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Saturday, January 30, 2010

Happy Birthday Vince


Hey Vince,
I just wanted to wish you a very special Happy Birthday. I want this to be your special day. You have made so many people laugh when they didn't feel like laughing. You have given your life over to the title "Entertainer" when you are much more than that. Besides being an excellent keyboardist, singer, writer, and performer, you have great people skills.

You are a real person, just like all of your fans. You are also a patriot, something America needs now more than ever. You have been blessed, and you give credit where credit is due.

This blog is usually about life in Oklahoma. You have played many times here in the state. I have never seen a bad performance. No matter how big or how small the crowd, you are never disappointing. You always put all you have into every show.
So today this blog is about Vince Vance, the entertainer that Oklahoma loves to see. So have a Happy Birthday from all of Oklahoma, and come back soon.


Sincerely,
Rick

Elderly without Electricity in Oklahoma


Oklahoma City residents didn't experience the power loss that was projected when the last icing took place. However, the residents in smaller communities south and southwest as well as southeast of the Oklahoma City Metro have had a lot of outages. My parents that live near Chickasha were told it might take four days before REC can restore power to their small farm home. This company is telling it's customers to relocate if they have health problems that require electricity. The backbone of Oklahoma lives in these small towns and in the country nearby. A lot of our elderly live there and have fought for our country in the years past. They are still appreciated and loved by many, and play a part in our community. There wisdom and experience are greatly appreciated and not replaceable.
I know the last time Oklahoma had a large power outage, that there were Power Companies from other states and areas that came here to get things going again.
I am finding that the Coops and independent electric companies don't play well when it comes to state wide outages. O G&E works together nation wide to support other workers when it comes to natural disasters and power outages. I would think that this would really make them popular and be really good for the corporate reputation. The are also offering walk in centers for customers to report power outages.
I don't always support large corporate companies and believe that sometimes they set standards in pricing. I do support independent companies because I think that the competition is good to have and they can promote jobs for local communities.
I believe that everyone working together is what this country is all about. Whether or not it's an independent, or a corporate business, the public welfare should be the number one priority. Lets help one another anyway we can. It's not always about competition. Damage done by ice to power lines is a non profit situation for all the companies. Your electric bill remains the same, no matter the cost to get the lines back up.
If you know of someone that lives in the outage areas, please take the time to give them a call and check on them. I'm sure they would love to hear from you.

Written by:
Rick Jackson

Friday, January 29, 2010

Snow Chains in Oklahoma City


As I got up this morning and looked outside, I was hoping for a phone call that would tell me the office was going to be closed today. As the clock ticked on by, I lost hope that the call would come.
The night before, the preparation for the wild ride had already begun. I installed the tire chains that Nancy had picked up for me. I took the back streets to downtown Oklahoma City, scooting over the ice and light snow that had accumulated the day before.

I got home today in about 28 minutes, as apposed to the 5 hours that it took Christmas Eve to reach the house from my day job. I owe all to the the snow cables/chains that we purchased prior winter mix moving into Oklahoma Wednesday night. I figured that, once was enough as far as being unprepared for bad road conditions in the OKC Metro area. I was able to comfortably stop at lights on hills, and proceed before the light turned red again.
If taken care of, I intend to keep these on hand for as long as I own the Nissan Titan that these snow cables fit. They are easy to install, and have a handy carrying case that will fit nicely behind the seat.
Hopefully, I won't be blogging about Blizzards in Oklahoma any more this year.



written by: Rick Jackson

Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Brighter side of Oklahoma

It's been three weeks since the 15" blizzard in Oklahoma City, and I believe there is only one little patch of snow left in our neighborhood. It's been a very long time thawing out due to the cold temperatures we have had in Oklahoma. 2010 is here, and it's finally warming up to around 45-50 deg. each day. The raging blizzard is already just a memory, with a few patches of snow that remind us of how plans can change.



Just like the weather in Oklahoma, the economy can change. The local businesses are starting to see some hope in customer spending, and the Oklahoma City housing market is slowly but surely picking up. With all the damage done to the streets from the ice, snow, and snowplowing, there will be more work for road crews, auto repair centers, and tire stores.
Sometimes I wonder if we have to have difficult circumstances to help our state and cities grow. I ask my self "if it were a perfect world, would I appreciate it as much if it was not for the difficult times"? I would like to think so, but I don't think it will ever be perfect enough to answer that question.
Never the less, life goes on in Oklahoma. The new Maps project has passed, and will continue to change our city into a vision that looks pretty good from the pictures. Businesses are coming to Oklahoma City to take advantage of the benefits the city continues to offer. We have some of the best hospitals in the nation, and a lot of medical professionals continue to move here.
The new Devon 51-storey premier corporate skyscraper broke ground for construction in downtown October 2009 and it is estimated to be in use by 2013.
There are exciting things happening in the Greater Oklahoma City area. The nearby smaller towns are also flourishing as well.
Sometimes we become overwhelmed with negative things that happen around us. At least that is true for me. But looking ahead, and not behind gives us a fresh start. After all, everything crumbles at sometime, but putting it together is what going forward is about.
Now that there is only one little patch of snow, I remember that I never did get all the leaves picked up. I always dislike having piles of moldy leaves to deal with in the spring time when starting to get the yard in shape for the summer. We will probably have more winter. In fact, we usually don't get snow until as late as February or March. But no matter what the weather, life in Oklahoma continues to keep us all on our toes. I'm looking forward to many exciting things this year. It's much better than being disgusted with the things that didn't turn out the way I hoped last year.
Oklahoma City, where Dreams Do Come True.

written by: Rick Jackson

Oklahoma Helps Haiti

Life in Oklahoma is really great, especially when you compare it to life in other countries. I usually post an upbeat blog on this site related to life in Oklahoma and the events and activities that I enjoy and can be experienced while living in this state.

The devastation of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake last week in Haiti got a lot of people's attention. This unfortunate act of Mother Nature, is not because the Haitians were attacking another country or trying to cause harm to anyone. As far as I know the country was not known for harboring Taliban, or any other terrorist groups. I don't know a lot about Haiti, but this blog is not about a foreign country, it's about the United States of America.

I felt compelled to write this because I know that a lot of us struggle when ever money is requested to help those less fortunate and victims of disasters.

The U.S. spends millions and trillions of dollars to send our soldiers to help and restrain other nations, but when it comes to helping those individuals not affected by war, it is often begins with our local community organizations such as our Churches.
Facebook requests for money concern me. Probably due to my paranoia because my doubts of the legitimacy of a company that offers it's services for free, offering to match and add to donations. Although many of these adds and groups may be legitimate, I suggest that if you feel compelled to help the needy, that your offerings go through a local church.
I know that the church that we attend has been sponsoring three different orphanages in Haiti. With the amount of orphans growing quickly due to the loss of life in Haiti, the demand for funds have increased. Also, by supporting your local Churches in Oklahoma, or any other state, your donations will be used in worthwhile ways for this and any forthcoming need, and not spent at will by companies or politicians.
Just consider this food for thought. No person or organization asked me to write this. I just felt compelled to make this statement. I have always wanted, and will continue to want, to help in time of need. But, I also feel like I should know something about the hand that takes the money that has been given to us. By supporting our local Churches, The Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and other organizations within our City, it will help our community as well.

I'm not putting Facebook down. This web site has quickly became a great way to communicate in the last few years. I have got in touch with a lot of my old classmates, family, coworkers, and others from the past. I have also made a lot of new friends, so don't misinterpret my intent. I'm sure there are many testimonials from others such as myself about the one of the hottest websites on the World Wide Web.


Written by: Rick Jackson
Dreams Do Come True

Friday, January 1, 2010

2010 Schedule for Oklahoma



A couple of weeks ago, when Christmas in Oklahoma came on a Friday, I started wondering about the year 2010 and what day of the week the holidays would fall on. Of course there are many special days throughout the year, but I'm talking about the holidays that many of us get off work because of them. As Oklahoma Realtors, Nancy and I know of one day that is not a holiday, but is very important to remember because it's the last day as of now, for the First Time Buyer Tax incentive. After Friday, April 30th, 2010, it will be too late to enter into a contract on a residential home to qualify for the money that has helped so many first time buyers get into their home. Of course this is was said about November 30th, 2009.
Although there I would expect another push by the National Association of Realtors for additional time, who knows what lies ahead.
Many feel that the Government has spent way too much money trying to make our economy stronger already. I will not speculate on what might happen. With the complications of the now in place incentive, it can already be confusing enough.

As Realtors, we are never guaranteed a day off, but the next paid day off for most of our friends is Memorial day. It will be Monday, May the 31st. The 4th of July will be on Sunday in 2010. Then Labor Day will be on Monday September the 6th. Columbus Day will be observed Monday, October the 11th, and Thanksgiving will be on it's normal Thursday, November the 25th. Christmas and New Years will be on Saturday this year.

That's pretty much the schedule for 2010. Of course there are many other special days, and events to remember. There is Presidents Day, Save the Eagles Day, Ben Franklin's Birthday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day,Amelia Earhart Day, National Freedom Day, 100 years of Boy Scouting Day, and Doris Day. May Day, and Pay Days. Days you wished you didn't get up and sick days. Days you though would never end, and the good old days.

And Men, don't forget Valentine's Day is Sunday, February the 14th.

Anyway, there is a quick rundown of 2010. I'm almost sure there is an Optimist Day, but didn't think I could find it on the Calendar.

We hope your dreams come true this year.

Sincerely,
Rick