I have two major goals in 2016:

  • Turn my backyard into a food production machine.

I’m well on my way to accomplishing this goal. I’ve got raised garden beds, a keyhole garden bed, rain harvesting swales, beehives, started strawberries and blackberries. The garlic will be ready to harvest soon. I’ve got the rest of the seeds ready to go as soon as we’re past the frost window. Plus, I’ve learned to make homemade yogurt, mead (honey wine), ferment vegetables, make bone broth, and learning to make wine from fruit. So, I think I’m well on my way to having a functioning homestead.

  • Begin to supplement my income with a side business, with a plan to replace my primary income entirely.

I make pretty good money in the construction industry. I’m a Project Superintendent, which means I’m the guy that makes the jobsite run. It’s not quite six figures, but it’s well above the national average. According to Social Security, The national average wage index for 2014 is $46,481.52. ssa.gov. I make more than that. And I just got a end-of-project bonus that was pretty decent. So, the issue is not the amount of money I make.

I like my job, for the most part, even if I’m not “passionate” about it. Construction can be a fun industry. I like the aspect of being out on a project, and solving the problems as they arise, moving from one trade to the next to determine who needs to be where and when. The company I work for is fairly large within the State of Texas, with offices located all over the state. The particular branch I’m located in focuses primarily on big box warehouses. Which become boring to build after just a couple of them. And, I’m well beyond the point where I think that big boxes are a “good” project to be assigned to. But I’ve had numerous talks with the company executives about moving to different type of work, serving different markets. One exec even told me that if I’d hang on, his goal is one “sexy” project in five years. So, it’s not that I dislike my company, or even the work I do. On the whole, I rather enjoy it.

Continue reading “What’s Up, Daddio? A beginning”