All right!... like a month, and 2 days.... i'm back... cable guy just left....
I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to every man, woman and child in this forum, and across the nation, and worldwide.
Without your words of encouragement, financial, and material support, I would not have been able to achieve any semblance of a life i came to take for granted every day......
To my dearest friends, near, and far.... god bless you all.....
I made it a point, through it all... not to dwell on 'it's gone".....it is.... thats that, set the alarm for 4:45 to go to work, and deal with it.....
sit rep is better daily..... gained a rental house, gained central air, a bed, and the list continues every day....
flood zone is still there.... my house is still there, the sit rep there is up in the air, as far as demolition, buy out, sba loan, whatever.... set the alarm.....
Shelly and I will make it, somehow. we always have, somehow.... your help made it happen this time... thank you all......
This gain and lose point i'm trying to make is hard to express..... while, i lost everything, and the life i'd come to know, and take assumed as such, i'd like you people to realize that the new freindships, and compassion I gained from you, will be enough to bring even the strongest guy to tears.....
I lost alot.... I gained more..... life.......
Everybody always says... in a tradgedy, you find out who your friends are.... it's 100%.
I've had more men and families respond to my aid, people, that dont even know me, nor Shelly, than the existing list of relation, and friends in Cedar Rapids even thought about.... or did.... while people I thought i could count on failed Shelly and I to each new end, they will lose now, and it's going to hurt.....
Surprising, but true.... lotta guys went to bat for me.... Terry, John and his wife and family, Marty, and his family, Don Stephenson, Derek, and his wife, heavy hitters, all... boaters, all.... from the sponsors of the raffle, to you, the guys contributed/purchased, towards helping me gain a life again..... thank you all......if, i've left you personally out, or forgotten to type your name, be patient.... intentions of response are definitely to come, once i've gained a vehicle, and some other crap i need to get in the groove again.....( toothpick, tonight... send one?)..... lol....
Point is... you guys have "IT"...... what IT is , isnt something you buy, loan, or whatever it's just there..... I gave a homeless transient guy a ride cross town to his cot at a church yesterday, he asked me, while I was fueling my buddies loaner truck if i was going north, at the pump, and I wasnt.... picked him up walking a few blocks away, and just did it...... it's IT.... IDK, it just happens...... my opinion is, if more people in the world, had IT, sure would be a greater place to live..... idk, i'll express thanks, again, for your having it with me...... for sure..... all of you...
Ideas of picking my hulls up from Marty, and starting to repair and clean by saturday are on the slate.... or, at least on the near list after i deal with everything else daily.... so.... Mendota, is hopeful, and i'll do the Dew, shoot it with my friends again, old and new......
See you there, possibly.... I've a few hands to shake...... (nitro floats).... Mike
And some will be "bonus" winners.
