Too Busy? Not Really!

Sometimes when I think about years ago, I imagine that I was less busy and that I had more time.  Maybe you think that too from time to time, but it's not true.  We chose to do different things today than we did when we were younger, and sometimes we have more responsibility than we did early in life, but all in all we still get 24 hours each day to spend as we see fit.  My brothers and I are good examples here ... we all seem to be too busy with work and life to visit each other very often but we all somehow manage to squeeze out a movie and dinner out every now and again.

 

Even as I'm writing this I look back and it's been a month or more since my last post, and I'm thinking I just didn't have time to write it.  But that's a lie, I did have time, I just chose to ignore some activities in favor of other ones.  The time we have doesn't change, we just change what we do with it.

Now, don't get me wrong we are all busy, but it is the important stuff that we should pursue and ignore the things that don't mean much to us.  I enjoy fishing, but I rarely get out to fish and I'm always saying I'll go when I have time, but if the truth be told, I could just go fishing and fill in the rest of my life around that time. 

 

So take a moment this week (and every week) and decide what is important, then do that and the rest of your life will still be there when you're done.

 

J

 

Protect what is really important with life insurance, call me for a quick quote!

Secrets Revealed!

I'm often asked how to lower the cost of insurance.  People are quick to point out that their premiums have gone up every year and they want to know why.  I understand and while they don't typically blame me I'm a convenient target for their aggravation.  I try to be patient with folks but really I'd like to point out that everything increases in cost and your insurance is in place to protect that ever increasing replacement value.

 

In other words as the price of auto parts goes up the cost to fix them when the are in an accident will also increase, and like all businesses, the insurance company has to make money or it will go bust.  When repair parts and labor costs start going down the insurance company can begin to look at becoming competitive on pricing.

 

There are only two ways to lower your premium's ... here it is the big secret revealed;

 

1.  Buy less stuff ... if you have 12 cars you are going to pay 12 premiums ... if you have a half million dollar home, you will pay more than the guy with a hundred thousand dollar home.

 

2.  Accept more responsibility for your risk ... we talk about deductibles in the insurance business but really a deductible is just how much are you willing to share in the damage?  If you have a zero deductible or a $100 deductible you are telling the insurance company that you will make a lot of little claims.  If you set your deductibles at $1000 then they know you are not going to ask for their help until you really need it.

I hope this helps everyone!  But I know that rising prices get on our nerves, remember I pay the same insurance rates that you do, so find an agent you trust and have a conversation about the cost verses the benefit.  You may decide to down size or at least shoulder more of the cost of a loss.

J

Call me for all your insurance needs. 

... and Kumquats for all!

Before I entered the insurance industry I worked in sales for the natural product industry.  Vitamins, and herbs and lots of things on the fringe of health and nature.  We had two big shows each year, one on the East coast in the fall and one in Anaheim California in the Spring.  In any small industry you find friends and develop traditions and this was no different.  I have a friend in LA that would come to the show and bring me kumquats from her back yard.  Fresh kumquats are crazy good.

They are sweet and tart all at the same time, the little fruits look like grape sized oranges with very thin skins which are edible and in fact the sweetest part of the fruit.  Since I left that industry I've gotten a couple of shipments from LA and this year one of those amazing shipments arrived bringing great joy to me (mostly me cause I'm the only one that really likes them that much in my family).

 

My buddy grows these wonderful little fruits in her back yard and when I get them I make jellies, pickles and candies from them and ship some of those goodies back to LA.  This is a good life example, we all do what we do.  I don't try to build houses and my carpenter friends don't try to offer life insurance.  In the same way my LA kumquat connection doesn't try to make kumquat pickles and I don't try to grow the tropical fruit in Indiana. 

 

We all have special skills and we should accept that in some areas we need an expert to guide us.  If you're not an insurance agent you should find one that understands your business, home and life so that they can tell you want you need.  Don't try to figure it out yourself to save a dollar with some online company.  Get a real live person that you can trust and talk to who doesn't have a strange accent.

J

Call me to review you insurance program and make sure you are paying the right amount for the right coverage.

Girls with Guns ... a Warning from Dad!

As the father of four daughters I have a pretty unique view of the world.  In fact unless you have lived in a totally female home with little women that you helped make, you can't really appreciate the dynamic that exists for me.

 

Having only daughters, which are mysteries from the time they are born and no male influence other than your own is truly like being King.  It's lonely sometimes, overwhelming sometimes and scary all the time.  But that's not what the world sees, they can only be allowed to see the scary Dad.

 

I don't sharpen my knives in front of the boys, or clean my gun, no I want them to know that I am so much more dangerous than guns and knives.  I want them to fear me, not know what I'm capable of and hope that they don't ever find out.  Because as King, I would hunt to the ends of the earth, anyone that harms my family.  Of course it goes without saying that as a Christian man it would go against my nature to hurt someone, but I would. 

 

I also believe that I have taught my girls (even if they forget sometimes) that they are worthy to be treated as princesses and that they are capable of inspiring the same fear in the hearts of the common boys that are always lurking about.  Oh, and believe you me, those boys better feel fear in their hearts.

 

Some of the girls really like shooting rifles, shot guns and pistols and they are good shots too (Grandpa taught them right).  Some of my girls really know how to handle themselves in a fight but, all of them know that the King would wage war or even lay down his life to save them from harm.  Not that they need me as much any more ... but here's my warning to the young men of the world. 

 

Treat my girls respectfully, treat them with kindness, and treat them like the princesses they are or you'll suffer, because they are worth it to me.

 

the King

 

Protect your Princesses with life insurance, they are worth it!

 

Old guys are the lucky ones!

Time marches on ... we all know this and yet looking back on the days gone by, we all seem to say, "where has the time gone?"  But I must say that as I slowly become an old guy, I find that I feel like a really lucky person.

 

I've had both success and failure in my life ... so, I know what I can accomplish but, I'm not afraid of missing the mark.  I've seen peace and war, both up close and I know that one can not exist without the other.  I work hard so that I can have sometime to play, and that makes me understand the value of both work and play.  I have enough money to pay my way ... but not enough to make me greedy.

 

As we get older we realize that it isn't the money, fun times, peaceful world, or successes that make us happy or even lucky.  Happiness and indeed luckiness comes from a generous helping of life!  The messiness, the highs, the lows and the craziness of a life through the years makes it more valuable to the person living it and more interesting to anyone that is observing it.  Some folks will tell you that success comes from planning for the future and there is truth to that, but success is not the only element of life worth pursuing. 

 

So here is the last word from this "old guy" in training. Plan what you can, accept what you must, pursue what you love and give 'til it hurts.  When you look back at the days gone by, you'll still say "where has the time gone", but you'll feel like the luckiest old guy on the planet.

 

J

 

Here's my commercial for this post.  Life insurance is only for a person that owes someone or loves someone.  If either fits you, call me for a quote.  It's a lot less expensive than not having will be for your family.

New beginning, for an old dude!

At the start of each year we all kind of take stock.  I look back at what I've accomplished, and what I failed to accomplish.  I also look forward at what needs to change and what I want to make better in my life.  We all do that to some degree, don't we?

Sometimes it's more a function of what really works and what is most practical.  My friend Else sent me this week's picture.  Her friends all had their iphones with their Otterboxes to protect them in the rain and she has a nondescript phone in a ziplock baggy!  We joked about it being a redneck Otterbox but in truth it is a wise use of her resources for a tool that will be out dated before she can graduate college and find a job that will pay her enough to afford the iphone in the first place.  That's sort of what I've done this new year.

I left the insurance agency I was with to join one that will offer me greater opportunity to help people find the right policy for the right price.  I now have 20 or 30 different companies to write insurance through, not just one.  So now I can focus in on what a person needs not what I can insure ('cause now I can insure it all).

Life insurance, commercial policies, homeowners, auto policies ... coal trucks, restaurants  homes, antique autos, and just about anyone's life.  Better products, better prices, and most importantly better coverage.  

Yes this year I'm making the best use of my resources and I'm using those resources to help my friends and family insure the things they own.  So, call me for you insurance needs at 812-384-3575 for my Bloomfield office or 812-847-8141 to reach my Linton office.

I hope your new year inspires you to make the most of what you've got and perhaps create a unique style all your own.  See you soon!

Life insurance is more important than any other type of policy, let's talk about why!

Happy Hallowen!

Halloween isn't my favorite holiday but we usually have fun with the neighborhood during the night.  We get 300 plus kids at our house for trick or treats and while we know many of them we get a lot that are total strangers.

The funniest ones are the teenagers that are too old to be trick or treating and don't even have a costume on, they walk around with a sack looking to get candy from the neighborhood houses.  The funny thing is that they don't even look like they are enjoying it.  The uncostumed "too old to be doing this" teens look like they just lost their best friend.  Of course I know they didn't just lose their best friend because they are standing right there next to them.

Our favorites are the young kids that we know, they show up with super hero costumes on or princess costumes or funny ones with a mask.  Best of all is when you say "oh my who is this?"  and the kids pulls up their mask and with a sly grin says, " it's just  me!"  How cool is that?  More than the pursuit of candy, the youngest kids are really wanting everyone to see that behind the mask, it's just them.  Perhaps those sad teens have forgotten that the candy is not nearly as sweet as your neighbors knowing that you and your parents have turned ordinary you into a believable super hero, princess, ghoul or other creature.

Every year my family and I carve pumpkins and as my kids got older they started liking it less and less, but I like just as much now as I did when I was really young.  Maybe I didn't like it when I was a teenager, I don't recall, but right now I really enjoy it because it gives me a chance to show my neighbors that I and my family have turned an ordinary pumpkin into a really cool super hero.

Happy Halloween.

J

Call me for an insurance quote!

You don't need to be faster than the bears just faster than your friends!

The theme of the week for me seems to have been, you don't need to be faster than the bears just faster than your friends.  Only thing is, the bears in my life are chasing me while no one else is around.

Most of the time I am just running from one thing to the next with precious little rest between.  I think that many of you can relate.

Work, kids, church, keeping up on my house and chores ... it's enough to make you think that the cave man had it right.  Just a cave near the food and no dishes to wash!

I think we all look for simplicity from time to time but I usually find a reason that I need to keep up my crazy busy life.  Of course when I look back at years gone by I realise that Tena and I have packed a lot of experience in to the days we have had together, and if running like a madman is part of the deal then so be it.

I may be wrong here, but I don't think you'll ever hear someone at the end of the their life say, "I wish I had rested more."  Just doesn't sound like something that you would hear at the Pearly Gates.

I hope your week is so full that you sleep like the dead and I hope you cram a ton of adventure and excitement into the time you have.

Take care

J

If you died tomorrow, would your family still have enough money to survive?  Email me and let's talk about how affordable a term life policy is.

Hog wrestling a noble pursuit for young people!

Living in Indiana and in rural Indiana at that, we have a culture that is a mystery to the rest of the world.  Since it is county fair time, hog wrestling is on every one's mind.  It is the single funniest thing you will ever see and is unique to the county fair.

A group of kids (some older than others) will be in a pit of mud chasing a pig around in circles with the goal of snatching that pig up and pl;acing it on a barrel top in the center of the mud pit, and the fastest time wins.

I have to tell you though, it is the slowest ones that are my favorite.  Everyone is covered in mud and laughing so hard that they are probably eating some of that mud.  It is one of the best photo opps ever! 

My kids have all tried it at different times and some years they were more successful than others but in the end it is about the experience for them and not the prize ... which I believe is a tee shirt.  So it is purely hog wrestling for the sake of muddy performance ... art for the sake of art.  What could be more noble than that?

I'd like to insure your home and auto ... send me an email to get a free insurance quote from a real person, not a talking lizard ...

Bacon Ice Cream ... like licking a cold pig on a hot day!

Sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and try something that scares you. The only problem with that philosophy is that once you throw caution a couple of times you start to get braver and doing wilder and crazier stuff.


So when I was a very young man, my mom encouraged me to try new things, and especially food. Later in live I challenged myself to try new foods all the time, sometimes in a foreign country with questionable sanitation and unrecognizable meats.\

This has led to a lifetime of foodie thrill seeking and the latest is bacon ice cream. Don’t stop reading now, you really need to try this as it is incredible and worthy of a thrown caution!

I’ll get to the point, below is the recipe … try it and let me know what you think … oh and remember I’m a insurance agent and I’m wanting to quote your business (although if you are such a risk taker with your food, I might have to rethink that.


Bacon Maple Ice Cream

1/4 pound Bacon, raw, roughly chopped
2 cups half & half
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar, light, packed

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine bacon, half and half, cream, maple syrup, and sugar and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Reduce to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, cover, and set aside to steep until a deep bacon flavor develops, 10 to 20 minutes. Strain through a medium-mesh strainer and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Put it in your ice cream machine and run it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Makes about 5 cups of ice cream.

Candied Bacon bits

While waiting on the ice cream to get done you can take ¼ pound of bacon and pack brown sugar on top then boil in the oven on low until the sugar is melted and the bacon is crisp. With kitchen shears chop up the bacon into small pieces to sprinkle on top of the ice cream.

Now buy life insurance from me cause you’ll need it if you keep this up!

"Spring Break" Here we come!!!

I suppose that I've been on a short vacation from my blog this past month, and since I don't get paid for it ... I think that is okay!  In fact taking a break is so important to a productive and happy life that it is documented in the Bible.  Right?  God rested on the 7th day ... though I imagine he went to Dave and Busters to play Foosball with Gabriel.  Taking a break not only gives us a chance to recharge it helps us be more productive at work and in our lives.

A research company in Japan discovered that while America is number one in productivity among industrialized nations, France is a close second.  But Americans on average get 10.2 days of vacation while the French enjoy about 27.5 average days of vacation.  The French work about 35 hours a week while most Americans work over 40 hours a week.

One study reported in 2009 by NPR showed that men who took vacations lived longer than men who did not take regular vacations.  Another study conducted by researchers at Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wisconsin, showed that women who took two or more vacations a year were much more satisfied with their marriages.

So now you have proof!  Work hard, but take a couple of vacations throughout the year, you'll be healthier, happier and wiser (and perhaps it will even make you wealthier).

J

Be protected while you travel ... Click Here I'll make it simple for you.

Beware of falling rocks in Alabama!

On November 30th 1954 Mrs. Elizabeth Hodges, was sleeping on a couch when a meteorite crashed through the roof and into her living room, bounced off a radio, and hit her on the hip. This was the first modern instance of a meteorite striking a human.  It happened in Sylacauga (syl-a-cau-ga), Alabama. The space rock was a sulfide meteorite weighing eight and half pounds and measuring seven inches in length. Mrs. Hodges was not permanently disabled but did suffer from a bruise along her hip and leg.

Sylacauga is roughly 51 miles southeast of Birmingham, it's a small town of about 13,000 and yet it is the sight of one of the most rare injuries in the history of man. This is proof that you never know what's going to happen, so be at peace with your life, don't go to sleep angry and don't with hold forgiveness.  Life is short and if you don't slow down and smell the roses every once in a while you're going to miss it!

By the way the meteorite was eventually returned to Mrs. Hodges, even though the landlord, government and her husband all laid claim to it.  She donated it to the Alabama museum of natural history.

Life is uncertain ... so insure yours for your family's sake!  Call me for low term rates!  812-847-2243

"So Long And Thanks For All The Fish"

Douglas Adams wrote the book titled, "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish".  I really loved the Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy series of which this was the fourth book.  It was a fun, crazy narrative about an ordinary guy and his extraordinary adventures.

Adams was an atheist and while I believe his view on creation was stupid, I really loved his writing ... and in particular the title of this book.  I think of it often because over the last few years I've been studying fish farming. 

The population of our planet continues to grow and our sources of high quality protein from nature and traditional farming techniques can't keep up.  While science has helped us get fatter pigs and chickens they have created a few problems along the way.  We have bigger farms that create bigger animals but that means if the animals from one farm are diseased it will affect folks around the country, where as if we all ate from local farms less people would be affected by a diseased herd.  We would use less gas to get our food from the farms, and so we would create less pollution.  Plus we would know the people that raised our food and more importantly they would know us and have to look us in the face if they sell a bad product.  That's strong motivation to do the right thing.

Besides the need for quality control, there is the issue of "franken food" ... with all the genetic engineering going into those fat pigs and chickens are we changing the food into something that is ultimately bad for us?  We don't know the long term effects of the extreme genetics that is practiced today, but I can guess and you can too.

Well, with that idea for green living I should get my seafood from close to home as well ... so I'm going to grow my own fish and shrimp.  This way I can be more responsible and grow a food source that I love close to the home that I love.

Perhaps when I die they will put this on my tomb stone "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish" ...

This is a hilarious story !!!

This is an actual letter that was sent to a bank by an 86 year old woman.   I think it speaks to the arrogance of many giant corporations that believe we are too weak to resist their insane requirements ... Enjoy!!!
Dear Sir:
I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month.
By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it..
I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.
My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways. I noticed that whereas I personally answer your telephone calls and letters, --- when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become. From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate. Be aware that it is an OFFENSE under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope.
Please find attached an Application Contact which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.
In due course, at MY convenience, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service.
As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Let me level the playing field even further.
When you call me, press buttons as follows:
IMMEDIATELY AFTER DIALING, PRESS THE STAR (*) BUTTON FOR ENGLISH

#1. To make an appointment to see me
#2. To query a missing payment.
#3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
#4 To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
#5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
#6.. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
#7. To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer is required. Password will be communicated to you at a later date to that Authorized Contact mentioned earlier.
#8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.
#9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.
#10. This is a second reminder to press* for English.

While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call. Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement. May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year?

Your Humble Client


And remember: Don't make old People mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off.

Why can't we all just get along?

Getting along doesn't come easy for human beings.  We like to be right, and more importantly we like to be the one that points out someone else being wrong.  Then we like to discuss "How wrong" they are and ask "Why do they continue being wrong?" ... Do you know anyone that will condemn something until others join them in the condemnation, then they switch to deffending the thing they were just condemning? 

Many years ago as a young man living in Germany, my wife Tena and I were playing a game called Balderdash.  It has cards with words that sound odd and you are supposed to either know the correct definition or come up with one that sounds like the real one, so everyone else will think it is real and vote for your definition.

While playing that game I learned the word "Schadenfreude"  \ˈshä-dən-ˌfrȯi-də\ which means ... taking pleasure in other's misfortune.  It's a good word because it describes a basic human trait.  It's a trait that is uglier than we normally would want to portray but one that is naturally there.  

We often find that we look for an angle to dispute what someone is saying or we like seeing them in situations that are uncomfortable.  While I know this to be true, I don't know why we are wired this way and I find it hard to resist even though it is a despicable trait.  I mean come on ... we love watching the sitcom where everyone gets into crazy situations.  We love to listen to a politition give a speech and then poke holes in what he or she says.

So this week I'm going to try really hard to be the model of kindness, I'm going to avoid disputes and the guilty pleasure of Schadenfreude.  I might fail but I'll start the week trying to get along! 

Let's fix Washington!

Are you listening to the junk that Washington is spewing these days?  I know that politicians are always making a big deal out of little things and down playing big things so they are always casting themselves in the best light, but come on!

Let's take jobs for instance ... the White House says that Congress is being lazy and if they don't pass the JOBS BILL, all is lost and it's Congress's fault.  Congress says that the White house is going to tax those that can afford to create jobs and make it less attractive for growth.  The White House says that we have to tax the rich to correct the budget and give relief to the working class, the Congress says we need to stop spending on social programs and let the wealthy create more wealth and create jobs.  Who do you believe?

Being the social genius that I am ... I have come up with a plan that will fix everything.  First off, we should level the field ... I pay taxes and I pay for my own health insurance.  So I would say that everyone else should have to do that too.  Including congress and the president ... We as a nation spend billions on the health care of our employees and well ... nobody else is getting that so they shouldn't either.  The one exception should be our military and police forces ... we need them in top physical shape and we don't pay them enough.

On taxes I see a flat tax on income as a fair compromise.  Eliminate the tax brackets, loop holes and all the infrastructure that manages that ... everyone pays a flat percentage of their income no matter how much they make or where the income is being generated from.  Then the only IRS function would be to make sure that all income was reported and the bill paid ... no more tax returns, no more audits, no more huge cost from 106,000 employees.  The projected budget for the IRS in 2011 is just over 12 and a half billion dollars. 

Once the President and Congressmen are forced to pay taxes and 100% of their health insurance premiums they'll figure out the least painful path for us all.

There you have it ... all fixed, I lessened the expenses, increased the income and leveled the playing field for everyone in one fell swoop! 

Next victim!

Let Freedom Ring!!!

As we head into the first week of July and celebrate Independence Day I find myself in reflection on the past week.

Last week was VBS (Vacation Bible School) and it is always a long week for all involved.  We plan it for months and put all that we have into a great educational and spiritual week.  But this also afforded me an opportunity to work with our local food pantry.  They loaned us a ton of corn (literally 2000 pounds of canned corn) to draw attention to the needs of the hungry in Greene County.  We built a castle out of the corn in our church that stayed up all week to remind the kids of what God's love could accomplish.

While thinking about the week, I realized that we have a great opportunity to impact the lives of those around us, far more that just a single meal.  The benefit one receives from our local food pantry can be quite literally LIFE CHANGING.

You all know that I am an insurance agent, and I like to say that I sell piece of mind.  My clients sleep better at night knowing that their homes, autos, and families are protected.  The food pantry gives people a sense of hope ... through the food and encouragement that they pass out each week they give people HOPE, and hope is far more valuable than piece of mind, or money in the bank, hope shows us that we are not alone, we do count, our suffering has purpose and there is something better just around the corner.

John, one of the Directors at the food pantry gave the kids a quick lesson each night, it was based around the scripture; John, chapter 21, verses 15 - 19.  In this passage Jesus asks Peter 3 times if he loves him ... each time Peter says, yes he loves the Lord, and each time Jesus tells Peter to "Feed my sheep!" ... our visitor John simplified it by calling out to the kids "Love God" and they would respond with a thunderous "FEED HIS SHEEP!" ... Service to mankind is mandated by our God!  Our service brings hope to those we serve!  Hope brings freedom to everyone!

Remember, if you need piece of mind call me ... if you need food call John ... if you need Hope ... pray.

J

Living Large!

Time marches on ... and on ... and on ... each day has a drudgery of it's own and when we string them together in long spans it makes the drudgery seem that much more unbearable.  Work, home repairs, laundry, charity efforts, bills, chores, responsibilities and even TV and cell phones ... all these things rob us of our natural joy in life.

We got away as a family last weekend to a place without TV or cell phone service or any of the things that bring us down each day.  Instead of treading water with finances, scheduling and responsibilities, we talked, played games and enjoyed being with each other.

The noise of modern life seems to clutter our every moment and that will keep us from enjoying our lives and even from just being creative in our everyday efforts ... so it's important to get away from it all and be quiet for a time to recharge those batteries and jump start your creative self again.

My weekend get away wasn't the only thing that inspired this rant ... last night Tena and I watched the Bucket List, great show!  I highly recommend it!  If you've not seen it I'll tell this much the two main characters are from opposite ends of the economic scale (one is a life long mechanic and the other a rich hospital mogul) but they have both been given 6 months to a year to live.  They decide to finish their Bucket lists (things they wanted to do before they die) ... It's never too late to make a difference, enjoy living, or make a fool of yourself ... and all three are important.

So take some time away from the TV this weekend and on a yellow pad of paper write down a bucket list, then Before midnight on Sunday, mark off one item ... or at least spend some quiet time imagining all the things that you will do. 

Live Large ... J

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..."

— Dr. Seuss (Oh, the Places You'll Go!)

Vacation Rocks!

You know a good vacation is worth its weight in gold!  I just got back from a GREAT vacation filled with giant roadside attractions and Florida sun. 

In the insurance business you are often surrounded by people who have just lost something ... a car, a garage, a home, or even a husband or wife.  Sometimes it gets pretty difficult to see people hurting even though we get to help them through the tough times it will really wear on you.

So stepping out for a week in the sun is a welcome diversion.  We ran throught southern Illinois and picked up my niece and then on to the Superman Museum then through Tennessee to the giant chicken with a chef hat, and finally the giant peach in Alabama.  Then we spent a little time on the beach haviung crab races and eating shrimp.

I returned home to a pile of new claims and lots of folks that needed policies to protect their families from lost ... and you know I was glad to get back into it, because no matter how great vacation is, it's not your life.  I just wish it would stop snowing for goodness sake.