My last day at work before taking my show on the road...

[cherokeeprogressive]

For the last year I've worked as a Tour Guide at a Zipline attraction here in the mountains. I clip you to the cable and send you on your way, or catch you on the other end, making sure you don't crash into the metal tower the cable is connected to. Yesterday was my last day. Monday I'm starting driving school in order to get one of my bucket list things out of the way: Long Haul Trucker.

[yankeepants]

1. Is that you Cherokee?

Best of luck to you. I used to be a marketing/PR professional and after being "downsized" so many times I actually followed my true calling and am now, at 53, training dogs. Talk about your bucket list.

[cherokeeprogressive]

2. That be me.

I moved up to the mountains to retire, and the market crashed. Half a bucket list item accomplished by moving to the mountains, and half of my life savings/investments wiped out in a matter of months. Took a part time job at the zipline, while running up a mountain of credit debt. Sat down with my wife, did some figuring, and realized I'd never be able to STOP working if I stayed with the zipline...

So I'm going to do something I've always thought I could do, for long enough to pay off the credit debt. If, as everyone seems to think, in two years the economy will be cranking and my credit debt will be paid off.

Add a year to that, and I can buy the Cessna 310 I've always wanted, and not have to work ever again since President Obama is going to not only stop the bleeding, but put the US on an upward trajectory.

I'll be 53 when that happens.

Wave to me when I fly over.

[Kaleva]

4. Cool!

I'm 53 and on full disability. My bucket list is pretty much limited to not kicking the bucket. Last night I was up late and my wife woke up in bed alone. She listened and couldn't hear me walking around. Worried, she got out of bed and dressed and came down stairs praying she wouldn't find me dead on the floor.

On the positive side, we plan on taking trips each summer and maybe now in the winter too. My wife, other then a couple of trips to Chicago, has never left the area and she'd love to see new sights.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. My dear Kaleva!

Congrats!

This post here that you just did? It was #5000!

Here's to many, many more!

:yourock:

[Kaleva]

9. 5000 already! 4000 of them are probably "LOL" and "+1"!

Gotta say Peggy, I really enjoy DU. So many interesting people talking about so many different and interesting subjects!

[cherokeeprogressive]

7. Come to So Cal if you get the chance, and go ziplining.

I don't know what your disability is Kaleva, but I can tell you this... we've had parapalegics come and zip with us. We've had a 92 year old man, and more 70+ women than I can count. Not ONE of our customers has ever been hurt, because we don't ALLOW injuries.

I'm leaving the company for reasons of my own, but I can guarantee that my friends who still work there will show you a good time put their own well-being on the line to make sure you enjoy your experience.

Kick the bucket? Perish the thought!

[Kaleva]

10. I have 2 brothers who live in California...

and my wife and I have talked about going out west sometime. Ziplining sounds like fun!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear cherokeeprogressive!

Well, those are amazing pictures!

I'm sure you have mixed feelings about leaving...but you're doing what you must.

Good luck, and stay in touch, OK?

:hug:

[cherokeeprogressive]

6. Dearest Peg

I DO have mixed feelings about leaving. There's a certain thrill you get while zipping down a 3/8" cable at 40 mph that can't be matched because there's nothing to compare it to. I'll miss that. I'll also miss the fact that I'm going on 50, and work with a bunch of 20 somethings. I've stood in front of people (men and women) who are my size and stopped them with my body because they couldn't slow themselves down using methods I taught them when we were standing at the first of nine zip lines. It's fun when that person hauling ass toward me is a pretty female and not so fun when it's not.

It's been fun, MORE than fun, but working here I'll never pay the debts that grew exponentially at the end of W's reign while working at this job, and F*ck me, I'm ready to retire.

So I'm taking the cp show on the road.

I'll still be posting here almost daily, much to the dismay of lots of DUers, LOL.

[denbot]

8. Hi cherokeeprogressive

Looks cool. Let me know how your class is going, and what it's like. Like I mentioned to you before I almost signed up with Schnider.
BTW you never did give me the details on the zipline..