In memory of CWO3 Windorski.

On January 26th, 2009, Minnesota lost a Hero. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philip Windorski Jr. gave his life in Iraq. Homes for Heroes sends our sincerest condolences to CWO3 Windorski’s wife and 3 children. We are truly sorry for your loss and sacrifice. May God bless you and guide you through this difficult and trying time. This nation owes you our gratitude for your husbands sacrifice.

When I heard of CWO3 Windorski’s death I wanted to know more about him. I am not sure that you realize this, but the rank of Warrant Officer is something that is not lightly handed out in the Military. Out of 2.5 million men and women in the military only 25,000 hold the rank of Warrant Officer. There is a long tradition, starting in 1918, of using the rank of Warrant Officer to those who had special talents that did not fall into the normal duties of the military. This rank was and still is reserved for those that are considered experts in a technical field. The U.S. Department of Defense describes the Warrant Officer as such “The warrant officer is a highly skilled technician who is provided to fill those positions above the enlisted level which are too specialized in scope to permit effective development and continued utilization of broadly trained, branch qualified commissioned officers.” For more info try this site and this one.

Philip Windorski enlisted in the Army right out of High School in 1991. Seven short years later he was accepted into the Warrant Officer Program. After graduating from the program WO Windorski enrolled into the Army’s Helicopter flight training school. In 1999 CWO3 Windorski was a commissioned pilot flying the Army’s OH58D Kiowa Warrior.

CWO3 Windorski was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum New York in 2007. Or as history will remember them since the Civil War, the “Six Shooters”. The mission of the Six Shooters is; On Order, 6th Squadron 6th Cavalry deploys worldwide to conduct offensive operations, tactical reconnaissance, and limited security operations in support of the ground maneuver commander. On order, command and control an Aviation Task Force. To visit their web site go here.

In other words, their job is to fly a small lightly armed helicopter into enemy operational areas, find them and engage. Then when the ground troops arrive provide close air support. Not a job for the light hearted.

His friends have put up a face book page that is dedicated to his memory. The lives he has touched is truly a testament to his love for his family and country. You are an impressive man CWO3 Windorski. May God Bless you and your family.

Is a free pizza worth a heart attack? Ninjas on the loose.

I think we have ninjas in our office. Homes for Heroes is a small office and we all know each other pretty well. So it is hard for me to believe that one of them is a ninja. But I have no other explanation. This morning I arrive at my desk and turn on my computer. I get up and mosey on over to the the new kitchen and pour my self a cup of coffee. The kitchen is only 4 feet away and in complete view of my desk. When I return to my desk, I set down my mug of brew and turn on my monitor. The monitor comes on but “no video present” is all it says. I am the first one in so I know that no one could have turned off my computer. I push the power button on again and get up to see if there is any one lurking in the shadows. I see no one but I feel a breeze across my face and turn back to the desk. The computer has been turned off again.

If that is how it is going to be, I say out loud, then let the duel begin. I myself have studied the ways of the Ninja and am not afraid to stare at the face of death. I quickly make my self unseen and change into my ninja outfit. Using ninja stealth, I reach my desk undetected and take a position underneath it. With a ninja masters grace I turn on the computer. I watch the power button for 3 full minutes, waiting to catch the office ninja in the act.

My plan is simple. When the office ninja reaches over to turn off my computer I will secretly sprinkle onto his hand my special ninja detection dust. I will let the ninja come out of disguise and resume his or her role as office worker. I will then make my way around the office and with my ninja trained eye sight, I will detect which office worker is the ninja.

Nothing, no sign of office ninja trying to turn my computer off. I may not have discovered who the office ninja is, but I did foil his/her attempt to turn off my computer again. I relax and come out of my hiding spot to take a look at my monitor. As my head rises over the desk top I am immediately distracted. My boss is standing there with hands on hips asking me, “just what in the h#$@ are you doing?”

I gain my composure as I notice that the computer is still not on. I explain to my boss that there is a rogue ninja in our midst and I was just trying expose and keep him/her from turning off my computer. She listens, then bends down and plugs my computer into a power source. There is your ninja, she says as she walks back to her office. Darn! Office ninja won’t trick me again, I think to myself as I reach over and successfully turn on my computer.

Who gets nervous when you are being followed by a police officer? Let’s say you are driving down the road minding your own business. You glance up in your mirror just in time to see a police car pull in behind you. If you are like me, you go into a an immediate and chaotic panic. I check my speed, I make sure I not only use my turn signals when I make a lane change, I use hand signals. I don’t dare look over to my passenger for fear it will be reason to be pulled over. Heck, I get so nervous I signal when my car wanders close to the line on the road.

I mention this because I read this article. Police in Florida are pulling over drivers to give them tickets for driving well. The tickets are gift certificates to the local pizza joint. My first reaction was positive, thinking this is a great way to stir up public support for the police. Then I started to think about it. How would you feel if you came to a complete stop, the take your turn passing through a 4-way stop, only to be pulled over by the cop behind you. I do not think I would be in a calm and relaxed state wondering why I was being pulled over. I know I would be very agitated and quite possibly let out a string of obscenities when police officer arrived at my door. I might even say “screw it” and take off, justifying the bold action by my faith in my innocence.

I would be on the news in a high speed chase, my blood pressure rising with every mile driven. Soon the old ticker starts to sputter and I pull over hoping for a quick ride to the emergency room. As the car stops, 934 police rush the car, jerk me out and slam me to the ground. As I protest my innocence and my urgent medical needs, one officer bends down and hands me a slip of paper. “Sir I just wanted to give you this certificate for a free pizza. You did a complete stop back at the 4-way and I just wanted to thank you for your safe driving.

I take the offering and thank the officer as the light fades from my vision………..

See you tomorrow.
Semper Fi.

Think you can handle a short sale?

In this troubled housing market, home buyers and sellers are dealing more and more with banks. Repossessions and short sales are requiring the banking market to become more directly involved in the sale of a home. I hope to point out some of the potential pitfalls when dealing with short sales and bank owned properties. Homes for Heroes have a couple that has pretty much experienced every thing you can when dealing with a short sale.

Fresh and ready to take the challenge. Short Sales.

Let’s call them Katie and Steve, they are the perfect American couple. Both are members of the National Guard and Police Officers of a large metro city. They both have done tours of duty in Bosnia and Iraq. They approached Homes for Heroes looking to buy a house. They came to us because they had made an offer on a “short sale” home and waited for a response. Then waited some more. Then made a couple of phone calls. Then waited. After waiting they waited some more. Finally they got in the car and drove past the home they wished to own. Only to find it was inhabited by someone else who had purchased the home! How could that happen? Didn’t they offer the bank a legal commitment that by law would obligate them to purchase if accepted by the bank? How could they look for another home with that offering sitting out there? Shouldn’t the bank at least reject the offer by signature or at least by phone call so they could legally look for another home? This happened to them last winter. But read on, there is more fun to come.

By law, if you are a licensed Realtor, and you do not respond to a legal offer on a home you would be in violation of the law and would lose your state license. The bank, however, is not regulated by the same law and has no obligation to anyone offering to purchase the property. Keep this in mind when making an offer with a short sale. The patience of a sniper will be required, meaning you will be waiting for days on end just to get a hint of what the bank is doing with your offer.

Back to Katie and Steve. Working with their Homes for Heroes agent they set out looking for homes. The first home they looked at they loved. A tribute to a good Realtor. They looked at several others but kept coming back to the first home they saw. It was in the area they wanted to live, it was the style and size they wanted, it was on a cul-de-sac… I could go on but I think you get the idea. It was everything they wanted and where they wanted it. So they sat down with their agent and started to put together a purchase agreement. While working with their Homes for Heroes mortgage affiliate they found that they qualified for the asking price of the home but it would stretch their budget a little bit more than they expected. Being smart buyers, they passed on their dream home. They did not want to be in a position where they had to decide whether to pay the house payment or buy groceries. Plus they wanted to add to the family. Yes, they wanted to have puppies!!

Another round of house hunting took place and they had found their second dream home. Another tribute to the Realtor, she sure did know her clients. This was not as grand as their dream home but it was very close and met all their criteria. They decided they would make an offer on this home. The Realtor made a call to the listing agent and made it known that she would soon be bringing an offer to the table. She asked for the owner’s property disclosure and it was faxed over promptly. While reviewing the disclosure, she discovered that the offer would be subject to bank approval. That is the code words for “short sale”.

Helen, (the stunning and remarkable Realtor) set about to educate Katie and Steve that buying a “short sale” home was not a terrible thing as long as knew up front not to expect anything to happen with any sort of urgency. It was going to take longer than a normal sale because the banks are not Realtors or buyers and do not fully understand the concept of expediency. This was reflected in the offer by giving the bank 60 days to agree to the offered price. The offer they put together was good and solid. They saw no reason why the bank would balk at it or deny it. It was a full price offer with a pre-approved mortgage. Helen submitted the offer to the listing agent, who also agreed, it was a good offer and the bank should have no problem approving it. After all the bank had approved the listing price prior to the owner putting the house on the market.

In a normal real estate transaction, the home owner will receive the offer and either accept, counter or reject the offer within 24 to 48 hours, most of the time by the next day. A week went by with no response. Helen had called the listing agent for an update. “The bank has it and have not provided me with any further information.” Was the response. “Will you call me as soon as you hear anything, good or bad.” Helen requested then ended the call. She picked up the phone to let Katie and Steve know what was going on. Only having to wait one week the sniper patience was not marred. They accepted the update because they knew that the bank would get to it when they got to it.

Another week goes by. Update is the same as before. Katie and Steve are not too worried. They want to be in their new home by Christmas and it is only mid October. They wanted to close by December 1 as stated in the Purchase Agreement. The bank still had 6 weeks to get things wrapped up. Over the course of the next few weeks, Katie and Steve had put an ad in the paper to lease their town home. The ad stated it would be available January 2. That gave Katie and Steve a full month to get the place cleaned up for the new tenants.

About 4 weeks after putting in their offer, they got their first puppy. They named it after the base they were at in Iraq. They would take the puppy over to the new neighborhood to get used to the new smells. The updates to date were pretty much the same. It was now November 2 and Katie and Steve were wondering if they could start packing some of the non-essential items in preparation for their big move.

Helen would call the listing agent with more frequency to see if the bank could at least let them know if they should start looking for another home. Katie and Steve have signed a lease with a nice couple to move into their current residence. They were now legally obligated to be out of their town home by January 2. This time the update was a little different and offered a little bit of hope. The bank said everything was moving along fine and they should be able to close by December 1. This was the first acknowledgment from the bank that they had accepted the offer. With this information Katie and Steve let their worries take a back seat and they started to pick up the pace on their moving plans.

The week of Thanksgiving Helen had still not received a time and place for closing. With the holiday coming up and family gatherings to attend, they needed to know when and where they would be signing all the paperwork. The bank responded by confirming a time and place in the afternoon of December 1st. Katie and Steve confirmed the date with friends that would be helping them move and start packing in earnest to be ready for the truck they had reserved.

Morning of December 1, Helen receives a call from the listing agent telling her that the closing will have to be moved to December 7. The reason was that while the bank was going through the title work they found that the second mortgage on the home had been mistakenly recorded as the first. What this means is that with this mistake the bank could not legally approve of the sale because they were not technically the primary mortgage holder. They were working on getting that fixed and expected it to be fixed within the week. This was the first time Katie and Steve, upon hearing the news, showed how thin their patience was running. They had to call all their friends and reschedule in hopes that all could still make it. They also did not look forward to living out of boxes for the week. But as disciplined soldiers, they sucked it up and made good of a bad situation.

December 7, another call in the morning to Helen telling her that the two banks still have not settled on how the proceeds of the “short” sale would be split. The primary mortgage was smaller than the second mortgage and the second mortgage holder was trying to get the lion’s share of the proceeds. The primary mortgage holder seemed to think they had the upper hand because if the home went into foreclosure the second mortgage holder would get nothing and they were using that as a big lever. At this point Helen was starting to lose a professional attitude and was agonizing over how to tell Katie and Steve again their home would not be available again. Katie and Steve took the news very well, they asked when would they be able to sign, but this time if the date was missed they wanted the bank to know they would cancel the purchase agreement. The listing agent was made aware and offered to let Katie and Steve move in now and worry about the “paperwork” later. Helen advised this could be risky especially with the way the two banks could not come to an agreement. Katie and Steve declined to move and put everything on hold until they were holding title in hand.

A couple of days before Christmas there was still no agreement. On the 23rd the listing agent called Helen to inform her that the banks had made and agreement and they would try to close on the 26th. This would be cutting it short for Katie and Steve but they agreed and made plans for the 26th.

The 26th came and went without a closing. On January 2 Katie and Steve canceled their purchase agreement, much to the dismay of the listing agent. During this whole ordeal interest rates had dropped and with a buy down on the interest rate from the owner, Katie and Steve were able to put together a purchase agreement for their original dream home. They sent over the paper work and it was accepted and signed within 24 hours. Actually the whole deal took about 4 hours to put together and the waiting was just to see the signed papers. They moved in a week later and today they signed and received title for their dream home.

After a year and 2 failed short sales, Katie and Steve finally get a closing.

What happened to the 2nd choice? The home went into foreclosure, the second mortgage holder received nothing and the primary mortgage holder ended up selling the home for $170,000 less than the offer they had in hand. It just proves that they do not understand the whole concept of selling homes.

What is the difference between a short sale and a bank owned property? This is good information to know. It will help you with the trials and tribulations one may experience when dealing with banks. Bank owned means the home has gone through foreclosure proceedings and the title is legally and solely the banks. They have a house that is theirs and they pay the taxes and utilities on the property. The previous owner usually leaves the home in poor condition when they abandon the home. At times even taking the plumbing as they move out. These are a good deal on the market but often fall into the “fixer upper” category.

A short sale is when the owners of the home wish to sell the home but the market price will not cover the mortgage they own on the home. The owners notify the bank that they will not be able to cover the mortgage on the sale and ask the bank to cover any difference. If the bank agrees the home goes on the market as a “short” sale. The owners may or may not work with a Realtor and any offer they receive is sent to the bank for final approval. In the “short” sale the bank is trying to limit the amount of loss on the mortgage.

I think it is a safe bet to conclude that banks prefer short sales to foreclosures because at least they recoup a larger portion of their mortgage and during the sale process are not paying out money for taxes and utilities. The down side to this is the bank is not under any contract with a real estate company during the sale. The upside for the buyer on a “short sale” is that the home is usually in better shape than a home that is in foreclosure. The upside on a foreclosed home purchase is that it can be had a bargain prices and you are dealing with a licensed real estate company that has to follow the established rules. And always keep in mind, a short sale does not necessarily mean short time frame. The best scenario in these bizarre times (if at all possible) is to find a real seller! These people are waiting to work with you and are MOTIVATED. They have adjusted their selling price to compete with the banks. (Remember, the home has to appraise, and right now the appraisers have to be very careful, and use bank owned or short-sale proprieties in the immediate subject area for comps when arriving at the appraised value for your new home loan. Good Luck!

Semper Fi

Just what do I do? Homes for Heroes can answer that. I hope.

I have been putting up stuff on this page for a couple of months now. From these entries one might get the impression that I spend my day at the Homes for Heroes office doing my best to annoy others. For those that think this you are pretty close to the truth. When the Homes for Heroes Foundation was conceptualized we agreed that this blog would be a look at the lighter side of life in uniform. I took this to heart and have been doing my utmost to be light hearted and happy all the time. This comes at a price though, my colleagues aren’t always happy, and my sense of humor is not always contagious. In fact, at times, it can be down right unbearable.

Think of what the staff has to go through. The staffs first job is matching our Heroes with our affiliated real estate agents and mortgage brokers. This national program provides the Hero with 25% of the agents commission and half off the origination fee on the mortgage. That is a substantial amount of money when buying or selling a home. Using the Homes for Heroes program will put thousands in your pocket at closing. I don’t think there is any other full service program that offers this kind of savings. Add to that we are a national program. That means the staff is quite busy. Now add the Homes for Heroes Foundation into the mix. The staff fields calls from Heroes that are looking for some help for situations that are out of their control. A Hero in Maine is in Iraq right now and needs some one to winterize his home. Another Hero has been stationed from New York to Colorado and the NY landlord will not let them out of their lease causing all sorts of financial issues. Another Hero is looking for some help in getting an attached garage built because he can’t get into his car from his wheel chair now.

From time to time I will see one of our staff hanging up the phone and wiping away a tear. I know some of these calls can be very emotional. These Heroes are not looking for handouts, they are just trying to deal with what life has dealt them. It can be hard to watch some one dealing with hardships like it was any other day. Listening to a Hero who is wheel chair bound and can’t finish a house hold project that will enable him to take care of his family nor will his pay and benefits cover the cost is frustrating and taxing. The Homes for Heroes Foundation does what it can to help, but our hearts go out to those who gave it all and now have to struggle just to get by.

Now add me. They take the calls while I guffaw at YouTube videos. Then I ask them to interrupt their work and come take a look at what was so funny. We don’t have a big staff and they have a lot of work to do. I put together the blog and update the web site. That is pretty much what I do. I need to keep the blog light and do a lot of research coming up with strange and wonderful things to write about. Sometimes it easy and other times it is inspiring. Thus, the annoyance factor. I recently saw a couple of videos that turned soda and beer cans into a stove. Well I had to try it out to see if it worked. I ask a colleague to finish a soda so I can have the can, I grab the scissors from another to cut the can. While they are working I am cooking water at my desk with my new camping stove. I have mentioned before where I have taken a mouse pad from a colleague and turned it into a wrist pad. I suppose one might wonder just what the heck I do?

I do spread the word on what a great program Homes for Heroes is. To be sure, I attempt do it with a sense of humor. Check them out. They are a real program with a real concern for our Heroes. The Homes for Heroes will take your calls and answer your questions, while I will wait for them to turn there backs so I can turn their desk lamp into a drink warmer.

See you tomorow

Semper Fi

Recycle and stay alive!! The continuing saga of being green.

I finally got the tomato stains off the carpet at Homes for Heroes office. Read Fridays blog to figure out what I am talking about. I don’t get it. Sure I made a mess, but it was in the name of saving Mother Earth. A couple of spilled cans of Tomato soup should not hinder the road to a greener planet. But that is what has happened. I have been banned from doing any more green experiments in the office.

Not to worry. I have decided to work on green harvest recipes. There is so much food to eat just sitting right out side your door you will be amazed. My first step is to add a small kitchen in the office. Recycled of course, which requires a little bit of re-wiring and a tiny bit of plumbing. Stuff I have done before so it should be easy and little mess. I think the staff will appreciate having a small kitchen in the office. So let’s get started.

The spirit of re-use lives on. My new sink.

The project at hand entails, making a sink, and add an electrical outlet for a hot plate. The sink is an old 10 quart aluminum pot and the plumbing is an old garden hose. RRR all the way dudes. For the drain I drilled a hole in the wall to the outside and ran the hose over to a tree on the lot. That way the waste water feeds a tree instead of taxing our water treatment plants. RRR again.

The new range for the office.

The electricity will be a little trickier. Did you know you could die if electrocuted? I am not a fan of death so this makes me a little nervous. With all my materials laid out I can start installing. But first some important safety tips.

First, do not work with power to the outlets. It will hurt, trust me. They sell a tool that you can plug into an outlet to see if the power is shut off. Don’t waste your money. I use a vacuum cleaner. Saves money and a sure fire way to ensure that the power is off. Pretty simple and ingenious right? I grab the cleaning staffs vacuum, turn it on and head over to the electrical room. I start turning off breakers, after the third breaker the vacuum turns off. I grab a screw driver and start taking apart the outlet. I take the cover off, unscrew and pull the outlet out of the junction box. Next thing you know I am on my back looking at the ceiling? How could this happen? I heard the vacuum turn off, it wasn’t running when I got back in the office. I ask the office staff if they heard the vacuum shut off. One lady said yes, because she turned it off. She didn’t want to waste energy so she thought it best if it was not running. Can’t argue with that, green is green and so I went to the hardware store and spent 10 bucks for a power detector.

Second rule when working with electricity. Double check to ensure power is off. In my case if I had turned the vacuum off and on again I would have discovered that there was still power there. This would have saved me from a near death experience and another pair of skivvies.

The rest of the project went well and we now have a functional kitchen. That is if you don’t count me cutting through the wall to our neighbors office. I patched it up, so I see no problem. Just to drive home the safety issue of working with electricity watch this video. Some innocent fun can turn very bad very quick. So pay attention and live!

Now that the kitchen is established and open for business, let’s get something to eat. Here are three easy and simple recipes that will have all the kids in your neighborhood clamoring at your door for this treat and they will be willing participants in making it. The first is the easiest, dandelions and honey. Have the kids pick a bunch of those little yellow devils and then mix equal parts of honey. 1 cup of bud and 1 cup of honey.

If you eat them you won't have to spray the lawn with weed killers.

Let it sit overnight then give the jar to the kids and let them have fun. Also good on pancakes and toast. This next one requires cooking and it is the same principle. A dandelion honey but made with dandelions only. You take 4 cups of the flour pedals, some lemon, sugar and vanilla, do some boiling and straining and voila! A tasty treat to impress you in-laws when they come to visit. The full recipe is here.

This next one sounds really good and I think the kids will love it. Cream of Dandelion soup. You will use the whole plant, lots of boiling, and some heavy cream. Sounds yummy and once this tundra thaws you can bet it will be one of the first green harvest meals I will make. The complete recipe can be found here. Enjoy!

Perhaps soon we can look at the fabulous meals that can be had with cat tails. Until then keep in mind that if you want to harvest dandelions but do not have a big enough yard get a hold of your Homes for Heroes affiliate and start finding that bigger lot. Prices are not going to down much more and you don’t want to miss out on this buyers market.

See you tomorrow

Semper Fi

Tomatoes and tubs aren’t just for skunk sprays.

If you are a person that has a hard time living for short periods with out TV, pay attention. In this blog I will show you the technology to use house hold products to keep your TV running during a power outage. I tried it at the Homes for Heroes office, it worked, but I have been forbidden to ever do it again. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is my only defense. Read on to see why they had such a hard time with my project.

Most of this weeks blogs has been dealing with space saving and recycling. I am going to continue with this topic today and perhaps some more next week. I must confess, I started this tongue and cheek and that will continue, but there is a whole world of simple things that can be done that I find myself amazed at. Easy things we can all do that does not take a lot of skill. I know my wife has had her fill of this stuff. Especially when I start rummaging through the kitchen looking for stuff to make our next table lamp with. I got the idea from GreenProphet

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Don't throw that doll away sweety, daddy is making a lamp!

Don’t you think one of these would look neat in the living room? So far I have a couple pieces tupperware, an old rolling pin and a rusty flour sifter. My wife is glad I have “reduced” clutter in the kitchen but as I sit at the kitchen table stacking this stuff she gives me the look that says there will be no “recycling” of that crap in her house.

This next item falls into the “reduce” category. Take a look and guess what it is. If you think you walk with it, you are on the right track. Is it an artsy pedometer? Nope. Is it road line painter? Nope. I will give you a hint. Music. Is it an MP3 player? Nope, but close. Tired of hearing me guess for you? Okay. It is a portable battery charger for your iPod. As you stroll down the office hall you never have to worry about your iPod losing power. Would it work for a cell phone? Good question, not sure. Do you want me to find out? Yeah I’m not that interested either. I am not going to walk god knows how far to charge my iPod or cell phone. But if you are seriously into the carbon foot print thing, this is a must have item.

15 songs to the mile is pretty good mileage.

Need extra storage in your basement? This next idea is something that when I saw it I said “duh!” Why didn’t I think of that? This is a great idea and I have implemented it down in my work shop.

Those wine boxes work perfect for this. Not that I drink that much wine.

This next idea I love but my spouse is not sold on it yet. All those old and out dated suit cases that are sitting up in the attic are potential medicine cabinets or kitchen cabinets. I don’t think it will work with the newer canvas type bags. Maybe in a teens room. Heck, if you do it right, it could double as both cabinet and suitcase. I will let you know how my endeavors work out.

From the bathroom to the plane with no packing!

How many out there have young kids? Do you hate coming up with ways to keep them busy for more than 10 minutes. Well, I think you will like this next “reuse” project. Just give the kids the instructions and materials and tell them not to come back in until after lunch is finished. Be sure not to give them any snacks before hand. Hunger is a mighty motivator. Yes I am talking about having your kids make a solar oven to cook lunch in. All they need is an old pizza box, aluminum foil, black construction paper, plastic wrap and something to cook. I tried this with the Homes for Heroes staff. I told them lunch was on me and they were all excited, but when a couple of hours had past and the hot dogs were still not quite done. Like I said, it will keep the kids busy for a long time. Time enough to sneak in a bath…. For full instructions check out the step by step instructions here.

Cook eggs faster than the sidewalk with this nifty oven.

Now is the time you have all been waiting for, how to keep your TV running when there the power is out. I had to segue to it. What segue you ask? Ready?

Speaking of baths, if you have an old bath tub, wiring, some metal plates and about 30 gallons of tomato soup, you have everything you need to keep your TV running during power outages. Hats off to the inventor. Try to put yourself in this inventors mind as he/she was thinking this up. “Mmmmmm, what can I do to “reuse” this bathtub and how do I get rid of these cases of tomato soup?” It actually works and now you can see why my comrades did not appreciate me lugging an old bath tub into the office and filling it up with tomato soup. Though, one person did pick up the game controller and play pac man. To see more of this fine piece of work visit this site.

Just think, you can play games and never have to leave the room for a snack.

One other thing to keep in mind is that if you are sprayed with a skunk you can shut the TV off for just a little while. I think that is enough and Monday I should have some more interesting stories and stuff for you to look at.

Semper fi.

There will be a day when you thank me. More tips on recycling.

My colleagues from Homes for Heroes are starting to see my arrival at the office with disdain. With the good response I got on my previous blog about recycling I have been doing a lot of research. Yesterday I spent some time looking for more ideas to share with you readers. Some of those you saw yesterday and I will have some more for you soon. But what you don’t realize is that the staff at Homes for Heroes is getting a little tired of me taking their mouse pads, cutting them up and making them new cup coasters, or cutting up latex gloves and using them as large rubber bands to hold plastic bags in place on garbage cans. I do want to be accurate in what I write about. I have some photo’s of stuff I did a staffers computer. They do not appreciate being green. But I will keep working on them.

Now keep in mind, the following photos were not destruction of my colleagues computer, it was reuse of a computer. He was scheduled for a new one this month and he was on vacation. Our office pet now has a new home thanks to Jerry’s old monitor. I don’t think Jerry or the office realizes that in Minneapolis you can no longer just throw out your old CRT monitor, you have to recycle it. Well I saved some land fill space and “Opie” has a new radical looking home

Opie loves his new digs.

What to do with the computer itself, well, we had a barbecue. The case held the coals quite nicely. I think it will be around for many company picnics in the future.

I just borrowed the grill from the old bbq for the burgers.

This is something I saw also, but using bicycle inter tubes. The neat thing about using the ribbon cable is that you can adjust the wire down to fit that belt buckle you have lying in the junk drawer.

For some reason my wife thinks I look like a fool with this on.

The toughest part of this whole reuse deal, was trying to figure out what to do with the keyboard. At first I thought it would be a good toy for the youngsters, till I found out it is one of the dirtiest objects in the world. So I started to take the thing apart. Still nothing. Last resort, do the Google. I was inspired by the next photo. I was going to make a tribute to the world of reuse.

You have to admit, it is a nice piece.

This is what I came up with.

For some reason, no one wanted this on their desk.

After asking everyone twice if they wanted this nice sculpture and being politely declined twice, I figured that it wasn’t that magnificent after all. I broke it down and after some rummaging around the office I found an old bottle of rubber cement. Sitting at my desk making fake boogers with the cement an idea started to form in my mind. I grabbed my bosses purse (She was off “powdering her nose.”) and let my idea take form. I thought it was cool, but I am now at the department store trying to find her a replacement. How do women pick one, too many styles. One big bag or one with a lot of pockets>

The idea was not appreciated.

As you can see, a little imagination, a little bit of time and little bit of rubber cement can turn something you were going to throw away into a whole bunch of useful objects to use around the house. I think tomorrow I will look into what you can do with old blenders or some other household appliance. If you have any ideas or something you have reused, get it to me. The office does not respond to my questions anymore.

Where was I with the wedding story. I remember, I had just witnessed the slaughter of a goat at my friends soon to be father-in-laws house. Why the goat was slaughtered I did not have a clue. I walked up to my friend and asked, “is this some sort of sacrifice ritual that I am witnessing?” His reply, “No dummy, it is dinner time.” So barbecued goat was on the menu for dinner. Now, I am a big meat eater and have dressed out many a deer, but for some reason that day I was not in the mood to eat goat. I think it was because it was slaughtered in the bathroom. How gross, all those germs and everything. I would just munch my way through the dinner on the lumpia and fruits and stay away from the goat.

As the goat was cooking on the grill I noticed that the women started to take away the other food on the table. I did not know why, it was perfectly good food and it wasn’t of the goat family. I went over to the mother-in-law and asked why they were removing the food. I think she could see the panic in my face. She patted my hand as only mom’s can and told me that I would not have to eat the goat, they would have other meats available. I calmed and resumed my second profession. Beer drinker.

A couple of hours later dinner was ready. I will admit the goat smelled delicious but I could not get the bathtub out of my mind. So as we sat down I noticed a couple of other carcasses sitting at the table and waited till they were passed my way. The first was a nice big bird. What kind? I assumed chicken and grabbed a leg and wing. The goat came by and I just passed it along. The next plate was something I had never seen but a lot of people were taking chunks of it and making a lot of yummy noises. I grabbed a chunk not wanting to miss out on what I thought was some sort of delicacy. We all ate and had a great time. As the evening ran down and people were just picking at the last remaining animal carcasses I asked some one, “What was that?” Pointing to the carcass I had consumed earlier. “Did you like it?” The person asked. “Yes, it was very good and I would like to purchase some for our party next week.” The other person looked at me, smiled and said “Cat.”

He must have seen my face because he started to laugh and walked away. I didn’t think I was that upset. After all it was good. On the way back to the base I asked my friends if they knew what the third meat was. They all knew and was surprised that I did not know. They said the way I kept eating it they thought for sure I knew it was cat.

The following week I did go to market and bought 4 cat carcasses. It is really cheap meat. Money wise that is. Four cats were cheaper than the two chickens I also purchased. I know some of you are appalled, but hear me out. Don’t knock it till you tried it. It is good. Especially with a spicy rub.

What happened to my friend and his bride to be? He took a trip with the family to Manila to visit more of her family. While there, the wedding ring was stolen as well as his wallet was emptied one night. Mom, Dad and the whole family played dumb. He cut his losses and headed back. A lonely, heartbroken man is a terrible thing for Marines to deal with. What did we do to get him over his lost love? Don’t ask, there may be children reading this. But it had the right affect and he was back to normal in no time.

I hope you enjoyed my endearing tale of love and animals. See you tomorrow.

Semper fi

How to save space for more clutter

As you know Homes for Heroes is a Real Estate program so many of its affiliates are realtor’s. One of the many skills they must possess is an eye for space. When most people feel it is time to sell their home they do not think of all the years of clutter they have accumulated. Why would they? They are comfortable enough living there so why would it bother anyone else? The answer is in the question. They are not everyone else. As hard as it is to believe this, people are different and have different tastes. Think of your distant aunt and why your parents would never go to visit her. Something to do with owning 9 cats or some such crazy thing. To poor old aunt Bertha, it would never occur to her that cats leave a smell that most people find stomach turning.

Realtor’s will tell home owners they have to make their home attractive to the largest block of people. They can do this by cleaning, removing clutter, painting and repairing the most obvious things. Who would think it normal to have a teetering toilet? The biggest and easiest thing a home owner can do though is getting rid of clutter.

Can you find the toaster? If you can't how can potential buyers?

Make the counters counters again instead of appliance storage. You know that book shelf that now holds hats, mittens, assorted boxes and empty bottles? Make it a book shelf again. That front closet? Yup, just have a few coats in it and nothing else. This makes the home look tidy and neat and maybe just comfortable enough for some one else.

Most times that works, but there are a few home owners that look the realtor in the eye and say “And just what am I supposed to do with all this S&#@T!” If the realtor is smart they just get up and leave, but if they are like most realtors, (lighten up guys) they will let the home owner know that there are many options out there to deal with the excess clutter. Box it up and put it in the basement in nice neat piles is one way and it shows how much storage is down there. Another is renting a storage pod. A pod is like an empty semi truck that shows up at your door, you put your crap in it and it drives away till you want it back again. The bold realtor suggests renting a dumpster for a week. The smart realtor will show them this neat trick.

Can the kitty litter box go here?

Turning your stairs into storage space. It is not that hard and not that expensive. Just make sure that you don’t leave them open during an open house. The home owner and insurance company may frown on the injury claim.

Another great space saving idea is found in this video. For the Mid West, an in-ground pool does not always help in selling a home and sometimes it can hamper. We can only use them about 2 weeks a year and Dad doesn’t like cleaning them all summer for just two weeks. In the winter they are just a big eye sore in the middle of your back yard. So this video shows what can be done with that pool. Turn it into an outdoor rec room.

Putting in a pool table in a pool is appropriate. I think the one below would be perfect. Easy in and easy out when the home sells.

Another fine example of Recycle, Reuse, Replenish.

Any other ideas on saving space? Let me know and I will get it in the blog. So from yesterday we had heard that one of my buddies in the Marine Corps wanted to marry a local girl while we were on temporary duty in the Philippines. We had tried to talk him out of it, or at least give it some time but instead we were invited to a party. That is where we pick up today.

We entered a neighborhood similar to this video. There were 4 of us including the Groom to Be. We were a little nervous. None of us knew the neighborhood nor any of the people we were visiting. We, okay I and another, were expecting the worse. We would be kidnapped and held for ransom or be forced into some diabolical plot against our country. Nothing like that happened. A lot of people were there and there was lots of beer and lumpia.

After a few hours of great fun and camaraderie, a cheering grew from the party. I scooted over to where the commotion was taking place. I found that the father was bringing a goat into the house. Okay, I thought, what kind of game can be played with a goat. I followed the precession up the stairs and we all crowded around the bathroom door as the goat and the father entered. The father picked up the goat and placed it in the bath tub.

Just to show you how naive I was, I couldn’t figure out why every one wanted to see a goat be given a bath. The father had turned on the water (which was a large bucket mounted on the wall with a water tap) and started to get the goat wet. Then out of the blue some one hand old Dad a large knife. I still didn’t know what was going on. I thought they were going to shave the darn thing. Nope. Next thing I knew, blood was spraying the wall, Dad was holding the goat down and the crowd was cheering like crazy. Naivety was soon replaced with reality at seeing my first slaughter. I did not want to look like a rube so I asked if anyone wanted a beer, took orders, and headed back down stairs. I headed to the cooler outside only to find I was the only male on the ground floor. All the men had gone upstairs to partake in the slaughter of a goat. So feeling like a rube, I grabbed the beers and headed back up the stairs.

Shall I continue? It gets better. I haven’t even got to the cat part yet.

Talk to you tomorrow

Semper Fi.

Goats, cats and weddings. More recycling tips.

Going through todays feeds there was an article on how the Air Force wanted to cut their dependence on oil. My first thought was “how are aircraft going to fly without oil?” I don’t think it can happen. Even if we made nuclear power plants small enough to put in a fighter jet you still will need oil and grease to keep the thing in the air. Do they think hydraulic fluid is made from corn? So I wrote it off as a PR piece and moved on. Then while at the Homes for Heroes office some one was complaining about cold feet and how they needed new boots. I told them they should go to a Army Surplus store and get a pair of Mickey Mouse Boots. Heading over to my desk it hit me like a ton of bricks. “I need recycled tire sandals!” I had a pair as a kid and loved them. I would run around in the sand and mud making that unmistakable rrrrrRRRRRRRRR uh rrrrrrRRRRRRRR uh rrrrrRRRRRRR sound of a car going through gears. With those sandals I was Bobby Issacs racing around the track. I did get some odd looks while I was racing around my desk going rrrrrRRRRRR uh rrrrrrRRRR uh SCREEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!! (Taking corners really fast.)

Keep in mind you will need two buckles. What color straps should I get?

Google did not let me down. A quick search got me what I needed and a bonus too. My family will have the finest home made tire sandals this side of the Mississippi this summer. I will walk through the Mall of America with my shiny new sandals past those expensive Tevas stores. Heck a pair of tire sandals will last 40,000 miles on a car and indefinitely on a persons foot. Think of it. Not only will we be doing our part in keeping the planet from melting, we will save hundreds of dollars in foot wear. Here is the site that will give you step by step instructions. I will post a photo of the family once I get them done. I am too excited to continue. But I am a professional and will maintain. rrrrRRRRR uh rrrrRRRR uh rrrrRRRRRRR……..

All psyched up now thinking of recycling. Since I was looking at tire sandals I took a peek at what else we could do with tires. The outdoor furniture I have now is all rusted and needs repainting. How about if I get an old tractor tire or two I can replace that old wrought iron table. Look at how cool this set is.

This would look perfect in my back yard.

Never wears out, you can spill on it and it won’t rust. You can kick it and it won’t dent or bend. Perfect. I just need to keep the wife out of the garage for a couple of weeks.

If you need some bar stools for either the house or outdoors I think these would do. Get the neighborhood over for a barbecue and when it is time for them to leave just roll the chairs at them. Dual purpose furniture. I am liking this whole recycle thing.

Honey they can even double as a kids playground set.

And doesn’t this next chair seem like an easy build? A sheet of plywood, some dowels, glue, screws and a drill. Voila! Modern furniture for the living room. What? You think it would take craftsman skills to do this?

Just keep this in mind the next time you replace your tires.

But the coolest outdoor furniture is about to be divulged. And if my wife reads this she will know I am dead serious. Making a couch out of your lawn.

I'm thinking dandelions for a nice head rest.

A couple of years ago we had a new neighbor move in across the street. He is a nice guy and is doing his best to get the neighbors all talking to one another. God bless him. One of the things he does is sit out on his new front yard patio and wave and talk to all that walk by. It was catching so I also put in a front yard patio. We are both in the middle of the block so we catch everyone coming and going. But I think I will top him this year with my own dirt/grass couch. For all you others that find this just as exciting I will also provide you with the directions. These are courtesy of Inhabit.com

If yer tryin to figure out what to do with that pile o' dirt by the garage.

Is there more? You bet, but I can’t cover it all in one day. I have to test the shoes and table with the wife first. I love the stuff but sometimes my wife is not so understanding. Something about picking up old tires at the local garage and then having them sit around in the yard doing nothing except making nice mosquito condos. Like I have never finished a project before. I figure I will need about 16 car tires and two tractor tires to get done what I have planned and the Gas station is eager to deliver old used tires for free!!

What? Oh yeah, thanks for getting me back on track. How does goats, cats and a wedding tie in together? It just so happens that this story takes place in the Philippines. Just after Christmas (search the archives for that story) and the whole squadron is there now. A friend of mine, a young Lance Corporal that was about to be promoted had decided to marry one of the locals. Now keep in mind that we had only been there about 3 weeks but he said it was love at first site. He was so set on this he went to his girls parents house and asked their permission.

Needless to say they didn’t help by accepting his offer. So the date was set and we were invited to a party. We had tried to get him to give it some time, but he would not listen. He took her shopping to buy a ring and they were planning two weddings. One for her parents in the Philippines and one for his parents somewhere in Oregon. To here more of this tale you must read tomorrows spot.

Just keep in mind, if you need a bigger place to put all this cool material get a hold of your Homes for Heroes affiliate a let them save you money. I know I keep repeating this but it really is a free and good program. So give us a visit and see if we can’t save you some money.

See you tomorrow

Semper Fi

It’s good to be corrected, except when it is your wife.

Fridays blog had a couple of videos in it. Yes, now that I have the means and capability to embed YouTube (I assume other videos as well) I am doing so with gusto. Back to point. We had a reader point out that there were two aircraft on the video of the F16 flame out. He provided a link that described in detail the bird strike. It was not an F16 but a CT155. That is to say a training jet used by the Canadian Air Force. Here is a photo of that type of aircraft courtesy of the Canadian 1st Squadron Stingers. Cool looking aircraft, huh?

I thought the accent was off....

So the F16 was edited into the cockpit video. Why? Who knows. It caught my eye and I used it because of the cockpit scenes. The crash took place near Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. Curious how they got that name. So Homes for Heroes extends a hearty thanks To Roger for keeping things correct in the land of the internet.

What can $150 get you these days? A weeks worth of groceries? A car insurance payment? Perhaps even a monthly phone plan. What fun is that? If you are going to spend $150 shouldn’t you get something grand like a house or something? A couple in Tracy, CA are offering up their million dollar home through a raffle for $150 a ticket. I have heard of Charities raffling off cars, bikes and dates but a private party raffling off their house? The authorities at first were against such a concept. But California law does not say who can or can’t use a raffle. In Minnesota the government has that angle covered. As a local radio host here says “Minnesota, the state where nothing is allowed” Only non-profits can hold raffles. Since Homes for Heroes is a real estate program I looked up the laws here. The laws seem to be written with a hint of disgust at anybody who wants to hold a raffle. Here is the website regarding the home raffle. The tickets are on sale till June so grab a couple as gifts. Imagine giving your boss a ticket as a gift and he wins!! Or that cranky neighbor that yells at your kids for walking on his grass. I also took a look at it from Mapquest satellite view. Looks like a nice piece of property. Let me know if any of you won.

If you had the same reaction to the raffle as I did, check out this website. It has all the states raffle laws. Look up your state and maybe, just maybe, you may have another way to get your home on the market and sold.

It has been a few days so let’s get right to it. WHAT IS IT??

Gravy bowl is close but terribly wrong for reasons you will soon find out.

What could it be? Something every home needs. I will let you make the discovery yourself. My apologies, but I couldn’t let it pass. Ha! Puns are great!

Still waiting for your stories. Since I have none I will have to tell you of an era where no office or shop phone was safe. Nor were your ears. A few of us would take a big glop of silicone lubricant and put it on the ear piece of the phone. Then we would go to another phone and call the affected phone. It was funny to see peoples reactions. Especially since we tried to be anonymous. If you want to liven up any office just head to your local hardware store and pick up a container of silicone or Vaseline. My next story will contain goats, cats and a wedding.

Last night watching tv, the National Association of Realtors had a commercial speaking to when is the right time to buy a home. That time is now, ask your Homes for Hero affiliate if you don’t believe me. As prices drop people start buying, once the buying begins, inventory drops. Once the inventory starts to drop the prices go up. Don’t get caught on the upswing.

See you tomorrow and don’t make me talk about cats and goats. Get you stories to me.

Semper Fi