nate,

The key is starting now. It sounds like you've been spinning your wheels a little, and you need to gain some traction and start moving forward.

Congratulations on your proposal. It sounds like your gal is a hard worker with a goal in mind. Keep that in mind, and do the same. It sounds you have some skills, but lack focus.

The weed may or may not be a problem. I work with plenty of people who don't smoke weed and are as dumb as a sack of fuckin' hammers, and at my previous job we had some high-performers I know smoked weed. The thing is, many employers (like mine) won't allow it and test. You don't want your career choices dictated by weed. Phil Jackson and his 11 NBA titles laugh at fuckwads like 43-8 who demonize weed and make it sound like you can't perform if you smoke dope. That's bullsh!t, just like most of his posts - but it won't help you get or hold a job, either. I'm pretty sure that prior to winning 4 or 5 championships, Jackson wouldn't have talked about smoking weed, either, because employers frown on that sh!t, and that's a good enough reason not to do it.

One more thing you might want to do is get some skills in Excel, Word, and other common business applications. In my company, no matter what your position is, you are expected to have at least basic skills at your typical office suite software, and being good at them assures you'll be upwardly mobile.

I recommend moving away from labor, and toward using your brain to stay employed. Right now, my brain probably works better, business-wise at least, than it ever did. My body, however, is a heap of sh!t compared to when I was 25. I wouldn't want to have to rely on it to keep making money, that's for sure.

Now, let me give you some tips on how to stay married..............

Kidding! I've been married 24 years, but I think what we do only works for us. But I guess that's all that matters.

Best of luck to you and Katie. I'd think it was pretty cool if you reported back somewhere down the road with pics of your own place, and your new ride, giving KK a big half a peace sign.

I bet KK would even think that was cool................if he wasn;t such a asshole.