Jul 19, 2005

"Another crossroads in time"

At times like these I feel like I am the luckiest man alive. The person who promised to love, honor and help me make decisions and I are discussing whether to choose another path in our continued search for life's enjoyments.
As the work environment continually changes we find ourselves either needing to adapt and compromise our integrity or choose a different source for income for our next couple of decades.
Fortunately, we both are hard-working and intelligent enough that whatever decision we make shouldn't have much of an economic impact should we decide to seek out another challenge.
My first choice would be to seclude myself and write that "Great American Novel". That has actually been suggested by Pattye, much to my surprise. Okay, anyone out there care to give me about a $100,000 advance?
Didn't think so.
Next, I have made a proposal to a certain individual to become his property manager and manage his estate while he involves himself in his celebrity career and numerous travels. Should that endeavor come to fruition our next set of choices becomes very desirable.
As some of you know, we have been developing a consignment business, Gathering Eggs .
Pattye would like nothing more than to spend her days buying and selling vintage and new collectibles. She has gotten the buying part down real well as evidenced by the daily arrival of new inventory and the selling part is coming into its own.
We recently made a commitment to expand our operation and decided to have one more sit-down together before we embarked on this project. The next morning after our discussion, we found that we had one of the best days so far in sales. Hmmmmm, I hope that is a good sign.
My biggest desire is for the chance to cut our workload to about 60 hours a week. No, I'm not exaggerating. That is about what we both put into our present situation. That's 60 hours each!
I long for the day when we can actually take a week-end off and travel to find more treasures to provide to the public, ( at a comfortable mark-up of course).
And yes, we could actually spend a Thanksgiving or Christmas without getting up at midnight.
Hey, I'm not complaining. We made the choice to do what we have been doing for the last 15 years, but the time has come to reassess our decision and do what is best for us, not for the one-sided thinking corporate structure.
And we always have our old faithful, Blue Sky Pools. And we have Free Obits . And we have accepting an offer with UPS . And working out of the house for American Airlines .
So don't be dismayed. We aren't.
We are thrilled that we have a chance in this great country of ours to do whatever we choose. All it takes is hard work and a little bit of intelligence and you can be successful. We have proven that time and time again.
So that's why I am the luckiest man alive. I have choices, I have friends, I have good health and I have a willingness to work hard. Doesn't get any better than this.
Now, about that advance, would you settle for maybe $50,000?

Jul 11, 2005

That sixth sense, with a little added technology"

How did our parents seem to have a sixth sense about them and knew where we had been and what we were doing particularly when we were doing something wrong? I mean other than the tell-tale signs of muddy shoes from the river bottom, or the aroma of cigarette smoke we tried to hide with Sen Sens , or as we got older the smear of pancake makeup on our collar.
My mother had this way of trying to get a whiff of my breath as I would come home, late as usual, on a Saturday night after drinking a couple of quarts of beer with my buddies during my hell-raising highschool days. I always got busted so I immediately admitted to having just a sip while my eyes tried to focus and my stomach churned waiting to expunge the contents of my evening's escapades.
The didn't have caller ID, they didn't have GPS, they didn't have eyes in the back of their head, although we often suspected that to be true. But they did have that sixth sense about them. They knew. And, it was that scary feeling that usually kept me somewhat along the straight and narrow path.
These days teenagers don't have a chance. With pagers and cell phones and picture phones, Mom and Pop can find their kids immediately. One companyTeen Arrive Alive can track your steps within 20 ft. of your location with GPS satellites. Even your dog can't wander off in the middle of the night without your finding him with new "chips" that can placed in their collar from Pet Finder
All this techno stuff I'm sure has a "back door" that can allow someone to cover their tracks. Even though you think you are getting away with something, you're probably going to get caught.
So the best advice that I can give you is: "If you don't want to get caught, then don't do it. Or at least wear clean underwear because people can see right through you".

Jul 6, 2005

"Lots of changes a happenin"

Lots of things are going down even as I speak, er, write. Some good, some bad, some ugly (great name for a western movie). Don't want to reveal anything right now. Will post it as the "worm" turns.
Your thoughts are appreciated!!

Jul 3, 2005

"One of the reasons I enjoy blogging"

Got a little freaked out when I saw the first day returns on the recent "Whatever happened to a handshake..... blog. Apparently it got picked up in a "feed" and had the highest number of so-far recorded hits. But that's not the reason I blog. I blog because it has brought me into contact with friends from my past. I've mentioned several previously, but a close friend and the sister of my best friend, recently e-mailed me after she caught my blog.
Delilah Shank, who we affectionately called, Deedles, said "Hi", and sent along a couple of pictures. Now you tell me, couldn't this be an ad for one of those mother/daughter commercials?
Delilah has had a long career in the entertainment business and is starting a new career teaching in the Los Angles area.
She reminded me of some old times back at Fairview High School in Dayton, Ohio and said she remembered me as the skinny kid who used to make everyone laugh.
Well, at least I can still make people laugh, I don't know about that skinny part though!
Great talking to you, Deedles

Jul 1, 2005

"Whatever happened to a simple handshake for a contract", and "My word is as good as a bond"

Never thought I would see the day, nope never did. I bet if I looked out the window I would see "pigs flying" .
"The time has come," the Walrus said, "to talk of many things: Of shoes and ships and sealing wax - - of cabbages and kings."
Yes sir, the time has definitely come to begin questioning what in God's name has happened to the essence of "Truth, Justice and the American Way".
Have I been so naive for my soon to be 57 years on this earth that I believed that "doing the right thing" was the honorable way to live. That if you did your job well, really well, that the outcome would be to the benefit of mankind?
For all the times I raised an eyebrow about the complainers who said, "I was screwed by the company", to them I apologize.
For the first time in my life, I have come to realize that the "man", "the suits", the people in charge, are truly the villains in working society. And for all of these years I have been one of them.
Even one of my previous blogs, "Where did we go wrong" just written in the past month supported management's side of the issues. I blamed all of the worker bees for the problems in working society. I blamed the rank and file for the poor attitude that has evolved into making the workplace a work place and not a fun place.
What has changed me in such a short time? What has happened that has caused my thinking to reverse after such a long time of believing that people really love their job?
Well, without naming names, a close friend is undergoing contract negotiations with their employer and it has turned ugly.
This person, twice a recipient of the company's top honor, a winner of numerous awards, has dedicated their time and efforts to doing the best possible job to make the company successful and prosperous. This person who has spent endless hours trying to help fix problems that management had no idea where to begin solving them. This person is now just considered a simple cog in the big machine that only wants to squeeze every last ounce of effort out of the employees with disregard for what consequences it may have, and for less money.
My advice: Walk away. Walk away and keep your dignity.
This particular company has already faced numerous charges of impropriety in a scandal that has rocked the industry. Some of the higher ups could face indictment. And, you know what? I hope they get their asses convicted and end up as "Bubba's" love-mate in a federal prison.
I've never thought it would happen here. I always thought that if you did the right thing, and did it well, you would prosper. Not so, not true anymore.
My eyes have been opened.
To paraphrase a verse that supposedly originated during the beginning of WWII.
"They came for the......, but I didn't speak up"
Well, I'm speaking up.