Me and my daughter at our last gig.

I have an appointment in Williamsburg this evening. I always love the drive. Williamsburg is such a pretty place (If you know where to look). I get out there about every 2 months.

I have to watch my Brother’s dog (A beagle) Thursday - Saturday night. I don’t HAVE to but I always say yes unless I’m going out of town. If he isn’t careful, I’ll bring her home and keep her.

I have SO MUCH work to finish a vacant rental property. I have to have it ready by mid August. I had to replace drywall in the bedroom, I had to replace 2 windows, 2 window sills, a roof, replace the carpets and kitchen floor covering and paint the entire thing both inside and out (I have already painted the exterior). I should have most of the dirty work completed by this weekend. I may have the paint finished by the middle of next week. Somehow, I suspect I will be replacing a fixture or two as well. This is the last of my houses that required “standardization” since my tenant moved out.

I have a guitar student. Long story short, this young lady was once a soccer player (I coached her a few years ago) but she has torn her ACL twice and her miniscus once. Anyhow, I have inheireted a guitar student. The upside? She has “The gift”. I already have her playing whole songs and doing bar chords in a month and a half. Almost time for scales and theory. If she sticks with it she is going to be REALLY GOOD. Bonus? I don’t charge. Double Bonus? Sometimes lessons last for well over an hour and a half.

Nurse ratchet has been selling old books on Amazon. What a Pain in the neck for small change.

I’m on a diet. No worries. Getting in fighting shape is no problem once I put my mind to it. I should weigh 185. I’m at 200….Easy fix.

I would love to skip out and go surfing or at least ride a boogie board today.

Not going to happen today.

My mind is all over the place.

Peace be with you,

Bobby

Hmmm let me see, where have I been? I think it safe to say that I have been in a state of purgatory for a little while.

In my little world of work it gets a little bit crazy when you change jobs from one company to the next. You literally resign on the spot, take all of your belongings and walk out the door to begin working for your new company as soon as they legally release you from your old place of employment. In other words, you start work on Friday night and don’t look up until you are finished several weeks later.

You don’t have much time to say goodbye or even think about the relationships you leave behind. That is one part of the job I despise. Unfotunately, they are beginning to lay people off from that office now that I have left. I feel terrible.

Life was so stressful I seriously contemplated suicide. The ONLY think that kept me from dying is the love I have for my daughter and wife. Never underestimate the power of love. In my case it saved my life for I was haunted by a lone gunman who wanted to end everything for about a week.

I am now a Senior Vice President for a new company; Partner of our own Real Estate business and a director for a Charitable Foundation.  

I am overwhelmed by the love and support I have received from my friends and family. I would be nothing without them.

For weeks, I thought the light at the end of the tunnel just might be a train. I’m beginning to think it could be sunlight.

Flash Forward….

I am alive. I am relatively well. I turned 46 years old on Saturday. I am running races and exercising like crazy.

I have been following you quietly. There are several of you I love. Some of you don’t know it so I may make it a point to tell you over the next coming days. Please accept it for it is all I have to offer.

Stay tuned.

Peace be with you,

Bobby

A new twist on an old picture. This one taken for Christmas 2009.

Bullet points.

This could be short or could be long. I don’t know.

1)      Racism. I‘ve seen some discussion on the subject in KCL. All it takes is one human being who is different than another and BOOM you have potential for conflict. Education is the only way to solve racism.

2)      Straight A’s continue for Jovana, our exchange student. The kid should be an engineer. Unfortunately, they have no use for Engineers in her country. Engineers, Physicians and Lawyers are not well paid in Montenegro.

3)      Kelly has been pounded with snow these last couple of weeks. Friday and Saturday they are getting 15-26 inches of snow after having snow all week up in DC. Folks, we are from the beach where the snow never goes…It has officially freaked her out.

4)      Me? Oh I have completely lost my mind. I had two rentals come vacant at the end of January. One is rented already (Wonderful turn around and picked up 45 more bucks a month in rents.) The other? I should have it ready to show in the next two weeks. Those folks were not the cleanest humans on the planet. I will pick up an extra 45.00 bucks in rent there as well. Lots of work. Many long nights!!!

5)      Nurse Ratchet? Um, her mentor and old physician co-worker passed away suddenly about 2 weeks ago. He died of a massive heart attack. They worked together the day before he passed. She has cried everyday since. Not pretty. Actually, I have never seen her depressed. She is CRUSHED.

6)      My brother is working with one of the producers of Lady GaGa on some music tracks. They both went to Berklee together. Frankly, this is his big break. The downside? My brother is a monster in the studio. In fact, he has his own studio in his house. Killer. We are having a divorce party for him on the 8^th!!! It is official.

7)      My little sister? I love her. She is just back from a business trip to Atlantic City. She was excited. Me? You can keep Atlantic City. She has already fallen off the wagon on her running and diet.

      Hopefully, I can fix my golf cart tonight or tomorrow. I snapped a strut off jumping some dunes awhile back. Were we out of control? Yes. Was it fun? That cart should be outlawed.

9)      Superbowl? I see the Saints winning it unless Peyton Manning gets red hot.

10)  I miss you all very much. I still read you but have not logged on to comment or write. I think that status will be consistent for awhile.

Peace be with you,

Bobby

I know, I have been taking these crazy long breaks between posts. Heck, I post 2 places. I do make sure I click ads over at Keepconnectedlive just to keep my buddy Matt in business. Great place to post if you have never been. Small community but fantastic members.

I am gearing up for some really big changes in the next couple of weeks. I am looking forward to disclosing these changes to you once they occur; unfortunately I am in a quiet period for the next few weeks.

New Years was absolutely nuts. We had folks over and then we did the mobile party thing on my golf cart. In fact, we blew up so many firecrackers the cops came looking for us.

Factoid.

Life has been absolutely crazy around here.

We did manage to have a bunch of fun snow tubing and skiing the weekend of New Years. The mountain house is quiet and so serene.

I am around and I see you journals. I will comment when time permits. I think I’ll go for a run on the beach. I know, its 28 degrees outside. It is sunny and calm however…..

Peace be with you,

Bobby

Me and my girls at Busch Gardens Dec 2009

I know, I have been taking these crazy long breaks between posts. Heck, I post 2 places. I do make sure I click ads over at Keepconnectedlive just to keep my buddy Matt in business. Great place to post if you have never been. Small community but fantastic members.

I am gearing up for some really big changes in the next couple of weeks. I am looking forward to disclosing these changes to you once they occur; unfortunately I am in a quiet period for the next few weeks.

New Years was absolutely nuts. We had folks over and then we did the mobile party thing on my golf cart. In fact, we blew up so many firecrackers the cops came looking for us.

Factoid.

Life has been absolutely crazy around here.

We did manage to have a bunch of fun snow tubing and skiing the weekend of New Years. The mountain house is quiet and so serene.

I am around and I see you journals. I will comment when time permits. I think I’ll go for a run on the beach. I know, its 28 degrees outside. It is sunny and calm however…..

Peace be with you,

Bobby

Me and my girls at Busch Gardens Dec 2009

I recall walking into work and preparing for the days events. All of a sudden I see on the television that the World Trade Center has been hit by an airplane.

Flash to the scene…

Papers fly everywhere. Surprisingly, my friend Bill survives the impact. He was a trader at Cantor Fitzgerald and their office was directly impacted. He calls his wife and tells her that he is okay. He says they are going to the roof and that they will be rescued, not to worry.

This would be the last time he tells his wife he loves her. You know the rest of the story…

My friend never got to see his three children grow up. Their father is but a distant memory.

9/11 shattered all of their lives.

It would eventually change ours lives as well.

I will never forget.

Peace be with you,

Bobby

I ask that question all the time.

I even ask that question of myself. What next Bobby?

Sometimes the answer comes to me and often it takes awhile for me to find the right path. I go through all this stuff and consult with all sorts of people on a day to day basis just to figure out what is next.

In searching for employment elsewhere I have determined (along with a consultant or two) that I am best served by forming my own company and striking out on my own. Eventually, I will have associates who work with me and we will grow based on our vision and abilities. It is the same business I am in but this will be my own company.

Is it risky? Oh there are issues with having your own company of course and while they seem expensive up front, the money we make will be beyond my wildest expectations. I eventually see others joining us and finding a home with our company. We will make a difference not only in their lives but the lives of our clients and community at large.

I have left too much on the table for way too long. I have enjoyed some level of success along the way. Now it is time for me to step up and make it happen.

Will it be hard work? Yes. Will there be diversions along the way? Yes. Will there be success and failure? Yes.

I have walked many paths in my life. Every path has a beginning and an end. I am not afraid.

I have been waiting at the entrance of several paths for the last few months. I now know what I must do. This is my destiny.

I will embark on this journey as President of my own company.

Stay tuned while I set the course.

Peace be with you,
Bobby

Easter weekend.

I spent most of the time working on our house and lawn. I’m slowly preparing the band room to be rented by the end of May 2009. We expect to be very picky about that tenant so you just never know. It will add another 10,000 in cash flow to our household which pays for half of Kelly’s college expenses.

Kelly has committed to attending a college and we are in the process of working out her arrangements. Sending her away is going to be expensive.

Mabel has a good lead on a good job but she has to travel fairly far to work. I have a few fair leads on some okay jobs but nothing has hopped out at me for the moment.

I’m not comfortable and have been unable to relax for the longest time. I sure would like to know what the future holds.

On a lighter note I am moving my band room into an upstairs bedroom so music will still be available to me in a smaller space. I can live with that thought.

Mabel and I have been spending a lot of our nervous energy getting in shape. Both of us have lost about 15 pounds. I have noticed my running pace has improved considerably. I could stand to lose another 10 to 15 pounds so that my weight was right at 170-175.

How did we do it? Simple really. Eat less, exercise more etc. The real secret is to cease your intake of any soda, bread, hollow snacks and alcohol.

Stress is also a factor. We have stress in abundance. Lots and lots of stress.

Spring is upon us and I am looking forward to many a long, hot summer day outdoors.

Peace,
Bobby