Category: News About Us

Philippines 1960: Her story, Emiliana R. “Emily” Ramot starts when her dad Joseph “Jose” Ramot, a survivor of the Bataan Death March of WWII, brought his four sons, daughter and wife to America when he was in the US Navy, eventually he was stationed at Mare Island Vallejo California. His only daughter Emily was 10 years old in 1960. I was also 10 years old at that time.
(Ref: https://www.history.com/top…/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march)

An American Story: I am Donald J. “Don” Leske II, my story also starts when I was 10 years old in 1960, but in San Luis Obispo California. We were a poor family with five children sleeping in one bedroom until I was 12 years old and then the garage became my bedroom, my own castle, I was the only boy. So I learned to work hard weekends and after school cutting grass and cleaning yards, to later working in a grocery store stocking shelves when we moved to Napa California, moving on work wise to pumping gas at 16 years old. My buddy Gary invited me to his congregation in Vallejo, 10 miles away on a Sunday. That was when I saw her standing there, a guapa magunda babai princess.
(Song for memories: https://youtu.be/oxwAB3SECtc)

By 17 I had a full time job, a ’55 Chevy 2dr car and an apartment of my own in Vallejo. Our parents would not sign to let us get married so we just waited until we were 18 years old, “Hotter than a pepper sprout” , as the song goes.
(Song for memories: https://youtu.be/4GvD_NQrLFo)

The 1970s-1980s are a bit of a blur, gone too fast with fun having three kids in the ’70s, working and attending church three days a week. During those years I became ASE Certified as a Master Mechanic, we bought our first home and I opened up a new auto mechanic repair business while Emily Leske went to work and got certified in accounting, lots of fun and stupid drama in those years. Many things don’t have to be said, as my dad once said, and should’t be said in any case.

The 1990’s – 2000 told our story of business on a real basis; See the Kindle book; https://www.amazon.com/DIFFERENT-EXCITING-WAYS…/…/B019AH1IW2 it tells the money side mostly, but falls short of telling the million dollar ending which is still in progress as of this writing. I could have never accomplished what I have without the love and support of my Filipina wife Emily. Maraming Salamat Po asawa mo, mahal kita.

2000 – 2019 Emily and I both became Licensed Real Estate Brokers, working under John L. Scott realty at first and then opening BCI Properties LLC a full service realty brokerage specializing in rental homes and properties since we had prior experience with real estate in prior years. The business exploded in 2008 with the market crash of home sales, rentals was the way out for many.

2021 -NOW

You can find updates here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/DLeske  
https://www.youtube.com/EmilyLeskeGlobetrotter  – Emily’s 

We sold our company and retired at the first of the year 2020, bought a 2018 33ft Pierce Arrow class A motorhome with 10,000 actual miles on it, saving $100k over the cost of new $289k price. It was fully loaded including a washer, dryer, microwave and a Cummins Diesel plus a Cummins generator with two slideouts. We added a low mileage red 2019 Jeep Wrangler Safari to tow behind and spent 7 months on the road, our 2020 USA Tour. – Update; we traded in our 2818 for a stronger better built 2014 Forestriver Charleston 44ft with 4-slideouts, used with low 11,000 miles on it. Powered by Cummins Diesel, which drives like a Cadillac, sweet and smooth. We have a nice on board washer and dryer plus in-house vacuum system and “Insta-hot” hot water tank that delivers continual hot water as long as you need it. the shower is larger and more solid than the Pierce Arrow. I am about 6ft and 300lbs and it is great to have a great shower with non stop hot water. The electric fireplace gives off heat for those cold nights, when we don’t want to run the central heating system. This coach has real tile floors and carpet where you need it, plus a King size bed with a thick pillow top mattress, the last coach had a queen bed and I can tell the difference, sleeping 7-8 hours a night, wow really!