Wishing Everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Real Estate that I have no use for... yet anyway

This is a long story. It began when my grandpa passed away and left his house on a small piece of land to my mom and my two uncles.

One of my uncles was living at that house so, the siblings decided he should keep on staying there. That uncle's business was going poorly and at one point in time he borrowed money from the bank showing the house as collateral. Both siblings agreed to this so, there were no problems between them. Then my other uncle passed and now 1/3 of the place belongs to my two cousins and their mom.

At one point in time my sister and I told our uncle to file for bankruptcy seeing that he will soon be a lot more in debt. He reluctantly agreed. Mind you the failure of the business was not his fault. His lenders were expecting payment but the organizations who owed him, did not pay him on time or at all. So, the cash flow situation became very problematic and we wanted him to stop working to stop the loss.

He spends his time between an apartment I have bought from him to help him with his cash flow  a few years ago and my mom's apartment. He has a small Social Security income and I pay all his utilities and whenever he needs a car, he uses my 2010 Nissan which I am not using. I have another car I bought this year. He is not happy since he feels he screwed up and he thinks he is a burden. Very far from the truth. He is our only uncle, my mom's only living sibling and his failure in business was no fault of his. Lots of bad luck. He also took care of my grandparents for many years since he lived with them. Also he is the only living man in our family. He is only 9 years older than I am and I consider him more a brother than an uncle.

I own his portion of the family home left to them since, I took over the bank payments for the loan he took showing the family home as collateral. Lately my cousins and their mom declared that, they are in need of money and they would like to sell their shares. Mom does not know this, since she will be upset if we sell the home. The property isn't worth much. So, selling it would be meaningless and would upset mom. Therefore, I have decided to step up (again) to purchase their shares. Tomorrow I will talk to my cousin.

When all is done, I will be owning 2/3 of the family home. 1/3 belongs to mom.

So, now I own my current residence, a two bedroom apartment in Istanbul, another two bedroom apartment in Ankara which I rent (still looking for a new tenant), a three bedroom apartment in Antalya which is mostly used by my uncle although everybody goes and stays there a few weeks a year, and 2/3 of a small house in Konya which is desperately in need of repair. Except for my residence, I truly have no need for any of the other properties. I would much rather have cash in a savings account than all this real estate. However, I cannot sell them for obvious reasons.

The bank loan will be gone in October 2019. Before that, I cannot really do any repairs on the home except for the much needed roof. I will probably slowly do the repairs and use that place as a weekend home for all the family. I intend to plant some fruit trees too. My grandpa used to have a great garden. So, at least we can go and stay there any time we want. I think this will make both mom and uncle happy.

I am glad I have the means to step up and do all this. I do not know what would have happened if I did not.

Projects on the Horizon

It seems like there may be a project or perhaps two on the horizon. I have attended a meeting with one potential customer and am preparing a presentation for another.

I have been feeling pretty lazy lately so, some work will not be too bad. As long as I can keep busy two days a week or so, I will be content.

Lately I have been thinking about when to say goodbye to Istanbul for good. My sister and BIL still have 10 years to go before they can retire. I would like to be close to them eventually. They live in Izmir but they do not like it very much. My sister thinks they will most likely end up in Ankara which I dislike. I would like to be near the water and yet I do not like to be too far away from good health services. This is an unsolvable problem. Anyway, I have no intention to move within the next 3-4 years so, may be I should park this concern for now.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE!

Rising cost of groceries

With the economy tanking in this country, things are getting very expensive. Today we went to a German version of a big box store for some necessities and spent quiet a bit of money. Between what I have ordered online and what we bought today, I think we are good to go till the end of the month. We may need some small stuff but, not much.

In any case, everything is so darn expensive. Eating out is getting to be real expenive so, I am glad we are cooking and eating at home mostly.

We bought quiet a bit of vegetables and some chopped meat and turkey drumsticks. Here is what mom and I will be making:

- Stuffed tomatoes and peppers cooked in tomato sauce.
- String beans cooked with chopped meat
- Stuffed eggplants
- Turkey drumsticks cooked in pressure cooker. The meat will be used for salads and sandwiches. The broth for soup.
- Pumpkin. I will use half of it in a soup, the rest baked in the oven with sweet potatoes and regular potatoes.

Meals will be divided in portion sizes and frozen so that we will not have to cook every day. I am tired of cooking almost every day lately, so, this will be a nice break.

Change of Plans

We were supposed to go grocery shopping today but, mom is not feeling so great. I ordered most of the stuff online. For fresh produce and meat products, we will go tomorrow.

It is cold and rainy these days. Makes me want to sleep all day (if mom lets me to of course).

I want to go see the Bohemian Rhapsody this week. I have read and heard mixed reviews. I love Queen.

Today's business goal is to list the topics to include in the training set. I have ordered a Reference Book. Also, my lawyer friend will be sharing some material for me to use.

Off to work now.

New Life

After my loong vacation, I am now home with mom. The weather is pretty bad and we spend most of our days at home. This means saving money.

I haven't yet purchased gas for the car this month. Tomorrow, I will fill up and I am sure that will last us till the end of December.

We do grocery shopping and that is pretty much it. We ordered food only twice this month. Except for a garlic press I needed, I did not buy anything else. We cook from scratch and keep the food healthy. Lots of salads, soups and fish is eaten these days.

Tomorrow, we will be going grocery shopping. We tend to grocery shop once a week and we never go shopping hungry.

I like being home and do not miss work at all. It would be nice to get a project here and there but, I am not in a rush. I will start building the contract management training I had been planning for a long time and I gave myself a deadline to finish it by the end of December.

Having mom at home is sometimes a bit difficult since, she likes to do everything together. I need some place else to work.

Annoying side effect of a med

You may remember that my blood pressure has sky-rocketed around late spring. The doctor has changed my meds and now I am on three different meds to control it. So far, they are working.

I also had been coughing for quiet a while but it never occurred to me that the persistent cough started just around the same time when we changed meds. I do not cough all day but several times during the day.

Last time I went to see the doctor she asked me if the coughing bothered me! And I was like: OMG! Was that the med?

Anyway, since it is only a bit annoying, I decided to keep using it. If it gets worse, next time, I will let the doctor know.

Meal Planning

Mom and I went overboard shopping for veggies last week so, we must plan carefully not to waste anything. I already portioned out some cooked veggies and froze them.

Tonight, I am making a Turkey Pot Pie with a single crust on top. It will be served with a green salad. I like to buy the mixed greens from the grocery store. The bag makes 5-6 big salads. I also like to add corn, red beet pickles, bell peppers, capers or anything else I fancy to add to the salads. If the salad is going to be a meal by itself, I add some protein such as Turkey Breast, low-fat cheeses or beans.

I do not use store bought salad dressings. I use pomegranate sour and extra virgin olive oil. Sometimes I use lemon juice instead of pomegranate sour.

Home Sweet Home!

I am finally back home. I brought mom with me on Saturday. Sure nice to know that I will be home for a while.

I gave the keys to my rental apartment to a real estate agent I have worked with before. I am hoping that he will find another reliable tenant soon. There is a crack in one of the windows and I have withheld some of the deposit for that. The agent will take care of that for me.

I have seen my cardiologist last week. My sleep is still out of whack. The good news is my blood pressure is back to normal.

Mom and I are both trying to lose weight so, I am planning our meals carefully.

I haven't started exercising yet. I need to figure out the best time for me to exercise. Reading about this online. Any suggestions?

Sooooo good to be back!

All done!

The laundry is done, folded and put away. The suitcases are put away. The fridge and the pantry is nicely stocked. The house is cleaned thoroughly and the vacation mode is switched off.

I am going to Ankara to go see my eye doctor and cardiologist this week. Then I will bring my mom back with me. She missed me and we shall be together more since that I am no longer working full time.

There are some cluttered areas in my home. These will need to be addressed soon. I have to go through my closets, my shoes and all my drawers. So much stuff unused and not needed.

Come November, I shall talk to my lawyer friend to see if he is still interested in working on a joint Contracts Management Training package.

I also need to discuss my new rate with the consulting company I team up with.. I must check my old records and see what they are offering now.

Back again from another prolonged vacation

I enjoyed the last leg of my vacation very much. I went to visit my sister and BIL for a few days. Then I went to a nice small town with an ice cold river and nice beaches where I stayed for three days. On my first day there, an old colleague called me to say hello and when he found out that I was not too far away from where he is now living, he and his wife came to have dinner with me. They had been inviting me over to their house for years so, they told me this time they are not accepting any excuses. We agreed that I would go visit them after my time with my High School buddies.

During the rest of my time, the weather and the sea were very pleasant.

I then went to this beach resort to spend another three days with my High School pals. We all had a very good time as always. I enjoyed the sea and got a nice tan under the October sun.

I then went to visit my old colleague and his wife. They have a wonderful little home in the woods. They took me to a very nice beach at a nearby island. The weather and the sea couldn't be any better.

I am happy and relaxed.

Now, I am back home doing laundry. What else? Lol!

Next week I am going to Ankara to see mom. I think, she will come back with me.

The best part of my vacation was that, it was all paid for in the spring. So, other than buying gas for the car, eating on the road and treating my friends for one dinner, I haven't spent any money. Did not buy knick knacks or anything like that. I only bought some towels deeply discounted at a factory outlet.

I am so glad I was able to do all the laundry today. Tomorrow I will be putting things in order.

Finally! The Fridge

I was planning to clean my fridge before I went on my vacation but that never happened. So, today, I cleaned it really thoroughly using vinegar, water and baking soda. The inside is made of anti-bacterial material. I took every item out, cleaned it from top to bottom and threw out all outdated sauces and things and washed all trays and shelves. I put everything back and arranged them nicely.

Next place of attack in the kitchen will be the spice cabinet and the rest of the cabinets and drawers. Mom and the cleaning lady have different ideas of placement. I need to re-arrange everything.

I cleaned the kitchen counters too. My kitchen looks really nice now and it will be deep cleaned by the cleaning lady in a few days.

I had been gifted a huge tea maker couple of years ago and I had no use for it. It is also taking up too much space. My sister was mentioning that they needed a new tea maker, I jumped in and told her I will give her mine. So, a lot of counter space is saved. Yay!

My sister and BIL are moving to their new apartment tomorrow. I will be seeing them on Thursday or Friday. This is a bigger apartment and the best thing is, they own it. Technically they have a 10 year mortgage but, the interest rate was very favorable so, it was a great deal.

I thought I was over my jet-lag but alas! I dozed off on the TV chair yesterday and woke up wide awake at 2:30 in the morning. Not good.

I still need to put some things away and pack a suitcase for my trip to Izmir, then to the Mediterranean. Mom is bored in Antalya so, I am guessing she will be heading back to Ankara and I will directly go to Ankara after my High School re-union. The Class of 84 gets together at a resort by the Mediterrenean for 2-3 days every year. I could not go last year but, I will this year.

The vacation budget. How did I do?

I had set a certain budget for my vacation and despite the fact that I stayed longer and ended up buying a one-way ticket which was not budgeted, I managed to stay within my budget.

How? Well, due to the end of summer, there were many sales going on and I was careful with my shopping. I bought nothing unnecessary. The big devaluation of TL made it easy as well. Each time I did the math, I made a more conscious decision.

I stayed with my friends and we ate all breakfasts and some lunch and dinners at home. I cooked veggies 5-6 times Turkish style.

My friend did not want me to rent a car and I was able to drive one of their cars especially because the husband was not allowed to drive for 6 weeks due to multiple surgeries he had to have.

I did not want to pay for extra luggage and therefore, I kept my purchases under control based on weight as well.

I did treat my friends for a few lunches and dinners at nice places quiet a few times. (They did too).  I also did some grocery shopping.

I am very glad that I stayed longer to support my friends. I was able to do some sight seeing, spent time in NYC, relax, enjoy the pool and the hot tub, enjoyed the company of friends and family of my friends.

Brrrr! The summer is gone in one day!

When I arrived on Sunday, it was like 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Istanbul. It was also the same yesterday. Today? 60! There is a cold front coming down from the North Pole and the sun is nowhere to be seen. According to the reports, it will get up to 70s but no further.

I need to arrange my clothes so that I have warm things to wear soon.

I made chili today and I am so glad I did.

Still trying to put away stuff and shuffling clothes and sleeping in weird times.

I was originally going to stay in the US for two weeks but when my friend's hospital stay was prolonged, her wife told me she wished I could stay longer. I tried to change my ticket but it would cost an arm and a leg. So, I looked for one-way tickets and found a ticket with Aeroflot, the Russian airlines. I bought that ticket and ended up staying a month.

This way, I had some time to myself, some time to take care of my friends and run errands for them. It has been a very good stay. When my friend got out of the hospital, we even had opportunities to go out and celebrate his recovery on a number of occasions. I enjoyed the swimming pool and the hot tub and relaxed.

My friend and I binge watched Midsomer Murders while her husband watched his favorite talking heads. Lol!

Loong Trip and the Cop who pulled us over!

Here is the rest of the story to Michigan:

As we were leaving NYC, my friend was driving and I was chatting with her while her daughter slept at the back having taken some ZzzQuil. Somewhere in Pennsylvania, I offered to take the steering wheel. It was drizzling a little bit and was foggy up in the Poconos.

I had the car on Cruise Control and was on the middle lane. Suddenly the truck on the right lane decided to swerve in front of us. I do not know if the guy was sleepy or was trying to avoid something on the road. I immediately pushed the brakes and looked to my left and saw a car but had to swerve a little bit for a few seconds just to avoid the truck.

Lo and behold I see a police car behind me and pulled over. Mind you, I have lived in the US for over 3.5 years and don't know how many times I have been to the country in the last 28 years and never have been pulled over.

Anyhow, the policeman approached the passenger side window and started to speak to my friend while looking at my driver's license and the car rental agreement. He was friendly and wanted to make sure I wasn't falling asleep. He asked us where we were going and when we told him we were bringing a kid to school in Michigan,. He wanted to see the kid, talked to her and advised her to study hard. Then, he let us go. Well, I wasn't sleepy at all but after the episode, with the adrenalin rush, I was wide awake for quiet a while.

We kept exchanging the steering wheel every two hours and so and thus, managed to safely drive all the way. The last 6 hours in Michigan was so boring, we wanted to scream.

When we finally got to our destination, we checked into the hotel, showered and took her to the school to her orientation. After the orientation we emptied the car and helped her while she organized her dorm room. She wanted to stay in the dorm that night although her roommate did not show up that day. So, we left her and went out to shopping for small things she might need and had dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings.

I decided to go to the sauna to shake the cold I had and both my friend and I probably fell asleep at 8 p.m. that night and slept like babies. Wonder why?

The next morning we woke up very well rested and decided to find out more about the campus and about Lake Superior. It was a nice and relaxing day.

I'm Back!

My vacation lasted longer than planned. I came back yesterday and am very tired.

As soon as I landed in NY, my friend's BIL met me at the airport and took me home. He and I had a nice time chatting and having lunch till my friend came to pick me up. She had rented a giant sized SUV to take her daughter to school up in Michigan and we went to put my name and driver's licence on the rental agreement.

Then, we went to visit her husband, my other friend who was at the hospital for a couple of hours. We then had dinner with my friend and her daughter at the hospital cafeteria and hit the road to Michigan. Yes, I know it is crazy but we were on a deadline for the daughter for her orientation.

The plan was to drive from NY, to Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. That is a 16 hour trip, if you do not stop. So, my first night was spent not on a bed but, in a boat sized SUV taking turns driving.

More on the driving experience tomorrow.

Blog Hiatus during vacation

I will not be posting during my vacation. This time, I am only taking my phone, no laptop, no tablet and posting with the phone is a hassle. Besides, I want to keep away from the media and social media as much as I can.

When I come back, I will write all about it, I promise.

I am leaving very early tomorrow morning. I have done the last few things I had to do. It was a very hot day to run errands and I just got home. I will rest for about an hour and then close my suitcase and be ready.

Goodbye for now!

How was my last day at work and other stuff

If some of you may remember, last year we had lost a colleague. His wife's nephew was an intern at the time at our company who turned out to be a really sharp and nice young man. So, we hired him this year as a regular employee since he has finished College.

I had become friendly with his aunt, my colleague's wife, while he was still in the hospital and kept in touch with her after the funeral. 

Both the aunt and the nephew gifted me a really beautiful neck scarf which I loved very much. So, nice of them!

The team also got cheesecakes to say a final goodbye and we had some emotional time while I addressed them shortly. No, I didn't cry but my Technical Team Leader did. He also walked me to my car. Such a nice guy.

I sent the entire company a brief and humorous goodbye mail sharing my personal contact information.

Then I drove off towards the sunset. Lol! Well, not exactly. I came home and got rid of some clutter.

Today, the cleaning lady came and put things in order and I did many loads of laundry. Tomorrow, I will be ready to pack my suitcase.

I have some meat to use up before I leave along with some yogurt, cheese, red beet pickles, tomatoes and cucumbers. I am hoping to clean and wipe the fridge tomorrow too. 

There are a few things I must buy and I do not want to leave those to the last day. Tomorrow will be a busy Sunday.

The Last Day!

I cannot believe, this is my last day at work. Wow!

It feels.... interesting :)

Chores before vacation

I finally booked a closed parking lot space for my car close to the airport. Due to a long religious holiday, the parking lots will be full and I do not want to find "Full" signs at the parking gates while I am already rushing. The airport parking lot is very expensive but the Radisson Blu offers a discounted closed parking rate that includes a free shuttle to the airport. So, that's done.

I have also printed the necessary information I may need.

Thinking that Northern Michigan might get real cold in the winter, I had bought a bathrobe for my friend's daughter but I cannot be sure of the size so, I will take it back to the store to probably exchange it.

Need to buy Pistachio Nuts, Turkish delights and some small gifts for my friend and her family. Those will be taken care of on Saturday.

I also need to stock up on my regular medicines.

On Sunday, I will pack my suitcase. I will pack a backpack for the first few days for the drive to Michigan so that, I will not have to deal with that when I get there. We will probably hit the road early in the morning after my arrival. I will pack very lightly. Last year, I did not wear some of what I brought so, this time I will keep the stuff to a minimum. Besides, I can wash my things if I need to.

I am not going to be bringing a second suitcase with me this time since I will not be shopping much. One suitcase and one carry-on is all I need. I will save a good deal of money on the second checked bag this time. It is usually USD 80-100 and I cannot justify it given the current state of USD. It is not as bad as on Monday but still too high.

I also need to do two loads of laundry before I leave. I must wash and put my work clothes away.

I will clean my refrigerator. I usually wipe the interior with a light solution of white vinegar and water.

As you can see, I am not quiet ready yet and have some chores to be taken care of.

Final Week!

This is my final week at work. Pheww! Time goes by fast, doesn't it?

Good news is I got paid last Friday since both of the authorized signatures would be on vacation this week.

Bad news is, the economy is tanking and TL is depreciating very fast against hard currencies. It is a crisis state right now for the entire country. We just have to sit tight and ride the waves and see what happens.

It is outright stupid to be going on a vacation in the US but, my ticket has already been paid for months ago and I have dollars available so, I am not purchasing it for horrid prices and I will not be doing much shopping.

I will spend time with my friends, enjoy my time, purchase only what is an absolute neccesity, like a pair of pants and a couple of tops that I can use when I am consulting. My size is very difficult in Turkey and the US is the only place that I can find my size. 22 Long/Tall.

The Barbecue

Last night we had a barbecue in the garden at work and they gifted me a very pretty amethyst and gold necklace as a going away gift. Our old offce assistant came too and we stayed until late at night. It was really nice.

The weather was nice with a cool breeze so, it was very comfortable outside. All day it was really hot and humid.

I have 6 more work days to go if you do not count this one. I never thought, time would fly by so fast.

My packing list for the US vacation is almost done. I need to go shopping for gifts on the 18th. I have to exchange one gift I got for my friend's daughter.

I do not have much else to do. This weekend will be somewhat busy, taking my mom home and doing the rest of her shopping. Last weekend we shopped for durable items and this week she will need groceries. On Monday, I will come back to an empty home. She had been with me for the last three months or so. It will be strange.

This and that... Hair, vacation, gift and etc.

I had my hair dyed today and mom got a cut. Mom insisted that I should get more highlights so I did. I do not know who the blondie in the mirror is. Lol! I do not think I will go on with this thing. Probably by the next 4th or 5th root dye, I will go back to my own chocolate brown. Too much money, too much time.

I have started to make a list of what to bring to the US vacation. I would like to pack a very light suitcase. I need a What to Buy List too. I am not in need of much stuff except for a good pair of jeans, another pair of New Balance Shoes, some shoe inserts that I cannot find here at home, some tops and that's pretty much it. Besides the dollar has further appreciated against TL and if I had to actually buy dollars with my TL, this vacation would be utterly stupid. Thankfully, I have dollars purchased at much much lower rates.

Today we are having a barbecue at work for my retirement. Next Friday is my last day. I am still driving the company car and will do so till my last day.

I bought a small going away gift for the company. It is a decorative object, an "evil eye" thing like the one in the picture. You are supposed to display it at the entrance so, the people who envy you will not be able to harm you. It is an old superstitious thing. This is for their new office.

I wear a small one all the time. My father believed in this so, he always made me wear one. An old habit.

It has been awfully hot and humid lately and I just cannot stand it. As I am typing this, I am at work in one of the meeting rooms where there is a/c. The one in our area is broken and nobody wants to fix it or buy a new one since, this office will be vacated soon. I truly do not need to come in to work anymore but, an agreement is an agreement.

Last 10 work days...

After attending the funeral on Friday, a friend of ours invited some of us over to her office at a university where she serves as the dean of Architecture Department. 3 of us went with her and talked a little, cried a little. It was a sad day but seeing so many people attending the funeral made us proud of our friend once again. Hope, he rests in peace.

Life goes on. This Wednesday they are throwing a barbecue party at work for my retirement. 

I have ten work days left to go. This weekend I am taking mom home. My uncle will come and stay with her and possibly take her to Antalya with him till I go get her in October. We shall also celebrate my mom's and uncle's birthdays during the weekend. 

Next Monday, I shall introduce my replacement to our Ankara Office staff.

There are few things left to be handed over and then, they will be on their own. The GM says he will be probably calling me everyday and I told him, his will be probably the first number I shall block. Hahaha! I like bantering with people.

I am ready to leave and start a new chapter in life. My friend's passing reminded many of us the important things in life. 

Loss of a High School Friend

This is a very sad day. A friend from my High School passed away due to multiple organ failure. He had heart problems and apparently one thing led to another and he passed at the age of 52. He was a very special person. Such an early and huge loss.

I am going to Ankara for the funeral tomorrow.

Tweaking the Budget

I have started to look at my budget items to see if there are anything that I can lower. My phone contract still has 4 months to go before I can make a change. I looked it up and saw that I can save about 30%. I have made a note of it on my calendar.

As for Cable TV, I will cancel the sports package when mom leaves. She is the only one watching them. She is a volleyball enthusiast. When she comes back, I can always add the sports package. The rest is very basic except for my documentary package which I am not willing to give up. That is about 15% savings when mom is not around. I plan to freeze my account till November since, I will not be around much.

I have checked my insurance items and do not see any room for improvement there just yet.

Other items are pretty standart and beyond my control. For instance, the heating system is central. I am very careful about electricity. My normal usage is perhaps at a minimum.

So, I will track my spending for a month when I come back from vacation to see exactly where my money is going. I think I can lower my general expenses by about 25%. That includes groceries, eating out, clothing, cleaning supplies and etc.

I will keep on having the cleaning lady every two weeks because, it is not just an expense. She has moved to her parents' home with two young daughters and she needs a little bit of pocket money. That expense has a social aspect. Her folks want her to go back to her husband who has cheated on her several times and have been physically abusive. He also cannot hold a job. I do not understand her parents. They do not let her to take him to court for divorce either. Anyway, one day the guy will probably want to re-marry and he will then, divorce her.

I will also keep the donations to charity in my budget. I would be willing to lower other spending but, not that.

I am ready to retire, relax and take some time off. Then I will go back to part-time, project based work.

Loyalty Programs for Gas and a New Budget

As soon as I retire, I will have to start buying diesel for my car myself. Goodbye having the perk of the company paying for all car expenses and car lease!

So, I decided to look for loyalty programs and ease of use of major gas chains. Ideally, I would like to be able to pay for gas without having to get out of my car. 

There are so many campaigns, perks whatever that I started feeling dizzy and to my chagrin, none of them are so great. I guess, I will keep on using the two stations closest to my home and get out of the car to pay.

BTW, we do not have any Self-Serve stations in this country. 

Nevertheless, I will keep my ears and eyes open because, sometimes credit card companies may have campaigns and I can take advantage of those.

I also have to draw up a new budget. My income will be significantly lower so, I must lower some expense categories such as clothing, eating out and etc. My passive income covers all my living expenses. When I get part-time projects and make money, that money will be spent for travel.

So, I sat down today to figure out how much of an Emergency Fund I must have sitting in an easily reachable savings account. The rest of the money will be in savings accounts earning more interest. The economy is going downhill here in this country so, I have taken some precautions to protect my money.

My sister and I have also discussed our family assets and income and knowing that the youngest child born to this family is now 43, we think, we do not have to worry about the future. It is more my issue than my sister's. She is totally cool about it. She says "whatever will be, will be" and when and if push comes to shove, we will figure a solution out. She has a point.

The Weekend

I had a peaceful weekend. On Saturday mom and I went to a farmer's stand to buy our weekly groceries. This guy has the best tomatoes ever. After we were done, we had a small lunch at a place we like.

Then we drove home and put away the groceries. Watched TV and surfed the net in the evening.

Sunday morning, I woke up with a sore throat so, I rested most of the day. We had pre-made meals so, neither mom nor I had to do anything except for fixing salads.

The sore throat is gone today so, it is a good thing but I have this persistent dry cough for a while now.

I have 15 business days left. Yay!

I no longer have mixed feelings. I will miss my people but, hey that's life, right?

Today, they have sent me the amount I shall receive, as I exit the company and I happily realized that it is a bit beyond my expectation. Nice!

Important Things Change Over Time

The other day I was thinking about my 30 year career and realized that, what was important to me back when I started work have changed very dramatically over the years.

When I was a Business Administration student, I used to think, I wanted a very well paying job and my focus was mostly money. As I started looking for a job, I have realized that the job itself was almost as important as money.

In my early years, I have come to the conclusion that, training, possibility to grow into different roles and moving up the hierarchy were important.

As I went up the hierarchy, I was more focused on work-life balance and pay-responsibility-authority balance. I have also started to pay attention to the people who were working for me, their growth both at work and as people, their well-being and their happiness.

When I became a consultant, I wanted to see good implementation of my guidance and when the customers had problems implementing change, I first became upset but then I have quickly realized that change must come from within. Someone in a particular organization must lead and sponsor the change. If that does not happen, no matter how good you are, you cannot be successful. So, a consultant sometimes has to shut up, deliver the work, get paid and not be upset about the outcome.

When I finally joined my current company as the second in command, I felt very responsible for work outcomes, the general day to day requirements, the happiness of the people and the contentment of my boss. I was being paid very well but that was not the sole reason that motivated me.

So, over the years I became more people oriented and my return on that investment is the outpour of love and respect from my team. That, I will not trade for anything.

A trip to Michigan?

The other day, I was talking to my friend whom I will stay with during my time in the US. She said her daughter will go to College in Michigan and we might end up driving her there late August. That's quiet nice actually since, I love road trips and I am sure, we will have a good time.

Today, I was talking to my dad's cousin and she told me that her niece is now a sophomore in Ann Arbor, Michigan and she will be going with her in August to spend some time. Wow! What a coincidence! I am not sure if our dates will match and we will get to see each other though.

I love road trips and drives through country roads especially in the US. My favorite part of the country is New England in the Fall. Love, love, love all those rich colors and the anticipation of upcoming holidays. I miss that very much.

I had a long meeting with my replacement today and I am exhausted.

Last milestone

My replacement started work today. This is the last milestone for me till my exit. We spent a good deal of time over a list of subjects I made.

I believe that the transition will go smoothly. Today, I did not attend the Technical Team Meeting and left her with her new team. She seems like a hard working and serious person. She will have her plate full with the upcoming projects.

I can see the tremendous workload waiting the new management and I am almost sorry for them. I wonder if they will know what hit them.

I am ready to move on and I keep counting the days. Looking forward to my vacation.

I held a kitten!

I am an ailurophobe, deadly afraid of cats regardless of the cat being a Bengal Tiger or a small domestic kitten.

Recently, someone brought a small kitten to work and everybody started petting it and feeding it. Ehem... I meant her.

For some reason I felt like I wanted to touch and pet the kitten. I did that while other people held her last week.

People at work insisted that I should hold her even once to experience what a warm feeling that is. I had doubts about that but today, I held her! I could feel her little heart beating and she was warm and soft and for the first time, she meowed!

I am amazed at my courage. This by no means is a sign that I am not afraid of cats anymore. Their sudden movements still make me jump. But, I have also learnt that, cats do not scratch or bite people for no reason. That was today's lesson.

How many pairs of socks does one need?

My sock drawer is so full that I have difficulty closing it. It looks like socks are coming out of my ears. How did that even happen? I have to sit down and put that in order. It is driving me insane.

Why do people do this to themselves? Honestly how many pairs of socks are enough?

I also found that I have way more nightgowns and pajamas than I need. I always keep a couple unworn ones just in case I need to be in a hospital. Other than that, how many do I really need? There are two drawers full of them. Yikes!

Every time I sort through them, I end up keeping most because they are broken in and comfortable. I must confess I still wear a couple with holes in them. So, the new rule is: If one does not go away, another one is not coming in.

I do need to check out all my clothing items and donate and get rid of all that I do not need. Someone else may be in need of them and it is not right to keep them.

Cleaning out my desk at work

Before the company changed hands, I had cleaned out my work area and carried some stuff home. Couple of weeks ago, I did another round, getting rid of junk. I now have only a few things that I will need to take home. My replacement will have to share my work area for four weeks while I walk her through what she has to do.

I cleaned out my desk completely today. I will just take my fountain pen, my notebook, and my laptop when I finally walk out this place.

They will be leaving this current office by the end of August, moving to a plaza. This place is very nice with a large garden, fruit trees and picnic tables but, it has many infrastructure problems too. Also, it will not be sufficient for more people to be hired.

It will be the end of an era completely by then.

When my replacement starts working, I will cut down on the time I spend at work gradually so, she can be more comfortable.

I will also take her to meet the team in Ankara early August. The plan is, to take my mom back to her home to Ankara on the 11th, do her shopping. Most likely my uncle will come to Ankara to spend time with mom while I am away. Then he will drive her to Antalya where he spends most of his time. On Monday the 13th my replacement will fly to Ankara in the morning, meet me and the team at the office and later in the afternoon I will drive us back.

That will be my last week. I am getting pretty excited and finding it really weird because I am usually very cool. When I was being sent to the US for the first time at the ripe age of 22, to live on my own for the first time, to go abroad for the first time, to be on a plane for the first time, I did not feel any excitement whatsoever. I was cool as a cucumber. It must be about aging.

Tick tock! to Retirement

I have 24 work days to go and I am starting to feel excited. I am making a list of things that I want to do more of when I retire so that, I have a new purpose in life. There are business related subjects and personal and health related things I want to do more of. I need structure and discipline in my life, otherwise, I may become a couch potato very easily.

Yesterday, the car was ready for me to pick-up. So, I left work around 2:30 p.m., called mom to see if she wanted to go with me to pick up the car. She agreed. I parked my company car in the gated parking area in my apartment complex. Since, it is a small place, every apartment is allowed to park only one car in that space and it is not even sufficient for all apartments. So, we park on the street which is not busy.

The friend who helped me buy the car came to give us a ride to the dealer's. As we were waiting for the last few things taken care of, we were offered coffee and mom was able to sip her coffee looking at the nice, shiny black Mustang GT that she loved. Lol!

I had my insurance broker issue the insurance policy before I took the car out of the dealer's. Then I drove to the nearest bank where they have the easy-pass stickers. It will be on auto-pay tied to my credit card. So, I am all set.

When I came back, I parked my new car in the gated parking lot and drove the other one out just to be nice to my neighbors. Needless to say, not all of them are as considerate as I am.

I want to go through all my clothing items and donate all that I am not going to use, leaving only a handful of work clothes and jackets for part-time work.

I have to do this after I take my mom to her home because if I start, she will want me to finish on the same day whereas I like to take my time. It will also be a good exercise since, I will know exactly what I need to buy while I am in the US. I do not see myself needing much.

I have gone through my shoes once but, I think I should do that one more time.

And my cell phone now plays "It's my life!" by Bon Jovi each time someone calls me :)

Water

I have doubts about drinking tap water in this giant city with very questionable bureaucrats. So, I always get my water delivered and use that even for boiling spaghetti.

Whenever I am out and about and when I get thirsty, I grab a bottle of 0.5 lt bottle from any small place, gas station or even Starbucks.

Just recently it hit me how much I am spending on those small bottles.

Last time I was in Starbucks, I grabbed a bottle at 2.50 TL. What!? I get 19 lt. bottles from the guys who deliver my water for 12.50 TL. So, today I asked them whether they also deliver 0.5 lt. bottles. In fact they do. The 24 pack 0.5 lt. bottles cost 16 TL. I ordered my usual two big bottles and a 24 pack.

Then it hit me again that I could just fill up stainless steel water bottles at home and save even more. 2,5 TL vs 0.66 TL vs 0.33 TL!

I am sure I will forget to do this or grab a small bottle when leaving home but, that's OK. I know I will eventually get into the habit before I leave home.

May be I should just stick a note on the door that says "Water and resuable grocery bags!" to remind myself.

A partnership not meant to be...

I have not talked about this here before but, a friend of mine and I was wondering if we could get into form of partnership with an American company. We would use their methodology to provide consultancy services here. I had lined up two meetings with the company during my US visit. My friend would split my travel expenses with me.

Lo and behold, she backed out and I cannot do this on my own. Too much initial investment. I am not upset with my friend because she has solid reasons and I completely understand her.

Now, I have two weeks visiting my friend in NY. I looked up plane tickets to SC to plan a visit with my other friend too but with the TL having depreciated against USD significantly,my friend no longer splitting the travel costs and buying a car, it would not be wise. So, I sent her an e-mail explaining the situation with a promise to make it up to her. Thankfully, she understands.

I am hoping to see her next year and I will plan a much longer visit.

Why an SUV? The Decision Process

I never thought I would buy an SUV in my entire life. So, what got into me? Linda asked me my criteria and since it took me a lot of research and quite some time, I decided to share my decision process.

First of all I started looking for small cars on the market. The selling price is a factor but I concentrated on total cost of ownership in the long run. There are many variables affecting that, such as gas per mileage, yearly tax, routine service, cost of spare parts, cost of new tires.

In this country diesel is cheaper than regular gas so, the car needed to be a diesel. The yearly tax is based on the age of the car plus the engine size. I checked the tax table and decided that the car should have a maximum of 1600 cc engine. For Americans that is not even an engine I know, but the gas prices in this country are 3x what they pay.

Then I looked up service charges at 15,000-30,000-45,000-60,000 etc. kms. along with spare part costs. It was such an eye opener to see how small cars were not necessarily inexpensive. Tire costs vary due to size. (My new car is expensive in that respect.)

At that point I became skeptical about small cars especially in the gas/mileage department.

Then I decided that I need an automatic car. I can drive a stick shift but as I age, it is so much easier. At that point I realized that there are not many automatic small cars with diesel engines. Then mom said she hates to get in and out of cars because they are so damn low. She even brought a thick pillow to the VW Passat, my company car that I am driving. She sits on it. I do not think it works well because after all, it is a pillow.

Mom is 75 and is getting old. So, the travel we can do together is somewhat limited to perhaps the next 10 years, may be less. I want her to be comfortable.

This way,, I started looking at crossovers and SUVs. I do not need a 4x4 since they tend to consume more gas. However, all the available options were beyond my budget. I decided that I could buy a gently used, new-to-me car below 50,000 Kms.

After looking at used cars every night online for quiet a while, I found that Nissan Qashqai, Renault Kadjar, Jeep Renegade were possible options. I found a couple of cars that were worth looking at and sent the links to a friend of mine who is very knowledgeable and who has quite a network of technicians and car salesmen. He researched the cars and told me that the new Ford Kuga (Escape) has a better 1.5 TDCi PowerShift engine. Since Ford sells many cars in Turkey the spare part industry is pretty good and this engine is fairly new with pretty good gas/mileage. The routine services are very inexpensive compared to most cars.

This way, I added the Ford to my list and started following sales ads. That is how I made my decision.

Due to a change in tax law, since this car was a 2017, the yearly tax is lower than the same exact car that is a 2018. With about 6,250 miles, it is practically new. That was my bonus. It is the simplest version. For instance, it has parking sensors at the back, none in the front. It has a screen and bluetooth but, the screen is not a touch screen. However, all the standart features are pretty good and I will not miss anything.

My bank account is lighter today...

This morning, I wired the rest of the payment for the car to the dealer and looking at that particular bank balance, I am feeling "OMG!"

I will be able to put back the money in the same account later in August. So, that's ok.

As a budget nerd, I have several spreadsheets, charts and etc. to follow my finances and when my savings line on a chart nose dives to a new level, it makes my heart ache.

I do not calculate my Net Worth including my assets. For me that is a meaningless number.

My ultimate goal in life is to live on my passive income, keep my savings at their current level and earn a little bit for travel and fun till I am 60 or so. When I reach that age, depending on my health, my family's situation, I may sell my current apartment and move somewhere else.

That is when my assets will become important. Shall I sell that apartment or this one? Shall I upgrade this car or that one? Do we still need two cars? Depending on our health, shall I live with some of my family members or not?

As I type this, I am stuck in a process meeting where I have zero interest and knowledge. Whatever...

Bought the Car

Mom and I really liked the car so, I decided to buy it. My friend had haggled for me so I knew the final price. I told the sales lady that I have an interest bearing account which will mature on Friday.  She agreed to wait. I paid a small sum with my credit card which I will pay in full when I receive the bill. I collect flight miles with that card so, that is a bonus.

I gave power of attorney to one of their employees to handle the sale of the car. I only will have to go pick up the car on Monday. Meanwhile, they will deep clean the car and check it out before handing me the keys. It was pretty clean anyway. I am happy with my choice. I was hoping to spend way less money but after writing down my criteria, I had to go for an SUV type car. The price was reasonable so, I will consider this a once in a life time splurge.

While we were in the showroom, mom decided she liked the Mustang GT best. If she wins the lotto, we may buy it. After all, dreaming is free.

I am glad I did this. I will hand over the company car mid-August as I leave for good.

I get to keep my laptop and my health insurance policy till it expires in June 2019. Not bad.

Today, my replacement is coming to meet the team and we will have a barbecue at work.

Will be interesting to see this.

Mutual Termination of My Contract, A Likely Car Purchase and stuff...

The GM sent me a draft of a mutual termination contract yesterday. I reviewed it, made some changes and sent it right back. He accepted all my terms so all is good. For now anyway.

Today, mom and I will go see a new-to-me car. I wasn't going to rush but, I have been told this is an exceptionally nice car gently used at just 6,250 miles on it. The friend who looked at the car told me there wasn't even a scratch on it. It is a 2017 but, it was put to use in early January 2018. It is being sold as Ford Escape in the US. Here it is called Ford Kuga. The price is good but a bit at the higher end of my budget. Thinking that I will use this car for at least 10 years, I think, what they offer is a good price. If I were buying brand new, I would be paying an extra USD 7,000. The taxes on cars in this country are outrageous so, I am definitely not buying brand new knowing that the car will depreciate several thousand TLs as soon as I drive off the seller's parking lot.

As for work; I will be leaving mid-August and going on vacation to the US. When I come back, I will rest all through September and head to my sister's for a week or so. Then I will drive down south to meet High School pals and may be spend a couple of days with an old colleague. Then, I will drive along the Mediterranean to meet up with mom and uncle. I will spend some time with them and take my mom back to Ankara for our routine cardio appointments.

And then what? I don't know.

All I know is:

- I will not have to do my grocery shopping over the weekends when the traffic is real bad and the shops are crowded.

- I will not have to drive to and from work eating up more than two hours of my time each day.

- I will not have to get upset about things at work.

- I will have more time to take care of myself, be with family, read, write, relax, volunteer, socialize...

- I will not have any excuses for not exercising or eating healthy. (Yeah! This is a good one)

- I will be happy!

As I start living the new life, I will expand this list I am sure.

Wish me luck!

Broke the news...

Yesterday, I told my team that I would soon be leaving. Some of them were kind of expecting it. Some of them were shocked. I received some nice e-mails one of which made me cry. Showed it to mom and she cried too. She told me she was very proud of me. That stll feels nice even at 52 (almost).

I also met the new COO lady yesterday night at dinner. She is 10 years younger than I am. Seems like a nice person but time will tell. I treated her very kindly and told her that till my last day, I will support her and make her transition smooth.

I think the GM is very afraid that I would tell people, the company is no longer a good place to work and that more people will leave. What a poor judgement of my character!

I want the people I leave behind to be happy. I have spent so much time with them. I have told them and will keep telling that the company is now growing, there will be new opportunities for the ones who want to grab them. The only key to grow at work is to work hard and put in a lot of effort. I will not see them every day, but I will be there when they need to talk. They are good people and deserve the best that this company can offer.

I feel very relieved and happy and content.

30 Business Days To Go

After today, I will have 30 business days to go before I am free. I am looking forwrd to announcing my leaving next week. That will lift a big weight off my shoulders.

If the ex-boss walked in today, he would not recognize more than half of the company. So many people already left. Today, another person is leaving who was very well liked by all of us. I am going to miss him but I am glad he is taking on a new and better role.

After my last post, I am truly thankful that I am leaving because, I just do not want to deal with this chaos for which I am not responsible.

If they ask me to come back part-time, I do not think I will accept it.

I am looking forward to my two-week vacation in the US. After I come back, I will relax all through September and in October, I shall visit my sister, spend three days at a resort with my High School pals, then drive to visit my uncle who will have probably brought mom to his home in Antalya. By the end of October both mom and I have cardiologist appointments. So, before I know it the winter will be right around the corner.

I am casually looking for a new-to-me car, but I am in no rush.

Feeling content and excited.

Don't Know What To Say

Today I have been informed that a headhunter is looking for a technical specialist for our Ankara Office. I did not ask for this. Neither did the Technical Team Leaders in either of our offices. Naturally, it is very disturbing for them since "someone" is looking for a person who will supposedly be reporting to them. How stupid! How unprofessional! I wonder if my replacement is aware of these. If so, I am going to be very sorry for the people I will be leaving behind.

It turned out that the new GM has asked for these. What is he trying to accomplish by disturbing the people? There is no such need and yet, he is hiring. People are very uncomfortable and they come to me. I have no answer to give them just yet because I have to wait to announce my leaving till next Tuesday. What a mess! Thank God, in a few days I will anounce my departure and will not have to deal with this chaos anymore.

Meanwhile, they have hired a Pre-Sales person already without properly giving notice to the Sales Leader at the same office.

What a poor way to treat people! I am absolutely furious.

Tell me your friend, I will tell you who you are

This is an old saying in Turkish. The other day, I was thinking about that. I have a bunch of young people working for me and as I observe how they interact with each other, whether they are friends outside of work too or not, this old saying came to my mind.

People change after they befriend someone who is toxic. A normally cheerful, self-motivated, hard-working individual may turn into a self-depreciating, depressed person if she/he spends enough time with such a person.

I have seen this pattern in our company several times.

Sometimes a friend can be intellectually challenging and you strive to keep up with her/him. You start learning about different things, you widen your interests and these type of friends uplift your mood and help you become a may be not better but more interesting person.

We cannot choose our families but we surely can choose our friends. I am not saying that we should abandon people who are going through a bad period or suffering in any way. As good friends, we definitely should stand by them and help them any way we can. I am talking about an entirely different type of personality. The one who always complains, who always looks for the negativity in anything and everything, who gossips about people, who constantly digs into other people's personal lives. I also cannot stand materialistic people. They will never be happy.

I treat everyone nicely but, I decide on the distance between us. Life is too short to be in pain. Every day is a gift and I am determined to live it happily and peacefully.

Wing it!

When I am cooking, I almost never stick to a recipe. I add and subtract things as I wish and the outcome is always palatable. Cooking is not like baking where you have to measure ingredients and be careful about the recipes.

The other day, I made a stir-fry dish of some vegetables on hand and mom and I had it for dinner. The leftover portion became part of a frittata.

My soups are always loaded with things that may not be in the original recipe. If I have to use up something, I will.

Trying to stick to a recipe is tiring and frustrating since sometimes they call for ingredients you may not have on hand at all times. Besides, I do not like to buy something which will be used just once and most likely go bad before being used a second time.

The other day, I was watching a cooking show with some obnoxious contestants. They visit each other's homes for dinner and grade the cooking. They say things like, "such and such does not go into this soup or casserole or whatever". Who says? And Why?

The other day I put carrots and potatoes I had to use in lentil soup and mom said she had never seen someone putting those in lentil soup. I think she watches that show every day. Lol! I said, a soup is a soup and anything can go into it as long as it is tasty. The soup is gone already so, I must have been doing something right.

When I leave work, I will try to focus on cooking healthy and fresh foods. I generally like cooking but cleaning up aftrwards is a chore I hate.

Beaming!

Mom says I am beaming with relief. So true!

Next Monday, I will meet the new person and on Tuesday, I will tell my team about me leaving and another lady replacing me. On Friday, there will be a barbecue party to introduce her to the company.

She will start on the 23rd of July and I will be around only till the 18th of August. Enough time to walk her through what she needs to do.

Then, I will be off to the USA for my two week vacation. When I come back, I will be free!

I am planning to relax till the end of October or so and then start working on a couple of projects I have been contemplating. I am not in a rush to get part-time project work.

My current company may ask me to work part-time but I do not know if I want to. Not yet anyway. We'll see.

I have been looking at cars. They are so darn expensive in this country. I do not want to rush. I have a 2010 Nissan Note in Ankara which my uncle uses for himself and mom. I will take that to Istanbul till I find myself a new-to-me reliable SUV type car. My sister has an identical car that she also keeps in Ankara unused. Uncle and mom will use that while I look around. Both are old cars with only about 90,000 miles. We had bought them new and we are sure they are reliable so, we do not want to sell them at very depreciated prices. This way we can fly or take the fast train to Ankara and use our cars there saving lots of gas money.

The Package

The GM told me about the package. It is not great but acceptable on my part. I will be finished by the end of August. They will pay me 4 additional salaries.

I asked for my laptop and my health insurance policy to be valid till May 2019, till it expires. He will see if it's doable.

I will be on vacation half of August anyway. So, I will work all of 35 work days to go.

I feel relieved and weird. Why is that?

I want to break free!

Nowadays, I feel like the way it is described in the famous Queen song "I want to break free" with the exception that I have not fallen in love. Lol!

I want to break free
I want to break free
I want to break free from your lies
You're so self satisfied I don't need you
I've got to break free
God knows, God knows I want to break free

I've fallen in love
I've fallen in love for the first time
And this time I know it's for real
I've fallen in love, yeah
God knows, God knows I've fallen in love

It's strange but it's true
I can't get over the way you love me like you do
But I have to be sure
When I walk out that door
Oh how I want to be free, baby
Oh how I want to be free
Oh how I want to break free

But life still goes on
I can't get used to living without, living without
Living without you by my side
I don't want to live alone, hey
God knows, got to make it on my own

So baby can't you see
I've got to break free
I've got to break free
I want to break free, yeah
I want, I want, I want, I want to break free

Songwriters: John Deacon

I Want To Break Free lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

When shall we three meet again?

Yesterday we had a going away party for two of the people I work with. One was our office assistant whom I have worked with for the last three years. I will miss her dearly.

A lot of people left the restaurant and some of us from the old team stayed and chatted for a while. Up until then the weather was not so bad with occasional rain showers but a major thundestorm hit followed by a short hailstorm. It was raining so badly that we had to wait until it stopped. Unfortunately the storm was on my way home so, I got hit for the second time. At a point, the traffic stopped because we had zero visibility. A lot of side roads were flooded. So, I had to make several re-routes to avoid the flooded areas.

By the time I pulled in our parking lot, the rain had stopped and I was able to walk to the apartment without getting wet.

Saying goodbye to two good colleagues was hard and I suddenly remembered the three witches of Macbeth:

When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning or in rain? Lol.

Image: Can Stock Photo

Cooking and stuff...

The day before, I had done some grocery shopping. So, yesterday, I decided to cook the boneless chicken thighs. I cut them into smaller pieces and cooked them in a deep and large pan. Then, I cut up onions and potatoes and added them to the chicken. On top of everything, I placed thick slices of tomatoes and small italian peppers. Mixed tomato sauce with water and poured that in. I use only salt and pepper to season food (weird for someone who lives in this part of the world, I know). Then I covered the pan and let everything simmer until all was done. It is my favorite comfort food.

Mom doesn't feel like cooking most days and I cannot blame her. It is usually very warm and she gets tired easily. Some days, she feels better and she cooks. I do not ask her to cook anything.

I do not mind cooking but, I hate cleaning up afterwards. So, I try to be very creative and use the smallest number of pots and pans and gadgets.

I am really looking forward to having more time on hand, to plan my shopping and homemade, healthy food, exercise, pay attention to my personal care, read and relax. I am also planning to minimize my wardrobe getting rid of old items.

When I work part-time, I do not need many clothing items. I already have 3-4 business jackets. I need easy care tops to go with the jackets and a couple of pants. The pants I have been rotating and wearing everyday to work are getting pretty worn. So, when I am in the US, I will try to get a couple of pants and some tops. When I get back, I will clean out all the old items cluttering my wardrobe.

At a stand still...

I have not heard about "the package" yet. I am not going to inquire about it. Nor, I will inquire about who the heck is my replacement.

So, I am waiting not patiently but pretending to be so. I am also getting uncomfortable being around the new people. I am feeling outside the circle which is actually the case but, having devoted over three years, it feels like something that belonged to me is being taken away from me which is really weird. When I think about all the change that is due, I am feeling glad that I will not have to deal with those unless they keep me as a consultant. I am thinking it is not such a great idea anymore.

Our office assistant is leaving the end of this week. I will miss her.

I just cannot seem to motivate myself. I do what has to be done and that's all.

My mood is partially due to the latest general elections in Turkey too. Unfortunately, the present president won and God knows where the country will be headed. Possibly the big mess of Middle East rather than the West. Having said that, I must remind myself that my family is rather small and the last born child is 43. We should be fine but, freedom of speech, justice, secularism, science and such will not prevail. Fundamentalist religion is on the rise.

I was born Muslim but, I have never practiced. I believe there is a God or Allah or some super being who created the universe but that's all. I think the likes of me are called Deist.

The weather is foul too. We are expecting major thunderstorms and possibly hailstorms today.

Overall, my mood is down.

Well, it'll pass I know. It always does.

The good news is my sister and her husband bought an apartment in Izmir where they have been living for the last 3 years. They were paying too much rent for a small apartment hoping that they would go back to Ankara. However, they now realize that, it is difficult for the bank to transfer them both and provide similar size branches. Both of them work as bank branch managers. They will now pay a similar amount of mortgage for a much larger apartment. It is a bit farther than the city but it is an investment. The mortgage is only for 10 years since they paid 50% down payment. So, by the time they retire, the mortgage will be paid. They have been able to obtain a very favorable fixed rate and that is a great thing in the long run. Inflation is on the rise.

Friends

Yesterday I had dinner with an old friend visiting from out of town. We talk to each other every few weeks and whenever I am in her town or she is in mine, we call each other to get together.

I met her back in 1991. She had joined the company that I was already working for. She is a very sweet and nice person. We had a good time, had good food and wine. It was a very nice evening.

Little breaks do wonders.

I told her that I will soon be leaving the company and she agreed that it was about time and it would be best for me to work part-time.

I graduated with a BSc degree in Business Administration in June 1988 when I was 21 and started working. This year is my 30th in the Work Force. There has been times I was between jobs because I do not like to burn myself out just for the sake of making money. I am thankful that I could choose not to work every once in a while. Thanks for all the advice at Personal Finance blogs about Emergency Funds.

Today I had lunch with my ex-boss and our soon-to-be ex-office assistant. She wanted to leave right after the ex-boss did but stayed because I needed her around. However, there is no point for to stay anymore and she is going. She had been training her replacement. I will miss her but we can always get together since we will both have more time in the very near future.

The ex-boss is going on a long vacation with his family. So, it was good to see him too because, we will not see each other before mid-September. We talk on the phone and exchange whatsapp messages quiet frequently.

Peace...

Today I came to work and the GM asked me to implement a new procedure. Normally, I would tell him all the possible negative side effects of implementing such a procedure but, I forced myself to keep my mouth shut. Wrote an e-mail to the staff and started the procedure.

Up until now, I have shared my experience several times but, he mostly did not take my advice. I have done what I have done for 30 years and have come accross the same issues at several different companies. I have been wrong. I have made mistakes. I have learnt the proper way of doing things and I have accumulated all this experience. I pay attention to minute details and think ahead. I never take decisions on a whim because I now know better.

I offered experience, they prefer learning the hard way, so be it.

For the first time in a long while, I am feeling peaceful and am in a mood to let go. Today I had someone calculate my normal severance if I had been let go so, I have that information to asses the offer they will put on the table.

I will also ask to keep my laptop and my health insurance policy which has been just renewed till next renewal time.

As I asses the situation for doing part-time work for them, I have some doubts such as the following:

-  The person who will replace me might be uncomfortable.
-  The people who worked for me all this time may keep on coming to me creatig mistrust on the newcomer's part. I want the new person to understand and appreciate what used to be "my people" and establish a good working relationship. So, I should not be the obstacle
-  The tasks they will want me to do may not be all that interesting to me.

So, I have decided to give them a daily rate and take it from there. I do not want to commit to much else.

I just need to keep myself motivated till the end so that I can set a good example for the people who work for me.

This is most probably my last full-time job and I am glad I accepted the offer of my ex-boss and worked with him. I met really nice young people and this has become the 3rd longest job I ever had.

Feeling truly peaceful...

Winds of Change

As you know I was back to work yesterday and the new GM wanted to talk to me. Apparently, they have found someone to replace me who will be able to start work in August. They want me to continue till my vacation in August and then, want me to move to a different part-time role.

I was surprised that I wasn't surprised at all. Actually this can be a blessing if the stars align properly. I told him that, this is quiet acceptable on my end as long as he offers a meaningful package to go with it. He is going to work on it.

We will see how that will go. So, wish me luck please!

Back to Work

I am back to work. The day started with a meeting and will end with another one. In between, I will try to play catch up.

People were genuinely happy to see me and inquired after my health. That felt good.

I am going to start a new project at work. Today, I will discuss the specifics about it with the Management Team today and make sure they understand how much of their active contribution will be required. Next week, I will introduce them to the Project Team. The project is supposed to last until December.

I am constatntly looking at my projection and contemplating whether I should leave earlier than March 2019. I just cannot justify it financially. I keep saying to myself: Patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue...

It is only 255 calendar days. I have another vacation. There are mny weekends. So, how bad can it be?

Back from the first vacation of the year

Mom and I spent 5 wonderful days at a beach resort last week. I had paid for it in January taking advantage of early booking savings.

During those 5 days, I got up, had breakfast with mom, hit the beach till noon and after having lunch hit the beach once again. I would come back to our room at 6 p.m. and hop in the pool right in front of our room till 7 p.m. or so, have a shower and go to dinner. Mom slept most of the time. She came to the beach only once.

My blood pressure had started to get normal but, it is acting up again.

We did tons of laundry and there are still a copule loads to go. Today I need to go to the hair salon real badly. I spend very little money for my hair when compared to "normal" women but the money I spend on it always hurts. Lol! So, today will be painful.

So, I am back and will be back to work on Monday. I still have some staycation days to relax.

Unexpected US vacation and some work

I am going to the US late August! Why? Well, there are a couple of meetings related with work but I thought it would not be worth the loooong trip. Then, one of my besties asked me to go visit her since they were not doing any traveling this summer due to some major surgeries her hubby had.

So, I decided to put fun and work together and voila!

Meanwhile our currency has lost 15% of it's value against the USD lately and many people would consider it a stupid move to take that vacation. Well, we only live once right? Not only that, almost half of my Netw Worth is in USD.

I will make sure to make it a frugal-ish vacation. Besides, there will be no accomodation costs or car rental costs because, I shall be staying with friends. I am not planning to do much shopping either since I was in the US last year and am planning my bucket list vacation next year in Fall.

I started my new meds today and I guess it will take a few days to understand whether they will work or not. Being away from work for three weeks may help too. I will be taking the next two weeks as a planned vacation and this week was the unexpected addition to it.

I am just taking it easy and getting plenty of rest.

Health Issues

My blood pressure has been very high lately and I am totally scared. So, mom and I came to Ankara today to get it checked out by my cardiologist. This morning was the first time it has been normal. I hope it is just a matter of changing meds.

Wish me luck.

Upcoming Vacation Plans

I will be taking a vacation during the first two weeks of June with mom. Last year I had a vacation all by myself in the US and this year, we are vacationing together. She no longer wants to go abroad. Too tiring for her.

We will drive all the way to İzmir on a Saturday and spend two nights at my sister's who will not be home that weekend. On Monday, we will head further south to Bodrum where we will stay at a resort. Our room opens directly to the pool and the Aegean Sea is within two minutes of walking distance. I prefer the sea over the pool but, sunbathing by the pool with mom will be nice. She no longer likes to go in the water. She says the movement of the water makes her dizzy.

We will stay there for 5 days and head back to my sister's who will be home then :) We will spend some time around that area and head back home by the following weekend.

We are planning to go to a classic car museum, visit some archaelogical sites (mom is an archeologist) that we have not been to and mostly relax.

This vacation has been booked in January at a fraction of what it would cost now and has been paid for. I am not expecting to spend much money while we are on the road or in Izmir. The resort is quiet pricey but, I have taken advantage of the early bird special booking they have offered way back in January and purchased insurance just in case we would not be able to go. I like to buy that insurance because you never know, especially when traveling with an elderly person.

I am hoping to make a long road trip in the US next year. Something on top of my bucket list for a long time.

Friday and stuff

I cannot believe the week is almost over. Life seems to be on the very fast track lately.

As I look closely, I see that my apartment needs some serious work. The flooring must be completely changed. I would love to have hardwood floors but those are prohibitively expensive and difficult to maintain.

I need something to last 15-20 years and easy to maintain. Due to my allergies, I am not supposed to use carpets at home so, the floors are aesthetically important.

I also need to change the shower base and the stall. When I renovated the bathroom, those two turned out to be the two things, I did not like.

There is some water damage on a couple of walls and those have to be taken care of too.

Tomorrow mom and I will go to a Farmer's Market to buy fresh produce. I just hope it won't rain.

I wish everyone a great weekend!

One of the very best weekends!

My sister and BIL came to visit last Friday night. They had asked me not to tell mom because they wanted to surprise mom who is staying with me these days.

They drove all the way from Izmir after work on Friday so, knowing that they would arrive after midnight, I tried to convince mom to watch a movie after midnight but she was sleepy so, she went to bed.

I made sure, my sis and BIL would not ring the door bell and right after they arrived, we all went to bed. Then it struck me: What if mom wakes up and decides to check up on me? Would she be afraid, if she ran into one of "the kids" in the middle of the night when going to the bathroom? Thankfully, none of that happened.

Anyway, I got up and started breakfast and woke my sister and BIL up. They woke mom very gently and boy! was she happy! She loved her suprise.

Since, everybody was tired, we decided to stay at home and just spend time together on Saturday till dinner.

We went to a fancy fish restaurant that both of the kids love and had a very good time. After I paid the bill, I went to get the car from the valet service and started waiting for my family to get in the car. Minutes passed and there was noone coming. It kinda felt like the Twilight Zone. They were right behind me! Where are they now? I called my sister and my brother and they did not answer! What?! I was about to leave the car to look for them when they finally arrived.

Apparently as they were walking out, they have seen a famous newspaper article writer whom we all like but whom my mom absolutely loves! He is a very smart man, with an incredible archive. He writes politics and he is an opponent to the current Government just like we are. So, they stopped to say hello and he came around, gave mom a hug and posed for several pictures. Bummer! I missed that.

Mom was ecstatic! She kept saying "what a wonderful day this was".  The next day, we had breakfast at home again. My BIL loves pancakes so, I made some and he had his first taste of Maple Syrup. Magically, he liked it! Members of my family have very conservative taste buds unlike mine. I tried to give him one of the unopened bottles I brought back from the US but, he did not want to take it.

It was a great weekend overall.

Weekend Plans

My sister called today to tell me that she and her husband are coming to visit us (mom is also here) tonight, for the weekend as a surprise for mom. Mother's Day is next weekend but they can make it this week.

YAY! I am very happy! I miss my sister very much and I am looking forward to seeing her. She is 7 years my junior. She is witty, versatile and very funny. She is also Ms. Common Sense. 

Oh! Yeah, I also love my BIL too. He is a kind and gentle guy who adores my sister. 

We will have a nice breakfast at home tomorrow morning. Then, we will play tourist in Istanbul all day long. I would like to take them on a boat tour either to Prince Islands or along the Bosphorus if the weather permits that. I have booked a very nice fish restaurant that they love for dinner.

On Sunday, we will have breakfast together and they will drive back to Izmir in the afternoon. It is just a short little visit but we shall hopefully get to see them again next month at the end of our mini vacation with mom.

I think it is a blessing to get along well with one's immediate family. I know many people who cannot stand their siblings and I think, that is so sad.

Chaos Ahead!

I am sure, none of my readers are interested in Politics and Economics in Turkey but, let me tell you things are looking not good on the horizon.

We are headed for early elections and if the current Government does not go away, it will be horrible in the long run. We may as well kiss secularism, democracy and justice goodbye.

The economy was getting worse and worse each day and the Government has not been doing anything about it. You may ask why and I can answer with one word: Corruption!

Anyway, there are rumors that, as soon as the elections are over, if the current Government stays on, there will be a major devaluation of Turkish Lira against hard currencies such as the USD and Euro. They are also thinking that, the currency regime may go back 40 years and that our USD accounts may be frozen at a certain exchange rate and we may have no longer access to hard currencies as much as we like to. Given that half of my savings are in hard currencies, this can lead to a disaster for me personally.

They think bank safety deposit boxes will be safe at least for the time being. I started withdrawing hard currencies and placing them in a safety deposit box that I rented from my bank. My sister also has one at her branch. So, I am sending her some USD for her to keep it in her safety deposit box. I have a safe at home but, I really do not like to keep much cash there. I am also converting as much TL to USD as possible anticipating the devaluation.

I presume, none of my readers will ever have this problem. If this scenario does not happen, all I will have lost will be some interest on my USD accounts. Better safe than sorry...

I am also investing in small gold coins since they can be converted to cash very easily. So, before June 25, I should be done with all my maneouvres.

I just cannot stand the dummies in the Government.

Done with the Studio Apartment

Finally I moved all my personal belongings from the studio apartment and turned the keys in. Now I am looking forward to getting my deposit back.

I left the IKEA stuff at the apartment and the realtor will try to rent it with them. If not, they will be donated. There is a white Queen sized TRYSIL bed, a white three drawer chest BRIMNES, and a white wardrobe.

Tomorrow we shall be driving to Ankara. Monday is a National Holiday. It is National Sovereignty and Children's Day in Turkey. On Tuesday, mom, my sister's FIL and I all have cardiologist appointments. We shall be coming back Wednesday night.

3-day weekend with lots of laundry and placing things back to where they belong. My back hurts and I want to sleep round the clock. Lol!

Life with Mom

I love my Mom to the moon and back. She is very very very organized and neat so, I have to be really careful about how I keep my place.

She has done a great job organizing many things around my home that I really didn't care about. I must admit, I like the way my place looks.

She is also cooking healthy stuff and my weight started to drop. I am very thankful that we have a good relationship and that we like to spend time with each other.

As long as I keep my things in place and not criticize her favorite TV shows, we are perfect! Lol!

She loves to watch the Turkish Version of Survivor. I hate that show. So, laptop and internet to the rescue!

I can carry on a meaningful conversation as I am surfing the Net and we are good.

Early June, we will be taking a vacation together.

I think, my sister and mother are on top of my blessings list.

I am gradually packing up my stuff at the Studio and moving them home. As I pack, I am getting rid of things that are unwanted. Tonight, I am planning to pack the rest of what I will take home and separate the things to be donated.

Set the Date: Out with the Old, In with the New

I finally decided upon the date to leave the company and told the new Management about it. Otherwise, it will be impossible for me to keep my sanity. Every single day is a struggle. I have never seen people changing their minds about everything so frequently.

I have made a list of what I should accomplish before leaving the company.

My set date is March 1st 2019. Of course, this date may change. It is not set in stone but, for me, it is something that makes me calmer. Now, I have something to work and look for.

Our Office assistant decided to leave within a few months as well. The Accounting Company to whom we outsource the accounting business has also declared that they will no longer be in the picture after the end of this year. So, come next year, the place will look very different.

I am also leaving the Studio Apartment within 10 days or so. For about 10 months it will be a hassle to go to work and come home but, that's doable. 

I am saving like crazy. My plan after quitting is to go back to working part-time on a few select projects that come my way. My passive income is enough to handle my living expenses and the extra I might be making will be for travel and home improvement projects.

I am financially independent as of now but, adding some more on top of my savings will help a lot more in the long run.

I am also thinking of not buying a car at least for a while. It makes a lot more sense to use ZipCar and similar services. I will give it a shot for at least three months to see if that works but there is still a looong time to consider all these.

On the Fast Track

Life has been very stressful, busy and fast lately. I have been gaining weight because, I was burying my feelings in carbs. I made a bargain with mom. She will come and stay with me for a long time and I will eat only what she serves me. She had been feeling lonely for quiet a while so, she agreed.

Not a single day passes by that I do not question whether I should keep on working here or not. It is not the load of work but rather, the constant turmoil created by the new CEO. He has never worked as a CEO before and has the attention span of a three year old. Completely lacks strategic thinking. This week, I am feeling especially drained. It feels like my life energy is being sucked by Death eaters of Harry Potter.

I constantly remind myself to be patient.

On a frugal note; I will soon be the proud owner of a second hand threadmill at no cost. I have always wanted one but did not want to pay a lot of money for it. My ex-boss did not want to take home his when he sold the company and I asked him if I can have it. So, hopefully next week or so, it will be delivered to my apartment.

I am also going to give up the Studio Apartment by the end of April. The new office will be closer to the bridge and I can commute from my primary residence. Besides,I do not even know how long I will be working at this Zoo. I have tremendous trouble sleeping at the place anyway. Some significant savings there too. I am so glad. Maintaining two places was difficult. Initally, it was worthwhile but lately no more. Especially after I have found out that, part of my insomnia is due to the noisy place.

Today I am in Ankara at our office there. In about an hour, I will go see my eye doctor and then meet two babyhood friends over a cup of coffee.

Tomorrow, I have to be at the airport at 7 a.m. to meet my sister who will be flying in just for the day to get her scars checked and stitches removed after mole removal surgery. She had three moles on her face that looked pretty ugly. I will get an injection for my back pain as she deals with her own doctor. Then, we will have a Girls day out with mom.

On Sunday, I am heading back with mom to Istanbul. So, not much resting this weekend but that's OK.

What are your weekend plans?

Reminders to Self

Sometimes I forget what is important in life. I get caught up in life's worries such as work related stuff and forget to focus on the really important things.

Here is my List:

- Self-health,
- Family
- Financially Independent Future

Of these three, I somehow pay attention to Family the most but lately I have been ignoring my health by gaining weight as a result of eating out and eating unhealthy food which also hurt my budget which in turn hurts my projected Financial Independence Day. These indirectly affect my relationship with my family too.

I know I eat unhealthy stuff when I am stressed. This drives me into an insane vicious circle where I get stressed and eat and gain weight and get stressed even further. So, as of today, I am stopping that. My back hurts which makes me impossible to walk. I have to go get a shot and will do that this week.

I cannot believe how fast the days go by but I am not sure whether it is a good thing or not.

Decision Making and Responsibility: Out with the Old, In With the New

I am being buried under loads of work lately. On top of that, everybody is asking me everything.

I am so tired of having to answer all questions.

- The lawnmover is broken. What should we do?
- Get it fixed if fixing costs below such and such amount.

- We shall be letting this person go. What should we do?
-Ask the lawyer.
- The lawyaer says this and that. How should we proceed?
- Do this and that.

- May I leave ten minutes early?
- Yes.

- So and so has worked all night, shall I give him the day off?
- Yesss! Sure! (Or rather no, make him work like a slave so that he finally leaves the company and sues our artses off).

All day long I probably answer 100 questions 95 of which are plain simple or dumb. I simply cannot concentrate.

And no, they are not asking me all the time just because they look up to me or they value my opinion or they find me reliable. They are asking because they do not want to take on the responsibility associated with decision making.

Today, I stayed home to catch up on my work in silence. Thankfully, I only got 20 calls or so.