VanDyk Mortgage - September 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020

Letters From the Hart Give us a call! 239-437-4278 Or visit www.TimHartJr.com HONORING MY AUNT EARLENE A Woman Who Thought of Others Before Herself Corporate NMLS #3035 www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

Just a few weeks ago, my family lost my aunt Earlene to a long battle with cancer. It’s never easy to say goodbye to a loved one, but every day it becomes a little easier to reminisce about the ways they touched our lives. My aunt Earlene was my dad’s older sister. The two of them were close, so when I was a kid, we would see Earlene and her husband Jim several times a year. Before moving to Florida just a few years ago, they would often come down to see us because my grandpa lived in Port Charlotte, which allowed them to see as much family as possible on their trip. Earlene was all about letting family know she was thinking of them. The most standout memory I will always have of her is that she never, ever forgot a birthday or anyone's age. All my life, without fail, I could always expect a birthday card in the mail from Aunt Earlene and Uncle Jim, although I suspect Uncle Jim had nothing to do with the perfect timing of the cards. It always blew me away that no matter what was going on in her life, Earlene remembered everyone’s birthdays, including my own wife and kid's. I recently learned that every year, Jim would buy Earlene a brand-new desk calendar and she would spend days transferring information from her old calendar to her new one. Not only did she write down the dates of everyone’s birthdays for the entire year, but she also wrote down the exact dates she needed to

mail their cards to make sure they arrived on time. She was just one of those people who went above and beyond when she thought of others. Another thing we could always count on from Aunt Earlene were her cookies. She was an incredible baker, and every year around the holidays, we could always expect a box of homemade cookies. They never lasted until the holiday they were meant for though — they were just too good to not scarf down in a couple of days. Putting others above herself was what Aunt Earlene was all about. In the midst of battling her cancer, Earlene and Jim moved to southwest Florida, and even though she was going through hardship I can’t even imagine, she still made a point of attending a lot of my kids’ sporting events. They played flag football and baseball, and Earlene and Jim always made it out to several games every season, even though it would have been much easier for my aunt to rest at home. I’ll never forget watching her smile and cheer my kids on from the stands, and I don’t think my kids will either. She did the same thing for other family members, too. Earlene and Jim had three kids, Sonya, Craig, and Brian, and one of Sonya’s son was an incredible running back for his high school team. Every single Friday night, Earlene and Jim would make the 2 1/2-hour drive there and back to watch him play. They never missed a game.

Every time I write this newsletter, I’ll be thinking of my aunt Earlene, too. Not only did she love reading it every month, but she loved being the first one to respond to our monthly trivia question to win the prize. At one point, she won three months in a row! I swear she must have had the date for the newsletter’s arrival written down in that calendar of hers, too. It always made me laugh when she was the first to chime in, and even though I had to tell her to give others a chance, now I know I’ll miss having her reply ready and waiting in our inbox every month. When we lose a loved one, it’s important to cherish our memories together and reminisce about everything they brought to our lives. That’s the best way to honor them. My aunt Earlene was a wonderful person and always shared her kindness with loved ones. She may be gone, but the joy of having her in our lives will never fade.

NMLS #354676

VanDyk Mortgage | www.TimHartJr.com | 239-437-4278

Page 1

FEEL THE BURN FROM YOUR LIVING ROOM 3 Online Workout Platforms to Try Right Now

P.volve

While P.volve only has around 200 workouts available through its online platform right now, new videos are being added every week. If you’re looking for resistance-based, high-intensity, low-impact workouts, this is the platform for you. You can customize a workout plan based on which body parts you want to strengthen and even buy optional equipment to use at home. Get access to the entire fitness library for a monthly fee of $20 or save by paying an annual fee of $135 at Pvolve.com.

Your living room might not be the most conducive environment for a good workout. But as the world continues to grapple with the effects of the coronavirus, working out at the gym, or any other public facility, is out of the question for many of us. Fortunately, you can still work up a sweat from home with the right workout videos for a fraction of the cost of a monthly gym membership. Here are a few worth your time and money!

Tone It Up

Tone It Up is more of a fitness community than a workout program, but the website still offers a variety of both free and paid workouts plus a paid nutrition plan. Try high-intensity interval training (HIIT), cardio, a total-body workout, or one geared toward specific body parts, like abs or glutes. Through the Studio Tone It Up app, which costs $15, you can get additional workouts delivered to you weekly. Even if they’re not what you’re used to, doing these online workouts can ensure you don’t lose the fitness you’ve worked so hard to gain. Try one of them today!

Alo Moves

Alo is one of the most prominent outfitters for yoga lovers everywhere, but the workout routines offered through Alo Moves go beyond just yoga and meditation. Whether you’re new to working out or a seasoned fitness buff, you can find thousands of workout routines to follow along with on AloMoves.com. You can even download routines to your phone and follow along with them in your backyard or at the park, all for just $20 a month.

BeamMe Up, Lucy HOW LUCILLE BALL SAVED ‘STAR TREK’ IN THE 1960S

of Desilu’s biggest hits was coming to an end. “The Untouchables” was a crime drama starring Robert Stack. Ball needed a replacement, and two potential shows hit Ball’s desk: “Star Trek” and “Mission: Impossible.”

Did you know that Lucille Ball — the iconic comedian best known for her 1950s show “I Love Lucy” — is the reason “Star Trek” exists today? Ball was a Hollywood force in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and she produced hit after hit with her production company. In fact, Desilu, co-founded by Ball and her then-husband, Desi Arnaz, was responsible for hits like “The Andy Griffith Show” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” The two were partners in the company until their divorce in 1960, and in 1962, Ball took over Arnaz’s share. In that moment, Ball became one of the most powerful women in Hollywood, and Desilu, one of the biggest independent production companies at the time, had a lot of pull in the industry. In 1963, one

In 1965, Ball took the pitches to her longtime network collaborator, CBS. They said no to “Star Trek” (but yes to “Mission: Impossible”), but Ball wasn’t about to give up on this new science fiction show, so she took it to NBC. The network was skeptical at first but ordered a pilot. The pilot starred Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Pike and Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock. There was no James T. Kirk to be found — not yet, anyway. The pilot, titled “The Cage,” was a disappointment. NBC executives weren’t about to put it on air, but they decided to order a second pilot after Ball agreed to help finance it. The second pilot starred William Shatner as Captain Kirk, and he was joined again by Leonard Nimoy as Spock. NBC executives liked what they saw. The new pilot, titled “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” was put on NBC’s fall schedule, though it wasn’t the first episode aired on NBC. That honor went to the episode titled “The Man Trap,” which aired on Sept. 8, 1966. While Gene Roddenberry’s original “Star Trek” only lasted three seasons, it went on to become a major TV and film franchise. One of its recent iterations, “Star Trek: Discovery,” is about to enter its third season on the streaming service CBS All Access — all because Lucille Ball saw potential in a little show back in 1965.

VanDyk Mortgage | www.TimHartJr.com | 239-437-4278

Page 2

... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

‘Space Force’ This one isn’t a movie, but a new series on Netflix. “Space Force” is a sci-fi/comedy based on President Trump’s plans to start a sixth branch of the military, the Space Force, to colonize the moon. I was pretty pumped to see this one. I love science fiction and comedies, and I like a lot of the actors who are in it. Steve Carell is solid, and I was really excited to see that John Malkovich was going to be in it. I love that guy. The series is formatted like a workplace comedy. Carell plays General Mark R. Naird who is assigned to head up the newly formed Space Force. But the Space Force is considered a joke to the other branches of the Armed Forces. The first season follows Naird trying to achieve the Space Force’s mission to get to the moon before the

Chinese. In between the Space Force stuff, the show is filled with Naird’s odd family life. This includes (spoiler alert!) his wife being imprisoned, though the show never explains why. I found this missing detail very annoying. The whole show was disappointing. I had high hopes for “Space Force,” but the show did not come close to living up to expectations. However, if there’s a Season 2, I’ll probably watch it. I’m invested now and I do like sci-fi.

From the moment I first heard the song, I always felt like there was a deeper meaning to it. The movie "I Can Only Imagine" tells the story behind the song. It follows the true story of Millard’s difficult relationship with his father, which was the inspiration for the song. I’m willing to bet that anyone who watches this movie will get choked up at some point. I certainly did. Though, I choke up at any dad scenes in movies, so this should not come as a shock. “I Can Only Imagine” is categorized as a Christian biographical drama. It’s a religious movie, so it might not be for everybody. But I loved this movie and so did my family.

If you really want to watch “Space Force” yourself, you can find it on Netflix.

Timdango Credit Score Rating: 640

You can watch “I Can Only Imagine” on Amazon Prime and YouTube.

‘I Can Only Imagine’ When my granddaddy passed away years ago, my then-girlfriend — who is now my wife — suggested a song to me. The song was called “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe. It is a song about someone wondering what it will be like to meet Jesus. “I Can Only Imagine” quickly became one of my favorite songs. Anytime I hear it, I think of my granddaddy and other loved ones who have passed away. This song will forever be special to me. It has helped me through many moments in my life. I have a lot of gratitude for Bart Millard for writing this song and his group MercyMe for singing it.

Timdango Credit Score Ratinge: 800*

*I have to change my credit score grading for this movie. I normally stop at a 740 credit score, since 740 and higher is basically considered the same. This movie is so good, it deserves an 800 credit score, the highest credit score possible. I need to go back and revise “Joker” to an 800 score as well. Got to be fair! If you enjoy reading these reviews, follow my blog at TimHartJr.com/blog . That’s where you’ll be able to find all my Timdango reviews as soon as they’re published. SUDOKU

Solution on Pg. 4

Trivia Question: What Credit Score Rating did Tim give 'The Peanut Butter Falcon'?

VanDyk Mortgage | www.TimHartJr.com | 239-437-4278

Page 3

Be the first to answer the question on Page 3 by emailing [email protected] and win a gift card!

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

Inside This Issue Tim Hart, NMLS #354676 8280 College Parkway, Suite #101 Fort Myers, FL 33919 Sharing Favorite Memories of My Aunt Earlene PAGE 1

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

3 Online Workout Platforms You Should Try

Did You Know Lucille Ball Saved ‘Star Trek’? PAGE 2

Timdango Roundup: Summer 2020 PAGE 4

The Return of Timdango WRESTLING, DADS, AND SPACE

Summer is supposed to be the season of blockbuster movies. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic managed to ruin that, too. Thankfully, there’s plenty of stuff streaming online that helped keep me entertained. It’s been a while since we’ve had a Timdango movie review in the newsletter, so here’s a roundup of a few movies — and a TV show — that I watched this summer. ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ I’ll just get it out of the way upfront: I loved this movie. Absolutely loved it! The story was so original and the cast was amazing. Set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is the story of Zak, played by Zack Gottsagen, a runaway guy with Down syndrome. Zak meets a troubled crab fisherman named Tyler, played by Shia LaBeouf. The two become unlikely friends, and the movie follows their adventure to get Zak to wrestling school so he can achieve his dream of being a professional wrestler. Meanwhile, Tyler is running from his troubles.

The title and basic plot don’t make this movie sound great, but trust me, it is. My entire family loved it. I highly recommend this movie to everyone.

You can rent “The Peanut Butter Falcon” through various streaming services, including Amazon Video, YouTube, and Vudu.

Timdango Credit Score Rating: 740

CONTINUED ON PG. 3 ...

VanDyk Mortgage | www.TimHartJr.com | 239-437-4278

Page 4