I think that taking things slow is better. I work from 9-4:30 x 5 days. If you subtract the slashdot reading, cigarette breaks, trips to the coffee maker and social time it works out to be more like 30 hours of work. Other perks include a spacious private office, special daylight balanced lighting, bringing my dog to work, and telecommuting when I am out of clean launtdry. I wouldnt trade it for 9x80 or whatever that was called. Good luck with that though... Regards, One of the Bobs

HA! I was wondering what that smell was in the server room, I must have gotten hacked...

That would be one way to do it. Alternatively, you could put in your time and then become one of the hackneyed overlords that invent the TPS cover sheets and other arbitrary tasks and then sit idly and watch the other rats scurrying through the maze... Regards, One of the Bobs

kdawson: The essence of my reply is "good luck" there is too much risk these days to be chucking stability for your family over personal fulfillment. I have been down that road before and I can say that there is fulfillment to be had but it has a tendency to be short term.

The comments about the taxes are spot-on. If you go down that road, make sure you have the cash ahead for taxes and CPAs. You have no idea how many people have a hand in your employer's pocked until you become the employer.

As far as the market climate goes? You couldnt pick a worse time to consider this. The tens of thousands that are getting layed of right now and over the next year are going to do the exact same thing that you are considering. They will be doing it out of necessity and they will be hungry.

-Cheers
Dave