Potpourri

I've been slammed the last two months, and I have been enjoying every minute of it! For a long time I never thought I would escape the clutches of the mortgage industry to do what I really love to do, which is help people with their businesses and corporations. New opportunities finally arrived in some new and completely unexpected ways and I have been having the time of my life!

Unfortunately, my blog has become a casualty of this new direction in life. So if you don't mind, I've put together a few bullets to let you know what I have been up to. Now that things are starting to get settled, I think I can get back to my weekly schedule of keeping you updated and more importantly, entertained.

• I'm working with a company called Funding Universe which is phenomenal! I keep waiting for the shoe to drop because I never thought I would find such an awesome opportunity so close to home. In a nutshell we prepare businesses to interface with an enormous database of lenders and investors. I spend an incredible amount of time analyzing business plans, financials and marketing plans, and educating CEO's on the best way to approach our lenders and investors. I also produce a growing number of webinars that we are using to help our clients from across the country. Today my clients spanned from Tampa, Florida to Seattle, Washington.

• One of my first clients was Dennis Scott a former NBA Star who flew out from Atlanta to meet with me and attend one of our "speed pitching" events. He was so excited that he expressed interest in having us go to Atlanta to meet with his people and possibly put on an event there. I knew I'd make it to the NBA, just not like this!



• To provide superior service to my new clients, I broke down and joined the Blackberry Revolution. Funding Universe is paying for most of the costs so I figured it would be a good investment. So far I have enjoyed the experience and like the ability to respond to email and text messages on the fly. It will also come in handy when I need to check on my Fantasy Football Teams during sacrament meeting.

• I had a blast "live drafting" my fantasy football team with my family this year. I hate cold weather, but FF makes it bearable

• We went to Los Alamos for my Uncle Steve's wedding. I don't know why we keep driving these insane distances in a mini van but we do. On the way back we drove through Pagosa Springs, CO and I have decided I want to live there some day. Lisa told me that I might be living there by myself.

• After gimping around like an 89 year old man for the past three months, I decided to go in and just get the friggin Cortizone shots. My Dr. (who is VERY nice) jabbed a thick four inch needle into my heel to hit my plantar fascia. He did this to BOTH heels and it hurt like a %&$&! Two days later I felt like new again. But the right side is flaring again so I may need to go back. Seriously, that experience sucked the wong.

• My co-workers at funding universe sucked me in to getting a twitter account? Have you ever heard of this? They kept telling me "it's like a mini Facebook, aren't you on Facebook?" I admitted that I am but honestly, I don't "get" Facebook or MySpace. If you do, maybe I'll have my Facebook thing throw a pumpkin or an ice cream cone at you *shrugs shoulders* If you get the Twitter or the Facebook thing please tell me what I am obviously missing.

• I took 2nd place in our poker game last month. I won some big pots, got bluffed out of some smaller ones but in the end couldn't make up the huge lead that Vern (Sharla's dad) had on all of us. $65 for 2nd place, not too bad!

• Took the boys (all of em') fishing at Smith and Moorehouse last Saturday. Noah dipped his line for about 15 minutes and spent the rest of the day exploring the lake, stream and mountains. Eli drove me to the brink of insanity because he would NOT leave his worm and bobber alone. He would cast it out and reel it in. Cast and reel, cast and reel. Justifiably he didn't catch anything. Jack amazingly, fished the entire time with his miniature Scooby Doo fishing pole and caught two really nice pan fish on his own! He was very upset that I wouldn't let him keep his fish. He really felt that they would have a great time living at home in our bathtub and sink. Logan got dirt, diet Pepsi, fish slim and Ranch Doritos all over his cloths and hair. Of the four, I think that he had the most fun.

• Last but not least, at Reagan's encouragement I am going to write an "I Believe" blog. This idea follows in the footsteps of the NY Times best selling book "The Last Lecture." Basically, if I were to depart this old life, what would I want people to know that I believe? It's got my creative juices flowing and I'm trying to think of the best way to format it. As I've been thinking about it my list has been growing longer and longer. I wince that the blog will be long and boring for a lot of people. But since my blog is my journal to a greater degree I've decided to include it anyway.

• Thanks for hanging in there with me. I look forward to reading over all of your blogs and commenting on them again! I should be in high gear by the end of next week! Hugs and kisses to all of you. I love each of you tremendously!