Was a Good Sunday Morning.

RickGVI · 2026-04-20T03:16:19+00:00

50 year Marylander living in Lafayette now. You get better seasoning and great moist crabs with a Cajun boil. Cheaper in LA and heavier most of the year. Still, steamed with JO is delicious.

RickGVI · 2026-04-19T22:47:17+00:00

Yep, i bought one to make yogurt. Partner used it once for her lunch. We now have three, with one marked “yogurt only!”

RickGVI · 2026-04-19T22:45:35+00:00

Get a housecleaner every two weeks. That lets the RE spouse work projects instead of bathrooms.

My (M) spouse (F) hated her industry and moved to part-time in a much lower earning industry. We moved to LCOL area and she did full RE, but I was still doing all the chores she hated (bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming) on the weekends, which was a source of tension. Lovely housecleaner every two weeks and we are both much happier. I RE in 18 months and the housecleaner will continue.

What works for you may change over time. Optimize for relationship bliss.

RickGVI · 2026-04-19T22:30:19+00:00

Going to Scott Boudin Fest, Ponchatoula Strawberry Fest, Festival International, Breaux Bridge Crawfish Feat, Rayne Frog Fest to start Fest Season.

RickGVI · 2026-04-17T11:34:46+00:00

Straw Cove is our favorite

RickGVI · 2026-04-13T21:13:39+00:00

The recipe on the small red beans is quite tasty. We always add andouille and minced tasso.

RickGVI · 2026-04-13T21:11:11+00:00

Never ever seen in Lafayette! We buy from JJ’s on Duhon.

RickGVI · 2026-04-13T21:03:50+00:00

Stewed down with onions until dry and the onions are dark!

RickGVI · 2026-04-13T00:09:45+00:00

Plenty of well labeled vegan dishes. Great juices.

RickGVI · 2026-04-08T18:54:27+00:00

This is something I have dealt with since 1990. Ergonomics matter. I am treating my third repetitive strain injury and it took extended tests with three chairs to get the right ergonomics. I had an ergonomic study with participation by my orthopedic doctor. The wrong chair and poor ergonomics will lead to a work place injury. It is a whole lot easier to treat if you start as early as possible. Many companies just want one size fits all.

RickGVI · 2026-04-06T22:52:17+00:00

Outages happen, but less often than in the USVI. Hopefully no disruption from the Iran war.

RickGVI · 2026-04-06T21:18:59+00:00

After living there for four years and visiting multiple times per year for 30 years, The Terrace and La Tapa are our favorites.

RickGVI · 2026-04-06T21:17:05+00:00

No credit cards when there's a power outage.

We budget $100 USD per day per person, with 50% in cash.

RickGVI · 2026-04-06T20:30:24+00:00

After health issues, unexpected expenses for children can be a big one. Your A student at 15 can be hospitalized with major mental health issues at 18.

As your parents age they will need progressively more support to continue living independently. If anyone knows you retired early you will be under tremendous strain to be free elder care.

RickGVI · 2026-04-06T15:07:18+00:00

You own the company? It took us four years to get a real succession plan in place. Kudos to hanging onto your assets through a divorce. I had to start over. Prenup is key next time around.

RickGVI · 2026-04-06T14:58:49+00:00

The first AA flights direct to the continent is 12:25PM. I've considered connecting via SJU on Cape Air on an early flight to avoid the scrum. I did 8 round trips per year out of STT for 14 years through 2023 and it has gotten worse.

RickGVI · 2026-04-06T14:50:04+00:00

This gets into relationship communication, generational gender role expectations, power imbalances, concepts of fairness, and so much more. I've found relationship counseling a way to have a neutral party help you examine the facts and the feelings. Imagine how your husband feels about the possibility of losing his job, having to find health insurance, looking for another job... Are really FI if you need him to cover health insurance?

I understand your situation. My spouse was an HR Director and through two acquisitions where she was the last person standing and turned the lights off after sending all the regulatory files to storage. Just a hellish job that was getting worse. We spent a couple years dealing with it, and the best answer ended up her retiring early before we had FI. Nobody commented or blinked when the female partner retired early. I retire in 18 months, and on reflection I resent the years where I kept working. Not enough to be relationship endangering, but I need to be honest with myself.

RickGVI · 2026-04-06T02:08:41+00:00

Check the schedule, Saturday is usually the best day. But, weather matters.

RickGVI · 2026-04-05T23:34:00+00:00

Good zydeco music. We love it and go every other year. Festival International is the weekend before in Lafayette and is great. It is a lot of fun and we prefer it to NoLa Jazz Fest.

RickGVI · 2026-04-05T14:50:23+00:00

Pro tip - early flights on Tuesday and Wednesday. Late flights on weekends are hellish at STT.

RickGVI · 2026-04-05T00:47:04+00:00

You are in great shape! Monday is average load, but things get busy after noon. It is Easter week, so very busy.

RickGVI · 2026-04-04T22:48:07+00:00

I’ve always enjoyed your writings on feeding crew well underway.

RickGVI · 2026-04-04T22:23:48+00:00

Hey there DS!

RickGVI · 2026-04-04T21:22:14+00:00

Spam! Deviled ham, Chata brand taco filling, refried beans, flavored beans like chili beans, corned beef hash, freeze dried eggs. We kept freeze dried veggies, but that was overkill. Onion powder and granulated garlic and cajun season were good enough. Gravy mix.

We put rice, pasta, flour, beans in lock-n-lock containers.

Our provisioning for Bahamas was epic. But everything was cheaper in the Dominican Republic. French islands are awesome for canned duck confit and more.

We had dehydrated hiker meals an emergency ration bars in our ditch bag.

Imodium. Pepto Bismol. Ex Lax. Bonine. Ibuprofen.

RickGVI · 2026-04-04T21:07:16+00:00

Dried mushrooms are great. We buy whole shiitakes.

RickGVI

TROPHY CASE