So, I made a new web page on the site this fine evening, and I completed it to a point where I am happy. I did it all in one sitting! I never complete anything I start, as most who know me know. After a lot of fun today though, I had to make The Adventures of Jimmy!

Go check it out, it's fun!

Okay, so it's not really a toy. I acquired this 1994 GMC Jimmy from my dad for free. Basically, I think my parents wanted it out of the yard. It had unknown electrical problems, so it was up to me to get it running. My first thought from the symptoms was that the alternator was shot. I took it off, and I soon realized that it was completely froze up. I got a new one last week, and installed it. Phill and I got the thing started pretty easily after that was replaced, though it had to be jump started because the battery was dead. The funny thing was how the digital instrument panel was freaking out. Check out what it showed on the odometer!


Once I got a new battery for it, the electrical system was more stable and the odometer started reading the proper 170,047 miles. Once running, we noticed that when we opened the hood, we were getting splattered in the face with transmission fluid.
After bitching about not wanting to replace the weather-cracked transmission oil lines to the radiator, Phill came up with the bright idea to just get an auxillary transmission cooler and using it instead of the radiator for cooling the transmission fluid. This worked well, and cost only slightly more for tons less dicking around with it.

All in all, I think I got a good deal:

1994 GMC Jimmy:$ 0.00
Alternator: 100.00
Battery: 70.00
Trans Cooler: 50.00

Grand Total: $220.00

I missed out plates and insurance... Insurance was like $17 for the next 20 days, and plates and title fees were 98 dollars, which I reluctantly paid. I just have to remember that only a few trips to work will totally pay for this in the money I will save in gasoline costs.

I am so tempted to just play with it off road until it is dead. I managed to raise the front suspension about 4 inches in the front by adjustment only, and to raise the rear, I got a $13.00 kit from Autozone. We tried to put it on a couple hours ago, but the old bolts are so rusted on that we can't install the new kit. We went to Jenison a bit ago and gave the suspension a good beating after oiling it up in order to try to loosen up the stuck parts. I guess we'll see how that worked tomorrow. If we can get that lift on the back, I will be happy. I'll post more later when there's more progress.

So today is my sister's wedding. Yesterday evening was the wedding rehearsal, so I had to be there because I'm one of those dudes in the wedding. I wasn't feeling good after I got out of work at about noon. I went to lunch with Phill and Kim, and I really couldn't eat much. I was feeling pretty sick... I thought it was because I was sleep deprived, so I went home to take a nap. I only had two hours to sleep before I had to get up to go to the wedding rehearsal. I got up, and I felt worse. I had diarrhea, and felt pretty weak. I decided to take my temperature, because I was freezing. I got a reading of just over 101 degrees... I still had to get to Grand Haven for the wedding rehearsal. I thought I was going to die... After the rehearsal, Nick's parents took us all to dinner, but I didn't go, because I was feeling so sick. I went back to my parents' house and slept. I woke up at about 10:30 with diarrhea, and my stomach felt horrible. Eventually, I threw up. After that, I thought my fever broke, because I was sweating. I talked to Amanda and Nick for a few minutes, because they were the only ones there at my parents' house at the time, and I went back to bed. Then my parents came home. I told my mom what happened, and then I went back to sleep. This morning I woke up feeling a bit better... I haven't puked today, and I ate some soup. So here I am. The wedding is in a fe w hours, and hopefully I'll be okay. I wonder if Alicia is coming.

I know that houses can be had on the cheap in Muskegon Heights. I knew this for a long time. Last night I went on swmric.com, a local MLS web site which has listings from all area MLS agencies. This is where I did the majority of my house hunting. I typed in a search for all properties priced from $1,000 to $20,000 just to see the result. Right around the $15,000 range I found quite a lot of small houses built in the 1930s up for sale. A couple of them had tenants paying $350 per month!

I've always wanted to own rental properties and go into business for myself as a landlord/real estate investor. Searching the internet, I have found quite a cache of information on doing this, and how to do it right. The Landlord Protection Agency is an example.
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This Ghetto Property Could Be Yours for only $10,000.00!

This 725 sq. ft. house in Muskegon Heights currently rents for $325/mo according to the listing.
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My problem in getting started though, has been twofold.

First, I felt I lacked the ability to slowly transition into building a business able to sustain my own survival. I was working many hours at an absolutely full time job, with no possibility of being able to cut hours. Now that I am a truck driver, I am able at any time to call up my driver relations representative, and say, "Hey Joel, This is Mike Schmalz. I've started a business recently, and I'm going to have to drop to part time so I can have more time to focus on my business. I want to start working four days a week starting next month." They wouldn't like it, but they would oblige. Many of the drivers work four days a week. Some of them work three or less, and a few only drive once a month or so when they're bored. I could cut my hours entirely as I see fit, and slowly phase out the truck driving if the whole property management thing starts to take off. I could essentially retire before I hit 30 if I'm ambitious enough. Don't get me wrong, everyone's definition of the word "retire" is different, so here is mine: For me to retire would be to have a leisurely or sporadic work schedule. I would have the ability to take off to Tennessee essentially whenever I felt like it, and the only work I would have to do would be maintenance on my properties, and dealing with financials and legal situations with problem tenants.

My other problem is this: I have been having enough fun paying my own bills, let alone diving in to get another house. I have dug myself into quite a large pit of bills and big time credit screw-ups in the last few years. Lately I have been working hard to get rid of my debts so I will not be so tied down to the man. In the next few months, I should be nearly free of credit card debt, leaving me with a few larger obligations to contend with.

Dealing with those other debts probably means liquidating some of my assets, such as my SeaDoo and quite possibly my now beat up, old pickup truck I once said I would never sell. Once I deal with some or all of these issues though, I will easily be able to come up with money to start purchasing real estate. many of those listings said that they would consider a purchase via land contract. This would be great, because then I wouldn't have to deal with a lender right away, if at all since these properties are so cheap, I could almost buy them outright with cash, and if I did need a loan, I could apply for it after I've acquired a tenant, so I could say, "Here is my lease contract for the property. My tenant will be paying this payment for me."

Okay, I could go on and on about this, so maybe I should put my money where my mouth is. I think this time I will. I have a more structured plan than I ever have. This is what I get for sitting alone in a semi truck for sixteen waking hours per day.

Holy crap....

Today, I went to the preschool where I was to pick up my roomate's 5 year old kid, and as I was standing in the hallway, I encountered more MILFs than I ever have in my life. I know, that sounds bad, but hey... I guess that a lot of hot chicks about my age made babies 4-5 years ago, LOL

Anyway... I felt kinda weird going to get her, because the good looking teacher chick asked me for my ID after I told her that I was there to pick up Katie. She took a look at it, then relinquished Katie after verifying who I was.

Then we came home, and I decided to make a couple of recordings of Katie. I'll probably edit them and burn it on a CD for mom to use ten years from now to embarass Katie. I'll attach a few little clips to this post. We played Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix on the Game Cube, and then I had to suffer through some my little pony DVD, though I did get a reprieve by going into the kitchen and making her some lunch. I was also stuck watching about a half hour of a pegasus barbie DVD. I got her to sing a little for the mic. Now she's occupying herself on Barbie.com and mylittlepony.com.

Now I have to go to work soon. Boy am I tired.

Katie and me... the first recording:

Here's more of me and Katie:



I also recorded some ambient sounds from outside my window in stereo earlier today... play that here... it sounds best with headphones.