d do this for free because I enjoy it so much.” Every day we can give ourselves that job, and one way to help someone with that job is to say “Yes.” when they offer their help.

Thanks folks, I was glad to help, and glad for the help too. We’ll talk.

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