With the economic slowdown, it is as important as ever to make smart financial choices.  Don’t buy things you don’t need, invest time in shopping around for a good deal, and never buy something brand new if used will do (this is my dad’s favorite saying).

About two weeks ago I had a little mishap in my truck…. basically, I hit a pole.

I called around and stopped by a few body shops and the CHEAPEST quote I got was for $1800. Personally, I thought that was outrageous. Mind you, I did not notify my insurance company so I was to absorb the entire cost out of pocket.

After doing some searching online, I found a website that could send me all the parts needed for the repair, with shipping, for $390.

I am not a mechanic and literally have zero experience doing body work.  However, I tend to be pretty handy and decided to tackle the job myself:

As you can see the bumper support was bent back, so my father and I used a chain and his van to pull the support beam back to the upright position.

We finally got the bumper installed and decided to move onto the fender:

The fender did take some modification and “finessing”, but we finally got it on and installed properly.

Now obviously the fender still needs to be painted, but the quotes I have recieved for this has been around $250 bucks.   This means that the total job cost around $650 bucks, $1,100 less than the body shop wanted…. and the whole ordeal took less than 4 hours to complete.

Just goes to show that a little elbow grease and hardwork can go a long way when saving money.

It is really no big secret that I love Judge Judy.  For some reason, I find her show so captivating.  It is almost like watching a train wreck…. before it happens.   The anticipation of knowing the folks going on the show, especially the defendants, are about to get annihilated.    It’s not all fun and games though, as you can actually learn a lot from her antics!   Below are the top 5 things I have learned from Judge Judy:

I have certainly been a lot more active recently, not only rowing but also running. I am no Ted Murphy, but I would consider myself pretty athletic. Anyone can get in good shape by running or cycling….. but not everyone can be a good athlete.

So…. can athleticism be taught, or is it more genetic?

Wish I was like this guy:

One of my resolutions this year was to become more active and get in better shape. Generally speaking i am pretty athletic, I mostly just need to work on my conditioning. A new friend actually introduced me to rowing and today was my first experience:

Watching the Super Bowl the other day, I couldn’t help but to dream about what it would be like to run onto the field with millions of people watching. To know that you were about to participate in, what would probably be, the most important event of your lifetime. To exacerbate the pressure, the entire escapade to be captured by millions of roaring fans, both present and via the television.

After all of that, my thought process had a slight shift to my own life. When is my “Super Bowl”? At what point will my life/career climax? When it does…. will I have the foresight to even recognize it? Will it be as obvious as a football game? Will I only know upon reflection?

How will the choices and actions I take today impact the scale and scope of my big day?

I don’t really believe in destiny, karma, or luck. I think things happen to people based on the choices they make. Those who employ good judgment and hard work often bear the fruits of their labor. For me, it is as simple as cause and effect.

That said, I think everyone experiences that climactic moment in time. Some are bigger than others of course. Perhaps it’s the wedding day, the birth of a child, or the multi-million dollar IPO. Either way, I often catch myself dreaming about what my future holds. I know what I want out of life and where I want to be….. it’s the journey I am still trying to figure out.

Sorry for those 5 readers of you

A couple of years ago i invented a little game that is placed in lines at amusement parks to entertain guests while they are bored.

This is from a ride at Disney:

Fun Rollercoaster:

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Found a hot tub on Craigslist for $500. Negotiated the guy down to $240, took it home, rebuilt it, and now its as good as new!