I have paid off $15,000 in credit card debt in 11 months!

Crazy to think about it.  I have sold so much shit, people think I’ve gone off the depend but that’s another part of my life I’m working towards (minimalism, another post on that soon too).  I have sacrificed and not done many things I wanted to or normally would have.  This year I finally started a budget that has turned me around, because it was a spreadsheet easy to follow and fill in and stick to!!!  I have gotten a roommate for extra income, I have not gone on trips to see Dave Matthews Band.  I have not given people gifts like I usually would have.

For many years my mom would find out my yearly salary and would say where did all that money go?!  Now I can say, “Listen B**ch (Puta), it went to credit card debt!!”  But I’d really say, “Mira, pague todas las tarjeta de credito!”  It feels good to know where your money goes, to feel like you got a raise, to not pay late fees or interest, to know that you can leave below your means!!!

In addition, this year I was able to enjoy my money as well.  I flew to Vegas for a bachelor party and gambled my ass off in cash!  I gave generously to my best friend’s wedding which I had to fly to in DC.  I donated money to a number of charities.  I gave a few gifts.  I threw my friends a party and had DB II at Vintage Lounge downtown buying 5 bottles in the VIP area!!!  Paid for a $1,500 surgery for Hannah torn ACL.  Traveled to the Bahamas.

For many years I have listened to the Dave Ramsey Show Podcast, and have enjoyed his straight forward, simple, down to earth, southern style of finances.

I’m still not done,  I have a home equity line I plan to pay off by January 2013.  It’s gonna be another tough year but the sacrifice is going to be worth it in the end.

Thanks to all that have supported me and to Dave Ramsey’s plan.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a great New Year!  Salute!

Living like no one else, so later I can GIVE like no one else!

It’s exciting to be selling on etsy.com and even more exciting to have an idea that I’m really passionate about.  I have big dreams and aspirations cause that’s how I am but I’m starting simple and small.  Either way go check out these beautiful modern handmade dog beds at MuttMattress.com.  You can follow us on Twitter/MuttMattress

Eventually we’ll make dog beds that cover pillows (so those old pillows can be reused) and make dog beds out of fabrics you have found that better match your home decor.

So please help me in promoting this exciting venture with this tweet or facebook post:  ”Finally, custom and modern dog beds that fit your home decor!!! www.muttmattress.com”

Last November, I had a negative balance in my bank account and wasn’t getting paid for 10 days.  I was like how the fuck am I going to pay for gas!?!?  I couldn’t use a credit card and I was not asking my parents for money.  Luckily when you’re desperate you become resourceful and that’s what I did and have done the past 8 months.  For the first time in a long time I’m finally on a budget, living below my means, paying off my debt and saving some money!  It feels good to ‘get a raise’ (cause you’re on a budget), pay off 4k in 5 months, take my friends out on a big night on the town, and blow lots of money in Vegas.

I tell you this not because of my finances but because it’s hard to change.  It’s hard to want to change!  I see so many people with so much potential but I can’t help them, they need to want to change, they need to be sick and tired, or hit rock bottom.  I know a girl that is a functional alcoholic, she has such potential, such power, such life, and it’s sad to see someone just live such an average life.  To see someone not be an a responsible adult.  It’s sad to see people overweight, but there’s nothing you can do unless they want to change.  They have to hit a wall or something; ie., not fit into their pants so they lose weight, get a DUI so they stop drinking, get arrested so they stop hanging with bad people, get into some sort of serious trouble to really change.  I hate wishing people to hit rock bottom, but I sometimes feel that way.

I’m with the movement that the more things you do that scare you (not illegal things), but things that….may hurt someone by cutting them out of your life, or starting a company, or sky diving, or anything that someone else has tried that you thought you could never or would never do is…life changing.  Life changing enough for you to need to change.

I was terrified to do bikram yoga (hot yoga) but I did it and owned it!  Next on my list is to go play paintball and expect for it to hurt like a bitch.  I’ve also been going through the house getting rid of stuff that I don’t need to keep even if it’s useful and it’s scary to get rid of good things but liberating.  I haven’t come up with a full list of scary things to do but I’m working on it, suggestions always welcome…

Since my personal life has changed so much I’m finally taking control of my life and doing things I should have long ago!  It feels great and I’m finally making siginficant positive changes.  I’m reading more, simplifying my house, purging things I don’t need, being proactive, working on the house, being outside more, overall it’s improving my life.  I could care less if I have a significant relationship, I have a great core set of friends that are amazing.  I’m down to the basics of enjoying life.

I painted the whole outside of the house alone.  I remodeled my master bedroom with some incredible colors and bad ass base boards.   I have a new living room curtain that makes the living room feel even bigger!  I finally framed some awesome pictures I took of Hannah and Marle and bought some really fun/spiritual art work.  It’s also awesome to call friends and go do shit!  Go see movies, go to dinner, happy hour, whatever!   My creativity is flowing and I continue doing and trying new things.  I did Bikram Yoga and pwned that shit!  I have taken some great trips one to Chicago, one to the Keys, I have a Vegas trip and Washington D.C trip coming up.  I’m learning French!  I’ve read a few books already, and finally read a book in a week!  I plan to get a Kindle to continue this good habit.  I’m playing soccer twice a week and feel great about it.  I’m back to playing racquetball and playing well.  I run about once a week and still try to eat as healthy as possible (forcing lots of vegetables down my throat).  I cut out checking Google Reader and websites (now I do it manually, although I need to set time limits for the computer).  I’m working on a new venture that I hope to announce in a couple months.  It’s incredible that I’ve done so much and I’ve done it all in small chunks, one bite at a time.

I’m really getting back on track and it feels great.  My give oh shit meter is pegged and I’m enjoying life to the fullest again (well almost, as soon as this credit card is paid off).

It fuckin’ feels good to kick ass and tell you about it!  Life is too short to not kick ass!

Nothing Matters, What I mean by this is all those things you worry about, or stress over, or try to be productive about doesn’t matter.  The ONLY thing that matters is what you enjoy sincerely.  For me it’s surfing, boating, fishing, spending time with friends.  All those heated discussions you have with people, all those things you have to be responsible for doesn’t define you.  Working 80 hours a week to get something done isn’t going to matter in 2 years from then.  Life is about enjoying anything and everything you can.  It’s about being happy with whomever you’re with and not caring about the rest.  I’ve really realized this that I’m happiest when I have great experiences with friends and family.  So this year I’m going to do whatever it takes to get the boat I want.  I’ll continue to purge whatever I can cause none of the stuff I have really matters.

Go create those memories cause those last forever not having stuff or fighting with people or stressing over anything cause none of that really matters….

• Read more (Roll over: Too many good books, motivational wise to not do this enough)
• Less Computer (Roll over: Just good practice, I feel like I’m always online looking at something)
• Learn to use my new digital camera (My Christmas present to myself)
• Hang out with friends (Roll over: I have amazing fucking friends!)
• Meditate more (This is just good to do)
• Continue to eat lots more fruit and vegetables (Again good habits)
• Build core strength (Will try Yoga / Pilates, and The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferris)
• Become even more minimalistic with stuff. (I’m trying hard to purge of things I don’t need or want).
• Walk and spend more time with Hannah Banana (She’s very fun to hang out with)
• Take a random trip somewhere exotic (Preferably somewhere with a beach)
• Do something from my bucket list
• Pay off Debt (It’s time to get back on track)
• Buy a Boat (I think it’s time)
• Go hiking, back packing, camping..with the dogs. (Did this over July 4th weekend finally! Will try to do it again this year)
  
• Go horseback riding (Did this in Australia two years ago, would love to do this again on a beach somewhere)
  
• Go indoor rock climbing (Roll over: This is just good exercise, but it’s so damn far from my house!)
• Go watch and bet on Jai Alai (I won $20 bucks!)
  
• Go to the circus (I went at the beginning of last year, good to see the animals, now I want to ride an elephant in South Africa)
  
• Go to the fair (Roll over: Hopefully this year that will happen)
• Go indoor or regular sky diving. (Roll over: Just stupid expensive, I should have bought the groupon that had this)
• Go on an Airboat ride. (Roll over: This summer, hope to go in as a group)
• Get Salsa Lessons (Completed this in Australia and will try to continue doing this again)
  
• Have a Garage Sale (Did this when I returned from Australia)
  
• Learn CPR (I am certified till sometime next year when I will renew it)
  
• Date Night, Helicopter ride over Orlando (Roll over: Just a neat idea)
• Date Night, Actually fly a small plane over Orlando (Roll over: Another neat idea)
• Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity (Did this with some disappointment, will try another volunteering service)
• Blog more

You know me I’ll review these in a few months to check in……Here’s to a new year friends….Cheers!

This year really has been amazing, in the past 5 months I’ve gone on 6 different trips with many amazing friends!  Some trips were for work and many others for pleasure.  Chicago to see Dave Matthews Band, Houston to visit with best friends I grew up with, Denver to see Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, Baltimore to visit with best friends, Key Largo with family, Arizona for work….I’m very blessed.

This summer continues to be one of the best, along with the hardest.  I got to use and experience my father in law’s Jacksonville Fishing Charter boat for a month and boy did I use it!  I have not had a summer home in possibly 2 years and I took advantage every Friday.  Every weekend (starting Friday) I took that boat out and I couldn’t have been happier!  Being outside made me so happy.  Before this, my laziness was engulfing me and as nice as it was to be a vegetable within the house it wasn’t healthy.  Every boating trip included some amazing company but Hannah & Marle were my favorites!   Spending a weekend in St. Augustine was epic awesome for Charlotte’s birthday!  I got to take the dogs camping and hiking!

I’ve seen some incredible broadway shows and comedians (Marry Poppins, Chicago, Dracula, and Cedric the Entertainer).

At the beginning of the year I had a great cruise with family and an awesome bachelor party to Key West!  I also had a great Muddy Buddy Race!  And helped celebrate my niece’s first birthday!  I ran my first marathon!   My parents sold their house and finally moved and retired to Miami!

This year also included the celebration of lots of 30th birthdays!!  Shawn, Celly, Layne, Mandy, Cyndi, Earl, Gavin, Liana,  etc. etc. etc. etc.

Lots of babies being born, Anderson, Ben, Charles, Mailande, Julian Danger, Bennett, etc. etc. etc

As I continue to better myself and figure out what makes me tick, helping others, making them smile and being creative but more importantly; less computer, being outside more…with Hannah…and friends, read more…outside with Hannah, Saturday morning breakfast/brunch…outside with Hannah…and friends.   Genuinely spend more time with some amazing influences in my life.  Getting out more with the right people makes for great memories!

I can’t thank the people in my life enough, you’re all FREAKING AMAZING!  I sincerely care about you all…

Despite the downs, I’ve enjoyed talking with so many I have not had a chance to.   I turned 30 on the 27th of July, it was a pretty heavy week and one I’ll never forget.  That week I realized how quickly things can change and how quickly one has grown up.  I won’t get into the details but for the first time, I felt more mature than I have before.  For the first time, I realized how immature I was just a few years ago.  It was a sad realization but also a good one.  I realize how important the small things one enjoys, it is what keeps you sane.  These are the things that require some work, but are worth the sacrifice and time and energy, and create the memories that are more important than anything else in the world.

Life is about memories, that’s more important than anything else (more important than working, having stuff, etc).  Create those wonderful memories with those beautiful people in your life.  That’s what’s priceless… and that’s what I’ve learned this year…..

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Love always,

Jesus “Zeus” Salgueiro

Mandy after a 21.2mile run taking an ice bath

I never understood the desire of running a marathon (maybe for health reasons?).  I just thought you would train for a few months, then get to the marathon and pace yourself and keep pushing yourself and that’s it.  It’s much more than that…

Mandy’s been training for her January 11th Disney Marthon since around the end of July.  The time training, ice baths, the money spent on shoes; equipment, clothes,  and power packs for her long runs has been fascinating.  She first started to run 2-5 mile runs a couple times a week and once a week she would have a long run.  Her first long run was 8 miles, second was 10, third was 16, and now she’s up to 21.2.  These runs occur anywhere between 5am-7am in the morning (the longer the run the earlier the start).  I watched her first official 5k, which is a short but still hard 3.1 miles.

Saturday she ran her first official Half-Marathon at the OUC Half.  I never imagined it was that hard till you see your wife, her friend and many others struggle to stay on pace.  I have a whole new respect and understanding of how hard you push your body to it’s absolute limits.

Friday night before the OUC Half we watched Spirit of the Marathon.  A documentary recommended to us that follows 5 marathoners from first timers to Olympic Champion runners.  You’re moved at why these people do it, be it just to finish, or to finish and beat your last time at the age of 65.  It’s unbelievable the struggle you go through to accomplish such a challenging goal.  That really pumped me up for supporting Mandy at the OUC Half.

Mandy and Jen on their first 21.2 mile long run.

At the race, I wanted to cheer Mandy on at least 4 places.  I was able to do so, and the last few places I saw her pass I ran from one place in the course to another via shortcuts (that was hard in itself and I was thinking how can these people run this long!?!?)!  As some of you know I can be pretty loud, and I wasn’t just cheering on the wife, I was cheering on everyone that passed.  I’ve never gotten so many thank you’s before and I was glad to be their cheerleader too.

Marathons are fucking hard!  Pushing your body to the ultimate extreme looks like a humbling experience.  I would do it once to experience such a satisfying life long learning experience.  I would also do it to build up such an incredible endurance!

Now I know this Christmas season everyone is asking for money, so I won’t push it but if you could donate a few bucks to Mandy’s cause that would be very honerable of you.  And Team Mandy could use all your support for the race on Sunday, January 11th, at Disney!

I Do Not Choose to Be a Common Man

It is my right to be uncommon—if I can.

I seek opportunity—not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.

I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.

I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.

I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.

It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say, “This I have done.”

By Dean Alfange

My career has lead me to an interesting place, and I can finally define what I want out of my accomplishments working for a company.  It’s easy..and it’s my new ‘resume objective‘:  “To apply my systems and software knowledge and experience, to work on a product that is powerful, reliable, robust, and intuitive, while helping people and profiting for a company.” You like?   Having worked with defense companies for 7 years now with 3 different companies, I’m starting to understand what these companies are looking for, and I believe my resume sums it up well.

I really enjoy putting experiences into words and now this post and my resume describe that.  I always had a software engineering title and knew that was wrong, but was afraid to put systems engineer on my resume.  Now, I know it’s right and everything I’ve been doing falls under systems engineering, but more specifically integration and test.  I’ve really enjoyed the work I do, because it’s so dynamic.  The biggest benefit is training people, and customer support related tasks.  It’s such a multi-functional role, and being relied on for so many different things feels good.

Keeping my resume up to date lately has been great, aside from being easy.  However it’s been more important to finally keep my resume and experiences written down and up to date.

In all, I still hate when a company wants someone ‘experienced’ and I understand why, but I would hope they give those with powerful degrees and a great attitude an opportunity, because in the end you always have to get spun up, adjust to the environment, do in-formal training and learn the system.  It just takes people with experience less time and people without a little more.  Also going from job to job is less frightening.  Hang in there, buy your time, but don’t limit yourself to just one thing or one job, anything you do can be considered experience…