BGM

So the meeting went very well I had a lot of fun presenting to the so called "big wigs." They were really nice guys with a lot of info about loans and getting them. Unfortunately I do not have the 150k to put down. I will keep trying to find a lender that will give me the full 700k to get this thing up and running. The "big wigs" are still going to help guide us but I'm sure they will not give us the loan. They did suggest another place out of Seattle that does loans specifically like this from the SBA customers. I just think it wasn't the right time (too early). I would like to get the loan sometime around the fall so that we can have a grand opening in the spring and do some cookin' all summer! Thanks for the prayers and well wishing but it ain't over till the singing lady leaves the building.

BGM

I have spent the majority of the day working on my business plan to get this monster going. I think it is all good now, just need to tweek it. I did take a break and take the kids out for DQ and show them the BGM. We also had a game of Monopoly which ended in a tickle fight I won. I'm supprised Garrett didn't wet his pants he was laughing so much. Please keep praying that we get this thing I meet with the loan officer on Monday at noon. I know we can convince him to see this thing like we do. Here are some more pics. Sorry if you have been looking for car stories I have been pretty busy, maybe tomorrow. Thanks for the support!

Big Green Monster BMG

I am still looking for some Millionaire to give me a measly 500k to start this thing up. After my excitement HI the other day I almost hit the bottom today when I spoke to a bank loan officer that owns a cabin place out in Willow. She basically said shot yourself now.

I don't understand why you need money to get money as in a down payment. To get the loan I need, they want 20% of the loan then they give you 80% and your own 20% back!! I need 158k to get a 790k loan then I CAN GET BUSY!

Shelly drew up a sketch of the BGM with some landscaping and different paint. I was so impressed I can't wait to get started. Any moment now it will happen, I can feel it. Keep the faith talk to ya later.

Car Trouble #6

Sorry I missed you all yesterday. Too much going on I guess. So where were we...oh ya Sherry made it to Cali for the first time probably ever. Once we got her settled in she sat, and sat, and sat. When I found a highly recommended tranny place I took the transmission out my self and took it to this mechanic to rebuild. This place was amazing there must have been about 300 guys rebuildig tranny's in the three buildings I saw. Once the tranny was built I had the auto hobby shop guys on Travis AFB help. As much as they didn't want to they did.

I did it! finally I did something to repair her without a mechanic doing all the work. I felt good and proud. I was happy until I drove her out wouldn't you know it the lifters started knocking!

Big Green Monster new pics

I spent the entire day dealing with this whole thing. I found out lots of info, too much info. I have a lot of homework ahead of me. I've got huge planes for this adventure/career move. Jennifer and I are both getting excited. Things have been working so far despite all the hurdles. We still have a ton of work and lots of prayers to go yet. Thanks for all the visits to my blog I enjoy seeing the different countries on the counter. Please keep praying that things will work out for us thanks again.

Car Trouble #5

So we got Sherry all fixed up and ready to go. We made all the arrangements from Cali to get her fixed and then with my dad to get Sherry to the out skirts of Salt Lake City then we would tow her back to Cali. So before this time I secured a tow dolly to get her and I went all over town to the transmission places and asked "will I be able to tow a rear wheel drive car from Utah to Cali on a dolly?" A resounding Yes from all the mechanics. I didn't follow my gut feeling and did it anyway. It probably didn't help that I pulled her back with my 01 F-150 at 80 on the cruise. We must have pulled her about a hundred miles before the rear seal blew out spewing all the superheated tranny fluid. How I noticed was the thick white smoke pouring out and filling the air. I quickly took the drive line out and on we went. Now I had to find a transmission place that would rebuild her. Obviously I wasn't going back to the guys who told me that I could pull her without pulling the driveline.

HAPPY EASTER

Here are some pics before church. Everybody in their Easter best.

Car Trouble #4

Jennifer and I made it to Cali with me racing around her with my Focus, as she slowly chugged away in the van. By now the van was missing and not running right at all. We found out from the Bishop of our Ward in Fairfield of a place to take it for repair. To make a long story short we spent over $300 for a distributor and the problem persisted so the mechanic changed the spark plug wire and oh my gosh it resolved the problem. That guy cost us big time!

Some time had gone by and I sure was missing Sherry. But I knew that I had to get her fixed before I could bring her to Cali...or so I thought. I found this guy who would rebuild the engine and R&R for a decent price so I went a head and gave the ok. Sherry was now under the knife and getting a heart transplant. Jennifer and I decided to take a little vacation and pick her up. I was so excited when I drove her, until she seemed to be lagging a little. Come to find out this guy had a hunch that there was a bolt to long, there was, and it ended up bending a push rod. Now we are down for the count again. He repaired it and still didn't seem to be like before. But I took her anyway.

We were on the way back to Cali with Sherry, how fun. I was driving her and Jennifer was driving the van. It was loaded and the car was loaded with stuff and kids. but we were happy and ready to get home. Everything was going great, till we got out of Salt Lake City I heard a grinding noise and the oil light came on. So I immediately pulled over and checked out the engine. It sounded ok and I continued on. Didn't get very far and pulled over for good the engine wasn't getting any oil. What a bummer!

I was mad and Jennifer was mad we sat on the side of the highway for about 5 hours until a cop showed up. Then another hour for the wrecker. We were towed 90 miles to the Nevada line and dropped off at another mechanic shop. Come to find out she was dead, no oil pumping through her veins. So there she sat for a few months as I paid rent for her to sit there until my dad came with a trailer and pulled her back to Wyo. The mechanic and the guy who rebuilt the engine agreed to do it all over at no charge, but very reluctantly telling me I ran her out of oil. The guy didn't rebuild her like he did the first time and skimped by replacing only the things he wanted and didn't machine the way he should have as I found out by a mechanic in Cali. So they got the engine back in and started her up. NO oil pressure again they were baffled.

Partly my fault I skimped on price and didn't replace the distributor and the oil pump gear on the bottom end of the distributor was shot. I learned my lesson in a hard way and very expensive way. All I want to do is drive Sherry! Is there a problem with that?? But wait it gets better; tune in Monday and see how it could get better than this.

Big Green Monster

Well no news yet. I have to call the loan officer in Wasilla on Monday. The helpful guy at the SBA said sounds like a good idea but I should talk to the loan officer to see if it is a fesable idea for them or any other bank to loan out the 700k that I have estimated I'll need. Here are some more pics. This bottom pic is from the river bed looking up on the back side. Shelly and I drove down in the river just to get a good pic.

Car Trouble #3

By now you probably think what a lemon, or what disaster, or good grief get rid of the thing. I have had Sherry for a long while and have grown attached to her, it would be like getting rid of one of my children and I could never do that!

So getting on with today's Car Trouble, I finally found a great place to get the engine work done and these old guys thought I was out of my mind when I asked if they knew how to work on the lifters. This place was called Dinosaur Auto; what do you think. Well I found them like two weeks before we were leaving Wichita. Just my luck, right. They made Sherry sound so good I couldn't believe it. I wish there were more places like that, then maybe I would take her to mechanics instead of doing it myself.

I better get on with the trouble for tonight. We were going to drive from Wichita back to Cali and decided we were going to drive the Plymouth van pulling our trailer with almost a ton and a half of stuff. Mind you this van had the little four cylinder. It had some lag in the mountains but pulled it seemingly with out trouble...until Salt Lake City. But that is not the car your here to read about, right? Anyway we also had a 2000 Focus ZX3. Yes as you might have guessed a dilemma, two drivers and three cars. I decided to rent a car dolly and pull the Focus with Sherry. No problem she had plenty of power with a factory 175 horse, but with a couple bad cylinders likely down to about 130 or so. Well we were all packed up and ready to go. We hit the road for Cali and after a long couple hundred miles had to fill up again. I decided to check the oil and move on. Low and behold, Low being the key word here, Sherry had just about no oil. I thought if this is the way it's going to be I better buy a case of oil for the rest of the way. Every time we stopped I had to put more oil in her. She was running great though pulling the Focus and I didn't think much more about it. When we arrived in Burns at my folks house she was almost empty again of both oil and gas and I had no more oil from the case I bought. Jennifer and I discussed the problem and felt it would be better to leave her in the barn (no not Jennifer)until we could properly get her out to Cali. This was the beginning of trouble #4, #5 and #6 tune in tomorrow same car channel and read how funny it gets...do you sense the sarcasm?

Car Troubles #2

I can remember one time in Wichita, KS I wanted to find out about the knocking lifters on the 292 engine. I took it to a mechanic across the street a block away. And of course he wanted to do all sorts of things to Sherry. I ended up leaving with an oil re-router, new front brakes (because at that time she had front drums) and various other things (since then I have installed disc brakes from a 68 T-Bird.)

Well this guy kept putting more and more things on Sherry and some stuff he didn't ask to. Just before we left Wichita to move to California I had enough of his antics and talked to a lawyer friend of mine and he told me to write a letter stating that I would sue him in small claims court if he didn't refund the money for the work he did with out my permission. He took the threat seriously and wrote a check. This happened one more time seven years later with a so called upholstery guy. I have since vowed to never let anyone work on my car. I suggest you do the same.

Big Green Monster w/Pics

Well, this may not look like much, but like I said I see millions of tons of potential. You can see the Lazy mountain across the Old Glenn, the Matanuska River and Pioneer Peak across the river. Yes it does need a lot of work, but I have vision and can see it all. Also the inside is huge and ready for upgrades, and a design team.
Tell me what you think. Be honest!

Car Troubles #1

I have had so many unexpected things happen with my Galaxie it's hard for me to count. When I first got her my wife was already in love with her. So much so that she didn't hesitate to let me purchase the car of my dreams. When I drove by her with Jennifer she said "That's the car?" I said "Yes!" Jennifer said "Buy it." The next day I went to talk to the guy about buying the car.

I am going to do something I've never done before and actually name her right here right now. From now on my Galaxie will be known as Sherry, as in Sherry Baby.

So this guy actually won the auction from where Sherry was sold a day or so before. I also bid on her when I was on my lunch break, but had to go back to work and left a sealed bid. I did not hear from the auction house and assumed the worst.
Yes, it was true I did not win the bid, and thought I had lost the dream car of a life time. Well it must have been fate the very next day I drove by this old part of town I would not normally drive. This day was meant to be. I saw her parked on display in this mechanic's lot. I didn't know what to do, I freaked out and started shouting and laughing. I was so excited that I did a U turn as fast as possibly could and pulled in along side her. She was in ok shape. She had a new paint job that was already starting to oxidize and the entire interior was in the trunk save the Lincoln seat bolted to the floor like a Dr. Seuss driving contraption. I felt like I was on top of the world, I just found my baby.
Now, day three I took Jennifer to go see her again and buy her. We planned to spend no more than $1500 and give him a check. Jennifer and I pulled in to the place and started looking at Sherry. The old unshaven mechanic came out with his middle aged son and asked if I liked her? I said "ya she's alright." After some small talk he said he wanted about $2000. But then he followed up quickly with "you know after we tune 'er up and all... we still have to put 'er seats in." I said "well, I'll give you $1500 cash right now." "Ok let me go get the paperwork." he said. We went in and signed, he gave me the keys and I was on my way. I got that 292 V8 revved up and Jennifer in tow with the old Plymouth Voyager we headed home.
She about lost it when I sped out of the lot she said " about a foot of flame came out both exhaust pipes." She really got excited when that happened it reminded her of her favorite movie "Grease." She couldn't keep up and met me at home... after one of the most scary incodents ever.
I didn't know how much gas Sherry had and went to the QT by our house to fill up. When I got back on the road. I almost had to stop immediately for a car to turn, when I did Sherry Stalled out. While waiting for the car to turn in front of me a car squealed the breaks suddenly behind me and I thought it was all over. She stopped and didn't hit me. I was safe and a huge sigh of relief fell over me. Then suddenly the car behind her slammed her. I am still trying to get the car started and to no avail I killed the battery. I set the break and ran to check on her come to find out she was going to Wesley Medical Center (where I worked part time as a surg. tech.) She was nine months pregnant and going for a check up. As we waited for the police I pushed my car to the nearest lot and looked to see what was going on. After some investigation found that the coil wire came off how? I do not know. It was completely off; it had to have been taken off hand I thought and can not explain it to this day. As soon as I connected it it started right up. It just happened to be a "Christine" moment. I then took her home and tucked her in to bed.

The Big Green Monster futue site of my B&B

As adamant as I am about building this B&B others in my family are not. I know in my heart and mind with a lot of faith, the willingness and eagerness to do this it will work! The one and only problem I can see is capital. I figure it will cost just under 500K but I will not start until I have the 500K in hand to do this new adventure. I've done my home work and I am still doing my homework to make this successful. I will not stop until it is done.
I don't know when I'll be able to come up with this money, but with a lot of hard work it will happen. I need to get some pics of this place that I have in mind. I call it the Big Green Monster. It is huge and has a million tons of potential. The best part is it has the Matinuska River on one side and Lazy Mountain to the other. There is a bike path in front and goes along the highway and down to the river... it's a start. I am looking forward to getting this done for my retirement from the Air Force I will be eligable June of 2010.
I was actually thinking I could take "donations" of a thousand or so and give mini vacation packages to those individuals. Of course I would be doing that for about 500 weeks or so.
If any one has any ideas clue me in...constructive please. I do know about bank loans!

My 1962 Ford Galaxie

This is my 62' Galaxie. She originally came with a 292 Thunderbird special "Y" block with three in the tree, three speed transmission. When I bought it in Kansas it had a 1977 Lincoln town car front seat in it. Needless to say it did not fit on the floor boards. The doors would shut but the seat itself was slanted. The kids that got a hold of it drilled holes right through where ever the bracket sat then put carriage bolts in to hold it down.

Since then I put a 68' 390 with a three speed in her. I just found two c-6 transmissions to put in as well, maybe this summer I'll put one in. I did the upholstery myself and had a friend paint her pearl white with a blue metallic flake. In the sun she really shines purdy. (that's my hillbilly coming out)

Some time I will tell you about the head liner fiasco and the lifter fiasco and some great stories while driving it. Hope you enjoy the pics.

Welcome to Inn the Wilderness

I have always wanted to own my very own business. Now that I am older so much older I want to open an Inn. I found a little place over in Palmer Alaska. It is a pretty old building with a lot of history. It was a restaurant a couple of times and was about to be a shelter until someone gave up on the idea.
So about now you are wondering who is this and what is this blog all about. You asked so I'll tell you. I have been watching my wife post her blog and thought it would be cool to have one as well. So I will tell you about me and then get into the Inn. You probably noticed my blog name Inn the Wilderness; pretty clever, right? My name is Dale Wilderness born about twenty years too late, because I love the sixties cars and as you see my signature is "FORD Rules" I only say that because of my beautiful 1962 Ford Galaxie. It is a two door post car that I have built up and still building. My wife picked it out!! I love it as my ninth child. How many children you say? Yes I said nine (including my car.) I miss driving it because here in Alaska it snows and rains more than the sun shines.
I have been in the Air Force for the last 18 years this April. I am so looking forward to retiring in June of 2010.
More to come it is late and I need to get up at 4am. So anyway about the Inn if you want to make an old mans dream come true ask how.