Solving other’s problems is my occupation…

 

A picture from the Past.   For Today: Someday, I will consider solving mine!  LOL My friend Tucker said he found it impossible to clean out his basement. So, he and another friend decided to clean each other’s basement and accept their decisions.  He said, “you would be surprised how easy it is to throw someone else’s stuff away!”  He said my basement was clean and useable when I got home.  But I really missed the STUFF!”  LOL That is how it is with other’s problems, I have the exact answer for them.  Ain’t that amazing?  It is easy to say, “All you need to do is this………” Or. “Don’t let it worry you, that is just normal, and it will go away soon.” Or.. “It doesn’t do any good to worry about that, boys will be boys, he will straighten out!” Or.. “Time will pass fast, and it will all work out fine!” Then.. “The sun will come up in the morning, and life will go on!” Not good: “You are concerned about nothing; in a week you won’t even think about it.” Or.. “When that happened to us I couldn’t sleep for a week, it all worked out and all that worry was for nothing!”   WE ALL KNOW “WORRY” IS USELESS, but I am sure we all worry at times.

Tis is used among Christians most:  “Pray about it and put it in God’s Hands!”

AND it is GREAT advice!!!  Absolutely !!!

But too many times when I try it,  and then take it out of his hands so I can worry about it more, TRUE DAT!

My sweet sister, may she rest in peace, would tell me, “Jackie, I am not worried about that, but I am concerned!”  I translated that, “It worries me to death!”

Nite Shipslog PS:  AGAIN THANKS for reading the  Shipslog. It is nice to know some folks read this stuff that an old man writes.  Funny, I said this a couple days ago, BUT it will seem only weeks and you will say, “How did I get to be 80 yrs old and not realize it? LOL

It is "THAT TIME" again!!

 

Yep, here in the USA it is time for us to pay up for living in this great country. Tax Time!

I started in 1956 filling out my tax forms when it took about ten minutes.  That was called the short form and it was simply an IBM card with fill in the blocks spaces. No problem. Of course my W-2 form showed I had made about $700 that year.

The card was something like this:

 

                (Of course, it wasn't that simple, but close.)

When I went into business my brother who was the rich guy asked me who did my books. Of course, my answer was ME!. “You can’t do that jack, you need a bookkeeper.”

So I found Marvin Hand. He agreed to do my books for $80 a month and that included doing our tax filing. And I did start paying less tax… I was okay with that, but I felt funny at the end of the year just signing the 1040s and schedules.  I didn’t even read what was filed, after all, Marvin was the Pro.

Well old Marvin had the audacity to die. Nah, I liked Marvin and I did miss him. But life goes on and a fellow named Pace bought the business and continued. Tax time came, WOW my tax went UP! I had a talk with young Mr. Pace. “I have never paid this much tax, I will find another book-keeper.”

Mr. Pace smiled, “About how much did you spend on land development last year Mr. Darnell?”

“Between 30 or 40 thousand I guess.”

“Marvin recorded $200,000.”  He went on to tell me more about my previous forms. SHOCKED would be mild, to how I felt. Marvin had been lying on my taxes for years.  I still do not know, nor understand WHY he did that, it didn’t put any money in his pockets!

So I continued with Mr. Pace until I closed the Construction business. LOL  Hoping I did not get audited…. I went back to filing, it isn’t complicated. Son Mark continues with Pace until this day.

It took me a few hours to complete the forms, I could have hired it done . BUT the family knows, I am a cheapskate, BUT Imma going to START spending that 'inheritance', SOON!  LOL

 

Nite Shipslog

PS 

Thanks for reading this stuff. It is a little prideful, but I smile when y'all take the time to stop by and read..;-)

;-) I even smile when I learn I have kin who drop by!

 

Things expensive and Disposable stuff

 

For today:

I read where one famous Billlionaire made a list of things middle class Americans waste their money on. I smile thinking of somethings WE humans do today.

I am a cheap skate (some would say) but I cannot imagine paying someone to cut my grass as long as I am able to do it.  To me that is exercise I NEED!

Me pay for an expensive CAR wash?  Yeah, I know, it is now ‘Detailing’. I would be so upset if I paid, $50 to $100 for having my car ‘detailed’ Then drive in the dust or on a rainy interstate being passed by 18 wheelers covering my car with road dirt.

I have spent $2 to wash the car at a coin car wash, several times to clean the mud off!  LOL

As a matter of fact I just washed and cleaned 2 cars yesterday. Both left out in a carport.  You may not know it but Florida is one dirty state. Today both cars are covered with this black dust or sand from the constant wind.

Many people will join a fitness center and exercise. That entails walking on a tread mill at times.  Then we all go to a shopping center and drive around looking for the closest parking place to the front door. To avoid walking, LOL.

I remember when Sherry bought a dozen diapers to take to a Baby Shower.  Now it is a dozen disposable ones.  Can’t people remember how much fun and exercise you got washing diapers and hanging them out to dry in the cold weather? And how much money you saved?  Well maybe that isn’t a good point, huh?...... LOL :-O

Do I really need another shirt or pair of pants, when I don’t wear all the ones I have. LOL

Have you noticed the huge buildings built just for storage of STUFF WE THE PEOPLE no longer have room for? I know of people (me?) who store things they will NEVER use or see again. One lady I know of was paying $100 a month 20 years ago to store stuff she just could not part with?

I smiled at Chatty who came up with something to do for Lent. She plans to dispose of one thing a day during that time.

I would bet that at least 50% of home car garages have STUFF in them instead of the auto.

I didn’t mention the $1,000+ toys men buy for the weekends

Do girls have expensive toys?

 

Nite Shipslog

PS 

Thanks for reading this stuff. It is a little prideful, but I smile when you take the time to stop by and read..;-)

;-)

Crooks and Collections! Do you collect?

 Photo from the Past:

 An actual shot of the Loomis/FArgo Heist

That man shown is assisting in stealing 17+ Million $$$

So for today:

I collected marbles. I loved to crawl around a dirt ring and shoot marbles. We drew a circle about 2 or 3feet across, usually it was 3 or 4 players. We would decide how many marbles we would put in the center, ten’es was good placing either 30 or 40 marbles in the center.  We played for ‘keepers’ even thought my mama said that was gambling and I could not do that, but of course the boy in me did.

Late 1940, Sister Shirley and I went into Great Grandpa Hilly’s old law office. He was some kind of Judge out in the country near Toccoa Georgia. The old law books were there, but what I spotted were old letters. I even saw an ‘airmail’ stamp; I collected as many as I could get off the envelopes.

That was the start of my collection. Mama had some letters from Germany, from a missionary, Herman Lauster. They were a prize. By the time I was 17 I had hundreds of stamps, Some I knew were worth thousands maybe millions.  LOL

I held onto that collection until after the late 1960s. WE bought our first home. $3000. A friend rented our trailer out for us, until we moved it to Norfolk.

 Later,  I enlisted in the USN. On a ship out of Norfolk. with 5000+ men and officers

 

USS Independence CVA 62, I slept just under that angle deck  coming right toward you! Yep it was noisy when launching planes, LOL

 We moved our trailer to Norfolk and rented the house out. Just knowing no one would bother our stuff, I stored some things I had bought in different countries and my stamp collection, along with the first robot I had ever built, in the attic.  I was wrong. MOST was stolen.

Not only that, the renters later became infamous. We rented the house for $40 a month. The renter, Mrs Ghantt, got $400 behind on the rent. LOL I was stationed in GITMO by then and  Sherry handled the eviction.

 As the police sat their stuff on the road; Sherry was threatened by mama Ghantt. Finally, they were gone. Later one son, David Ghantt, was the mastermind of the largest bank robbery ever recorded. The Loomis Fargo Heist out of Charlotte, NC, over 17 million dollars, 11 million in $20 bills, easy to pass.
He was arrested a couple years later; he, wife and mama went to prison. Mama was found guilty of helping launder money.

He is the sucker that stole my million-dollar stamp collection. LOL  He is out of prison now, maybe I should find him to see if he still has it.  LOL

Nite Shipslog

PS.

 Thank all of you that read here. I enjoy comments and appreciate it as I read them. Y’all are the BEST!  It is great to have friends!  Honest I did not make this stuff up!  LOL

Fewer Readers, and that is a shame.

 

PIC

For today:

There are still many good writers out there; but in my opinion less readers.  With the advent of the cell phones, tablets and internet we have more ‘viewers’ in the world than actual readers.

Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy movies, but I have never, as I remember, watched a rented movie or signed up to view movies on my TV, phone or tablet.  I understand you can see them on several media devices.

We have family that subscribes to HULU and things like that.

I read at least a book a week myself. As a matter of fact, I just finished Mr. Victor Moubarak’s latest book, The Bitten Apple Connection. It is a very good book; you will not WASTE your time if you read it.

I joke with my friend Victor that he missed his calling he should have been a priest. I think as you read his books you might just agree with me. Ministers, church elders, priests and other leaders are asked for advice and counseling. Father Ignatius, Victor’s creation, gives some of the best advice I have ever read, very serious here, As a matter of fact in this book I accepted some to the good Father’s advice to my own heart in one or two incidents.

I must say though, that he barely got the Good Father out of the “Bitten Apple” with his honor, when he accidentally ended up with a half-naked lady in a room.

Anyway, back to the subject, I believe the more you read the more well-rounded you become; and hopefully the less likely to experience dementia early (at least that is my hope).

I applaud the wonderful, good points of our ‘CELL phones’. Some of you may remember doing research in a library on school projects.  Now you can just google the information.

Traveling, all I have to do is ask for the best route to a destination and have it immediately. My sons laugh at me for still using the dash GPS, “Use your phone, it is better and quicker!”

They are probably right, but you have heard of that “Old Dogs and new tricks thingee!” That is me on a half shell! (Or in a nutshell!)

Smile, Life can be BETTER, You can Pray and Think positive. Doing both will help.

 

Nite Shipslog

PS 

Thanks for reading this stuff. It is a little prideful, but I smile when you take the time to stop by and read..;-) Both of you!!!!! ;-) again    ;-)

When to Hold ‘em, Odds ARE , YOU gamble!

A picture:    That is Marian and Dallas visiting from Pennsylvania a few years ago,  We took them on a tour of the Dora Canal off Lake Dora. (Me 'n Marian are the kids of the group) For Today: I guess I am a gambler.  Millions hope to win the lottery, but do not really expect it! Just buying a $2 ticket is a key to short lived dreams until the winner (not you) is announced.  My friend Dallas (like that name?)  I call him Dal.  1956 We met on a beautiful Island called Parris! He was old, 18 methinks, I was a kid of 17.  He and I think alike.  We feel the same way; buy a ticket and think what we could do with the millions?  I do not regret the $ tickets I have bought.  It has given cause todo a lot of good thinking. LOL I smile when people say with pride, “I never gamble!”  I want to ask if they take out insurance?  That is a gamble, you are betting something bad will happen, they are betting IT WILL NOT! I am not trying to scare you, but have you ever thought how close to a terrible accident you are driving down a ROAD MEETING TRAFFIC.  Many times, you are facing a car and both are going at least 60 mph (today many are facing each other at 80mph). That is a crash at minimum of 120MPH! many times you are only 3 or 4 feet  apart! (if you do not know that Numbers is Bible, you won't get the joke) You are betting (hoping) the drivers coming at you are paying attention (or you would take the bus or stay home). Thank goodness, most drivers ARE paying attention!  AND FOR SURE SOME OF YOU YANKEES UP THERE will leave your homes and KNOW black ice awaits you, but you still must get to the store or work.   I don’t know who does it, but companies figure odds on everything in life. Racing and sports odds, in detail. I can find the odds that I will live to 100. You can find out what the odds of you being hit by lightning. Sherry took a chance when she married me, the odds of our pasts said this marriage will not last. But she didn’t care, I was so danged good looking.  Odds to the wind,  LOL Some folks gamble with their health by what they eat! Some people gamble their health by how much they drink! What is TERRIBLE and heart breaking, people (especially the youth) who think they are invincible, gamble with their lives on illegal drugs! I took a chance you would stick with me much over my 400 words. Thanks. 485!!  OUCH!   Nite Shipslog PS:  AGAIN THANKS for reading the  Shipslog. It is nice to know some folks read this stuff that an old man writes.  Funny, it will SEEM only weeks and YOU will say, “How did I get to be 80 yrs old and not realize it? LOL (just Wait and see!!!) ODDS: FACT I just looked up the chances of me making it to 100. Odds are 14 in a 1000, terrible odds. About 14 in 1,000 According to the Social Security Administration, the life expectancy for an 86-year-old American male is an additional 5.07 years, for a total life expectancy of 91.07 years. The chance of reaching 100 years old is only about 14 in 1,000     Title