About
When life hands you lemons …
Let me say this right up front – we were idiots to have let this go on for as long as it has.
And to say that we had NO CLUE it was the offence that it turns out Florida thinks it is – well that’s a total understatement. We moved here about 16 months ago and the transition has been challenging. But we never in a million years intended to misrepresent ourselves in this way.
Why I’m Writing This
So, I get a call this afternoon – it’s my husband, John and he’s using his “one phone call” to … well … to call me to tell me what his day’s been like (SUCKY – that’s what) and why he won’t be home tonight.
See until today, we had a handyman business. And the people he was able to help appreciated John’s work.
That’s all changed now. No more business for us.
We were barely making ends meet as it was – which is why we were letting the details slide a little :-/ And we’re paying the price now.
Somehow, keeping the kids’ bellies filled and the lights on kept seeming more important.
NOT.
Now I gotta think up something f-a-s-t. Or no matter whether John gets out of jail or not, we’ll be out on the street.
Our livelihood is dead.
Here’s What Happened
John did an estimate for some this-n-that work for a lady who called him. Later that day, he got a call back from her, “come in the morning so we can talk about this further”.
He made a point of asking me to make him coffee in the morning so he’d be up (now I so wish I hadn’t) and get there early like she’d asked him to.
And would you believe …
It was a flippin’ STING!
- They can’t get the drug dealers off our street,
- They can’t manage to jail or evict the prostitute who lives across the way and down three houses
- They can’t be bothered to stop all the associated traffic from zooming up and down our dead end street
But they can bust someone for offering to sell the service of changing a ceiling fan and a couple of switches without a contractor’s license.
Yes folks, you read right – the dreaded illegal ceiling fan mounting … (which he didn’t even get to do!) that’s the whole basis of their actions.
OMG – can you say freaking twilight zone???!!
I can’t even begin to tell you how completely stupid I feel over this…
And wait till you hear the kicker – it’s so ‘out there’ I hardly believe it’s true – but I’ve checked the statutes myself and it’s there plain as day.
Check this out.
Here’s what they’ve charged him with …
#1 – Impersonating a Contractor During a State of Emergency
#2 – Unregistered Electrical Contractor During a State of Emergency
Now normally this would have been a couple of misdemeanors – okay fine, we played the game badly and we get our hand slapped and we do it better next time.
Except for one not-so-tiny detail …
That “During a State of Emergency” part. (WHAT State of Emergency, I couldn’t begin to tell you … but that’s what it says on his booking details – email me for the link if you wanna see for yourself :-/)
That seemingly simple twist of wording makes these two charges 3rd Degree Felonies (!!??)
Can you believe that??
Holy Cow – it’s freaking me out just to type that!
(BIG ‘ol pregnant pause to let that all sink in …)
So here’s what I did after Dad and I rescued his van from the impound lot –
(yes, the first of many fees yet to come - I have no doubt - sigh)
Why I bawled to my friend Jackie Lee, of course – on IM – lol.
And she and Mary K came through like champs with plan in hand and intentions to raise plenty of cash to make this only thoroughly annoying and highly stressful (no getting around that part), but not family annihilating.
Which is the part that really matters.
This could easily have taken us OUT.
But thanks to dear friends … folks just like you … and the Internet … we’re not going to let it beat us.
No sir-eee.
(trust me that came out braver than I feel right now, but maybe I can fake it till I make it - grin)
Here’s the plan –
- We’re digging deep into our hard drives and various membership site accounts to find every cool product and tool we can lay our hands on and we’re offering you amazing darn-difficult-to-refuse packages.
- We’re putting feelers out for any JV partners who might want to contribute a copy of something to sell – anything value laden and of course laced with their personal links.
- There’s a juicy little matrix company that’ll get us all some residual income – if that’s something you’re into.
- I have friends offering services. Feeling kinda sketchy on what I can offer that’s valuable – but if I can do it, you’re welcome to it.
- Basically, if you don’t see it here – you should totally let us know and we’ll see what we can do to help you get it.
Want you to be over-delivered in value and feel good about helping us out of these dire straits – but at the same time, we don’t want any kind of pity party. Know what I mean?
Just people helping people out of a jam they never intended. And hopefully offering up excellent value in return.
My deepest appreciation for your time and for letting me bend your ear … that you’ve made it this far is a good thing.
It means you care.
Very cool.
I appreciate you!
Here’s where you can find out what all is up for grabs
Andrea
PS. If nothing else works for you – there is a cost free way you can contribute $1 (which when combined with the $1’s of others will make a real difference). Recently Russell Brunson put together a very value laden Traffic Secrets coaching program.
There is PLENTY of worthwhile free information that he offers up, a contest where he’s giving away a Corvette. And he’s paying us for free referrals – you can do it too! So take a minute to opt-in, k?