Ramblin Wreck

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Can you tell us what park?

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Heardmont Park in Indian Springs, which is just outside of Hoover, Alabama.

Heardmont Park is a large, 74-acre recreational facility in Shelby County, Alabama, featuring extensive sports fields (baseball, softball, soccer), tennis and pickleball courts, playgrounds, and a senior center. It includes a mile-long, lighted walking trail along Cahaba Valley Creek, a public track inside a football stadium, and is a popular spot for youth sports and family activities, with amenities like picnic areas and accessible facilities.
Key Features
Sports Facilities: Numerous baseball/softball fields, soccer fields, lighted tennis courts, and pickleball courts.
Walking Trails: A lighted, one-mile trail that follows Cahaba Valley Creek, with accessible sections.
Stadium & Track: A public track is located inside the Oak Mountain High School football stadium.
Family-Friendly: Includes playgrounds and picnic areas.
Community Hub: Home to the Heardmont Senior Center.
Accessibility: Features handicap-accessible trails and restrooms.
Activities
Walking and hiking, Youth and adult sports, Picnicking, and Tennis and pickleball.
Location & Management
Managed by Shelby County Parks & Recreation and Located near Indian Springs Village.

My wife and I went to walk the dog at a nearby park about 8:30 PM last night. We waited until the temperatures dropped some. We moved here last year and live in a great area with parks everywhere. I realized even more how great this area is last night. There were lots of high school age kids at the park. They were all hanging out playing pickle ball and tennis, jogging or just talking. They were all clean cut looking, no one was over weight, no one was on their phones, no one was smoking or vaping, drinking or using foul language. I felt like I was at a church camp or in a time warp. It was good to see kids that age behaving a lot better than when I was in high school. It gave me a lot of hope for the future.

Back in the days of the Big 8 conference it was always frustrating to see Oklahoma and Nebraska slaughter a bunch of nobody’s and the only tough game being the one against each other. Most of the Big 12 teams continued this same model, especially Kansas State during their relevant years.

As a landlord, let me explain the entire mystery of how I determine the rent I charge.

I look at a potential investment property and determine the down payment and what I could theoretically make on that money if I invested it in the stock market versus as a rental property down payment. We will call the average lost investment income expense “A”

Next I determine what my main loan will cost me per month. We will call this expense “B”

Next I get an insurance quote. Expense “C”

Next I determine the property taxes, which are higher than normal because there won’t be a homestead exemption. Expense “D”

Next I determine an average maintenance expenses. This is conservative because I want to pay someone else to fix everything. Expense “E”

I need a little profit and a rainy day fund. Expense “F”

The rent that I charge will be A + B + C + D + E + F

I end up with a free house that the renter is paying for. I also depreciate the property and deduct that cost, my loan interest, property taxes, and maintenance expenses from my income tax. On paper I will lose money every year from a tax standpoint, thus reducing my other income from a tax standpoint.

I bought an old house in a flood zone to live in as early as I could save up enough for a low down payment. Kept it 3 years and sold it for something better with a larger down payment from the appreciation and little bit of principal paid down from the previous house. Rinse, repeat until I had a nice house and enough equity to do a HELOC and use the funds to buy a rental property. Being a landlord was never my day job, just a way to build equity.

If I rented my entire life I would own nothing and would have bought several houses for landlords by now. A first time buyer can literally get away with only putting 5% down. Will you be able to afford a nice house as your first home? Probably not. Will you have to learn to fix toilets and change light bulbs? Yep. Will you be glad you did in 20 years? Absolutely.

Found Zumo’s boudin (based in Beaumont, Texas) in a Piggly Wiggly store today and threw it on the grill with a link of Conecuh smoked sausage (Evergreen, Alabama). Grilled and had with a piece of bread. Zumo’s is hard to find outside of Texas and is the best. Conecuh and Zumo’s are a great combination.

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Call it what you want. Louisiana still has a major US city with multiple pro sports teams and a real airport. The other two and have nothing even close really .

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So if that is the metric for best state, where do you rank Nevada?

Those pants make your butt look huge.

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Just think, God is even cool with en slaving his creation, breaking up families, and punishment and torture for select few…to enrich the select few.

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The Bible is not a political manifesto. The message of the Bible is to honor God no matter your circumstances. Obey your leaders and be an obedient servant if you are one. The Bible also commands leaders to honor God and slave owners to treat their servants well.

Romans 13:1-7
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

1 Timothy 2:1-2
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

Ephesians 6:5-9
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.
9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

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Despite all of its issues, New Orleans is still a city that has tourists from around the world and hosts major events on the regular.

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You can say the same thing about Las Vegas, but guess what……

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people, sights, and food south of I-10

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Only people from outside Louisiana realize how over rated this is.