Background

This blog title is named after a slogan my father in law always uses after someone has gone through a trying time.  If, after the ordeal, you have your health and are not in jail, "Oh well, now you know."  His other slogan, along the same lines is, "Well, you learn."  He's a pragmatist.  He is also one of the most positive people that I have ever met.  He wouldn't hurt a fly.  As a matter of fact, killing flies, or spiders, etc., in his house is strictly forbidden.  "Put it outside." he says.  He is a survivor of World War II, not a concentration camp survivor, he's Polish and Catholic, but a work camp survivor.  He was separated from his father.  He was beat up by the Nazis, as were his mother and his sister.  He was also nearly starved to death but he survived.  I guess he has seen enough to make him philosophical.

 I am not so positive or gentle.  I am trying to learn from his example.  I was born at the tale end of the baby boom.  Although from a middle class, working stiff family, life was pretty good and I took for granted how great life was there in the USA.  Abundance, space, low prices, nice people (generally).  Now, my comeuppance.  I took a job in the Caribbean paradise known as Puerto Rico.  When I was offered the job, I couldn't believe it.  Two feet of snow on the ground outside my window and the sunny tropics on the other end of the line.  More money than I ever made before.  Darn right I'll take the job.  When do I start?  When ?  Two months? Holy crap!  My kids are still in school here.  I still have my house, my two cars, my board memberships. 

Well, we worked it out.  I would go and my wife and kids would follow after the school year.  I will bring the paid for car down and leave the new one up there.  (Toyota Financing's idea, not mine.)  We will rent the house, sell the furniture.  Simple right?  Oh well, now I know.