Enough has occurred that I should explain.
In April last year, the company for which I was working moved most of its people from the office here in Federal Way to their new office building in San Antonio, TX. Although the company was good to work for, I wasn't enjoying my situation and it had turned into a low-grade maintenance job where I was renewing leases and closing gas stations. All the fun parts of the job had gone away and the tedium was all that remained. I left the company and became one of the millions of unemployed.
Having a good wife with a good education and profession was a blessing during the past year. We took my severance money and socked it away in one of those high-yield CD's paying o.5% annual interest and settled into a long job search. We interviewed in the East Bay area, Dallas and Boise. In August we got a job offer in Boise, where I personally really wanted to land. It was with Idaho Power as manager of their real estate department - it was tempting. However, Melanie would have to change jobs and start over. In the end we turned down the job and continued to look more locally.
At about the same time, I had spent a week doing some research for a local trust company which is owned by a family friend. This company was expanding its line of business to allow people who own an IRA to buy and hold real estate in their IRA. Since the big brokerage houses where most IRA and 401-K money is located don't allow that much flexibility, this trust company wanted to try and serve that expanding market. Only about a dozen companies in the country do this so the prospects looked terrific. I designed their program as well as additions to their website, wrote a guidebook and set up procedures.
To be short, one thing led to another and we started a new company together. Three of us are partners and we are looking for investment deals where we will be the equity partners and will bring in others to finance. Our first deal just started to produce revenue this past week so we are hopeful it will work out for us. I'm the manager of the day-to-day operation and keep busy trying to remember the accounting classes I has at BYU in the early 1980's. The work we already have lined up should keep me busy at least through Spring 2011. This also allows me to relieve some of the pressure from Melanie who has kept us afloat this past year.
Through this, I have seen the the hand of God preparing the way for us and helping to make our path more clear. Had we taken the Boise job, we would have missed this opportunity. We feel our prayers have been answered and must give credit where it rightfully belongs.
IN OTHER NEWS - After playing Turkey Bowl with Brandon and Curt last Thanksgiving at the local Middle School football field, I had to find another exercise program. My knees were shot from schooling the high school and college boys on the gridiron. During 2009 I had run over 700 miles since I had a lot of time to myself while looking for work. When the doctor told me I had torn my meniscus on my left knee, I decided to take up rollerblading to get my daily fitness fix.
One night while out for a roll, I got going down a small hill a little faster than my comfort zone would tolerate. I knew a cul de sac just ahead had an incline to it and if I could make the turn, I could bleed off my speed and get under control. Halfway into the turn I noticed a small Toyota parked right near the end of my trajectory. The last thing I heard was the captain's calm voice saying "Brace for Impact!"
The pain wasn't terrible but I was too afraid to skate home. I straightened the mirror on the car and left. About a block away I sat down and took off the skates and walked the rest of the way in my socks.My wrist was broken and my thumb wouldn't extend out. The doctor had to borrow one of the spare tendons in my index finger to connect to the torn thumb tendon.
Surgery went well but the doc had to search for the loose ends by opening windows up my arm.
This will be my friend until March 17th. Everything moves now though maybe not as well as originally. If the thumb doesn't extend as far as normal we may have to go back in to shorten the tendon a little. The doc calls it a "nip & tuck". Maybe I'll have him do the same thing to my belly while I'm out. That way I wont need an exercise program.These past months have taught me a lot. Life is more than making a living and there is a difference between "Fun" and "Happiness". I've also discovered how important my marriage is and how much I can rely on my sweet wife. She has been the foundation in our home since the beginning and continues to be the most reliable partner I could wish for.
Finally, we had the best time with our family at the reunion this past Summer. Thanks to Alan and Helga for a great time and all their work putting it together. Here we are at the Grand Canyon with our exchange student.
