(1973-74) In High school my buddy Peter Villalobos and I made and sold candles for 2 years to earn our own money for a backpacking trip through Europe.  Pete and I have maintained our friendship throughout the years.  We grew up very opposite from the "how to make a living" point of View.  Peter came back from Europe and got a job at the front desk of the Sahara Hotel in '74.  As of 2007 - Peter is still working at the front desk of the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas!  He stuck to it.  I couldn't stick like that.  I've had more jobs than I can remember.  In fact, I've been sort of exocentric in the way I make my living.  I am usually doing my own business in one form or another. 

I have never made a lot of money in my entrepreneurial experiences.  They have all been started from DIRT and developed to a point where they made a comfortable living.  To date I have sold every venture after having proved the idea could be successful. This upsets my son and others who watch me  sell out about the time an operation becomes a viable business ready to really grow.  They say I have a "Fear of Success syndrome" ??  I suppose I'm not into growth and wealth as much as I am interested in development and making an idea work.  

I attended UNLV for a year - couldn't concentrate on studies with all the social life and at 19 I dropped out of classes and stowed away on a Ferry bound for Alaska to get work on the famous Pipe Line.  Twice I drove up and down the Alcan Hwy. (I actually went back to Alaska for more punishment).  My Alaska adventure was one where I learned about life the hard way.  

I have always really enjoyed going on a long motorcycle journey, camping and having roasted marshmallows contests over an open camp fire.  One or more Motorcycle Trips each year are prerequisite for my sanity.
Jeez,the strangest memories and ideas pop up at 2am

(1984) Broke, and out of work - Got married at 28.  My wife Maetie and I developed a unique screen printing business we called PIA (Partners in Action).  Our specialty was multi-color Bandanna creation and design.  Our products sold throughout the International market. Soon the business was creating a multitude of screen printed products and we relocated operations to Duvall Wa. and added a retail division called Sno-Valley Actionwear.  We sold the enterprise in 1990.  PIA Bandanna designs are still being produced and sold at REI and other retail stores around the world.  We even created "new" antique decor for the Mount Rainer Historical Lodge, for the Paradise Inn  as well as many other creative designs many of which are still being sold 20 years later!  My marriage lasted 10 years.  It was the best & worst of times. We sold the PIA business and I bounced around for about a year in limbo.

In 1993 I created and operated Sweet-N-Treats Outreach vending. I developed fundraising programs with 9 local charities, raising funds by putting out little candy machines throughout western Washington.

My handle had become "The Candy Man Can -- and Does".

It was a "sweet job" but after I proved the idea would work with local charities the job was done and I began loosing interest.  Sold the Candy business in '98  Back to that "Fear of Success" I suppose.

I hope to do more with this business than I have the others.  I have this one to the point of being a viable business.  Now, instead of selling out ("Fear of Success" ), I need to consider bringing in some partners, incorporating and making it FLY.  

Ultimately I'd like to enable the business to have representatives do some traveling while earning an income all based around Internet development. That is a larger and harder idea to make happen than it might sound.

UPDATE: as of 11/26/2006 the iDEAS business is still alive, it is not big, is not flying, but it is alive and well.

Ordinary people talk about themselves, extraordinary people talk about ideas, and small people talk about other people.

(1996

I've hiked many of the high meadows, lakes, hot springs & trails hereabouts and really want to get the time to do more of this kind of natural enjoyment. I have scaled MT Pilchuck-in snow (Dangerous assault at snow melt times, but what a blast coming down!), next time I do Mt Pilchuck I would like to sleep in the lookout tower on a summer full moon night, Cool. I'd like to do some more easy to medium climbs that are around us. All I need to do is find the time, I have missed more opportunities to climb mount Si than I can count.

Hope to do that one day in '97.  Ooops, how 'bout in '99, damn - it's 2001 now!  I have enjoyed many excursions to hot springs around the country. 

A local spot the Scenic hot Springs where if your lucky the sky is bright the pools aren't crowded and the naked gourmet would be there serving up a grand mountain meal for those who help haul up great weighted amounts of building and maintenance materials.  Another great recreation for me in the summer months is going to Music festivals, This are events you can really let your hair down, get in the beat, get mellow and enjoy the outdoors.  Live music is an amazing thing.  Although I prefer varieties of the Blues I like most styles of music and dance.

I've been a  Motorcycle enthusiast since 1970 when my dad got me my first bike, a Yamaha 100.  I'm the Internet correspondent for the Washington Moto Guzzi Owners Club and I am the WebMaster for the MGNOC Classified Ads and am the host for the MGCL which is a Moto Guzzi motorcycle Correspondence group. What's a Moto Guzzi you ask? It is an Italian Motorcycle, but more than that, it is an expression of Adventure. It is the reflection of SPIRIT  I continue to enjoy Motorcycling and have been fortunate to own several different types through the years.  You might enjoy my ongoing  Motorcycle Story.

So, now we brew up a wicked Garlic Beer!  There have been several batches brewed to date.  It all started with a dark brown wheat beer, a couple brews later we were making Garlic Beer labels like "Passion Potion",  "iDEAS or not" (this batch was business related, really!), "Bullishly Brown Bovine' Brew", and "LOKI for the Trouble within".  Great fun, I had Dee's birthday surprise party at "Gallaghers' Where You Brew"   where we do the brewing.  Now we brew great beers and also some killer good wine at Gallagher's.

( 1998 )  Dulane (my S/O), and I have just recently moved into our own place up on Clearview hill, just 24 MI North of Seattle, WA.  If you ever get out to the great NorthWest I guarantee you will love the area.  Plenty to do and see on the SideWalks of Seattle and surrounding communities.   Always green, surrounded by majestic mountains and as many bodies of water as there are leaves on a tree.  Our place is a shy acre with a 30 year old Mobile home on it we affectionately call "The Spiderhollow".  Okay, so we bought a real fixer upper (Can you say "Money Pit"), but it is in an extra fine location. 

Our long range big plan is to build a nice little 2 or 3 bedroom house in place of this decrepit old mobile home.  We were considering an economical and environmentally efficient living structure using Straw Bale Construction., er, maybe some recycled Steel construction.   This could take YEARS:

• We eventually chose a log building material called Sing Logs, see the web for the unique Sing Log system.  Still, the local building process is such a nightmare of red tap and excessive fees and costs that we retreated back to the ideas stage.  Our "PLAN" took many twists and turns before we were able to actually make headway.  It is an intense, overwhelming project.
• I'm sure we will build sometime, somewhere and it's bound to be Unique.
• In 2000 we actually purchased a load of Sing Logs - enough to build a 2,000sf home.  Now, I mean, Now we are committed to building! 
•  
  (Jan. 2003), we are very close to submitting our floorplan and building plan for permitting.  Hopefully we will be building by August when I have some time off from work to build the house. 
• Building update - we are going for it!  See our plans develop online at:  "The Spiderhollow Project"  

Finito'  (11/24/05) We Move Into the owner built by hand Spiderhollow house.

Some of our family and hobby web pages in addition to these are:  AfternoonTunes.com  and "Brennan, The Little Fisherman" (the first grandbaby!).  Glimpse:  I have a "Family&Friends letter written in 9/5/00)

    My son Josh continues his ambition to be a RACER !

( Josh-N-Katie 2001 )  My son Josh has worked diligently with both Pro and hobby Race cars since '93.  Actually, he started rebuilding carburetors at 6 years old!. Here is a favorite prize old picture of Josh at 6, with me &  Gizmo the dog face boy.   His many seriously dedicated years have earned him a great reputation amongst the West Coast race enthusiasts.  ( 2000)Josh has had the opportunity to race Formula Ford open wheel racers at both PIR and SIR (Now known as Pacific Raceway).  He further sharpening his professional racecar development experience with Pete Lovely Racing.  From there he spent some time with Mercedes Benz and then he landed a position with Ferrari.  The person most responsible for Josh's racetrack enthusiasm is his amazing Cousin Jack Scher from BlackJack Racing.  Jack Scher is an intriguing person, one to learn, laugh, an drink the blood of life with.   He is a veteran race car driver, mechanic and local racing icon.  When it comes to open wheel track racing he is a presence to be acknowledged. 

In 2006 Josh did get a Mazda race car to get involved and start racing.  After this first season he has sold that car and is now racing with the the boys at BlackJack Racing.

( 2006) It is November and Josh just wrangled a deal to acquire a Van Diemen Race Car!  This is one of the premier racers driven in the Formula Ford Circuit he grew up airing tires, waxing, cleaning, and eventually mechanizing on Race Cars with his cousin Jack.  But, now He would be the Owner/Driver

Everyone hopes Jack (70 in '07), will continue racing at least one more year so that his younger cousin Josh (30 in 10/07), can be in a race with Jack.  Very cool indeed.  I sure hope Jack will become a mentor/coach for Josh.  I plan on being at Josh's side during the '07 race year.  You'll find me at the track airing tires, checking this and that on the car, keeping the driver calm and cheering him on to win.

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