I’m sorry.

Really I am.

I’m sorry for those that are losing their houses.  I’m sorry for those that have lost their job in the past year and are standing in the unemployment line waiting for a check to feed their kids.  I’m sorry for those businesses that have already had to close their doors and those that inevitably will have to shut their’s as well.

Times are hard.

I’m sorry for those that live in West Texas and have seen the benefits of overpriced oil, overly-available jobs and have had the luxury of watching our cities boom.  I’m sorry you have grown accustomed to having money in your pocket at the expense of the nation.  I’m sorry you were taxed so much because you made so much and now the thought of oil coming back down to reality has jeopardized your lifestyle.  I’m sorry your lifestyle has grown accustomed to eating out every meal and drinking yourself into a semi-coma with “clients” or “training in Abu Dhabi” has been cancelled this week.

I’m sorry we had to live through uber-high oil prices, a soaring stock market and pockets being padded to an extent that the average worker locally had very little to worry about… while the rest of America was busy dealing with life and putting food on the table or gas in the car.

I’m sorry things got so comfortable.

I’m sorry that our housing prices have gotten a bit out of hand and that you made 80k off a house you bought 3 years ago.  I’m sorry you put money down to build that house that was priced way out of your league and with the economy bottoming back out your 401k isn’t what it should be.  I’m sorry you have a new mortgage and selling it might mean you being taxed on capital gains.  I’m sorry you have capital gains, losses would be much better I’m certain.

I’m really truly sorry you invested all your time in the oil field, going to school to find the perfect job like your father, your uncle and cousins.  I’m sorry your eggs were forced into an overloaded basket and the thought of a new administration not focused solely on the “drill baby, drill” philosophy will crack a few.  I’m sorry if your eggs are one of the few.  You remember 8 dollar oil barrels and the “suckers” you felt sorry for back then, I feel the same about you too.

I hate to hear your down in the dumps because you can’t get a loan at a whim.  Your credit is bad, your bank is on the verge of selling out and you don’t know if the government will bail them out – I’m sorry.  Sorry that you used all your credit on that new sports car, and that boat and building that new house – based on an income that was blown out of proportion and now you have to figure a way out of it when everything settles back down to reality.

Sorry that your office job where you sit and send funny emails about deer or huge snakes caught out in the field is now possibly downsizing at some point, since oil is down.  Sorry you won’t be making 3 times the normal teacher’s salary to ride around in a company provided truck and “gas up” your jet ski on your way to the lake house on a Friday morning.  Perhaps the worse part being that you will have to go in and do actual work, hate to hear that.

Sorry to those that hate to see equality, hate to see a man of color playing the president in real life… but in movies, that it is perfectly ok.  Sorry that a woman from Kansas and a man from Kenya picked the middle name of Hussein, I’m sure based on their love of Saddam.  I’m sorry that our generation finally has it’s momentous figure to talk about, and its moment that will “live in infamy” – much like you do with your memories of JFK or FDR.  I’m sorry that lady didn’t give up her seat that day years and years ago that even made this possible.  Sorry MLK had that dream… and we haven’t awoken yet.

Sorry for the hope instilled in folks that had nothing to hope for prior.  My apologies for giving young kids a dream of becoming president no matter the color of their skin.  Sorry the civil rights movement is still an ongoing process.  And I’m sorry the American dream is still alive and well.

I’m sorry the line of church & state has blurred so much.  I’m sure our forefathers didn’t really mean that literally.  Sorry our country has become so diverse.  Sorry our country is so great that immigration is now a sour issue.  Sorry we have folks working in the field, taking jobs away from Americans.  Jobs that I’m sure wouldn’t be taken anyhow… but still… accept my apologies for that.  Sorry that America is so promising that people would rather risk persecution just to get a chance to make some money to take home to their not-so well-off country.  Sorry that those Mexican fellows were not at Lowe’s the other weekend and you had to hire out the tile work to a higher bid.  I’m sure it is just a phase and they will be back.  Maybe we are building that fence to high… sorry about that.

Sorry for all the welfare cases.  I’m sure it is just those “abusers” taking advantage of “the system”.  I bet none of them have lost their jobs because of the mess we are in, sure it has to do with them wanting an “easy way out”.  Sorry your tax dollars and social security is going to “support” these “losers”.  Maybe we can get that cleaned up so that we don’t help out anyone in need.  You know… the American way.

So sorry about our occupation of Iraq might be drawing to a close.  I know that hurts your pocket heart.  Sorry we have to cut our losses, and try to end this thing.  We can chalk this one up as a win, because of “the Surge”.  Yeah, that makes it ok.  Sorry to our grandkids that will have to dig out of the deficit created by a war about oil nothing.  Sorry we didn’t find WMD.  I’m sure they were well hidden or they will turn up sooner or later.

I really do apologize to everyone.  I’m sorry about this whole election thing.  Sorry we couldn’t find a better way to satisfy everyone.  Sorry we thought of ourselves, and those less fortunate.  Sorry America needs a revamp, and the only people left to do it is me and you.  Sorry it is going to be so much work, and it is going to take time to fix it all.  I hope we have the will-power.  I know you don’t want to hear this, but we all will have to work together.  And I do mean work.  I know… I’m sorry for that as well.  Sorry we just got a new marketing department for America and you don’t like it all that well.  Once again, maybe its just a phase.

So sorry for those that get left behind.  Those that wait for something else to happen, something else to blame, someone to point a finger at – I’m sorry.  Sorry if your tax rate changes, or you have to work a few more years to ensure a safe retirement.  I truly am sorry for that.

I guess what I am trying to say is…

I’m sorry.

Tags: Make A Difference, Money, Personal, Self Help by James
9 Comments »

I know a few of you were wondering if we were forced out of our house for mere pennies, or did the private Christian school do the right thing.

They did.

It has been super stressfull, too damn busy and overall sucky for the past couple months.  But we made it.  We got what we needed and we will be moving into our new house in November. 

Overall we upgraded.  Our new house has 4 bedrooms (we only had 3), 2 bath, 2 car garage (which we didn’t have before), about 400-500 more square foot, 2 living areas (we only had 1 before), a sunroom (we didn’t have one of these) and its on a cul de sac (we were on a very busy street with all the school traffic).

How’s that for an upgrade?!?!

So now we begin the whole packing, inspecting, appraising, financing, moving… all that crap.  Yay.  My favorite part.

We are getting new carpet put in all the bedrooms and living room of the new house and we are going to redo the living room before doing so.  On top of that, we are going to put up a new fence before we move in as well… so we have some work to do, but we are excited to get on with it.

If there is a moral to this story…

If you work hard enough at something, “it all works out“.

Don’t get me started.

Tags: Money, Personal, Self Help by James
8 Comments »

Dear 28 Year Old James,

This is yourself writing.  Except I am 48 now, and I never thought I would make it this far.  Your probably worried about 30 inching in… while I’m worried about 50.  Don’t sweat it.  Your already going bald, you have a beautiful wife that is going to love you anyhow – your overweight, but your working on it.  Kind of.  Just make sure you eat your veggies… your going to be sad you didn’t one day. 

Heart attacks hurt.  And they hurt more than just you.  Think about your family.

Oh yeah… you have a family now.  You didn’t know?  And perhaps waiting until you were 30 wasn’t the best idea considering you are now 48 and barely got done putting the first one out on their own.  Geeez.  Who’s idea was this.  Once again you should have listened to your wife… she was right.  Again.

Don’t sweat the house thing going on now.  It seems like a big deal, but really it all ends up right – due to all the work you and Shala did to get all the numbers right.  It finally “all worked out“.    So good job you two.

Better quit yellin’ at your dogs.  You will be sad when they are gone.

And that job your at, that you work so hard on… you know the big project your working on… the early mornings and long hours… keep it up.  It makes up for it all pretty quick down the road.  “The Google” just might catch wind of what you guys are doing.  That is all I can say.  No really… legally I’m bound to silence.

Kiss your wife more.  It gets outlawed in 2024, and you will be pissed you didn’t get enough in while you can.  It is a long story.

Go ahead and buy a donkey.  Life is too short not to get some of those things you have always wanted.  Here I sit, donkey-less and wishing I would have pulled the trigger.  Oh yeah… and call him “Trigger”, I always wanted that – but you know that.

I know its soooo cliche… but don’t sweat the small stuff.  Sweat the bigger stuff, it makes a lot more sense.  Big stuff always ends up being bigger stuff… small stuff usually stays small.

One last thing back-to-the-future me… SELL OUT.  The only people that bitch and complain about those that sell out, are the ones that never got the chance.  Sell out and never look back.

Hope all is well and you are lovin’ life,

James (But in the future about 20 years)

P.S. – That big ass trailer BBQ pit you wanted… make it happen.  It was a great idea.

For those that do not know where this came from, Mama Kat over at MLI has a weekly assignment to help bloggers with their skills and also help them get out from underneath the dreaded writer’s block.  We do it, because we think it is fun and we like to participate.  Because we are participaters.  Or something.  Actually we think it is a great idea and we wish we thought of it.    If you enjoy it, play along… if not – who cares.

Tags: Funny, Personal, Self Help by James
5 Comments »