And Now A Word From Our Sponsor

Hey Guys and Dolls!

I've been doing some more investigation. My wife, Janice, might call it "time wasting", since she is not totally committed to my online pursuits, but my searching has finally paid off.

Some of you may remember a while back when I was talking about finding a real product
to market online which can also make you money.  Well no doubt a lot of you have seen the
ads from a ton of people about Wake Up Now.  There are many reasons why I have
finally joined this program.  It is actually a product that helps people save a lot of
money, and gives you the potential to make a fortune as well.  Let me go into some detail
without a lot of hyped up, rah rah crap.  Just the facts here as follows:

1.  It has a fee of $100 a month, but once you enroll 3 people, you make enough commission to

cover that, so you don't pay anything else out of your own pocket.

2.  Once your 3 people each get their 3, you make $600 commission per month as long as they

stay active.  What you do is help them get their 3 as I will help you.

3.  Real products. Most of the "opportunities" I've seen, the products are all fluff, simply bs, or something that no one has any interest in.  Ask others what their product is, and if they actually use it.

   - You can print grocery coupons.  We forgot to check and could have saved from $30 to $100 on our last shopping trip depending on what we bought. We won't make that mistake again!

   -  Learn a language.  If you live in the US and don't speak Spanish, you will be behind the

8 ball very soon when illegals are given citizenship by obama and start to take over the country.

Spanish is going to be the go to language whether you like it or not.  Might as well get ahead of 

the curve for free.

   - Identity theft.  We didn't think it could happen to us, but we found out yesterday that someone in Arkansas tried to use Janice's debit card number! We went to the bank to find out why it wasn't

working and were told that about a dozen people who all bought gas at the same station we used had also had their information stolen.  This isn't technically identity theft, but it's close enough for me!

   - Major discounts on vacation trips anywhere in the world.  We plan to travel across the US in

the next two years and go to Europe after that.  There are huge savings on airline tickets, hotels,

car rentals and more!

   - Up to 22% savings on either AT&T or Verizon.  Although Janice has switched to Walmart's

$45 plan, which is the best deal out there, I happen to love my android phone and I would have

to get a new phone if I switched.  It is always a difficult experience for me to learn a new phone

so I'm able to save money and keep the same phone.  Cool.

   -Discount programs where you can save from 5 to 85% at stores where you already shop!

Like Office Depot, Macy's, Nautica, Sports Authority, Samsung, Apple, Dell, and thousands

more!

   -Get $100 worth of FREE stuff every day! Samples, and real sized products, trial offers,

and much more with new items added every week!

   -And much much more!

Oh yea, you can also make a very nice chunk of change.  Read all about it here.

(By the way, if a hundred dollars is a little too steep right now, message me and I can

show you how to get it.)

Click now!  http://socialmediabar.com/hugeop

And a favor if you don't mind? Please "like" and "share" this post. Thanks!

Mike

     

  

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Can You Be In Love With Two People At Once?

Hey Guys and Dolls!

     Lots of crazy crap going on in life and in the world, as usual.  Syria, Russia, Iran, obama, congress,
and who the heck knows what is going on in your local piece of the world.  Murders, robberies,
rapes, fights, drunken brawls, break-ins, you name it, it's going on here.

     But I'm not concentrating on any of that today.  Today I want to talk about the guy who is the
man in charge of arguably the most successful online business in the past two years.  He wrote a blog post, I guess it was, that was and is being passed around amongst all the "little" people.  If you have paid attention for the past two years online, you know who I'm talking about, and if you don't, it really doesn't matter.
   
     Here is the crux of the situation.  His profile used to, and may very well still, call himself a guy who
is "ridiculously in love with his wife".  But yesterday I read a post from him that relates that his wife has gone to Hollywood to seek fame and fortune as an actress.  I guess she has been gone for a month or a little more and the implication was that they were still more or less in wedded bliss at that time.

     However, the post goes on to say that in the time that his wife has been gone, he has met and fallen in love with a local girl, whose whereabouts are currently unknown to him.  Oh, and by the way, the local girl is pregnant.  So, the plot thickens.

     Now the questions come out, at least from me, and believe me, I am not a saint nor an inquisitor.  But having thrust himself into the public eye, this guy, let's call him Dave, has brought himself under public scrutiny.  So, in the same manner as a public figure in the offline world, be it a politico, or the
president or CEO of a large corporation such as Sears, Dupont, Ford Motor Company, or any other entity, he is subject to the scrutiny that all of the "rich in public" have to contend with.

The single burning question (with many parts) that I have for him is this.

If you were in love with your wife, at the time she left for fame and fortune on the silver screen, why did you put yourself in a position to "fall in love" with someone you had seemingly never laid eyes on until your wife left the country?

Can you really fall in love after a month? Or do you fall in love when the object of your lust ends up
pregnant?

Does the fact that you don't know where your pregnant girlfriend is, have a bearing on your new
found love?  In the manner of  absence making the heart grow fonder?  Or fooling yourself into
believing that your little slipup is okay because you loooovve her?

And just exactly how does the "girlfriend" feel about you and more importantly having your baby?
Or having anyone's baby for that matter?  Or could the fact that you are a millionaire come into
play at all?  Is her disappearance due to advice from legal counsel in building a child support
case against you?


Now for the opinion, the moralizing, and perhaps the judgment, if you will.

First of all, Jesus said "judge not, that you be not judged" meaning to me, that if you don't want
to be judged, then don't judge anyone else.  That notwithstanding, I believe that you CAN judge,
based on your own morals, beliefs, tenets, and the teachings you hold dear in your life from your
church, your parents, your ancestors and society in general.

Number One.  If you are married and you love your spouse, you are supposed to be faithful to them.

Number Two.  If you have split and you have a pretty good idea that you aren't getting back together, then stay away from all members of the opposite sex.  Rebound relationships are statistically doomed even more than first marriages.  And nobody gets pregnant.

Number Three. If either you or your spouse found a playmate prior to the split, they are not coming back and chances are that their new relationship is going nowhere.  Some will be successful, but most will not.  In general the playmate is someone who was just that, looking for play. The "player" was looking for something they weren't getting in the marriage.  Too late now, but whomever wasn't happy should have told the other person and they should have gotten counseling to determine if the marriage could be fixed or not.

I could go on and on, but I have seriously gotten away from the topical question.  Can you be in love with two people at the same time?  I believe that you can, to a point.  I believe that you can want to
be with two different people and enjoy their company, and yes, be in love with them both.  In order
to do this however, I also believe that they actually have to have many of the same attributes.  So
that your feelings are really about a certain type person as opposed to a specific person.

Happiest are obviously those who have found what can truly be called a "soul mate".  Unhappily,
I believe that most people do not find their soul mates, but that they can still be happy with the
person they married.  I know a lady who married a man so effeminate that he is as close to
gay as any man can be without actually admitting to it. They have had a couple of kids.  I seriously
doubt that they are "in love" but they are both reasonably happy.  Neither of them had much of
a chance finding a partner who was a soul mate, he being so effeminate and she being homely
and not having much of a personality.  They settled for each other and perhaps rightly so.

Most people I know that are happily married are not married to their "soul mates" but are not
necessarily unhappy either.  Most are married to those whom they know are good people
and they love that person. They wish that they were "in love" with their mates but they are
content that they don't have a worse lot in life.

Those who are not married, but are playing house, shacking up, are fooling themselves and
each other.  They have no commitment to each other, no matter how much they protest that
they do.  I have been in so-called "committed" relationships and I have been married.
Marriage is a whole different ballgame.  It is far easier to walk away from a "committed" relationship
than it is to walk away from a marriage.

Okay, enough of my rambling. I've left lots of loose ends and lots of room for comment and
criticism.  Let's begin!

Rain, Criminals, and Grass Cuts

Hey Guys and Dolls!

    After 15 straight days of freakin' rain, we are supposed to have sunshine for the next two days. The weather guessers aren't going to commit past that.  I predict that we will either get rain or we won't. My chances of being correct are about 50/50 according to my calculator. Wish me luck!

     On another subject, are you guys and dolls experiencing an uptick in the number of robberies, shootings, burglaries, and bank robberies in your area? These jackasses are going crazy around here. Same bank robbed two days in a row, 4 convenience stores robbed all within about 4 miles of each other. And all the criminals in each case are different. I think 2 of the c-stores were robbed by the same guys.  We are happy that we have our concealed weapons with us at all times now.  We are having to go into some really dicey areas lately, and all this crime crap happens in broad daylight, just as much as at night.

     We have a property maintenance business for those who don't know and right now it mainly consists of property inspections and grass cuts.  It is fun for the most part, but when we have to go do an initial inspection, lately it is in the ghetto and a little nerve racking.  The ante has been upped as to whether we run into a bunch of crack heads or not in what is supposed to be a vacant house.  Hopefully I am just being melodramatic, we haven't been in any danger yet and I don't want to be either. However, our vigilance is majorly increased.  We literally cover each other with our pistols and shotgun in a few of these places.  Better to feel foolish with no incidents than to have to shoot someone I say.

     On another subject, many of you got an invitation to check out what I am doing online.  I have seemingly found a winner.  Early indications are that the plan that I have been introduced to  is quite lucrative and fingers are crossed that in about 60 days we'll be in a position to go part time "day job" and full time online, then in 90 to 120 we'll go full time online and forget about doing the manual labor stuff. Real retirement is coming down the line at last!
That's all for now.

Y'all take care and take care of each other!

I'm Back But Not Happy About It

Hey Guys and Dolls!

     After the past few days, I have gone from stunned and shocked to numb.  I have to continue

my work, whether I like it or not.  Productivity, as weak and lame as it is right now is the only way

to move forward.  So, regrettably I am back.  It will start off slowly, but life goes on and God is

good.  It's just that he will have some explaining to do.

Y'all take care and be nice to each other!

No Pity Party - Life and Death, But Mostly Death, Part One

Hey Guys and Dolls!

     When I say that I have been thinking about my death lately, I mean I started thinking

about it when my son died in 1989 at 13 years old.  This story will have a lot of death in it,

but it is not that I want a pity party.  It is just that it is necessary to know the background

that has taken me to this point in my life, and the facts are what they are, regardless of

how much I wish that they weren't.

     I first really became aware of death when my paternal grandmother died.  I was nine years

old and really never knew her.  I had seen her on maybe half a dozen occasions that I recall

between my birth and the day she died.  I do remember that we probably exchanged about 4

words during that time and that I didn't see her as a particularly pleasant person.  Not

unpleasant, just that there was really no warmth coming from her.  I guess you could say

neutral, no like or dislike toward me, just well........nothing.

This was not a huge surprise in retrospect as I never heard the words "I love you" from

my mother when she was alive or my father who is still living.  So it wasn't a stretch for me

to not remember any warmth from my grandmother or grandfather either, for that matter.

(Sure is sounding like a pity party isn't it? lol  I told you, these are just the facts, they are

what they are.)

The bottom line here is that my grandmother's death meant nothing to me.  She was,

and then she wasn't.

     When I was in, I don't know, I think 7th grade, maybe.   A classmate of my sister, who

is a year older than me, drowned on a field trip to a county park.  That was weird since I

knew him and it was hard to imagine that he was just gone from the earth.  I did see him

in his coffin and it was not a picture that I have ever forgotten.  I remember thinking that

he didn't look anything like he looked when he was alive.  I remember being pissed off

because all future field trips to the county park were cancelled forever, and I never got

to go the next year like all the 8th graders before me.  Come to think of it I have never

been there to this day.  But I digress, which will probably happen a lot in this tale.  I tend

to use a lot of words to get to the point.  If you are still here, then I'll get back to the story.

     As I said at the beginning, I started thinking about my own death when my 13 year old

son, Michael, was killed trying to cross a highway in front of a car.  The absolute horror

of this event and all that went with it, I will spare you, maybe for another time. But I

doubt it. (Okay, I'm taking a moment for a pity party here.)  I'll be right back.

End of Part One

Preview Of Coming Attractions

Hey Guys and Dolls!

     I have been thinking a lot about life and death lately, death mostly.  And mostly mine.

Now don't get your hopes up, I am interested in prolonging my life as much as possible, but

there are a lot of things that need to be said.  I think that this is the time to be saying them.

It's going to take a first draft and some editing to get across what I'm thinking and to get it

right so it will take a few days since we have been bombed with work once again and my

old ass takes time to recover after an eventful day.  Stay tuned, I think it will be worth

your while.

Y'all take care and be safe!

I'm back to posting, and staying busy busy!!

Hey Guys and Dolls!

     Sorry I've been out of the loop for a few days. Our offline business is booming, keeping us

whipped at the end of the day. Same old story, too much work and not enough money.  So I am

working on a brand new online marketing plan and will be rolling it out next week.  Lots of study

and a couple of things to create before it goes.

     In other news my awesome incredible wife, Janice, had a birthday on June 12th.  Although

I couldn't give her a big party due to our workload, at least I was able to buy her a cake and we

had a quiet celebration over a beer, cake, and ice cream.  No, not all at the same time.

     Additionally, we are loving our "new" house.  The doggies are loving their new fenced in yard

and we continue to have to play frisbee or fetch the ball when we get home at the end of the day.

We are actually nestled in a "hidden" wooded area of the urban area, somewhat surrounded by

criminals of all ilks, from drug dealers to prostitutes, and an occasional robbery takes place at the

convenience store about a block and a half away.  We never leave home without our buddies,

Smith and Wesson, and their big brother Ruger.  Their uncle Mossberg always rides behind the

driver's seat in case we need to call on him for assistance.  So far so good, but we are prepared.

We never feel threatened or in any danger as we both can hit whatever we are aiming at, and

we are vigilant.  Life is not only good, it is great!  The only complaint we have is that we are

too old to do all the manual labor required to complete our bigger jobs and have to hire young

lads with muscles to do the heavy lifting.  By next June, we plan to be fully retired on my Navy

pension, and social security, filling in with our online business.  Actually, the online business plan

is on track to eliminate social security as a factor.  At any rate, since we can't go back to our

twenties and do it all over again, we have to keep moving forward.

Nobody has got it better than me!

Y'all take care and be safe!

Hey Guys and Dolls!

Just a quick note to say hello. I realized that my last blog post was talking about tornadoes and tropical storm Andrea. I didn't want anyone to think that I was flying through the sky or treading water, lol. It turned out to be pretty much nothing here but a little rain. Enough to keep me from working outside. Oh well, my day job is becoming a hobby anyway. I'm having way too much fun online.
I know many of you are curious as to what the Ultimate Cycler is so I'm letting the cat out of the bag. Tire kickers and the curious can look here. Don't worry I won't stalk you! Just satisfy your need to know, lol.

http://ultimatecapturepages.com/0005.php?id=2963&campaign=FB1

Y'all take care and be safe!

Scary weather warnings. Are they really necessary?

Hey Guys and Dolls!
   
     We are getting scary weather predictions around here to stay relevant I guess.  For two of the past three days we have been under a tornado "warning".  Up until then a "warning" was issued
when a funnel cloud had been sighted, now apparently it means about the same thing as a prediction of rain, that is, "could happen, might not."  They almost told us that a warning had
been issued due to the destruction in Oklahoma.  I yelled at the tv, "we are NOT in Oklahoma!"
Needless to say, they did not react to my annoyed outburst and continued to blah blah blah about weather that had pretty much no chance of occurring where I happened to be watching
their broadcast.
     Since we have just moved into a mobile home, I was more than a little concerned about tornado warnings as most all of us are aware of the old adage that tornadoes LOVE to destroy trailers.  Today we are under a tropical storm warning.  Although I should probably ignore it and go on about my business of ranting to you, and not be concerned about it, I can't help but wonder if we may not be in peril of the 3 to 5 inches of rain predicted or the potential for tornadoes to spawn off the ocean a mere 12 miles away.  It is my understanding that tornadoes don't give a rat's ass where
they go or what kind of havoc they may reek, and they have no sense of direction either, so it's possible that my fate may lie in the hands of,...... well, ....fate!
     Trusting in God and the humor and sarcasm gods as well, I fully expect to be here once the storm has passed and done its darnedest to mess up someone's life.  So, thumbing my nose at tropical storm Andrea, I am planning my work day for tomorrow.
     Y'all take care and be safe!

I can help people make, save, and manage money! Cool stuff here!

Hey Guys and Dolls!

     I am finally able to help people make, save, and manage money.    

I have found a truly amazing money machine!  It's pure, simple, and very fast!

You are in a "matrix cycler", but you get paid instantly, member to member.   No one

touches  your money but you!  This is a one-time $25.00 entry and you just keep

making more and more money out of profits.

     There is also a facebook  group chock full of people who do nothing but help you

to be successful.  I cannot sell anything, but even I am making this work. 

     Whether you are new or a seasoned professional this will make you money!

We would love to have you join us.  Everyone is welcome to the group and the group

helps you to be successful.  I have never seen anything like this.  The support is just

unbelievable.  The system is unbelievable.  The money is unbelievably fast!

     Inbox me now for all the details.

A Great Example of A Product Driven Company

Hey Guys and Dolls!

     A little while back I wrote a piece about how a real company was product driven, not just a means to make money.  This is a great example of such a company.  The money is there of course, after building a business.  In fact a very good friend of mine in this business has a guaranteed commission of $600 a month now after 90 days and can only go up from there.  Not a bazillion dollars, but it is an honestly built home business that is making money and does have huge potential.  And most importantly, in my opinion, the focus is on the products not the income.

     This fan page is built by another friend of mine in the business. I'm featuring her page, frankly because I am considering joining her in the near future, just as soon as things settle down here in other respects of my life.  Please check it out. I believe you will find it interesting and worthwhile, for the products first and then the business opportunity.  Thanks.

Take care of each other and be safe!

Duh! Here's the link:  https://www.facebook.com/ruthlawrencebodywraps

   

Oklahoma Tragedy.

Hey Guys and Dolls!
   
     The Oklahoma tornado is very much on our minds I'm sure.  All those people whose lives have been shattered makes me really appreciate what I have.  My heart goes out most of all though, to the parents of the children who are now in heaven.  Those of us who have experienced the loss of a child are the only ones who know what they are going through.  Their pain cannot be imagined by anyone who has not had the experience.  It can arguably best be described as feeling as though your heart has been savagely ripped from your body and shredded.  Their pain will never go away, it will only lessen over time - a very long time.  In the future when they speak of their lost ones, they will be able to smile through the tears, but the tears will still come.  They will take their solace in knowing that their babies are in heaven and that they have reached their reward, way too soon in our time, but in God's time.

     But right now, that truth doesn't mean a damn thing.  It's only unbelievable pain.  If you know any of these people and you encounter them, you think you won't know what to say.  Here is what you tell them. If you knew the child and can think of something positive, then say it, such as "She/He was always such a happy girl/boy" or "I remember the picnic (or other event) when she/he looked so cute in the sack race (watermelon eating contest- whatever it was)"  

     If you didn't know the child say to them "I am so sorry for the loss of "child's name".  If you don't know the name or can't remember then say "I am so sorry for your loss."  DO NOT say anything like "he/she is in a better place." "Well, thank goodness you have other children." or ANYTHING else to try and comfort them.  DO NOT tell them a story about someone you have lost or that your second cousin's daughter's boyfriend's mother lost a child.  THEY DON'T CARE!  There is NOTHING that you or anyone else can say that will comfort them or make them feel better!  Just express sympathy, and that is ALL!

     If you say something stupid like the examples above, if they even hear you, they will think you are an idiot and they will be right.

Take care of each other and be safe!

Hey Guys and Dolls!

My wife Jan, and I were talking this afternoon in one our many conversations and she told me a

story that had me rolling on the floor laughing.  I have to tell you that although she is a very warm,

compassionate, and all round incredibly wonderful woman, one thing that really attracted me to

her is the fact that she is often unfiltered.  A lot of the time, in her words "if I get a thought it

just comes right out of my mouth without going through my brain", and she is hilarious.

   Somehow we got on the subject of people that annoy you when they take advantage of you.

Before we met, Jan lived in North Carolina in a little bitty town.  Many of the residents had no

transportation even in this mostly rural area because they were too poor.  Jan became friendly

with one of the poor folk who for unknown reasons was a lady called Big Ear.

For all I know it could have been her real name since she named her kids Puddin, Man, and John.

How "John" got in there none of us will ever know.  (Absolutely true, no names have been

changed to protect the innocent or the guilty, lol.)

   Anyway, Big Ear asked Jan one day to give her a ride to Tarboro NC, a town about 10 miles

away. Now given the cost of gas at the time, and given the fact that Jan had enough to do every

day (due to circumstances) to keep 3 people busy all day and didn't need the interruption, she told

Big Ear that she would do it for 10 dollars.
 
   Once word got around that Jan would give rides to town for 10 dollars round trip, the phone

started ringing off the wall.  This wasn't necessarily a bad thing in that 10 bucks a pop for a round

trip of 20 miles was profitable enough to make it worth her while as long as it didn't interfere with

everything else she had going on.

   Now to the annoying part and being taken advantage of.  One day Big Ear asked Jan to take her

to Tarboro to the Piggly Wiggly grocery store.  But this time was different. After the grocery store,

Big Ear wanted Jan to take her to the bank, then to Kentucky Fried Chicken, then somewhere else.

Jan told her "Look, you gave me $10 to take you to the Piggly Wiggly, not to chase around town

on an errand tour using my time and my gas.  I have a lot of other things to get done today.  Next

time it's one stop and one stop only, and go back home.  Any more than one stop will be more

money and the stops will have to be agreed to and the money has to be paid up front."

   Next month when the food stamps came again, Big Ear called Jan for a ride to the Piggly Wiggly.

After the grocery store, Big Ear asked Jan if she would stop by KFC and the liquor store. Knowing

Jan as I do, I can see the steam that must have been pouring out of her ears.  Needless to say, an

argument ensued and my girl won of course, being the driver, and being right.

   A couple of days after, Jan ran into Big Ear at the local quick stop store.  Jan told Big Ear that

her phone number had changed and the next time she needed a ride to call the new number.  Jan

further explained "Someone besides me will answer, and you just tell them where you want to go."

Big Ear thanked her and went on her way.

   You guessed it.  The next time the food stamps arrived, Big Ear called Jan's new number and

was totally pissed off when she heard "Tarboro Cab Company, may I help you?"

The Bicycle Angel

Hey Guys and Dolls!

Have you ever seen an angel on earth?  If you have then you know what I'm talking about.

Here is my experience with an angel.  In the year 2000, I took a job with a company where

I drove around all day on a route and sold frozen food from a little yellow truck.  I would

go to my customer's houses every two weeks and every time I was there I was supposed

to show our new food products and see if I could talk them into trying the new products.

In all fairness, the food was really good, except for a "miss" here and there.  And it all had

a full money back guarantee which was honored with integrity.  The new products were

to be carried in a "freezer bag" which was issued to us.  If we lost the bag, we were charged

$65.00, so it was not something I took lightly and always made sure that after showing our

new products and getting the customer order, I took the bag back to the truck and put it

back in the freezer compartment, all ready for the next customer presentation.

     One day I stopped at a regular customer's house in the ghetto part of town, not being

politically correct here, it was a dangerous area and I made sure that my truck was locked

up tight.  On this particular day, I was training a new driver so I had him help me find the

food order, carry it to the customer, and generally do the things that I routinely did.  There were

two new products on this day as well, a box of 12 cheeseburgers selling for about 15 dollars

and a roast selling for 25 bucks.  So I have the bag, 65 dollars, the cheeseburgers, 15 dollars,

the roast, 25 dollars for a grand total of 105 dollars worth of product plus the bag.

You know what's coming right?  We left our last stop in the ghetto and drove about 4 miles

to a much more affluent and safer neighborhood.  When we got to our first stop, I opened

the freezer compartment which housed the bag of new products and it wasn't there.  I asked

the trainee if he put the bag in a different compartment, to which he replied "I thought you

had it."  This is one reason why I hate to have two people or more doing a task or project

together.  Someone always "assumes" that someone else is doing the job that either or both

should have been taking care of.  Of course, it was my fault the bag was missing as it was

my truck, my route, and my trainee.  I was mad at myself for not paying closer attention.

     After a thorough search of all the freezer compartments, we determined that the bag

must have been left at the last stop in the ghetto, either at the lady's house or on the truck

bumper, where it probably fell off and someone in the 'hood got some free food and a nice

cooler bag to go with it.  But being an optimist, we drove back the four miles to the 'hood

and knocked on the lady's door, hoping to retrieve the bag from her house.  She answered

and told us that we hadn't left the bag there.  I had been dealing with this customer for quite

some time at this point and we had a good relationship. I completely trusted and believed her.

We thanked her and drove slowly back toward our next route area.  At this point, school had

let out about 10 minutes before we had knocked on her door.  So I'm frantic and looking along

the street for the bag and hoping for a miracle.  Wait for it.............

     As we turned a corner, a huge group of children from middle school to high school age

were all walking down the middle of the road causing us to crawl slowly to avoid running

into any of the kids.  All of a sudden, the crowd parted.  A young man appeared from the

midst of the crowd, riding a bicycle and with the bag slung over his shoulder.  With a huge

smile on his face, he rode up to my side of the truck and passed the bag to me without saying

a word.  I checked the bag and the cheeseburgers and the roast were inside.  As I sat there in a

state of shock, I finally was able to speak and said to the trainee,

"Grab a box of popsicles and give them to that guy for returning the bag".

We both got out of the truck as I was going to yell for the guy to hold up a minute and thank

him for returning the bag.  

     The trainee and I both looked past the truck and on the road.  The young man had vanished

as quickly as he had appeared and there was not a trace of him to be found.

I looked at the trainee incredulously with goose bumps rising on my body and said "Do you

believe in angels?"

His response, "I do now!"

I breathed a quick and fervent "Thank you Lord" and finished out the day completely

stunned by what we had witnessed.

And that Guys and Dolls, is my angel story.  Absolutely nothing will convince me that I

did not encounter an angel that day, and I had a witness.

Part Two; I almost got arrested

     The officers then took turns telling me that it was illegal to discharge a firearm within
city limits.  The female officer told me that I would definitely receive a citation. The
only question would be whether it would be a "courtesy" citation or an official citation
where I would be arrested, handcuffed, and taken to jail.
     Obviously I was more interested in getting a courtesy citation.  The female officer
further stated that they would have to check with the police captain to determine whether
I was going to jail.  I wasn't happy about this because the captain was not on site and I
believe it is a lot more difficult to make a decision by "remote control" so to speak.  The male
officer continued to talk to us while the female had a radio conversation with the captain
out of our earshot.  He explained that we would both have to write a statement, and explain
what had happened.  He further told us that our options were better than shooting, such as
using a hoe or a shovel, or even better, call animal control.
     In my mind only, I went over the options one by one and discounted their effectiveness
given the situation.  Hoes, shovels, rakes, or other implements, in my opinion, do not have
the effectiveness of a spray of double aught buckshot.  Calling animal control didn't occur to me
when the snake was on his way toward me and I had about four feet with which to separate
myself from the snake and make a phone call.
     Was it a stupid decision, to shoot the snake?  Yes and no.  The stupid part comes from
shooting within the city limits.  I could be short sighted on this but I have difficulty under-
standing why criminals get to do whatever they want regarding the use of guns, where, when,
and for whatever reason they want, but if I use a weapon safely, to potentially protect my
life, it's a problem.  I don't want to get on a rant or debate with anyone about gun laws,
but common sense almost doesn't exist any more. Sometimes it prevails, but not often
enough.

     At this point the female officer was wrapping up her conversation with the captain.
When I heard her say "Ok, good, that's fine. Will do. Thank you sir."I was slightly
encouraged.  Fortunately my encouragement was supported by what happened next.
She looked at us and said "Okay, the captain has decided that you're not going to be
arrested.  She then proceeded to tell us for the fourth or fifth time that we had heard it
all the reasons why I should not have done what I did.  Although my wife and I are
both unfiltered, we are not stupid and so we wisely kept our mouths shut for the
duration of this event and bit the bullet, bad pun I know, and it turned out to our
advantage.
     At this point I could go on and on until you are sick of hearing it, either agreeing with
me or not, whether this was the right decision.  It was. End of debate. And wow, is that
Mossberg sweet!

I almost got arrested today.

Yes, it's true.  I almost got arrested today.  It went down like this..

     My wife and I contracted to clean all the piled grass, leaves and sticks from the
backyard of this lady's house in a residential neighborhood within the city limits and
backing up to a school parking lot.
   
     This was a monstrous pile of trash and we were on the third day of the job.
When there was only about an hour's worth of work left, I was squatting down
scooping leaves into one of the paper lawn bags.
   
     Out of nowhere this three and a half foot snake started wiggling toward me.  My wife
Jan, saw it first and yelled "Copperhead, move back!"  I jumped up and starting quickly backing up while watching the snake, and then I remembered we had our Mossberg pistol grip
shotgun behind the seat of the truck.  Fortunately the truck was right behind me.  I reached
in for the shotgun and aimed it toward the copperhead.  I had never shot this weapon before
and since it was a pistol grip, I had wanted to go to the range first to get a sense of the kick and
exactly how to hold the gun and use the sights to hit what I was aiming at.
   
     Needless to say, my weapons training began immediately.  It took 3 shots to
determine how to hold and shoot before I got him with the fourth one.  As we were talking
about what had just happened and were looking at our quarry, we realized that the noise of
the kids talking and playing behind the fence had grown stone cold silent.
   
     "Oh crap!" I said. (Well, I really said something else, but this is a family post!)  I realized
that I had just done a very stupid thing using the gun.  My fears were confirmed when I looked
out the gate toward the front of the house and saw two police officers walking toward us.
   
     Unless you have been living in a cave for a few years, I'm sure that you are aware of how crazy
and stupid our society and government has gotten in the past few years.  We have a school lock
down if someone fart's too loud or robs a bank around here.  And I'm pretty sure it works
much the same way in any metropolitan area in the U.S. now.  Unexplained gun shots are
investigated quickly and taken seriously.

     "I just shot a copperhead!" I yelled to the officers as they continued their approach.

     "Oh" said the male officer.  And they both kept walking toward me.

     (I've got to stop for tonight as this day has done me in. Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow)

     

A Little Randomness

Hey Guys and Dolls!
     A fantastic day today.  It was predicted 90% rain. We had to cut four lawns and trim shrubs at four different houses.  Now I'm sure that there are many many people out there who can cut 20 to 40 lawns a day, but 4 is my limit.  I'm 61 years old and not nearly as energetic as I used to be.  I'm also not a professional in that I actually know what I'm doing.  I am what you might call a "let's get this thing done and get the heck out of here" kind of landscaper.  And I have never been called a
landscaper by anyone other than myself.  I am a jack of no trades and master of none.  My specialty is management. That means that my forte' is watching other people work.  I can do it all day.  And I am really really good at it.
     I've been doing a lot of what you might call soul searching, or you might call it thinking or you might call it wondering what the heck I'm doing with myself.  Part of that search has to do with what I should be doing online as an occupation.  I have seen the biggies, the wannabees, the "passive" income producers.  I haven't seen a single one of them that focuses on a product.  The biggie has no product at all that cannot be found for free on the internet, but they charge $3000 for it.  There are wannabees who use the Australian "two-up", that is, you pass up your first two recruits and the rest is yours.  But once again there is no product.  I actually have a great respect for Aron Parker, but no product is still no product.  So far, the passive income producers have been   falling like dominoes, knocked down by the FTC and others as flat out pyramids and I predict that the rest will follow, some sooner and others later.  Pretty much a "duh" there, huh?
     So what is left? That's where the soul search comes in, I don't have a clue.  I'm almost to the
point where at least the objective is clear and the masses are aware of it.  We all know the score and the objective is to get money.  With that in mind I'm going to most likely do one of those, and let it finance my entry into a real business.  I'm going to promo it as exactly what it is, a rush to get in and get out before the whole thing collapses, I'll look at it objectively and try to predict when the fertilizer will hit the ventilating system.  Stay tuned...
     Oh BTW, there are some details to be worked out, but the miracle is due to take place on the 31st, is it big?  Hell ya, to us it us. Maybe not so much to you, but to a lot of you it will be huge!
     My other miracle stories are coming up too, but I'm far behind in my duties to keep up with everything at the moment. Patience is a virtue, but what do you call laziness or making excuses? Procrastination?  Y'all take care and be safe.

Hey Guys and Dolls!

I've been busier than a one-legged man in an a$$ kicking contest these past few days.  The plan is to get back to the blog and provide interesting things to read, funny things, rants, and other things worth reading for your edification and entertainment.  I actually have a manuscript lying around gathering dust that I am contemplating serializing on the blog.  What do you think? Are you ready for it?   Oh, and still sorting out some details for the latest miracle story.  I do have a couple of others that I will let you hear about when I have more time and energy.

We are doing some property preservation work again. Mostly grass cutting right now.  We thought we were pretty much out of that business and working on full time retirement, but it keeps coming back. Today was a debris removal. We had about 20 cubic yards of trash to get rid of out in the yard of this house.  There must have been 60 gallons of waste oil alone to get rid of.  We worked ourselves until the energy drained, then called our guy who helps when we need someone who is strong like a bull.  He rescued us and we were able to finish the job.  We are sticking with this company a few more months anyway to see if we can keep up, but getting older every day!

Take care and be safe.

The First Miracle

Hey Guys and Dolls!

Here is miracle one, like I promised.

     I used to live in Florida in a tiny town outside of Gainesville called Keystone Heights.
My life was in a state of flux back then (come to think of it, it's always in a state of flux,
but I digress.)  At any rate, it was time for another move.  My job at the University of
Florida had quickly run its course into a dead end.  I had a great title, a low salary and
there was no hope of promotion unless somebody died.  I was a Labor Relations
Representative, which meant that I would assist management and tell them how to get
rid of a problem employee.  As is often the case, the problem person was the manager,
not the employee. But that was irrelevant, it was up to me to stand up for the University.
That being the case, it was time to move on.

   
     My wife at the time had moved to the frozen north about a week ahead of me while
I wrapped up things at the old house.  I was having a yard sale with a ton of our belongings.
Darn near everything sold throughout the day, and it was good.  But there was one thing.

     I needed exactly 25 dollars more to cover all the expenses that I had projected we would
incur for the trip.  I had it figured out almost down to the penny.  I looked around at all the
items that we had left. There were a lot of 1 to 5 dollar items, but jutting out among them
were a cheap set of bunk beds and my all time favorite grill, the Weber kettle.  It was now
five o'clock on a Saturday.  Pretty late for a yard sale, it was seriously winding down; it
was white knuckle time.

     All of a sudden my phone rang. It was a guy who had seen my "yard sale" sign and
called me to find out if I happened to have any bunk beds. "Yes, I said. "I do."
He said "Great I'll be over there in about 15 minutes."  "I'll see you then." I said.
Fifteen minutes went by, then 20, then 30.  I looked up to the sky and prayed "Dear
Lord, please let that guy show up.  I know I don't deserve it but I'm asking in Jesus'
name.  Amen."  Immediately, I heard the sound of an engine coming up the hill.  Could
this possibly be him?

     A raggedy old pick up came through the clearing, pulled up right in front of me, the
engine coughed to a stop and a man got out.  He was raggedly unshaven, had a dirty
ball cap on his head, and needed a haircut.  He said "How much ya want fer them
bunk beds?" My heart leapt! It was him!  "25 dollars." I said, hopefully.  "I'll take 'em
he said.

     As I helped him load the beds I happily remarked "I wasn't sure you were coming."

     "What do you mean?" he asked quizzically.
 
     "Oh, weren't you the guy that called?" I asked, bewildered.
 
     He took off his hat and scratched his head all in one motion.  "You know, it's funny"
he drawled."  I wasn't even going to go home this way, but something told me to come
down this road.  I've been looking and looking for a set of bunk beds for my grandchildren
for when they come to visit and stay the weekend.  I saw your yard sale sign at the bottom
of the hill so I swung up here on the off chance that you might have bunk beds."

     Chills rose up on my body.  Gratitude filled me.  I was in a state
of shock.  Tears overflowed my eyes as I packed up the rest of my belongings and
thankful prayers came out with them.

Hey Guys and Dolls!

If the business model in your company DRIVES the behavior of recruit, recruit, recruit 

and doesn't focus on the product,  then maybe you should look at something else.  You’ve got to be in a company where the main focus is RETAILING the products. That is, if you want to be an ethical and moral person.

Here’s why:  The litmus test for any company to determine whether it qualifies as a pyramid is the answer to this question:

 “Would you have spent that money for that product if there wasn’t a business opportunity attached to it?”

Take a closer look at your mlm or networking opportunity to see exactly what is going on with it.  Is there actually a product or is the focus on the hype and the promise of instant riches?  I'm not saying that you can't get rich with some of the hype companies. There are a few people who are getting rich and there are a lot more who are "faking it until they make it".  But are those that are making money just taking it from those who have a dream? Just sayin'. 

Hey Guys and Dolls!

Good Morning, well it's morning for me. I have always been an insomniac but lately I get up at 10 or noon and work, goof off, chat, etc. on fb until the paper and the milkman show up, lol. Okay there is no milkman and I should cancel the paper but I just can't give up the feel of the newsprint, the sound of pages rustling, and of course, the magic of doing the crossword in pen!
But I wanted to make a statement of ethics today, at least my version.
There is a thing called Rippln going around. If you haven't gotten your "invite" yet, you will get a hundred of them in the next hour or most certainly in the next day or two.
Anyway, the CEO of Rippln is Brian Underwood who is a serial ponzi schemer. My source for this is a site called www.behindmlm.com and seems to be a legit site that reviews biz opps. I believe them and although Rippln could produce a lot of money for me in the short run, I cannot morally or ethically market something to you that I believe will collapse by itself or when the FTC shuts it down. Therefore, I am telling you that I believe that it is possible for me or you to get someone or LOTS of someones involved in Rippln only to lose their collective a$$es when it fails and leave you or me looking like a bum having known this beforehand. I cannot tell you with any degree of certainty that this will happen, but what I can tell you is that the CEO has had two prior experiences of it happening. You have to make your own decision and be able to sleep at night. I can sleep well because I am staying away from it and if that is I bad decision on my part, I can live with that too. Just sayin'. Ok, now for all of you fellow marketers out there, let's get crackin'!

Awesome Baby Money Maker

Wow guys, this is pretty cool.
It is a business in a box that starts out little, then
balloons up over time to make a lot of bucks.
The beauty of it is that it starts with only 7 bucks and
is paid to you by paypal. The entire concept is great
and paid through paypal so that no one can touch
your money but you.
The information on free and paid advertising sources
alone, is worth the $7 bucks! Check it out here!

http://autopilot101.com/7OnlineSuccess/?e=mikesmoneyinfo@gmail.com

The Boston Bombing. 4-15-13

What the hell is going on in Boston?

I can't wait to find out who is responsible for the bombings.
Since there was no one who claimed responsibility it makes
me wonder if it was domestic terrorism. And if domestic,
whether our fearless leader had anything to do with it.
It is not as far fetched as it may seem my friends.
All is definitely not right in our capitol.

Now I am getting about 50 friend requests a day. What the hell is going on? I know I'm a wild and crazy fun loving kind of guy, but this is ridiculous! I can't screen all the Nigerian scammers and webcam girls out before I accept requests with this volume. I don't mind the webcam girls because they are fun to mess with but the scammers bore the crap out of me with their chit chat building up to the big business opportunity or the begging for money. Well, that's the biggest thing I have to bitch about today, so I continue to live the dream! God bless you all. I'm going to bed. Good night. (Of course, God bless the people in Boston and may the families be comforted by His grace.)

Good night my friends, and God Bless you!

Re-energizing the blog

Today is April 15, 2013
It is tax day in the USA. The day that all income taxes are to be filed by.  Yikes! I'm late again. Why am I always late? Because I am self employed and I have to pay every time! I do not have the luxury of having Uncle Sam hold on to a portion of my money all year interest free so that he insures he can keep it like so many of us do. But hey, you didn't come here to hear me bitch and complain, or at least not yet any way, so here are some hopefully, funny jokes.

( Side note - I should really stop giving our doggies people food. You dog owners know why don't you? For those who don't, doggie gas is the worst!! And it comes at the most inopportune times, like when one is in front of, and one is behind my desk. I think they lie there on purpose so I don't know who to blame!)

Now on with the jokes!

When my son graduated from high school, he had to give a 
speech. He began by reading from his prepared text. "I want 
to talk about my mother and the wonderful influence she has 
had on my life," he told the audience. "She is a shining 
example of parenthood, and I love her more than words could 
ever do justice."

At this point he seemed to struggle for words. After a pause 
he looked up with a grin and said, "It's really hard to read 
my mom's handwriting."

======================================================

A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, 
empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, and get 
the mail. 

A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
======================================================
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife 
can spend. 

A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
======================================================
That's all for now folks. If you have nothing to do, then relax. If you have something else you should have been doing instead of reading this blog,then Let's getcrackin"!