Back at it finally

[Forester]

Well after a couple of months away from this and other boards I am finally able to sit back down and catch up on things, maybe make those other Star Sizer videos I promised!

My time away was far from my choice and a long story, but the short version is:
Laid off from my job
Looking for work
Found a better job than I had before:-D-but not in town
Bought a house
Bought a truck
Moved

All in 2 months time.

The real reason I am posting though is to share some pics, I just finished my new reloading room (boy moving that was fun)

SWMBO graciously allowed me a whole room in the house (the smallest room aside from a closet but still) in exchange for a guarantee of a horse barn and fences in a year or so:roll:...I probably got the short end of this deal but I'll take it:drinks:

Anyway, my new happy place:
http://i383.photobucket.com/albums/oo273/VTForester/ReloadingRoom1.jpg
http://i383.photobucket.com/albums/oo273/VTForester/ReloadingRoom2.jpg
http://i383.photobucket.com/albums/oo273/VTForester/ReloadingRoom3.jpg

[Tom Herman]

And congratulations on landing on your feet and getting an even better job thatn you had before. You're truly blessed!
It's a buyer's market now, so I hope you got a good deal on the house.
We had to go through the whole moving from one side of the country to the other thing six years ago. It was a hassle, but well worth it in the long run.
That's a real nice reloading room! I have a small spot in the cellar (which frequently floods) under the stairs. I'm biding my time until we can buy a house, too.
OK on the barn! I would have been tempted to let SWMBO have the room in the house, and paid the $$$$ to have a nice garage/shop built.

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

[Down South]

Nice to hear all went well on the move and better job. For some reason I can't see many of the pictures posted in these threads and I haven't figured out why yet but I think if you got your own room then that's great. I'm in the process of remodeling most of my house now and my reloading room is part of the remodeling. I've just completed the new floor, walls and ceiling plus all of the extra electrical receptacles that I've installed. I’ve still yet to install the cabinets and new bench. Whenever I do get finished I’ll try to post a photo or two of it.

[blackthorn]

Congratulations on your new job and your new home! Losing your livelyhood is a mentaly traumatic experience, been there, (early '80's) done that and like you came out of it better off in the long run. I feel badly for those people who do not find other work right away. My experience was that if someone was over 50 years old, had worked all his life and couldnt find work in the first 1 to 2 years after layoff, he was at increased risk for suicide, stroke or heart attack. Can't prove that but I watched several good friends die early under those circumstances and nobody will ever convince me the loss of work was not a major contributing factor! The key to surviving economic down turn is to be willing to change and to view adversity as opportunity rather than disaster.

[Forester]

Congratulations on your new job and your new home! Losing your livelyhood is a mentaly traumatic experience, been there, (early '80's) done that and like you came out of it better off in the long run. I feel badly for those people who do not find other work right away. My experience was that if someone was over 50 years old, had worked all his life and couldnt find work in the first 1 to 2 years after layoff, he was at increased risk for suicide, stroke or heart attack. Can't prove that but I watched several good friends die early under those circumstances and nobody will ever convince me the loss of work was not a major contributing factor! The key to surviving economic down turn is to be willing to change and to view adversity as opportunity rather than disaster.

I think you couldn't be more right. Things looked very bad when I got the word (3 days before Christmas no less) but I kept busy with all the side work I could find and kept a reasonable income moving, even though it took twice the hours to do it. But I am young (27) and could afford to adapt and change things up so that I ended up better off. For someone with more family and other responsibilities the weight of losing a job would be much larger. The hardest part for me was telling those that depended on me for their own livelihood that I was out and had little or nothing to offer them.

The house was an absolute steal, it was a foreclosure and I happen to know both what the previous owner did for a living and what he paid for the place. Suffice to say that he should never have taken the loan he could not afford, so I don't really feel bad for him.

[Dale53]

Forester;
I went through a period of "job re-adjustment" back in the early sixties. Turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. It was tough for a while but got better and better as time went on. I adapted well to the new career and things worked out extremely well for me. It appears the same things are working for you. Having a good mental attitude is extremely important to adapting to any change.

Nice reloading set up. However, it might benefit from a little junk spread around. I have some I'm not using that I could send you:mrgreen:.

In my early stage of "reorganization", I moved up state and rented for a time (I couldn't rent NOR sell my house due to a serious recession) but it was a nice place with a good basement to set up my reloading area. I scrounged materials (salvage telephone cross ties for bench legs (4x5's @ $.50 each:drinks:) and 2x10" for the bench top tied together with 2x4's. I moved that bench back here when another job in my chosen profession opened up then moved it twice again. I am still using it. Even tho' it was built of salvage materials, it is still as sturdy as it ever was. It's all bolted together so I could take it apart to move.

I believe that bullet casting and reloading actually relieve stress from a less than ideal situation. I know that it has for me...

Dale53

[PatMarlin]

Great new setup! Congrats ...:drinks: