Letter To Howard

Howard:
Please forgive me for communicating to you this way. I do not have your email saved in my current listings. I tried the old one and it failed. I do not have a home line or funds to send this via fax. I could mail it but it will be delayed two days. I do not know if you have ever been to my blog...but I use it to share my thoughts and also it is a useful communications tool when needs arise (such as in this case). I wrote this letter in Micro Word earlier today around 5:00- 6:00 PM EST (then I went and voted). I type in M/W and then copy/paste to my blog. I prefer to do email comms in the same fashion as I have lost valuable thoughts in email engines. If I do it in M/W, save it, then c/p it works best. Any way here is the letter...it is two pages and I will mail you an original (as always) when I can afford a stamp. I will call you breifly to advise you of this posting. If my cell is cut I'll call collect with instructions on how to get to the blog. Anyway, have a great day and please enjoy your week. Love Always Bryan

Uncle Howie:
As I write this I am listening to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Youngs’ Déjà vu’ album.
It is a classic I have listened to since I was 14 years old. It speaks to me in my highs, lows and calmness all thru the ever changing days and nights that make up our lives.

I am not always good expressing my self on the phone. And the times we’ve spent together has been to short and infrequent. We both have very interesting lives. Yours is an especially interesting tale…what with the Tie Kwan Do and barefoot skiing at 60 years old ! I always remember those days I lived with you in the condo. They were very special times for me and I learned a lot from your professionalism, will for life, and attention to your home life. I look to you as a mentor and father figure in a life that never really had one. I love you and that is not said enough. After all you even married me and Elizabeth in another moment in time I will cherish forever. You are blessed with the good life and I am blessed to have such an example in my life. Thank you !

Our last conversation was misunderstood and too short. So, please indulge me to explain:

I know I need cash and I am formalizing ways every hour of my days and nights to do so. I have many items I could sell, but I have worked my whole life for some of these items that I hate to see them go. Some of the items I have are one of a kind and hard to put a price on. And other things are simple trinkets and nostalgia. In return for your gracious efforts to help me I am sending you a cherished item I ran across for $1 at an estate sale. I have not listened to it, it is in mint condition and I do not know if Granpa is on it but, it is an album. It was produced by Harmony for Columbia Records. It is an unbreakable (ox”Lp”279) HL 7056. It is Arthur Rodzinski conducting The Cleveland Orchestra. Tchaikovsky Overture “1812” !!!! For One Dollar. I do not have the cover just the sleeve and it is labeled Minute Masters. (which is crossed out). I do not know if you have a record player, but maybe you know someone who does. I can not see a date anywhere on it. It is a recut for a radio station that went belly up in Gainesville a few years ago. I got about 20 more that I think have some value (perhaps on E-Bay). My favorite is one that details the Music of the Strauss Family. It is by the Musical Heritage Society Inc. It is the Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra…conductor Eduard Strauss. Side One is all Johann Strauss (1825-1899). Side 2 has 2 pieces from Johann and one from Johann Sr. (1804-1849) and one by Josef (1827-1870). I have the cover and the sleeve and it is mint. I am going to send you both. The Cleveland is for you, the Strauss is for safe keeping until I get established again. It is fascinating work by the masters of old.
I will put them both in the Strauss cover and send it out marked fragile via UPS as soon as I have funds to do so. Thanks again for the loan. As far as family goes these albums are priceless. It is this sort of thing that is hard to put a price tag on.

On other fronts I am trying to secure cash flow immediately. The service garage we started talking about is a goal to astride for…not an immediate course of action, which I tried to explain but as I said our conversation was too short and misunderstood, sorry.

Bob (at JSC Inc.) has been busy with storm damage and such. I left him a voice mail that I had a business plan drafted for a position as a primarily commissioned sales man. This would allow a bit of a flexible schedule unlike the grind of a project manager or branch manger as I was doing before. I have also contacted the electrical company I worked for before and apologized for my rudeness (I also gave them a lead on some storm damage). I did not ask for my job back I simply apologized and said if they needed my services and would consider it I would return. If not I understood and thanked them for the opportunity. I have also left a message with my friend George who is Vice- President of Power Design Inc. in St. Pete. I would not have to relocate; I would be doing systems work out of town (and some out of state). They provide a truck, gas, lodging, etc. and I would probably work 4 -10’s with a split on the drive time or something like that. They do work in a five state area east to Texas and north to the Carolinas.
I have also put flyers at about 25 damaged homes offering various services (tree cutting, fence work, etc.) but no bites on that. I have talked (briefly) to a friend who owns a restaurant to see if I could work for him in some fashion. We’re supposed to get back together in a day or two. There were other things in the paper but I kind of want to see if any of these pan out quickly. With my funds being low I can’t afford to be running all over town doing interviews. The economy is good here so something should break this week. I have all sorts of tools to do all sorts of things so I am not just sitting here doing nothing. Since I do have some free time I do spend some time doing things around here.

I have been practicing with my harmonicas and doing some writing. My passion has always been steered towards the arts. I do not pretend to believe it is any thing more than a hobby…but practice makes perfect as I think you once told me, several times as I recall.

I have been taking my meds and have to reschedule my canceled appointments. The VA was closed Thursday, Friday and I think Monday too. I do not feel I am in a manic state. I have moments when I am playing or writing that I feel “inspired” but as I hope you can tell by the tone and content of this letter I am thinking logically and clearly.

We all have dreams and inspirations. My heart and soul has always been faith based and continues to be so. Do I feel overly inspired at times? Yes, I do. And I think for the most part it is a natural release of my inspirations and dreams. At times they get out of control, the trick is to manage them and channel them. This I have strived to do.

I guess as an example it would be similar to reaching your “chi” as they call it in the oriental martial arts. You channel your bodily strength thru the calmness of your mind.
For you it is channeling thru those bricks, thru that next cut on the ski. For me at times it comes out in my music and writing and overflows into my daily actions. This is where it gets tricky so I stay on my meds and try to maintain a level of logic and professionalism.

I hope you can understand this a bit. I don’t know if you have ever visited my blog. It is http://bryanastross.blogspot.com There is a posting there from a few days ago called Explanations. I do not feel I am a one man mission to solve the worlds’ ills. However, I do have dreams and inspirations to serve God and my fellow man in a way to hopefully make some slight difference in the lives of those I come in contact with. To do less would be a disservice to God and my fellow man. This is and has always been my goal in life whether high, low, or stable. Again, I hope you can understand my emotions.


Love you with all my heart and soul:

Your Nephew:

Bryan ...;}...

In His Service:

Proverbs Chapter 10….Psalm 97

Gods’ continued blessings for you Howard.

August 26th, 2008 6:30PM EST