@gary_g LOL!?ÿ Why sell it back to let it evolve into what it used to be before you cleaned it up??ÿ How about making them work for you?
As I have occasionally posted in threads here, I've volunteered on three archaeology projects.?ÿ None of them used a total station, but I've also visited a project that did.?ÿ By recording 3-D measurements and a type code on each artifact, or both ends of a long one, they can wring out more information from the relationship of finds.
This reminds me of what I saw in a Jimmy John's restaurant today... a parable of a Mexican fisherman as told like:
How Much is Enough:
The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, ??only a little while.?
The American then asked why he didn??t stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican said he had enough to support his family??s immediate needs.
The American then asked, ??but what do you do with the rest of your time??
The Mexican fisherman said, ??I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life.?
The American scoffed, ??I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually, you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.?
The Mexican fisherman asked, ??But, how long will this take??
To which the American replied, ??15-20 years.?
??But what then??
The American laughed and said that??s the best part. ??When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.?
??Millions?? asked the fisherman, ??Then what??
The American said, ??Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evening, sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos!?
(Author Unknown)
I'd likely continue to "work" but not as hard. 🙂
As I've brought up in the latest issue of The Cut Sheet -- what would you do if you won the lottery? Would you quit your surveying job? If you are a surveying business owner, would you shut it down?
I would give the owner 2 months notice of my quitting. Only because I'd feel bad for leaving.?ÿ
I've wondered about this actually.?ÿ Becoming sedentary is not an option, but I can guarantee I wouldn't hear the sound of an alarm clock for the rest of my life either.?ÿ As far as the money, I'd simply live extremely comfortably and re-invest the rest.?ÿ One of the investments would definitely be a survey company so I could roll in at the crack of noon and work on pet projects, or buy the shop lunch, or turn right back around and go play golf.
Keeping busy enough to suit me would be no trouble if I stopped taking on new work tomorrow.?ÿ Once I had finished off everything related to the survey world I would focus on achieving better results in the other areas that I toy with regularly.?ÿ Not to make money, per se, but to do those things better and more completely so as to satisfy myself with the results.
For example, I have been involved with a historical society and museum since the formation over 30 years ago.?ÿ The museum building is in need of expansion, again.?ÿ Paying for a much larger structure plus leaving a pot of money to cover utilities and some maintenance for the next 20 years would be very nice.
?ÿ
I love surveying.?ÿ So I would keep on doing it, just not for paying clients.?ÿ Engineers without Borders comes to mind.
I am as passionate about surveying as the next guy (or gal), but I'd quit working the minute I passed on my existing projects.
I have a wife, five kids, six grandkids, and quite a few friends. The bulk of my time would be invested there.?ÿ
but I'd quit working the minute I passed on my existing projects.
I think that's what I'd probably do.?ÿ
I would keep my license active but only take on jobs that interested me.
I told a coworker that I could afford the good stuff, but he wisely replied that he would stop drinking
@james-fleming?ÿ ?ÿI don't have a mortgage, kids are grown, how did I declare fellow professionals a pariah?????ÿ Do you consider developers as professionals????ÿ Really?
I figure if i had 20 million i could live one week at a time at various hunting and fishing outfitters and lodges around the world for the next 40 years!?ÿ
I figure if i had 20 million i could live one week at a time at various hunting and fishing outfitters and lodges around the world for the next 40 years!?ÿ
Sounds about right, that works out to $9,615 per week, or $1,373 per day. That being said, $1,373 per day ought to be around the mark of a surveyor's daily profit, so you might as well keep working.
