And no Berry, Diablo lives on … in green pastures along with three very pretty girlfriends - if you’re partial to the four legged kind (and he is).  At least once a month for the last five years, I’ve threatened to make dog food out of him, because that’s about how often he’s thrown me – and then tried to stomp me.  But ends up I just couldn’t do it, I can’t even sell him … he’s just got too much spirit. 

My wife says we’re just alike – only she uses ‘mean streak’ and ‘bull-headed’ to describe us  him.  Could be right I guess, she’s the one that named him Diablo after watching him throw and then try to stomp me every time I tried to ride him those first few months.  She was of the opinion that one of us would eventually kill the other one … and reminded me of it every time I came limping back to the house.  Eventually she even stopped asking me if I’d wrecked my bike - just seemed to know it was the horse … again.

OK, enough of that.  I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated all your thoughts, and let you know I’m still kickin (just not very high right now).  And I hope you don’t mind that I moved the get well comments, but visitors wouldn’t have any idea what was going on – especially after just the opening post.  I hope to get started again in a few days, or when I catch Deb asleep or gone (I’m not suppossed to be sitting here yet – mostly bed rest)

… which is another source of aggravation.  First back surgery in 72, another in 97 … and now this one, and this time they put me on ‘mostly bed rest’.   I wasn’t on ‘mostly bed rest’ the other times.  And don’t tell me it’s because I’m  gettin older – you sound like my wife, and that’s unacceptable.  If I have to keep layin around, I won’t get much older …  I’ll die of boredom.
Funny thing is, I think Diablo’s feeling it too.

Several times over the last two weeks, he’s came up to the fence closest to the house, and stood around awhile – like he was waiting for me.  When I hobble over and sit by the patio doors (where he can see me), he’ll paw the ground and run back and forth along the fence a few times … then he’ll usually rear up and paw the air – before he runs off to the other side of the pasture to be with ‘the girls’.

I’d like to think he misses me, but I’m pretty sure he’s just rubbing it in … it’s like  ‘Hey old man, I WIN, you could ride me - but you couldn’t break me’ … and I guess I never will.  In a moment of pain, or self pity, or something – I told Deb I’d hang up my saddle before he killed me …

But the leaves have all fallen, and it’s getting pretty cold out … and I’ve got all winter to heal.
So if that rascal keeps coming up here, mocking me … makin fun of me …

well, all I’ll say is Enjoy yourself Diablo … spring is just around the corner!

Guess I better try to get a little sleep, I’ve got another Dr’s appt. in about 9 hours … I’m still in a lot of pain, and I’d like to know why.

Keep Smilin,

Mike

When I told my wife I was going to pick up a Mustang, she assumed I was off to fulfill another one of my high school dreams … that ’65 Ford Mustang.  Now she admits that I said ‘something about horses’, but what she heard was ‘horse power’.  I guess that makes sense – which should have been her first clue …

Anyway, I drove up to West Plains, MO. where they hold a wild horse adoption every couple of years.  I immediately fell in love with one of the stallions that had been rounded up. 

Wild Mustangs are really smart, and this one was exceptional.  When anyone would get close to him, he showed us how well he could walk on his back legs while shadow boxing with his front ones.  Wasn’t long till only three of us were still interested.  Long story short – he got to come home with me … Sometimes I think I should have bought the car.

So here it is Saturday, and I spent most of the afternoon yesterday with my doctor, going over my MRI and other test results.  I’m scheduled to check into the hospital Monday morning for pre-op, and surgery is planned for Tuesday morning.  Doc said plan on staying a few days.

Now the first time I had back surgery was in 1972.  The doctor told me before that surgery, that I had like a 20% chance of ever walking again without a cane.   Fooled em ! … and I was out of there in four days.  Point is, you’d think they would have improved their techniques a bit in 38 years.  When I mentioned that to the surgeon, he just reminded me that I was a lot younger back then.

Well duh … my memory’s pretty good (considering), it’s my hair that I seem to have misplaced - although, I think that had something to do with rollin my own smokes for all those years   … 

Now don’t click away, that was a long time ago … you know - been there, done that, bought the shirt.  And it says right on it - ’If you remember the 60′s, you weren’t there.’   Apparently that’s correct … 

OK, enough of the BS, back to the Doctor.  I thought of a really really good comeback to the age remark, but considering the fact that I’ll be asleep and he’ll be holding the knife – I had the good sense to hold my tongue and keep it to myself. 

Besides, doctors aren’t nearly as bad as the x-ray technicians.  Last year a guy ran a stop light and creamed the side of my truck.  An ambulence was called, and they took me to the emergency room.  The ER doctor eventually sent me to get an x-ray of my neck.   So, being the inquisitive guy that I am -

I had to ask the young lady (a very pretty girl in her mid twenties) the one question all men want to know … ’Why do you want me to take my boots and pants off,  to x-ray my neck?’ 

I still don’t know the answer, and I don’t know if her face got that red because she didn’t know the answer, or because I wasn’t the least bit ashamed to drop my pants …      BTW … can you tell my new meds are working 

OK, I guess that’s enough fun for one night … to tell you the truth, I’m a little nervous this time around. 

Now you may be wondering what surgery has to do with marketing … and that’s a reasonable question. 

Because of the techniques I’ve learned – and applied, I don’t have to worry about the household bills getting paid, or how I’ll pay the several thousand dollars this surgery and hospital stay will cost.  I don’t have to worry about how long it will take to recover, or even about losing my job because I’m off work too long. 

And of course, there’s always the possiblity that this is my last dance … but if the Lord decides to call me home, I don’t have to worry about my wife (and daughter and granddaughter) having a place to live or being able to continue the lifestyle they’ve become accustomed to.

And believe me …  if I can do it, anyone can do it.  

Just don’t try to reinvent the wheel …  Follow someone you trust.

I fully intend to be back in a few days, to help you on your journey ….

In the meantime … Pray for the nurses – I’m a terrible patient

Keep Smilin …

Mike

If you have a 15 yr. old daughter or granddaughter, you can probably imagine the thoughts and feelings that went through my mind right at that moment.  Anger, Frustration, Sorrow - an urge to kill the SOB when I found out who he was – and yeah, disappointment in her too.  After all, this was my girl, my baby.  Her parents had divorced when she was five, and I’d always been there for her … a father figure, Grandpa, and best friend all rolled into one.  She was scared, but she knew she could count on me.  I took her in my arms and held her.

When she stopped crying, I asked if she was ready to talk about it ….  Folks, for a minute there I felt like taking my belt off and busting her butt.  I was angry and thrilled at the same time.  She wasn’t pregnant – she had charged almost $1,000 on her mom’s credit card for some “get rich” plan on Facebook. 

What would you do? 

What I did was give her another long hug, and a short lecture about 

•  using her mom’s card for anything except an emergency
•  and lying about her age in order to use that card ….

and then I tried to call and get the money back, but they were  closed.  Since I had to wait till tomorrow, (and didn’t know if I could get a refund), I figured I might as well see what ‘I‘ had bought – so off to the ‘stinking’ computer we went. 

I say ‘stinking‘ computer, because I’ve had a long relationship with them, and they’ve never quite wanted to cooperate with me.  When I got out of the Navy, I was convinced that computers were the wave of the future – where the money would be.  So I went to school and got a degree in Programming, IBM 360/ hard-wired boards/ keypunch data cards/ and COBOL …. ah those were the days, I was on my way to the big money.   

It was 1974, and my first three job offers were in the basements of banks … I’m a Navy SEAL (former) Team 2.  Vietnam was still with me, and there was no way you were gonna stick me in a hole like that – somebody would get hurt.  So – a lot of time and money wasted … I took a job pumping gas for just over minimum wage …. something like $2.15 an hour. 

But I’ve mellowed out a lot since those days, and I didn’t pump gas for long.  In fact, I retired in 1998 at the age of 48 …  and really enjoyed the next ten years of  ‘freedom’ …  but there’s only so many horses and Harley’s you can ride.  I had said from way back when – that a man should retire until he was 60, and then go to work - when he was too old to do anything else.  Of course, that was when I was 20, and 60 seemed to be a long way off ….. I’ve discovered that it sneaks up on you pretty fast. 

That was just over a year ago.  Needless to say, I paid for the course and went through it with my granddaughter.  I was skeptical, but after a few weeks, and a few dollars rolling in – I admit, I was hooked ….. and it just keeps getting better.

So if you’re still new to making money on the web … bookmark this site – sign up  for updates – write this URL on the back of your hand … do something to find your way back here … because you don’t want to miss what’s happened in the last few months …….  I’ve spent quite a bit of money getting to where I am now – but you won’t have to.  Take advantage of what I’ve learned (and what I’m still learning) … No Charge. 

We all have dreams ….. let me help you make yours come true.

Keep Smilin …

Mike