Shit Happens – A Status Update

2013/10/17*

Being a Project Management Geek for over twenty years, I appreciate that reality seldom conforms to plans. As jaded as I’ve become in my old age, I still am surprised when tasks take longer than expected. Why? Because I’ve managed so many projects that I know what is likely to go wrong, or take longer than anticipated. Liquidating Assets for example;  I’m selling almost everything I own to fund this Boot-Strap Expat adventure and I never pay retail for anything – I purchase most of what I need at auction or second hand to assure I get the most value for my currency. And I’m liquidating these items for approximately what I paid for them, so others can benefit from my bargaining skills.  When I created my project plan for the Boot-Strap Expat Adventure, I figured I’d be able to sell most of my belongings over three weekends. Yet after three weekends I’ve only banked about $700.00 while most of my antiques and collectables remain in stock. So it seems that I’ll still be shuckin’ and jivin’ my wares come Thanksgiving weekend, five weeks from now. (click on the image to see detail)

Status as of 24 October 2013

Will this delay our departure? No, but it will increase our costs prior to our departure. Not by a huge amount, it only costs $60.00 a weekend to market our wares at Gibraltar Trade Center, so it will cost me $480.00 to unload my stuff rather than $180.00. But this extension of these activities do take a toll, forty-plus hours between Friday and Sunday kicks this old man’s ass. After a weekend of managing the store I am about worthless come Monday – I have pains in muscles I long ago forgot that I even have. Today, a Thursday no less, I find myself hobbled by a bruised or cracked rib that only hurts when I move, so I try to avoid moving.

How did I hurt my ribs? Sleep-walking.  I woke up on the bathroom floor at 5:00 AM Tuesday. I don’t recall awaking. I don’t recall walking downstairs. I don’t recall making my bladder gladder, but I do recall waking up on the marble floor of my bathroom. Tuesday and Wednesday I was relatively pain-free. Today my rib screams every time I move and I don’t have any Passion Flower to relieve the pain.

Amen Ankh Shai Amun

If you glance at the Gantt Chart for the Boot-Strap Expat adventure, you’ll notice that I have extended the Liquidation activities and that Sponsorship tasks have slipped as well. It is always important to appreciate your limitations as well as your skills. While I am an incredibly effective communicator with a flair for sales, the worst thing anyone can do is attempt to approach any important activity when you are less than 100% of your optimal abilities. In my twenties, I could party until the break of dawn, catch a quick nap, drink an instant breakfast and then work a full shift in a physically demanding factory job before heading to the bar after work. I may not have looked like Superman, but I sure as hell treated my body like I was!

Sponsorship and Networking is Key to Success

Defending the Sacred Flame

Since sponsorship is key to the success of creating a high quality documentary film, book and real-time video and article postings, I can’t afford to be even 1% off my game when I speak with potential sponsors. Therefore, I’ve not reached out to them while temporarily enfeebled by back spasms. I can however research potential sponsors in preparation for the Boot-Strap Expat adventure. The list of potential sponsors is now  over fifty.

Hekate

Since commencing the preliminary efforts of this adventure I’ve been encouraged by the outpouring of support for my efforts from all over the globe. From advice from other expats to folks who would like to join Max, New Moon and I as we head South to folks who have invited us to visit them along the way, the support has been incredible. Since initial planning, I’ve added two lay-overs to my itinerary, one to visit a young man who would also like to move to Chile, and to meet a woman who is interested in joining the adventure. It would be awesome to have a co-conspirator and accomplice to share the wonders of this adventure with. I’m the type of person that is completely comfortable in solitude, but I don’t always prefer solitude – good company is always a blessing.

Your Input Is Welcome and Appreciated!

If you live within a few hundred miles of my route from the Great Lakes to Louisiana, the Mexican border or any of the nations we’ll be passing through and would like to be part of the Boot-Strap Expat adventure, drop me a line. I’ll be interviewing and filming folks along the way to explore and share life experiences, philosophies, dreams, goals and heartaches. Also, if you have any suggestions or contacts with potential sponsors please share them. I’m just one guy, and though I may be one of the sharper knives in the drawer, each of you has expertise, skills and knowledge I lack. I don’t know what I don’t know! Have a suggestion? A comment? A bitch about something I’ve published? Let me know! I don’t take much personally, or negatively. Speaking of which, I’ve received some sobering advice from one reader about the challenges, Max, New Moon and I might encounter at border crossings. His advice is to simply fly from the USSA to Chile, but that wouldn’t make for a very interesting documentary film unless the TSA goons were hot pole-dancers. I expect trouble! I expect challenges! I expect to get food poisoning! I expect to be harassed by Thugs in blue costumes until I kick the dust of the US off my sandals! Who the hell wants to sit through two hours of someone else’s vacation vids and pics? Not me! Nor you!

Gifts for Supporters

As I continue to explore funding options including Kickstarter, IndieGoGo and others, I’ve also given thought to how to reward those who support the Boot-Strap Expat adventure. Aside from the obvious free DVD and Book once they are published, as an artist I’d also like to offer supporters original art, limited edition prints of my art and commissioned art. I have a very strict rule about signed, limited editions – never more than 37. Why? Because of the mystic and emotional qualities of these numbers (Yeah, I’m a whack-job). The mystic qualities I’ll leave for another article, the emotional value is related to Love and is very personal. You’ll find examples of my artwork sprinkled through this installment. If you’d like to see the progression from sketch to finished work, you will find them here: https://sites.google.com/site/wisdomspillars/home/our-story-1

Self Portrait 2010

*I began this article prior to cracking my ribs, and finished this installment on 24 October 2013 – A7

Please consider being a Sponsor for this adventure,

To support my efforts directly, donations through PayPal can be made to: alex.z@consultant.com