Second Income

Today I have handed my Expense Report and Time Sheet for my first pay. Felt good although, I have put in only a little over 5 days in January.

I think, working 2-3 days a week is fine. No more than that. I do enjoy my freedom. I know, sometimes there will be more work to be done but, I do not want to have more than two projects at a time.

Now, I am waiting for the pay day. I have no idea how long it takes their outsource partner to process the forms. I guess we will find out.

Mom is going back home next Friday. Actually, I am taking her. My uncle is in Ankara and he will stay there for a while. He is doing two favors for me. Taking care of the title transfer of the family home and taking care of mom for a while. I love my mom to the moon and back but I also enjoy my solitude. Having lived alone for so many years, I need time for myself. It is difficult to explain perhaps, but that is what it is.

Tomorrow is a busy day. I will get a blood test early in the morning, then I will take mom for a haircut. After that I will go have lunch with my ex-boss and our old office assistant. I may meet some High School buddies afterwards.

January 2019

This month has so far been a frugal one partly due to my sickness, partly due to having stocked up when there were good sales.

Tomorrow my savings account is getting a big hit. I am sending the money for 1/3 of the old family home to my cousins and some money to cover the expenses during title transfer to my uncle who will take care of that.

Technically my Net Worth is staying the same but, I do not include any real estate in my NW calculation. I like liquidity best. I would much rather have just a primary residence and the rest in my nest as sweet cash. Lol!

My BIL is calling me the Queen of Real Estate". Cute! If I sold all of what I have, I could buy a 2 bedroom apartment or may be a small house within an hour or two out of NYC. So, not much money in US terms. On top of that, the real estate taxes in the US would plain kill me. Lol!

I feel blessed that I do not have to work but, having a part-time work at the same time.

Mom and I found out that the movie theaters around us are offering less than half price for 50+ for sessions before 4 p.m. during the week and 2 p.m. during the weekend. We just went to a new Turkish movie taking advantage of that. Yay! Never thought I would be eligible for such a discount. It is quiet significant. Think 10 TL versus 25 TL. Not bad at all.

Feeling better!

Now I am feeling a lot better but I am not allowed to travel this week yet. I dread the amount of work expecting me.

Today the cleaning lady came so mo and I went out for a few hours. I drove along the Bosphorus and then we had a fish lunch. I got tired but felt a lot better compared to last week.

I am going to take the last dose of the antibiotic tomorrow morning and then we shall see if I have fully recovered.

Penumonia it is... Ouch!

I wish I had seen the doc sooner. I would have started the antibiotic last week and would be halfway to recovery.

The doc says I am way too sensitive. If you see me in person you would laugh at that.

The moral of the story is to seek help as soon as I start sneezing.

Coming back home, I got my meds and bought some chicken. Mom is working on the chicken as we speak.

Gotta take a nap on my TV chair listening to some stupid day-time show now.

Ciao!

Sick as a puppy!

I am terribly sick. I thought it was a bad cold but looks like something more serious. Tomorrow, I am going to see a doctor. I am hoping that it is not pneumonia (again). It kinda feels like it.

The Boat is Found!

My uncle's boat is found by the police. YAY! He says there is a bit of damage and a few missing parts but the engine is still attached to the boat. That is the most expensive part so, we are all very happy about that.

New Project

My new consultancy gig started on Monday. I was at the Customer site for two days. It is going to be a tough one. Very old school methods of business management. We'll see.

Next week I will spend another two days there.

The hotel we stayed at was probably the best in that city. It was nice and comfortable but farther from the city so, we have to dine there. That is the only shortcoming.

I caught a cold while traveling and not feeling well today. Need to sort my notes and send them to the Project Lead. Gotta get to work...

Frugal Day and a Robbery

Today, I found out that my grocery store was offering pretty good deals on many staples I use all the time. So, I have decided to stock up on several types of cheese, some cleaning products, milk, butter, EVOO, olives and a few other things. I also found a super deal on the best quality TP and bought 48 rolls. With the ones already on hand, I am good to go for several months.

I ended up returning the boots I bought online. They were not comfortable and my toes pushed against the boot. Keeping the shoes though. They are comfortable.

My uncle called to say that his little boat was stolen. Bummer! He sounded very upset and I can sympathize. The police said, it might be found but, we can only hope.

Another year

Last year was rather interesting. A lot has happened and looking back, I now realize it better that it has mostly been quiet stressful.

Then, I had a good long vacation and enjoyed having nothing to do for quiet a while.

It is time to go back to earning some money. My first consultancy job is starting next Monday. This is a good thing because I still do not have a new tenant. Now that I have to buy the share of my cousins and their mom in a family house, every little bit will help.

I was originally planning a 3-4 month stay in the US at the end of 2019 but, that is unlikely now. It will heavily depend on how much I make by doing consultancy work and contracting the rental unit to a new tenant.

I am preparing for the work ahead by looking at best practices and such. After almost 5 months of free time, it feels good to have a purpose and responsibility without the added stress.

For the upcoming work, I have arranged my wardrobe so that I can pack easily whenever I have to visit the customer. Our first customer is in a different city. 

I have ditched all the old make-up material I had. I bought a new mascara and an eye pencil. I do not wear much make-up. I also ordered a boot and a shoe online. I am all set for the next phase of my work life.

Let the new year begin!