2008 a great year

I recently updated a friend on what I've been up to this last year: (Cartoon was his reply. Thanks Landon Sanders!)

I got a job in Ashton as Executive Director for a non profit conservation/land use planning group and started in December. The same day I almost declined the offer because it payed about $2000/year less than I needed, I was offered a sales position for Whisper Creek Log Homes, and neither job cared that I had the other job, since I was a subcontractor for each. Anyway, if 2008 sales were the same as 2007 sales, I would have earned around $150,000 just selling the log homes this year. UNFORTUNATELY, as you may have heard, sales have been a little sslloooowww in the housing markets! So I ended up paying about $20 to work for Whisper Creek, since I took someone out to lunch,  and the company never paid me back. People just stopped shopping for log homes. But I still had the non profit job. That was until last month when we couldn't get any funding because of the way people are loosing their fortunes in the stock market. I guess a lot of non-profits are shutting down. Fortunately, I've been doing a lot of flying, both flight instructing and a contract with Idaho Fish and Game. Unfortunately, Idaho Fish and Game's contract ended 3 weeks ago. Fortunately, I just got a new contract with them. Unfortunately, most of the work will be next summer. Fortunately, I have another job with a theater screen advertising firm that has me fly to Aspen, Hailey, Park City and Alaska as a subcontractor for sales. Unfortunately, the last month has been really tough. Fortunately, I have a job flying a wealth management company president to and fro in his Columbia 400 around the west. Unfortunately, the stock market lost 10% in the last 2 days, so that's becoming uncertain too. Fortunately, I also fly for a roofer, climbing on roofs, estimating costs and selling the roof to the people who need them. Unfortunatly, winter is coming fast. Fortunately, ... that's about where I'm at right now. I guess the good news is that the unfortunate is always followed by fortunate! I'm just glad I'm healthy and my woman is the best woman around and my kids are awesome and I'm home most every night and get to play with my kids. Life is great!

Today's new job

I went and got a new job today. (That's number six now for simultaneous jobs).   I'm selling roofs. If you need a roof,  are  thinking of buying a new roof, or are just thinking about roofs let me know.

Major difference between two major economic disasters

   
I think it's interesting that the economic disaster of 2008 that we're now entering into didn't come with a color shift, as it did during the great depression. As you can see, when the great depression hit, most of the color went missing. But I'm still seeing a blue sky, fall leaf colors, and the shelters look a little nicer, too.  

Tonight I helped Abigail make friendship bracelets.  Here's a picture of her last night when she fell asleep on my bed. 

Today I squished Evan's red  car with my truck after he left it in the driveway. I first met this car when I was 8 or 9. Me and my brother PAul snuck into my mom's closet a few weeks before Christmas. We carefully peeled off the tape, unwrapped the presents. put batteries in this radio controlled car, and played with it for a long time. Abby wants me to write what my mom did when she found out. So, call me mom, and let me know after you read this.  

So anyway, me and Eddie fixed up the car so it can still go. 

 

Flight Student sleeping (read story below)

Margorie Fluffkins begging

Abbee and Eddie make Kate some breakfast

Taking dead grasshoppers for a scenic flight

Part of today's survey. And part of a dead grasshopper.

So anyway, after this flight, I flew to Jackson Hole with a nice old man who wants to learn to fly. Our lessons have turned into play time. I tried teaching him for the first couple of flights, but I caught  him sleeping the first flight, then after the second flight I took him home and he couldn't remember where he lived. After the third flight I followed him home to help him with his radio controlled airplane and watched him run a stop sign and nearly kill someone. The next flight he showed up on a bike because he crashed his car. A week later he got his car back, but he showed up on a bike, with stitches on his head and hands after he rolled and totalled his car.  

Today, before we took off to Jackson he asked to use the bathroom. I pointed to where it was and ten minutes later he came back and we went flying. After I got back, Frank, the machanic (I'll get a photo of him, because his name is Frank), pulled me aside and explained that when he went in the bathroom to pee, he nearly fell over from the smell. Ten minutes later he bravely went back in to find what looked like a shotgun blast/skunk spray pattern of the number 2 splattered on the urinal (hey, what was he supposed to do- the other toilet was broken!).  Sorry I don't have a picture for you.  Today I'm thankful to my elderly student pilot who knows to use the bathroom before going on long trips. 

Oh, and thanks Frank for cleaning up the mess!