Congratulations, RM. Does that mean you have a new boss?
No still the same boss unfortunately but now it’s going to be harder for him to blast me. 
Way to go RM!!! Congratulations! So very happy for you! HR and the powers above obviously realize how valuable you are. Keep up the good work and don’t let the bully get you down. Yay for you!!!
Congratulations RM. Did he get promoted too?
We are seriously thinking about the next phase of life. Prepping the house for a sale. Then where to live? Summers in the Laurentians (my wife loves it, I don’t, would require knocking down a house and rebuilding and dealing with at least one sibling); Canmore AB or somewhere on the coast in BC near enough to Vancouver airport? Winters in the Bay Area? Spring and fall in Massachusetts?
Alternatively, if we wanted to make life simple, we could just stay in Massachusetts (with a different house) and get a home in the Berkshires or just come up to the Laurentians for as much of the summer as possible. But then I have to deal with the winter.
We’d like one of the places to be the place the kids want to bring their little kids in 10 years.
I’d like to help ShawWife get claimed by Alberta or Western Canada as a great Canadian artist. Will need to figure out a strategy. Her work is superior to what we see on display.
No he didn’t that I’m aware of anyway. We have a lot of people at the same level that report to one another. Very strange I think.
Since we are already grandparents I guess they are okay bringing them to the house they grew up in. Or at least S is. D not there yet.
Having been in the northeast all my life I can’t image not having the 4 seasons. I actually do like winter. I think I will like it more when I don’t have to drive at 7 AM on a bad day because I’m retired. It can get long but if I’m retired I can take a trip in the winter to get away I hope.
I feel the same way, but will hopefully land in the upper midwest as that’s where H and I are from.
Book club at my house was a blast! So nice to be away from the office and drink some wine together. I haven’t laughed so much in quite awhile.
RM, that is terrific!!!
I have been in the NE (assuming NJ and NY are included) all of my life too (except for one year in CA and one year in England). But, I don’t like winter anymore. I don’t like the cold and I think given my back and knee issues (apparently I just my ACL surgery of 12 years ago has come undone), the only winter exercise I’m likely to do and enjoy is snowshoeing.
I’m not going to retire unless I lose capacity but can work from wherever I want. Right now, I’m in the Laurentians, which all of my family but me loves, but I am typing away overlooking the lake and could happily work here and fly out of Montreal when needed. There is lots of snow here usually in the winter (and it is a long winter) but we rent the house out for the winter).
We celebrated our 31st anniversary last night with the kids. Last year the four of us celebrated in Prague. The year before at a fabulous auberge near here – best bottle of wine I’ve ever had (a St. Emilion Premier or Grand Cru that was pretty aged). Last night we thought we were going to the same one but ended up at another, far less fancy one, and ordered of $38 bottle of Lussac St. Emilion. Not nearly as good, but we still had fun. Our kids are the greatest. Listening to ShawSon’s extraordinary logic in what the feminist movement should be doing instead of what it is doing and the idiocy of the “check your privilege” refrain was very impressive. And ShawD is just delightful-- she is so energetic and fun. They both have great senses of humor (although ShawWife finds herself the butt of the joke a bit too often).
Nice Shaw! But tell your wife that it is a stage–and if they keep it up you/she needs to tell them to knock it off.
The thing is that they think it is cute and affectionate and it is their way of seperating.
We were leaving for a function a few nights ago and I mentioned to D that she looked lovely–buy why the old sweater when we has just shopped and she had a new one. Wow–she did not like this but she has no issue with telling me if she does not like my stuff…just still a transitional stage.
RM – congratulations on the promotion.
Shawbridge – I have never, ever been colder than on the trip I took to visit my sister at McGill in the dead of winter. There is no way I’d ever be able to live there in the winter. Brrrr…
Oregon – that is funny. I’ve noticed that too.
oregon - I have also noticed that especially with S. The separation thing makes a lot of sense.
shaw - would love to hear what your S had to say about feminism.
Congrats, Shaw, on a happy anniversary!
And kudos, RM, on your promotion. 
Re:
My vote (because I think long ago I asked you to adopt me ) is for the Sunshine Coast…(for those unfamiliar, this is the lovely shore area north of Vancouver that is NOT always rainy like Vancouver).
I realize the ferry system to get to the airport might be a pita, but what a gorgeous commute!
Then we all could hang out at bonfires with Joni Mitchell and watch the sun go down… I’m only partly joking…I know a playwright there and every night they fix cocktails for “the show” – the show being the sunset, not neighboring Joni
- actually, Shaw, all joking aside, Sechelt has float plane service to the Vancouver airport...takes about 20 min. And as I recall, pretty cheap considering time savings. (Also has service to Whistler.)
It would be doable for you!
I’m betting the shaw kids would love the area…lots of ashram-friendly culture for Shaw d and lots of glorious hiking in Sechelt area for shawson…plus a comparatively shorter trip to SF 
I’m just gonna live vicariously through you, okay? I’ve long wanted land in Sechelt, but hubby is firmly rooted in US.
@kmcmom13, you can come visit. I put Sechelt on my map. I have been looking (internet-only so far) at Squamish (1.25 hours from the airport) and Brittania Beach (a little over an hour from the airport). Do you know this area? I wonder if they are not as sunny as Sechelt.
I didn’t know about the float plane. A ferry to the airport could be problematic as it is a 2.5 hour trip each way including ferry. But, ShawWife’s ex-aunt (divorced her uncle) has a place at Sechelt and her daughter was just telling us about it last week. Even for Sunshine Coast, it looks pretty rainy in the winter, no? http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Sechelt-weather-averages/British-Columbia/CA.aspx.
The kids would love either BC or Canmore, I think. Not sure if little grandkids would love it, although bigger ones would be coming to hike and ski. Same with Canmore. No swimming. Little grandkids would love our place in the Laurentians. On two lakes. But, I don’t. So many trees it is almost claustrophobic. You have to drive to the places that we can cycle. Skiing is just OK (relative to Alberta or BC). Snowshoeing is great.
I have been investigating Canada. Although Canada’s has been restricting offshore trusts that were set up for the purpose of tax avoidance, the trust structure we have would actually work in Canada (it’s not there for avoiding tax) but at the same time wouldn’t be subject to Canadian tax no, if done properly, would its distributions to Canadian-resident beneficiaries be subject to Canadian tax. I’ve also investigated qualifying for healthcare / permanent residence. These would be very difficult normally because of the amount of time I am not at home (you have to spend X months a year in the country (or province to qualify). However, because of the way I have set up my business life, I could move the company that employs me (and just me) to Canada and then all of the travel I do for the company would be considered staying in Canada. Who knew? First, I will get my ACL surgery done.
In terms of rain, Shaw, Sechelt has about half the rain of Vancouver…but that doesn’t mean I’d want to winter there I prefer either rel snow or real warmth personally!
But I would be happy to visit May thru Oct
Re trust…sounds like you can have the best of both. You aren’t likely to have much difficulty immigrating due to a) Shaw wife’s status ad b) your educational level and accomplishments.
While few know that Canadian immigratin is way tougher than U.S. on average, its not actually much tougher on those with strong academic credentials and accomplishments such as being a published author, artist etc. There is a special status for same on both sides of border, actually.
It is also possible to set up a holding corp in Nova Scotia specifically to jointly distribute shares in a Ca. - U.S. corp - company that would give you L1a status, which means freedom to move freely across borders for work. At least, that was true 15 years ago when we did it with our C-corp for similar reasons.
At the time we were advised that specifically the Nova Scotia incorporation allowed us a pass through on taxation…with taxes of each division then handled in each jurisdiction. Other forms of corp in Cda meant heavier, double taxation. But this is old info, so of course, take same with a grain of salt
Technically off today to prep for another company party tonight…but lots of “work” to get to…those Beergaritas don’t mx themselves y’know
I think the laws have changed on the Nova Scotia LLC.
Or rather, one can deal with the tax issues in another way.
Had a nice few days of vacation in New England, I had to come back early yesterday to fly south for work today. H & S are still up north vacationing before move-in tomorrow.
Decided to save $50 by taking the bus from Boston to NYC. I probably should have done Amtrak. Bus was fine except the traffic made the trip twice as long as it should have been. I’m assuming Amtrak wouldn’t have had traffic?
Happy Monday/last day of August!
c_q The last two times my kids have taken Amtrak between DC and NYC they had major delays. I told them thay should have taken the bus!