The train is for misfits

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IMG_1540I don’t know that Megan Koester’s train ride was any more hellish than mine, but she tells her story better.

I am a moron, which is why I recently spent 22 tedious hours traveling between Chicago and New York via Amtrak. Let me paint you, dear reader, a portrait of my mistake. […] The romanticism of the rails is dead. There is no beauty, no ceremony, in it. White, brown, and beige plastic covered every surface. Water sloshed in the sink of the filthy bathroom. The cutlery was plastic, the plates holding flavorless, overpriced turkey sandwiches made of paper. Artless photos of hot dogs and Pepsi products hung askew in the snack car.

Misty Blue: Don and Suzy Akers

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Last night Barb and I drove down to the Lake of the Ozarks to listen to some long-time friends perform. We first met Don and Suzy Akers when their bar band performed at a honky tonk in the little town where we lived (Kennett, MO). They work mostly as a duo now, dividing their time between the Florida and Missouri. For 40+ years Don and Suzy have been making a living performing in small venues. Watching them, it’s obvious they’re still very much in love. And love what they’re doing. [Here’s a minute of Suzy belting out I’ll Stand by You]

Six figure salary? You’re not rich

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I’m old enough to remember when earning a six figure salary meant you had made it. You were rich. This post on the Personal Capitol blog explains why that is no longer the case. Here are a few nuggets to get you started:

  • the median household income stuck at around $53,093 in 2014
  • the average price of living the American dream has now risen to $130,000 per year
  • today’s family would need to earn $288,713.59 to achieve the same kind of lifestyle as someone making $100,000 in 1980.
  • the median price of a home was around $282,000 nationally in May 0f 2014.
  • the cost of raising one child for a middle class couple has grown to a staggering $241,080.