Helping Others Achieve Their Potential in the 7 Areas of Life: Spiritual, Physical, Adventure, Career, Educational, Financial, Family/Friends
The Wake-up Call My Bahamas Cruise–From Problem to Pay-off started with this photo, innocently taken a few months ago while having lunch with my stud uncle Bill and his cute wife Jan. See the guy on the left? That’s me. I thought something was off…
Life is supposed to be an adventure. It’s supposed to be fun and enjoyable. I keep mine that way. Paragliding is one way to have an adventure. Consequently, this last weekend I was successful. The Tradition Every year I go to San Diego for a…
Thank you, Broadway, for bringing Anastasia to Washington DC in November! I’ll be there November 3rd! This event falls under my “Adventure” area of life, as I love to attend Broadway plays. Especially for only $59! Enjoy this clip from Youtube to get a taste…
I’ve historically been a runner–5ks, 10ks, half-marathons (2) and one marathon (St. George, 2018). With the physical activity I do each day in my junk removal business, I’m starting to get some tenderness in my Achilles’ heels. So, I’m looking for something else besides running.…
The Setting for the Exchange The Montgomery Scrap Corporation is a great place to recycle metal. I’m in there often, receiving cash for various stuff I pick up on hauling jobs. The exchange that takes place is cash for metal, with me (and a bunch…
Have you ever had someone say to you, “So, I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” What do most people say in response to that question? “Give me the bad news first.” So, in keeping with that idea, I’ll give you today’s financial bad news first, which is causing me to write “Financial Ups and Downs.”
When you run a business that pretty much depends on the use of one pick-up truck, like I do, the worst thing that could happen to you in the morning is seeing this. Sorry, folks, but that’s a truck that’s going nowhere soon. Now if I had a couple of other similar trucks that I could just jump in, I could deal with this little interruption later, but that’s not the case. My entire fleet had been locked down unexpectedly.
This had never happened to me before. But to be honest, I had feared this happening but only on those days (and there had been many of them) when I worried that my last truck payment(s) hadn’t made it into the bank fast enough. My greatest fear (and anxiety) was walking out to the truck one morning and finding a yellow restraining lock attached to my wheel. Well, today I got my wish.
Oh no….!!!
It’s bad enough to have your truck parked on a public road where others can see it. Still, it’s worse to have the restraining lock attached to it too. Moreover, they put two large easily-visible stickers on your windows that basically say, try to move this truck and an armed Apache helicopter will quickly pay you a visit from the air. If that’s not bad enough, reality then sets in–as it did this morning–that it was 8:30 in the morning and your first appointment is at 9. Oh, and it’s 40 minutes away.
To make a long story short, you feel like a financial idiot or failure. But alas, life goes on. As my brilliant Harvard-attending nephew told me a few months ago, while holding the cellar position after round two in our 17-member family March Madness pool, “There’s nowhere to go but up!” Atta boy, Westley; you’re right.
The good news is, on these yellow contraptions there’s a phone number to call. So I called it. The lady instructed me the device was on my truck because some traffic fines had not been paid to my county. “Pay the fines,” she said, “…and we can release the device.”
“So how much do I owe?” I asked, having checked my account just before leaving my apartment to walk to the truck. I knew there was $620 in my checking account that my debit card was attached to.
“$605,” was the answer.
Once again, good news and bad: the bad was that it was $605 miserable dollars; the good was that I could pay it. This is what you call an easy decision. I gave her my credit card info, she ran the card, it worked, then she instructed me to put a code into the device and it would come off. I did and it did.
With the device off, and a warning to return it to a designated spot within 72 hours or face more fines, I quickly tore off the warning signs stuck to my windows and put the device into the cab. At that point, the financial bad news of my day was over. At least, that’s what I thought. Then I remembered the truck needed gas. Unfortunately, I can’t use my checking account; that’s been drained. All I had was a credit card with a small limit on it and I had pretty much maxed that out by renting a larger truck just a few days earlier.
A very welcome sight! Thank you, CapitalOne!
Sitting in my truck I clicked on the CapitalOne app on my phone to verify that I couldn’t use it to buy gas either. Sure enough, the balance was around $489 on a card that only had a $500 limit. That’s when I was stunned when I saw not the amount that I owed on the card, but the available credit still remaining which was listed just below it.
That figure, $1,060, was the most glorious sight in the world!
You should know that as an entrepreneur I made a lot of mistakes when I went into business for myself. I tell people that I probably made every mistake you’re not supposed to make plus came up with 10 other ones no one had ever thought of before. One of those mistakes was using credit cards too much and falling behind on some payments.
I got to a point where I decided not to use credit cards anymore and that’s the way it was for years. Then about tw0 years ago, when the brakes went out on my truck mid-route and it was going to cost $800 to fix them (which needed to be done immediately), I had to call my younger brother and have him bail me out by using his card as a short-term loan. He was kind enough to help me and let me use his card. At that moment I decided I needed a credit card again.
Having set a seven-year goal to get my credit back up to where it should be, I applied for a CapitalOne credit card and fortunately was approved, but only for $300. Still, that was progress.
I made it a habit to pay off the card as soon as I could, always before the minimum payment due date arrived. I kept that habit. After six months CapitalOne informed me I had been a good boy and they raised my credit limit to $500. I was thrilled!
Well, this morning, around 5 AM, I unknowingly got an email telling me I had been a good boy for six months again so they were tripling my credit limit to $1,500. Holy mackeral, I felt like I had hit the mother lode!
With my new expanded credit line in hand, I went to the gas station, filled up the tank for $70, and made it to the first appointment at around 9:45. I simply explained on the way that I had an unexpected problem “with a tire,” to the anxious customer.
So thanks to this polarizing financial experience this morning, here’s how I would sum up what I learned:
One of the seven areas of life we all deal with is the financial side. Use my experience to make your financial situation even better. Mine is as a result of what happened today.
The Nile River is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in the world. It happened in 1979 when I went around the world in 80 days. Today I saw another Nile–Nile Garner. This one was on roller blades. Nile is her name. Her last…
In the Power of 7 Goals, remembering the opening line of the Star Trek television series is important. It states, “Space–The Final Frontier.” The acronym for that line, S-P-A-C-E-F-F, holds the key to the seven areas of life I try to focus on: Spiritual, Physical,…
I enjoy riding my bike. North Bethesda, Maryland, about twenty minutes outside of Washington, D.C., is a haven for bike riders. There is a trail on which to ride just about everywhere you look. Some of those trails can be picked up very near my home. One of those trails leads you to the Garrett Park commuter train station. That is where Getting Around the Obstacle took place.
Garrett Park is a small, picturesque community. Located only a couple of miles from my home, it was easy to get to in only a few moments. Because I like trains, I was curious to see the Garrett Park train station plus whatever else was waiting in store for me. I started out going south on Rockville Pike, turning left onto Knowles Avenue, then another left in only a few blocks to find myself at the station. It’s the most heavenly place around.
Maryland’s beautiful and lush spring greenery was on display throughout Garrett Park. I was thrilled to see not only the commuter stop but also Black Market, a quaint old home functioning as a restaurant. People sat out on the porch being served dinner. I immediately decided I needed to dine there some night. Not long after pedaling up to this spot, I quickly spotted the obstacle: a long freight train was stopped on the tracks, blocking the bike path. A young Asian woman was standing next to her bike right in front of the train. The path we were hoping to continue on was on the other side of the train.
I asked the lady how long she had been there. She said about ten minutes. I learned she was here from Los Angeles on a summer internship. She was cute and polite. I surveyed the train cars. They were long, heavy flat cars designed to carry a lot of weight. Flat cars are low to the ground. Crossing that car, by jumping up onto its back, sliding across, then jumping off the other side, was not impossible. It was complicated by having a bike, but still, not impossible.
After a few minutes I walked down the track slightly to examine the space between the cars. It was more complex than one would think. There was not an easy way to squeeze in-between the cars, especially with a bike.
My Asian friend walked up to the car and called to a gentleman wearing an official yellow vest. He was on the phone with someone official as he stood slightly inside a power supply shack on the opposite side of the train. She asked him if he knew how long the train would be there. He said he didn’t know. Walking up to the train and looking both ways, it became obvious to me that the exact middle of the train had decided to stop in Garrett Park.
I stood there next to my bike, occasionally walking up to the train and studying the situation for about ten minutes. I’m writing this post because of what I observed over the next ten minutes.
One somewhat elderly couple came walking up to the train from the other side. The gentleman didn’t say anything; the lady was arrogantly miffed.
“What is this train doing here?” she barked at the gentlemen with the vest.
“It’s delayed,” he calmly responded.
“That’s ridiculous!” she quickly stated with some angst. “How long will it be here?”
“We don’t know yet,” he again calmly responded.
“We need to get to the other side–NOW!” she implored. “What’s the best way to do that?”
“You’ll have to either wait for the train to move or walk around it.”
“WALK AROUND IT? That’s ridiculous!” she fumed.
To the guy’s credit, he suggested walking towards the north would be the quickest way to get around the train. She asked if they could just cross over the train by jumping up onto it. “I can’t let you do that,” was the prompt answer from the attendant. “I don’t know when it’s going to move and I can’t let you get on the train even to cross it.”
She stated what a stupid rule that was as she and the gentleman with her then disappeared, apparently walking north.
The Asian woman was kind of cute. She calmly also asked about the options and after thinking about it for a moment, locked her bike at a nearby bike rack then went inside the Black Market. She was heading home from work and had about five miles more to ride. I had visions of riding some of that path alongside her but her disappearance into the restaurant killed that one. She was apparently going to get something to eat and wait out the situation. The problem was it was getting darker by the minute but that didn’t seem to bother her. While she was deciding what to do an orange Maserati pulled up and a younger couple got out and went to dine on the porch of the restaurant. The stuck train was irrelevant to them. I loved watching the couple get out as the doors open up vertically!
It was then that Mr. Idiot showed up. He was on my side of the train and was walking. He spotted the vested man across the train and immediately went up to him.
“What’s going on here?” he fumed rather loudly.
“The train has stopped accidentally and we’re working on getting it fixed.”
“That’s BULL-_ _ _ _!” he yelled. “I need to get to the other side right away. I can’t wait here. How long is it going to be stuck here?”
“We don’t know,” vested man quietly responded. “They’re working on it now but we’re not sure how long it will take.”
“That’s BULL-_ _ _ _!” the man restated. “I can’t wait here. I’ve got to get to the other side.”
“You can walk around the train if you would like,” came the response.
“I DON’T HAVE TIME TO WALK AROUND THIS D _ _ _ TRAIN!” he retorted. “I’ve got to get over there right away,” he said angrily, pointing to the opposite side of the train.
“Can I just climb up on the train and cross over it?” he demanded.
“I can’t let you do that,” came the calm response.
“How about if you just turn your head and I’ll cross over so you won’t be responsible?” he queried.
“No, that won’t work,” said the attendant.
“It won’t take long!” he protested. “You just turn your head and I’ll cross over and we’ll be done with it.”
“I can’t let you do that,” the attendant repeated.
“Let’s just agree that you didn’t see me do this and I’ll just cross over while you’re not looking. Okay?” the man persisted. “Is that okay?”
“No.” came the reply.
Growing even more furious, the man turned around and walked off somewhere back towards Garrett Park. “This is BULL-_ _ _ _!” he yelled as he stormed away.
Having watched a few others react to this stopped train, and remembering that I had come out on the ride to get some exercise, I decided to just ride to my left, parallel to the train, and see where the neighborhood roads would take me. So off I went, on an alternate route, but once again, getting some exercise, which is why I went out on the bike ride in the first place.
For a few moments I passed a number of beautiful, well-groomed homes and yards. Soon I entered the White Flint park, where I could once again get on a smooth bike path. That path took me past a mall, next to a few shopping centers, and through a small business district. Before long, I crossed over the train tracks on the road above them and soon found myself heading back towards the train but this time from the opposite side. In only about five minutes I found myself pulling up next to the train again, only this time from the opposite direction.
A young lady who was on a walk stood next to the train, not sure what to do. Two gentlemen on bikes approached and asked me what the situation was. I explained it had been about 30 minutes and we weren’t sure how long the train was going to take.
At this point I heard a rumble on the tracks and realized a commuter train was approaching from the south. Standing so close to the stopped train I got kind of excited that my view of the commuter train was going to be up close and personal. I pulled out my phone and took a video of what I saw. This was an unexpected surprise that I loved!
I also noticed the young Asian woman seated inside the restaurant with a window view so she could keep a close eye on the train. Consequently, I thought her handling of the situation was impressive. She turned an obstacle into a chance to try out a new restaurant. Smart idea that intern had.
“Well,” one gentleman said as he stood over his bike next to me, “…I think I’ll turn around and head another way. Got to keep moving.” I agreed with him. Then the second bike-riding man said a similar thing and he too turned around and rode off.
Taking a clue from my two bike riding friends, and recognizing that it was getting darker quickly, I also turned around and decided to ride back home taking a different path. On the way I discovered a business that rents out the popular electric scooters in the area. That was a fun discovery.
I also soon crossed back over the train tracks via the roadway above them and saw that the train was still stuck. But that didn’t matter anymore; I had moved on.
Not long afterwards I arrived back home, having discovered another route back to my apartment from a direction I hadn’t anticipated.
Sometimes obstacles unexpectedly place themselves in our pathway. And sometimes those obstacles appear to be really big.
One way to react to it is to get mad and try and walk around it.
Another way is to accept it and grab a calm meal while you wait it out.
A third way is to swear at it and try to cheat your way around it, then give up fuming.
Finally, a fourth way is to simply accept the obstacle and find a way to get around it.
To summarize, how we react to an obstacle is a choice we all make. So make the right choice and keep your head in the meantime.
I eat at Subway about twice a week. I go in and grab the daily 6″ sub lunch special which includes a bag of chips and a soda. The chips are always baked chips (lower calories) and the soda is a Diet Coke (no calories). …
Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the Washington Nationals vs. Kansas City Royals baseball game at Nationals Park. My host was my good friend Koo. This experience illustrated the power of a name at a ballpark. Having Koo as a host has, as American…
I’m not sure why this particular bobblehead night at Nats Park caught my attention, but it did.
The first 25,000 fans at Nats Park tonight got the Adam Eaton bobblehead.
I decided to go to the game via the cheapest ticket they had: a $16 deal in the upper upper deck at the end of the first base line. We were so high we were looking DOWN on the top of the yellow foul ball pole. It’s a beautiful ballpark.
A trip to the ballpark just wouldn’t be a complete trip without spending a small wad of money on the food there. I decided to do the traditional thing tonight and go with the hotdog and lemonade. I loaded up the hotdog with some extras just to max it out. The gal behind the counter gave me a good salespitch in that the large soda cup gives me a night full of fill-ups whereas the $6 cup doesn’t. I gave up the extra $4 and went for it.
I’m writing this post to emphasize you can have a lot of fun going out on the town just by yourself. Whenever you do go out, you’re suddenly not alone anymore either.
It’s important to take advantage of the opportunities that are right under your nose too. People in Washington D.C. never go to the top of the Washington Monument and people in Salt Lake City never go float in the Great Salt Lake.
It’s important to remember that the grass is always greener wherever you fertilize it. And you can fertilize it anywhere and anytime. Don’t get caught believing true happiness is always somewhere else, because the people who live there believe that true happiness is right where you are. So go with their beliefs.
At the end of two innings the storm clouds moved in. There was a 100% chance for rain at 8 p.m. and it looked like it was going to stay that way until 10 p.m. With the bobblehead in hand and still sipping some lemonade, I decided to head for the metro in a steady light rain and head home. By the time I got home it was only the fourth inning so I watched the rest of the game from here. The fact that my ticket was only $16 didn’t make me feel like I’d wasted some money to go to the game. I got the bobblehead and headed home perfectly content.
When I got to the metro I stood on the platform waiting for the train. It arrived and I started to get on. After I had entered the train a young lady, maybe 15 or so, came off the train with her friend. They delayed their start towards the exit door as they were in the back of the car hanging out with some friends.
As I walked on, one of the girls yelled at me by saying, “HEY!! Get out of my f#$%#% way!”
It stunned me so much I didn’t know what to think. As I looked back at her as she walked by I saw her friends in the back of the car laughing at me. Still stunned that anyone would yell at a stranger that way when the stranger hadn’t done anything wrong, I walked the opposite way and took my seat.
I was surprised I kept my cool so well. As I sat there I thought about what was ahead for this young lady. Probably jail; and probably soon. You can’t stay healthy with a mouth like hers. To think she would yell at a complete stranger like that shocked me.
Many people today believe volume is the key to importance. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You speak loudly when you’re mad; you speak softly when you’re calm. I don’t know what’s going on in this young lady’s life but for a moment there I felt like ending it for her.
Keep your composure because you’ll never know when you’re going to need it.
And keep your head on straight. Adam Eaton does. I have the bobblehead to prove it.
Life is sometimes hard. And sometimes it’s real hard. I credit my brother Ron for giving me some inspiration that will help me handle some of the tough times. The Stake Conference Talk Back in 2012 a man named Elder Richard G. Scott visited my…