Copyright rightthetruth.com 2013 GoDaddy Central

​​WE ARRIVED AT THE MOTEL DURING A POWERFUL NATURAL STORM.
THE NEXT SUPER STORM UNLEASED UPON US WASN'T NATURAL!   
                                                      


                                                                                      CHAPTER 3

THE FIRST WEEK AT THE BUDGET INN PROVED TO BE A REAL CHALLENGE! RHONDA AND I WERE ASTONISHED AT THE ABSOLUTE MESS WE HAD JUST INHERITED.
WE BOTH KNEW THIS WAS A MAJOR UNDERTAKING AND WE WERE DETERMINED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE AND MAKE THE BEST OF IT. 


WE WERE TAKING PICTURES OF OUR CLEAN UP PROGRESS TO CAPITALIZE ON THE DIFFICULT CHALLENGE THAT LIED AHEAD. EVERY PROPERTY RHONDA AND I HAVE OPERATED, WE BROUGHT TO ITS FULLEST POTENTIAL! THE PREVIOUS MOTEL WE OPERATED WAS IN ST AUGUSTINE  FLORIDA, OUR NATION'S OLDEST CITY! WE BROUGHT IT UP TO A RANK OF 13 OUT OF 69 MOTELS IN THAT MARKET AREA. OUR REPUTATION AS THE MANAGING COUPLE EXCEEDED THE MOTEL'S REPUTATION. PEOPLE GOOGLED OUR NAMES IN ST AUGUSTINE AND FOUND A PLETHORA OF OUTSTANDING REVIEWS REGARDING HOSPITALITY SERVICE. WE WENT THE EXTRA MILE FOR EVERY GUEST AND WERE ALWAYS POISED TO DO SO!
 

ONCE UPON A TIME THIS WAS A GREAT MOTEL! BOTH RHONDA AND I WERE DETERMINED TO MAKE IT GREAT AGAIN! FRANK TROKEY WAS A VERY STRANGE CHARACTER AND A DISAPPOINTMENT. HE DID NOTHING TO HELP OUT. HE WAS PROFICIENT IN TWO AREAS. BALANCING A GLASS OF WHISKEY AND NOT FALLING OFF HIS STOOL. THAT WAS HIS LEVEL OF HIS COMPETENCY!
THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK I FINALLY SAW PROGRESS FROM PICKING UP GARBAGE AND SWEEPING THE HUGE PARKING LOT AND WALKWAYS!


THE MOTEL BUILDING WAS SQUARE WITH A LARGE COURTYARD IN THE CENTER SEPARATING ALL FOUR SIDES. HALF THE ROOMS WERE INSIDE COURTYARD AND HALF THE ROOMS FACED THE PARKING LOT. THE PARKING LOT RAN AROUND THE ENTIRE BUILDING. THE INNER COURTYARD WAS LINED WITH RED BRICK PAVERS AND SHOWCASED FOUR BEAUTIFUL OAK TREES IN THE CENTER. THEY WERE MASSIVE TREES. THE ARTIFICIAL PUTTING GREEN AT THE FRONT OF THE COURTYARD HAD BEEN SORELY NEGLECTED, BUT HAD GOOD POTENTIAL. THE SWIMMING POOL WAS VERY LARGE AND NEEDED MUCH ATTENTION!. WE JOKED  WHICH WAS GREENER THE PUTTING GREEN OR THE POOL! IT WASN'T A JOKE WORTH LAUGHING AT THOUGH, BECAUSE WE KNEW THE POOL NEEDED TO BE BROUGHT UP TO STANDARD AND BE CODE COMPLIANT. THAT WOULD PROVE TO BE A MAJOR CHALLENGE!

FAROOQ CAME VERY LATE AT NIGHT AND DIDN'T SEEM OVERLY INTERESTED IN LISTENING TO OUR CLEAN UP PROGRESS. HE ONLY PICKED UP THE CASH DEPOSITS,THEN ASKED HOW FRANK WAS DOING! I ALWAYS SAID, JUST FINE AT DOING NOTHING! .

AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS FAROOQ STOPPED BY DURING THE DAY. HE ASKED ABOUT FRANK AGAIN AND I SAID HE WAS THE SAME. HE REPLIED, WELL YOU KNOW THAT'S FRANK. I REALLY NEEDED A WORKING LAWN MORE AND PRESSURE WASHER. I HAD FOUND SOME IN A BACK ROOM AND HE HAD PICKED THEM UP FOR REPAIR UP A WEEK EARLIER, SO I INQUIRED WHEN I WOULD HAVE THEM RETURNED AND HE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW, SO I WENT TO A LOCAL PAWN SHOP AND PURCHASED AN ELECTRIC HOMELITE WEED EATER. FORTUNATELY I HAD OVER 400 FEET OF ELECTRICAL CORD AND I BEGAN WEED EATING THE ENTIRE PROPERTY, THIS TOOK SOME SERIOUS TIME. I USED IT AS A LAWN MOWER AND ADDRESSED THE TALL WEEDS IN THE LAWN IN FRONT OF THE MOTEL,  I MOWED ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE HIGHWAY. THIS TOOK SEVERAL DAYS BUT I FINISHED IT AND IT FINALLY LOOKED APPEALING. CURB APPEAL IS EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR BUSINESS IS ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND YOU RELY EXCLUSIVELY ON WALK IN FLOOR TRAFFIC.

I SPOKE WITH RHONDA ABOUT GETTING A PRESSURE WASHER AND SHE WASN'T FOND OF THE IDEA, HER OPINION WAS SWEAT EQUITY IN THE MOTEL WAS ONE THING, BUT THAT DIDN'T CONSTITUTE OUR HAVING TO PURCHASE AND SUPPLY THE EQUIPMENT AS WELL. WE BOTH HAD CONCERNS THAT FAROOQ NEVER LOOKED AROUND TO SEE THE PROGRESS WE WERE MAKING. HE DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE OR SEEM TO APPRECIATE THE CUTTING DOWN OF WEEDS AND MAKING THE FRONT OF HIS MOTEL APPEALING AND INVITING. 

EXPERIENCES FROM OUR PAST PROJECTS TAUGHT US THAT EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT OWN THE BUSINESS WE ARE MANAGING, WE DO HOWEVER OWN OUR INTEGRITY AND WORK ETHIC. WE MAY NOT OWN THE BUSINESS, BUT WE DID OWN OUR REPUTATION AND THE PROJECT! I CREATED OUR WEBSITE, WHICH SHOWCASED PROPERTIES WE HAD OPERATED, ALONG WITH REVIEWS OF OUR REPUTATION. THIS MOTEL PROJECT WASN'T GOING TO PUT A DENT IN OUR REPUTATION, WE WERE COMMITTED TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT A SUCCESS!

WE WERE INTRODUCED TO SUNNY BHADELIA , FAROOQ'S WIFE, WE COULD TELL SHE WAS PROBABLY BORN SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDWEST. THEY SEEMED TO BE A VERY UNLIKELY COUPLE, BUT THAT WAS JUST OUR OBSERVATION. THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO BE VERY CLOSE WITH EACH OTHER. MORE LIKE A BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP OF HAVE TO DO'S. EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS, SUNNY STOPPED BY AND PICKED UP THE MONEY FROM THE GUEST LAUNDRY. SHE NEVER MENTIONED OUR PROGRESS OF CLEANING THE MOTEL PROPERTY UP. WE MADE SOME SERIOUS HEAD WAY. WE WERE EXCITED ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATION TAKING PLACE!, RHONDA FINALLY HAD SOME TIME TO START COOKING HOMEMADE MEALS FOR SOME OF THE GUESTS. WE ALWAYS SHARED OUR FOOD WITH PEOPLE WHO NEED IT. LEAVING SOMEONE HUNGRY OR THIRSTY IS NOT AN OPTION!

IF A MAN DOESN'T WORK HE DOESN'T EAT! BUT WE HAD COMPASSION, EVEN FOR FRANK. ONE OF FRANK'S FAVORITE MEALS RHONDA COOKED FOR HIM, WAS BISCUITS AND SAUSAGE GRAVY. HE WAS IN TASTE BUD PARADISE, NO ONE COOKED BETTER  BISCUITS AND SAUSAGE GRAVY THAN RHONDA!


FAROOQ SHOWED UP AND WE HAD A VISIT ABOUT FRANK. I INFORMED HIM. FRANK DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP AROUND HERE! FAROOQ RESPONDED VERY SERIOUSLY, WELL, YOU KNOW, DON'T BOTHER WITH FRANK, YOU DON'T KNOW HIM AND YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS CAPABLE OF. LEAVE FRANK ALONE. DON'T MESS WITH HIM, HE WILL DO SOMETHING TO YOU! WE LEFT OUR CONVERSATION AT THAT. OUR VISIT WAS ALARMING AND SEEMINGLY INAPPROPRIATE!

BOTH RHONDA AND I WERE CONCERNED ABOUT FAROOQ'S COMMENTS REGARDING FRANK AND NEITHER OF US WERE PARTICULARLY FOND OF HOW SUNNY AND FAROOQ CATERED TO HIM. WHAT WAS UP WITH THIS GUY? I TOLD RHONDA. THEY EITHER HAD SOMETHING GOING ON WITH HIM OR THEY WERE AFRAID OF HIM, PERHAPS HE HELD SOMETHING OVER THEIR HEADS AND THEREFORE HE ALWAYS GOT A FREE PASS. RHONDA SAID, SHE HAD NO CLUE, BUT AGREED THIS WHOLE SITUATION AND EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS OPERATION DIDN'T MAKE SENSE! THEY PROVIDED HIM WITH A PLACE TO LIVE, PAID HIM UNDER THE TABLE AND HE JUST SAT AT THE FRONT ENTRANCE LIKE A WATCHDOG! WATCHING! THAT'S ALL HE DID WAS WATCH!

WE HAD BEEN AT THE BUDGET INN A FEW WEEKS AND BRENDA'S MERCURY MARQUIS WAS STILL IN THE PARKING LOT. BOTH SUNNY AND FAROOQ SIDE STEPPED THE QUESTION OF HER WHEREABOUTS AND WHY IS HER CAR STILL AT THE MOTEL. AS FAR AS WE KNEW, ALL OF HER PERSONAL EFFECTS WERE STILL IN HER ROOM. WHERE WAS BRENDA AND WHAT HAPPENED TO HER? NOT ONE GUEST RESIDENT KNEW ANYTHING. ALL THEY COULD TELL US, WAS, SHE IS GONE! ONE DAY SHE WAS WORKING AND THEN NO ONE SAW HER AGAIN! 

OUR LITTLE MAN BUGSY KEPT ON DOING HIS THING AND WATERED THE GRASS. HE LOVED IT WHEN WE TOOK TIME HIM ON A FAMILY WALK. I WAS NEVER ABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN, SO MY 17 YEARS OF HAVING BUGSY AS A CLOSE FRIEND MEANT A LOT TO ME, HE WAS OUR LITTLE BUDDY AND HIS MAMA RHONDA LOVED HIM SO MUCH!  HE WAS ALWAYS LOVING, KIND, HAPPY AND FORGIVING. EVERY SINGLE TIME WE WALKED IN THE DOOR, HE WAS SO HAPPY!  


WHILE ON A WALK HE TRIPPED ON A UNEVEN BRICK PAVER AND HURT HIS EYE AND OF COURSE WE WERE CARING PET OWNERS AND HAD REGARDS FOR BUGSY'S WELL BEING. I BROUGHT HIM TO HIS VETERINARIAN RIGHT AWAY! HE ADDRESSED HIS EYE INJURY. BUGSY'S DOCTOR WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZED UPON GIVING HIM A THOROUGH EXAMINATION. BUGSY NO LONGER HAD CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, HIS VETERINARIAN PROCLAIMED! THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME HE HAD EVER TAKEN A DOG THIS OLD OFF HEART MEDS. HE SAID WITH EXCITEMENT! BUGSY WAS IN GREAT HEALTH. HOW DID YOU DO IT? HE ASKED? I SAID PRAYER. I TOLD HIM WE LAID OUR HANDS ON BUGSY EVERY DAY AND NIGHT AND DECLARED, BUGSY YOU ARE SO SMART, HEALTHY, HAPPY AND GOOD LOOKING AND HANDSOME AND WELL BEHAVED AND LONG LIVED IN JESUS NAME! ALSO RHONDA MADE ALL OF HIS MEALS FROM SCRATCH. NOTHING WAS TO GOOD OR MORE IMPORTANT FOR BUGSY WHERE HIS MAMA RHONDA WAS CONCERNED. BUGSY WAS RHONDA'S LITTLE DUDER BOO!

BUGSY WAS SMART AND HE NEVER NEEDED MUCH TRAINING. HE FIGURED THINGS OUT ON HIS OWN. WHEN HE WANTED TO GO OUT HE GRUNTED. BUT SOMETIMES IT WAS A FALSE ALARM AND HE JUST WANTED TO SNIFF AROUND. A COUPLE YEARS PRIOR, HE TAUGHT RHONDA AND I SOMETHING HE NEEDED US TO KNOW. WHEN HE PULLED ON OUR FOOT WITH HIS PAW, IT WAS REALLY TIME TO GO OUT! I REMEMBERED A TIME WHEN RHONDA, BUGSY AND I WERE ON A SIX WEEK TRIP TO THE MIDWEST AND THE EASTERN UNITED STATES IN OUR SMALL TOYOTA ECHO. AFTER SIX WEEKS BUGSY BURST IN BETWEEN THE SEATS AND JUMPED ON RHONDA'S LAP AND STOOD THERE AS IF TO SAY, HE WAS PUTTING HIS PAW DOWN, HE HAD ENOUGH OF THE LITTLE CAR. HE SAW ALL THOSE TREES GOING BY AND WE WOULDN'T LET HIM VISIT ANY OF THEM. IT'S OVER WITH HE SEEMED TO PROCLAIM! HE WANTED TO GO HOME. SO WE WENT BACK HOME TO FLORIDA!

                                                                                    

                                                                                      CHAPTER FOUR

AFTER MOWING DOWN THIS ENTIRE PROPERTY WITH MY LITTLE ELECTRIC HOMELITE WEED EATER, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP AS GRASS AND WEEDS GROW FAST DURING THE FLORIDA SUMMER! AS SOON AS I WAS I DONE AT ONE END, I HAD TO START ALL OVER. 


I HAD STOPPED ASKING FOR A LAWN MOWER, IT WAS EVIDENT THEY HAD NO INTENTIONS OF PROVIDING ONE! WE WERE WORKING HARD. I WAS IN AGREEMENT WITH RHONDA, WE WERE NOT BUYING EQUIPMENT TO RUN SOMEONE ELSE'S BUSINESS THIS TIME. WE HAVE DONE THAT IN THE PAST.

RHONDA WAS EITHER SPENDING ALL OF HER TIME IN THE FRONT OFFICE WAITING ON NEW GUESTS OR IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM WASHING AND FOLDING MOTEL LINENS AND TOWELS. RHONDA WORKED TIRELESSLY FROM MORNING UNTIL FAROOQ CAME TO PICK UP HIS CASH DEPOSITS LATE AT NIGHT! WE  BOTH WORKED TWELVE TO FOURTEEN HOURS PER DAY! SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK. THIS IS THE LIFE OF LIVE ON SITE PROPERTY MANAGERS.


RHONDA AND I TOOK OFF TOGETHER FOR A FEW HOURS ONE DAY TO DO SOME MUCH NEEDED SHOPPING! WE DID EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND REALLY DIDN'T ENJOY BEING APART VERY LONG. NUMEROUS TIMES PEOPLE OBSERVED US AND MADE A COMMENT OF WHAT A SPECIAL COUPLE WERE.  WE ALWAYS WALKED HOLDING HANDS AND LOVED BEING CLOSE TO EACH OTHER! THIS WOULD PROVE TO BE ONE OF THOSE TIMES THAT WE BOTH WISHED ONE OF US STAYED BEHIND AT THE MOTEL. I GUESS WATCHDOG FRANK WAS PAYING ATTENTION! WE TOLD HIM WE WOULD BE GONE FOR A FEW HOURS.


WE HAD NEVER LEFT THE PROPERTY TOGETHER SINCE WE FIRST ARRIVED AT THE MOTEL. UPON OUR RETURN TO THE MOTEL I SAID, MY GOD! RHONDA LOOK AT THAT! WOW! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! RHONDA SAID, WHAT JIM? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! I POINTED OUT, BRENDA'S CAR HAD BEEN REMOVED! RHONDA REPLIED, NO WAY! THE ONE TIME WE LEAVE TOGETHER AND NOW HER CAR WAS GONE! THAT WAS REAL INTERESTING TIMING. I WAS A DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE I REALLY WANTED TO MEET BRENDA! WE ASKED THE GUESTS IF THEY HAD SPOKEN WITH BRENDA. NOT ONE PERSON HAD SEEN BRENDA AT ANYTIME THAT DAY!. WE WERE TOLD THAT SUNNY BHADELIA HAD SHOWED UP A LITTLE WHILE AFTER WE HAD LEFT AND CLEANED OUT BRENDA'S ROOM QUICKLY AND REMOVED BRENDA'S CAR, THEN LEFT. SHE DIDN'T TALK WITH ANY ONE! I ASKED FRANK WHAT THAT WAS ALL ABOUT AND HE SAID, THE LESS YOU KNOW THE BETTER OFF YOU WILL BE. STOP ASKING! WE NOW HAD ACCESS TO BRENDA'S ROOM AND TOOK A LOOK INSIDE, SURE ENOUGH, THERE WAS NO PERSONAL PROPERTY OF BRENDA'S BELONGINGS. THERE WAS WHITE POWDER SPREAD AROUND IN THE BATHROOM AND ALL OVER THE FURNITURE AND ON TOP OF EVERYTHING!

BOTH RHONDA AND I WERE VERY CURIOUS AS TO WHAT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT. WHAT WAS UP WITH THE MYSTERY, WHAT WAS THE BIG DEAL?

THE SAYING GOES, CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT. BEING INQUISITIVE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE'S AFFAIRS MAY GET YOU INTO TROUBLE!

IN THE NOT TO DISTANT FUTURE, RHONDA, BUGSY AND I WILL EXPERIENCE THE MEANING OF THAT SAYING!


I NEEDED A BREAK FOR A LITTLE WHILE SO I TOOK A RIDE UP TO THE LOCAL THRIFT STORE. RHONDA AND I BOTH LIKED TO DROP OFF DONATIONS THERE AND LOOK AROUND THE STORE. TO MY PLEASANT SURPRISE A LADY WAS JUST DROPPING OFF A 3200 PSI PRESSURE WASHER WITH A NINE HORSEPOWER HONDA MOTOR! I ASKED TOM, THE OPERATOR OF THE STORE, HOW MUCH FOR THAT PRESSURE WASHER? HE SAD HE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW. HE HADN'T LOOKED AT IT YET.  I WENT OUTSIDE AND CHECKED ON IT. THE MOTOR WAS OUT OF GAS AND HAD A FLAT TIRE. IT WAS IN GOOD CONDITION, WITH GOOD COMPRESSION AND HAD ALL OF IT'S ACCESSORIES! I WENT IN THE STORE AND TOLD TOM THAT I NEEDED THAT DESPERATELY. HE SAID HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF IT RAN. I SAID I WOULD TAKE THE CHANCE. WHEN I GOT HOME I COULDN'T WAIT TO SHOW IT TO RHONDA. SHE DIDN'T DISAGREE AT ALL, BECAUSE I BOUGHT IT RIGHT. THEY WERE NOT GOING TO PROVIDE ME WITH A PRESSURE WASHER OR ANY EQUIPMENT, SO IT WAS A GOOD DECISION! WE COULD USE IT FOR FUTURE PROJECTS AS WELL. I FILLED IT WITH GAS AND IT FIRED RIGHT UP! PERFECT, I STARTED PRESSURE WASHING THE POOL FENCE, THE WALKWAYS, THE PUTTING GREEN AND CLEANED EVERYTHING IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME!

I FINALLY CONVINCED FAROOQ TO LET ME SHOCK THE SWIMMING POOL. I WAS PUTTING TOO MANY HOURS INTO CLEANING IT AND VACUUMING IT, BUT I STILL COULDN'T SEE THE BOTTOM. THIS WAS A THIRTY THOUSAND GALLON POOL. ON AN AVERAGE IT TAKES TWO AND A HALF GALLONS OF CHLORINE TO MILDLY SHOCK A SWIMMING POOL THIS SIZE. I ENDED UP PUTTING TWENTY TWO AND A HALF GALLON CONTAINERS OF CHLORINE INTO THE POOL! IT FINALLY CLEARED UP! FRANK TOLD ME THAT I DIDN'T NEED TO SHOCK THE POOL, I JUST NEEDED TO KEEP VACUUMING IT. I POLITELY TOLD HIM TO KEEP HIS POOL EXPERTISE TO HIMSELF BECAUSE THE POOL WAS DISGUSTING UNDER HIS WATCH! IT WAS APPARENT THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT!

THE PRESSURE WASHER WAS DOING A GREAT JOB ON THE WALKWAYS AND IT REALLY CLEANED UP THE PUTTING GREEN. AFTER MY FOURTH TIME WEED EATING THE ENTIRE PROPERTY, WHICH TOOK DAYS TO ACCOMPLISH! I ASKED SUNNY IF SHE COULD BRING ONE OF THE LAWN MOWERS BACK AFTER REPAIR. I EXPLAINED TO HER HOW MANY DAYS IT TOOK ME TO MOW THE PROPERTY WITH A TEN DOLLAR WEED EATER! SHE PROMISED TO LOOK INTO IT FOR ME. THE MOTEL PROPERTY WAS BEGINNING TO TAKE ON A  FRESH LOOK! NEITHER SUNNY OR FAROOQ ACKNOWLEDGED OR APPRECIATED OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS!

RHONDA AND I WERE TAKING PICTURES AND DOCUMENTING OUR PROGRESS. WE WERE GETTING EXCITED BECAUSE WE KNEW ONCE WE HAD THE ENTIRE MOTEL PROPERTY LOOKING GOOD IT WOULD BE A GEM IN THE PORTFOLIO OF OUR SUCCESSES AND REALLY COMPLIMENT OUR WEBSITE. WE BOTH HAD A DESIRE TO PURCHASE A MOTEL AT SOME POINT, WE ALREADY HAD THE NAME FOR IT, LIGHTHOUSE ON THE ROCK!  WE HAD OUR PLAN WRITTEN OUT FOR THE MOTEL AND WE HAD WRITTEN IT PLAINLY SO WE COULD RUN WITH IT AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME! IT WOULD BE AN ECONOMY MOTEL AND AN OUTREACH FOR THE NEEDY! WE DIDN'T WANT TO JUST FEED PEOPLE ONLY. GIVE A MAN A FISH AND HE'LL EAT FOR A DAY! TEACH A MAN TO FISH AND HE'LL EAT FOR A LIFETIME! WE'D HAVE TO SHOW A BANK OR ANY POTENTIAL INVESTOR THAT WE KNEW EXACTLY HOW TO OPERATE A MOTEL SUCCESSFULLY.


MY SISTER AND I HAD PURCHASED A VERY DYSFUNCTIONAL BOWLING CENTER AND BAR IN MINNESOTA DURING THE 90'S. WE TURNED IT AROUND, HELD MAJOR STATE TOURNAMENTS AND THE UPPER MIDWEST BOWLERS ASSOCIATION TOURNAMENT. WE HAD MORE THAN 500 LEAGUE BOWLERS AND COUNTLESS OTHER CUSTOMERS! THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS AND SUNDAYS WE PUT OUT A FREE FOOD BUFFET, IT WAS AWESOME TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT FOR PEOPLE! WE HAD A GREAT TEN YEARS OF BUSINESS. ACCORDING TO AMF AND BRUNSWICK WE WERE THE ONLY KNOWN BOWLING CENTER IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA DURING THOSE YEARS, WHO'S FOOD AND BEVERAGE REVENUE EXCEEDED THAT OF BOWLING. EVEN THOUGH WE WERE SELLING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, WE WERE DETERMINED TO DO IT AS RESPONSIBLY AS POSSIBLE. WE PROVIDED ALCOHOL AWARENESS TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TWICE A YEAR SO THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND SAFETY AND RESPONSIBILITY. WE HAD AN EXCELLENT RAPPORT AND MUTUAL RESPECT WITH THE LOCAL SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND DEPUTIES.  

STARTING IN FALL OF 1997 WE ACTUALLY HAD A REVIVAL BREAK OUT IN THE LOUNGE AND AROUND FORTY PEOPLE OR MORE GAVE THEIR HEARTS TO THE LORD AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS MOVING ON PEOPLE AS WE WOULD GATHER ON LANE EIGHT FOR PRAYER. WE WERE EXPERIENCING MIRACLES. I WAS DRIVING VAN LOADS OF PEOPLE DOWN TO THE LIVING WORD CHRISTIAN CENTER IN BROOKLYN CENTER A SUBURB OF THE TWIN CITIES, TWICE WEEKLY. 

WE SOLD OUT IN 1998 AND VACATED THE PROPERTY IN SPRING OF 1999. JESUS SAID, SELL YOUR POSSESSIONS, GIVE TO THE POOR, AND YOU WILL HAVE TREASURES IN HEAVEN. THEN COME, FOLLOW ME! MATTHEW 19:21 THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE UNTO A MERCHANT MAN, SEEKING GOODLY PEARLS, WHO, WHEN HE HAD FOUND ONE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, WENT AND SOLD ALL HE HAD AND BOUGHT IT. MATTHEW 13:45-46 


IN FALL OF 1998 I MOVED TO FLORIDA TO ATTEND THE RIVER BIBLE INSTITUTE IN TAMPA AND VOLUNTEERED IN MANY FOOD AND MINISTRY OUTREACHES! IN 2002 I GRADUATED WITH A BACHELOR OF ARTS IN THEOLOGY. THREE OF OUR EMPLOYEES FOLLOWED ME DOWN FROM MINNESOTA AND ENROLLED AS STUDENTS AT THE RIVER BIBLE INSTITUTE AND I WAS PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO HELP SUBSIDIZE SOME OF THEIR NEEDS AND HELP THEM GET ESTABLISHED INTO BIBLE SCHOOL. EXPERIENCES FASHION WHO WE ARE! ALL OF THOSE EXPERIENCES GAVE ME A HEARTS DESIRE TO KEEP SERVING AND HELPING PEOPLE. RHONDA WAS CUT OF THE SAME CLOTH. WE WERE DETERMINED TO HAVE OUR OWN MOTEL AND USE IT AS A MINISTRY OUTREACH. WE WERE HAPPY TO CLEAN UP THE BUDGET INN, IT WAS TO OUR BENEFIT! A FRUSTRATING ASPECT TO BEING INVOLVED HERE WAS THE MOTEL'S REVENUE AND PROFIT MARGIN WOULD HAVE INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IF THEY WOULD HAVE ALLOWED US DO THE MARKETING FOR THEM!

YOUR PROFIT IS YOUR VOLUME TIMES YOUR MARK UP! FAROOQ BHADELIA DIDN'T SEEM TO EMBRACE THAT BASIC BUSINESS PRINCIPLE!  SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES UTILIZE THIS PRINCIPLE TO SUCCEED AND PAY THEIR DEPT SERVICES, PAYROLL, TAXES AND UTILITIES!

REALITIES IN LIFE AREN'T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM TO BE. SOMETIMES REALITIES ARE SURPRISING AND DANGEROUS!

IT ISN'T MUCH LONGER BEFORE WE WOULD FIND OUT HOW WORRIED WE SHOULD BE ABOUT FRANK TROKEY. I NEVER BELIEVED HE COULD BE SO DANGEROUS.

RHONDA AND I LEARNED THE HARD WAY, FRANK TROKEY PROVED HIMSELF TO BE A DANGEROUS, TREACHEROUS MAN WITH EVIL INTENTIONS AND HE WAS NOT ALONE IN HIS WICKED ENDEAVORS!

TRIALS OF BETRAYAL

POLK COUNTY DAVENPORT FLORIDA TERRORIST INCIDENT! THE BETRAYAL OF DEPUTIES AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS!

TRIALS OF BETRAYAL

 MAKE IT GREAT AGAIN!

ANY SUPPORT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED THANK YOU!