GetToKnowTheCEO

After a very long drive crossing through Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey we finally made it to Brooklyn, NY yesterday around three in the afternoon. For a couple of small town people like Crystal and I, New York almost seems like a different world. I can’t say we’d ever want to live in this environment but it is safe to say we love visiting the big city. Working on a project like JealousBrother for such a long period of time has formed a strong working relationship as well as a great friendship between our web developer and us. Dennis and his wife were so kind to let Crystal and I invade their home and they taking the time to show us around New York City for the next several days.

On our first day in Brooklyn we got settled in, relaxed, and did some grocery shopping. Around seven o’clock we met up with Yuki (Dennis’s wife) for dinner at Rare bar and grill. For those of you who don’t know me very well I tend to be a bit cheap when it comes to everything except electronics and to spend $21 dollars on a burger was a huge leap for this penny pincher. The restaurant itself which is also a bar was very loud and not typically a place I would go for a nice sit down meal but the fries and burgers were quite good. The burger I ate was the “Chef’s Special” which had kobe meat, huge slices of bacon, three types of cheeses, several types of lettuce, and was soaked in ajus prior to being cooked. For me the only question that comes to mind is, was it worth $21 dollars and here is how I responded to Dennis when he asked me that same question last night, “I wouldn’t buy it again but I would do it again for the first time.” I still don’t know if that makes any sense but it did to me when I said it. I guess it would have been easier to say I don’t regret giving it a try for $21 dollars but you wouldn’t catch my cheap ass buying it on a regular basis. continue reading…

Since the beginning of the JealousBrother project we had planned on turning one of our guest bedrooms into the Official JealousBrother Office. For those of you who don’t know me I tend to be a bit on the cheap side. I guess you could say I’m a bit frugal with my money except for electronics where I tend to go a bit overboard. We had been pricing hardwood and engineered hardwood for quite a while when I came across a bargain that had my name on it. I was walking through Home Depot in Oak Ridge, TN (The Nuclear City) when I spotted an end cap with clearance signs all over it. I couldn’t believe my eyes, Pergo engineered hardwood marked down to $10.99 a box from $33.99. Sure I didn’t have the money at the time but I couldn’t pass this deal up.

So it began, another project in our house that had my wife cringing with doubt. I can only imagine the questions that traveled through her mind, how long with this room be torn up? Is he going to mess something up? How much is this going to cost? Once again I came through but it wasn’t easy and I don’t know if my knees will ever be the same. (Wear Knee Pads) continue reading…

I always find it hilarious when someone tells me that they never fight with their spouse. Let’s be honest here people, if there’s a couple that never fights then one of two things is true, they are living in a fantasy world or one of them is a pawn. Like a lot of couples my wife and I have a very healthy relationship and considering the great deal of stress the both of us endure on a daily basis, arguments between us are rather rare. However, we now have a gauge that alerts us the minute any tension between us is detected. The gauge is named Emma and is a beautiful blonde mutt.

To understand Emma’s sensitivity I should explain a little bit of her history. We adopted our sweet angel from a neighbor a few streets down from us. She was part of a litter of puppies living in horrible conditions. Our best guess is that she is part dachshund and maybe part golden lab. I was very hesitant to take Emma because she looked like a pot bellied pig with how bloated her stomach was. We were prepared for an extensive tally of vet bills but we didn’t expect to pick over a hundred baby ticks off of her little body. This poor dog spent the first couple of weeks in our guest bathroom because in addition to ticks she also had two types of worms and a small hernia from her over eating while with her litter. Emma certainly got yelled at on several occasions due to my short temper and the numerous holes she chewed into our drywall and molding in the bathroom and laundry room. (If anyone needs drywall work done I’m kind of an expert now) In spite of my yelling from time to time she much like her big sister Rachael (Jack Russel) has been given more love than most children receive. continue reading…

At what point do creditors cross the line? It’s pretty obvious that the current financial crisis and economic down turn has began forcing changes in lending practices and policy but there has to be some limitations to what lenders can and should do. In the United States we are losing somewhere around a quarter million jobs a month which is a direct affect of the current recession. In the darkness of this timid economy there is still a very large number of people who are paying their bills and holding their jobs. This brings me to my next question, should responsible individuals be punished for irresponsible borrowing and lending practices?

Just over three years ago I opened a credit account with an online Tire company and throughout those 36 months I have never made a late payment, my balance has never exceeded 50% of the credit limit, and I have always paid more than the minimum payment. Unless I’m being ignorant I would be inclined to think that this account history would put me in the category of a reliable and valued customer. At this point you may know where I’m going with this.

I had a reasonable day yesterday, didn’t encounter any rude customers, didn’t have to flip anyone off on the interstates, didn’t receive any unwanted phone calls, but that all changed when I got home. I received a letter yesterday that struck me as a little odd, it was from one of my creditors but wasn’t dressed in the usual packaging. If you have a stomach that is easily upset please stop reading this article immediately.

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