Note: This is an April Fool’s prank post. Since it’s now *not* April Fool’s Day, I wanted to make sure that it’s clear up front. I can’t believe I got so many of you guys (check out the comments)! 🙂
In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t been posting much lately. I’ll be the first to confess to that.
Despite this, support for both myself and the guide remain very, very high. So, first… thank you. Second… I feel I owe you an explanation.
Here it is…
The buzz from the launch earlier in the month caught the attention of several people. One of these people happened to be a local watchmaker here in Indianapolis. Admittedly, I thought he was a little weird at first, but after talking with him for a while, I was hooked.
Turns out he’s got over 40 years experience in the industry. Watchmaking is not something you can go to college for these days. It’s still relies on the same master/apprentice relationship of many skills of years gone by.
Master watchmakers get to a point in their art where they elect to head towards retirement, but before they do… they pass down their knowledge to the next generation. This particular master only takes on one apprentice every… five years.
And that’s the length of commitment you have to make. 5 years to be fully accredited as a master watchmaker. You don’t get paid for the first 3 years, either. Fortunately, the master does provide a place for you to stay and three meals per day through these early years.
Strangely enough, the master saw or heard something in our conversations that made him offer me the apprenticeship. I politely declined, but thanked him for such an honor. After a couple days, though, I thought more about the offer…
And you know what?… I’m actually going to do it.
It’s been a long, hard decision. It’s taken several weeks of intense meditation. While Courtney and Milligan will be close, they aren’t allowed to live with me during the apprenticeship. All my time and energy must be focused on learning my new trade.
As far as Man Vs. Debt is concerned… I won’t be quitting completely. I won’t be selling or anything like that. I plan on writing at least one article per month to ensure that the site lives on.
My stint in making a living online was a fun journey, but it’s time for me to focus on an actual career now. I need to put food on the table. And in 3-10 years, I should be able to provide that security. Who knows? Maybe watches will be my new passion.
After informing my new watch master that I’d be accepting his offer, we went through a ceremonial acceptance ceremonial. Luckily, Courtney recorded a portion of the ceremony for you on youtube (I was having a bad hair day).
Wish me luck!
April fools.
Nice way to bail on your family
Stick around and get to know me better! 🙂
Ha! Almost believed it. For a second…
Oh boy…this is awkward.
Um, he told me that I was the one apprentice he was taking on…
-Steve
No ways! You aren’t even in Indianapolis!
We were gonna do the training over Skype. and twitter @ replies.
funny
dammit – 2 rick rolls in 1 morning! its not even noon yet. good work baker.
Knowing that I got GRo, makes it worth it! 😉
Wasn’t buyin’ the story but I still let myself get Rick Rolled . . . damn it, Baker!
🙂
Not bad Baker, not bad.
Well done. I was sitting in front of my computer, scrolling up and down the page with a dumb look on my face, saying “What the hell???” 😉
Ahahahahahahahahahaa 😀 😀
I feel so foolish, I actually fell for it for a couple of seconds (luckily, the penny dropped a paragraph before reaching the link). You’d think I would have my defences up today of all days 😛
BTW you might want to use a different rickroll link; here in Germany that one is “no longer available in your country”. Maybe it’s just here, dunno.
Excellent post Baker! 🙂
Well played sir, well played. I completely forgot it was April fool’s day! While reading your post I thought, why would he give up travelling around the world for Indiana!? I was about to book a flight to talk you out of it! lol
I have fallen for other posts today, but not this one! Score one for the good guy, me!
This is the opposite of baker
I just want to say I knew this wasn’t true from the get go. I just had to click on the last link though because curiosity is a weakness.
Dave
The Minimalist Path
P.S. I actually love that Rick Astley sock so being Rick Rolled isn’t too bad.
OMG I *totally* believed you. Wow. First gag that got me so far, and I’ve been online for four hours.
GOOD ONE.
Okay, you are an inspiration for me Baker. One of the reasons I decided I probably could blog after several false starts. I read your post and was trying to come up with the words to be supportive, frankly I probably would do a high skilled apprenticeship…(I am a doctor and residency is exactly that). Then I click on the ceremony…MAN…you had me going!
Given the date I should probably turn off my computer, but I have blog posts to write! Man thanks for the laugh. You rock.
Good career move! We do need more craftsmen and craftswomen in the US. You already know how to pick great music for your blog. Soon you will also know how to build great watches. Best of luck to you!
You almost got me twice in one day. Ok, when I saw the title you had me, but I quickly figured it out. 🙂
Still got RickRolled tho.. 🙂
Ha ha ha ha.
LOL, watches…..
Gonna make me a Rolex in five years? 😉
Wow! Congratulations and the best of luck to you with your new endeavor! I hope you’ll post about it when you can since this “world” is so foreign to so many people.
I just kept reading it and thinking “What?!” It seemed so contrary to EVERYTHING else you’ve put up. The real kicker was that your family couldn’t live with you…and I kept thinking of Syler from Heroes as the watchmaker.
Then I clicked on the link to your video. I’d like to say I caught on before then…but no. I did burst out laughing at work the moment I realized what had happened.
Too funny!!!
Love it! Great post.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA NICE!
Had me going for a while. I was thinking WHAT THE HECK? He’s dedicating himself to this and “they might become his passion”? HAHAHAHAHAHA
Good job, man!
ha ha, i was totally april fooled
Good one! You had me going until the Rick Astley vid.
That was awesome 🙂 Well done, sir.
AHAHHAHA! You totally got me! Great one!!
Guess I can resubscribe to your blog now….wow, I feel like a fool – a big April fool! How could I think you were serious?
I love getting Rick-rolled—I laughed my ass off!
That was evil. 😛 Evil! I was totally taken in…
100% thought you were being serious.
Wow. FML.
I was going to post something envolving a lot of capital letters the remembered its April 1st…FUNNY! I was really going for it and upset (thought of you leaving your family to make watches!) Although I guess if that what you really wanted to do go for it!
Good one! You had me at first, until you mentioned the living with him requirement!
Google… erh I mean Topeka, has some great April Fools jokes too… I hope they get there vowel problem fixed!!!
Nice job!
I suppose I had an unfair advantage in that I took some classes at a community college that taught watchmaking. So I avoided what was apparently a RickRoll.
Don’t worry, though: I’m never going to give you up. I’m never going let you down…
OMG I really believed it…until I started reading the comments!!!!!
Seriously if you would have quit I am sure people would have been throwing in the towel right behind you! Man because if you can’t make it with over 5000 subscribers how do I even have a prayer with a measly 220.
hahaha good one!
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I almost clicked that link, but I managed to hold off!
I was really looking forward to sending you my watch to fix 🙁
For a second there, I was wondering what made Courtney kick you out! But then I realized it was April Fool’s. This was up there with my fave of today: http://www.groupoupon.com/
I just recently started reading your blog…so I was completely bamboozled! Just as I was starting to think your blog was pretty awesome, you blindside me with your idiotic move away from your family for a life of watches! I was getting so mad and was about to leave you a nasty message when the lightbulb finally went on! Boy I feel foolish….hehehe
This was an awesome post. Keep the creative spirit alive.
Here I am thinking your an azz for leaving your family for 5 years. 😉 LOL
Love a good rickroll. Keep up the craft!
-Scott
HI…..wow i like the watches can i have one of them site is good i am trying to understand just chill and change your routine guyes you will feel better.good thing is they are showing some creative work as well . good work keep it up
You completely had me until the end. I even considered writing a “Holy Shit, Batman” comment until I had a sip of coffee and woke up a little.
Nice one. You definitely fooled me.
Yup, ya got me. I was reading it and thinking it was a pretty dramatic move, but taking your family to NZ and Thailand is dramatic too so I was intrigued.
So….there’s no watchmaker’s apprentice ceremony? I’m bummed.
Conga-rats 🙂
Blimey. Today is a day of strange happenings. First Problogger sold to Google and now this!
🙂
first thing that went through my head: SELLOUT! one second later: nahhhhhhhhhh. that was a hoot, though! 😀
Oh, you totally got me. For a good four minutes I stared worriedly at the computer, trying to figure out why you, of all freakin’ people, would sign up for something that would keep you away from your family. Then I go it. Then I clicked the link to see what you had whipped up as a joke and . . . Rick Rolled. Very nice.
Wow Rick Rolled!!!! I thought it was going to be you and Courtney shouting April Fool’s…good story…I think you have a career in fantasy fiction writing!
Haha you had me sucked in until you said you couldn’t live with Courtney and Milligan. I let my guard down because it is already the 2nd here in NZ 😛
So what is the real reason for you not posting much lately?
The fatal flaw in your ruse is that “at least one article per month” would be an increase over your current posting rate. As a watchmaker’s apprentice, there’s no way you’d be able to ramp up your output. 😉
Nice…I almost believed it. Then I saw the first comment ‘April fools’. 🙂 When I read you were going to post only once a month, the first thinking that came to my mind was “maybe I can help you out and do a guest post to fill the other weeks”…or so I thought. But anyhow, it’s great you’re not really quitting because your posts are really inspiring. Good luck and more power!
First Darren and now you…I have gotten April Fooled twice! It’s toward the end of April 1st and I’m just reading this. My face twisted more and more as I got to the bottom of the post with the word, “WHAT!?!?!, Baker has lost his mind!” Now with rolled eyes I tell you thanks for the laugh! 🙂
Damn it Baker…. with only 40 minutes left of the day.
didn’t believe the hype. Sounded too half-baked, even for you, Baker. err, pun intended. 😛
Awesome Baker. Love it. Hilarious.
Just taken on serious simplification of my own finances due to your lead. Might look into watchmaker apprenticeships too…
LMAO, I just came by bc I was thinking it had been a while since you’d been blogging! 🙂
So what’s the real reason?
Wow, I took this hook, line and sinker. It didn’t help that I was reading this on April 2nd. Good job!
Excellent April Fools post Baker!
I liked it even more than Google’s. Watchmaker…man oh man that’s good! 🙂
You completely got me! 🙂
Jen
You completely got me! 🙂
Jen
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