Beat and the Heat

Today is one hot example of a day to follow, but guess what, it is supposed to get more hot as the next few days pass. I am going to have to install a grease catch on my ankles to catch all the grease being cooked out of me every day. I could make diesel out of it. Bleh..... The best part is the humidity. You'd think 100 degree temps would cook a piece of bread so it become dry and brittle but that is not how it is here. Anything left open with any sort of crispy food inside turns into a sort of dehumidifier. Everything turns soggy and mushy just like you will if you sit outside for a while. If you do anything more than sitting you will become drenched in your own sweat. There are pros and cons to living in the southern cooker just like everywhere else. I'll keep calling this area home.

Speaking of home I sure love coming home to the wife and kids. You could say there are pros and cons to that too but it's so lopsided I not sure there are cons when the considerations are completed.

It was always a dream for me to become someone in music and especially to learn the piano. I learned at an early age that different folks have to learn differently. My style would be to learn music I wanted to learn and master a song at a time. I was never afforded that style from any musicians. As I have become "older" I have revisited my desire to learn music and have been slowly picking out Moonlight Sonata but progress is slow and the piano needs a couple hundred dollars worth of work. I got this 12yr old girl that is really gaining ground on the piano. She is running ahead of me learning Beethoven and is actually having to show me how to play it! How do ya like that?? She'll be a good teacher. My 14yr old is gaining ground on the guitar too. He is learning guitar the way I should have learned. He takes one song at a time and learns it. Now he has a bit of a play list and is learning cord progression and classic ques from his own perspective not that of a boxed in teacher. It's pretty awesome from where I stand.

In the meantime I am learning more tricks on the drums. I have played for years and had opportunities to follow my old friends to the big time. God has other plans though and I'll stick with that. My latest little learning episode happened as a result of watching this kid that plays and amazing drum solo on youtube. The one handed drum roll has evaded my scope for years. I had sort of chalked it up to not even being in the same realm of talent as these other "cats". I had even forgotten about it. This all due to my old friend, who tours with Shania Twain and many other greats, telling me he could not do that either. I suppose he might be able to now but I don't know him anymore. In the meantime this kid reminded me of the cool chops and I began looking around for how to guides. This age of the internet produced the good and in ten or so minutes I was doing the very one handed drum roll I never thought I could!

Here I sit in the air conditioning appreciating the fact I am stuffed inside where I might find something to do like learn I can climb this mountain. My family along the way giving me the lift I need to finally make my dreams come true.

Holiday Crew

Well things are certainly better than they have been in a while. Work is still ticking along with a few interruptions but that is to be expected. I have just replaced the cradle pins on the f68 which was long overdue. The Independence Day holiday is coming through right now so mills are doing various shutdowns and that is a slight hold up but all in all it's still good.

Misty and I finally got the chance to take the kids somewhere after nearly three years of near nothingness. We took them to Santa Claus, Indiana where there is arguably the greatest theme park in the world. Holiday World/Spalshin' Safari has the greatest wooden roller coasters on earth and many other great attractions. The most notable parts are the kid areas and rides scattered around the park, free refreshments all day, patronage that is levels above those who attend any other park I have been to, and last but not least the overall cost of taking such a huge family on vacation. The Hotel stay was MORE than general admission for two days! It is also not far from home relatively speaking. The water park side is real big, full of slides and rides and they have this really cool water coaster. If you ever want to ride that thing ya have to be willing to wait in line because, even with the smaller crowds, everyone wants to ride that coaster again and again.

I recommend anyone with a family to check that place out. We went three years ago and had to come back. We plan on going again someday too. This time I got Misty a shirt with "Holiday Crew 2011" at the top with all our names across the shirt and of course at the bottom the last name just says "And...?" and you know why.

Back in Biz

I have spent the last couple of years stressing out over the economy and the incredible government/corporate evil that strangles the life out of the hardest working segments of our society. They truly are biting the hands that feed them. I do have plenty to be thankful for but you must admit it is hard to notice all the things that go right when you can feel the knife in your back from the giants with no heart or concious.

With that said I have found myself on one of the best jobs I have ever done and I can feel the heaviness lifting off my shoulders a little bit at a time. I work and finally it pays. If this keeps going there will be a short time between where I am and where I should have been several years ago.

Emergence See?

Once again it's been too long since I have posted. I just haven't been motivated at all. Everything, aside from my awesome family and friends, has been in the dumps. No money, no sleep, hurry up and wait....for nothing. Can it get worse? Yeah it can! I am definitely satisfied with just how bad it can get already. I don't need to see any more of this! Things are starting to turn a little though. It's this time of year when the weather turns bad that thing loosen up. What happens is the mills get full when everyone is able to work real good. If you are unfortunate enough, like myself,you miss out on the best time to produce. We had breakdowns after breakdowns. Most of those were due simply to careless employees but in the end I have to take the blame for letting them take one step on my job. We also had to deal with many problems at the hands of worthless mechanics, tires, and tire dealers. So, after not making a showing while quotas were open, we are among the first to be cut off when the quotas start up again.

Towards the end of the worst run of my life I have run up on some very good folks. The land owners have been great for the last few jobs. They have all witnessed what they probably could not have believed had they just been told about it. Ignorant folks who have always had it relatively easy, have never run a small business, or have sold their souls to be a success love to chime in and let me know how I am going about things wrong. Oh well! If they are in the mood to listen as much as they offer advice they end up quitting just like they would do if they actually dealt with it. LOL However, I said before this could be the worst year ever but could end up being the best. Even though it's late in the year it could still pull out on top. There is time to end the year on a high note but this week is pivotal. Either way I have to offer thanks to God, family, friends, and those really good folks I have worked for over the last year. I'll be back on here soon.

Changing Times

Have you ever hit that point in your life when it seems that you don't just spin your wheels but in doing so you slide backwards? This year has officially taken over last year as the worst I have ever experienced financially. Let me qualify that. In truth, this year could end up being one of, if not the, best I have ever experienced. So far that is not the case. It really is miserable and I don't like to say it as if I mean it. There are some things that have happened which are very positive.

On the positive side of things is the fact that three huge loans will be paid out this year. I have created another loan or two in the process but overall costs are going to be way WAY down soon. Even more positive is that this year everyone is healthy. Our family has always been healthy, or at least above average but I am referring to last year's struggles for my wife as she brought child #7 into the family. Both my wife and youngest edition are doing very well. Thanks by the way to all those who were there for us with prayers, babysitting, and food. One more very important positive thing this year has brought is good folks to the forefront of my life. Back in November we were working on property belonging to friends who have been very strong and supportive of my business with patience and understanding even as events seemed to take a big turn for the worse. I started this year on another job which started out great but when the weather had other plans it turned an unusually difficult terrain into one nearly impossible to work in. Again, I was working on property belonging to good people, friends who have been very kind while my business has been hit with another onslaught of breakdowns and super expensive misfortunes.

All that is good but with only half the year over and well over $30,000 in repairs and maintenance in a three man operation it has brought my life as I have known it to a breaking point. I absolutely cannot take 6 more months of this. I am not sure what to do other than keep on grinding away until I have a definitive answer. Assuming that the economy does not plummet much more, and the political scene is somewhat stable, I am holding on to the idea I can sell my operation for cheap, pay off folks I owe and spring board into something, anything else, if it comes to it.

I have loved my job, my business, and my life but things across the globe are changing at such a pace that us folks on the fringes of acceptance by popular culture have a huge knife to our throats. Sustainability as a small operator has been compromised by the ferocious big corporations squeezing the life out of all the fruitful small companies to intoxicate their disconnected Wall Street sycophants.

I hope for hope, love for love, and only have faith enough for acceptance of the inevitable. This is not what I wanted or what I thought I needed, but what do I know?....Nothing. Right now all I can think is I need to get through tomorrow or hopefully the rest of this week. Everything is on thin ice and if this business is to succeed it will be only because that is what The Father sees fit to do.

Telling the Truth

Hey folks,

I am posting these pics to share with a few people I know around the country. It is what it is so tell me what you think.

-Daniel

Okay, so far the addy has to be changed to LibertyTreeRadio.4mg.com Not a problem just gonna take a few days.


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Too Long Again

Wow, what a last few months it has been. In all this time I have missed posting about two more birthdays. Gordon's birthday was March 25th turing 5 and Levi's was March 30th turning 3. Talk about some cute kids. Gordon is our mad scientist child who pronounces his words like a professional. He even uses big words. What really gets me is that he uses those big words in the correct context. He is one of those kids that knows what he wants and goes for it. Levi is just plain cute. Everyone comments on that immediately on seeing him. Well, all the women do anyways. I guess some men are afraid to say what they think. Then again, that may be best for some.
I PROMISE I will post again soon. So much has happened in the last little while.