(above: NOT Lake Lewisville)

With a title like that how couldn't this be a serious article? Anyway I met a dude named Michael who owns a pontoon boat rental on Lake Lewisville and he offered to let me try it out for a weekend and then write a review of my experience. So that's what I'm doing. Honestly I had an absolute blast out on Lake Lewisville sitting under the canopy of the pontoon boat, drinking beer and taking in the scenery.

I even went fishing and caught some Lake Lewisville crappie and bass. Fishing on this thing is incredible. While this is mostly a party boat it is also great for fishing....

Michael's pontoon boat is a 25-foot pontoon with a sun deck, afore-mentioned canopy area and rear ladder to easily get in and out of the water. It is equipped with a table, sink & comfortably seats 10 adults    

For your stress-free adventure, his pontoon boat comes complete with an experienced Captain and is equipped with all Coastguard approved safety equipment. How cool is that? If you live in the area you gotta check them out.


Children under 14 yrs must wear a life vest while underway 

I've been doing some work for Blossom Street Ventures (blog here), a software venture capital lender specializing in SAAS and early stage investments. This is a little different from the other companies I work with and I wanted to share some insight straight from the experts on how this industry works. It's also a growing industry so why not talk about it. Specifically, what happens when one of the projects you invest in has a death. How do you move on?

​Set expectations. The value of saas venture capital IP is a drop in the bucket of what the organization was originally prized at; it’s maybe ten cents on the dollar if even that. Any purchaser of the IP is unlikely to do an all liquid buyout, so don’t be shocked if the final consideration is a blend of money, stock, royalty, payout, or some other unique structure that lowers the acquirer’s major risk. The sale of intellectual property is going to take a year or more with legal taking ten months alone (we recommend specialized counsel that has M&A experience and experience in bankruptcy/winding down entities). It’s also going to take some money along the way as you spend for legal, preparing the proposal, and other unexpected costs that have to be paid well ahead of the sale. With those expectations registered and accounted for, you need to seriously ponder whether it is worth the hassle and time to sell the IP, what you will really recover, and what the probability of making it worthwhile really is.

Contact everyone. If you’ve decided it’s worth it to try and sell, reach out to absolutely everyone and find someone who knows about software venture capital. That includes old customers, prospects, former clients, anyone who has ever contacted you for acquisition, your cousin, your dog walker, etc. The point is don’t eliminate anyone as a potential sale as you don’t know what’s on someone’s docket and be cool about reaching out to your entire professional network. The buy of the IP in our defunct entity was a prospect who never actually became a customer. We also had interest from very assorted companies.

Talk with the CTO. In order to sell or move code to an acquirer, you’re going to need the tech officer or whoever built a majority of the code to help out. No acquirer is going to take the code as-is, unless you want them to massively reduce and drop the price to hedge their risk. Not how it works. They’re going to want it cleaned up and packaged specific to their use case. It took a founding developer 3 months of rigorous work to get the code packaged just right for our acquirer, and of course, we paid him nicely for delivery of this offering.

You need great knowledge around you. The SAAS code was once part of a platform, and that entity has liabilities, creditors, equity owners, former buyers, and various other debts. All of those parties are probably pretty upset with you that things didn’t work out. Before you embark on a path to cash out the IP, consult with a law firm that can tell you who has a right to any proceeds collected, what the deluge of recipients looks like, who can potentially halt a deal, who you need to get approval from, whether patents are in good standing, etc. 

Make sure the acquirer is fair. The acquirer has to be a person that is negotiating honestly and ethically and in good faith with you. We got very fortunate that our acquirer had an upstanding and highly-regarded CEO. If you don’t trust the acquirer or if they’re being shady, move on as this is not worth it. In our case, had the acquirer been a rude guy, there were many times when he could have taken us for a ride, such as changing the terms of the deal before close, among other things. Given the limited legal help you often have in instances like this, ‘bad boy’ acquirers do it all the time. We got so fortunate finding an acquirer who was honest, forthright, and kept his goals in line. You’ll need to be sure to do the same or risk some backlash.

Be calm and patient. Because the buying cost price will likely be heavily earn-out or royalty based, you’ll need to be patient as the acquirer’s dev team absorbs the code, the sales team gets up to speed on new capabilities, and the acquirer evangelizes your product to the world. Don't expect an all-cash deal. If everything goes smoothly, getting fully paid 18 to 24 months after the day the acquirer bought the code would be highly fortuitous.

Learn more at Blossom Street's website at the top of this page. Or visit Youtube.

The eponymously named Home Elevator of Texas does great work all over the state of Texas and for my money is the best builder of home elevators Houston could ever ask for. I stayed in an Air BNB recently in the Houston metro area that featured one of their custom installs and was blown away by the craftsmanship and reliability of this stairlift on steroids. It fits three people comfortably and nothing says opulence like having an elevator in your residential property. Very cool. I just had to say something about it.

Instead of expanding to the Dallas area using their standard Home Elevator of Texas name, Home Elevator of Texas took a different approach and bought out Elevating Systems, an already established home elevator installer in Dallas that has over 26 years of experience installing elevators. Double nice. So who exactly needs one of these in their house? First, it helps if the house is two story. Or has a basement. Or something. Otherwise not so much.

Home elevators are quite useful if you are needing help getting up or down a flight of stairs. It's a shame to see people have to sell their two or three story homes when they get to an age where mobility is limited. No longer is that an issue. Also, a home elevator can add curb appeal to your property and increase the value of the listing if you do decide to sell. They are low maintenance and run for decades with ease. And it's also fun! This might sound obvious but it's simply a blast riding in a home elevator vs taking the stairs. No matter what you need, these two great co-existing companies can help make your living situation even better. Age in place and don't sell your home because you can no longer reach a second story bedroom! 

Contact info in Dallas
3321 Towerwood Drive
Suite 110
Farmers Branch, TX 75234
Phone: 214-234-8840

I don't often need eyebrow microblading but when I do, I prefer Eyebrow Queen in Irving TX. Okay that's a joke and I have nasty hairy bushy eyebrows that never get plucked. But I was educated recently on the finer points of this beauty practice.

What is microblading?

Buckle up fellas cause this one's a doozy. 'Microblading is a recent style of eyebrow sculpting. It is all about creating the freshest look for each face – a totally stunning approach for each client,' states the owner of Eyebrow Queen LLC.

'Nano brows and microblading are very on point thanks to the device that is used which is basically like a pen with the nib being a sharp loping blade with perhaps 15 tiny points at the end - needles that don’t poke through or break the skin but just delicately claw at the top layer, much like a tiny cut.

'The needles very finely pokes in featherweight strokes with a medical grade dye on the epidermis of the skin, which causes fine, realistic and natural hair strokes.'
​

​So just long does microblading last?
'Microblading lasts around a year and a half, but the longevity of the dye involved will typically depend on your skin type.

'Women with oily skin will tend to last around the one year mark before needing a touch up, but those with normal skin can last up to two years.

'A client's microbladed eyebrows will eventually fade away if you don’t continue with top ups every sixteen months or so. There is no scaring or danger with the ink used, so you wouldn’t know if you left them to fade out.'

So there you have it. Microblading and nanoblading - truly the future of beauty. The only place I would trust for my microblading needs is of course the fine folks at Eyebrow Queen LLC in Irving. 

​For more info visit Designsperation 

Sheesh the summer of 2022 has been brutal with a capital B. Brutal. Luckily some rain and cooler weather are on the way. Which means it's time to get excited about waterproofing! Not just any waterproofing mind you, but Dallas Waterproofing. The eponymously named company is located in Plano and services North DFW with patio and deck coatings, epoxy and other fun stuff I know nothing about. I did, however, design their sweet logo for them, see below:

Contact the waterproofing experts today before the rainy season gets here and get a free consultation directly from the owner. They did some work on my balcony and I was very impressed with the quality - hence the shout out. Check them out on Yelp too and YellowPages. Keep doing your thing guys!

There are a ton of doctor's offices in DFW and particularly along I-35 going north from Dallas. Carrollton Texas is no exception. I was recently contacted by the good folks at Highlands Medical and Wellness Primary Care and I can honestly say after visting their office that they are the best primary care Carrollton has to offer - for so many reasons:

1. Affordable prices
2. Extremely qualified local doctors who care
3. Copay that's affordable.
4. Virtual consultations
5. Hundreds of satisfied customers
6. Repeat business

As with all new patients, just be sure to bring your ID for fastest check in. 

Services include:

• Vaccinations
• B12 Injections
• IV Infusion Therapy
• Joint Pain Injections
• Minor Surgery
• Chronic Pain Management

and more. They are also fluent in Spanish and Vietnamese as well as English. Highly recommended primary care that will put your mind at ease as it did mine. Much like Griffith Barbee we are grateful to work with Highland Medical and Wellness Primary Care.

Find them on ValPak,  Brownbook and RateMDs

I had never played (this is a review of golf clubs btw) with what you might call fancy golf clubs growing up. The notion of swinging a Big Bertha (this is a golf club that may or may not still be popular, not a person) seemed unattainable to me. But I recently decided to get some good clubs - I went with TaylorMade.

If you haven't played with never golf clubs lately, the technology on these things is so absurd. The Sim Max 2's in particular are just ridiculously good for bad golfers like me. A set will run you several hundred dollars but they are the last golf clubs you will ever need. A Sim Max driver will set you back $400 or so.

From the company:

• Revolutionary asymmetric sole shape to reduce drag at the most critical part of the swing and improve aerodynamics
• Redesigned Inertia Generator places weight at the extreme low-and-back portion of the club for enhanced forgiveness
• Speed Injected Twist Face is designed to improve ball speed across the face and increase accuracy on mis-hits
• Asymmetric Sole Shape & Inertia Generator
• Designed to provide faster clubhead speed for more ball speed and distance while the rear weight creates high MOI for improved forgiveness

Speed Injected™
Improves ball speed across the face by calibrating each head to the threshold of the legal speed limit

Twist Face®
Uses corrective face angles designed to overcome inherent golfer tendencies on mis-hits and to produce straighter shots

Multi-Material Construction
Creates a head design where weight is positioned precisely in the head for ultra-low CG and high MOI

Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™
Our breakthrough Thru-Slot Speed Pocket technology delivers enhanced sole flexibility to create additional ball speed as well as improved forgiveness on low-face mis-hits

Inverted Cone Technology
This face technology expands the C.O.R. zone of the clubface, resulting in a larger sweet spot and better performance on mis-hits

I am not what you might call a "handyman" when it comes to fixing things around the house. Not even close. Luckily I found a handyman service over in the Bedford / HEB / mid cities area called Fixin' This N' That Handyman Service and they have not disappointed no matter what job I throw at them.

​Phil and his team do expert work across DFW including.... well pretty much anything you can think of:

• General Handyman Services, such as Small/Large Home or Office Repairs
• Painting, Drywall repairs
•  Flooring (tile, vinyl, wood, etc.)
• Fence Repairs
• Doors (remove,repair,install)
• The best roofing Richardson TX has to offer
• Kitchen/Bathroom Remodels
• Electrical Services (ceiling fans, switches, plugs, etc)
• Plumbing (sinks, toilets, showers)
• Trash/Junk removal
• Tree Trimming, Yard Work
• Excavation/Grading

and more. It's wild what they can do and they quickly have become my go-to for all my home repair needs. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a local company that stands behind their work. 

From the owner: Family and locally owned handyman business with decades of skilled trades experience. We have been in and around all exchanges for all intents and purposes our entire lives. Our dedicated, proficient, and educated specialists are furnished with the legitimate abilities and tools to take care of business the correct way.

I was recently put in touch with the fine folks over at Cedar Creek Jet Ski Rentals and wanted to share my experience. Cedar Creek is a good-sized lake about an hour southeast of Dallas and jet skis are, well, jet skis. 

Cedar Creek Reservoir is a reservoir located in Henderson and Kaufman Counties, Texas, 50 miles southeast of Dallas. It is built on Cedar Creek, which flows into the Trinity River. Floodwaters are discharged through a gated spillway into a discharge channel that connects to the Trinity River, according to Wikipedia.

I rented a Yamaha jet ski from Cedar Creek Jet Ski Rentals and had a blast. I also got sunburned in the process but that's par for the course AND TOTALLY WORTH IT. The day rate was very reasonable and they can accommodate large groups and events such as graduation parties. Booking of these water crafts should be done as early as possible as their availability fills up fast.

If you are looking for an awesome jet ski rental service in the Cedar Creek lake area of Dallas and DFW, look no further. Their main service area includes the towns of Mabank, Kemp, Seven Points, Gun Barrel City, Roddy, Tool, Mankin, Ruth Springs, Enchanted Oaks and other fun little towns along the shoreline. Book a jet ski here and go have some fun before the lake water gets too cold. And if you're looking for a jet ski rental in the Lake Ray Hubbard area, check out North Texas Water Rentals.

I bought a gently used pair of (deep breath) Nike ZoomX VaporFly Next% mens running shoes on eBay. No way I was paying the fully TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DOLLARS for what is apparently the craziest and most advanced fancy-ass running shoe the people at Nike have ever created. 

Seriously, someone set a marathon time world record in these things or some such. 

So do they live up to the hype? Yes and no.

These are extremely well made running shoes with TONS of cushioning. The average distance runner might find it a little jarring at first. THE SOLE IS HUUUUGE. I cannot stress this enough, it's like walking in high heels or something. On the plus side, they do make you taller.

There's also a crazy amount of bounce to these things. And an air bubble. When running in them, you definitely feel propelled forward in a way that no other shoe I've found can match. If you're a serious distance runner these are definitely worth a look.

The bad? These shoes are very narrow. They are also somewhat awkward when moving side to side and were definitely made for the one sole (pun intended) purpose of running long distances in a straight line. They are quite comfy.

​Recommended but expensive and not for amateurs.