The Year in review.

2008 is almost over. What a year! Every year seems to be unique and different. This year turned out to be not any different from the others, that is, unique and different!

Kelly started college this year. You almost feel old when your daughter is in college, driving her own car. No, no, I don't feel old at all, on the contrary. I lost 15lbs last year and never got them back, and I'm not even looking for them. Lost and gone for good, I hope.

Our multiple trips to the Dominican Republic were replaced by multiple camping trips and bird watching. Fun! Only Andre made one trip to the DR this year, for 1 day, for business! No snorkeling, no white water rafting, no waterfalls climbing, or any of those fun activities. I just went to sign papers, take care of utility bills and transfers and ... back home. I did spend one morning on the beach in one of those cute restaurants on the beach in Cabarette, having a loooong breakfast while waiting to head to the airport. It was cool to watch people parasailing and windsurfing, but I sure wished I was doing "it" instead of watching people in the water. Gosh, the Dominican Republic can be fun!!! Best kept secret in the Caribbean! Wanna go? I'll be your guide if you pay my airfare. Deal? (Hey! Don't forget Debbie!) You'll have a blast.

2008 was the year we discover what State Parks are for. Camping and enjoying nature. We did our share of camping, not so much because we are great campers, but more because that's all we could afford. It turned out to be a lot of fun. Right now, I wish I was camping somewhere! Oh..., not really, I wish I was in the Dominican Republic right now, or Togo for that matter! I'll go back camping next spring. We've learned a lot about birds, and watched a lot of birds. We did four State Parks in one year: F.D. Roosevelt, General Coffee, Santa Rosa (in Florida), Reed Bingham. We loved them all. Santa Rosa SP at Grayton Beach wasn't really camping because we rented a cabin instead of staying in tents. It's hard to say which one was the best because the State Parks with the lousy camp sites have the greatest trails.

This year is the year we ended up on a tight budget. Business is down with sales (no one is buying, I think, and I may be wrong; I just don't have deals good enough for these times) and we are so desperate in getting tenants that we are not getting the best ones because people are breaking in the vacant, ready to move in houses especially. So we want to rent those vacant homes instead of keeping fixing them up. You've got to see this to believe it; people stealing electrical wires, copper pipes, water heaters, forget about the AC units, you've got to take those quick or they're gone prompto! Remember, we're in real estate. The economic mess we're in started with real estate. So, it seems like we got hit first. Unfortunately, it seems like we keep getting hit because we haven't hit bottom yet. When Debbie is inspired, she said we can always go live in the woods in tents. We'll love it! Really? Oh yeah! We have two tents, sometimes I seem to forget. I guess that's what she was talking about.

At least we still have a loving and comfortable home in Macon! You feel love when you come to our house. People don't know what it is, and we don't tell them, but our house is filled with love. And peace. Anyway, we don't have to go live in tents. I always have a plan, and I'm always excited about my new plans. I'm excited about all the money we're going to make next year, and pay everything off, and go buy a country home in Georgia near the Alabama border, a home where people can come play "Rook" all they want. James, you hear that! We can also drink beer and wine, and eat good food. Everybody knows Debbie is a great cook and I'll help in the kitchen. We'll have chicken roaming around, vegetable gardens, (I'll like to have rabbits!, taste good!), plenty of solar panels and windmills, living off the grid...unless we don't make all that money we plan to have, like usual. Well, if all fails, my Dad left 200 acres of land in the middle of nowhere in Africa that none of my siblings really want. I know you are reading, brothers and sisters, and I know you don't care about Atsintsin, so I'm telling you now that I'm going to set up in Atsintsin if I have nowhere else to go. Debbie and I will hunt the gazelles and the wild hogs, and build a dam on the river. I saw huge flying squirrels last December when we went check it out. I'll hunt those too. They looked like game to me! (Anything that runs in the woods is good for you. These were flying!) I'll occupy 20+ acres by the time I get set up, by the river. I'll have to be by the river so I can fish! I'll need all the land I can get for all the people who will be working for us "for food" on our farm. I've got to give them something. You can come visit. What the heck! We'll cook you gazelle meat with "koliko", "fufu", and "galifoto". (For those who don't know what those are; they're good African dishes). We'll laugh all day, and run around like kids again.

My Dad passed away last year, and Levin passed away this year. Both passed away at about the same time of the year. Both "crossing overs" were very unexpected. Guys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, if you are planning to pass away next year, listen up! Put it off till the following year, like 2010. I don't think I like these good people dying on you all of the sudden like that. If you're thinking about it, just put it off. Deal? There is really no hurry going to the other side. People like to think the grass is greener on the other side, but it's really not! Just hang around a little longer, then you can go do whatever you want. This only applies to those who are planning to pass away on me in 2009. I love you all, stick around.

Obama got elected president this year. It felt weird to me. He is going to be the first black American President!?!? I feel he is so much like me. We're born within a week from each other, same year and month. Half black, half white, from African and Caucasian decent, like me, but considered black in America. How did the black blood become dominant in determining race? I never figured that out. He is smart, dumb, and naive, like me. How can a person want to be president of the United States of America unless you're smart, dumb, and naive? Just to start off, you get old in 4 years for carrying the burden of the world problems on your shoulders for 4 years! Why would you want to do that if you're not also dumb beside being smart? Can't you figured out anything else to do if you're just smart and not naive also? Then you get into politics??? You've got to be smart and dumb. But I voted for the guy. Someone, smart enough, has to do the job of cleaning up house and getting things back in order. Heck, I like McCain until he deeply disappointed me by changing so much to please the "conservative coalition" base. So I looked back at Obama that I didn't like at first. No experience, you know. But then, I was impressed by his judgment and the people he surrounded himself with. Just to confess, and don't get mad folks, Hillary was actually my first pick. The lady impressed me right off the bat! It felt like she could get things done, then came Obama. So was 2008. Very unpredictable. That was my year, unpredictable.

This post should provoke some comments! Post some. And remember, the most interesting posts are the "old posts".

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Levin, we miss you, we love you.

We remember Levin as she passed away this past November.
We all gathered at James and Melba's house for a memorial for our sister and sister-in-law.

Everyone showed up, which was beautiful.

Levin's passing caught everyone by surprise because we were just not expecting it.

Levin is a beautiful soul. She did not care what anyone thought about what she said. She just spoke her mind. She loved nature. She grew her own garden of vegetables, a corn field, and a blueberry's patch (with Don).

Debbie and I were at Don and Levin's not long ago before she passed. We enjoyed ourselves. We were happy to see them both. Then, just like that, she was gone, a candle snuffled out in the wind. How more precarious can life be!
Elvin and Linda just got in, hugging Mama and Debbie. It's just nice that the people you don't get to see often were there for their sister, like Louis and Elvin. Can we see you more often? I enjoyed a very good conversation with Elvin. Can you come visit us sometimes? If a person scrambles Levin and Elvin's names, you'll get the same letters; and both love nature!

Martha brought some good pulled pork for the occasion which everyone enjoyed. Carey brought his "new" motorcycle "which everyone enjoyed". I rode it too. Fun! Then we rode James "new" ATV. Fun! Then Don wanted to play a Rook game. Great! I played too. Isn't he the widower? Actually, that's what Levin would have liked. "Don't be too somber about me, have some fun too". Well, we were there to honor her. Some people even watched the football game!!! Some memorial!

Levin, trust us, we love you and miss you. We had a sad memorial and a fun one too. Because you always laughed.