Here We Come Again... ooh-a-ooh

So as I was saying.......................Three months have passed, I'm managing a retail store with some of the more affluent clientele in Dallas asking my advice, buying my products and several of THEM, not me, soliciting my services........ So why am I frustrated?
I guess it is the ole', "Once they've seen the Lights of Paris, how are you going to keep 'em on the farm?"
It's tough if you have owned your own business for years. Made decisions, right or wrong. Invested your own money. Worked 60-70 hours a week. Only to now be relegated to producing profits for someone other than yourself.
I guess many would jump at the opportunity that I have been given. At 57, many people start to put it in cruise control and would be happy to ride the remaining years in the middle lane, driving a sedan..........but no, not me. Not Pattye and me.
So, here we go again.
The Ebay queen has dilligently been placing items in her successful Ebay store, Gathering-Eggs , with over 200 items posted now and she continues to receive unprecedented comments from buyers. She has also found time to launch a second Ebay store, Blue Sky Pools , which will feature items that I am familiar with, Pool Products. On top of everything else she also contracted to complete a beautiful water fountain pictured above for one of my high profile, high maintenance, star of TV and screen, local celebrity pool customers.
Today I gave notice to the great people at Fountainhead that I will be leaving them. My high-profile celebrity pool customer and I are working on a deal to work for them on a part-time basis and I have taken my many years in the Pool business and have resurrected Blue Sky Pools and brought it into the 21st century by specializing in Salt Water Systems for home pools. In addition, I have been making contact with other pool-related companies to provide start-up operations for new and remodeled pools.
It has been a great ride this past year for both Pattye and me. She has gained a wealth of experience in buying and selling on E-bay as well as at her store. She showed me her numbers for this month and I was quite impressed.
And me ? Well it has been a good six months as well. I have learned a hell of a lot about the retail business but most importantly I have learned that we didn't have all of the success in our past experiences by working for the other guy.
For some reason, maybe all I just needed was a little break from the past year's fiasco with you know who and wanted to just take it a little bit easy and let the other guy make the decisions.
Well, vacation time is over. I'm back in the saddle again, callin' the shots and determining when, where, how and why I do things.
Annnnnnnndddddd.................. I HAVE MISSED BLOGGING.........SO THERE..........YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE WITH ME AGAIN!!

"Don't Go Near the Water" (unless it is clean!)

There was a funny movie during the 50' Don't Go Near the Water starring Glenn Ford, which doesn't have anything to do with this blog other than the title.
I just got back from a seminar in Arlington, TX where I spent two days learning about pools and spas and the chemicals needed to properly maintain these proliferating sources of income for the business that I manage.
Although I have been in the Pool business for over 16 years professionally as well as a couple of summers in between semesters in college, I have never really had the biochemistry instruction to really appreciate the science involved in keeping swimming pools clean and clear.
Like most people in my industry I occasionally have fallen victim to the same belief that homeowners experience....."if it looks clear, it is probably safe".......No, no, no.
Now I am a big proponent of the swimming pool and spa. Geez, it's how I make my living. Pools and Spas are a great source for relaxation, fun and enjoyment. BUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM!! Let me give you a couple of facts I learned last week.
Four people in a spa or hot tub is the equivalent of 120 people in a pool. There are over a 1000 diseases that can exist in a pool or spa. If it looks clear it does not mean it is safe.
E. coli, Giardia, Salmonellosis, Legionnaire's disease, diarrhea, ear infections, are only a few of the many diseases and illnesses that can originate from that breeding ground in your backyard.
RWI's (Recreational Water Illnesses) can occur from swimming in pools, spas, lakes, the ocean you name it.
Here are a few Q and A's you might be interested in reading:

What kinds of illnesses can people get from swimming?

Diarrheal illness
Skin rashes
Ear infections
Eye infections
Respiratory infections


Can people get a recreational water illness (RWI) from swimming in the ocean?

Yes.
Recreational water illnesses (RWIs) have been associated with swimming at ocean beaches. Some common germs can live for long periods of time in salt water. Swimmers should always avoid swallowing the water that they and others swim in.

Can people get a recreational water illness (RWI) from swimming in fresh water lakes and rivers?

Yes.
Lakes and rivers can become contaminated with germs from sewage, animal waste, water runoff, as well as direct human contamination from fecal accidents and germs rinsed off the bottoms of swimmers. Avoid swimming in areas that have been identified as unsafe by health departments. Contact your state/local health department about germ-testing results for local recreational water.

Can people get a recreational water illness (RWI) from using hot tubs and spas?

Yes.
Skin infections are the most common RWI spread through hot tubs and spas. Given that hot tubs and spas have warmer water than pools, chlorine or other disinfectant levels evaporate faster. For that reason, it is important that chlorine or disinfectant levels in hot tubs and spas are checked even more regularly than in swimming pools.


I don't want to discourage anyone from buying or using your pool or spa but just keep in mind that it is important you KEEP IT SAFE. And, of course, it you need a professional, you can always call me.

So, now that I have given my one public service announcement for the year I can get back to rat-killing, er... blogging.

See ya soon.

Confusion over hiatus

Not to be confused with "Moon over Miami" (great movie BTW with Don Ameche and Betty Grable) but the confusion over my "Hiatus" blog obviously needs a little bit more tweeking.
The person who promised to love, honor and have me carry her bags, and I just returned from a beautiful trip around the world.
We had a chance to see and visit such great places including Mayan temples in South America and rain forests in Borneo. Although, I considered myself to be in pretty good shape, I must admit that I did tire a little easily after making that trek up all of those teeny, tiny steps.
It was beautiful and we were able to purchase little stone souvenirs for all of our friends. Trouble was the weight exceeded our limits so we had to leave them behind.
Next on our world-wide tour was a trip to the South Pole. As you can see in the picture I have grayed a little bit during the past year. I had a chance to plant a flag at the furthest southern point of the earth (all part of the package deal which included Mai Tai's with umbrellas, although we ordered the non-alcoholic version).


From the South Pole, we took an excrutiating flight to Australia. Here we had a chance to play with some Koala bears and feed the kangaroos. For $10.00 you could get in the ring and box one of these lively fellows.

Needless to say, I took up the offer and actually did quite well.
The little "buggers" do offer quite a scrap though and I had to give up a visit to the Great Barrier Reef to nurse a black eye that I received when the marsupial snuck one in on me when I wasn't looking.
We decided to take a trip "Outback" and we ate lunch with a couple of Aborigine's. We dined on fried alligator, I thought it tasted quite like chicken and Pattye spent the night playing the digereedoo. Her years of playing the piano came in quite handy allowing her to master the instrument in record time.
Next on the trip was a walk down the "Great Wall of China".


The entire wall or rather the walkway was covered with a blanket of snow and those little fellows would get out each morning with their little hand-made brooms and sweep the walkway from one end to another. We dined on some roasted meat that we were not able to fully understand the Chinese translation let alone read the menu. It tasted like chicken to me. I did get a French name for it though in case anyone has the time to look it up. In French they call it chien.
Well, seeing that I have drug you this far into our vacation. I guess I am getting probably as bored as you are and I guess it is time to say goodbye at least for now. I'll probably post some pictures later on so you can see where I stopped and talked with the Pope in Italy and actually had a visit with Queen Mum over in England.
I did have a chance to meet a fellow American along the way. His name was Walter Mitty and he sends his regards to those who can remember him.

Au revoir for now!!

Oh yeah, I hope this explains my blog about the Hiatus and how I left some of you confused. Anyway, I (we) are back now and I will continue to keep blogging and I hope you enjoy my misguided trip through life!

The Natural Alternative to Lithium

(An update to an update!! Did you ever go on vacation only to find out after you returned that no one even noticed that you were gone!!. Well, that seems to be happening with the latest below (below the update) blog. I haven't posted anything in the last couple of weeks only to find out that no one noticed! That's OK. I still love all of you anyway. This has been an enlightenment for me, or rather my ego. But then again maybe the entire world (except for me) was captured by aliens and you all didn't realize that time has actually passed on.


(An update to the below blog. After having the person who promised to love, honor and read my blogs and a couple of friends who took the time to read the below as well, all seemed to come away confused about my latest musings. That's good. That means that my explanation that I have started to write a blog again which could have been accomplished in just a couple of sentences ended up causing people to say, Huh? I like that. I like confusion, chaos and drama. Geez, it feels so good to be crazy again!!)



No Blogs. No creative ideas. No instant genius. No flying off the handle. No dramatic increase in blood pressure. No life.
Yes, I think I have found a natural alternative to Lithium. And, it is one that has been around for many, many decades.
The answer?
A 9-5 job!!!!
I guess it has been over 30 years since I worked a schedule that most Americans seem to have adapted to without any complications. But for me, this new life style has made a dramatic change in my personality. Oh, I'm still the light-hearted guy I always was before, but on the inside I'm crying out for the manic side that used to drive me to such genius ideas as GPS locators on children's wrist watches, a free obituary on-line, a service that reminds you of upcoming important dates on your schedule, even a supposed novel, and many more that are still in the deep recesses of my cranium.
No, no, no. I'm not complaining. I thoroughly enjoy what I am doing and I have a position that many people would love to experience. The pay is pretty good. But sheesh. I have so much more to offer.
Did you know I actually sleep 8 hours STRAIGHT a day now!
And, I have even cut DOWN to only a pack of "cigs" a day.
Blogging has become difficult though. I just can't seem to get the creative juices flowing again. Or maybe, I just feel like nobody wants to hear my rants and raves, or maybe I don't want to hear my rants and raves.
The ebb and flow just seems to have settled down to a simple ripple in the pond.
Have I lost it? I hope not.
Maybe I just needed a little break to regroup and put things back in perspective.
By God. That's it.......................................It's back.
I'm back. I can feel the swing actually taking place as I type these words.
Whew, that was scary. Okay, I'm a 9-5'er, but I'm not giving up.
Look out world, here I come. Again!!

"On Hiatus"........Will return soon

Everything is really doing great but Pattye and I have a couple of puzzle pieces we need to add to complete our "picture". We will back very soon!!