The Icemaker Queen

Saturday 3/31/2007

To my casual, but important reader. Where did Jeff come up with the title to this blog entry? Icemaker, like the kind you have in your freezer that works. The story goes is that mine, or ours, quit working.

I am tight! No I am stingy, when it comes to spending $180.00 for a Sears technician to come to my home and install something in 5 minutes and charge that much. I wanted to do this myself.

I came up with two options. I called Sears and the modular (motor) I needed was $75.00, plus about $10.00 to ship it. $85, and I know there has got to be a cheaper way. Wholesale part company in Pelham, call them and they can get the part for $52.00 but $12.50 UPS, so it is $77.00 delivered. So I am only about 10 bucks ahead of the game if I can put it in myself.

Two weeks later, they call me and the part is in. I watched the repairman do this once and it looked so easy. But after getting the part and spending two sessions of parts falling into the ice bend, I am wondering if I did the right thing.

Today enters the Icemaker Queen. Karen reads directions much better than I as well as scoring a whole lot higher on the mechanical skills part of life. So Karen decides to make one try at this after we have been buying bags of ice for almost 4 weeks now.

I missed one big important part of the directions as it is looking at the installation almost backwards as the design shown is from the inside of the freezer. She reads the directions properly, and I was amazed. It clicked right into place, the motor starts humming, the ice sensor moves as it is supposed to do, and I just heard the icemaker fill again after dumping the first load of 10 cubes into the ice bend.

Next time I need the oil changed, fix a broken radio, or record player, install a new television, it will not be me. I have a teenager's mind in my precious wife and she can do it. I have seen her do it and now we have ICE. Thanks to the Icemaker Queen!/jbn

Karen's Knitting

Dear friends and family,

I wish you could see the things Ms Karen has made for friends and their new babies. She has several people at work with new babies and she has made them one of a kind baby blankets that are priceless.

She just gave a friend a baby blue baby blanket, knitted (she said) over about 4 weekends. It was gorgeous and the new mom just loved this gift. It was baby blue and Karen took great pain in making it look like one money could not buy.

I watched her imagination at work and the blanket coming together over the weeks. It started out one way, then she decided she wanted something different. It had two colors of blue, different shades of light blue intertwined making it unique in everyway. She then took one of the darker shades and went around the borders repeatedly making an outline and strengthening feature that will make it last a lifetime and something she can hand down to her children's children.

Karen gift wrapped it and gave it to the mom this last week and I ask how it was received. She said 'she saw tears in her eyes' when she opened Karen's gift of love. It was ooohed and aughed over by all her people not really believing this beautiful one of a kind baby blanket. Now what?

I am looking at her recliner now and there drapped over the back is a multicolor babyblanket commissioned by another expecting mom who does not know her baby's sex. So the new blanket is a collage of colors using yellows and greens and blues in repeated squared designs now about 2/3 made. It is like something you would see your grandmother make and takes you back years or it does me.

I am so proud of her and her love of this work. She does not call it work, but something she loves to do with her imagination running rampant in doing this. The colors are soft and vibrant if that is possible. She said last night she is about ready to put the bordor on this one, but has not decide what color to use. Yellow seems the dominate color and I would guess that would be her choice.

My casual reader, I'll fill you end when this project is completed over the next few days maybe the next two weekends and nights. News at 11:00. Jeff N.

MY WAY OUT





TO MY CASUAL READER AND FRIENDS,




Here is a more current picture of Chris Nutter doing a talk at one of the major book stores where his book is being promoted.




You can google "Christopher Lee Nutter" and read an excerpt from his book My Way Out. I purchased the book and read it in 2 days. It is a somewhat tough read for the normal reader but it does offer some insight into what all he went through before finally coming out some 10 to 12 years ago.




I wish him much success and hopefully he will see his dad in a different light than how I am protrayed in the book. Time will tell. Maybe one day he will realize his dad and this family still loves him. The ball is in his court now. Love, Dad/Jeff N

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Christopher Lee Nutter


Wednesday March 21, 2007
Chris is my son living in NYC. He recently published a book called "MY Way OUT". This book chronociled his life from his earliest recall of coming out as a gay man.
I can remember from his early childhood that one of his greatest goals was to live in a city like NYC and write a book. He worked his way through college, got his degree, and headed toward the Big Apple. He was astranged from his dad feeling (I believe) that I did not support him financially like he believed I should have. Of course there is another side to the story that I will tell you, my reader, about what was going on during this critical time in his life.
His mom, my wife of 28 years, had just ask for a divorce and left behind huge debts and loans that someone had to pay. I truly believe she was suffering from depression in the worse way and spending money was her only way of relieving her pain? I have not had 'chronic depression' but suffered 'acute depression' brought on by a heart problem just before she left and I got a taste of the 'darkness and helplessness' she must have experienced.
But this is only my side of this story, so please read with the understand there are always two sides to every story. The part that Chris does not know but can know now some almost 15 years later is this.
You cannot run away from huge debts! Your options are really two fold and there is the responsible journey or one of destruction. I chose to be the responsible father, the caring father, the one that made a difference in both his and his mother's life that they know very little about.
This is a short story about what I did.
There were essentially 3 mortgages that totalled after all the penalities and huge interest accrued, over $50,000. How do you get creditors to keep from foreclosing on my home, filing suits against me (and her) for this huge indeptedness! What did I do?
I got an attorney, identified each of the creditors, told them each of my plan to pay them and got them to keep from filing suits against these debts. This meant each friday when I got paid, I journeyed to two offices and dropped an envelope through the door with $50.00 or $100.00 just to satisfy the officers that I was earnest in doing this.
Securing a loan to cover all these was a monumental effort. She left behind department stores, credit card companies, and 2 second mortages on our home, and bad marks against my (our) credit history that getting a bank to do this was a small miracle. Separating her 'debt' from my personal debt was a major undertaking. At first, the credit companies and bank said this was impossible. Even the bank officer working with me had gone through a divorce and knew the battle I was facing.
After many letters and phone calls, the creditors all agreed to not file suits after identifing each and making small but timely payments on each over months. Cash works. I borrowed $1,000.00 from my 80 year old mother to spread this around as best I could, if only paying interest on the depts, to create a path toward some semblance of solvency. Then as I paid off each one and I miraculously got each of them to write me a letter of my success, and to send a copy to each of the the 4 credit services. Then "Bessemer credit" was my salvation. You ask how?
I made trips to the office, taking time off from work, talking to people about what I as doing and asking this then credit service what to do? The first two people I talked to were unsympathetic and my plea fell on deft ears. I was sitting in the waiting room for an officer when a young lady came in and offered to help me She got my file and began telling my story and as I did I noticed tears in her eyes. Her husband had just ask for a divorce and she was going through the same pain, the same financial disaster I was facing. We ended up telling each other our stories and the many similarities was amazing. Each left, leaving behind a trash pile of debts and obligations, letting the chips fall where they may.
I wish I could remember this ladies name today, but now I can only tell mine and her story. She wrote letters, gave me phone numbers to call, contact persons at each credit service, and told me to tell each of them to call her if any questions. Now I had someone on my side keeping me up to date as to how I was progressing. I would get a copy of my credit report about every 10 days and each showed my progress in removing 'bad credit history' with each slowly changing my credit rating.
After about 3 months of writing letters, paying off debts one by one, my credit report began to show signs of just maybe I would qualify for a new 'roll over' loan on the big loans into one 'refinancing on my home'. How did I get my home going through a divorce, being a man, where generally the wife gets the home? She left and under 'the law' that is called 'abandonment'. I did not know this but this act on her part gave me the power to secure a first loan in my name only. I did have to get her to sign over her part on a warranty deed which she did reluctantly.
She did not want to do this telling me 'she did not like the deal'. I then offered on paper to exchange places and I would give her the home IF she would assume all the remaining debt and pay me for the indebtedness I had paid off in the last months. She hung up! Then after about 10 days of thinking about the deal, and her being out from under her 50/50 responsibility of the debts with both our names on them, she signed the warranty deed and I could then refinance my home in 'my name'.
The bank was amazed! The word the account manager said something like a 'miracle'! She said "Jeff, I think we can send the loan to underwriting and I think they will approve it". I was exhausted mentally and physically, losing about 15 lbs. over the 3 months, stress and worry taking it's toll. But now the wait for the answer from underwriting!
The bank was "First Alabama" and I can never thank them enough for believing in me. They saw 'me' not what they first saw on paper. Their belief in my genuine effort to do the right thing and work so hard was evident to them. What a wonderful life experience.
I was working at my desk in Tuscaloosa several days later and it was now friday afternoon. The officer told me she would call me as soon as she heard something but I was impatient. It was about 1:30pm, yes I remember the time, thinking the bank would close at 2:00pm. I called the office and ask for my officer. "Jeff, you must have been reading my mind. I was about to call you! Are you sitting down? You are a new home owner!"
It is OK to tell you I cried! I walked downstairs and talked to my president and ask him if I could take a small break away from the office. He knew what I was going through and he said take whatever time you need. He said "Is everything OK?". I chokingly told him, "It could not be better!"
I remember walking out the front of the office and out to my car then walking, walking, and walking. Tears fell down the front of my shirt and onto my tie but I did not care. I did not want to let my fellow workers see me so upset but happy but now unable to hold back the dammed up emotions that bubbled over the shell I had built over the months doing this. Now I can relax and go on with life.
I write this as it is now 15 years later and I have 4 more mortgage payments and my home is mine. $30,000 first mortgage plus the $50,000 indebtedness is now paid and in 4 months my disposable income will increase by approximately $750.00/month. It has been a hard long battle but I made it.
Chris did not know this. He thinks his mom paid off the debts. But that is OK. I still love him and one day he will find this letter and know some of the truth of what happen. This assumption of this debt should have given his mother so much money to help him through school with her not owing anyone except personal expenses. But the bottom line is, "I did not have any money to send him during school". His mother had all the money and what she did with it, I don't know. One day, a long time ago, she called me and thanked me and said when he finished school she would pay me back for all the backdebts I paid that she owed. It never happen.
July 2007, Jeff and Karen will burn a mortgage. You, my casual reader, is invited!/Jeff N.

My Two Loves




Sunday 3/18/2007


Dear friends and family,


Attached hopefully is a picture of my son Jason and my grandson Rhett Nutter. These are the loves of my life!


You wonder when you have children what it would be like to have a grandson or daughter. Let me tell you from now first hand experience, could we not set this up and skip the kids and go straight to grandchildren?

I have this one grandson, Rhett is now almost 7, or will be in July. What a great age. I had him two days here in Birmingham some two months ago and what a wonderful experience seeing life through the eyes of your grandchild and to see your child now a responsible and loving caring adult.


We visited, we played, we ate together, we even went through the McWane IMax theatre and saw the awe in his eyes enjoying the wonders of this experience. It was this grandfather and dad Jason all acting the kid again testing our knowledge against all the engineering exhibits there that test your imagination. We acted the 'fool' a little but that is what being a kid again is all about. I have more pix from the outing and will try to post some of these for you to enjoy.


It was the bed of nails, the pin face imprints, the mechanics of trying to lift our own weight with pulleys overhead, leaving granddad with some very sore muscle I had not used in a long time.


I'll make this short and see how the post comes out. Then if it is OK, I'll share some pictures from the McWane outing. Thank you my casual reader and hopefully you will look around and find my site interesting, diverse, and about my life! Read on....Jeff

My Home in Bessemer, Alabama, USA

Dear reader,

My mom lived at her home in Bessemer, Alabama all her life, almost 92 years. She and dad moved into their home in 1936 and the house was built in 1926. How did they build homes during this time. Solid!

Three fourths of the house is built on 12" centers not 16" like they build them today. The house needs some cosmetic work, but is solid, and you can jump up and down on the floors and not rattle the collectables in the cabinets.

What have I done lately to the house? New roof, removing the old roof and 2 years ago I put a 30 year roof on the entire house. While doing this, I put new 4" gutters on the house. The roof was $2,800.00 and the gutters were about $1,000.00. I looked at the electrical network so I added a new house power box on the outside of the home bringing it up to current electrical standards. Cost for this almost $1,000.00.

The house does not have central heat and air. Why? My mom did not live all over the house and the floor furnaces and 3 window A/C's allowed me to program the heat and air to meet her demands and save $$$$$. I can supply average home expenses including insurance upon interest in buying the house. The house needs some cosmetic work which I will do or let you see what you want and what color fit your decor and let you do this and deduct that from the selling price.

I had a contract recently on the house and the attorney decided the day before closing that he wanted to 'low ball' me (and my brother) on the sale. Unethical in my book! We had temporarily took the house off the market and WE BELIEVED he was earnest in buying the house. It looks like now it was only a ruse to try to get us to give him the house, offering 15k or more less than the original agreement. Please do not respond to this unless you are earnest in buying and are accustomed to dealing with us honestly as we will with you. The Golden Rule applies in all transactions.

The asking price for the 3 bedroom, two bath home is $79,000. The house is sitting on one of two 60 foot lots and has a great play ground for a family with kids. I grew up there and all the kids in the neighborhood gathered there to play in mom and dad's great side yard 60 feet by about 180 feet deep. The house sits on a like lot.

Schools. The house is walking distance to Westhills Elementary School or Dunhams kindergarden through elementary school. Westhills is part of the Bessemer Public School system and Dunhams is a private school. I boys went to Dunhams when it was called "Mrs. Carroll's School". I recommend Dunhams with experience there, especially for little tykes that need loving care.

Bessemer is south west of Birmingham, Alabama and west of Hoover, Alabama. The area is growing with industries, car dealer ships, and hotels being built as we speak. Bessemer is 30 minutes from the Mercedes Benz Plant in Vance, Al and 95 miles from the new Hyunda plant in Montgomery, Al. The home is an hours drive of the Honda Odessy plant in Lincoln, Alabama near Anniston, Alabama. There are prefab manufacturing facilites surrounding the area suppling the multiple auto manufacturers now centered all over Alabama.

The home is near shopping areas, ie the Galleria in Hoover, a hub of shopping in a huge shopping mall plus the Patton Creek Shopping center expanding behind the Galleria. The are huge employment opportunities with Alabama having a less than 3% unemployment rate compared to the 5.8% national rate. So work is not hard to find in the surrounding area.

The medical centers are too multiple to list. Medical West is less than a mile for the home and is and expanding part of the University Medical Center in Birmingham. Carraway Medical Center, Trinity Hospital, Princeton Hospital, and Medical Center East are all huge medical centers that offer jobs published everyday in the Birmingham News.

We have the home current listed with Debbie Stallings with REMAX in Bessemer and she will gladly talk to you about the home, the house inspection, offer a tour, and give you a true insight and unbias opinion of the home and the area opportunities this great buy offers.

I am Jeff Nutter, the co-owner with my brother Jack Nutter. My home phone is 205.979.1898 and my cell is 205.401.5731. Please call me if you are interested and I will tell you about my 24 years of living at 513 Alice St.

Thanks for reading my post and hope this does not offend anyone posting this here. Jeff