Rousting a Recluse

She stopped book writing and shifted to short stories usually about our lake, local nature, and Brit's animals to post on her blog site. I gave Katie a Nikon™ D5300 for a wedding gift and she became a prolific wildlife photographer posting and selling her pictures. There was no way to hold Katie back - she is good at everything she touches, except making liver-n-onions.

I would have never reached this level of happiness or fulfillment if I would not have won the Lotto -- so yes, money can buy happiness. It can also make your life miserable as +70% of Lottery winners go bankrupt, as they lack the self-discipline to create and live a plan for success or are too damn gullible to say NO and limit there stupid spending.

Eulogy:

Not long after our marriage Katie's Ex-husbands parents were killed in a single car accident that has gone unsolved. Don't look at me -- I had nothing to do with this, I never even met them but it does not break my heart.

Three years after our marriage the girl's biological father died in prison by suffocation. As I heard he became a favorite amongst the prisoners. So I can only imagine what was stuffed down his throat to suffocate him. I just hope he was getting DP'ed and it hurt like hell. His death officially released his estate (that he could never touch from prison) to his heirs, the girls. The girls inherited many many millions, owners of the three huge Cambridge, Massachusetts properties, lots of art/antiques, and a 61' sailboat (that did not appear to have ever gone outside the break water or rigged the sails).

Katie asked me to take over as Trustee. Monthly, I conducted a family trust-business meeting with the girls to discuss their trust, desires, and directions for us to make decisions upon. Some items were sold and liquidated and others held for a more favorable market timing (aka high pricing). I used this to teach them how to invest wisely. The girls loved it and we became even closer (and for them richer).

Both girls have more than enough inheritance to live their life their own terms and their future children's. My hope was to teach them to invest wisely and the rule-of-compounds to never touch the principle - live life off the gains. Both trusts are theirs when they hit 25.

When Janet and Bill need an escape we become their resident babysitters -- well officially it is Brit or Jasmine but in our cabin. Janet and Katie are virtually sisters and I would usually see Janet's kids every week. We are godparents to Janet's four children. We secretly have set up a $M college trust for each child; our present to each upon high school graduation with conditions of course.

Bill got a chance to buy a manufacturing company locally. He came to me for advice and a business plan. Bill did not need much help just someone to build his confidence and be a business sounding board. I made sure my fishing buddy and my first Friday will do very well. Actually, Katie wrote his business plan to get the bank loan (that was backed anonymously).

Early on I was adamant with the family that our fortunes must remain "our family secret", in part, for our safety and to minimize ostracizing by the less fortunate in our community. Money can bring out the ugly in people that never meant or want to be ugly. Everyone knows we have money but never how much, when I'm asked I just tell them I did some early investing in Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon it did very well for me! I told the girls to never tell anyone about their inheritance or you could be ripe for an extortion kidnapping.

My two girls are a force of nature. Years after they both graduated from high school I was told they were a fierce duo in defended their love for me. Jasmine even knocked a big football lineman on this butt in front of his team mates for mocking her endearments of me. (I guess Danny's hand-to-hand Special Forces training he taught his sisters paid off.) This stupid lineman was going to retaliate when the whole team stepped in front of him telling him to back off or suffer a severe painful football career limiting injury. Jasmine was that respected and loved by her classmates the arrogant lineman just slithered away. (Woe be it to anyone that ever raises a hand to Jas or Brit, Danny would take him apart then I'd demolish them.)

Of course my heroic feat in saving the girls lives has become county folklore thanks to the big mouths of a few deputies and paramedics. The County even gave me a citizen of the year award and made me an acting Deputy Sherriff (with my own badge and ID) for this heroic act and past military experience. Now the award pictures are posted on the walls of the Sherriff and County buildings. And all I want is to be a hermit -- proof that no good dead goes unpunished!

Just before each of them left for college, I held a very pointed discussion with each girl. I told them when the time comes to marry you will have a pre-nup to protect your assets or I will not walk you down the aisle. That young love is often 'lust' masked 'as love' and 'lust' can blind you. However, lust can also grow into a deep fulfilling life of love with the right mate - but shit happens. If you and him remain true then the pre-nup was a waste of paper but if either of you stray after having children, who suffers? Remember your life before I came into it. That talk was harsh and I hope unwarranted but "I" had to do it. I got from each of them "we know and we love you daddy." I felt good fulfilling my fatherly duty, even Katie gave me a big smooch for it.

Danny did go to college and got a BA in Management focusing on investments, accounting, and tax law. He then discovered he liked school and went on for an MBA (I think Katie encouraged him often or withheld his favorite pie from him). While doing this he found the love of his life and soon married Lisa. Lisa is the rock Danny needed and I'm very proud of her. She is a stunning blue-eyed beautiful real blonde that is a neck-snapping head turner. Lisa totally shatters all dumb blonde stereotypes. God help you if you piss Lisa off, she is smart, quick to the cut, and totally devoted to Danny. Danny did not invite his mother to his wedding -- I had nothing to do with that, but I was very pleased.

The night of their marriage they used the Packer cabin - it's secluded, quite, and behind a locked gate. At brunch I requested a sit-down with Lisa to inform her just what she married into. I gave her my history, Katie gave her her history, and then we discussed my LLC and its worth, she fainted - awaking with her head in Danny's lap. He had never told her, she just suspected we were well off as I paid for the whole wedding. She did an extensive online search of Danny and I and found very little (well that online 'keep me anonymous' service works well for us and we sure as hell do not do faceBook or other social Tweet crap).

This is when Katie and I gave them our wedding gift to them - keys. They now live in a new log cabin with almost the same out buildings (the mirror of ours) on 20 acres at the end of our lake (about ¾ mile down Broadway). Later he added a lakefront A-cabin and built a woodworking do-all shop. Danny loves building scratch real solid wood furniture as a hobby.

The end of the week they went on their honeymoon (you guessed it) the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda where I'm sure Danny listed her on his, no their accounts. Just under a year later they blessed us with a set of twins, a boy and a girl. Brit and Jas loved being Aunty babysitters. Danny works from home, like me, in my/our LLC Investment Companies making millions while living life and loving his family -- all on his terms. Danny and Brit are usually in my office every day around lunch as they love Katie's cooking (don't tell Lisa).

Britney became a doctor of Veterinarian medicine graduating with honors. She has set up her clinic in this county since there has never been a Vet closer than 25 miles and she has a mobile clinic on wheels giving full service to the area farmers. Britney is not into it for the money but for the love of animals. Britney has become a beautiful clone of her mother. She bought (actually inherited) her great-Aunt's lake property and built a new log cabin almost a mirror of ours on 40 acres. She built a very large heated barn for animal treatment and breeding miniature goats, toy-ponies and Alpacas.

We suspect Britney came back not just to be near us but for a local 4H farm-boy she dated in high school. Kevin became a Navy FMS Corpsman seeing combat and got a Purple-Heart returning home to work his dad's farm and attend college. He is a volunteer County Fireman/Paramedic. Brit could not have fallen for a better man. I'm sure wedding bells are soon coming. In the meantime, Kat, Brit, and Lisa are tearing up Broadway.

Every Sunday Katie (with Lisa and Brit) conduct the family dinner at our cabin. Danny's, Kevin's and my job is to keep the little feet out of the kitchen. Life is damn good but exhausting.

I bought the property on my other side of mine expanding my 20 acres to 40 acres -- not sure what I'll do with it but Jasmine will need a place to live one of these days. So I just might need to build a duplicate log cabin on this property so it's waiting for her to come home. She had a steady guy in high school but he went to college and never came back. He wanted action and adventure rejecting his no-where-ville Wisconsin heritage. Ah the mistaken priorities of youth.

Jasmine got a BS in Engineering and her Extra HAM License (tributes to me) but she desired to be a lawyer so she got a degree in Law, passed the WI Bar, and continuing for a JD focusing on Investments, accounting, and tax law, (gee wonder who gave her that idea...). I hope this county needs a super corporate type business lawyer soon.

She is a wickedly bright and cunningly smart and I'm sure a latent savant. She became a concert level pianist in high school just for fun and now speaks five languages. Jas is a beautiful clone of her mother but with even more tenacity. She is Danny/Lisa children's godmother. Jas idolizes her big brother and I suspect any possible mate for her will need to be a near clone of Danny.

You know if I buy the last remaining property on the lake we would have it all in the family. Now that's an investment idea. I need to get to that last property owner and pitch them a deal giving me first rights of purchase when they sell it. They have not been at the lake in over two years so it might be ripe for the picking. Need to talk to Katie but I bet Janet/Bill would be interested in the cabin/property (I'll make them a damn good deal or lease it to them for $101/yr).

FYI, I still play the Lotto and have never won another penny. But then again, I don't need another win I got Katie and two marvelous daughters and a hell of a son-- what more do I need? Hooyah!

I hope you enjoyed my second story. I will pay attention to comments that are not Annoy's. Annoy's have no standing with me -- have the guts to sign them or remain irrelevant. Thanks, OB