Linda's (from Indiana) Journal

it has been nasty and ugly out today. so much to do and REI had to take a back seat again. how do i keep up? i had to stay at my daughter's last night because my tub was refinished yesterday and the smell is overwhelming. it's better, but still not cleared out yet. tried to get all my important stuff done today, despite the rain and wind, so that i can stay home tomorrow. i do have a couple quick errands to run tomorrow, then i'm home the rest of the day. i want to do a little cooking because i've been eating terribly and i have a webinar or 2 to listen to and some REI training. i also want to send an email to an attorney/title company owner here that speaks at our REIA club regularly and has for years. we are supposed to get snow tomorrow night and into Monday, which i'm not looking forward to. still trying to get myself on a schedule, but they are putting in new floors for me within a couple weeks, so i will have to get everything ready for that. at least i shouldn't have to stay somewhere else. i hope, at least!!

well, the week is half-way over and i'm so thankful. this working for someone else is for the birds. we are treated like we're in a day care and i am an adult, thank you very much. reminds me why i want to work for myself and invest in RE. had to remind myself i'm only working for the money and that helped me calm down some. Chuck really helped me with that too and i sure appreciate it. also gave me ideas on a business i've been wanting to start for a long time. maybe that's why i'm in this situation - to get me to move forward and quit playing with the idea. but, the thoughts come to me that i'm out of my mind and no one will be interested. ever been there? what do you do when those thoughts come your way? just wanted to stop in real quick because i love it here and i don't get to stop by much anymore. tomorrow i have my REIA club meeting and will be home late. i'm so used to Saturday meetings, but i can do it!

Hang in there Linda and I hope those crappy feelings help to keep you motivated so that you can leave that JOB!!!! Me to I am right there with you. I=Tonight while on shift I called my husband and begged him to TAKE ME AWAY FROM HERE!!!! Soon I will be part time, soon I will be out of there.
Enjoy the nice weather Linda Stay strong

Just wanted to stop in and see how things are going.

Well, I am happy for you that you got a job. And I am NOT happy for you that you got a job... Guess that should cover THAT subject! Just joking! I SO get it!

I am still at my job,too. Four days a week. It is such a pain having to be somewhere during certain hours when you want to be somewhere else, doing something else! I am very lucky though. We have VERY little supervision so it is not bad if you have to have a job... And since in my job you are expected to get and make LOTS of phone calls I can actually do my RE at the same time. While "they" pay me.

Just got out another mailing today-2,000 post cards. Keep your fingers crossed for me that something good comes of it.

I am very glad that you are back in OK. I think it will be a much better choice for you. Even though it is often very difficult to "end" another phase in your life. Too often, we stay where we don't need to be just because it is familiar. Even "not so good" familiar we often prefer to the unknown.

Things are going to be good for you. Just give it time. Don't try to force yourself too quickly. Give your body (and spirit) time to adapt to your new and wonderful life. I KNOW fabulous things are coming your way!

Sending love and hugs to you, my Okie friend!

Karen

hey, girl. so glad to hear from you. thanks for the encouragement and i'm so excited that you will be going part-time soon and then gone! what great news! keep after it.

long time since we've talked. hard to catch up with people who are working jobs. i have my fingers and toes crossed for you right now. it's been good to be here with the kids, but getting back into the job world was not something i was really hoping for. but, you gotta do what you gotta do. thanks for the encouragement and i am always moving forward. thanks for your good influence. hugs and love back to you. i hope we can talk soon.

i'm not sure i am even allowed to use that phrase. yesterday was quite a day. after most everything is over, my daughter tells me the doctor thinks she has had a stroke. hard to believe at 29 years old. anyway, she did not have a stroke, but she had an atypical migraine and they can mimic strokes. he made her get off birth control ASAP because he said the only girls he's ever seen have strokes were on birth control. she is still trying to recover from yesterday, but she is better. i was upset that she didn't call me immediately; i would have left work and taken care of her and the kids. i'm the one that can get to her the quickest. i really let her know never to do that again, especially because if it had been a stroke, time is of the essence. she hates all that attention and doesn't want me to get fired, but i really don't care. i found out today that (secretly) i'm being "groomed" to take someone's place and she doesn't know it. i can't say anything and it makes me sad for her, but i pray she comes out on the good end of it when it happens. in the meantime, i'm looking elsewhere because i'm not really very happy in my current situation. last night was my REIA club meeting. we did a round table event and it was fun. we used to do them all the time and i always ran one of the tables. one of our members is a multi-millionaire, but you would never guess it. she dresses down and is very down-to-earth. just listening to her, you can tell she knows investing, but i was also told how good she is at it and i hope to get to know her better as time moves on. she hits me as one tough cookie and i would be proud to call her a friend. i had to leave early because it was getting late and i had to get myself to bed. i woke up 30 minutes late because i had muted my phone and didn't hear the alarm. my head is reeling trying to absorb all the stuff at work and all the stuff from last night. i think it's time to go relax and rest a little so i can get moving this weekend. good things are on the horizon. have a great weekend!

yesterday i spent most of the day at my daughter, Danelle's, because she is not doing well at all. supposedly she has had a bad reaction to the spinal tap they did on Thursday and she is worse than before they did it. not only that, but all the pills they gave her for nausea and pain cause nausea, including the anti-nausea pills. she called me at 6:27am and i was over there in less than an hour. i watched the kids and did my laundry over there. drinking coffee helped her perk up a little, but it wasn't enough. her son, Grayson, and i talked to her in bed and we laughed and had a good time. but, it really wears her out. today her dad took her to the emergency room for treatment. they gave her 2 bags of fluids but it didn't do much. they are going to do a blood patch on the spot where she had the spinal tap because they think it is leaking, but she has to go tomorrow because they are closed today. i hope that takes care of it. today i've been busy going through all kinds of stuff and slowly moving things to get my bathroom and kitchen floors done. i have some IN properties to check out on the MLS and i am listening to a webinar about deals. i have decided to give up my MLS access and to inactivate my IN realtor license. i don't know if i will ever move back and it's silly to pay almost $650 to keep my license and live here. if i had more going on with it, i would keep it intact, but right now that is not happening. i can always reactivate it and pay a pro-rated amount. that was a tough decision for me, but it needed to be made. i have another webinar to listen to today, if i can make it. i'm having a hard time sitting still and it's probably because i need to be making offers and getting some deals. who, me??? yes, me. i'm just in kind of a funky place, but i need to get past it. all this with my daughter doesn't help me much, but hopefully she will be well in the next few days.

So sorry to hear about Danelle. Thank goodness you are close by now or you would REALLY be going nuts. I know that has to make her feel better having you there also.

Keep us informed of her progress.

Karen

thanks for stopping in. they did a blood patch in the spot where Danelle had the spinal tap and that seems to be working. she is feeling better, just worn out from everything. apparently the tap caused some kind of leak and that patch of her own blood took care of it.

every day i am reminded why i don't care to work for someone else. i'm not able to work on REI this week because of some other things going on, but i am starting to "crave" it and that is good. i hope it gets worse and worse to the point that i have to do something about it. i can also tell you that i'm learning all kinds of stuff about owning apartments and i'm seeing things from the tenant's point of view. i choose to see all this as working toward my goal of being a full-time REI. maybe i needed a few reminders to get a whole lot more serious. now to get to the point where i won't let anybody or anything get in my way. i know i can do it!

Hi Linda ,
The Success Academy is awesome. I went through the program myself. Keep a positive attitude and contact them when you have a question.
Success to you and all.
John Wakefield

thanks for stopping by. i joined the Academy a couple years ago and had a great coach. i am hanging in there, despite all the setbacks. i have enjoyed watching you with Dean on the EDGE 2011 DVD. you've done a great job!

i asked Jared what was on his agenda for today. he told me he couldn't say, but that it was good. we're hoping he flew to headquarters today, which would mean he's ready to head to the States. he was one of the few left behind until the last minute. anyway, we hope to see him in a few weeks. i'm not sure why, but i've had a couple people congratulate me on joining the SA, but i joined almost 2 years ago. not sure what is happening, but it's nice to hear from them. i finally bought a new laptop. this one is okay, but i'm out of memory. i got a really good deal on a quad-core Gateway laptop with 4GB of memory and it only weighs 5.7 lbs. i got a great deal on it and now to get a desktop because i really could use that one. tomorrow my floors are supposed to be replaced, so my apartment is a mess because of all the stuff i've had to move. i want to get it put back as quickly as possible so i can get back to "work" on REI. i may be able to get a good deal on some mobile home information; we'll see how it turns out tomorrow.

it was beautiful today and i'm thankful for that since i had a lot of running around to do. my floors in my apartment were replaced and they left me a huge mess. my place is filthy because they had to pull up 3 layers of flooring and the sub-floor. they also had to repair under the sub-floor, then replace the sub-floor and put down the new floors. some things happened that really upset me and it looks like someone has been in my apartment during the day when i'm gone. my locks are supposed to be changed Monday and they were going to do it Friday, but i couldn't get back to them in time. we are going to discuss reducing my rent if i stay here. more interesting experiences regarding owning multi-family real estate. my guess is that the locks were not changed when i moved in, which they should have been. i will ask and see what i'm told. they really are trying to accommodate me and i am trying to work with them. as for work, it's hard to work full-time and fit in REI. i'm trying to figure out how i can do this all and still stay healthy. that is a big concern for me because i'm doing more than i ever have before, and i can't be careless about it. i like the work at this job, but i do not like the company. they really treat people poorly and could care less about their employees. my neighbor downstairs recommended that i apply to the company she works for and i'll be doing that. the owner of Danelle's company used to own the company i am working for. several people at my company know my daughter and one came up to me yesterday and recognized her in a photo at my desk. he went on and on about her being the sweetest girl. come to find out, he has a son who is a loner and rather strange. at a Christmas party a few years back, Danelle made it a point to sit by him and be nice to him. i guess it must have meant a lot to the son and his dad. i'm really proud of her. Jared is at an Air Force base in Afghanistan waiting to fly out. it will take days for him to arrive in the states, once he is in flight, but at least we know he's basically on his way. we're all excited. we should see him in January, we hope. i'm so ready to get an REI deal and this is a big mobile home area, so who knows what i might find. i'm still in the process of going inactive in IN as a realtor and can only do that for one year. i'll be making a decision in the next few months about whether i will ever move back to Fort Wayne or not, so the year should be plenty of time. hope everyone is having a great weekend.

i just got my apartment pretty well set up, except for the spare bathroom, and now i'm doing it all over again. i hope this is the last time. i am putting my kitchen, laundry room and dining room back together, slowly but surely. everything is so filthy from the new floors being put in and hopefully the apartment complex is going to help with the cost and the cleaning. i even have to wipe down the walls. just finished watching a video on a mobile home that was taken back by the investor and she did a video of before and after she fixed it back up. it looks really nice and will make someone a nice home. having to redo my apartment is a real set back for me, but it's better than moving again right now. hard to believe Christmas is only one week away. i'm never ready anymore. i pray for a good end to 2011 and a great 2012 all the way. i hope you all have the same.

i just ordered a new desktop computer. the one i have is 6 years old and just about shot. it has hung in there with me, but i need something better at this point. once i get it, probably by mid-January, i will be able to work much faster and easier, plus download whatever i need to work better and faster. i can't wait to experience the difference! now if it would just make deals for me and spit out money......

work has been interesting but a little slow and it's been nice for me. i got to tell a co-worker that i am an investor and what i do. a first for a while. made me feel good, yet i feel kind of weird saying that. i'm looking forward to what i can make happen in 2012. right now i am concentrating on having a great holiday with my kids and grandkids. we think Jared has probably left Afghanistan and is making his way slowly back to the states. can't wait to hear from him!

It's been a while, just stopping by to say hi!

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

what a nice surprise. thanks for the Christmas wishes. I wish the same for you and your family. how are things going? i saw a new post you made about working Dean's new book. sounds exciting. it'll be interesting to follow your progress.

i received my new desk top computer Christmas Eve. i was very surprised to get a Saturday delivery but i sure was excited. today i tried to set it up and it doesn't even work. i was so upset and i was on the phone 3 hours trying to get it rectified. it has to be returned because it's not recognizing the hard drive. i love hp printers but now i'm not sure about their computers. Fed Ex is supposed to pick this one up when i get home from work tomorrow and i should have another brand new one within 3 weeks. if that one doesn't work out, i will not ever buy another hp computer and will get a refund. what a disappointment to receive a brand new, top of the line computer that was put together with shoddy workmanship. i have never had to return a computer before and i hope i never have to again. i was so excited to start the new year with a new desktop and be able to do pretty much whatever i wanted to on it, but now i will have to wait. my old one is hanging in there and i had to set it back up again. what a way to end my 3 1/2 days off. i hope everyone had a much better holiday with their expectations met.

Oh my goodness! (In response to the mess they made of your apt) You JUST got set up! Now you are having to do it all AGAIN! UGH!

I so understand what you are talking about with trying to work and do RE. But we are tough and we will do whatever we have to do. My doctor gave me a note last yr when I had my knee replaced to only work four days a week. It is surprising how much difference that one day makes.

Today I went back to work (most everyone else was off for the holiday, which means we were extremely busy). I was so tired being there after the crazily busy socializing over Christmas. Thank goodness, I am off tomorrow (Tues) and I am planning on sleeping. (We will believe it when we see it tho)

Some things are starting to move a little. It must be because you are crossing your fingers for me. Thanks.

yeah, i did it all over again. still have some to do, but it's much better now. glad to hear some things are starting to happen for you. you deserve it. i hope that things settle down after the first of the year so i can be more focused. hopefully we will get to talk one of these days too.

Fed Ex came by to pick up my computer yesterday and hp did not set it up right so the guy left without my computer. another phone call for 30 minutes. tonight the same Fed Ex guy came by and things were done right and he took my computer. thank goodness. unfortunately, i won't have my new replacement until after January 24th. at least i have this great Gateway laptop. hopefully after the new year i can be more focused and get some kind of routine down. i keep getting switched around at work and my hours change, etc. plus, i've had some other things going on that have taken up alot of time. i'm working on getting those things out of the way and taken care of so i can concentrate on what i want to. i did get a $350 rent credit for all the stuff i've been through with my apartment. things are working out, even if it's challenging getting there. i hope we all have a great 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!! it's so hard to believe 2012 is here. what can each of us do to make it our best year ever?

i finally have my desktop and laptop computers set up. i transferred files to the new computers, but it didn't transfer my bookmarks. i'm not sure how to fix that, but it's ok to start new again. now i can work smarter and faster with computers that work and i don't have to pray the entire time i'm using them that they won't shut down on me and never come back up again. i am starting to get the itch for REI again, but with so much going on it's hard to get there. Jared will be here in 10 days and so between work and his visit, i will be very busy. i have made arrangements to take 2 4-day weekends during his visit. somehow i need to find a way to work it all in.....if i just didn't need to sleep or eat!

i have a stomach virus and it is taking forever to get rid of it. i did make it to work today and made it all day. we had a meeting and they talked about the move to Dallas. i will not be moving and this is just a temp position for me. i'm working on other ways to bring in income and that includes REI. we are supposed to have a little snow tonight and it's supposed to drop from 60 degrees down into the 20's. i think the temperature is dropping quickly and i'm feeling it. we may have a few flurries but it's been too warm for it to stick.

well, i have had my challenges lately. maybe one of these days i will learn how to handle them better. i'm very fortunate that the stomach virus did not hit me as hard as it has others and i'm doing better. i missed 2 days of work and came back to quite interesting things at the job. each day is more interesting and more revealing than the last. i went to my REIA club meeting on Thursday evening. i really didn't want to go; i was so tired and bored, yet it was good that i went. i had intended to be totally quiet and not say too much, but that didn't work out too well. a realtor just came up to me and starting talking, then a couple other guys got involved too. we talked about investing and they are all new. well, that got me started......the meeting was on goals, Tulsa's RE and finding your niche. we have not been hit as hard here by the economy and we have a 1-3% appreciation still going on in this area. the realtor that spoke told us that she has contacts in CA that are buying properties in bulk here and then selling them individually. they do not list with her, but she must help them somehow and she will give the information to anyone who wants it. she called them "hip pocket listings". the realtor that i spoke to before the meeting had asked for my card and i gave it to him. he emailed me Friday and said he would help me in any way that he can. i answered back that i may need that help after Jared goes back to Fort Knox. he might be willing to be the realtor that helps me work Dean's system in his new book and the RBBP system. he's wanting to start investing because he has access to such great deals and he knows that i'm very knowledgeable, so maybe we can work something out. i'll be working on that while Jared is here and see what i decide to do. my new desktop computer wouldn't work this morning when i tried to turn it on. i hadn't had any problems with it, then all of a sudden it won't work. i called the help desk and immediately they wanted me to tear the computer down and i refused. i really had to get myself under control. i got settled down and kept talking to my computer and releasing; i just didn't feel that it was over between this computer and me. well, i changed plugs and now it is working and i'm typing this on it. i hope that takes care of it for good. everything else was working that was in that outlet, but not the computer. AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH! i hope to be able to work REI magic on this thing and i need it to work all the time and work right!! have a great Sunday!

Its been quite a long time since I've been here and had to catch up with your journal. I'm sorry to hear you had to get a J O B. I'm interested in buying in Tulsa as well and would love to build a team there to do some rehabbing. I hope things get better and your REI takes off so you can quit that J O B!

Just stopping by to say Hi.
That's interesting about the agent in CA with clients buying up properties in IN.
I know someone who bought 3 properties in Indiana for a total of $2600. That's twenty six hundred dollars!
Yes they need fixing up. Yes there is profit to be made.

Hey I wish you the best.

Michael B