Talking to a couple of people this past week, it is becoming apparent not to just myself but to others that my odds of getting a full-time, good paying job are getting smaller and smaller. I have a couple of things on the horizon but at this moment they are still very part time. But it's a start, at least.
One friend made the wise observation "....instead of getting a job, you are going to have to buy a job." In other words, either buy a business and try and make it work or start my own. Those are two options I am considering as well, although I am not fond of the idea of spending any savings I have. But without a job that savings will have to be spent anyway, so what's the difference? Spend it on something that might afford a living or spend it on just trying to survive the day-to-day out-of-work life.
There was one moment of inspiration, however. Talking about eventually just driving around American in my car, visiting places I haven't yet seen, looking for cheap overnight lodging, the idea of a guide book to those cheap places came up. There was a book published several years ago called "America's Best Cheap Sleeps" but it doesn't seem to have been updated in 7 years, and it didn't actually compare cheap motels one-on-one. It listed places like Motel 6 or Super 8 but didn't really give you much information about the good ones and the bad ones.
What if there was such a book? I know many of you faithful readers would hesitate to consider a Motel 6 for overnight lodging, but if you knew which particular motel had new furniture, updated bathrooms, flat-screen TV's and cost less than $100 a night, why not consider staying there? I have stayed at many Motel 6 and Super 8 places and there is a huge difference in quality. Some are creepy and you don't want to take your clothes off to sleep, let alone actually take a shower. Some are brand new, have nice surroundings and are still much less expensive than the Best Western across the street. And the discussion could also be extended to Best Western and Quality Inns and La Quinta Inns, since there is a huge variance in quality in these chains as well.
It's a book that serves a need, especially in this economy. Taking a road trip doesn't have to break the bank and it doesn't have to mean camping out either. It's a book everyone could use, families, couples and singles. Additionally, I could even rate a few restaurants, even if they are McDonalds, because the quality in fast food places also varies a great deal.
Who knows? If my plans for the next 4 months of my life don't work out, the above book could definitely be in my future. Besides, except for the money part of it, I like being a nomad for a while and I still like the concept of road trips. I am good at both meandering down small two-lane roads or hitting the interstate and putting miles behind me. Doing it as research for a book would be even better in some ways.
One final thing for today: several people have asked how to comment on this blog. If you have a gmail account, you hit the comment button at the bottom of the page and it prompts you to log into your account and then your comments will be published. If you don't have a gmail account, you can either email me directly (jagjulie2@yahoo.com or jagjulie2010@gmail) or just think nice thoughts about me and I will feel the vibe.
Or not.
This would NOT get high marks as a good place to stay in my new book. But still, it has some charm as a deserted house!
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