July 29, 2006

• More water under the bridge.  I was out riding my motorcycle this morning after grocery shopping and an early morning men’s breakfast meeting at a local church and I stopped over to see my step-mother.  I am getting ok with calling her that even though I have never really thought of her as a mother to me.  She was actually my Dad’s wife and when he died, I promised to make sure she was taken care of so it just makes it easier to call her my step-mom and leave it at that.

  
  

  So, the more water under the bridge thing came up when I was sitting in Linda’s recliner drinking a Dr. Pepper that she put on ice for me.  She mentioned that the weeks just seem to be going by faster and faster.  I had to agree because they really are.  I go to see her something like once a week when possible to pick up her bills.  She has no concept of money and a dollar bill has no more or less value to her than a hundred dollar bill.  I take care of her finances while my sister takes care of her medical needs.  Becky gets to take her to the doctor and emergency room and I pay the bills.

  
  

  I actually have Linda to thank for the project I am paving ground on to make affordable living available to retirees.  Linda lives on a fixed income of almost $1500 per month.  Because of the great medical insurance she inherited from the company that my Dad retired from, it pretty much pays the bills.  There are multiple medical institutes that send her bills in the thousands that I just pay as much as she can afford but by and by, she makes ends meet on this penance from my Dad.

  
  

  I can say that our family has done an awesome job of providing for those who get older such that they are not a real burden to anyone else.  My Grandmother in Lufkin on my Dad’s side was left with a house that was paid for that she lived in by herself until my Uncle and Aunt deemed it necessary move her into a retirement home and they did not have to pay anything out of their own pocket for her to live out her life there.

  
  

  My Grandfather and Grandmother on my Mother’s side lived for almost 15 years after retirement on their own and when my Grandfather died, he left enough money for my Grandmother to live out her life in a home as well.  My Mom did not want to put her in a home but my Grandmother insisted on smoking and the risk of her burning herself to death was too great so into the home she went.  My Mom died almost 4 years ago and my Step-Father Elbie is still working every day.  He loads and unloads a back-hoe onto a trailer every day and digs up broken phone lines.  He has stopped smoking and drinking within the last few years and has made it a quest to help out my half-sister and her kids financially.

  
  

  Anyhow, a retirement community down in Honduras will be a reality for people that are on a fixed income within the next 5 years.  13 million dollars and a little work and 600 retirees will be living in 1100 square foot patio homes in Central America.  I have found that the more people that I tell, the more ideas I get on how to succeed in this endeavor.  I will be going over to Olanchito when I am in LeCeiba in September.  This small town has approximately 25,000 people in it and is located in a valley that is protected by mountains from the sea.  Since Hurricanes are a regular thing in the Caribbean, this is a definite asset.  From the views on Google Earth, it appears that there are substantial parcels of land that are not yet populated.  I am wanting to find at least 1000 acres for the first community.

  
  

  On the work front, I was made the General Manager of Everyones Internet.  The new CEO has separated the dial up Internet service from the server business and put me in charge of stopping the erosion of customers in the dial up business.  We still have over 100,000 customers that are paying us “Just 10 Bucks” so the revenue is substantial enough to try to do something to keep people leaving us entirely when they move into the world of high speed Internet service.  I have taken the challenge on as a full court press.  I have already rallied the troops and energized them with the possibilities we have in front of us.

  
  

   

  • 10:19 pm
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