VanDyk Mortgage June 2018

June 2018

Letters From The Hart Give us a call! 239-437-4278 Or visit www.TimHartJr.com ‘VIOLENT FALLS’ AT KEYSTONE RESORT Why Skiing Is My Mortal Enemy Corporate NMLS #3035 www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

With the blazing heat beating down on Fort Myers, I’ve spent this morning thinking about a recent ski trip my family and I took to Keystone Resort in the mountains of Colorado. We Floridians didn’t handle the northern cold so well and needed humidifiers running constantly in our room. But when it gets muggy like this, I permit myself to look back on those icy temperatures with rose-tinted glasses. I’m not sure I can look back on the actual skiing with the same positivity, though — I spent most of my time there half-skidding, half-tumbling down the mountain. However, it gave me an opportunity to teach the kiddos more than a few lessons about perseverance. Skiing and I have a complicated history. The first time I hit the slopes nearly 13 years ago, when my wife and I first got engaged, I had absolutely no control or steering. I was like a 270-pound Scud missile barreling down the mountain. After that initial day, I remember everybody assuring me I was ready to take on a beginner trail that was about 3 miles long. I was falling over myself so often that — no lie — an old lady on foot in snowshoes passed my crumpled, snow-buried body two separate times. I have a distinct memory of lying buried in the snow, scrambling and slipping to get up, and thinking, “Oh, my God, that old lady is passing me again!” “I have a distinct visual memory of lying buried in the snow, scrambling and slipping to get up, and thinking, ‘Oh, my God, that old lady is passing me again!’” The second time we went skiing, which was years later, I drew a hard line; I watched the kids practice, but I did not ski. For our most recent trip, however, I was determined to suck it up and join my family on the mountain. I resolved that no matter how many times I fell, I wasn’t going to quit. I’d give it my best shot over and over, trying to be a good example for my kids. This determination may have been a mistake. For the four-day trip, we were joined by our own private instructor. He was often forced to say, “Hey Tim, just keep practicing over there,” then

moving off to help my 6-year-old daughter, Emerson, move on to the next step. It got so bad that on the third day, they all had to leave me behind to “practice my turns” while they went off on a trail that was definitely too difficult for me.

I talk to my kids a lot about failure, telling them that they’re going to trip up every once in a while, but the key is getting back up and trying again. As you can imagine, I got to demonstrate this principle a lot on this trip, especially for my oldest son, Mason. He was relearning to snowboard, and initially he struggled to stay upright almost as much as I did. By the second day, he was almost completely fed up, his pride damaged and his frustration at its peak. But along with me, he kept going. By the third day, something clicked, and he was zooming down the slope with the best of them — which was the exact opposite of me. From the top of a green trail called Scout, I wanted to take a video of Mason’s new skills. I told him I was going to go over the crest of the hill and asked him to wait two minutes before following me down so I could get a good shot. I fell the entire way down, stretching that two minutes to more like 10 or 15. When Mason made it down to me completely unscathed, he was eager to remind me of this fact. “Dad,” he said. “When you fall, it’s really violent .” So much for skiing, then. I’ll let the kids do all the slope-carving from now on. I will admit that the trip was a great time — though my poor, aching body might have begged to differ.

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grouper on the line! As soon as it was hooked, the fierce fish started putting up a fight, plunging deeper with all its strength, but Billy fought back. “You’ve been working out for this your entire life,” I told him, egging him on. The “dinosaur” nearly pulled him straight into the water, but after a lengthy battle, he got it to the boat. The thing was enormous, nearly three-quarters the length of the rod Billy used to catch him. Billy was winded but victorious. Back on the shore, I moseyed over to Dr. Billy’s dental office for my trademark Three Questions. My first question came from viewer Cheryl Papasodero, and boy was it a humdinger: “What’s the funniest moment you had with a patient coming off laughing gas?” With his practice’s slogan, “We cater to cowards!” Dr. Billy uses nitrous oxide, but that doesn’t elicit the hilarious reactions you see go viral on YouTube. “When you shut it off, it’s done,” he said. “You literally get to drive away from here.” Though he does

reluctantly admit that patients occasionally become “aroused” on the stuff. “I have had patients hit on me,” he said. “So you have to be careful with that — usually they don’t even remember what they said later on.” The second question was about Dr. Billy’s approach. Everything at Dr. Billy’s practice revolves around eliminating his patients’ anxiety and making them as comfortable as possible. “If you’re in my chair, you know why you’re there and why you’re getting something done; I’ve educated you on it.” He equips patients with the information they need and lets them make their own decisions. Then I asked him what we laymen can do to take care of our teeth when we’re not in his dentist’s chair. “Literally by brushing your teeth and flossing,” he told me. “It can save you tons of time, tons of money, and you can come

in for a checkup and be on your way.” I guess I should have expected this advice, because we’ve all been told it at one time or another! By the end of the episode, Billy hooked two more gigantic goliath groupers in a classic man-versus-beast scenario. All in all, he crossed an item off his bucket list and was able to experience redemption against the one that got away. Now hopefully he will be at peace. Make sure to check out the episode on YouTube for the full experience. And if you’re in need of any kind of dental work, don’t be afraid to check out DrBillyDentist.com to make your appointment. Until then, here’s to low rates and tight lines!

TRIVIA QUESTION: What lure did the goliath grouper steal from little Billy Truax?

RVS VS. TENTS Which Is Better for Your Camping Trip?

Are you Team RV or Team Tent? Die- hard tent campers swear you’re not “roughing it” unless you sleep on the ground with nothing but canvas and the stars above you. On the other hand, RV lovers will point out that there’s nothing heroic about freezing to death at night (or going to the woods without a TV). Neither camping method is better than the other, but each has its pros and cons. Tent camping is generally the less expensive option; two-person tents start at $40. The price of an RV can range up to $50,000 or more. Site fees for tents are also cheaper (or free) because they’re smaller and don’t require electricity or septic tank services. You just need a flat spot for your gear.

A folded tent will fit into nearly any vehicle, and you can stow it in a closet when you get home. An RV will require dedicated parking space between trips. When it comes to comfort, RVs have it made. Air mattresses or foam sleeping mats are never going to be as comfortable as a real bed. RVs are also able to provide electricity, which gives you air conditioning, a stove, and a hot shower. And let’s not forget about private flushable toilets. An RV is also a must when camping in bear country. Some areas require campers to use hard-sided shelters for safety reasons.

life. If you really want to get away from it all and immerse yourself in nature, there’s no substitute for tent camping. An RV is like a miniature portable house. You can bring the comfort of your home with you, but you might not feel as close to nature. It all boils down to preference. You may be someone who enjoys being surrounded by nature in a tent, or you may prefer to have a toilet that flushes. Whichever camping experience you choose, remember to enjoy yourself and relax!

For many people, camping promises an escape from the business of modern

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CHARCOAL AND DUTCH OVENS

The Perfect Camp-Cooking Pair

Camping doesn’t have to mean settling for prepackaged snacks, dehydrated meals, and boring hot dogs. In fact, cooking during your camping trip can be fun, easy, and incredibly tasty. One of the simplest ways to prepare camp meals is with a Dutch oven and charcoal. Like crockpots, Dutch oven meals require very little work and dirty few dishes. Best of all, you can add an endless variety of food to your camp menu! The briquettes around the Dutch oven provide long-lasting and consistent heat distribution. The number of briquettes you use depends on the size of your Dutch oven and what you’re cooking. However, you can use the following chart as a rule of thumb to determine how many briquettes you need for certain temperatures and oven sizes.

avocado. And for dinner, butterfly your freshly caught trout and bake it with some potatoes and butter. Cooking while camping should be an enjoyable experience. Pack a Dutch

Temp (°F) 300° 350° 400° 450° 500°

10’’ oven

12’’ oven

14’’ oven

Top Bottom

Top Bottom

Top Bottom

12 14 16 18 20

5 6 7 8 9

14 16 18 21 23

7 8 9

15 18 21 23 26

9

10 11 12 14

10 11

oven and charcoal briquettes the next time you’re out in the wilderness to add a fun and rustic element to your meals.

briquettes, and placing them beneath and on top of your oven. Each briquette adds 10–20 degrees of heat. For breakfast, prepare a hash with bacon, eggs, onions, potatoes, cheese, salt, and pepper. For lunch, try cooking campfire nachos with tortilla chips, ground beef, beans, onions, cilantro, cheese, and

Cooking with a Dutch oven is as simple as combining your ingredients, heating your

WORD SEARCH

VanDyk Testimonial

Here is what two of our clients had to say about their experience with VanDyk Mortgage: “We had a great experience with VanDyk Mortgage. From day one, you could tell Tim and his team cared and were truly there to help us throughout the process. Tim was able to get us a great rate and help with recommendations throughout the process. Buying our first home, we couldn’t have worked with a better company to help us understand each step in the process and what to expect.

Tim and his team were always just a phone call away if we had any questions. It was a great home- buying experience.” –Stephen and Laura Bates

CAMPING FLIPFLOPS HAMBURGER JUNE

LEMONADE PICNIC POOL SMORES

SUNSCREEN SUNSHINE SWIMMING VACATION

Thanks to Brian Shonak with Keller Williams Realty for the referral!

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

Answer the question on page 2 and win a dinner for two at Zaxby’s Fort Myers!

Give us a call! 239-437-4278 Or visit www.TimHartJr.com

Inside This Issue 8280 College Parkway Suite #101 Fort Myers, FL 33919

Why Skiing Is My Mortal Enemy PAGE 1

RV vs. Tent Camping PAGE 2

Prepare Camp Meals With a Dutch Oven

June Testimonial

Word Search PAGE 3

A Triumphant ‘Rates & Reels’ With Dr. Billy Truax PAGE 4

Catching Goliath Grouper on This Month’s ‘Rates & Reels’ Dr. Billy Truax’s Redemption

long of a wait, one of the big-mouthed beasts slammed on his line, bending the rod steeply downward. Unfortunately, Billy was too slow on the draw and failed to hook it. “I pulled a Dane Eagle!” he said, referencing the time I had the representative on the show a few episodes back. Within just a few minutes, he got another chance — and he let it get away once again. Soon he was 0–11 against these beefy fish. “Oh, you’re counting,” he told me. “What a good friend you are!” Nearby, a little audience of hecklers started ribbing Billy from a boat. It seemed that Billy’s Moby Dick would be more elusive than we’d first thought. Faced with failure near the shore, we headed out into open water to try Billy’s luck there. And before we knew it, he had a goliath CONT I NUED ON PAGE 2

“Ever since I was 8 years old, I’ve been infatuated with the idea of catching a goliath grouper,” Dr. Billy said. Back then, off the shore seawall of his parents’

For this month’s “Rates and Reels,” I thought we’d try something a little different and support a good cause while reeling in a few monsters. At the St. Michael’s Lutheran School fundraiser, we auctioned off a spot as the featured guest on our latest episode. And lo and behold, the man who secured the slot is a good friend of mine: Dr. William “Billy” Truax, D.M.D. He’s an awesome local dentist, one of my peers on the St. Michael School board, and the father of my sons’ buddies. Guided by the fearless Captain Bo Johnson of Tenacity Guide Service, we had a great time hunting for goliath grouper. But we had no idea of the afternoon’s plot twist that would make “Jaws” look like “The Sound of Music.”

dock, he’d hooked one of the behemoths only to have it break him off and steal his favorite RattleTrap lure, scarring him ever since. So we went in search of Dr. Billy’s “white whale” with our hopes high for redemption. His first shot for revenge came off the phosphate docks near Boca Grande. Before dropping his line in the water, Dr. Billy was talking trash, saying he didn’t want to miss any bites “like [my] previous guests.” He actually went as far as to call out State Rep. Dane Eagle and Pastor Jon Zehnder. Hooking a goliath grouper isn’t exactly the easiest of feats, requiring a heavy-duty line, quick reflexes, and a little luck. Before too

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