Tales From the Dark Side

Tales from the Dark Side 

I’ve already established in previous posts that I loved, and looked up to my step-brother and his wife ever since I met them upon arriving in Washington State.  In trying to figure out the reason why I liked them so much, I can come up with one that is definitely a good argument.  Up until I met him, I pretty much went everywhere and anywhere either alone or with my parents.  Alone was always played safe, and with my parents, it was mostly boring (running errands, etc.).  My mother and step father were very nice and loving people in a parent way, but not very exciting.

While the above is a good argument, the real reason I settled on is that they were young and adventurous.  They did all the things that my parents thought were risky or foolish.  My brother loved firearms, and he had a nice collection; 30-30 over/under Winchester, a couple of 22 pump rifles and 3- 22 caliber handguns, a 20 gage and a 12 gage shotguns.  The best part about this wonderful couple; they loved taking me with them everywhere.  We would go swimming, hunting, camping, horseback riding, target practicing, and regularly to car races.

At the age of thirteen my brother and his wife invited me to a carnival at the annual Rodeo and Pow-Wow.  We were having a blast and were almost ready to go home when we decided to make one last walk through the carnival promenade.  As we walked past a group of small mobile trailers a beautiful young woman was standing at the doorway of the Fortune Teller trailer, and I made the mistake (this is Monday morning quarter-backing, talking) of making eye contact.  She signaled me to come to her but I kept walking behind my brother and sister in-law, as we passed by. 

After going past her trailer about 30 feet I suddenly felt my hand being grabbed and tugged at.  I turned around and was surprised to see the beautiful young lady was trying to get me to go with her to her Fortune Teller trailer. Trust me I know it sounds bad, a 13 year old being lured by a beautiful young woman (Gipsy woman no less), but this story is a lot more serious, as you will eventually come to find out.

The slight commotion got the attention of my brother and his wife who were amused to see a woman pulling on my arm.  He asked her what was going on.  Her response was that she had something important to tell me about my future.  My brother asked how much she charged and she said a dollar but I won’t charge him anything.  My brother being the adult and in charge said, let’s see what the future holds for you, it’s not even going to cost anything.

We went to her trailer where I was asked to seat across from her at a small round table.  She grabbed my right hand and turned it palm side up, where upon she immediately started to trace what she called my life line.  I remember staring at her face, not only for the obvious reason that she was beautiful, but as much for the fact that she had a very serious look on her face.  I felt a sense of imminent life changing information about to be disclosed about my future.  There again what could be so important about a 13 year Old’s life?  Please keep a look out for Tales from the Dark side Part 2.  The best is yet to come….

Cocooning

Cocooning

According to an article I read on USA Today (today) I am very cool and trendy.  I didn’t realize that I was living on the leading edge of change.  Cocooning was coined in 1981 and was used to describe individuals or families that felt more comfortable staying at home and bringing their entertainment to the environment that they can control.  Some examples are:  home swimming pools, large HD televisions for viewing sports events and viewing new movie releases at home instead of going out to venues, and one of the biggest is bringing home the always improving Home Game Systems.

I remember having to take my children to the Arcade at the Mall because the early home systems were so primitive, that blinking lights of different colors represented the football teams on the television screen.  We must not forget the very first video game “Pong,” that was supposed to be a game of tennis.  With that game even I could be a tennis champion.

Recent events such as shootings at theaters, assaults at sporting events, and crimes in general are bringing cocooning to a level now being called Super Cocooning.  Fear was never my driver, although recent events are beginning to make me look like a genius for my choices over the years.  My smallest television screen at home is 55 inches and comes with internet technology.  After all how many trips to the local Cinema will it take to pay for the latest technology?

Two tickets for my wife and me are slightly under $30 dollars at least double that cost if you go to IMAX Theater.  The cost of admission to go to the theater is the inexpensive part of the experience, have you tried eating anything once inside. My wife and I can easily spend $40 to $50 dollars by the time we head home.  The abuse is very obvious, and yet we go for it because we are a captive audience.  A 32 ounce soft drink is usually $4 or $5 dollars (3/4 of the 32 ounce cup is filled with ice that doesn’t cost the theater to produce because they have ice machines).

Sporting events are even more outrageous.  The last time I treated my boys to a football game, it cost me over $500 dollars and that was just the admission.  I didn’t enjoy the game because we were sitting next to some very drunk and obnoxious fans.  With a nice setup at home any sporting event can be much more enjoyable, not to mention the up close shots that professional HD camera work can offer with modern day technological advances.

I mentioned the costs of participating in entertainment of any type outside the home, and yet my biggest concern is the level of enjoyment vs. the safety of my family.  I am not suggesting that we drop out of society, simply that we be aware of options, and always our surroundings.  The best is yet to come....

Larceny In My Heart

Larceny in my heart

It is a known fact that we all have larceny in our hearts, at least I’ve heard it said somewhere.  The rumor, if that is all it is, sounds good enough to me for the purpose and title of this posting.

The year was 1963, and summer was the season. A perfect summer day for a drive; I never missed an opportunity to go for a drive in my 1956 Ford Victoria.  I swear I would have lived in that car if only my mother would allow it.  I regularly would ask my mother if she had any errands for me to run, or if she needed to go somewhere so I could drive her there.  The family car was 1962 Plymouth Belvedere Station Wagon with automatic transmission, air condition the whole nine yards as the saying goes.  I enjoyed driving my mother around in it, that is, until I acquired my Ford.

Teenagers didn’t make fun of each other back then for driving the family car even if it was a station wagon.  Besides, this station wagon had a 383 cu. in. V-8 engine that could outrun most anything in town, and I should know.  You could say I was ungrateful to prefer my Ford without air condition during the hot summer days, but trust me when I say that the Glass-Pak Cherry mufflers, more than made up for it.  People could hear me approaching a country mile away, especial that I loved down shifting as I approached stop signs.

But I digress, back to the subject of larceny in my heart.  Before you go off conjuring pictures in your mind of me robbing banks or even gas stations, here is how it went down.  I had a step-brother two years younger than me, and he loved riding around with me.  You can bet that my mother influenced his love for riding around with me.  He was supposed to keep me out of trouble, not to mention tell on me if I didn’t do everything by the rules.

On a beautiful day in June a week prior to the start of cherry harvest my brother and I drove into town to get haircuts.  We also stopped at Western Auto buy leather gloves and couple of straw hats, to ward of the hot summer sun while working outdoors.  Of course we also made a stop at A & W for a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a frosted large glass of root beer (still my all-time favorite).  On the drive home (we lived 15 miles out of town) is when the dastardly deed took place.

We were driving along the beautiful country roads among the open fields of alfalfa, mint and cherry orchards, admiring the ready to be picked plump purplish red cherries.  I suddenly decided that we should pick a few to eat as we drove home.  My little brother and I pulled to the shoulder of the road and went a few yards into the orchard to pick a handful of cherries.  As we came out of the orchard with my brother holding as many cherries, as he could put in his tee-shirt, which he folded up like a pouch in front of him, we were apprehended. 

Apprehended is an exaggeration; we actually came into the open to find a Sherriff’s Patrol Unit parked behind my car.  We were ready to drop the loot but he told us there was no sense in wasting the fruit, so he allowed us to keep it.  He continued to lecture us about how the farmer wouldn’t be able to make a living if everyone that drove by could just stop and pick some fruit.  As he instructed us to get in our car and go home, he mentioned that he knew our older brother, and would tell him about the incident the next time he saw him.

We learned our lesson, and never again took anything that didn’t belong to us.  We became very appreciative of law enforcement, and probably kept us from bigger jobs like robbing banks.  Our older brother never mentioned it to us, so it was probably just a scare tactic (that worked well).  The best is yet to come…..

Aha vs. Ha-ha

Aha vs. Ha-ha

Aha moment is the unusual occurrence when things come together to create an awakening, also thought of as the time when the light bulb goes on over your head, after the fact some people refer to it as a stroke of genius.  Not to be confused with opening the door when opportunity knocks.

Ha-ha moments are very frequent occurrences with very little if any value, other than to go through life avoiding ulcers.  You see laughing at life and even at yourself is the opposite of taking life way so serious that you develop ulcers unnecessarily.  I guess if you have never had ulcers you couldn’t appreciate the value of avoiding them.

Once upon a time at the age of 21, I was having a difficult time with life in general; I was holding down two jobs while going to college and being married with a baby girl at home (that little girl by the way will accompany me in completing a couple of items on my bucket list later this year).  I guess you could say that I had symptoms of the beginnings of ulcers.  Eating even a little bit of salad would cause excruciating pain in my stomach, and would keep me from eating even though I was starving.

One day I happen to be enjoying a round of golf with a friend that was finishing medical school, and I decided to ask him for a prescription for my ulcer problem.  Without literally missing a stroke, he said, wait till we finish the 18 holes of golf and I will give you the cure for ulcers over lunch at the 19^th hole (the 19^th hole was the name of the restaurant at the Club House).

I remember that we had lunch and as it turned out I only ordered a glass of milk because my stomach couldn’t handle the food.  As obvious as that would seem we had such a good time discussing the game we just finished that I forgot to ask him for the prescription.  When we left the restaurant we stored the golf equipment in the trunk of our cars and he drove away.

I ran like a crazy guy after his car until he finally saw me in the rear view mirror, and came to a stop.  I reminded him that he was going to give me a prescription for my ulcer problem.  He corrected me and he said I told you I would give you the cure for ulcers, not a prescription.

Here comes the “Aha” moment; He said, “If you have a problem that you can solve, solve it and don’t worry about it; if you have a problem that you can’t solve, don’t worry about it, because all the worrying in the world won’t solve it.”  I was perplexed for a couple of days but then it began to make sense, and I applied that rule of wisdom to all my perceived problems.  Today, some 40 plus years later, I have gone through life without developing ulcer.

I am unusual In that I have gone through life experiencing many an Aha moment, but I probably owe that to the fact, that I am aware of Aha moments, and am constantly on the lookout for them.  I also enjoy my share of Ha-ha moments, but I do take life very seriously.  The best is yet to come….

Why I Stopped Fishing

Why I Stopped Fishing...

My fishing experience was very special, for safety reasons it always included family outings.  There’s no way I would be allowed near the river or lake by myself at that age (we are talking nine or ten years old).  My mother was very protective, and possible overly cautious.  I can honestly say that I inherited that from her.  When the family moved to the Northwest from Texas, is when we became (especially me) one with nature (everything and anything outdoors).  I totally identify with the large number of Dallas Cowboy fans, even if my NFL team allegiance belongs elsewhere.  When I lived in Texas, I was so young but already indoctrinated into believing that no other State mattered.  Some of the more popular television programs helped to heighten the hype. One such program was “Tales of the Texas Rangers,” (1955-59).  There again television programing of the 1950’s and 60’s will be material for another blog posting.

I guess the relevance is that in Texas I was a city boy, and when we arrived in Washington State I became a country boy.  The relocation introduced me to my 21 year old step brother that I was meeting for the first time. I swear if you looked up outdoors in the dictionary, his picture would be there.  He was a hard working foreman at a large farm (approximately 7,000 acres).  I was so impressed with his work ethic, and especially his well-rounded skills.  His truck had a gun rack and he regularly would go pheasant hunting on his way home from work (during open season of course).  He taught me how to fish, how to ride horse, drive tractor, he even introduced me to deer hunting.  I don’t think I’ve ever told him but I owe him a big debt of gratitude for helping me build the foundation that would become the life platform on which I still stand.  That is another great subject for future posting.

Meanwhile back at the farm; before I got caught up in the world of work (due to age limitations) fishing was a regular part of my day.  We had ponds on the property that were stocked with fish, and whenever possible we would fish off the side of the river that bordered our property.  I must remind you that we didn’t have Nintendo, Xbox, or any other Game Systems.  We actually had to use our bodies and minds to keep ourselves entertained.  It wasn’t unusual for me to be riding a horse from one pasture to another and make believe that I was being chased by outlaws, or god forbid a band of wild Native Americans (politically correct).  Now back to fishing and the reason I quit.

It was a typically beautiful hot summer day with not a cloud in the sky (easy 87 degrees).  The river was as usual running beautifully fast and smooth taking the mountain snow melt right past our property.  The river water level was low typical of the time of year, and there were many boulders that were sticking out above the water level.  Being the adventures type that I’ve always been I took all my fishing gear (tackle box, fishing pole, fish net, some bait, a couple of candy bars, and a soda), and jumped from boulder to boulder until I was half way into the river some 20 feet from shore.  My arms were actually filled to overload.  Approximately three and a half hours later, after catching my limit for the day, I decide to get back to shore. 

By now the river level was a little higher and some of the smaller stepping stones were no longer above water, so what had been a fairly easy skip and jump out to the fishing spot was now a larger jump, and jump situation.  You see, when the gap is that far apart, you have to keep your momentum going, to complete the jump.  To make a long story short the last boulder that I jumped on to had a curled snake laying on it enjoying the warmth from the boulder.  In retrospect, it was probably all of 18 inched long, but at the time it may as well have been a python, or rattle snake.  By the time I saw the snake I couldn’t do anything but land on it.  The snake wrapped itself around my ankle, and that night I couldn’t sleep from the experience.  I never went fishing again, unless it was from a boat, and only into my twenties.

That is about as big and bad as my fishing story gets.  What’s your best fishing story?  Stay tuned the best is yet to come…..

Comic Books

Comic Books

I never thought of myself as a geek, but then again we didn’t have that word in our vocabulary when I was growing up. In 1956 my parents had just separated and were going through a divorce.  My sister and I stayed with our mother and we moved from California to Texas.  All my thoughts were of my parents working out their differences and coming together as a family again.  As I’ve said many times before, this is a subject for another posting.

I needed something to take my mind away from my everyday problems, and it was then that I discovered Comic Books.  Comic books at that time were the equivalent to the game systems of today without the interaction.  However, to be most effective the reader had to have a very active mind.  You see, the comic book storyline was merely the spark that made the mind take over and go beyond the images that were on the pages you were reading. 

I remember vividly that while I looked forward to getting my hands on the next issue, I dreaded finishing the comic because I knew that I would have to wait a whole week before the next issue arrived at the store.  The cost of a comic book in 1956 was 6 cents, I didn’t understand finances back then but I am glad my mother loved me enough to give me a 50 cent allowance per week.  My mother kept busy with two jobs in order to maintain a home in a nice neighborhood where we could be safe while she earned a living.  

Our house was close to school, and about 7 blocks away from a community park where my sister and I regularly went swimming especially during summer vacation from school.   Looking back I can’t get over how much society has changed.  My sister and I could walk anywhere we wanted to without fear of predators, or bullies, but then again neighbors looked after each other.  Our local store where I purchased my comics was a block away from my house, and I would walk there by myself to get my weekly fix.  I had three or four comics that I followed, some were weekly issues and other like Batman was bi-monthly, amongst my favorites; Superman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and the Flash. I remember that at times I arrived so early at the store that all the publications were bundled, and I was often told that I was the stores best customer.

It’s funny that so many years had to pass by before realizing that I was at the front end of something big.  One of my sons became a fan of comics at an early age and he now attends annual conventions.  I used to take my comics with me when I visited my grandmother and would read them to her; we spent many afternoons together sharing comics. 

Today’s cost of a comic book is prohibitive, for many of the young people that need the distraction the most.  I was lucky that I found an outlet for my challenging times that not only was entertaining and often took me to fantasy land, but it also was instrumental in making me an excellent reader.  I don’t know that everyone would agree, but I feel that reading ability is the key to great performance in the classroom.  There is so much more that I can share about the comic books and my early life.  You can expect a future post on Comic Books part 2.  Just a reminder the best is yet to come….

Budget 101

Budget 101

I was recently standing in line at my Credit Union where my wife and I have been members for some 25 plus years.  I started paying attention to the television monitor on the wall behind the counter where the cashiers are seated.  There are mostly news articles but every so often they make a mention about other services that are offered by the Credit Union.  The one ad that I am about to address is going to save my wife and myself and at this point at least 10 other families untold amounts of money. What I am about to tell you will most likely surprise you.  Paying attention to the monitor reading the article and following up on it will save my wife and me over $120,000.00 over the next 30 years. I know I still can’t believe it either.  You hear all this talk about home refinancing, but half the time you can’t believe the hype. 

A large percentage of home mortgages end up owned by Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac (government agencies). The way it works:  banking institutions like Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Home Street, Credit unions, etc., promote their mortgage departments, and once they have a customer, they package a bunch of loans and offer them to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac for sale.  There is a lot of money to be made over the term of the contract, just by looking at my savings and you know they are making more off of me than I am saving.  The problem for the smaller institutions is that they have to hold on to the mortgage for the length of the contract to realize the big profit.
By selling to the government agencies, they can make a quick sum for the sale and free their own money to keep financing homes.  What you need to know is that at present the interest rate is hovering right around 3.5%, so if you have a rate higher than say 5 or 6% you would save as much or more than I did.

There is a catch, you do have to qualify; make sure your mortgage is financed by one of the government agencies mentioned above (even if you are making your payments to Bank of America for example), and your income to debt ratio has to meet the requirement.  You don’t have to have positive equity but if you do it still works, this program is for people that are in trouble with their mortgage, but even if you are not you can qualify.  It’s worth checking out.
Just to tie this post to the blog theme, I will share something from the past.  The first home I ever bought was in Eastern Washington in 1971 and I bought it for $21,500.00.  The following are statistics for life in in the US (1971):

Cost of Living 1971

How Much things cost in 1971

Yearly Inflation Rate USA 4.3%, Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 890 Average                                                         Cost of new house $25,250.00, Average Income per year$10,600.00 Average Monthly Rent $150.00 Cost of a gallon of Gas 40 cents Datsun 1200 Sports Coupe $1,866.00 United States postage Stamp 8 cents Ladies 2 piece knit suites$9.98 Movie Ticket $1.50

As we use to say back then put that in your pipe and smoke it.  Remember the best is yet to come….

The King of Rock & Roll

Elvis Aaron Presley
The King of Rock & Roll
Born: 1/8/1935 Tupelo
Height: 6'0"
Died 8/16/1977

Songs, albums, and movies too many to mention on this blog (this won't the last post on this subject).

Anyone can Google Elvis and get enough material to choke a horse. As usual what you are about to read is my first hand experience and perspective. Before today, you couldn't read this information on the Internet.

September 9, 1956 was the first appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show. I will never forget that event for the impact that Elvis made in the music world, but equally important I will always remember because at that very young age, I experience mass hysteria. 1956 was one year before my family bought our very own black and white Phillco television set. Due to that fact we used to go visit with a family that lived a half block away most every Sunday after early dinner, and catch a couple of television shows with them. I loved going because they had three daughters and a son. One of the girls was my age (Norma), and the other two girls were teenagers 13 and 16. The son was younger than me by two years, and he kept telling me that Norma liked me. I guess it was an ego builder nothing else.

On the night of the Elvis performance, Mr. Sullivan was in the hospital due to a car accident during the week prior. Some performer from England stood in for him. For this particular program the girls had invited about 6 or 7 of their close friends. When Elvis was introduced all the girls started screaming and pulling their hair, it seemed fake except that they all had tears streaming down their faces. I was amazed at what I witnessed, and it took me a long time before I could make sense of Mass Hysteria. That day Elvis performed Ready Teddy, and Hound Dog. I went on to become a devoted fan of Elvis (to this day). I even traveled to Las Vegas specifically to catch his performance in 1975 at the La Vegas Hilton. I wish I had saved the ticket stub, but how was I to know that he would die within two years.

When I arrived in Washington State from Texas, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my new sister-in-law was also an Elvis fanatic. She had the full Elvis collection, which at the time consisted of five albums (1956-58)

Another sad note: my wife and I were married in 1977, three months after getting married we were driving the highways of Easter Washington when a song was interrupted to report that the King of Rock & Roll had died. I felt a sense of loss almost as if I had lost a close relative. In the future I will also post about other great artist, and even attempt some music comparisons across the time spectrum. Do you have any special memories or stories of Elvis? Stay tuned the best is yet to come......

Mother vs. Hulk Hogan

Mother vs. Hulk Hogan

I could give many examples of my wife’s love for me, but none is more significant than when she asked me if we could invite my elderly mother to come and live with us after her divorce from my step-father.  In all honesty I kind of longed for that type of arrangement, but I wasn’t about to impose that on her.  Again showing grace beyond belief she worked out chore responsibilities with my mother to make her not only feel welcomed but also a working part of the family.

My mother having a reputation for being a great master of the kitchen was assigned the chef duties and my wife handled everything else.  I of course was in hog heaven.  I ate the foods I enjoyed growing up, plus I had my whole family under one roof to look after, and provide for.  I’m sorry to say that the arrangement lasted no more than six or seven months.  We began to notice that my wife and I were gaining weight quicker than ever before, so my wife rearranged the duties and mother came out of the kitchen.  To be sure my wife cooked with healthy eating in mind, while my mother just made sure that the food was finger licking good.

My duties now included entertaining my mother and it involved the following, but not limited to: maintaining her in a supply of yarn, and materials for other crafts that she and my wife shared, including embroidery.  All those crafts after a while were not enough so I made the mistake of introducing my mother to Bingo at the local Casino.  We got lucky almost immediately, and before you knew it we were playing bingo on an average of 3 times a week (about two hours per outing).  It didn’t help that we lived less than a couple of miles from a very popular casino.

Another big interest of my mother’s became the WWF (later changed to WWE).  Most all the wrestlers were her favorites, Hulk Hogan, Macho Man “Randy Savage,” Kamala the Butcher, Jake the Snake, on and on.  I actually took my mother to some live wrestling matches at a nearby Domed Arena, and she had the time of her life.  There is a big reason for the build-up on the WWF.

The following year my mother for a short period of time seem to act a little depressed, so I came up with a great idea to bring her out of it.  I contacted my grandmother in California whom my mother had always maintained a close relationship with, and invited her to come to the Northwest and visit for a week.  Due to the fact that my grandmother was already in her 80’s, I also invited my grandmother’s daughter (my only aunt from my father’s side of the family).  After purchasing two round-trip airplane tickets for them, I had to make up a story so my mother would accompany me to the airport without giving away the surprise.

I told my mother that Hulk Hogan and a bunch of other wrestlers including Macho Man, and his manager Ms. Elizabeth, were coming to town for a Main Event, and that they would be arriving by plane at the airport.  I further told her that a friend gave me inside information and that we could go see them arrive and get their autograph.  Mother cheered up at the thought of meeting the Hulk, and Macho Man in person.

Once at the airport, the flight I was expecting (prior to the security restrictions of September 11, 2001), arrived and we were sitting nearby watching everyone come out of the tunnel.  I told mother to keep her eyes focused on the people coming off of the plane.  I was expecting that she would see and recognize my aunt and grandmother, as they entered the terminal.  When I saw them and they saw me, they walked towards and stood right in front of us, but my mother didn’t even notice them.  She was trying to look around them still looking for Hulk Hogan.  I finally said mom look who is here, she was filled with joy and stood up and hug them both, but as soon as she could she turned to me and in a low voice asked me; “Does that mean that Hulk is not coming?”  The following week was the best ever for catching up, adding details to the family tree project, and just plain fun.  That would also be the last time that my mother, grandmother and aunt would visit together.  I guess I did do a good thing after all.  Stay tuned the best is yet to come……

On Being Wealthy

On Being Wealthy

I was born to a very loving and giving couple.  If I had a choice and could pick my own parents, I would pick the same ones.  My father worked hard and smart to provide for his family (he was and educated man).  My mother came from more humble beginnings, but you would be hard pressed to find a more caring person.  I know that my mother loved me from before I was born, to her last day on this earth.  I can say the same about my father, but he just didn’t show it like my mother did.  Matter of fact, I remember it like it was yesterday, I was 42 years old and had already crossed the security check at the airport in Ontario California on my way to board my return flight home, when my father said the words, “I love you son.”

I’d like to think that it wasn’t a big deal, but it must have been if I still remember the exact moment to this day. There again, this is material for another posting.

From my early years I knew what it was like to enjoy the better things in life.  Before there was pre-school as we know it today, or even Head Start, my parents made a decision that was beneficial to my future.  I was enrolled at the age of four into a prestigious private (pre) school.  That experience and exposure gave me a boost that benefitted me for the rest of my life.  I remember being treated very special, and even lovingly if that’s possible, while at the same time being taught discipline.  By the time I was enrolled in public school I was at least two years ahead of the other students.

Having had a taste of good or decent life has a tendency to drive you to maintain a certain level of comfort.  Life throws a curve at you once in a while that may knock you of course.  The trick is to get back on course as quickly as possible to maintain the momentum.  After my parents divorced (that’s what a curve is) my mother remained single for 3 years before she remarried.  That remarriage landed me in a farm style environment.  I turned lemons into lemonade, and learned all I could from the farm environment and came out stronger (getting back on course).  We are the sum of all of our experiences.

On being wealthy:  it doesn’t matter if you are worth, one thousand or one million dollars.  If you appreciate what you have, you are wealthy.  If you don’t appreciate what you have you will never be wealthy because you’ll never know when you have arrived!  Another word of wisdom is that budgeting successfully is keeping the three legged stool balanced.  One leg is incoming cash, second leg is how much you need to live on, and third leg is outgoing cash.  If you are running low on cash by payday you either don’t make enough (get a part time job or get a better paying job), or lower your living standard (you can’t afford your life style), perhaps you are spending too much on entertainment, or unnecessary luxuries, even helping others may be a luxury you can’t afford.  Bottom line is we are all wealthy within our means; we just need to appreciate what we have.  The best is yet to come…….

Creating Opportunities

Creando Oportuniades

I’ve had relatives tell me how lucky I am, because my life has been very stable, and in fact when it comes to finances and taking care of my family, I have been very blessed.  To those relatives I always respond with, yes I am, and the funny thing is the more I prepare and the harder I work the luckier I get. Throughout my adult life I have always been fortunate to have pursued a career, while working a family business alongside of that career.  My family has always had all their needs, and many of their wants growing up.  The following is an excerpt from a book that I am writing (working title: East Lincoln):

• Seems that most of my life I've had a special ability to find opportunity where no one else seems to see one, and then make the most of it. A fine example is when at eleven years old, I walked into a new barber shop to get my hair cut. I noticed that the shoe shine stand was unmanned. I asked the barber that was cutting my hair, "Your shoe shine boy didn't show for work today?" He answered no, he is my son and went away to college. I asked if he had someone to replace him with. He in turn asked me if I was interested in the job. He said I could use the supplies that were in place, but would have to replace them as they ran out. In exchange for the opportunity I was to maintain the floor swept. I accepted the job without checking with my mother, but she was very happy for me.

As usual I did the very best job I could do. My customers liked my work so much that they would regularly drop off their dress shoes so I could shine them while they were at work and they would pick them up on the way back from work. I guess I invented the first ever drive-in shoe shine. The barber shop was mid-range as quality went, and I was told to charge 25 cents for a shoe shine and the men would tip between 15 and 25 cents. I was making more money than some adults who worked by the hour.

My new job kept me in spending money and I was able to contribute to the home budget. My mother couldn't believe how much money I was contributing. Waitress pay at the time was $28 dollars per 40 hour week plus tips. I was able to contribute regularly $10 to $14 dollars per week, and more in the summer time during school vacation. As I mentioned before my mother worked two jobs in order to make ends meet. We didn't enjoy any luxuries but we had all the essentials and a few treats now and then.

Throughout my life, I’ve lived with a sense of loyalty to people that treat me right, or extend opportunities that I might not otherwise have a shot at.  In competition, I believe in being fair and up front, whether it be in sports or business.  I once passed up a chance at second place finish in a motorcycle race because I stopped to help a rider that had taken a spill and broke his leg.  I guess I am driven by my conscience, after all I have to live with myself.  The best is yet to come…

Latin Oldies but Goodies

El Charro de America

 I enjoy all music styles but I must admit some of my very favorites are of days gone by.  These beautiful music I speak of is never going away.

Some examples are: Ella, En Mi Viejo San Juan, Cancion Mixteca, Uste, etc., etc.  My mother and father’s favorites were Historia de Un Amor, Cien Anos, and Tampico Hermoso.  Some of their favorite recording artists were Jorge Negrete, Pedro Infante, Lola Beltran, Jose Alfredo Jimenez, Libertad La Marque, Agustin Lara, etc.

·       Pedro Infante nació el 18 de noviembre de 1917 en Mazatlán, Sinaloa — murió el 15 de abril de 1957 en Mérida, Yucatán, fue el actor y cantante mexicano más famoso, carismático y publicitado de la época de oro del cine mexicano, así como uno de los más grandes representantes de la música ranchera. 

·       A partir de 1939 apareció en más de 60 películas, y desde 1943 grabó aproximadamente 310 canciones. Por su actuación en la película Tizoc (1956), fue acreedor al oso de plata del festival internacional de cine de Berlín al mejor actor principal, y al premio globo de oro a la mejor película extranjera, otorgado por la prensa extranjera acreditada en Hollywood, premio que ya no tuvo la oportunidad de recibir. Los mariachis de antaño lo recuerdan porque siempre tuvo mucho cariño por sus músicos, sus mariachis.

I enjoy Trio music like Los Panchos, Los Dandys, I also appreciate the Merengue, Salsa, Bachata, Corridos Nortenos, Polkas, Huapangos, Cumbias, Rock, Baladas, y Boleros.  I am in the planning process of starting a Podcast for Spanish music.  I can picture a romantic half hour once weekly, and a separate half hour also once weekly with just a mix of music from our younger years.  Stay tuned for additional information.

Once music gets into our blood, you are stuck for life.  At about twenty years of age I got real lucky and was hired at a (24/7) Spanish Language Broadcasting Radio Station in central California.  I started out as a copy person translating Associated Press news into Spanish for Broadcast, and eventually worked my way to reading the news on the air, with my own air time on the weekends.  I’ve been involved in the music business in one way or another ever since.

My music involvement has been from owning music stores, to promoting recording artists in concerts and dance venues, to owning a multi-system wedding Disc Jockey service.  All my entrepreneurial efforts have been successful, but all businesses reach a point of saturation or completion.  My longest effort was the multi-system wedding Disc Jockey service.  I owned it and successfully operated the enterprise for 22 years before I sold it.

My life like everyone else’s life has had ups and downs, but you have to remember that you can’t enjoy the highs if you never have experienced lows. Having gone this far in life, I wouldn’t change anything if I could.  The best is yet to come…..

Love of all Music

Dance Concerts/Promotions 

My father and mother met over their love of music and dancing, my wife and I actually strengthened our interest in each other over our appreciation of music.  When my mother and father met it was over ballroom dancing to the big famous orchestras of their time.  In Tampico, Mexico the Orchestra they first and regularly danced to was “los Gatos Negros.”  It didn’t hurt that my mother had the looks of a movie star of the era, and my father had a keen eye for beauty.

 

When my wife and I met, I was very much into all kinds of music, but I was at the time heavy into promoting dances (Tejano style dances).  In fact, I was the biggest and best known promoter for five years covering the Northwest (Oregon, Idaho, and of course Washington).  I also was involved in Spanish Radio Broadcasting (I was a popular Locutor – DJ) about to become a regional known DJ covering the above mentioned States, plus Northern California, and Utah.

My favorites at the time were Los Classicos de Roberto Pulido, Los Fabulosos 4, Ramon Ayala, and Cornelio Reyna.  I had first been introduces to Ramon Ayala, and Cornelio Reyna In King City, California, where I saw them perform as “Los Relampagos del Norte,” back in the late 60’s.  Those guys were young, and I was even slightly younger.  I’ll never forget their impressive entrance, as the crowd was looking all over the place to see what direction they would walk in from after they were introduced (outdoor open field), and to the crowd’s surprise they were brought in by helicopter.

 

As a Spanish Radio DJ, I also pioneered music that was not previously played in the Northwest.  I introduced my audiences to Julio Iglesias music (when he was just getting started), also Palito Ortega, King Clave, and of course the up and comers of the time, Los Tigres del Norte, Los Huracanes del Norte.  Amongst the many performers that I brought to the Northwest Dance Promotions are:  Los Tigres, Los Huracanes, Little Joe Y La Famila, Ramon y Cornelio (separately of Course), Roberto Pulido, Carlos Guzman, Los Diablos (From Los Angeles, California), Los Muecas, Los Freddys, Los Bukis (that’s right Anotnio Solis himself), Los Cachorros de Juan Villareal.  I can write a book just about the names that I brought to the Northwest and hung out with.

 

The dance promotions went on every weekend year round even when the nasty winters were upon us.  People still needed a distraction.  There were no Spanish television programs, or movie rentals in Spanish, not much radio programing except the few hours that were provided by people like myself.  I know that many people prefer a quiet life compared to the one I had, but I was able to handle it, and have a great time doing it.  My life has always been exciting, and challenging.  I have many things going for me, amongst them two very important ones are: Whatever you do be the best at it, and equally important, know when to get in and when to exit.  Some people overstay their welcome, and eventually turn into failure what should have been a success.  The best is yet to come….

My One Big Secret

This was almost my last swim

My mother and I had the perfect relationship between mother and son. From the age of 9 years old when my mother and father separated I became the man of the house (literally). The family unit was made up of my mother, my sister (7 years older than me), and me the only man in the house.  My sister passed away three years ago, so I can say the following without hurting her feeling (I am sure she was aware) I believe that I was my mother’s favorite child. Some relatives often said that I resembled my father so much, whom she loved until the day she died, and that is why she favored me.

Communications with my mother were excellent.  There was never any secrets that I kept from my mother, and when she got serious about getting remarried she wanted to know my opinion and approval.  Well, I did keep one secret from her for my whole life (or as it turned out for her whole life).  Her big thing in life was for me to be happy and safe, not necessarily in that order.  Because my maternal grandmother lived on an island off of the Gulf of Mexico, many of our yearly vacations were there.  Whenever we arrived I was like a celebrity to the local kids my age and younger (and even some older ones).  After all they considered me the one that went away to the better world.  Back in those early years I thought they were the ones that were better off.

Those kids had the simple and yet majestic life.  They lived in paradise, bleached white sand on the beach, greenish blue crystal clear water, tropical breeze, banana plants, mango trees, guayabas, berries, and all the seafood you could eat.  None of those mentioned items had to be bought, they were there for the picking, or fishing.  Kids ran around barefoot, in cut-offs or swimsuits, the girls wore white blouses for tops to fend of the tropical sun and its heat.  I on the other hand was always in a process of learning a new language, lived in a climate that pretty much had the four seasons, including the cold and ice and snow of winter.  I am not complaining as it turned out Mexico definitely took a bad turn along the way with the cartels and drugs.

At the time I envied their simple life style.  They would all gather around me and wanted to hear what it was like going to school in the United States.  They wanted to hear me speak in English, and they asked me how to say some specific words in English.  They also wanted to hear about what I did for fun.  The older boys wanted to know what I thought about the non-Hispanic girls that I lived amongst.  When I mentioned the television programs that I watched, they couldn’t believe that people actually had those movie boxes in their homes. 

Since my mother always would tell me to go and play (hangout) with the other children, I always did as I was told.  It goes without saying that she expected me to make good decisions.  When it comes to deciding between adventure and safety, many young ones will go with adventure (sad to say).  Everyone pretty much decided it was time to go swimming in the river.  In those days the best I could do was stay afloat, because of my mother’s safety concerns, I was always told to stay away from the water’s edge (didn’t have any swimming lessons on my resume).

I didn’t know that over recent years, the river had been dredged to allow for ships to pass through the area.  The locals knew to stay near the river’s edge, but I didn’t.  While floating in the river strong currents pulled me away from the shore.  All of a sudden I felt the current pulling me under, I know that I fought to stay on the surface for a short time but I felt that it was for a lot longer, and I was exhausted.  Every time I came up for air I only managed a half breath and a mouthful of water.  The other kids were reaching out to me with oars, and some were swimming out to me.  Even at that young age and inexperienced as I was, I felt that I was not going to win this battle.  I made a calculated decision that I would let the current take me all the way to the bottom.  I curled my legs under me bringing my knees to my chest, and dropped to the bottom like a rock.  While I didn’t want to open my mouth and take in water, I felt like my chest was going to burst for lack of air.  When I finally felt the bottom of the river, I pushed against the river bottom with all my strength extending my legs as if they were spring loaded.  From the bottom of the river I could see the boats on the surface above the water searching for me.

When I finally broke to the surface and could finally fill my lungs with air, I was choking and coughing because I had gotten water in my lungs (it amazes me at how I didn’t panic and kept control of the lungs that had a mix of water and air in them).  My friends reached for me and pulled me into one of the boats. During the time that I wasn’t sure whether I would survive the drowning experience, I did have a quick replay of my life and I worried about how my mother would handle not having me in her life anymore..

After a quick recovery, I found that I wasn’t the only one that feared my mother and grandmother.  We made a pact that no one would ever hear about the near drowning.  A couple of times I came close to telling my mother but thought better of it.  If you don’t believe that I’ve been blessed throughout my life maybe this will convince you.  The best is yet to come…..