Newsletters 1-7

Sep 97

NL (Newsletter)1.

Folks,

OK, here we are. We have picked up a Dodge Diesel (Cummins), 1 Ton, Dually (that's the one with four wheels in the back instead of two), Extended Cab (two tiny seats in the back, or room for Bogart to lie down), to tow our yet to be purchased 5th wheel.

We are learning the great advantages to diesel motoring. All I can say is that we get better gas mileage on the monster truck than we get on the VW Van. Regardless of the load, this thing beats gas in every category!

Lynn says she gets the urge to grab her crotch every time she gets behind the wheel. (Joke, based on macho attitudes.)

We are now focused on finding the right 5th wheel to live in (possibly) full time. The heck of it is we don't know what's happening even 15 days from now. See we are looking to get with our associates in Germany on one deal, while being recruited for a deal as a private contractor in Saudi! Six figures in one and unknown on the other. I may do a remote Civvy tour just to get the boat cash. (Yes we are still going to get the world cruising Trimaran-we are not yet suffering from Alzheimer's).

So if Saudi comes through Lynn will do the motorhome in LA (Louisiana) and wait for a year. If we do Germany, we will take the truck over there, make a good profit, sell the RV, and get the boat a year or so later. Or . . .we will forego all of the above and tour the good ol' US of A for a year or so.

Whichever way it works out we are happy.

One thing we are becoming increasingly aware of is the way folks view us. It's a trip, but a lot of folks say things to us indicating they'd like to be doing what we are doing. When we say "why not?" they have a whole laundry

list of stuff that they think are good reasons why they can't.

We are starting to realize that they can... but won't. Too bad they don't have that concept down.

Guys, we are not crazy-adventurous-or to be admired! We just want to cruise around, dive some great sites, and ski. All of which are possible with a cruising 40-50 foot sailboat.

The biggest advantage is never having to have a bunch of strangers come in and pack up all of our precious possessions and proceed to destroy them during a move. From now on when we move we will take our house with us.

Anyway, we hope to be in the boat within the next year or two. We will be open to friends taking their vacations with us as soon as we have the boat.

However, there are two methods you can pick from to cruise with us.

1. No work, no responsibilities, we cater to you. This is really an option! It's called a charter. And will cost about $500.00 per day. Welcome aboard!

2. You are our friends and share washing dishes, deck duties, wash and maintenance duties, watches, and in general your percentage of the non-captain work. Cost- your share of food and work. The fuel and maintenance is mine. In other words, the world is at all of our friends disposal. Non-friends will be disposed of at sea.

Wow! We're really about to get there! In three weeks we are going R.O.A.D (R.etired O.n A.ctive D.uty = relieved of duties for retirement processing LOL) and 20 December 1997 we are done, on terminal leave.

Oh, by the way, for those interested my formal retirement ceremony is 26 Nov 97. (yes, the day before Thanksgiving-meaning there?) here at "Lackluster" Air "Farce" Base. All of you are invited. We have floor space and wheels for all that come, and counseling for those who can't.

I'm hangin' 'em up! Thank God. I can't work this hard for so little anymore. Cost-benefit analysis.

So how are y'all? I am maintaining private correspondence with the two who maintain it with me. If you don't like these newsletters, then co-respond, or send me a cease and desist order.<wink>

Bye,

NL 2.

Sept. 6 1997 24th Anniversary Dinner

Friends,

I had to work, my duties required it even though it was a Saturday. However, I released myself at 7PM, and got home to my "significant harassment", in time to go down to the San Antonio Riverwalk, find a fine Italian restaurant with great seafood choices, and a table 6" from the river.

The ambiance was as good as Rome or France. The table was wood with a large umbrella that had a soft light in it.

The crowds were wall to wall walking by us, and we were between them and the river.

The service was, surprisingly, as good as in France. Our waiter poured our wine all night and we couldn't get to it before he would come over and refill. He was perfect. Although we did get a giggle out of his trying to make a big deal out of serving a cheap bottle of Canei Lambrusco, with a plastic screw cap, as if it was a fine wine. He opened it and we swear he almost offered the cap for inspection!

I told him we had just come from seven years in Germany. He then regaled us with his knowledge of Piersporter and Liebfraumilch wines from Germany. I didn't have the heart to tell him that Liebfraumilch is the wine that no European, least of all a self-respecting German, would buy. They ship that blended, Halb Trocken wine, that is below even "Taffle Wine" quality, and has no predikat, to the USA, where igoornant (sp-int.) Auslanders ( German for foreigners) "acquire" a taste for it! Ugh!

Other than the entertainment on wines, his service was perfect. Heck, I couldn't even light Lynn's cigarette or mine. The food was the best we've had since returning to the states. We had Shrimp Scampi with scallops, that had a side of spaghetti with sauce that was to-die-for.

In short, we dined with the crowds inches away, at a table by the river, with the excitement and mood lights swirling around us like a panorama of life, in our own glowing island of conversation.

I remembered why I married Lynn that night.

NL 3.

Folks,

It's a really eye opener when you sell all your "stuff" in yard sales, ads in the paper, and estate sales.

I mean to tell 'ya, there is a bulk of the population that is clueless. For example. A guy asks "how much for your speakers?" ( a pair of Bose 901, series VI, in

excellent shape - retail 1200 bucks) and I answer $350.00. And the guy

goes "whoa! why so high?" Well, I answer "they are as good as new, however feel free to GO DOWNTOWN AND PAY $1200.00 FOR THEM IN THE SAME SHAPE!!!"

Sheesh! go figure.

NL 4.

Nov 97

Hi all!

We are now moving very fast. Sold most of my toys (electronics, guns, furniture, etc.). Monday we decide on which 5th wheel we get. Wed the 10th our household goods (all we kept are the antiques, Lynn's collectibles, my TV and the bed!) are picked up for a year's storage.

Our Phones will be disconnected on the 15th of December. On the 20th, we depart San Antonio for good. We will be spending the holidays at least with our family in Louisiana. Then stay until our new (second) granddaughter arrives around the first week in Feb. We might stay longer or we might leave sooner, depending on the weather in the Rockys. Also on our whim.

We're retired! We don't have to be or go anywhere until we feel like it! We do expect to visit a lot of you in the next year and say hi. Don't worry about a place

to stay. We will have our home with us.

I will have an emergency digital/cellular w/ data (for email) by the first of the year, before we go on the road, and will send that as soon as we have a number. I need to get on the road and see what's out there before I approach a very possible business venture-providing Internet to mobile RVrs at stationary rates. There are some backbone level providers who could do this virtually at local rates, and there are many RVrs who would choose an RV Park with hook ups for short-term stays over one with nothing.

Those of you who have been involved in my business know how fast I can be when it's something I need too. And the concept as a standard service doesn't exist! I'll be getting with some of you on the technical side later. Look for Project

start about two weeks after I am on the road. The frustration factor should have motivated me by then. Of course, only if I feel like it.

For those of you still in the rat race, I will be available for corporate training and motivational seminars, after May. Focus on team building and training the trainer. Get me while I'm cheap!

Well, that's about all for now. I've got to download my hard drive before the guy who bought this computer comes over to pick it up. Yes I'm actually selling all of my computers and equipment. I have no space for it all and don't want to store it. I'm even selling my laptop and new pro-station docking station. New 150mmx laptop should be in this afternoon's UPS run.

Because of space limitations I don't even have room for the notebook and docking station. Had to get a new unit with full size capabilities and TFT screen in one laptop instead of the laptop/docking station. Almost there!

See Ya!

NL 5.

Dec. 1997

Folks,

The movers finished packing us today. We are leaving here a week later than we expected. So our Phones and address will remain the same until the 20th of Dec. Then we will be in LA.

We have sold all of our toys and are going to make the rest happen ASAP.

Made an offer on a 5th wheel and will hear on Monday. Don't know if the deal will go through . . .but will execute several options if not. Will see the LA crowd XMAS!

See 'Ya

NL 6.

Dec. 1997

Friends,

Well we closed the deal on our new home, a 35-foot Hitchhiker fifth wheel RV. OK! So it's a 90 model! Y'all know I'm cheap! Seriously, it's a really nice setup with real oak cabinets, a slideout living room, and best of all we paid cash. So it will be on it's way to me tomorrow (Thursday), and will be here on Saturday. We will then live in it for our first weekend and register it in TX, which is our current state of residency, and has no state income tax. Instead of leaving Sat, we leave (god willing and the creek don't rise) Monday. We hope we will get to spend the holidays with our family, Kids, and grandkids.

The boat will come next year, after we find our home port.

I will get much more organized after a month or so of retirement and will be launching the new business. Sorry can't disclose as it's too easy to lose now.

Suffice it to say it's something I need as an RVr, and something everyone else needs. More as I get contracts signed.

I will again start to send my articles and leadership stuff as soon as I can settle down some. Right now it's the old one armed paperhanger with a case of the crabs, not able to decide the best use of the one limb.

BYE

NL 7.

Dec 1997

Folks,

The fifth wheel came in Saturday and we've spent four nights in it. Boy did we have a lot to learn.

First, the slideout part of the living room wouldn't slideout! Then the shower wouldn't work. So, since all else worked great (furnace, fridge, toilet, water heater, etc.), I broke the "real man" code of honor . . .I read the directions.

Seems the trailer has to be level for the slide to work. Leveled the trailer-slide came out like a new one. One possible 500-buck repair eliminated. Then I noticed the instructions said to hook the water supply up with a regular garden hose.

The expert friend who was helping me shake it down had hooked up a water

pressure reducer to the water line (since it was in the trailer compartment along with the other assorted adapters, and looked used, we figured it must need it) and as soon as I removed it, voila! the shower and all the rest of the plumbing worked.

I pretended I just "figured" it out, as I couldn't let on that I had read any directions.

We didn't know how much propane was in the tank but there was some, so, hoping there was enough to run the furnace we settled down for our first night in our new full time home.

Propane ran out at 0100 AM. It has a great feature called an automatic re-igniter that sounds piercing beeps when the propane runs out. Needless to say we froze, and I had to go out and turn off the darn noisy alarm.

Next day we filled the propane tanks and started to bring the "few" things we had kept from going into storage to use in the trailer. Now this is a 35 foot hitchhiker with awesome cabinet and basement space, so what we "thought" would be our bare bones essentials to bring with us would fit. Only a third of it would fit. So since we couldn't get it registered until the week after Christmas, We loaded all the excess in a 5X8 U-Haul trailer and hauled it with us here to Louisiana, to give to family (Merry Christmas), or sell, or dump. However we adjusted fairly well after I convinced Lynda to get rid of the 45 jars of assorted goopy stuff she normally kept in the bathroom, and she convinced me to store the stereo system, and roll around tool box. It's working out great.

Bogart has found a place to sleep in the hall where he's comfortable. He's now in a kennel until Friday so he's not liking things now.

We go back to San Antone Friday and will spend next week getting the hitch

installed on the truck and registering the trailer. Then I get to drive this giant rig for the first time to Bossier City. That will be a trip! We'll see how everything rides finally. The driver who delivered it said it pulls like a dream. And he used the same diesel dually I have so it should be a breeze.

We will be spotty on email until I get a phone and a server here so don't look for much from me until after the first of the year. I'll be on for mail once today, once tomorrow, then out of the loop except for when I can plug in to a friend's phone.

Here's wishing Y'all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

dg.