JOURNAL FOR 2006

 

PERSONAL

 

Melinda and me decided to live together – after having met the year before in August 2005. It was a fun year of bonding with and travelling around with Melinda.

Moved the office into the house at 161 – and moved into the house from the Lake in September. Lived at the Lake House most of the year. Cozy and quiet. Now Joe enjoys it with his kids and boat.

 

This was the year of the flood, and we weathered it ok. Bridge in Franklin came down. Franklin house put on the market and wouldn’t sell.

 

Had a car accident that totaled by VW, my veggie-car, and broke a rib as a result – but was ok. We tried unsuccessfully selling the parts on EBAY.

 

God it was warm this winter – virtually no snow stuck to the ground – except a little when we were done in Florida. Caught a cold there. Unbelievable.

 

Made progress with my writings. Composed 35 pages and hope to have the 70 or so pages of a preliminary paper completed.

 

Forest came to visit a couple of times and drove down to Virginia to see his friends.

 

Saddam Hussein was hung to death today 12/29/06 in the pm. The Democrats retook control of Congress. Kucinich is running for President again but I was not managing the district campaign again – too busy with new responsibilities.

 

Played scrabble but disbanded my chess group – a casualty of being too busy. Such is life!

Melinda was healing from cancer via the power of God and with the help of my love. So we hold this to the Light.

Melinda is making great raw food meals, growing sprouts, juicing, and being juicy. And we had a waterfall installed in the kitchen eat-in area. Guys built a second floor to the garage – to the consternation of some neighbors.

We got our alkaline filter working again.

 

Bought a new truck with a snow plow and then it didn’t snow all year!
 

TRIPS 

MEMORIES OF VA TO RECORD -  Two times including for New Year celebration in downtown Charlottesville’s First Night - Went to Forest’s graduation and met Krishna who helped set up the website for Quality Rentals. Went to hardware store restaurant. Went to hot tub lady ; Janet had a party; Went to Ave’s house; went to Christina Cramer who channels Mother Marie (lives with Veronique); did a colonic with Ann Galant; went to Susana’s, Jewish lady at her farm; Helena drove to meet me in Skineatelas. Went to a pot luck at Ed and Georgia’s at the Laughadians. Met Larry. Went out to Yogaville and Inisfree and Julie showed us around and met the residents. Beautiful setting.

This is all where Melinda used to live and work – and wrote Masters Thesis on Inisfree.

 

PA – twice. Went to the Amish country, once to Frog town and once to Intercourse. Went to an auction. Met Melinda's sister and family there.

NY – Melinda came to visit me twice here and went to Nyack with me – on her birthday in April.

Albany – we went to a government auction too late, and went around to visit local shops.

 

Ithaca – went to the Buddhist relics exhibit and stayed at Wendy’s house.

FL – East and West Coast. Took Melinda’s sister, Wendy out bowling.  My dad was doing much better and he likes Nina who gives him a daily rubdown– living like a king – and who said she would take care of him even if he ran out of money. So did Melinda. She would keep him out of the nursing home.

GA – Visited Shira; Helped my daughter get out of debt by paying much of her credit card which had defaulted. Visited Shira in Atlanta; saw where she worked and lived; got there for her roommates birthday party and met a lot of friends; went to a very expensive raw food restaurant – and weren’t in the mood to eat pates made out of nuts or drinks charged by the ounce!  Went to Little India and had a blast with their food and goodies. Also went to the local Salvation store and brought nifty clothes and an original art painting of the ocean for Shira.

Got rings at the airport in Atlanta, our informal way of getting unofficially “married.”

 

LV – Noteworthy (Private Notes) Convention. Went to Ruby house. Gambled. Went to Wallmart. Melinda won at the airport.

FL – Saw my dad and went to the Butterfly World – took beautiful pictures

Hoping to see Aaron for Dad’s 88^th birthday.

 

 

BUSINESS

 

Melinda has helped me restart Solving Cash Flow, Inc as a viable business. This included marketing for mortgage portfolios. Melinda is working for me part time – and the construction work now requires a larger, full-time year round crew.

 

Got a windfall legal settlement and insurance car and chandelier claim settlement to tie me over (with no refinancings during 2006). Saved my neck!

 

Inheritance never settled and the people for fighting for their $50,000 euro deposit to be returned.

 

Took all day course with Tony Reeves and sat in on lectures at the Noteworthy convention.

 

Signed up as a loan officer and Ray Mannion under me. Working with Rex Oliver and Steve Conklin.

 

Employed the Speenburgs (Walt Sr, Jr, and Shawn) and helped out Don Jones to come back to work for me – giving him a free apartment for the interim so he is not homeless.

 

Added Chestnut Street to the summer rentals – beginning to make real estate rentals and renovations a full time bus-i-ness.

 

Bought storage van and trailer.

 

Hired Michael for the marketing campaign. His computer crashed and now he is recomposing our website with a streaming video.

 

Got licensed as a real estate sales person – as part of making the real estate a full time venture.

 

Came up with the idea of Physician’s Tax Service.

 

Went into partnership with two physicians to purchase the Otego commercial property – what will close in 2007 with title under BRS Real Estate LLC.

 

Joined the Albany based NYRealEstateInvestorsAssociation and attended meetings.

 

Saw my dad before year end and went to the Joe Fortunato course.

 

Got refused for 161 East Street summer rental and composed an appeal – what a lot of work.

Also purchased 247 Chestnut and expecting to close on Ford Avenue.

RENOVATIONS

1. 121 - Expanded bathroom with a whirlpool and outside hot tub with a platform. Cut down the tree that was degrading the roof.
2. 161 - Added hot tub and waterfall and added second floor to garage
3. Lake house through and through with cherry trim and floors
4. Chestnut Street converted upstairs from a one to a two bedroom.
5. Chestnut Street – renovated the downstairs office to make it into an apartment.
6. Hudson – Various work to Tonia’s. One apartment at Hudson Street – rerented for $1,100 a month.
7. Spruce Street – gutted it.
8. Franklin - Landscaped and modified Frankin porch;

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WRITINGS

Set up the naturolism site but haven’t done much with it as yet.

 

ACTIVIST

 

Sponsored a house party for the election of progressive Congressional Candidates plus helped out another house party.

 

Attended the Coalition for Democracy and volunteered to get national speakers.

 

Set up a landlord association for the summer landlords.

 

 

 

GOALS FOR 2007

 

1)      PHD - Want to finish preliminary paper for the PhD and submit it – get it approved – and be satisfied with it and consider publishing it on the Internet – and promoting it.

2)      Melinda – improve my relationship through loving communication.

3)      Kids – Continue to improve relationship and invite them over.

4)      Visit Cousins and Aaron and VA friends and communication– so long as my Aunt is around.

5)      One or two socials with new friends in Oneonta – some couples.

6)      Community – keep the focus and move in that direction, holding it in consciousness.

7)      Businesswise – not under so much stress – whatever it takes. Get inheritance.

Break into the portfolio business; mortgage origination – basically get a regular flow.

8)      Healthwise – both in perfect health