Gettin’ Old

Raoul’s 2 Cents

Ramblings of My 2020

This is just a laundry list of my activities for 2020 so skip this if you are in a hurry. My intent is to see if you and I can connect in my other levels of interest. Most of you are silent subscribers so it’s a treat when I read your feedback.

INTERNATIONALLY

The new year is here. Many I’ve talked to are glad to be through with 2019 and understandably so. 2019 was a crazy year. I’m surprised nobody has really blamed the media for all the political tensions and violence — they were the ones who benefited from the scare tactics and rumor mongering. Expect an overload of that with this election year. Already I noticed some of the political Youtube videos have suddenly been labeled “restricted” — censorship, here they come. Japan will be hosting the Olympics. That should be interesting.

AT HOME

In case you are interested, here’s what’s in store for me at home.  The pet invasion is our biggest physical challenge. We now have 3 cats and a Corgi. My wife spends more time with the animals than with me. I didn’t know I married Doc. Doolittle. Oh, and our daughter will be moving back home for a while before she moves to Canada to further her studies. We will have a full house.

My wife and I will continue with our Biblical Counseling Course on Thursdays … where we believe in the premise that most of our emotional problems can be cured (not through drugs but) through a refocus on God — who He is, who We are and what is expected of us. If you know anyone needing emotional help, don’t hesitate to ask. We might also start a Bible study group in our home on Wednesday evenings. Invitation is open to all.

BUSINESS

WYNK (What You Need to Know): My marketing, graphic and web design company will continue to help with customized websites and marketing campaigns but this year, I’d like to focus more on book publishing and social media/SEO. One of my favorite clients wants me to design an original board game. That’ll be exciting.

Alpha, my residential property management business will be taking over a new condo complex. The former managers appeared to be charging the residents too much and I’m determined to bring their HOA (Home Owner’s Association) bills down. As our tag line goes: “Bring us your tired, your poor, your disgruntled HOA members and we will give them rest.”

I’d still like to continue doing live caricatures for non-profit organizations. I am one of the most prolific caricaturists in the world (I think I’ve done over 1,700 caricatures in my lifetime) but even this will one day come to an end. Dude, if you don’t have an original “Raoul,” you’re missing out.A day will come and I will do my last caricature because my hands and eyes will no longer coordinate with each other.

I’ve recently been toying with the idea of putting up a new business — producing a special vinaigrette which i concocted. If you like pork chops smothered with vinegar, this is a perfect match. It’s my wife’s favorite food. So far I am in the research and experimental stage. I’ve studied distribution and packaging but I think I might have a problem preserving the spices.

With all of these, I wonder if I will still be able to join my college chums for a week and a half road trip from the West coast to the East coast. We’ve been planning this a few years now. We want to do this before our backs give in, our teeth fall off and our memories wander into the windmills of our minds.

Mama Lou, my aunt, told me (when I was a teenager) that she noticed that I was always busy doing something. I think I am starting to believe her. Isn’t life great?!?

TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Peter Paul of S. Pasadena, CA for sharing this joke.

Don’s Puns

Sent by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Video: Cheapest Travel Rate

Art of Sierra Madre, CA shared this hard-to-believe discount country. You might want to consider this as you plan your travels this year. Can you guess where it is?

Video: This is 2020

Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA shared this very apt video to welcome the new year.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C. who shared this:

Here’s another one from Don: