Sunday, Sunday - Oh, That Sunday Sleep ~ Early Evening Thoughts

I really needed a silly time today. For the most part, the day went fairly well ... OK, the day went. It started with 1/2 of the couple moving into the apartment today (my day off!) told me that the move would start at 8:00am in the morning. Yawning and complaining, I awoke at 7:00am to be somewhat ready for their arrival.

At 8:00am I received a phone call from the OTHER 1/2 of the couple saying it wasn't going to happen until 10:00am. Not a problem, back to bed I went. THEN I received a phone call from the first 1/2 of the couple saying it was now going to be around 11:00am before it happened. I didn't bother to get out of bed.

I finally emerged from what some people call a beauty sleep (didn't work in my case!) and started my day. Finally at 3:00pm the first load arrived of the move. That was when disaster seemed to strike. The electricity was off ~ OK, not a problem. I would just go back and flip the switches. OK~ now a problem.

Last night my maintenance man decided to get in the middle of an argument that a man and woman were having out on the street. Unfortunately, it appears that neither of them appreciated his becoming involved and he ended up being smacked down onto the pavement. Of course, there was the requisite head gash and being slightly banged up. The head gash made him look as if he had been run over and being banged up made him slightly irritable and not feel very well.

While the police were not too terribly interested in going after the arguing couple, the ambulance folk were very interested in taking my maintenance man on a ride to the hospital. I didn't argue ~ too much.

Unfortunately, the maintenance man had the electrical box keys attached to his belt. OK ~ no problem, the man and the keys will be back today. OK ~ now a problem, he evidently was kept overnight for observation and testing. I still have not heard from him nor from anyone that knows him.

Now, I have two halves of this couple (who may or may NOT communicate with each other) moving into an apartment that has no electricity. Thank heavens for petty cash. I'm going to offer them either dinner and breakfast in the morning or a Motel 6 room for the night. They can take their choice ~ but they are NOT allowed to call me with the decision. I can only imagine how many phone calls that would take!!!

I'm also hopeful that I can get down to the Comcast office this week, and get my Internet hooked back up. The problem isn't Comcast or me. The person who lived in this apartment before me left without paying his bill (and it is a him as I know who it is!). I have to go down and prove that I am not this nefarious bill skipping ...uh... person. At that point, I will no longer be using the office computer and will be able to post pictures on the blog once more!!

And now, for the silly part of my Sunday:

One of the most incredible marketing campaigns involved Marlboro cigarettes. On the side of each pack were "miles" and people collected those miles for prizes from the prize catalogue. This helped Marlboro stay ahead of the "pack" which advertising that cigarettes could do became quite limited.

Here are some little known items from the various years catalogues:

1. 1,000,000 miles: John Wayne's bronzed lungs

2. 80,000 miles: The "Cougher": "cough"-- Lights on... "cough"-"cough"-- lights off!

3. 80,000 miles: Marlboro Man ballet shoes and tutu

4. 100 miles: Bumper sticker saying, "You can have my cigarette when you pry it from my feeble, trembling hands.

5. 500,000 miles and a $10,000 contribution: The Senator of your choice

6. 25,000 miles: (collectors item) Jackie Gleason's "Wheezin' to the Oldies" workout video

7. 45,000 miles: Complete framed collection of Surgeon General's warning labels

I drove past a Hollywood Video Store this week, and they were eliminating all the VHS tapes from the store at $1.99 each...at least that's what the sign outside said. As the world moves more to CD's and DVD's ... I got to thinking about that wonderful (now becoming a collectors item) invention the floppie disk that seemed so revolutionary at the time. I was sure I hadn't lost it ~ and today I dug around in a couple of the "don't throw this away, I might need it someday" boxes I have in the closet, and there it was.

Proper Care of Floppies

1. Never leave diskettes in the disk drive, as data can leak out of the disk and corrode the inner mechanics of the drive. Diskettes should be rolled up and stored in pencil holders.

2. Diskettes should be cleaned and waxed once a week. Microscopic metal particles can be removed by waving a powerful magnet over the surface of the disk. Any stubborn metallic shavings can be removed with scouring powder and soap. When waxing diskettes, make sure application is even. This will allow the diskettes to spin faster, resulting in better access time.

3. Do not fold diskettes unless they do not fit in the drive. "Big" diskettes may be folded and used in "little" disk drives.

4. Never insert a disk into the drive upside down. The data can fall off the surface of the disk and jam the intricate mechanics of the drive.

5. Diskettes cannot be backed up by running them through the Xerox machine. If your data is going to need to be backed up, simply insert two diskettes together into the drive. Whenever you update a document, the data will be recorded on both diskettes.

6. Diskettes should not be inserted into or removed from the drive while the red light is flashing. Doing so could result in smeared or possibly unreadable text. Occasionally the red light continues to flash in what is known as a "hung" or "hooked" state. If your system is "hooking" you, you will probably need to insert a few coins before being allowed to access the disk drive.

7. If your diskette is full and you need more storage space, remove the disk from the drive and shake vigorously for two minutes. This will pack the data enough (Data Compression) to allow for more storage. Be sure to cover all the openings with scotch tape to prevent loss of data.

8. Data access time can be greatly improved by cutting more holes in the diskette jacket. This will provide more simultaneous access points to the disk.

9. Diskettes can be used as coasters for beverage glasses, provided they have been properly waxed beforehand. Be sure to wipe the diskettes dry before inserting into drive (see item #2 above.)

10. Never use scissors and glue to manually edit documents. The data stored is much too small to be seen with the naked eye, and you may end up with data from some other document stuck in the middle of your document. Razor blades and scotch tape may be used, provided the user is equipped with an electron microscope.

11. Periodically spray diskettes with insecticide to prevent system bugs from spreading.

And of course, no day would be complete

(also from the same box) without some quotes to end the day:

He who dies with the most toys, is, nonetheless, still dead.
--unknown

The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity.
--unknown

I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top.
--English Professor, Ohio University

Q: How many surrealists does it take to screw in a light bulb? A: Two. One to hold the giraffe and the other to fill the bathtub with brightly colored machine tools.
--unknown

Q: How many minimalists does it take to change a light bulb? A: 1
--unknown

This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.
--Dorothy Parker

Diplomacy is the art of saying "nice doggy" until you can find a rock.
--unknown

When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail. --Abraham Maslow

And For What Might Seem To Be Small Change ~ Early Evening Thoughts.

Several months ago (has it really been that long?), I wrote -->about Kiva.org.<-- ~ a micro-lending organization that makes loans possible to people who would never otherwise qualify for loans.

For as little as $25 ($27.50 actually if you add $2.50 to help defray operating expenses!) you can reach someone and help turn their lives around in a way that helps them operate as a business should. These people are not the recipients of a grant or gift (although there is nothing wrong with that) but rather they have to go through a loan process and then when enough people have loaned them money to reach their goal, the money is made available to them. The best part, is that they are expected to pay the loan back.

When the loan is paid back, the original investment made is returned to the lender ... who can take the money or reinvest it in someone else.

One of the investments I made was with a woman by the name of -->Selima<--. Her business required expansion and she needed ten sheep and sixty chickens. I want to report (proudly I might add) that she has begun to repay the loan. She has 14 months to repay the investment a number of people made, but I have a feeling she will repay it much earlier than 14 months.

I was reminded of a story about a very wealthy businessman during the depression. He passed by what we would call a beggar with a tin cup and a few pencils in the cup ~ if someone wanted to take them. The businessman reached in his pocket and threw two nickles in the cup and started to walk away...he stopped, turned around and went back.

He said to the beggar, "I'm sorry, I treated you unfairly. It is obvious you are businessman, and that you have pencils for sale. I would like my pencils, please." He held out his hand, and the rather startled beggar put two pencils in the mans hand.

Sometime later, the businessman needed some stationary for his office and while returning from lunch, he noticed a small shop. He went in, and picked out what he needed and went to the register to pay. The man behind the register called him by name, and then said:

"You won't remember me, but sometime ago I had no belief in anything as I had lost everything. I was reduced to begging in the train station. You walked by and believed in me enough to call me a businessman and to make me complete a business transaction. I started believing in myself again. This shop is a result, and my stationary business has been good enough that I'm going to move to a different, larger location in the next few months."

The point being, we can make changes in peoples lives and help them become businessmen and women.

Several blogs have done articles about micro-lending overseas, and it's something worth looking into and you can make a difference for what might seem to be small change.

I hope you will seriously consider becoming a lender to the poor. Here's the -->link to the website<-- where you can learn much more!

Opps ~ Late Morning Thoughts

Last night ~ at the last minute, there was dinner and a meeting with the boss which went on far too long. I'm sorry I didn't post, but I'll make it up tonight!!!

What Is Your Internal? ~ Early Evening Thoughts

Today was an interesting day. While not full of great insights, I did gain insight into some of the people I work with.

Ninety percent of who we are is internal, and only ten percent is outside of us.
-- Anonymous

As often happens when I need to think through issues and complex problems, I turn to what others have written or said that links into what I'm dealing with. Hopefully, these will touch your lives as well.

Think of Honesty and Integrity as sisters. Honesty is truthful and is well respected because she lives truth in her heart and offers it to others
without compromise. Integrity believes in wholeness, goodness, and excellence, and is willing to serve as a praiseworthy example for others. Both are held in high regard. Practicing honesty and integrity is a two-fold gift. The first gift is seeing yourself as honest and having a high level of integrity. The second gift is offering your honesty and integrity to others. You become a respected person of integrity when you are unwilling to compromise your values.

I've done a number of posts about integrity and honesty, but these reached into where I was standing today ~ and helped to "sooth the savage beast" that seemed to want to tear up what I was thinking, believing about people and hoping about people.

To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.
--Douglas Adams

Integrity has no need of rules.
--Albert Camus

Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist.
--Mary Kay Ash

The greatest homage we can pay to truth is to use it.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

A life lived with integrity - even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune is a shining star in whose light others may follow in the years to come.
--Denis Waitley

The highest compact we can make with our fellow is, - 'Let there be truth between us two forever more.'
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.
--Thomas Jefferson

The glue that holds all relationships together -- including the relationship between the leader and the led is trust, and trust is based on integrity.
--Brian Tracy

Integrity is the first step to true greatness. Men love to praise, but are slow to practice it. To maintain it in high places costs self-denial; in all places it is liable to opposition, but its end is glorious, and the universe will yet do it homage.
--Charles Simmons

Our lives improve only when we take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.
--Walter Anderson

Integrity is not a conditional word. It doesn't blow in the wind or change with the weather. It is your inner image of yourself, and if you look in there and see a man who won't cheat, then you know he never will.
--John D. MacDonald

Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.
--Ayn Rand

He that loseth his honesty, has nothing else to lose.
--John Lyly

(Again, forgive the lack of images, I as still using a computer that makes it so I really can't place images in the blog. Hopefully, Comcast will solve that problem shortly.)

--more tomorrow

The Beginning -Complex Tales ~ Early Evening Thoughts

I had promised a number of posts ago, to start telling the "complex tales" about where I'm working. I've found my life once again full of delightful (and some not-so-delightful) people who can make my day more interesting than I ever thought possible.

Several weeks ago, when I hired on ~ one of the problems was maintenance...or rather the lack of it. We tried Toby in the job - and that didn't work out. I did have someone that lived at the complex who was versed in some of the skills that were needed, so it was decided to give him a try.

One of the first things anyone managing or doing anything at an apartment complex learns is how to drill a lock. Yes, sometimes you have to change locks for legal reasons (usually having to do with an eviction) and there is no key. It is not difficult to do - unless you don't do it correctly.

It was the end of the day, and R said that he would drill the lock for me - we were taking possession of an apartment that someone had vacated before the police were going to arrive. As he had never done this before, I showed him where to drill (there are two places) and how deep to drill (drilling for oil will only complicate the process). He repeated the where and the what for ~ and I started on my way home. I had to walk to the train to had downtown and then wait for a bus to carry me home. I had no sooner gotten to the train station when the first call came from R. Disaster evidently had struck.

I turned around and headed back to work. I arrived to find a very frustrated newbie maintenance man, metal shavings all over the porch - and a lock that looked as if it had been hit completely in the middle by a meteorite...there was a one and one half inch crater in the center of a three inch lock.

Now we are in a mess. The purpose of drilling in two places is to get the pins to loosen and eventually drop off and the lock gently, quietly and sweetly comes open. If not, you have to continue drilling in a circular pattern around the lock hoping that the screws from the inside will eventually drop out and you can twist the lock open.

Literally 12 ~ yes ~ twelve holes later, one of the screws drops - but the lock pins are holding strong. I now have a newbie maintenance man with steam coming out of his ears and if not-gentle conversation from him could have melted the lock ~ it would have.

I decided that the time for direct action had finally arrived. I really didn't think the second screw was going to drop, the pins were there for the duration and I really didn't have anymore time to mess with it. Since the drill was made of metal - I delivered several strong blows with the side of the drill to the lock casing ~ and the second screw dropped. And we were home free...except for the 2nd lock. Looking at R I asked if he was OK doing he next one. He assured me he was and with a quick motion of the drill, he began. It was success!!

I took out the sword of management and dubbed him "no longer newbie" on the spot...and again wended my way home. I also would never admit to him that the first lock I ever drilled on a vacant apartment ~ we ended up kicking the door in because I made such a mess of it. I have SOME pride left after all!!!

---more to follow