Dear Neighbors,

I am a 66 y.o. disabled male with no transportation that WAS TWICE FORCED TO RESCHEDULE a quick out patient surgery at Bellaire Dermatology TOMORROW, Monday, 11/29 at 1:30 pm.

I only have about $90 to my name & the person who's promised my transportation both times decided to do other things that day and left me in a bad spot. That $85-$90. Is my son's Christmas gift money. Last year we didn't even bother with a tree or gifts. We were NOT able to celebrate Christmas in any form, (tree, gifts or meals) 7 times in the past 11 years.

 OR I CAN: 

Spending my son's Christmas gift money on taxi fares. The fare should be about $30-$40 RT (Round Trip) to Bellaire Dermatology on the West Loop (about a 90 minute visit).

I also have an appointment the following morning at the DPS location on S. Gessner at 10:45 am. to renew my card. (That should only take 20 minutes, tops). It's less than 3½ miles from where I live but would cost around $25-$30 RT.

If I MUST SPEND HIS MONEY I WILL but if anyone is going that way and can help me please get back to me ASAP. My appreciation is beyond words.

I'm fairly new to Reddit and don't know all of the mechanics of messaging back and forth without putting all of my personal information out there.

I live where Renwick forms a "T" with Braesvalley Drive. (Adjacent to that grassy easement), in Nob Hill West Section.

I have less than $100 to my name and had planned to get my son a Christmas gift this year. Last several I couldn't afford one for him. We are still trying to recover from Harvey and are about 18 months away from that getting completed and then the damage from the burst water pipes complicated things.

My vehicle is inoperable since Harvey and that project will take A LOT OF MONEY TO GET GOING buts that's for a later date.

My vehicle has been inoperable due to vandals immediately after Harvey and we are still about 1½ to 2 years away from recovering from that then needing to work on getting my vehicle safely operational once again which will cost me a few thousand dollars. That's for another time and place but hope it doesn't get towed in the interim because if it does it's gone for good as I'll never be able to afford to get it from the tow yard.

I hope & pray that someone out there reads my request and can help on either appointment.

In any case, stay safe, be well g be blessed in all things, always!

Jim Bartko

My son called to me and asked me if I heard something perhaps in my art supply closet fall over because he heard a crunch/crash-like noise and I replied "No but I'll check." I went back to my bathroom sink where I was standing washing my face and hands and had the water running at the same time experienced a very loud clap of thunder and a lightening strike close by & it had just started to rain very hard. I said that we had water coming through the ceiling! I put a pot on the floor to catch the water. If my son hadn't called to me the water would have fallen on my shoulder. After the container filled and the rain stopped I bent over to empty the pot and found a .38 caliber bullet. It appeared to be a copper slug and the point was flattened because it hit the roof with such force & pushed it through roofing tile, tar paper, plastic water protection sheeting and 3/4” plywood then fiberglass insulation, then dry wall and hit my floor RIGHT WHERE I WAS STANDING. The tip was flattened from the force it took to travel trough an oak trees' branches and all of that building material into my bathroom where I was standing. IT DEFINITELY, WITHOUT A DOUBT, WOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH MY SKULL AND KILLED ME!!! I've had 3 near death experiences where the 1st 2 I traveled to the light and came back while seeing my body lay there and my "friends" deciding how they were going to dump my body. When I rode the train back and told them what I saw and heard plus what I experienced I know without a doubt that there exists a God because He is showed me my son at 3 yes if age and my wife was 9 months pregnant. On his 3rd birthday he looked exactly like what God showed me he would be. That's the son that called me away from where the bullet came down!.Since then I'm not afraid to die just don't want to miss certain achievements of mankind. I've seen quite a bit of change in the world since 1955 and I can only imagine the changes to come in especially first contact by an extraterrestrial intelligence and it's impact in religious dogma. Remember, as of this September 1st, THIS WEDNESDAY, you can open carry hand guns to protect yourself with. There will be many more stray bullets flying into our windows and walls after Wednesday. Soon, were gonna have to wear both masks and helmuts & flack jackets indoors. Be well & be blessed in all things, Always!