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6 Nov - What a Morning on Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:19 pm
Jack
Admin
So, I've promised to work the debate tournament at the high school this afternoon. That should be enough for one day, right? I mean, I have to be there about 2:30 to help set up the catering equipment that the school's borrowing from the Party Palace and teach the volunteers how to use it. Then I'll be judging from about 4pm until they finish, which will probably be 10:30 or so.
With that to look forward to, I had to see my lawyer and business manager today. Do you know what drives me crazy about all this federal bailout lately? While the government is giving billions of dollars of our (if you're American) money to banks and big businesses, they're letting small, community oriented businesses go under.
There's a guy I know who owns a used record and CD store. I've known him for over 20 years, and he used to sell albums and sports cards from Comics and Stuff, then took over the lease when I bought Miles out. He tends to chase fads (he's done Hot Wheels, Beany Babies, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and even comic books over the years), but mostly sticks to music (especially collectible albums, though he finally put in CDs a while back) and non-gaming trading cards.
He makes a good living, and is able to take care of his wife and their two daughters. However, he got a new landlord a while back. The guy did make some improvements in the property, but now that Mike's lease is coming up, he wants to raise the rent $400/month. That will take Mike from doing pretty good to barely making ends meet.
Which brings us back to spending the morning with Richard and Jason. Since the old Target building I bought is so large, we're setting up a store for him, which will actually be larger than what he has now. We're going into partnership and I'm (is re-capitalizing the correct term?) funding the move and buying new fixtures (which actually costs me nothing, since it all comes from another arm of one of my companies that handles used store fixtures and furniture). So, while Mike is going to owe me half of all gross profit every year until he buys me out (which means he can't default, like he could on a loan), it all basically works out for him.
But what happens to all the other small business owners?
The day did have a cute start, though. Bryce and the twins kind of forget to tell me that there was a canned food drive at the school this week, and they need to take something today. I double-checked the board and, sure enough, there was NOTHING from their school about it. I have a feeling that Johnny's note home might have been that paper that was left in his pocket last week. Josh's was in the bottom of the front pocket of his backpack. I'll give you even odds between Bryce's being a paper airplane or a doodle pad. Whatever it is, I ought to spank all three of them, and thought seriously about it.
I took the three of them to school, so we could stop at the grocery store this morning. Right behind me, there was another guy with about 20 canned goods. I looked at him and asked, "Sanger?" He almost laughed. Then Bryce looked to see to whom I was talking and he said "Hi, Zack."
Zack was a pretty cute kid. Not much bigger than Bryce, but very light hair, eyes, and skin (though his hair is closer to brown that blond). I only saw him for a few minutes, but I'd say that boy's more hyper than Gordy. While I was being rang out, the kids were looking at one of those automatic DVD rental machines. After a minute, Bryce and Zack came back and Bryce said, "Dad, don't we have G.I.Joe at home." I assured them we did. Bryce wanted Zack to spend the night tonight, but I'm not going to do that to PJ, since all the high school and I will be gone until late tonight. So, he's coming over tomorrow, late afternoon, while his parents go to the movies, so he can watch G.I.Joe on our screen.
The thing I loved best about the kid was, when we were getting in the car, he came running out, bouncing around the little rides. As he got to the area where cars drive by, his dad called out, "Stop!". The boy not only came to a stop, he went nearly to an at rest position. The only difference I saw was that, rather than being at the small of his back, his hands were covering his rear! Probably a good precaution for a kid with that much energy.
With that to look forward to, I had to see my lawyer and business manager today. Do you know what drives me crazy about all this federal bailout lately? While the government is giving billions of dollars of our (if you're American) money to banks and big businesses, they're letting small, community oriented businesses go under.
There's a guy I know who owns a used record and CD store. I've known him for over 20 years, and he used to sell albums and sports cards from Comics and Stuff, then took over the lease when I bought Miles out. He tends to chase fads (he's done Hot Wheels, Beany Babies, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and even comic books over the years), but mostly sticks to music (especially collectible albums, though he finally put in CDs a while back) and non-gaming trading cards.
He makes a good living, and is able to take care of his wife and their two daughters. However, he got a new landlord a while back. The guy did make some improvements in the property, but now that Mike's lease is coming up, he wants to raise the rent $400/month. That will take Mike from doing pretty good to barely making ends meet.
Which brings us back to spending the morning with Richard and Jason. Since the old Target building I bought is so large, we're setting up a store for him, which will actually be larger than what he has now. We're going into partnership and I'm (is re-capitalizing the correct term?) funding the move and buying new fixtures (which actually costs me nothing, since it all comes from another arm of one of my companies that handles used store fixtures and furniture). So, while Mike is going to owe me half of all gross profit every year until he buys me out (which means he can't default, like he could on a loan), it all basically works out for him.
But what happens to all the other small business owners?
The day did have a cute start, though. Bryce and the twins kind of forget to tell me that there was a canned food drive at the school this week, and they need to take something today. I double-checked the board and, sure enough, there was NOTHING from their school about it. I have a feeling that Johnny's note home might have been that paper that was left in his pocket last week. Josh's was in the bottom of the front pocket of his backpack. I'll give you even odds between Bryce's being a paper airplane or a doodle pad. Whatever it is, I ought to spank all three of them, and thought seriously about it.
I took the three of them to school, so we could stop at the grocery store this morning. Right behind me, there was another guy with about 20 canned goods. I looked at him and asked, "Sanger?" He almost laughed. Then Bryce looked to see to whom I was talking and he said "Hi, Zack."
Zack was a pretty cute kid. Not much bigger than Bryce, but very light hair, eyes, and skin (though his hair is closer to brown that blond). I only saw him for a few minutes, but I'd say that boy's more hyper than Gordy. While I was being rang out, the kids were looking at one of those automatic DVD rental machines. After a minute, Bryce and Zack came back and Bryce said, "Dad, don't we have G.I.Joe at home." I assured them we did. Bryce wanted Zack to spend the night tonight, but I'm not going to do that to PJ, since all the high school and I will be gone until late tonight. So, he's coming over tomorrow, late afternoon, while his parents go to the movies, so he can watch G.I.Joe on our screen.
The thing I loved best about the kid was, when we were getting in the car, he came running out, bouncing around the little rides. As he got to the area where cars drive by, his dad called out, "Stop!". The boy not only came to a stop, he went nearly to an at rest position. The only difference I saw was that, rather than being at the small of his back, his hands were covering his rear! Probably a good precaution for a kid with that much energy.
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Why does a 12-year old boy act as responsible as a 9-year old, cry like a 6-year old when you spank him, then complain that you don't treat him like an adult?
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