Rants, Rambles, and Journeys

September 1, 2025

I feel frustration right now! So many thoughts, feeling and emotions surging through my brain. I have begun to focus on what’s really important for me at this point of my life. I have been given an opportunity to change the direction of my life due to the sale of my farm in Grant County, and I don’t wish to fumble to ball and life to regret a missed opportunity.

I have established major sections of my life that will effect the remainder of my life and the quality of that life. First is my health, I have been conscience of what I am eating, and when I am eating. So far I am down about 24 pounds this year. I accredit a lot of the weight loss to my Mounjaro routine. Now we don’t really know the long term effects of this med, but as of today it is beneficial for my health. I believe that a body must always being motion, and we should always use the muscle groups to support us in our daily life. With this in mind I am going to start working out again with weights. I am going to buy a home gym and begin a regimen to keep my muscle mass as I move into my late 50′ and early 60’s. My mind needs to remain active also, so I am trying to use it to work through projects, and shape my future life. At some point I may even start working some kind of puzzles, or something like that just to keep myself as alert and functional as possible. My finances are another area I am focusing on to make sure I am as healthy as possible. This is an area that I am rather weak in, I have not bothered to learn about investing and have never had the money to research investing for the future. Hence here I am at 55, learning what I should have been doing in my 20’s, and needing to make up for lost time! Some of the things I am learning are quite disturbing, and a disappointment about humanity!

Yes, we have all heard the rich and poor struggles in the news, on the streets, and in the work place, but the picture that I am piecing together as I research investing for my future is quite honestly deplorable to say the least. It is like two parallel realities exist side by side but from opposite sides of society. In the movie Titanic, it always bothered be about the depictions of the classes of people and the ways that each class was treated. Those that had few resources were third class or steerage. That has never sat well with me because these are human beings, a creation of the devine creator. We are all living being with feelings, emotions, desires, and how dare someone think that you can tag someone just becase they are not dignified, or refined, or intelligent. I have been around people from lower classes, and yes they can be offensive, and possibly repulsive, but the bottom line is they are humans.

When I started doing my research and starting uncovering how there are investments that are only for a certain class of people (Rich), and how the education system has been designed by the wealthy few to produce “worker” and “professionals” to support “their” world, that didn’t set well with me either. How dare a minority of more fortunate people would plot to desecretly plot to manipulate society for their benefit! They are treating the unknowing average person as a puppet on a string to benefit theirselves ! How cruel of an idea to social engineer people to believe a lie, and to spend their entire lives living out the lie, then to indoctrinate their children into the lie because they don’t know any other way! How sick!

Alright sing it with me, “St Peter don’t call me because I can’t go, I owe my soul to the company store!” that is what I am talking about still today in 2025! It is right there in plain sight but most people don’t know it exists. They say if you want to hide something well, then put it in plain sight. That is exactly what those that call the shots have done, and I think it is shameful! I have my faults, and short comings, but I have never desired to literally harm and control another person. It sears me to my core to understand how cold some humans can be to a fellow human being.

I have to get off that wagon, its making me angry! Anyway I have started investing my money to try to secure my future the best that I can. I am also working on my financial literacy, trying to understand how to shore up my financial footing to endure any storm that life brings along. I have vowed to start doing more smart things in life verses frivolous actions that have not been in my best interest. I am evaluating the value in things so that I am not just throwing them out in the future as waste. It is actually eye opening to discover how you can go through life without you engines engaged, just drifting along, no one pointing out any issues, then one day you wake up and realize that “This is my life and it isn’t going in a direction that takes me where I want to be! ” Wow what a wake up call! Praise God that it happened for me, some people never wake up they just continue to drift along their entire life. I am constructing values and goals to get me point to point where I would like to be in my retirement years. Allowing me to call the shots as I desire for once. More on that as it develops!

August 20, 2025

Wow where has time gone? I expected to write on this page more than most of the others, but that seems to not be the case! When I secured the Private Gardener opportunity in the early Spring that really stacked and packed my schedule and I think I used the post feature more than writing to a specific page. I’m working my evening gig tonight just catching up with some of my writing.

Tuesdays are always slow, and for some reason all of the cheapskates fly on Tuesdays! So here I am with time on my hands, I’m burnt out on researching stocks, and listening to books on Audible. I’m not much on social media anymore, I’m just not into all the drama and garbage that gets posted. If it wasn’t such an effective means to discover other growers from around the globe I would probably drop it like a bad habit. I still maintain an international group dedicated to Adenium, and this proves to be an effective way to find new sources for plants and seeds. I have been able to develop several really good relationships with people on the other side of the world I will probably never meet, yet we are able to do business and support one another!

Other news! It seems that my oldest granddaughter is really good at soccer, so good that she is playing varsity as a freshman! So we are headed back to Gatlinburg Tn this Thursday for a soccer tournament that she will be playing in, who knew we would have a really good goalie in the family?? I’m really proud of her!

April 28, 2025

Well the weather has finally stabilized with more warm and dry versus cold and wet, so that has got better. I have been working on reinventing myself. Tomorrow is my first day working as a private gardener in Indian Hill, Ohio three days a week. This is a property that I am familiar with, I use to work on this property when I worked for someone else before I started my business over eight years ago. I have also made efforts to get my name out there in the affluent neighborhoods around where I will be working in an effort to add to my schedule. I will continue to work my business around my new schedule. I am working on my site and my SEO, although I’m not an expert I have basic knowledge of how it all works and I’ll work at it and see what progress I can make on my own before consulting an expert. My advertising contract is over in May and I need some relief from that expense for a while. That was a loosing investment! I have been getting a lot of inquiries for quotes over the past two weeks, so that is promising. Once I get a feel for this new role I will plan how I want to expand from here. I already know I want to grow my plant health care business. If I can add another 5-10 clients. I will reduce the landscape design and installation and add more consulting. Time will tell, and I will thrive regardless of how this plays out. I need to be able to use my farm again, that land is just sitting there void of activity. I need to repair the greenhouse and get a plan for its use again.

April 12, 2025

Well I guess it’s official as of today. My only source of revenue is my landscape company. I’m not sure I have ever shared it publicly, but since November 28 2023 I have been working both at the CVG airport for the airlines and operating my landscape business. I have always picked up winter work since I have been self employed. That isn’t anything new for me, what is new is that in March or April of 2024 I didn’t quit my winter work because I was so busy I couldn’t keep up with it all! In 2024 I found that my phone was not ringing as it usually does. So once I finished up my annual renewal work there wasn’t anything else to carry me through the rest of Spring into Summer. I like to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s going on with the landscape business in this region so that I don’t get left behind. I am friends with two of the largest landscape nurseries in the area, so I usually ask around about what all of the other landscape companies have been up to. According to my sources unless to provided hardscape services the industry went completely flat! That’s good and very bad. At least I didn’t do anything to not be getting calls. In the back of your mind that’s always a minor concern that someone with an unrealistic expectation will bad mouth you and there is always someone that is willing to spread that lie! Anyway this news was very bad for the obvious, there was no work because people were not spending their money due to the uncertainty of the times. So I stayed at the airport so that I have a revenue stream until things picked back up. It wasn’t the money I was used to be making but it was an income. May of ‘24 the company I was working for lost the contract for Frontier Airlines. I was asked to make the jump to the new company. So I agreed and went from a ramp lead making $21/hr to a ramp supervisor making $24/hr.

I must confess I enjoyed leadership, and the people that worked for me seemed to appreciate the way I treated them. I remember coming up the ranks when I got out of the military and was trying to find work to support my new family. It was difficult and no one showed me any support or kindness. That’s what I offer my agents is someone in their corner. I am there to help them establish themselves in a career. I have their back, and I help them however I can. Isn’t that what we all want? A fair chance and someone to help you when things get tough?

Anyway we just got a new account manager and as is traditional he has to change everything. I don’t understand the rationale of this! If something works why mess with it? Regardless it is his right to do what he believes should be done, and he started messing with everyone’s schedules and hours. The days I work and the days I am off I could live with. I didn’t say I like them, but I would tolerate some pain. What I couldn’t roll with was he also changed my hours. I cannot work a mid shift and run my business also. He had me scheduled in as early as 4pm and staying until 1:30 am! How was that supposed to work?? So I decided that my business was more important and I would have to put my faith in God to the test! So here we go Lord, help me soar like an eagle! I just jumped off a high cliff,and God has always had my back! That you can trust regardless of what’s happening here on earth!

April 5, 2025

TAXES!

I absolutely hate tax day! Gina has been working on the business taxes for the last several days. Looks like she will be finishing up today, this is always music to my ears! My responsibilities have become less and less over the last several years. Tax prep use to be a knock down, rough and tumble event. I think it should be a month to month process, and Gina has other opinions about that. I do understand that she works full time, and that when she is done for the day, she would like to truly be done. When I am done working in the heat doing and landscape install, I would also like to be done when I’m done. It just doesn’t work that way. So hear we are trying to find receipts from ten months ago. Did I mention I hate taxes?

March 27, 2025

One of my favorite people from history is Theodore Roosevelt. I appreciate his speech, “The man in the arena”. I understand somewhat how “the man” might feel after enduring the fight. I too have been that man, and currently see no way to get up off this floor. I feel defeated and pressed to the floor to the point that I question was the fight truly worth it? Would it had been better to not know short lived success in business and possibly be in a much better financial position? What have I actually gained? Covid has changed life forever and my aging body isn’t helping the rally call. I am a survivor by nature but over the past four years with an unstable economic climate it is difficult to remain motivated and my focus has become blurry. Lord help me, I can’t do it on my own. This is much bigger than I am.

I’m not a quitter, I will reinvent myself! I have been down before, and have made a comeback! People’s spending patterns have changed, the public’s views and opinions are changing but I will adapt and I will overcome! I will reemerge to be successful small business owner, and an asset to my community. I vowel to be a good neighbor, an honest business person, and a friend to all I meet. I will strive to show the love of God to everyone I encounter. I will survive and I will support others as I rise. Watch me as I rise from the ashes that Covid has caused.

March 22, 2024

We started allowing Presley full rein of the house. We took down the gate to her room on Sunday. When I got home this morning she was excited to see me as usual. I then took her out to use the bathroom, then I was ready for bed. Presley was not. There was no gate to restrain her advance. She followed me upstairs and began whining when she couldn’t come into my room because of the barrier we have at our bedroom door. She wound up sleeping in our bed after expressing her excitement to see my wife, who had been asleep before the whining. Presley is a roamer, and has a hard time settling down in the bed. When I got up from bed and got myself pulled together, this is what I found downstairs.

The puppy princess upon her throne. She is such a drama queen perched upon several pillows and blankets.

March 24, 2025

Life is full of changes. I have seen my fair share, some in my own life, and other times in those around me. I try to maintain an even keel, I really despise drama and conflict. So I try to do my best to be optimistic about things around me. I am finding that difficult currently. Like most things in life I hope that the current funk will change quickly. Lack of patience is often my foley. You would think I would learn from that, apparently I’m not as sharp as I might present myself. my current state is a making of my own. Some things were because of my decisions, and some were because I didn’t challenge or protest. So here I am. This too will pass, and I will survive. Battle scarred and weathered, but a survivor once more.

March 22,2025

Well I have applied for a promotion at work. There has been a lot of shuffling lately. They filled the compliance manager position. Then finally filled the Account Manager position which opened the above wing manager. Now the person who accepted the Compliance manager is shifting to the above wing. So now the Compliance and Safety Manager position is once again vacant. So I applied for the compliance manager position. I am ready to leave overnights and get on a “normal” shift again. This will mean some changes if I get this opportunity, but one step at a time for now.

Our little girl got a hair cut!

I was able to meet up with my sister, she was flying home from Baton Rouge where she visiting with a friend and hanging out for Mardi Gras.

She was flying in on a late flight and I was just starting my shift. So it was nice to see her!

And a special gift

A special request

A picture with Pooh and friends

Next a boat ride to Disney Springs

Our photographer was a bit confused and took a photo of himself!

Then a picture at the fountain to remember the morning by

Our first stop… Disneys Port Orleans Resort for breakfast!

And so our Valentine’s Day adventure begins!

February 14,2025

There is nothing more important than love in this world. Love makes the world go around. Love controls our thoughts and actions. Without love in some form or fashion we cannot exist. Love is everything.

Port Orleans Resort Disney World Orlando Florida. I look really rough here, I had not slept in almost 24 hours. 0500 flight to Tampa Florida to meet up with my babydoll. Then a drive to Orlando to spend a couple of days together away from home. We both need this break from life. Happy Valentines Day sweetheart!