Given up on waiting for Ajay to update!
Sorry folks, this isn't going to be up to Ajay's standard ... but we do need an entry that explains what is going on in our lives now.
Nick joined us in Arizona in January 2006, having made the decision to transfer to U of A from Binghamton University. Getting the promised "money for college" out of the US Army was proving very challenging. We eventually had to enlist the help of Sen. John McCain, who did help a lot, but we are still owed for tuition. Nick decided to get a job and had intended to start at U of A in the Fall of 2006. Andrew is serving in Iraq and hopes to attend the U of A when he gets out.
Life and love has a way of changing plans though ... and Nick became engaged to a lovely lass from New Zealand. We met Natalie in April 2006 when she visited the US. They got engaged, and in December 2006 Nick flew off to New Zealand. Where they will ultimately settle is fluid at the moment ... they have some issues to sort out before they decide.
Way back in March/April 2006 none of this was predictable, and we took a look at our rapidly dwindling bank account and decided that we'd be better stop being "retired" for a while if we planned to help put our sons through university.
Ajay took a computer consulting job at Arizona Mail Order ... a nationwide mail order company handling orders for Lane Bryant, Fingerhut, and other catalog companies. We moved to Tucson and spent a few months in a rented apartment. This taught us to spend as little time as possible in rented property! AMO offered Ajay a full-time position which he accepted. A less-than-optimal lifestyle at the apartments and the job offer were the impetus to get out of rented quarters. We are banking on the housing market to give us a better investment than leaving our money in a CD ... so we sank everything we had left into a tiny house in Central Tucson.
The plan is to live here for about 10 years, renovate this house and saving madly. Then sell ... hopefully for a profit ... and head back to Greenlee permanently.
Our straw bale house is still being built ... we have not abandoned our dreams ... but of course progess, when building part-time, is a lot slower.
We have also decided to go back to college ... both of us are persuing teacher's degrees through Pima County Community College, and then U of A.
That's all folks!
Nick joined us in Arizona in January 2006, having made the decision to transfer to U of A from Binghamton University. Getting the promised "money for college" out of the US Army was proving very challenging. We eventually had to enlist the help of Sen. John McCain, who did help a lot, but we are still owed for tuition. Nick decided to get a job and had intended to start at U of A in the Fall of 2006. Andrew is serving in Iraq and hopes to attend the U of A when he gets out.
Life and love has a way of changing plans though ... and Nick became engaged to a lovely lass from New Zealand. We met Natalie in April 2006 when she visited the US. They got engaged, and in December 2006 Nick flew off to New Zealand. Where they will ultimately settle is fluid at the moment ... they have some issues to sort out before they decide.
Way back in March/April 2006 none of this was predictable, and we took a look at our rapidly dwindling bank account and decided that we'd be better stop being "retired" for a while if we planned to help put our sons through university.
Ajay took a computer consulting job at Arizona Mail Order ... a nationwide mail order company handling orders for Lane Bryant, Fingerhut, and other catalog companies. We moved to Tucson and spent a few months in a rented apartment. This taught us to spend as little time as possible in rented property! AMO offered Ajay a full-time position which he accepted. A less-than-optimal lifestyle at the apartments and the job offer were the impetus to get out of rented quarters. We are banking on the housing market to give us a better investment than leaving our money in a CD ... so we sank everything we had left into a tiny house in Central Tucson.
The plan is to live here for about 10 years, renovate this house and saving madly. Then sell ... hopefully for a profit ... and head back to Greenlee permanently.
Our straw bale house is still being built ... we have not abandoned our dreams ... but of course progess, when building part-time, is a lot slower.
We have also decided to go back to college ... both of us are persuing teacher's degrees through Pima County Community College, and then U of A.
That's all folks!