There comes a time in the life of every home owner when you wonder if renting is really all that bad. We had one of those experiences this weekend. It started with a puddle. It grew to a small pond. It ended with a large check.
“Cheryl, we have a problem. I think our water heater has seen better days.”
“Why do you say that?”
“There’s a puddle of hot water surrounding the water heater…
There are several people who can attest to this fact. In my days on this pebble in the sky I’ve done many things to prove my point. I’ve broken bones, walls and doors – and that’s not even counting the things I’ve done to myself. I’ve embarrassed others and myself with bad hairstyles and ridiculous clothes. I’ve walked the valleys of depression and soared where no sane man should go.
Here’s a neat little trick I learned this evening while emptying the waste basket in our spare bathroom. First, find yourself a sharp corner. A counter top corner with a squared off edge is ideal. Second, and this is the tricky part, line up the sharp corner with the space between any two ribs on the side of your torso. For the best results, pick two ribs close to your arm pit. Finally, with…
1. Introduce yourself.
“Hi, I’m with ADT Security Systems.”
2. Make the customer want to help you – make yourself out to be the victim. “My boss thinks there are not enough of our signs on your street, so he wanted me to come out in the cold to speak to you today about a free installation.”
3. Use Peer pressure.
“I was just coming from your neighbor’s house and I wanted to see if…
“John, you didn’t ride your bike today.”
“No. There’s supposed to be a 70 percent chance of rain this afternoon. I don’t mind riding when it’s cold and I don’t mind riding when it’s wet, but cold and wet is a problem.”
You know where this story is going. It doesn’t have any rain or cold air. More importantly, it doesn’t involve a bike.
So I drove home. Every street was dry.
to ride on a nice day. I rode into the office this morning, exhausted. It was cold (for Florida) and the chilly morning ride sapped my reserves. Much later, quitting time came and I got back on my bike for the return ride home. By the afternoon the weather turned perfect. By the time I reached the entrance to the office parking lot I was invigorated. The sun was shinning, a gentle breeze was…
First, let me get the disclosure out of the way. I grew up in a household that went to church every Sunday. We were all required to attend Sunday school. We always said grace before each meal. I also attended a secular public school. My only child is currently a student in a public school.
That’s quite a build up for this entry, isn’t it? Well, I was sitting up a few nights ago reading through…
Today the decorations came down. Lights were coiled up. Knick-knacks were packed away. The tree went back in it’s box. Our living room furniture returned to it’s previous configuration. I love the holidays and the now three month lead in to them, but I’m o.k. that they’re over. When I was younger the end of the holidays preceded a one week minimum mourning period. Now the end of the…
I have always been fascinated with kayaking. I have no idea why. I have never been a particularly big fan of other rowing activities, and canoeing seems just plain wrong. But then there’s the kayak… sleek, low to the water, and sporty. A week ago I got to try out a kayak for the first time. I was in a two person kayak with my brother in law. We were down visiting with my sister and his family…
More than any other body part, my feet dictate when I am comfortable. When my feet are hot, I am hot. When they are not… you get the picture. Nothing is worse than a pair of socks with a misaligned seam. That damn thing will drive me far crazier than any idiot on the highway. A similar dynamic has ruled out a whole category of footware. When I was young I could not stand flip-flops (you may know…