The dry spell has ended!

[Mad1]

After more than a year of under-employment (re: unemployed), I will return to that nearly mythical place called "the job" on May 1 for the same amount I previously earned for my meager talents.

For those in the know, my wife and I were both laid off last year (separate companies, unrelated reasons) and she returned to work in November for less money than before.

Hurrah for me! (My frazzled nerves are finally getting a break!)

I'm the new managing editor for a nationally distributed magazine published here in Nashville that focuses on aviation insurance issues. (Nashville is universally known for its insurance businesses ... The Grand Ole Opry is broadcast on WSM radio (Which was owned by an insurance company ... the call letters stood for "We Shield Millions" and we have a skyscraper downtown called the L&C Tower for "Life & Casualty."

I'm counting on all you flyers on here to point me to any good "online" hangouts for aviation chatter. (I'm working on my private pilot's rating too, so I'd love either general and corporate/fleet aviation sites.)

The news is perhaps bittersweet in some respects ... the money situation is enough to barely afford to keep my Marauder, but the rising price of gas and a much longer commute make it seem fairly impractical as a daily driver now. (The wife is agitating for trading the Marauder for a mini-van.)

I will continue to fight the good fight though, because after holding on to the Marauder by making payments while without a job for more than a year ... I'm am loath to give it up now.

Jeremy
Mad1

[Bowman9]

:banana: Congratulations :banana:

I feel your pain about being unemployeed, I have been out of work for about 10 months now. I have been picking up some temp jobs through an agency, but nothing permanent.

The best of luck,
Bowman9

[Bluerauder]

I'm the new managing editor for a nationally distributed magazine published here in Nashville that focuses on aviation insurance issues. .... and we have a skyscraper downtown called the L&C Tower for "Life & Casualty."
Congratulations on landing the job. :congrats: Hope everything works out with you and your family ..... and the Marauder. :up:

The Nashville Skyline has one extra distinctive skyscaper as I recall (the one on the left below) ..... is that the one you are in?? :dunno:

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/1/8/9/1/NashvilleSkyline.jpg

[bryanthomas]

Man, that's rough. I am young, but I still think about things like that. I am self employeed, but things can happen. I definitely pray about my job a lot! Good luck man! And good for you for hanging onto the Marauder!
:beer:

On a similar note I recently became debt free! At 22 years old I had amassed a lot of credit card debt. I sold a piece of real estate and paid of my card and still had a little left over to put in the bank. What a relief that was!

[cyclone03]

Congrats on the job.
If you've had the Marauder from new,it's a 2003 right,no mini van will get close enough to or much better,than the milage the MM gets.Stock you should run in the 16-23mpg range.
You should be within 2 years of pay off too.
The insurance will be higher.
You will have 5 more years of payments.
You'll be forced to drive a MINIVAN!

Look don't tell anybody on this site this ok.
DRive the car softly(less than 3000rpm and no WOT) and you can run mid grade without issues(89).
With a stock tune you can get away with 87 too but you better have a good ear and not carry any passengers.

With gas prices heading to $4 a paid for car will be cheaper to drive than a mini car that gets 25mpg and cost $25-28k.

[cyclone03]

Man, that's rough. I am young, but I still think about things like that. I am self employeed, but things can happen. I definitely pray about my job a lot! Good luck man! And good for you for hanging onto the Marauder!
:beer:

On a similar note I recently became debt free! At 22 years old I had amassed a lot of credit card debt. I sold a piece of real estate and paid of my card and still had a little left over to put in the bank. What a relief that was!
GOOD ON YOU FOR THIS!!!!!!
My sister-in-law at twice your age has not figured this one out yet!

[Mad1]

Congratulations on landing the job. :congrats: Hope everything works out with you and your family ..... and the Marauder. :up:
The Nashville Skyline has one extra distinctive skyscaper as I recall (the one on the left below) ..... is that the one you are in??

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/1/8/9/1/NashvilleSkyline.jpg

That pointy-haired freak is the BellSouth building, known locally and on NFL game days from the Colisieum as that Batman-looking building. Though it will probably be renamed to the AT&T Building if the sale to its sister baby bell SBC (now known as AT&T after buying up its former parent company) goes through as planned.

The L&C Tower is the third from the left.

Unfortunately, I'm not working downtown anymore. (Hence the longer commute from my ranch just North of town.) I'll be out in the Cool Springs, a uber-mega developing suburb to the south of Nashville in the neighboring Williamson County. (One of the richest Zip Codes in the country.) Metropolitan Nashville encompasses all of Davidson County.

[jgc61sr2002]

Congrats and Best Wishes.:D

[magindat]

Hold on to that 'rauder! I left a minivan for the 'rauder. Can't go back!

Is the wife's commute shorter? Swap cars 2 or 3 days a week to mitigate fuel costs. Being without the MM 2-3 days is better than not at all!

Good luck dude. I feel your pain.

[RoyLPita]

Congrats on making it back to the workforce.

[Hotrauder]

Congrats on your new position and keep fighting "the good fight." Dennis:)

[Bradley G]

Best of luck on the new gig.

[Petrograde]

Congrats Jeremy! :up:

[Mad1]

Hold on to that 'rauder! I left a minivan for the 'rauder. Can't go back!

Is the wife's commute shorter? Swap cars 2 or 3 days a week to mitigate fuel costs. Being without the MM 2-3 days is better than not at all!

Good luck dude. I feel your pain.

I've made the case ... the payments might not be much smaller on a newer car and it won't be as reliable (the marauder is still under the 7 years/75K miles warranty) and will be fully paid for in a little over a year.

So it appears I will instead have to "give up" the marauder during the week to the wife and her much shorter commute (15 miles compared to my more than 45 miles). Of course, if gas prices keep going up ... we may have to give up both cars and find a couple carpool groups.

Thanks for the support fellas.
Jeremy
Mad1