Take up Ice Hockey!!

I hope that brings a little smile to your face...

TURK
What do they say , something about it is the darkest just before before dawn or some crap like that...

Turk,

Real men don't play ice hockey, they play roller hockey on the asphalt ......

Thanks for the other words of wisdom, it helped get me through the day...........

Bill S.

Bill,

When I look at my life right now, I have it pretty good, health, family and profession. It has not always been that way. I have had a few stumbling blocks that some might say were major but in the end it always worked out. Not as I had imagined or dreamed...but better.

This was passed on to me during some of those hard times. I find that it kind of sums things up, maybe you will too. It is from a book by Todd Skinner, accounting the first free ascent (his) of Salathe Wall of El Capitan in 1988.

"Our lives are stacked with dreams and almost everybody prefers them to stay that way, which is why the first steps are critical. You have to leave the ground.
The key is to suffer and fail, and fail, and fail. It is a game of who can suffer the most, gets the most. Each moment you have the choice to go up or down. Your tired. Too tired to say yes to the whole route, because that would be too big a bite. So you say yes to the next rope length, and later you can't even go that far because you are too beat up. So it becomes yes to the next ten feet, then the next move, the next hand shift, because you can always suffer just a little bit more.
We made it finally not because of our great skill but because we were more tenacious. If you refuse to fail, you eventually succeed."

You are successful even at times like these, and you will be rewarded. Unfortunately it will be in hindsight. Keep your chin up.

-John

Hey, MrM - easy to say, but IT'S ONLY MONEY.

You've made it before, and you bet your ass you'll make plenty more.

This gives you a chance to do something you wouldn't have thought of before - a chance to do something wierd or fun or simple or all of these things....all of which will make you realize that just being alive is a mighty good deal.

Take it. Go do something - anything; it really doesn't matter what. You will make money - not tons, but enough.

And you will feel better, and so will everybody else around you.

Bill, it never really makes one feel better to know that others are worse off. It can be difficult to remain hopefull when we, as fathers, feel that we have let our family down, yet, our family, and i know yours, still has their health, & love and respect for you.

Many many years ago, i felt pretty bad when i came back from a year in the bush in Vietnam, to find my wife had taken my son and run off with a lawyer, leaving me with only the jungle fatigues i had on my back.

It took some time, and hard work, and the decision to take my life in a totally new direction, and my faith in my God, to make it come back, greater than ever before.

This evening, my oldest son called from Alabama, to ask if it is time for he and his wife to quit trying to find a cure for her terminal cancer, and just live the little time they have left to the two of them.

I do hope you can find comfort in the love and respect of your family, and move forward with your life.

your old friend,

hal

Bill, one thing's for sure, one day this venture will be in the distant past.
My father gave me advice when I was down "some days you eat the bear and some days the bear eats you".
On a lighter side, how would you like to be the poor guy in France who opened up a McDonalds only to be attacked with an Octopus cannon!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1304290/posts

mrmustang,

I'm with BigFoot. Break out a Bible and read the story of Job. Life has its pitfalls and we all hit them.

When Southern California Edison forced me to retire in 2001, I thought the world had ended. I didn't know how we would survive. I should have known, God has taken care of me and my family in many ways.

Then, while spending a weekend at camp with a bunch of high school students, we were challenged to meditate on a passage of scripture and something in nature to see if God had anything to say to us. The passage I chose was in the book of John about the vine and the vinedresser.

A vinedresser will prune his vines way back in the winter and spring to make them produce fruit instead of more vine. It is very drastic pruning if you've ever seen a vineyard.

Then I looked at an old Juniper tree in front of the lodge. If you started at the base of the trunk, you noticed no branches for several feet up then old stubs where the branches had been snapped off by winter storms. The farther up you looked, the greener the branches got until you got to the new growth at the top where they could get the most sunlight and moisture. Those branches did the tree the most good and therefore the tree fed them the best to support them.

Our lives are like that. Old things need to be lopped off to make way for new. The old, dead growth does no one any good. It is the fresh growth that does the most good.

You tried something new and it didn't work. Maybe you should look in a new direction or examine what went wrong with this and see if it is correctable. Don't stagnate, keep fresh growth in your mind. Let God show you how to grow.

And, it was in the mid 70s here today with bright sun and I had the top down on the MG. California has some perks. Take a vacation and rejuvinate your mind in some sun.

But most of all, Hang In There.

By the way, Social Security Disability kicked in after a year and a half and with my IRA supliment, I';m doing nearly as well as I was working. I spend my time doing volunteer work, trying to kearn guitar, and hange out with two of my sons that still live at home. It is a great life.

Dick Winn

Guys,

I am not a wealthy man, so every dollar counts these days. It would be one thing if I was working on other deals, or had other business (ie: income) coming in, but sadly that was not the case. The buying and selling of the Cobras & Mustangs was a nice diversion that kept me busy and semi sane during a time when I needed it, but the market has changed, and I can no longer compete in it (I've burned myself out). I think what depresses me more is the amount of wasted time put forth in this pursuit. The money I will make up eventually, but the time is lost forever. I've looked at other business opportunities, nothing really in this area, or within a decent commuting distance from this area that is worthwhile at this time. Moving is not an option, as I am already in house #3 since 1988, and I cannot disrupt and uproot my family again. Frustrating is the word, and frustrated is how I still feel.................

Bill S.

Bill, for someone with this multitude of friends, you are but a rich man.

What is it you seek? An answer? Realization of a dream? All of these are within you.

We can lend you our thoughts and inspirations, but it is you who will take on this challenge head to head.

:3DSMILE:

Visit Vermont
 

Bill, if you are looking for a diversion, consider a weekend in Vermont. Taking into consideration the winter weather for the travel plans , many , many activities. Or, just pleasant stress free visiting.

Two possibilities of many:

***Go to Brattleboro VT I-91 Exit 2 and head West on Route 30 to Manchester, or also head north on Route 100 from Route 30

***Exit 7 West from I-91 to Springfield VT and visit: Precision Valley Corvette Museum, it's free. A return route could be via Chester and then to Manchester. Then back East on Route 30 to Brattleboro and I-91 south

www.vettepassion.com

There is a 50's diner attached to the Museum.

http://www.springfieldroyaldiner.com/

The museum was started by an individual that was in the machine tool business which was popular in the area, reason for the name Precision Valley. The manager's name is Roberto Rodriguez, just one great person.

If so inclined, there is something, for me anyway, of spending relaxing time in Vermont. A nice pickup during the winter.......great trip also in the summer. Staying away from the resort and ski lodges , there still are reasonable accomodations. I have always looked for the family owned restaurants, not fancy but friendly, to enjoy and appreciate the pleasures of Vermont and genuine people.

A 3rd possibility is to go South on Route 7 from Manchester VT to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge MA as part of the return trip. Then head East to I-91 South

http://www.nrm.org/info/visitors_directions.html


To quote from someone else: ( forgot the author )

" Risk taking is inherently prone with significant
challenges, other wise it would be referred to as sure-thing taking "

Best Wishes for the Holidays

Regards

Don

Bill

It is not over till the fat lady sings, Well first of all happy holidays to you and you're family. I would like to offer you a peace of advice. Listen to all you're pal's from the forum because each and every single one on them has spoken nothing but the truth. Keep you're head up high and make you're family proud. One more piece of advice if you could read the following book by Anthony Robbins called Awaken the Giant within. Pick it up and let me know what you think. It did miracles for my family and me and sure to do the same for you.

Regards,
Sergio

Bill

Yes, Vermont, it is a great state and environment. I had places at two different times, Jamaica and Bondville. Each about 10 + years . Still brings back memories.........all good !!!

Go down and volunteer to serve meals at your local homeless shelter.Then go to your local Veterans Administration Hospital to visit with our guys.

Cost nothing but a little time.

Then go home and give your family a big hug & kiss.

You have a lot more to be grateful for than you seem to realize.
Count your Blessings.

Bill,

Start doing drugs, that'll help....just funnin'.

I know what yer feeling, we just had a large round of layoffs this past Friday, just in time to say "Happy Holidays". We lost a lot of good people.

This year is tough for me too, first anniversary of my fiance's dad passing away, her mom is going in for surgery tomorrow too.

I've handed out meals to the homeless in lower Manhattan on Christmas morning for a number of years now, looking in every nook and cranny to try and make sure they all get a good meal.

Let me know if I can help in any way in your search for income. I have some friends that are head hunters, can maybe look to place you somewhere in the IT field.