Until your good name is besmirched. Homes for Heroes in the past has taken people leveraging our brand as flattery. We often ask if they would like to continue to use our good name by joining forces with us, and if they do not want to we are okay with that decision also. But recently something came up that does need to be addressed. We will let the Morris Daily Herald explain it.
Illinois allegation hurts ‘real’ Heroes
Minneapolis, Minn–When Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan took enforcement action against the Minooka, Ill.-based Homes for Heroes Inc., says Brad Oosterhuis, it was not a reflection on the “real” Home for Heroes.
“Our organization has been serving heroes continuously since 2002, and we have a serious concern that the publication of the charge against the Homes for Heroes company in Illinois could seriously tarnish our good name,” said Oosterhuis, executive director of Home for Heroes, in a recent e-mail.
Since the founding of Homes for Heroes, a press release from the Minnesota-based organization notes, many organizations have tried to duplicate the Homes for Heroes model and have illegally used the trademarked name. The widespread recognition of the Homes for Heroes name across the nation has caused many groups to attempt to leverage this successful brand to their advantage.
“While Homes for Heroes encourages all companies to support our heroes, it is illegal for them to use the Homes for Heroes trademarked name,” said Ruth Johnson, president of Homes for Heroes. “It is especially disturbing when these organizations are providing false claims and tarnishing the good name and work that Homes for Heroes is doing.”
In an effort to advance its cause and protect its name, Home for Heroes, which is now in its seventh year of operation, recently created the Homes for Heroes Foundation.
Due to its highly recognized name and brand nationally, the press release notes, Homes for Heroes became inundated with calls that were predominantly from severely wounded military personnel asking for assistance.
“These requests went far beyond the scope of our business model and ability to help,” Johnson said. The shareholders of Homes for Heroes saw a need for a charitable organization that would have a similar vision to its own. After much thought and the desire to help, they formed the Homes for Heroes Foundation.
The foundation will endeavor to provide or coordinate financial assistance to the heroes of our nation, such as military, police officers, firefighters and first responders who are in need.
Meanwhile, with the busy spring housing market well under way, Homes for Heroes affiliates will continue to “give back” by providing significant savings to its local heroes, particularly military personnel, police officers, firefighters, teachers, health care workers and others who serve our country and communities everyday.
If you would like more information about the Homes for Heroes, please call Ruth Johnson at (866) 443-7637 or log onto www.homesforheroes.com or www.homesforheroesfoundation.org.
In her enforcement action against the Minooka-based company using the Homes for Heroes name, Attorney General Lisa Madigan alleged the company and its owner, Patrick Gleason of Minooka, conducted a fraudulent charitable solicitation campaign and engaged in deceptive practices by falsely representing the local Homes for Heroes is “a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.”
Gleason has gone on record calling the IAG’s action “absurd.”
“This is absurd,” he said. We filed for our corporation and status a long time ago. The IRS asked us to put it on good paper, not wallpaper. It was done, it was all signed and sent in again. So, they’re trying to smear our names with improprieties …”
Have you ever been sitting in the office, amongst the acres of cubicles, and hear some one laughing? I did the other day at Homes for Heroes. What is it about us humans that has to find out what the laughing is about? If I had heard just normal talking I would not have given it a second thought. So I get up and hunt down the source of the laughing. I see my boss and my other boss standing by the water cooler having a chat. I ask them what was so funny. They looked at me and said nothing.
Being a Ninja prepares you for these moments. That awkward silence is easily handled. I let my eyes fill up with tears and ran away. Later I regrouped and did some stealthy sniffing around to find out what had them chuckling like old busy bodies. I was successful and I will share that information with you now.
A Police Officer was out patrolling one fine afternoon and witnessed a young driver that had just rolled through a stop sign. The Officer proceeded to pull him over and when he approached the vehicle he asks the young driver why he was pulled over.
“I don’t know.”
“Young man, you did not come to a complete stop at that stop sign.”
“I did too!”
“No, you did what we call a roll through. You slowed down but did not stop.
“Yeah, well what’s the big deal, slowing down is the same thing.”
“Please step out of the car, sir.”
As soon as the young kid gets out of the car, the Police Officer pulls out his baton and starts to mercilessly beat the snot out of him. As the kid is falling to the ground in agony the Police Officer asks him.
“Should I stop or just slow down?”
An interesting perspective. The next tidbit is just as telling. Read on you won’t be disappointed.
An elderly couple had just retired and were looking forward to a lot of travel and relaxation. They decided that with the new life style change they should see the doctor for a physical check up. They made their appointments and showed up at the set date. After the check up the doctor came in to give them the results.
“Well folks, you guys are both physically fit and really have nothing that I see to be alarmed about. Enjoy your retirement. However, your memory is not as it used to be and that is normal. I suggest that the two of you carry around a small notepad and pencil and jot what you are going to do so you won’t forget.”
That same evening the two were watching television. The husband decides it is time to have a beer and gets up to go get it.
“Hon, I am going to get myself a beer, is there anything I can get you?”
“Oh, thank you. I think I would like a bowl of ice cream.”
“Sure thing, dear.” He starts towards the kitchen.
“Honey, don’t you think you should write that down like the doctor told us?”
“Naw, it’s just a bowl of ice cream and a beer. I think I can handle that.”
“Vanilla ice cream.”
Okay, one bowl of vanilla ice cream and a beer.”
“Well I would like strawberry topping on it too.”
“Hmm, one bowl of vanilla ice cream with strawberry topping and a beer. Easy.”
“And don’t forget the whipped cream!”
“Is there anything else?”
“No. Thank you dear.”
“A bowl of vanilla ice cream with strawberry topping and whip cream and for myself a nice cold beer. You see nothing to worry about.”
The husband heads off to the kitchen and is gone for a half an hour. When he returns he sits down in his chair with a plate of scrambled eggs and a cup of orange juice.
As he starts to eat, the wife gives him a disgusted look and says to him.
Homes for Heroes is always pursuing ways to save our Heroes money. I have a good example of that below. Read on and save some money.
Today sitting in the Homes for Heroes office, as I often do, I was looking out the window, as I often do, wondering, as I often do, what could I do to get out of the office and into the blustery outdoors. My boss usually wants me to work but a Ninja must spend time with nature to keep his skills finely tuned. The drone of keyboards clacking and people talking on the phone can keep a Ninjas mind from remaining focused on the task at hand. That task at hand was figuring a way out for some simple Ninja exercises.
Ninjas do their best work outdoors.
I had tried everything from Ninja hypnosis to ancient Ninja mind control powders. Nothing was working, each attempt to get my boss to drink a fresh cup of coffee or a bottle of water was met with a “I have my own, thank you.” I resigned myself to indoor exercises. I started to focus on various people in the office, listening to what they say, blocking out all other intrusions. This was working until one young lady put down the phone and started to frantically hack away at her keyboard. This intrigued me and I wandered over to see what was up.
Before I even reached her desk, Kacy was telling me that Florida has some great first time buyer programs. Now this was weird. Normally I move through the office so quietly now one knows I have moved until I am at their desk. But it was soon forgotten as to how Kacy knew I was there, she was pulling up some very good information on some of Florida’s housing assistance programs.
Florida Housing’s First Time Homebuyer Program provides a continuous stream of lending throughout the year for eligible first-time homebuyers. If you’re not a first-time home buyer, you may still be eligible if you’re purchasing a home in one of 13 GO Zone counties that include Brevard, Broward, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie.
Here are some of the program highlights. She was scanning so fast it was hard to keep up. When she is on the trail of savings, all I can say is, step back and let her get you those savings.
The program offers low-interest 30 and 40 year fixed-rate loans, down payment and closing costs assistance as well as access to credit counseling.
Teachers, firefighters, health-care workers, police officers, as well as active duty and veteran military personnel could be eligible for lower interest rates.
These savings from Florida as well as the Homes for Heroes savings can pile up to a whole lot of dough. Now I gave you a quick run down, Kacy will know a lot more. You can get a hold of her by calling 1-866 4-heroes orrrrrr send her a message through the Homes for Heroes website. Either way you will save some money and get some good deals on buying that home of yours.
Picture this. You are walking down the streets in Bryan-College Station TX. There is not a cloud in the sky and the temperature is just cool enough as to keep the perspiration at bay. As you walk into your bank to turn in your change jar for the families vacation fund you happen to notice a young lady with her two small girls talking to a Police Officer.
The Police Officer is describing something to the young woman. The animated hand gestures and the attentiveness of the young woman gives you pause. What is going on, you think. Is it a warning about a crime spree or something more nefarious? You steer your way closer in hopes to catch a snippet of what is being discussed. If what you hear is alarming you can step in and find out more. As you near the group you hear something about Homes for Heroes and witness the Police Officer accepting a business card from the young woman and her two small girls. Puzzled but not alarmed you continue to the counter and ask the teller to please deposit your change into your vacation account.
The teller takes your jar and heads to the back of the bank and dumps the jar into the change sorting machine. A couple of minutes later she returns the jar and several pesos from your last vacation that were rejected by the machine. You look at the amount and start to wonder if it is worth lugging 10 pound jars around for 10 bucks of change. You give no other thought to the Police Officer and the young woman. You head out to the street and start thinking about what should be placed upon the barbecue for dinner.
What this person failed to see, was that Homes for Heroes had just captured another Realtor. Let us introduce you to Dawn Thompson of Bryan-College Station, Texas.
Dawn Thompson
Dawn Thompson did what any good Realtor would do, she overheard the Police Officer talking about finding a home and promptly handed over her business card. Little did she know that by the days end she would be part of the Homes for Heroes team.
Speaking to Dawn about that day, she told us. “As I was walking out the door, the Police Officer called to me and asked me if I would help her and if I had heard of Homes for Heroes. I got her number and told her I would check into it. By the end of the day, we were searching for her home. The more I found out about Homes for Heroes, the more I wanted to be a part of it! Wow! What a great way to say “thank you” to those who, many times, lay their life on the line to serve & protect our communities, our cities, our states, and our country! It is not a widely known program here, but I want all of the police officers, fire fighters, teachers, etc. to know of this program and it’s benefits. After several years of real estate, I still had not decided on a niche market.. My heart was not set any where particular. But Homes for Heroes has captured me, and I look forward to giving something back to those who dedicate their lives to help, serve, and protect us.”
Dawn has been a Realtor for over 5 years now and has lived in the Bryan-College Station area for the last 15 years. The two young assistants that were with her on that fateful day at the bank are also her daughters, Miranda (10) and Kyla (2). They assist her quite often and many of her clients have become great friends with them. Dawn is a web savvy Realtor that maximizes technology to make your real estate transaction not only simple but very rewarding.
So if you live in the Bryan-College Station area and want a Realtor that will get to know you and what kind of home you are looking for, then deliver. Dawn Thompson is who you are looking for. You can reach Dawn at the Homes for Heroes website.
For you Homes for Heroes affiliates in the Twin Cities area pay attention. There is some serious coinage being thrown around by Minneapolis and St. Paul first time home buyers. A federal program called Take Credit is providing $8 million in federal tax credits. First time home buyers need to purchase a home in Minneapolis or St. Paul before December 1 in order to get an $8,000 tax deduction. According to the article only 130 first time buyers will be able to take advantage of this program. To get the details on the Take Credit program do the obligatory click here and read more.
To sweeten the pot and make it more interesting, the City of St. Paul’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority has just voted on a first time home buyers program. They are putting up $500,000 for 33 first time “Hero” home buyers that want to live in St. Paul. Veterans, Police, Firefighters etc. will be able to get up to $15,000 in a zero percent loan to use towards down pay or principal reduction. In fact, no payments are necessary until you sell the home or no longer use it as a primary residence. Even bigger news is that if the buyer lives in the home for 10 years the loan will be retired.
Spread the word, the tax credits and the 33 loans will not last long. This HRA program combined with the benefits of the Homes for Heroes program will surely make home ownership for our heroes an easier reality. This program will launch later this month, so get moving and get some heroes into homes.
And Art does not appreciate copy cats. Gufaw, Gufaw! Couldn’t resist. Ninja’s find humor in most things not associated with the way of the Ninja.
Yesterday at Homes for Heroes I was practicing the ninja art of not moving. This ancient technique is very similar to the resting stone. If you sit still long enough people stop seeing you. Anyway I was disturbed by someone laughing out loud. It really wasn’t a laugh, more of a snort. I break my training and swiftly place myself behind the snorting colleague. The result was immediate. She had stopped snorting/laughing, rolled her eyes and clicked the replay button of what had caused her outburst. Ninja’s are very effective at non-verbal communications.
There on her console was a video of a Police Officer that had committed a crime. There is nothing funny about crime fighters participating in crime. Yet as the story unfolded I found relief to know that Mrs. Justice ensured the scales would remain balanced.
This brought back a memory of a comedy skit done on a late night television show. The skit is funny but I am not sure which is funnier. Real life or this skit below.
I have watched both about 60 times and giggle at both each time. But in the end I think real life triumphs as being more funny. Who agrees? Let me know.
Questioning what is funny. How many of you are familiar with the term “British Humor”? This next story is a good example of that. If this had happened here in the United States I think there would be a large amount of hollerin and yellin. But for you out there with a dark British sense of humor, this should give you a laugh.
Yesterday I hinted at some strife taking place between me and one of my offspring. Let me just put it out there for all to see. My eldest possesses 24 years on this planet and he and his lovely wife are expecting their first carbon dioxide producing human. This is a great joy and blessing to our family and especially to me. For I am Ninja.
It has been a long tradition that a Ninja cannot train his offspring in the ways of Ninja. It is for the safety of the family. So my son was trained as a pirate. He is a good pirate, however, grandchildren are perfect candidates to learn the ways of the Ninja.
I expressed this point to my son fully expecting him to be honored that I would train his child in the ways of the Ninja. His reaction is the source of my strife. He told me that his child would be taught the life of a pirate.
I am providing a couple of videos in hopes of persuading my son and his wife that being a Ninja is a much better life than that of a pirate. You watch and decide. This decision must be made before the blessed child arrives. There is to be no time wasted in the ways of the Ninja.
This first video shows one of the first things a Ninja must learn. That your legs are your ally.
It is also important to train ones muscles in the fluid and graceful ways of Ninja.
Both of these I am sure have convinced you readers that this new creature must be taught the way of the Ninja. I will keep you updated as time goes on.
Unfortunately California is one of the states that is feeling the housing crunch the hardest. We at Homes for Heroes are aware of this and have a new member who will ensure that our heroes will get the savings and professional service they deserve.
Homes for Heroes would like to introduce to you our most recent affiliate in California who will be able to guide you through your real estate transaction with a high level of professionalism and experience. Tom Hicks became aware of us through a client of his that had been using one of our affiliate mortgage brokers. Tom contacted us and after learning about our program, immediately became a member.
Tom Hicks
Tom Hicks has been a Realtor in Southern California for over 10 years. He is currently working on his Broker’s license and will receive it within the next couple of months. Serving the northern San Diego County and southern Riverside County regions where he has lived in both areas combined for over 20 years. Beginning his business career with IBM working as a Field Engineer, bringing him to a management position with a competing firm, he started his own office equipment servicing company and operated it for 8 years. After selling his firm, he entered the technical sales field as a Regional Sale Representative for an engineering firm selling solid waste landfill gas system products. His highly conservative personality and technical background have served him well when interacting with clients, solving problems, taking care of details and maintaining a high level of integrity throughout the real estate process. For Tom Hicks the client always comes first.
We think Tom says it best himself. “I joined the Homes for Heroes because I have worked with heroes before, especially teachers, police and military and I enjoy giving back to those who have sacrificed so much. I understand their needs and they always appreciate the dedication and hard work I give to preserving and protecting their financial interests.”
So we come back to the beginning. Are you sure you are you are looking for savings in all the right places? Homes for Heroes program is a good place to start saving money. We are happy to welcome him aboard. Contact us at our website if you would like to use our program or work with Tom.
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………..
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
.
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.
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 Heroesoffice 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.
Until your good name is besmirched. Homes for Heroes in the past has taken people leveraging our brand as flattery. We often ask if they would like to continue to use our good name by joining forces with us, and if they do not want to we are okay with that decision also. But recently something came up that does need to be addressed. We will let the Morris Daily Herald explain it. 
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A Police Officer was out patrolling one fine afternoon and witnessed a young driver that had just rolled through a stop sign. The Officer proceeded to pull him over and when he approached the vehicle he asks the young driver why he was pulled over.
An elderly couple had just retired and were looking forward to a lot of travel and relaxation. They decided that with the new life style change they should see the doctor for a physical check up. They made their appointments and showed up at the set date. After the check up the doctor came in to give them the results.
Posted by homesforheroes 
Posted by homesforheroes 
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.
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.)
