Good Morning!™ (Almost an early riser™ today).
Let me fill you in on the second half of yesterday and what I have been up to today.
First off I want you haters™ to try and tone it down. I know that I probably shouldn’t have gone to cash call, but I was in need and the idea seemed, well, almost seductive. I had every intention™ of paying back every dirty penny™, but things changed. I am sure with some of the sweet deals™ I’m working on that things will quickly be turning around. So for the mean time, please stop the negativity.
OK, to summarize:
2:45 PM (yesterday) - Held a meeting with one of my business partners™ regarding a potential sweet deal™ that would generate the passive income™ I’m looking for. He thinks he has a source for a hard money lender™ that wants to stay in the background and let me handle the details of the transaction and day-to-day operations. My business partners™ seemed very upbeat and offered some creative solutions as to how keep my current situation from being the topic of conversation. I told my business partners™ i wanted everything to handled in an ethical way™. No shady dealings.
4:25 - Done with meeting with business partners™. It looks like we can close on a 400 unit structure in North Natomas in about 30-45 days. Sweet!™.
4:30 - Disaster struck. I was in my friends borrowed car and I didn’t notice how low on gas the car was. Just as I was looking down in horror at how little fuel I had left, the “check engine” light came on. My thinking was that this was a warning about how little fuel I had left (I already realized that, right?) So I continued driving at a reduced speed to save gas (I need to consider a hybrid to help reduce my carbon footprint - it is really better for the environment and helps to reduce greenhouse gasses and global warming. I made a note™ to mention it to my friend later). Just then, the engine made a terrible screeching sound and stopped almost immediately.
I have never run out of gas before so I assumed™ that this must be what it is like.
4:50 - I get ahold™ of my friend and embarrasedly mention my situation to him. He tells me he understands™ and he will get a ride and bring a couple of gallons of gas. I tell him I’ll make him some sweet juice™ to pay him back later.
5:40 - My friend™ arrives with the gas. He puts it in the tank (some day I’ll have to take a basic automotive class to gain a deeper understanding so I can be more self sufficient) and we try to start the car. Unbelievably, the car seems to have had the battery die at the same instant it ran out of gas.
My friend™ is now staring in horror at his car. He says that the check engine light was related to the oil level in the engine and not the fuel. He say that the engine is likely fried and that they are very costly to fix. I tried to console him by telling him that my roadside assistance™ plan covered any car I was driving and that it would pay to have his car towed.
7:30 - I finally get home after having the car towed to my friend’s™ house. He is bitter and I don’t think I will ask to use his car any more. I need to focus on getting the Jetta’s™ tire fixed instead so I will have reliable transportation to/from important business meetings™. I notice two more “overnight” packages and a certified letter to me that G’s™ sister kindly placed in a neat pile in my office™. I will have to make a point to put them near the top of the stack of my mail tomorrow, as I have another business meeting™ with some potential investors™ tonight.
7:40 - G™ is unhappy with the whole car situation. We have some heated word, but I explain I have an important meeting with some potential investors™ at 8:00 and I won’t be back until late.
8:00-1:45AM - Business meeting with investors™ wet reasonably well, I can’t divulge any details yet, but they have a connection in Chicago that *might* be able to provide a portion of the funds for a new venture without alot™ of documentation.
8:45AM - No early riser™ today. I missed it because of the late hour of last night’s meeting.
9:10 - A quick (and light) fresh made juice (I though about the advise™ on being careful of an allergy developing, but I am only on day 2 of my regimen and I will start being careful on Saturday.
9:30 - a quick jog around the block and then I plan a 90 minute meditation™. I am trying to find a balance in my body’s energy centers and a book I am reading (The interior Zen of Harmonic Balances through Homeopathic Regimens) says that meditation and essential earthy nutrients are the first step in meditational cleansing.
9:45 - Broke meditation early (I had every intention™ of meditating a full 90 minutes, but Cash Call found G’s™ sister’s telephone number. I answered it and they asked who I was. It was a moral dilemma, because I intended to be ethical™ in dealing with them, but I was still in denial mode™. I said I was G’s sister’s cousin visiting from San Diego and I just arrived last night and wasn’t sure who was staying here. I know that wasn’t the right thing to do™, but I had to have some time to plan on hat to talk to Cash Call about. I’ll set aside some time on Friday to make a list of discussion points with them so when they next call I will be prepared).
9:50 - Going to go shower because I really need to check on what to do about the missing check™ from Utah. I know I have been a little slow™ in aggressively dealing with it, but I must make it a priority.
I’ll update more later (gotta check on several gyms in the area so I can get back to being big™. I have heard that a few will let you try them for a week or two at no charge in the hopes you will join them. Hey, it is a way to stay focued™ on my energy centers without expending valuable funds, right?)
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OK, Guys. Really really hectic and productive day, complete with drama.
10:00 - Near panic attack! Blue ball™ appears to be not as large as yesterday during my morning check. Air pressure is now at 3psi (far too soft to be productive). That is a 25% decline in pressure. I must find out where all of that precious air went. I called a friend who has some “pull” at the airport and get the barometric pressure measurements from yesterday morning to this morning.
Although we have been having some climatological challenges (er, opportunities™) the barometric pressure has stayed relatively stable (29.22 in Hg vs 22.31 in Hg today), it hasn’t changed enough to account for the decrease in the blue ball’s™ pressure differential.
10:15-11:05 - spent time on the Internet researching possible causes of pressure differential in the blue ball™. Many theories abound, but the most promising is that there is a leak. What now? I’m trying to get back to a strictly modified vegan diet™ and my mind is swimming with possibilities. But a leak, hmmm. More to ponder.
11:15 - moderate™ some posts here and suddenly realize from poster 72 that today is Rio Rancho foreclosure day. S***! I can’t remember what the time differential between California and New Mexico is. If it is 11:30 here, is it 10:30, 11:30 or 12:30 there. Either way, there probably isn’t time to get there in time to intervene/record/document.
I wonder if there is a response to my short sale package in the mail (note to self™ make prioritizing the mail a higher priority)
11:45 - finished moderating the posts™ the haters™ are seeming to be dying down and there are some very sensible and forthright comments being posted. To all of you offering advise Thank you. To the haters™, thanks for keeping it to yourselves, at least for now.
11:55 - Contact Realtor® friend™ in New Mexico. I explain my completely missing the foreclosure sale date and offer apology. It is nice to be engaged with such hard working professionals™. She explains that she can contact some of her contacts™ and see what is going on. She also offers me the address and telephone number of her new side business venture “Limitless Ladies - Beyond Exotic and in Your Home”, explaining that with the real estate slowdown (not just in New Mexico I assure her), and since she is just 23 and only a semester of college, she and three of her friends are exploring a new opportunity™ in the greater Santa Fe area. She says that she should have her domain name registered and on-line credit card processing up by the end of the week (a good idea for a future post?)
12:15 - Juicy Juice time™! A healthy refreshing break from the ordinary today - winter veggies are in season! Carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts (iron, you know), broccoli and tangerine juice (for tartness). Lots of B-complex and anti oxidants. I am feeling more vigor and stamina today. The regime is working for sure.
1:30 - Get a call from my friend™ about the borrowed car. His mechanic says it will be about $4,500 for an engine replacement. Ouch. I tell him I am really very sorry for confusing the check engine light and gas gauge. I tell him that I will pay back every greasy penny™ to his mechanic once my two new ventures (that’s right, but I can’t reveal exactly what they are until the hard money lender firms up his position and until I hear back from the Chicago connection).
1:45 - Make call to Chicago people. It’s 3:45 their time and I am told that they are unavailable, that they “are dealing with a most unfortunate set of circumstances involving a joint venture”. They have had to drive to Southern Illinois to personally deal with the circumstance and won’t be back until very early tomorrow morning. That’s disturbing. My friend™ who did the introduction did mention they were heavily involved with a leveraged™ import/export venture from South America. I hope nothing has gone wrong with customs.
2:20 - I get a call back from my Realtor® friend™ in New Mexico. She is very excited. It seems that when she and her business partners got to the auction, my property was up next. What happened next is truly amazing. Once they got out from the car, every head turned and the auctioneer called off the balance of the day’s trustee sales and my Realtor® friend™ and her friends got 11 bookings. Her card processing isn’t yet activated so they had “cash” buyers.
I tell her I’m excited for her success, but what about my options. She explains that if she is successful during the rest of the afternoon’s business, she can probably negotiate a 30 day extension during which she will personally negotiate with the lending officer on my behalf.
3:00 - Time to meditate on today’s events. I feel very blessed™ to have such hard working professionals™ on my team™. Even though I am working several States and time zones away, I feel a positive aura coming from the developments. If I keep the momentum™ moving and stay focused on my opportunities™ I think the short sale will be accepted and that the Chicago connection and the hard money lender™ will surface at just the right time.
Do you think I should take the Chicago deal as offered or counter? I don’t want to seem to greedy or to desperate. I need to meditate on it.
More to come.
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Quick update:
4:40 - Got confirmation call from my Realtor® friend™ in NM. She confirms what is posted her regarding postponement of sale from today to March 28th. Sweet!™. Since it is an hour ahead in NM, she is hard at the task at nearly 6:00 PM. She clearly knows hard work. One question, she want to know if she and her friends can use the Rio Ranch home a couple of times for a photo studio to make some publicity photos for her new venture. She also wants to know if it is OK to hold a small number of “low key” business meetings there. She is offering me 10% of any business that she brings in and thinks her model will be able to generate potentially thousands per month.
Her thinking is that if her venture takes off she might be able to branch out into other areas and since I have some vacant nondescript properties in other urban areas they might fit her business model. I am initially uncertain as to what to do, since I don’t fully know what her exact business plan calls for (she is a little vague on the details, only offering that involves “public relations types of events” and that by its nature it s designed to be marketed in a highly discrete manner to high net worth individuals who wish to explore some innovative opportunities). I’ll meditate on it some more.
My gut instinct is to go with it (what have I got to loose?™) and take whatever comes my way so that I can begin to find salvation™ on my way to getting saved™ so I can pay back every dirty (and now greasy) penny™.
I intend to discuss this with G™ and See her thoughts.
Any ideas-comments?
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Good morning Everyone.
Day three of keeping you apprised of my activities. Man, am I tired this morning. I think the protein boost was a good idea, but I have been reading some disturbing things about anti-oxidants. Some of the research suggests negative implications when anti-oxidants and certain omega-complex fish oils are intertwined in the small intestie. It has something to do with protelayse (sp?) inhibitors and the hydrochloric acidity — I’ll do more research and have a “fitness and well being” post shortly™.
OK, my last night was not too good. G™ thinks that the Rio Rancho Realtor® might be up to something that while not illegal, could be considered immoral by many. I try to explain to her that I truly do want to follow the moral/ethical™ route, but that since I have so many dirty pennies™ (and now greasy pennies™ too) that I should at least explore the situation. G™ is skeptial but open minded. That is one of her most endearing qualities. I feel blessed™ that she has entered my life.
6:30(PM) - Had a nice quiet dinner with G™ and her sister. Since I have been feeling guilty about my situation I offered to cook up a tasty goumet meal that is very nutricious as well. I decided that a vegan theme™ would set the tone, but since I am trying to consider starting an exercise regime™, I need all the protein I can get in my diet. So, I prepared a black and fava bean compote with a selection of fresh oven roasted root-vegtables (from my parents - bless them!) served along side a lean pot roast with beef gravy (protein!).
G™ and her sister™ really seemed to enjoy the meal.
You are probably wondering about the whole Utah property/check issue. No, I dd not cash the first payment check. I am going to go to Utah to try to sort this whole mess out™. One the posters here has offered (kindly) to help once I get there. Many of you also have asked about how I am going to be getting there. Here is where I can tell you more.
Over the past weeks I have been collecting used oil from Chinese restaurants and delivering it to a friend in Dave (just north of Sac.) who is working on a prototype bio-diesel reactor for his master’s thesis at the college. We met at a Jamba Juice™ several months ago when he noticed cellphone/PDA and began asking questions. He had never seen one with so many features packed into such a small profile (I was moderating™ postings at the time, so I told him my whole story). Anyway, I think he kinda felt sorry for me and offered to let me use his 1982 Diesel Rabbit as a long-range test vehicle for his fuel.
He claims that it will average 41 MPG on the highway. I have only driven it a few miles, but it seems OK to me. The one strange part about driving the bio-bunny (as he calls it) is that it smells kind of like General Tso’s Chicken as it drives away.
9:45-10:30 Moderate a few posts and then off to bed. Tomorrow’s a big day, driving from Sacramento to Rio Rancho, NM is 681 miles - 9 hours 45 minutes If I go non-stop. Early Riser™ here I come!
4:40AM - Up without the alarm - the extra protein in my modified vegan™ diet is definately working! I made a healthy sweet juice™ juice for breakfast. I had time to look at some of the overnight comments but no time to edit/moderate™. Quick jog around the block and I feel ready for the long drive ahead. I make a mental note to review the driver’s handbook for the bio-bunny (want to avoing the whole oil/fuel issue), and then I’ll be ready for the road-trip.
I notice that I have a voice message form the Rio Rancho Realtor® from 2:15 this morning (what an early riser™ she must be!) I’ll check voice mails once I’m on the road.
5:30 - Being an early riser™ feels good again. I’ll have to continue this. OK. Now its on the road. I plan that with a 1 hour stop for lunch, I can meet with my Utah connection by 3:30 or 4:00 this afternoon. Sweet!™
No word yet from my Chicago connection lender. It is only 7:30 their time and if their business trip went long (I certainly know how a well disciplined plan for an efficient (and ethical™) business meeting can run contrary to plans), they may not be in the office as early as I tend to be.
Hopefully along my route there will be some hot-spots and I can moderate™ along the way.
Stay tuned!
681 miles, 9 hours
680, 10 hours
I’ll have
