Times Is Tough

Thursday August 7th, 2008 - Lake Villa, IL

Times are getting tough out here in the jungle. Lots of people I know are feeling a pinch and there’s no relief in sight. I got a call today from Steve Hall who sold me my wrestling ring years ago. He used to wrestle in the AWA and also run shows in the Milwaukee area. I was his ring announcer for years and then finally I ended up buying the whole business.

He has always been a hustler of money ideas and not in a bad way. He and a partner did the whole ‘no money down’ real estate thing for many years and actually did well with it. He said that everything the tape course said was true but it did require a lot of work too. It wasn’t a carefree money machine like the commercials suggest and he understood that.

Then he sold out of his part of the properties and played the stock market and blew it all like so many others did at that time. Never once did I hear him complain about it and that is a lot more than I could say. He took it like a big boy and didn’t let it ruin his existence.

He’s always trying some kind of multi level business or work at home project and I am amazed at his persistence. He understands the fact that he will need a retirement plan and he is not opposed to working for it. I can’t fault a guy for that and I need to do it myself.

Steve and his wife moved out to Reno because he got a job as a property manager there. He always loved Reno for whatever reason and I used to live there so I am familiar with it as well. He rolled the dice and took the job and now he tells me today his boss was an ass and he got fired after just a few months. He’s scrambling to get a job so he can survive.

That’s a feeling I can sure relate to. Reno is not near civilization and I felt all alone out there too when I lost my radio job in 1997. I didn’t know many people and I ended up out in LA because it was closer than moving back to Chicago. He’s in a tight spot right now.

Then tonight I had a dinner with my web person Shelley. She has a part time gig as one of those ‘mystery shoppers’ and we went to Buffalo Wild Wings which was her client for the night. She used to work at Godiva Chocolates but they closed her store and she’s out of a job. She’s got a husband and kids and now she’s trying to find some income as well.

She and I talked about maybe doing some Ebay sales because I’ve got a bunch of stuff to unload like sports cards and old trinkets and baubles like a James Bond Astin Martin in the box from 1966. I think I paid $100 for it and at this point I’d just like to cash it all out.

I wish I could hire her full time but I can’t. I have my own financial needs and this isn’t the time to be looking to hire anyone. I need to get paid myself and I’ll be damned if I can figure out how the whole money game works. I sure did think I’d be a zillionaire by now.

There’s still a chance though. I have some great stories to tell and those could be sold as books or movie scripts or who knows what else? A zillion in the future is great but a little now would be nice. Times are getting tight and I need to focus on my projects even more.