now

Updated May 2023

Day Job

I'm just shy of being eligible to retire from the Marine Corps Reserves. And the amount of active duty I've done has brought my pension age (the age at which I start receiving my retirement pay) down to 53. In another couple of years I'll be 50 and if I can stay on active duty until then, I can take off the uniform forever and start getting paid immediately (the Marines will reduce your retirement age by 90 days for every 90 days you serve on active duty, with a cap at 50 years old). That's the plan, anyway.

Writing

Being back in the Marines has slowed my writing down a lot. I'm working to get my published works into paperback and hardcover versions this summer. Otherwise, I'm writing two sequels (Space Force Recondo series and PARC series) as well as developing a Kindle Vella military romance series. I have a new home for my newsletter and podcast at Substack. I've also peeped behind the curtain at tumblr and might do something there.

Music

I’m working on new songs, thinking about recording some new music (and maybe try to sell songs), and experimenting with house concerts. Small, intimate concerts in people's homes can be great. I can interact with people on a very personal level. We'll see how it turns out.

Social Media

Is social media a good thing? I'm not so sure. I'm planning on ditching my smart phone in favor of an old Nokia GSM phone, my iPad for a Freewrite, and doing l my notes and planning using a combination of a Bullet Journal notebook and Supernote. Again, life is continual experimentation and the jury is out on whether a man can survive without a smart phone today.

Geographic Arbitrage

I have long dreamed of living a life where I "earn Dollars, live on Pesos, and compensate in Rupees" as Tim Ferriss says. My best idea is to move somewhere like Medellin or Panama City and live on my miltary retirement plus whatever I can earn from writing and music. It's a far-fetched dream, but one I think would make my life and the lives of my wife and kids much richer.