What is in my wallet?

Father's day this year I received a new wallet. I carry a tri-fold wallet in black. I'd like to share my what is inside my wallet and how I keep it organized.

In the inner-flap I keep my driver's license in the transparent view able window so that I can quickly find it. Opposite of my driver's license is my life time fishing license. I like keeping both my licenses together with the ability to quickly retrieve them when needed.

In the cash fold pocket I keep a small amount of cash. I used to not carry much cash as I didn't have a need for it and it made my wallet feel thicker. However, I have found recently that I need to keep a little bit of cash money for times when only cash is accepted.

In the center of my tri-fold is my stack of credit cards.I like them in the middle with the most protection and the pockets are the stiffer and hold the cards without wearing out or stretching. I have six cards in total. Some are my personal credit cards, other are business cards and others are debit cards.

In my left section of my wallet I keep my car insurance in the outer pockets. I routinely get a new insurance card and it is easy to remember to replace the expired one when it is facing me when I open my wallet. Behind it are all my discount/reward cards:

• Frios - This is local popsicle store that offers a free pop after purchasing ten. I highly recommend them.
• Regal Cinemas Rewards - This is rewards card for the movies we attend. I go to as many movies as possible with my son. As many movies as we attend, it is good to be rewarded for it.
• Best Buy - I don't shop at Best But very often, but if I do I will try to remember my reward card.
• Big Lots - I don't shop at Big Lots very often any longer. They used to carry some of the toys that my son liked but as he has grown up their selection hasn't matched his interest as much.
• Game Stop - I recently started carrying this card. My son has grown into his love for video games and he wanted a reward card to help discount his purchases so I carry the card for him.
• CVS - I actually get the most amount of rewards from this card. I don't shop at CVS often but when I do I like to get a discount on things like hygiene products and hair care.

In the right section of my wallet I have my health insurance cards. I have two cards for my insurance. One card is for my health and the other is for my dental coverage. It is good to keep it where someone that opens my wallet can easily find it in the case of an emergency. Behind these cards are my blood donation card that list my blood type. I always thought it was a good idea to keep it around for emergencies as well. Behind the blood donation card is my medical jet card in case I need to be air lifted to a hospital. The last card in this section is my teleconference card for work. I keep this card in this section of my wall since it wasn't a card used when making purchases.

This concludes all the items that I keep in my wallet. 

Standing Tall, Feeling Small





I am a huge UAB sports fan. If you want to read my story of how I became the fan I am today, please click here to read my story. During and after my time working with the UAB sports department, I collected a few pieces of memorabilia. Mostly, I have collected football and basketball items and I plan to share many of them.

 

In 2004, I was on Ebay and found a UAB basketball jersey from one of my favorite players while I was with the sports department. I was able to win the auction, shortly after the purchase I received a message from the player wore the jersey. I was shocked to receive the message. He let me know that someone had mentioned to him that his jersey was being auctioned off and he should check it out. I let him know who I was and that I was fan and worked with UAB in the sports department. I also asked him if he was still in the area and if so it would be an honor to have him sign his jersey. He very kindly agreed. We both were going to attend a UAB basketball and agreed to meet at the game.

 

 

Here we are at the game in the concourse area around the area where we met and hung out. I showed him the jersey to be signed.

 

This is the signed jersey. In the lower right portion of the zero is his signature, Igor Nikolic. If you are interested in learning about Igor click here. He was a 7'1 center for our basketball team. He was a great outside shooter that could knock down a three point shot with ease. There several occasions that I can remember interviewing after a game and having to hold the recorder above my head. I have felt that I was tall among my peers at 6'2, but when you beside someone that is 7'1, you don't feel so tall any more.

 

 

I must say a thank you again to Igor for being so nice. It was great to see him again after few years since he last played at UAB to sign his jersey. He was a stand up guy and as nice as they come. 

Why I am a UAB Blazer fan

I am a University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) sports fan. Our mascot is the Blazer, a dragon. How awesome is it to have a fire breathing dragon?

I attended UAB while living at home with my parents and working part-time jobs. UAB, for the most part, is an urban commuter school. Most of my first two years at UAB making friends was difficult as many of my classmates like myself would arrive for classes and leave immediately afterwards. I also struggled with some of my classes and I was very grateful for the tutoring I received. My "college experience" wasn't the experience I was hoping that college would be. My of days were spent in class or in my part-time job. I'll admit that I didn't have an active social life.

One evening I had a self-revelation, that this wasn't what I wanted from college or my life. It was at the moment I decided that I wanted finish college as soon as possible. In order to get through college as fast as possible, I needed to double up on my course load. I knew that taking more courses would be harder and more challenging; therefore, I enrolled with more tutoring. This meant that I had to cut my hours down on my part-time job. My time was mostly spent in class or tutoring. I knew that I needed my degree to advance in life so I needed my education and as fast possible.

In one of my tutoring sessions my tutor noticed that workload in class was pretty heavy and that I was frustrated with college. During our time together we began to know each other pretty well. One day we found that we both had a love for sports. I was never a great or even good athlete but I still loved sports and most all sports. She too loved all sports and had found a way to be in game without having to be an athlete in the game.

She introduced me to the UAB Sports Information Department (it is now known as the Sports Media Department). This department at UAB, creates media guides, works with news and media from all over the country, and they staffed the game with statisticians, officials, scoreboard operators, announcers, and anyone else needed to run an athlete event for the university. As soon as I was in, I was hooked. I loved every minute of being apart of the group. I loved sports and I loved these people. I spend a lot of hours and a lot of late nights with them.

I first started working men's basketball games as stats runner and a shot chart maker. We then held the conference men's basketball tournament where I was the timeout official for the television crew. I worked men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, football, baseball, women's volleyball. I was a public address announcer, scoreboard operator, statistician, timeout coordinator, TV stats coordinator, phone line score communicator. I interviewed players and coaches after the game. I made a connection with many of our coaches and players. This was how I connected with my university and found my "college experience". If it weren't for UAB sports, I would have never the connections I made and found my love for the university. This is why I strongly advise finding your passion in college and becoming as involved in it as you can. What you are most happiest in will bring you the most joy no matter if it is your job or hobby.

How I Met My Wife, Beth

Introduction:

Back in the day, around February/March of 2002 I was a single guy actively searching for love. During this time I was in my early to mid twenties. I had my own house, SUV, a career job and fairly busy life. When I looking for someone to date or be in a relationship with, I was looking for someone that was in the same position in their life. I was looking for someone going through some of the same life challenges that also enjoyed many of the same things I do.

The Girl in a Blue Scarf:

I decided that I would join match.com to see if I could find someone that shared many of my same interest. I completed the profile about myself and detailed as much information as I could about myself. I must admit that I looked through many profiles trying to find someone special. I came across this beautiful picture:

I saw this beautiful girl and read her profile but thought to myself that she was entirely out of my league. I shouldn't trouble myself and waste her time to write her to see if she would have an interest in getting to know each other. So for weeks I thought about this scarfed girl and how pretty she was. She had me completely infatuated. I finally built up the courage to email her to let her know that I was interested in getting know her and share a bit about myself.

I put myself out there and anxiously awaited to get her reply. A little bit of time passed before I heard back from her. I understand now that it was her sister that helped convince her that she should write me. Beth believed that I was too cheesy and she was done with dating guys she had met online. After our initial emails to each other we moved on to instant messaging each other. Does anyone else remember the days of AOL Instant Messanger (AIM)? We spent hours during that first week talking through instant messages. We both had a lot of experience in dating someone we met online so we knew that we didn't want to go through a long process of getting to know each other before we met in person. We decided to have an in-person date.

 

Our First Date:

 

The night before we met, Beth had a party at her house. During the entire set up time prior to the party starting we were talking as her friends helped prepare for the party. Her party was a success and we were excited to see each other. We had dinner at a small local restaurant. I knew at first sight that she was as beautiful in person as the picture of the scarfed girl I had seen in the picture above. Our meal was great and we wanted to keep the night going. So we moved on to stroll the brickwork streets of her local university where we talked and shared so much. We ended the evening after enjoying the evening air in small park. We agreed to meet the next day and grill out together. After this date we were inseparable. We spent most everyday together.

 

That Girl is a Devil!

 

After a couple dates I told my dad about this wonderful girl I had met. I explained to him how great she was and that she has a house, car, truck and bass boat of her own. I thought my father would be very excited about a girl that enjoys fishing as we both do. However, my dad quickly remarked back to me, "Son, you need to put as much distance as you can between you and this girl. That girl is Devil!". I was confused. Why did he have such a reaction to a girl having her own bass boat. He then explained, that if girl her age has a bass boat of her own that she must have taken in from a guy in a divorce settlement. Any girl that takes away a guys bass boat must be the Devil. I then told him that no she is not the Devil, she was in fact the girl of own dreams. She was someone that loves to fish as we did and that it was her dream to have her own boat on her own. She loves her boat and learned about owning a bass boat on her own.

 

She was no Devil; she is love of my life.

 

This is the story of how we met and we have many more stories of our time together that I am excited to share. 

What is in my truck, Introduction.

I want to share with you some things that I keep in my truck and some things I have hauled in my truck.

A little bit about my truck:

I drive a 2006 four door full size pick up truck. It currently has a little over 90,000 miles on it and the majority of the time I drive it to my corporate information technology job. I purchased it as my daily driver and to be able to haul large items that maybe needed around the house. I like having a four door truck because it allows my son the ability to get in and out of the backseat easily. My truck serves many functions for my family and I am very thankful to have it.

My recommendations for truck ownership:

• Spray in bed liner:
My truck came with the liner at purchase and I have been very happy with it. It is very good at keeping the bed of the truck looking nice and it is helpful with having a texture so that items are less likely to slide around.

• Utility tracks/Tie down loops:
  Truck beds are open to the elements and items can easily be blown out or tumble around. It is good to have a way to secure your load. The best method I have found is using straps/ropes/tie downs. In order to use them effectively it is good to have utility tracks or tie down loops to attach them to already built into the bottom or side walls. Utility tracks allow you to move your tie down loops to different positions along tracks permanently built into the truck. I don't use my utility tracks as much as I do the tie down loops that are found in each bottom corner of the truck bed. I like this loops best because I don't have to reposition anything along the utility track. This is a preference but I do like having the choice of method.
  
• Trailer Hitch/Ball Receiver: 
  I don't tow trailers on a daily or even weekly bases. I do occasionally need to use a trailer to move items that are too large or bulky for my truck bed. When we purchased the truck, we also owned boats that would need to be towed. It is always good to have the ability to attach a trailer.
  
• Step Rails/Side Steps:
My truck isn't lifted or on large tires, but it is higher off the ground than the average car or sports utility vehicle. I am tall and I am able to easily get in or out of my truck without any issues. My wife and son can struggle to enter or exit my truck, so I have installed some stainless steel step rails. They look very nice and are very helpful. Even my dogs are appreciative, as they sometime need a ride and they like having a step available to get in and out.

These are just a few of my recommendations that I have built in to my truck. I am planning on sharing more items in future entries that will feature items that are kept in my truck or hauled by my truck.

About Me

About me:

My name is Jeremy. I am in my thirties as a husband, father, son, and friend. I am married to Beth of Unskinnyboppy.com and together we have a son and a daughter on the way. I am Southern. I have a passion for old vintage things. I enjoy the hunt for my unique collection. Beth and I enjoy concerts and music of all varieties. We frequent towns around the south to see our favorite artists. I am a sports fan. As a true Southern, I love college sports. My son and I enjoy going to the local hardware stores to build fun Saturday morning projects. We also like going to see a good movie where we love the previews so that we can plan our next movie to see. We have two family dogs named Gus and Woodrow from the TV miniseries “Lonesome Dove”. They are some of the best dogs a family could have. All together this is my family and this is what makes me who I am. I hope you enjoy reading about our adventures and continue to come back for more.

Why the name Vintage Toolbox:

First and foremost, I enjoy all things vintage. I do help out my wife with her blog projects which gives me the opportunity to use tools to be creative. The idea for Vintage Toolbox came from a speech I made and referenced a small vintage toolbox that I keep at my desk at work. The name on the toolbox is Willie Fix-It. If said quickly it sounds like Will He Fix It? This is a question I am asked on a daily bases. I like to think of myself as a problem solver, someone who enjoys a challenge. You have to be willing to be challenged and most importantly challenge yourself. That is what this blog is for me, a challenge. I want to challenge myself, to share of myself, and to explore my passion.

Life is like a toolbox. You may feel as though you don’t have all the tools you need. You may want shiner and newer tools. You might be surprised at what you can accomplish with the tools you have. Many of us have the tools within us that never had chance to be used. I shared with a group once that my son has a small collection of tools but he has built over 30 projects of his own that he takes great pride. He is not caught up in the tools or even the projects. What he enjoys the most about the projects he builds is the time he and I spend together. I want to fill our toolbox to be full of memories, the best tools of all. Memories and experiences with those that you spend time with is what builds the story your life.

What you can expect to find/read:

·        Stories:

My intentions are to share stories of some of the adventures I have and shared. Some stories maybe of my past and others maybe more recently. I want fill this toolbox full of a history of stories.

·        Tools/Tips:

In my tools and tips, I am planning on sharing knowledge that I have learned along the way. There are many things I have learned the hard way and I might be able to share a small tip or hint that might just save you a little time and effort.

·        Projects:

Most of my projects have been featured on my wife’s blog (unskinnyboppy.com). There are still some projects that I have built and not shared on her blog that I am looking forward to sharing.

·        What Is In My Truck?

This series will include items that I keep in my truck that I have found useful over the years. I will also share some of the unique finds that I bring home in my truck. You may never know what is in my truck.