Wednesday… Sight-seeing on a bicycle? Nah!

Take a break, Pictures of the day are from the net and feature some South America:

Machu Picchu, Peru, Home of the Inca Elite. 15^th Century beauty and artisan-ship!

(Llamas live there now!)

Today’s stuff:

Ans. ? 1st:  YES..I got an e-mail saying the IRS has accepted my tax form. I should hear more in 21 days. if I need to fix something. 

When I see things like the above pictures it amazes me. How in the world could that be accomplished back in the 15^th century. To me that is up there in ‘How Possibles’ with the Pyramids of Egypt because of the location and getting materials up there to build such a place.

        A national park in Columbia, South America

It is no secret I love to travel, I sit here wondering why I did not try so see something like this.

I am sorry I missed it. Travel, I enjoy riding a bike, but traveling on bikes has never interested me. However, in the past few weeks we met a man from Canada; he met and married a lady from Europe when bicycling there. They Biked over Europe and recently finished a 9 thousand mile+ trip down the west coast of the Americas, from Canada to the tip of Argentina on bicycles.

      Below is a Nat'l park in Chile, South America

That trip I can only imagine. I guess you must know how to find a lot of reasonable Bed and breakfast places.

                        Cole- Cole Beach in Chile

I have never been in a hot air balloon but imma thinking I would rather take a Balloon around the world, than ride down that coast thru those mountains………... But now I am thinking....... how do you steer a hot air balloon to get you to a good place to spend the night, and there are no rest areas up there.

Maybe I would rather take a bicycle! ;-)

 Last Picture along the coast of Chile

Nite Shipslog

PS: South America is a very interesting place. In pictures, but we have never been there. I think the furthermost South we have been is the little country of Belize.

Tuesday.... The Federal Income Tax filing is near.

 Picture of the day.

Now for today’s stuff:

Well, I finally took the bull by the horns and filled out our tax returns. For a while when I ran a business, I had a CPA. That was only because my brother, a successful businessman in retail sales, asked me once who did my taxes. I answered, “ME.”

He informed me as a businessman, I could not do that,  imma thinking he was saying I wasn‘t smart enough,. Any way I found a CPA and quit doing my taxes until the CPA passed away.

Over the years it has become more complicated, but still I prefer to do ours. I guess I am cheap....... Well I do not guess that. LOL

Anyway, that is done; we have been residents of Florida for years (we have 'no' state tax). When living in NC we paid state income tax as well as Federal. 

This time of the year I sit around and think. It would be so simple if everyone who earned over $30,000 a year would pay a flat 10% fed tax.

Amazing once when President Nixon’s tax returns were made public, I had paid more taxes than he did and he was my commander in chief. LOL Nixon was not even a billionaire. Now the present president in the past few year paid ZERO tax, and him a billionaire.

I am not sure if anyone has read all of the tax code. I have read what effects our return; the only thing that baffles me is the formula for figuring how much of one's SS is taxable. It is NOT that it is so complicated, it is just that the mathematic gymnastics is so strange, with no logic, to my mind.

I am not saying either president or other Billionaires are breaking the law, they are within the law they just have a FEW more loopholes than you and I. LOL

I have beat that subject to death, so imma quit.

I do love this country and we but taxes are a must to run it, keep order and fix the roads. But taxes ain’t no fun.

Most of my life I have heard, There are 2 sure-things in life, death and taxes. YEP!

Nite Shipslog

PS: If you are still reading, THANKS, you B sweet.

Monday...Who knew?

 Picture of the day.

1955Plymouth. The mid 50's was the time paint jobs changed from the older version of a 'Two-tone' car. Two-tone meant the top was a different color than the body.

Now for today’s stuff:

Who knew that dogs would one day be pushed around in

 baby carriages?

Who knew that one day you would see 1/2/3 year-olds’ with computers in shopping carts while mom and dad shopped for groceries.

Sherry’s family never owned a car!

Who knew the small mill town of Belmont, where most folks walked to work and church, would have big traffic jams and waits at a traffic light up to 3 cycles to get thru?

Who Knew that there would be a day that millionaires could be made by citizens sitting at home buying and selling stocks from their home?

Who knew that many people could lose their homes and every thing they have doing the same thing?

Sorry, I know you are tired of an OLD man’s selective memory. I do not think it is my time yet, but I know it won’t be long until memories will be ALL I do have.

The 1956 Buick color change

WE have a good life. I do not handle ‘tough family problems well. I never pictured a problem, not health wise, that could shake my foundations, but I have learned a hard lesson.

If I even pictured getting old, the only problem I could see that would shake me would be Sherry’s or my health turning bad. I do thank God that so far we both still have good health.

Who knew that 60 year old men would allow the drug fentanyl to ruin their lives?

1956 Ford standard paint job.

I heard a preacher once say, you can wish the death penalty on a druggie or drug dealer, until he sits across the table from you at breakfast every morning.

Life takes on different meaning as circumstances change.

Nite Shipslog

PS: If you are still reading, you be sweet.

Sunday… Are your clothes old enough to vote?

 Picture of the day:

Now for today’s stuff:

I grew up in a home with parents who were raised as Georgia farmers. My food was great but simple: potatoes (Irish & sweet), corn, cabbage, green beans, butter beans, tomatoes, apples and pears.

I then left home and was shocked by STRICT dedicated Drill Instructors. But there were small things, food was one thing, much of it foreign to me.

There were those little bitty baby cabbages, I never saw a head of cabbage that little in any of mamas gardens. Yep I ate things that my mates had to tell me what I was eating, such as: Brussels sprouts, Broccoli and asparagus.

I dated Margaret for awhile. She introduced me to olives. I liked ‘em. So I grabbed some from the bar, I about broke my teeth, I had no idea they had SEEDS how was I to know they had replaced the seeds with that red stuff for Margaret.

And I sure didn’t know anyone cooked with olive oil. I thought that was only for anointing Jews and Christians then praying for them.

I was just about old enough to vote, when my education in life began. Now that I am getting real smart it is about time to sign off from life. Now my clothes are old enough to vote before I realize Florsheim Shoes are not cool. I have a pair about 50 years old. I paid $35 for ‘em. I gotta find a cobbler and get them half soled.

Torn dungarees are about out of style before I realized those girls weren’t poor and in need of new clothes, they were cool.

Okay, too much, too scattered, but that is my mind. My snack is getting old enough to vote!  LOL

Nite Shipslog

PS: If you are still reading, thanks for stopping by..

Saturday One or two more things

 Picture of the day.

My Dog's name was Ace, as a boy I went to him with my problems. He was a good listener.

(Now I can go to Sherry!)

Picture from the net

Now for today’s stuff:

A little background on the man who bought the house on S Main st. He earned his wealth. He started his business in their house kitchen. He gathered damaged rolls of yarn; he and his wife set up machines to rewind the yarn and threads.

Ultimately they owned two medium sized textile mills. They were very frugal and still lived in the same house they started the businesses in. Even though they were multimillionaires, his wife had never had a cook nor maid.

Mr Saunders called me over to the house on Main St. to explain the pool pump operations. As I was leaving his wife got my attention I could tell she wanted to talk to me. I walked into the kitchen area and she seemed embarrassed. “You probably won’t believe this, but we have never owned a dish washer, will you show me how to use this one?”

Of course we had a good laugh and went thru the procedures a couple times. She was smiling as I left.

One last thing in this story. Honestly this is about word for word in a conversation in the front yard, just behind the moving truck as it was being loaded. You may or may not know but many rental trucks and trucks for interstate businesses have license tags from other states. This one for example had a Louisiana plate. BIL Elmer came over to see how the move was going.

He noticed the license plates and loudly laughed and asked, “Hey Jack are they stealing your furniture?” (His very words)

One of the movers had a chair in his arms leaving the house he said, “Yes sir, we are stealing all his stuff!” he laughed walked on by and put the chair in the truck.

That is the honest truth, we all laughed at the joke.

TROUBLE IS, IT WAS THE TRUTH I LEARNED

 MONTHS LATER!

Thank the Lord we can smile about it now, but it is really a sad thing. ‘Confidence Men’ are among the saddest of crooks. They appear so honest, they get your confidence, then stab you where it hurts.

All human lives are filled with good and bad things, but it is up to us if it stymies our lives or not.

WE can still say we have been so blessed. My sweetheart took a chance on a High School Drop out. WE made a team, worked together and are ending this road of life debt free, happy and she still loves me.

Problems? Yes, one or 2 we never imagined, but with His help we are gonna live life to its fullest.

(Socrates, I wish he had been my big brother!)

Thanks for reading this drivel...

Nite Shipslog

PS: See you later.

Friday..the last about the pool

 Picture of the day.

This was the house I built for us after the Pool house. It is a duplex deeded as condos. You are looking at Sister Kat and her hubby Dick's side. garage on the left was theirs.

Above was our side, it was to be our LAST house (HAHA!)

Now for today’s stuff:

The buyer confided to me that he was buying our home because he had sold one of his textile mills to his son a few years ago. The house he lives in was part of the deal but his son had agreed they could live in the house until death. Dad lived too long and son wants him to buy the house for $35000.

He said, I built it in 1953 for $500. No way am I paying the for a house I built and raised him in.

Looking thru the home he wanted to know how long the ceiling fans stayed on. I told he the ones over the pool have never been turned off, they run 24/7. They keep air moving in the pool area and the windows don’t fog up.

He murmured ‘I can’t have that.’

Several other things bothered him. Mainly the pool heater/pump came on 2hrs every morning and evening. Keeping the pool on that routine costs about $20 a month and keeps the water at 91 degrees.

He wanted to buy the home. We set a date.

WE had moved out. One day my BIL Dick was cleaning the glass doors around the pool for us and the Buyer drove up. The buyer asked, “Who and what are you doing?”

Dick explained he was a retired minister, he was just helping get the house ready for him.

Buyer looked at Dick, “Do you believe in healing?”

“Of course I believe, and it is real!”

"I mean heart healing? I am having a problem with my son, I need peace. I need help.”

Dick said, “Would you like to pray now?”

“YES!”

Dick said they knelt beside the pool and sincerely talked to The Lord. Dick said that Mr. Saunders was able to smile. Hugged Dick and thanked him deeply.

I was so thankful to hear that. It made me feel good about the sale.

Nite Shipslog

PS: WE never know the load others are carrying. This was a very wealthy man. Able to pay cash for a nice home, yet had a heavy heart. That brought to my memory what the richest man in the world just said a few days ago, ‘Money cannot buy happiness.

Thursday... Selling the home we loved, but we also love to travel.

 Picture of the day:

       Above is Ben & me in the pool,  Below is the twins

Answers: I do miss it a little, especially in the winter. ha!  The cost and care of an indoor pool is probably less than 5% of an outdoor pool. It only took Muratic Acid at times and it added it's own chlorine.  Chemical costs less than $5 a month.

AI pic:  Yeah some noticed no white out, and typewriter is facing the wrong direction. LOL  THANKS y'all!

Now for today:

Sherry and I were enjoying our life, and then it came time she could retire. I was in the process of becoming rich (LOL). I had a subdivision in the works, the land was paid off, I had spent a year's salary for surveying and laying off lots. Every step I took, the city had ‘one more’ requirement. After about 5 of those ‘one more things’. Sherry said, “Forget it Jack. Let’s go on the road and travel like we planned.

WE can't leave this house for months at a time. Too many tragedies possible with an unguarded pool. Let’s sell the house, you build us another and we can travel without that added worry. So we put the house up for sale, I started the duplex (condos) for us and my sister & BIL Dick, on a nice piece of land I had held on to.

That was our RV home on site, so we lived in front of the duplex.

A self made multimillionaire, owner of a couple Textile Mills bought the house on South Main St. WE stored our furniture and moved into our RV at the building site of the condos; living right at the job, nice ;-)

Some stories about this move, a sickening one, but some neat ones.

Sick one today: I contacted a mover, he had a full-page ad in the yellow pages, several phone #s. Told him we were moving and needed to store our furniture until the new home was ready.

WE paid for the move and storage in advance, it was 2 months before we were ready to move in. Then I called the the mover, message: phone was disconnected, all 4 phone #’s disconnected.

LONG story short: Furniture was stolen some of it sold, some recovered about 40-50 miles away in a deserted warehouse. WE got over it, except for the missing octagon shaped end tables Sherry had been so proud of. She still mentions missing them. :-(

Better stories:

Above is Ben & Sherece helping in my office, the pool is right thru that window where Ben is, I loved the view from my desk. ;-)

More on the sale tomorrow, some funny, some curious, and one very spiritually uplifting.

Nite Shipslog

PS: Florida is remembering it has a sun! ;-)

PS2 victor only:

Yeah Victor she made me pull the blinds and skinny dip with her (at least once)

Wednesday.. Hot water, baths and the pool.

 Picture of the day.

Now for today’s stuff:

I was in the first grade before we had running Hot water and a bath tub. Until then mama heated water on the kitchen stove and put it in a wash tub for baths, girls first then boys. Sherry was raised in a mill house and did not have a bath tub.  We both know how nice a bathtub or shower is.

Are you addicted to a hometown? My girl is. As a builder I (we) built a nice home in Mt. Holly NC. But that was NOT Belmont. From the time I took her away from Belmont, and for about 25-30 years she always talked about finding a home in Belmont, so she could be back home.

One day I found a lot on South Main St. in Belmont. She nearly giggled as we looked thru plan books. WE agreed on a set of plans that was a large ‘L’ shape.

Her sister Lennie had a back yard swimming pool. WE and the grands had fun there. For a couple years I helped open and close the pool. I learned it was work and expensive. I refused to ever have a pool. Too much work.

AS I looked at the plans, I saw the perfect place for a swimming pool. Just square the ‘L’ shape house up and install a pool. Sounded great to her.

So we did. There were no indoor pools in town, I checked with contractors in neighboring towns, NADA. I found a Pool man, he had never done an inside pool. BUT we worked thru the problems.

 WE thoroughly enjoyed the heated pool all year round.

This is the back corner that I filled in on the plans for the pool It had sliding glass doors two sides for the summer.

Of course it was a concrete inground pool.

Under construction, pumping the concrete. I decided it would be much easier to install the pool first then enclosed..

My Lumber man told me to use Canadian Cedar to line the room and NEVER paint it.

The pool bathroom was the brown door you see. WE had a sliding glass door from our bedroom into the pool room. Just to the right of the glass doors is a door and window coming toward you, that was my office.

I made one BIG mistake.  WE paid for a separate heating system that was NEVER turned on. It is probably brand new to this day.  The pool stayed heated at 92 degrees, so of course NO heating system was EVER needed. LOL

Mark and Corinne had Shereece's Birthday party at the pool.

                                        It was fun at night too!

Nite Shipslog

PS: Life is good. Especially after a bad bump!...