346h 18m 20s

[dennishoddy]

Hells no... Orient Beach is disgusting!

HAHAHA!

 

[Shootin 4 Fun]

If your wife backs out, let me know. I'm a great wing man. A me or him type of thing.

 

[tRidiot]

Haha! I think the only thing about this she might back out on is COMING BACK HERE! lol


Hell... I might even back out on that!

 

[cjjtulsa]

Cool deal - and good on ya for taking the folks.

We had a streak of hitting St. John about once a year for a few years, but haven't been back in a while. My wife is already politicking for another return trip. Enjoy it!

 

[okie362]

With the Zika how much smaller did your head actually get?

On a serious note. Enjoy the trip and I envy you being able to do this for your mother. Mine is gone and I wish I had dome something similar for her.

 

[GlockPride]

Don't they need your skills down in that area of the world?

We leave two weeks from tomorrow for vacation. But, we are only going to the poor people's spot of Port Aransas, TX.

 

[Annie]

Man oh man, good for you!! You are a good man! I'm unhappy you guys can get out of here for a while!! You work too damned hard!!

 

[DRC458]

Good for you! Enjoy! (but, don't rub it in ...LOL)

 

[tRidiot]

Don't they need your skills down in that area of the world?

We leave two weeks from tomorrow for vacation. But, we are only going to the poor people's spot of Port Aransas, TX.

Absolutely, and the wife and I could both work down there, but even with both of us in our own practice, we wouldn't make a fraction of what I can make here, and the student loan debt is so huge, we couldn't pay it off, probably. It's really hard to find out what we would make down there. We tried to meet with one of the local guys down there last year to get some idea of finances, but he was very vague and wouldn't really talk numbers, so it's impossible to know if we could live a decent life down there and still pay back our loans in US dollars.

 

[Annie]

Absolutely, and the wife and I could both work down there, but even with both of us in our own practice, we wouldn't make a fraction of what I can make here, and the student loan debt is so huge, we couldn't pay it off, probably. It's really hard to find out what we would make down there. We tried to meet with one of the local guys down there last year to get some idea of finances, but he was very vague and wouldn't really talk numbers, so it's impossible to know if we could live a decent life down there and still pay back our loans in US dollars.

When I was going to school in Tishomingo (back in the Stone Ages) a brand spanking, fresh outta school doctor set out his shingle. I ran into him at a local watering hole a month or so after he dug one of those fish hook things with multiple hooks on it out of my hand for me. (Don't ask, but there "might" have been some alcohol involved. The details are a bit fuzzy after all these years ... lol). He told me only reason he was there was because there was some kind of forgiveness program for his student loans if he stayed for a certain length of time -- which sounded like FOREVER to me at the time. I could tell he kinda felt trapped. He was a pretty decent fella. Those damned student loans are nothing but indentured servitude but if you want a SERIOUS education (like an MD or JD) it's almost impossible to do without taking on the debt if you come from a traditional middle class family.

I thought very briefly about applying to law school when I realized these headaches are, most likely, gone for good -- Thank you, Dr. Smith!!! -- but when I added up what the student loan totals were gonna be at the end I realized VERY QUICKLY that I would be MUCH better off going back as an experienced case manager for a firm, than starting off with a 6-figure student loan debt, as an associate, most likely making less than the case manager.

I never thought I'd see the day I'd actually think I might like WANT to go back to work. Lol Gotta get the doc to sign off on it first. We will see on the 20th at my 60-day post-op. Well, and it would be nice to be able to talk without my voice coming and going. Makes it really frustrating to try and carry on a phone conversation.