Health, Wealth and Happiness

baby wants to jetski       She MAY actually want A jetski.  She mentions it, under her breath sometimes, then out loud during certain moods.  She has this picture.  When she was about 15, they had jetskis (two of them) lined up outside the house.  As you may have figured out, they lived on the water…….in Hawaii.

She has expensive dreams.  But that’s good.  Got to have a why.  You want to know the other one?

Baby wants a BMW 3 series.  Red, with a little blueish in it.  Or Metallic Gray, or Silver.  (Not purple, not maroon.)  I want her to have one.  I could see myself in a new car, but I don’t have a clear picture yet.  No car for Ricky!  She can’t either until she gets this color thing right.

I don’t think you can really start a journey and have a plan, if you don’t know where you are going.  We are going to the jetski store…in the future.  I can see us on the darn things.  Bouncing as we catch the waves.  Catching air.    THAT’S how I roll.

Salt water spraying, in our eyes, gettting some sun.

I just kinda sneak into her dreams, because I can.

Otherwise the long hours working at home can be tedious.  The turn downs, the idiots, the wrong numbers on the phone seem like a weight on my shoulders with no reason to continue on.  Her years at Dr. school were rough, except for when she saw that carrot just ahead of her.

Baby likes to travel.  She’s no Motel 6, Super 8, or Zinger Motel kind of lady.  We pay someone to watch the cats, and THAT’S not a bad gig.  We’ve been in the seats of the front of the plane, and we never want to go back.

Baby likes the restaurant leaning over the cliff, rather than the steakhouse chain, or the cafeteria style place.  She deserves it, she’s a Dr.  I deserve it, I’m with her.

She sends fruit baskets for Christmas (not fruitcakes), she always gives good gifts.

Baby pays some of my bills as I move towards my financial goals (which are hers as well).  Lost a couple of the women there, did’nt I?

I see us at the Chopra Center for Well-Being, side by side, getting treatments with oils, getting massaged and loving life.  She’s really led me to great health.  I rub her feet like no one else can.  And btw, no one else can. 

We’ll be there, in a convertible, cruising up Highway 1 towards San Francisco, from Pismo Beach.  You either know what I am talking about, or you need to get out more.  I mean c’mon, put us in a Visa commercial or something!

The old Rick used phrases like “I can’t afford that” “Wish I could go there   “  “When I get outta debt, I’ll…..”(fill in the blank)  “Someday I’ll” 

YOU NEVER GET TO SOMEDAY I’LL.  Your ship does not JUST come in.  That’s like expecting to win the lottery but not purchasing a ticket.  Not going to work.

To get somewhere, you HAVE to see it, see yourself there, kick the tires, take it for a spin, make an offer, have a plan, pretend, act as if you’re already there.  Some put the pics up in the office, bathroom etc.

You also have to believe that you are worthy, deserving, and see yourself in possession, earning it, etc.  You have to earn enough money to buy it, lease it, maybe even rent it.

For a good 14 years I had a governor on my financial go-cart.  Remember the go-carts you get in and race against your friends.  Who won?  Assuming you all floored it the whole way, probably the one that happened to be in the front row.  Because of the governors. 

Or would you prefer ceiling.

Can’t get over that.  Like a long time employee trading his/her hours for dollars, at the top of the pay scale.  Now THAT’S a motivated worker…….NOT.

I’m not a good employee for someone else.  Any of you employers that took a wrong turn on the way to see your Careerbuilder post for employees…..keep walking and don’t look back. 

You won’t get your dreams and goals working for someone else.  Well maybe, but I bet you adjusted down those lofty goals when reality hit you, somewhere through the years.

So what do you do?

Assuming you are NOT the next Beckham (who?) or Peyton Manning, or Prince Fielder, or Tiger Woods….And if you aren’t threatening Carrie Underwood or Beyonce, or Bruce Springsteen for performing excellence…….

For ‘normal’ people like me, Network Marketing, home-based business, perhaps internet marketing, all seem to be the best hope.  That is, to make the big bucks, get free(r) with your time, and hit those big goals.

Get that clear picture of a Why, a plan to acheive it, find a GREAT company, and you could be off to the races.  Let me help you with some suggestions…….    ( ZRII)

Wow, a banner day, right up there with the birth of a child, (whatever that’s like.)  or….winning something,  or maybe my wedding day.  I’ll actually elaborate on the wonders of the relationship I have with my wife soon, so stay tuned. 

But today, started well, rose to a great peak, and then kinda stayed there for about 3 hours or even more.  Picture Jack Nicholson saying “Yes!”, with that little fist pump he does.  Or one of those Toyota commercials where they do the jump and kick.  I don’t even want to go to bed, so here I am.  I have to blog late, late, so it does NOT take away from ‘legitimate’ prime work time.  If the word gets out, you guys might even expect more regular stuff, so then I’ll really have to plan, or something.

I looked forward to today, and I pictured what would go on.  I pre-paved, by ’seeing’ what would go on, and it happened.  Revolutionary?  I think not.  Read the Law of Attraction, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, and please DO get back to me.

My ship is coming in, I can actually see it cruising around Diamond Head, past the lighthouse, on it’s slow way through the scenic coast area.  This is fun.  I see all my friends, the good ones, not the fake ones (that really don’t wish me well.)  They are on the deck, waving, cheering, genuinely thrilled and cheering me on….OK where was I?

Yeah, such a day.  I am a home-based biz guy.  I get to work in my shorts, no shoes.  I don’t have to shave.  You guys likin’ that image, OK I’ll stop.  But last night-LATE I did send my buddy in Florida an email.  It was the last email in a series pointing out the good features of being in biz with me.  He’s a natural.  I knew it, but you know, you can’t really want it for someone else.

You certainly can’t do it for them.  I made some bold promise, and reminded him of all the great things that I was so grateful for, about him.  You could say I owed him, for all he had done.  And I DID say that.  This business would be my way of paying him back for all that he had done.  I laid it on a bit thick, but really, it was from the heart.

Then I thought, he may ignore this altogether, but I gave it a shot.  And like a walk-away deal at a rummage sale, I was committed to not look back after this correspondence.  The walk-away deal, done properly, should get you a cheap price on the item you want , I don’t know, perhaps 67% of the time.  You pick up the item, or lovingly walk around it, or stare at it for a while.  Then you announce to the person in charge “I’ll give you _____. which is about half of what the price is.”  You CAN start walking way, or drift a bit even before you get an answer, but the main thing is to be walking away if you get a no.  You CAN’T stop, or even look back.  You are committed. 

Many times the person, says, “hey, come back” and you get your deal.  Once in a while the guy/gal does not and you have to live with it.  (File that one away for Saturday when you are driving around town.)

Like I said this guy is a natural, and I left the email very late our time, which was probably about the time he was getting up on the other side of the country.  I felt that I had given it the best shot, and I went to bed, feeling kinda neutral, not being overly desirous.  I wanted him to accept, but fretting over it, or any kind of anxiety shows a lack, or a need.  That ain’t good.

Well, it looks like I’m milking this, so I will get right to it.

When I got up, there was both a phone message and an email from my buddy.  He saw the light, or at least would throw his hat into the ring.  Woohoo!

As we launched into a 90 minute 4 way call to get my long time friend started in biz with me/us.  There was a tear in my eye as I considered how important this was to me, and would be to him (and his family).

You see Network Marketing is about people and relationships.  Managing organizations, not all about sales.  Once you have the Five Pillars with your biz all together it is time to get to work.  If you are blessed enough to get to bring very good friends (and wives) along for the ride, well, that is the icing on the cake.

With Zrii, we have all that, and more it seems.

I wish you all luck and abundance.  I would like to help you reach your dreams in life: finances, time with the ones you love, maybe 18 holes a day,  fix up that car, go to Cabo, what ever they are. 

My friend wants for his son and daughter to go to fine colleges, and wants to watch them at their martial arts competition, at graduation, when they come home at night.  His son is studying the Bible and will want to get baptized soon.  Some times work gets in the way of all that stuff.

But that is why we do THIS…..rrrrrrrrrrrick

Hello Network Marketers, Home-Based Biz people, readers from across the globe, mom….

Some Background.  I am just the messenger here.  It’s a message available in other places, sometimes for a considerable chunk of your finances.  I will condense it, and lead you to the more detailed sources, if you desire.  My experience in Network Marketing spans the last 27 years, with large gaps called ‘the discouraging times.’

Every time I was led down the path (willingly) and felt I had a good vison of what I needed to do.  Every time I was told to put together a list of freinds, well, basically everyone I knew.  I did it.

It’s a flawed strategy.  Those people on the list are no more likely to want to do Network Marketing than they are Water Polo, Origami or Squirrel Hunting.  And you do get discouraged eventually, after so many of them turn you down cold.

Also, naturally we get excited about a concept, a product, or biz-op, and we tend to run out and talk our friends into doing it.  Bad idea.  Yes, I have done it.  The more I chase them, and talk them into it, the more they turn tail and run.  Human nature.  Real nature.  Deer hunters..same feeling as when a white tail bounces out of your sight (sights).    Darn.

So what is this new teaching?  Not so new, btw.  #1, the BEST way.

Share your biz,by getting permission first, with …..da, da da DAHH!  Network Marketers.  Yeps, that’s right, bucky.  It’s your target market.

How?  Try a phone.  There is training available.  Click on the  links on my site.  They should be very obvious.  Follow the CDs.  Plug in to this great system.  Power Recruit.  Build a strong organization.  My opinion here, THE best way.

#2 How else you ask?  Well in  this day and age, there is of course (prepare for a shocker) the computer.  Not the best perhaps, unless you are some kind of puter guru, or super-internet marketer.  On the other hand, those types will tell you it IS the best.  So it is an option, and I can point you in the right direction there, as well.

Most, if not all Network Marketing Companies have replicated sites.  Some are good, and guess what?  (For those of you drinking swampwaters at 11 AM or with one eye on the FL-FL ST game)  Some are NOT.  To assess your company site and/or marketing materials, the same training I mentioned above will have tapes available that cover this (and many other) subjects.

If you can get people to your persuasive site, (the big IF), it can be golden.

Some are forced to build their own sites.  That is a bit over my head, so I will not guide you on that.

To get attention, and build using a ‘new’ strategy, consider the fabulous…blog-site.  Consider it?  Heck, you are on one.  On my site, I expect that you will read some, and make a decision as to whether I can write a lick, or whether this is the type of info/topic that interests you.  You MAY come back.  (I hope, I hope)

Meanwhile, you are getting to know me, some.  I hope I earn a postion a bit higher then the auto-responder emailers, that pound out thousands of their messages.  Yes, I HAVE done that, too btw, and MAY do it again.  I view my site as a sorta buffet, where you choose something that interests you, and choose not, something else.  You likey, come back.  No, make like that white-tail above.

So, to find out more about the blog option, follow the links on my site.  See how simple they make it?  Now, I feel the need to point out.  I will NOT say go to this link, if I don’t already use the company/biz/technique.  I am not a blog-site ‘gun-for-hire’. 

That way, you can email and ask questions about these links, and I will respond.  rickemmerich@  I suggest ’m’.  Now, see what I just did.  It was open, vulnerable, maybe borderline stupid.  FYI, I am extreeeeemely happy with my company.  I suggest you check it out.  I get to say that.  I am NOT interested in your ‘deal’.  I am unrecruitable for ‘your deal.’

Oh yeah, the other way, #3, that works for Network Marketers?  The old-fashioned way:  Meetings.  There are two kinds.  Home meetings. 

Plan A.  OK fellow past Amway Quixtar peeps.  Remember the white board in the living room trick?  Well, it HAS worked.  Gather some people and do a presentation.  I love being in front of others for that sort of a presentation.  It can be casual, like on the couch with a DVD in the player.  Obviously though, not everyone loves presenting it. 

For sure, not everyone likes being there.  If you lied or used Jedi Mind Tricks to get them there, you will lie to them when they are your downline.  And at least I feel,  that’s bad.

If you DO and want to do it, remember, it is time-consuming.  We know too that we are  at the mercy of people that may decide NOT to show up.  If your company materials are not up to par, and you are depending on them to do the work, good luck.  Keep in mind, that if you are NOT hitting your target market with your invites (network marketers) then your efforts may only produce some customers.  If you are fine with that, go for it. 

aaaaand Plan B.  You company MAY have big hotel ballroom meetings all over the country, and perhaps even in that hockey-playin’ country up nort.  Ours does.   

A couple of guidelines.  You can only BE at the meetings in your own areas (unless you have a lot of frequent flyer miles).  You CAN send your friends to other area meetings but keep in mind:  brief them first.  Your group probably won’t be sponsoring it.  Your person MAY hear something there that you will have to correct/refute.  There could be sharks swimmin’ around there.  Relax all of you in Maui, or Daytona Beach.  I mean the types that will try to sway your person into joining THEIR downline.  Innocently or not. 

You want your person to know your name, company ID#, and cell number when they go to another group’s or company sponsored meeting.  Urge them to use any or all of the 3.

And, head them off at the pass before they start writing that list.

I am so grateful and thankful for:

You, whomever you are reading my blog.  (You can say you read here even before I became famous)

Mom, who is such an angel, and has almost always had tons of faith and so many encouraging things to say

God, who has had the ultimate patience with me, and drew me to him slowly

Kevin Pascal, who shared the Gospel with me

My computer, wow, I am learning and learning

Our little church

My first kitty Bubba, that grew very big and died about 4 years ago,

My second cat Cleeko, still lovin’ up on my wife and I

My network marketing company, Zrii, the Original Amalaki

Craig Joseph, my mentor

Tracy Biller, Ultimate Success CDs, and his teaching and coaching

Blog i360 and their tireless support

Linda Miller and her patience and persistence

Amway, I think you started something there

My heart attack, for waking me up, and leading me to my wife

The many travels I have been blessed to take

Hawaii, Beach, Tradewinds

Those that told me I would not amount to much, or thought it

The room-mate that I had that went crazy and threatened me

Oprah

The music of my youth, and more recently

Tony Vraniak and his generosity of time and money

The Boys who made it all happen in MKE when I got outta town to move to Hawaii:  Ron Norwood, Paul Stearns, James Hamann, Tim Halmar, Tim Brudnicki, Raj, Harvey, Damon Brog, Vel, Lori, of course Nancy Benetton and Shorwest Realty. 

The Oahu COC for the way they welcomed me and threw a mean Groom Honoring (I still have the video)

The Wongs for the marriage counselling

The rotten jobs I have had since I moved here (I work at home now)

Hopelessness, victim mentality, stress, bad diet…….stay away

The mailman

HBN II Network, y’all know who you are

Room mate that thought he was Jesus and thought he would be elected president in ‘04 

Walter, Chenisse, and Jeremy, and back in the day, Jim Trinastic, my puter people!

Sports live and on TV

Dr. John Demartini, Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar, Dr. David Simon, Dr. Tom Yarema, Dr. Frank Cummins, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Pepper (I miss ya)

Peter Millard and your support.  The partial bottle of Zrii, the original amalaki, that you gave us was a very nice touch

Bill Farley and his management team

Dr. Malia Emmerich 

Thank God I got to know Jesus, and studied the Bible when I was 38 years old.

Thank God I live in Hawaii.

Thank God I met the woman of my dreams, and she saw fit to marry me.

Do you see a pattern developing here?  I love to fill in those statements.  (Don’t we all?)  It’s easy to write a few pages to explain, after the statement.  I am convinced that by being grateful and appreciative for ALL that I have, I am open to receiving more.  (I know that a lot of people feel that way.)

In fact, sometimes instead of just asking God for stuff I have grateful prayers.  Also to prepare to envision my future, I do the same gratitude preparation.  I didn’t come up with this, I’m just passing it on.  And guess what, I DON’T envison all of the bad things that can possibly happen.

Been there, done that, had the heart attack…..

In fact, try this.  Whoops, strike that.  DO this.  Finish the statement with some of the things that seemed so bad at the time.  Now, it’s not to dwell on them.  You won’t attract more positive in your life with a woe-is-me, or victim mentality.

Just look on the side of,  “What positive things happened as a result of that bad thing?”  Now I don’t praticularly care what the thing was.  There is a positive side.  There HAS to be.  At this point, some of you are thinking “this guy is nuts.”  You have not allowed yourself to look on the ‘good’ side of THAT bad thing.

Well, no matter what your ‘thing’ is, I will counter with Thank God I had a heart attack.  Then I will follow with Thank God I got divorced, and for good measure, I will throw in Thank God I abused alcohol for twenty years…

Now, follow up the statement by writing a couple of pages detailing the positive consequences that followed the ‘thing.’  OK, at least one.

BTW, this is not a joke.  It is not trivial.  It is healing.  Way more healing than   ”I think I will tell my bad story to twenty more people this next month and wallow in my pain some more.”  Or “Maybe it is good that some more people know how bad I have had it and will feel sorry for me.”  I have many of those victim stories cued up and ready to go, whenever I would want to bust them out.  But I don’t anymore. 

Anyway, from my experience, even when you don’t think you can see the tunnel, God can provide a light at the end.  Do this experience and let me know what you come up with.  Write a page at least after your Thank God I experience.  (If you feel that your Thank God I ‘thing’ is SO bad, so horrible, that’s even more reason to do this exercise.) 

There are people specifically trained to help you work through it all, and I can refer you to them.   Adios for now, Rick

Every day we looked out the window for the UPS truck to appear, and lately it hasn’t been appearing….just driving by to make some other household happy.  Same as when Malia (my wife) and I would go out for the day, and come back after dark.

We’d see one cat behind one screen window, and the other next to it in the other screen.  They would have those same eyes.  Waiting.  Waiting.

You see it’s normal for a Pre Launch of a network marketing company to have to work out some kinks.  That is exactly what Zrii has been doing.  What professionals, what class.  They have updated us at every turn. 

Meanwhile though, we ran out of the health drink, the nectar.  I don’t want to call it nectar of the gods, for fear of irritating any of the gods.  But actually in India, the Ayurvedic culture has almost worshipped amalaki, our main ingredient, for thousands of years.  They have a holiday every year, and they have strict rules for treating it and harvesting it. 

I crave the taste, the enlivening of the tongue.  Bill, our CEO says not to chug it, but to sip it to appreciate it.  In fact, as you do it that way, you sense diferent tastes each time you sip.  It’s amazing.  TAKE THAT PEPSI.

It is healthy, of course.  You don’t get the endorsement of the Chopra Center for Well-Being with just any product.  My wife and I know one of the Drs that joined the scientists in formulating the drink.  Watch the DVD and you’ll be introduced to the four main contributors.

The company is totally into abundance, prosperity, light, luster, and wealth.  Besides the getting healthy part of the business, they have designed a compensation plan that has never been designed and rolled out before.

Check THAT out.

Here comes that truck and the UPS guy handed my wife the box.  Woohoo!  Let’s have a drink.  (It had been far too long.)

Anyway, our friends came over, we had puu puus, (ask me later) and we all saw the DVD.  They were blown away, and THEN we had some of our drink, the four of us.  They are joining us in the business.

Who says you need some fancy web site to do this business?

Blaaaammmm!!

The looks on our faces rivaled Thomas Edison, Chris Columbus, even that dude that invented Peanut Butter and Jelly.  The big smiles told the story.  We had discovered something…….important.

At 60 mph, in an AMC Javelin 2 door, (I won’t give the color, or plate number for obvious reasons), and with just the right trajectory, an empty shorty Miller bottle would crack a roadsign like nothing you ever imagined. 

“Let me try it!” Tommy said with a grin.  Alright all you Einstein crimestoopers, cool your jets.  I’m changin’ his name and btw, this happened 34 years ago.

After a couple of tries, and a stop to replenish our stock of shorty bottles, he got one (from the drivers side.)

Now, I know what y’all are thinkin’.  Or I’ve at least narrowed it down.

That’s littering.  Yep, you bet.  It’s a tough choice for a child of the 60s who was scolded mercilously by mom for throwing out a McDonald’s Vanilla milkshake (1/2 full) on a camping trip in Northern Wisconsin 42 years ago.  But, these bottles were actually EVIDENCE to the proper authorities.

Or, you may be thinking “Hey, let’s try that ourselves.”

Bad idea, and I’ll tell ya why.  First of all, drinking, by itself is bad for a whole lot of people.  Drinking in cars is bad, wrong and illegal.  Littering is all of those, too.  That’s to say nothing about the damage that flying glass projectile going at least 60 miles per hour could cause to anything other than a road sign.  (Hey I flunked Physics, but it was going pretty fast.)  We were highly trained professionals and not in a densley populated area. 

Btw the police have really heard all of the excuses.  

Well, after that summer, and one more year, Tommy went to college, and although I dabbled in higher learning, he did it for real, he gradiated!  I stayed the course, trying new and creative ways to entertain myself.  Long story short, I was lucky to survive those years.  So we parted ways, for decades.

So, you how these puters work.  With Face Book, the Class-mates or whatever, even Google, we sometimes make those connections, again. 

Of course you wonder, what they look like, what kind of work do they do, whatever.  I wondered  “Did I do something bad enough so that Tommy would not want to talk to me?”  Knowing those days, my 20s and let’s be honest, a certain segment of my 30s, that’s a valid wondering.

You gotta think that to have made it this far, there must some growing up, some polishing of the personality, some maturity.  Or not.

Anyway, I expect to talk some more back and forth, and we’ll see.  It takes a while just to catch up.  I know one thing for sure.  Even if we meet in person (spanning about 5000 miles), we won’t be tossing any shorty bottles……. I don’t think they make ‘em anymore.

HAD to go to the beach, Doctor’s orders.  I really like the beach, but it’s a sizeable chunk of time in the middle of my day.  And I am my own boss, which is good,  but it can be bad.  Some of you know what I mean.  My wife is a Chiropractor and Holistic Healer (Dr Malia).  She told me to go, so I went. 

You see, I am a work at home guy, a Network Marketer.  And now, I have developed a system.  I have two computers that are running to increase my efforts, and some of the time, I have three, including my wife’s.  So that’s 3 computers on in my office.  Here’s the problem.  That’s a whole lot of EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies) bouncing off the walls, and my body was starting to show the affects.  I was ’sparky’ or maybe glowing, I don’t know, the lights were on.

So the solution is to go to the beach.  Of course a lot of people go to the beach, but I had to actually go INTO the salt water.  I love it, did I mention that.  The salt water helps dissipate the damage from the EMFs (Electro Magnetic Frequencies).  I know, most of you aren’t aware of the EMFs.  It’s not some fringe theory, the tests can show the bright red marks on the side of the head with a thermography camera where we place the cell phones.  Many sit in front of computers all day long.  You have EMFs my friend. 

Now, there are things that help.  There is a ‘bio-chip’ or small vinyl football-looking brown thingy that you put on the phone.  They have them for puters, for TVs, for wherever the EMFs come from.  Ever get that hot feeling on the ear that you use the most for your cell.  Me too.  I always use the left.  That’s my cell ear.

So I’m at the beach, just chillin’ like a villian.  I play this game.  I call some people to just talk with the waves in the background.  It’s kinda like, I’m at the beach, and your’e NOT.  Yeah, I was working, sorta.  I made about 6 work calls then checked in with my mentor.  It’s not a real fun game, yet.  It will be more fun down the road, just wait.

So I am relaxing, sunning and enjoying life, and this kid walks up.  A little cutie, I guess about 3, on the shore.  He’s butt naked, and just lovin’ life.  It actually reminded me of my first REAL memory as a child.

I was probably about that big, in Waukegan, IL on the first day of summer.  Maybe not the official one, but the first one that mom took me down to the beach.  I was excited, and started running full speed toward the water.  (That really is the only way to go into the water in places like Lake Michigan or God forbid, Lake Superior.)  The shock of the coldness goes away pretty quick.

Anyhoo, I made it about 4 steps into the frigid water and screamed in pain as I took that last step.  The shock of the stabbing pain in my right foot led to loud sobs and I probably cried for my mom.  Of course she came running and rescued me.  No, it was not a shark.

I had stepped on a piece of glass left by some teenage or young adult partyers no doubt.  My big toe was throbbing as the blood streamed out.  My mom put some pressure on it, I guess, but they had a first aid guy there pretty quick too.  This was a big deal, first day of the season, I guess.  The Dr. was smoking a cigar the whole time-they did that back in the early 60s.  You can’t get away with that now, ya know. 

That definitely wrecked the moment, but I got a sucker and made the front page of the News Sun the next day for my trouble.  We kept that darn yellowed front page until it disintegrated somewhere along the line.

Anyway, cute kid, just runnin’ in the surf.  Kids in Hawaii got it made, btw. 

But here I am at the beach.  You know people back in Wisconsin where I moved from must think we all spend all day at the beach.  It’s not really like that.  You CAN create a career where you are your own boss, and then you can let yourself go sometimes, but you get the picture.

But back to the sneaky little EMFs.  Electro pollution. It is a real concern.  I have the little football on my phone and I wear a necklace that interfers with the current, minimizing the damage. 

I do know that I get headaches, and that scary hot feeling from my cell.  My wife, who IS an expert, can test for the dangerous levels.  You didn’t know that your cell phone was bad for you, did you?

If you want to find out more, and perhaps get one of these devices, go to

http://www.mybiopro.com/drmalia.   and come visit us in Hawaii, I’ll take ya to the beach.  

It’s been raining for the last two days.  We got more rain in the last two days than we had in August, September, and October combined.  Constant drip, drip, drip, even now as I type.  OK, I know Diamond Head will be green, not brown.  It’s good…..for the farmers.

Remember that from when we were kids,”It’s good for the farmers.”  Our parents always said that when it rained, especially on a Saturday.  It would happen when we went camping.  I remember the time we set up the tent FACING a hill and it rained.  That’s a lesson you only have to learn once.

We don’t usually get lightning here on Oahu.  We did this time.  We lost power for a bit, well actually the power flickered here.  The poor dudes two valleys over lost it for two hours.

You know what it’s like when they get snow in South Carolina.  People freak out like they’ve never seen it before.  (Some of them haven’t.)  Lotsa wrecks.  Sometimes that happens here with the rain.

But we went to church.  We used mind control on the traffic.  They all left us alone.

And you know how in the midwest (tell me someone in the midwest is reading my blog,  puhleeeeeaze) you know how it always rains on Memorial Day Weekend and wrecks everyone’s plans.         Except the farmers.

“Write the letter!” ”No, I’m too busy, she’ll never get it” ”Write the letter!”  She now could tell that I wasn’t mad, but not backing down either.  She saw my eyes and said,  ”OK, I’ll write the letter”.  “What are you going to do, walk up to Oprah and hand her the letter?”  The look she got back told her that that was EXACTLY what I planned to do.  But I also knew then that I had a plan B.

The next day I was to board a plane to LA, then one to Houston, then on to Chicago.  I would have a leisurely night visiting with my sister and brother-in-law in Wrigleyville, and she would lovingly drop me off at Navy Pier the next day for our event.  I wanted to catch up with family on the trip, but I admit, the excitement Zrii’s business ribbon-cutting was really racing in my head.  Would Bill have Oprah there?  To many she was larger than life, but to my wife, well, my wife had had a dream and a VISION.   Would I get some recognition?  (Earth to Rick, you have to earn THAT.)  Would Bill even talk to me?  Those  thoughts.

The plan was perfect.  I had originally planned to fly stand-by, but 3 weeks out, I rethought that, and worked out a masterful combo of frequent flyer miles, and a nifty low-cost round trip from Honolulu to LA.  And all on the same airline(Continental.) 

“Did you write the letter?”

The trip back would be a little tricky.  Continental only has one daily flight out of LAX to HNL, and it would be gone by the time I landed on the way back.  (Hey guys could ya work with me on THAT a little?)  I remembered our friends in church in LA, and the brainal computer quickly scanned down the list.  I stopped at Kyle, called him and he said, “Bro, of course, I’ll pick you up, and we can work things out!” 

I was on a roll.  My employer was cooperating by terminating me, and that would take place on the date I was in Chicago for the event.  Nice touch, I thought.  I would never again have to work for someone else.  Yeah, I’ve heard the one about saying never.

I saw my wife laboring over the letter.  By the end of the second (or third) draft, and after a couple of tears, she had it!  You see my wife and I saw the show where Oprah unveiled her Academy in South Africa.  We cried, they rejoiced, the kids would better themselves.  Wow, how cool is that?  These were life-changing times for those girls.  It was touching to witness Oprah’s soul being fulfilled.

Malia my wife, thought-what if she went to SA to share her considerable healing skills.  (I threw in the word considerable.)  She could really help them with emotions from their challenging backgrounds.  Though joyful, and possessing the ‘it’ factor, they were hiding  the pain.  A chiropractor that does NET and holistic healing can do that, often quite dramatically.

Malia had had a dream one night FOUR YEARS AGO where she was treating Oprah on her private jet.  (It had beige leather seats and Oprah was wearing a purple jumpsuit as they flew over Santa Barbara.)  It was the night that she had given tons of Christmas gifts to the kids in South Africa.  Malia felt then that Oprah wanted to do even more….    

A week before the trip I had rolled my ankle and it really got sore a day later.  It swelled up so big, I could have been a float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Someone said “guess you’ll have to cancel the trip.”  I said “Guess again.”  It turned out to be gout.  Now I KNOW the title of my own blog.  I know that my poor diet caused the uric acid build-up that obviously manifested itself as gout in my left foot.  That’s a topic for another blog entry.

I also knew that I was crawling across the floor at home for a couple of days.  I bought a cane, started the proper procedures,  (see my future blog) and ordered a wheel chair for every connection of the trip.

It was almost time.  The finely crafted letter was combined with a photo greeting card that I created, and was in the envelope ready to go.  I was on the way to the airport.  After a kiss OK, 2 or 3, I said goodbye to Malia.  I was wheeled off through security, and on to the plane.  Perfectly timed.  A guy could get used to this treatment.  I worked the whole way on the flight to LA, then boarded the flight to Houston the next morning.  After almost no sleep on the plane to LAX, I was a zombie on the Houson bound connection, not asleep, not awake, just on auto-pilot.

In Houston, I got more excited about the completion of the trip, and perked up.  I would work all the way to Chi on the flight.  Then reality hit.  The storms that were hitting the OK/AR/MO/Southern IL area were ‘blocking’ the path of our flight to Chicago.  6 hours later, we took off, so much for seeing my sister and brother-in-law.  My bro, who works for a competitor would laughingly say “Shoulda flied United.”

I landed,  got in my wheel chair, heading for the L train.  The guy was pausing to ogle women on the way, and trying oh so hard to be my friend.  I was getting a bit tired of that, but we were getting there quickly.  I reached into my wallet, (after buying my L train ticket) to give him a tip, and could only produce a one dollar bill.  Ouch, that even hurt me.

I met a half awake bro-in-law, who whisked me to the condo.  Their very homey place welcomed me, but their schedules meant that they had to be up and out in a matter of hours.  We got up, and soon I was hobbling around Navy Pier in Chicago, obviously before anyone other than employees were expected there.

Finally the event doors opened and I was overwhelmed by the moment, as our company (Zrii) Pre-Launch ribbon-cutting was taking place.  I looked around at all the logos, the displays, and realized that I needed to be in line.  The day seemed to be somewhat of a dream, and I met my old friend and business associate Paul.  I also met my mentor and guru Craig.

Later, at a break, I saw CEO Bill Farley in a corner of the side of the stage greeting people.  I grabbed THE Letter, and hurried over with my camera.  He had that perennial smile, the joy, the energy that I already admired.  He glowed, as person after person waited patiently to talk and take a pic.

Except THAT guy.  He stood impatiently and then started to push toward the front.  He said, “I just want a picture!”  I guess talking to Bill was not part of his deal.  Well, of course, he got his pic, and finally THE moment arrived.

See, apporaching Bill’s good friend Oprah had been plan A, and I guess I could have gotten a ride over to Harpo Productions.  Could have meekly knocked, then begged an associate or more likely a janitor to take my letter, and PERHAPS give it to her eventually…….  She obviously wasn’t here.

But Plan B was her friend Bill.  His perennial smile faded, oh so briefly as he read the name on the envelope.  He said, “Oh, this is a bit of a tall order” I said “I know, but could you do your best?”  He nodded and then the earth-stopping moment was drawing to a close.

We took the pic.  Of course he looked perfect, and I had this ‘cat that just swallowed a canary’ look on my face.  (At least I got it)  Mission accomplished!

The rest of the event could be summed up in one word.  CLASS.  I told Bill that later off to the side at the night presentations.  He again seemed like he was glowing, taking in the whole experience as we were.

I wonder if she’s seen the letter yet………….