More New Folks
Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:24 amHi there! I'm Susan and my partner and I are getting ready to hit the road sometime next year, after she retires. I don't ever get to retire because I'm self-employed, but I will be cutting back. Fortunately, my business partner is willing to hold the fort here in PDX while I just do my part over the phone, Internet, and on my computer as we tool around imposing on, er, visiting, the kids and other unsuspecting friends and family members.
I'm co-owner of a small publishing company. My "official" title (well, it's on my business cards) is Director of Editing and Theological Discussions. Clearly we like to have fun. Mostly I handle acquisitions, editing, some formatting, photo work, and odds and ends related to computing. She handles the business stuff, thank God. I'm seriously math impaired. We already run the business from our homes and make most of our decisions by phone. So, as long as I have my phone, life will continue. We put out about a dozen quality books this year, hope to double that next year.
Until recently, I've also been doing some freelance writing and editing, have one novel out and am working on two more, and have had a successful indexing practice for several years. I'm going to give up the writing and editing (except for my own books) and may index occasionally but not take on any new clients. For me, that IS cutting back. I've been in one aspect of publishing or another for about 30 years. Just started our own gig this year. Oh, and I trained as a theologian, hence the odd title my business partner put on my cards when I wasn't looking.
Currently we have a pop-up, but we're selling it and moving up to a Class A as soon as we can get our hands on the pension money (April?). Fortunately, my partner's been a state bureaucrat for a long time so the pension is pretty good. We're buying used, probably a 2000 or so Pace Arrow although we've also seen some Newmars we like.
We'll probably travel about half the year, then root ourselves here in the good weather. I have fibromyalgia so I need to get out of Dodge during the rainy season. We're not sure what we'll do with our house. We built it four years ago, are now underwater, and can't get out of our high-interest construction loan. Our mortgage was sold to Chase so we've been in loan modification hell for the past three-and-a-half years. We may just quit paying and let it go to foreclosure. Or we may rent it to our youngest if she doesn't run off to join the circus (a real possibility as she's a professional circus performer.) Or we may do a short sale if Chase offers us enough bail-out money. Who knows? At this point, it will just be a relief to not have to deal with the endless paperwork as Chase loses everything we send them and we NEVER get to talk to the one person who is supposedly the ONLY person we are supposed to talk with.
We'll be traveling with Good Dog Gwyneth and, possibly, three cats. Indoor/outdoor cats. We tried putting a harness on one tonight, after she got stoned on catnip, and, while highly amusing, it was less than successful.
Anyway, I guess that's it. I've been lurking for awhile. Looking forward to getting to know you.
I'm co-owner of a small publishing company. My "official" title (well, it's on my business cards) is Director of Editing and Theological Discussions. Clearly we like to have fun. Mostly I handle acquisitions, editing, some formatting, photo work, and odds and ends related to computing. She handles the business stuff, thank God. I'm seriously math impaired. We already run the business from our homes and make most of our decisions by phone. So, as long as I have my phone, life will continue. We put out about a dozen quality books this year, hope to double that next year.
Until recently, I've also been doing some freelance writing and editing, have one novel out and am working on two more, and have had a successful indexing practice for several years. I'm going to give up the writing and editing (except for my own books) and may index occasionally but not take on any new clients. For me, that IS cutting back. I've been in one aspect of publishing or another for about 30 years. Just started our own gig this year. Oh, and I trained as a theologian, hence the odd title my business partner put on my cards when I wasn't looking.
Currently we have a pop-up, but we're selling it and moving up to a Class A as soon as we can get our hands on the pension money (April?). Fortunately, my partner's been a state bureaucrat for a long time so the pension is pretty good. We're buying used, probably a 2000 or so Pace Arrow although we've also seen some Newmars we like.
We'll probably travel about half the year, then root ourselves here in the good weather. I have fibromyalgia so I need to get out of Dodge during the rainy season. We're not sure what we'll do with our house. We built it four years ago, are now underwater, and can't get out of our high-interest construction loan. Our mortgage was sold to Chase so we've been in loan modification hell for the past three-and-a-half years. We may just quit paying and let it go to foreclosure. Or we may rent it to our youngest if she doesn't run off to join the circus (a real possibility as she's a professional circus performer.) Or we may do a short sale if Chase offers us enough bail-out money. Who knows? At this point, it will just be a relief to not have to deal with the endless paperwork as Chase loses everything we send them and we NEVER get to talk to the one person who is supposedly the ONLY person we are supposed to talk with.
We'll be traveling with Good Dog Gwyneth and, possibly, three cats. Indoor/outdoor cats. We tried putting a harness on one tonight, after she got stoned on catnip, and, while highly amusing, it was less than successful.
Anyway, I guess that's it. I've been lurking for awhile. Looking forward to getting to know you.
You have a very interesting life and one that will lend itself so well to working on the road. Lucky you. And luckier that your partner has that pension coming soon. Unlucky about the mess with your mortgage. Hope you can get out from under in a manner that works for you.
The dealing with Chase is also an adventure of a different kind. 
Hang around, share your thoughts, pictures and the wonder of this life.....
Love the visual of the stoned cat....I put a harness on mine and he just lays down...he knows that whatever I did to him paralyzed him...can't move...help, I'm going to die here!