trees

I am truly starting to believe we live in Seattle. Seriously it has rained for a week straight. These lawns are totally out of control and people are inquiring if we cut grass in the rain. Not! Soon I will have to accessorise the mowers with paddles. This wet grass just dulls the the blades in no time, not to mention that it takes twice as long to cut it. It has just been a really bomb of a week here. Damn grass growing almost 10 inches high on some lawns due to the fact of broken mowers and waiting to long to call for service. Then they want it cut short. It just doesn't work that way.



Today I went on a murdering rampage (not of my own control). On the way to a job of course a squirrel has to jut out in front of the truck. Before I could even hit the brakes I heard a small thud under the tire. I wished someone would invent a silent squirrel siren to place on your vehicle. Then I was only a mile down the road when 2 birds came down in front of the windshield then pow! One slammed directly into it! Scared the crap out of me at first. Then I had the great treat of picking half a bird wing off the windshield wiper-yuck! What a nasty start of a day. I knew it wasn't going to be any better. More wet, tall, unkept grass to mow-yuck!

I did check out the new owner of a small garage that just opened which has good prices.
I cut a deal with him to change the blades on the mowers at half the price the mower places charge. The best part of this is that he does it all on the same day. Hardly no waiting. I think he could pick up a great deal of business in this department he advertises it. These dealerships charge you and arm and a leg to do this type of work.

I really hate this much rain. Everything is wet and muddy to the point that I am even starting to spot snails. We never have snails!

I learned another hard lesson this week. Old friends can pick up very bad habits and may not be the same person you thought they were. Yes I knew better then to mix business and friendship, so actually I tried to keep things on the professional side while doing landscaping for a friend. I however did give her a better price since we have been friends for awhile. After the job was almost completed I gave her the invoice and said we would be back tomorrow to finish. The next day we finished the job and to my surprise she failed to give me a check. Well I thought she'll just drop it in the mail. Nine days later, no check. After an email inquiring about my payment she tells me that this month is tough and wondered if I can wait for payment. You have got to be kidding me. Who hires someone, then after they do a job tell them they don't have the money.

I was actually furious over this. I have equipment expenses, dump fees, payroll, and business expenses to pay. I am suppose to wait for my money while her no good lazy son rapes her of every dime she has for his drug habit. He should have had his butt out there doing it to help her so she didn't have to hire anyone in the first place. What are people thinking. He's 44 years old.

To me friends don't do this and would not dream of doing that. This is not the same person I knew years ago. Basically it comes down to this. I do a job for you , you pay me when it is done. I called her and told her I am sorry for her misfortune and I have a business to run, I need her to pay the invoice asap. It's not personal, but business. I am really kind of hurt and pissed off at the whole situation. Never again!


I am asking everyone that can help about our Leeland cypress trees. Accidentally sprayed with volck oil, which is causing them to turn brown. If anyone has a cure please let me know. I would really hate to lose all of these trees.

The Inevitable

We knew it was coming but just not how soon. They laid Lisa off last Friday and closed the Pennsylvania office. This week we took all the jobs that the weather allowed and worked until 9:30 one night with lights. The good thing is we knew it was coming so have tried to prepare, I have work lined up for the next month to keep us really busy.

For those people that think the economy is getting better I have news for you, it is not! I work in several different types of communities doing lawn care and landscaping only to find people at home laid off. Some of the most prized communities have stopped lawn services altogether. We both have been applying for jobs. I have applied at factories for night shift so I can work during the day. Lisa has applied for a job listed in the city as a Cat Scan Technologist on the p.m. shift. During this interview she had been told that 7 other people applied and that 3 lived out of state. One will relocate from Wisconsin if she gets the job. Now tell me the economy is getting better.

I myself am dumbfounded at how people are doing the interview process. I am educated, have vast supervisory experience, culinary degree, great references, and can't even get a job working a night shift in the TastyKake factory. I guess that is a good thing because I would get fat eating all that good stuff. Oh well I will just have to move on. I do want to mention that I have noticed all the banks still have companies come in to basic clean, wash windows, lawn care, and to carpet clean. I guess they can afford it with the bail out money. As I sit and listen to the car commercials announcing what they will give you, I find that once again they are copying and competing with each others market campaign. GM needs a new marketing campaign and strategy. What are they doing with the bailout money?

Maybe I should write to congress and ask for a loan to bail us out. Now that is really walking around with your head in the clouds.

I had an interview with a restaurant corporation and was so totally amazed at how over the top the district manager was. I actually called the corporate office and spoke to human resources. Mind you this is a salary position. The man actually had the nerve to say there could be some 100 hour weeks involved. Is this even possible? I laughed as his face remained serious. He then proceeded to tell me what a prick people thought he was and that he could be. Okay now I never have had an interview go this way. His concern was that I had my own business and that I would not invest all my energy into management of their business. He was a retired cop trying to tell me about my field. Come on with this is not what you know but who you know politics. Okay let's get it over with, let me slice my wrist right now and give you blood. After all that is what your looking for. I proceeded to call HR and give them the lowdown of why the position was still vacant and how I felt this interview went. Of course I did not want the job either. I also did the math for her which would put one that worked that many hours better off at a local convenience store. Are they crazy!

So now we are trudging along like many others after the inevitable.

Hoy Award

Among many of my talents I have to admit that computers are not one of them. I think it is my inability to sit still for long periods of time or that need for instant gratification that I don't get from the computer.

In reading post today I want to thank Lucy for passing on the Hoy Award from http://spikeandmarleene.blogspot.com/to to me . Very cool tag by the way! I have been reading many blogs for awhile and find that many offer a taste of life and experience that is entirely different from my own. I enjoy many and find it difficult to choose a couple to post. So I encourage everyone to surf and sample a taste of all that is to be had and enjoy what others bring to the table.

As you read blogs after awhile you start to identify with some of the writers. When I hear of Nebraska on the news Lucy, Joe, and Spunky come to mind and I will wonder how they are doing. As I am watching crafts being done on TV, Janie will come to my mind in Kansas (of course that is along with the mention of the Wizard of Oz). Sunny California brings pictures of Betty and Koda to mind, along with Claudia's description of surgical procedures performed in PA., Jacks adventures across country, and the Pioneer Womans life on a ranch. So excuse my neglect of links on this page which is basically due to a severe time crunch at the moment.

Opinion

It was a long day yesterday and as we were traveling home the guys started talking about current topics. Cloning, Bush, the Presidents new dog, taxes, and other current news. I was really surprised by the different opinions and thought processes. They brought up some good points.

Most of them hate the fact that when they go to read the instruction manual on new products they have to flip through at least three different languages before finding the English version. Now one version was why has this changed so much, and is it making the cost of products go up? The States was originally integrated with several different nationalities years ago, but the main language was English. So why change it?

Obama's dog! Why are so many people interested in the dog that is going to live in the White House when so many are living in shelters. Some thought it was a foo foo dog. Others just didn't give a hoot.

The lady with so many babies and the doctor that implanted the embryo's. Can you believe we didn't even remember her name. I think it's Nadia. This one got a little vulgar so I won't repeat.

Dead beat Dads. Seems like most of them had solid childhoods with good dads and to my surprise the older guys even admitted how much they missed their Dad, even though they had passed on several years ago. Many of them made admission of physical correction by their fathers that seemed to have an impact on their memory. They felt that their upbringing had made them stand up men with dignity and honor and that they thought that was lacking in young men. There seems to be a code with guys. Your always there for your buddy, never hit a woman, man up to any debt, stand your ground, have good intention to do the right thing, take care of yours, and to have fun. Actually that all sounded pretty good to me.

What a dollar used to buy. Movies were .25 cents and you could watch it twice. A huge bag of popcorn, a draft beer, a shoe shine, and soft pretzels at the carnival were all .25 cents. Carnival rides were .10 cents and if your were nice to the carnies you got an extra ride. Gas was .65 cents a gallon. A dollar could buy you a couple soda pops, some candy, and you would still have a quarter left. TV was free and you had one that everybody watched.

The changing times. Most expressed happier days gone by and wished their children could have experienced some of what they had. Drive in movies, to play safely outside getting away from all of the computer garbage, fishing, and Sunday picnics and football games with friends. Most thought that children today are spoiled and lazy. Interesting, and some included their own in this category. They think kids today have too much. They grew up with minimal and more imagination compared to the excess that kids have today.

As I drove I just listened to all of this and wondered why men seemed more free to discuss their difference of opinion than women. To me women have more of a tendency to agree and be more diplomatic. I have read many other blogs that were based on current political news and opinion. Most all comments seemed to agree with their writers and I wondered why? Do people that have a different view feel inhibited to express this? Are they afraid someone will think less of them if they don't agree? Really now we all have one, we see the world from many different views, and we have the right to express them. Opinions are a very important tool. Presidential campaigns run on them. Yes it all is a matter of opinion.

grease monkey

First I have to tell you about a new product experience. I normally buy those bleach tablets that you put in the toilet tank. In the past when I have run out I have used some regular bleach in that tank. So I went shopping and bought the new Clorox Plus Splashless. Ran out of tablets and poured some of this bleach in the back tank, did a flush and was not really paying attention as the tank filled. Came back into the bathroom only to discover and enormous amount of suds spewing out of the back of the tank. I grabbed a cup and start transferring the suds to the sink. Before I knew it the sink was full of suds. What the hell? Seems like fast running water just helped to create more suds. I guess the Plus meant more suds!

Where did all this heat come from? Who let the sun out? It is hard to believe these skyrocketing temperatures from one day to the next. Yes Al, I know it is part of global warming. I just can't keep up with things since spring hit. Everyone wants their grass cut and they wanted it yesterday. Why in the hell did I decide to call our business On Demand Services! That's what people expect too! Call in the morning and want that grass cut today! I am not really complaining, just amused at how people think.

I actually acquired a new client that is amazed that we have women mowing grass. He even had mentioned in a round about way if we mow in bikini tops. I was torn over how I felt about this and of course that wasn't happening. In one sense I understood that there was a whole new avenue of business there. Can you imagine seeing that ad in the help wanted section:

Wanted big busted, trim young women that can handle warm temperatures,
operate lawn equipment while wearing a bikini, and being oggled by
a few needy souls. Work for ON DEMAND SERVICES
(only mowing no other services are needed)
And here all this time I thought pay per view solved this problem!


I have hit upon a huge target clientele which is divorced and widowed women. They actually create to do list for us. Ranging from changing light bulbs, mulching flowerbeds, to waterproofing basements. I think it is time to expand but still fear the economy and am holding back from doing so. I would love to have a small tractor with a front end loader. It would make some of these jobs so much easier and less time consuming. I guess I will just have to put it on the wish list. I found something new to rent however. It is called the dingo and is a powered walk behind front end loader, post hole digger, trench digger, and raker. Relatively small for those small areas you need to work in. I want one. Guess I'll put that on my wish list too. I am learning that it is not hard to operate alot of the large equipment, it just takes practice.

I have been cutting corners everywhere to save money towards one ( a tractor) . Today it was trying to tune up the mower myself, change the truck oil, and flush the anti freeze. Well I went to the local parts store with all the info I thought that I would need for all this stuff and boy was I disappointed. Get home, get all the stuff out, ready to roll and change the truck oil first ( I have done this in the past on my other vehicles). Oh my God! I thought I was going to blow a big hernia across the driveway. There was no way that drain plug was moving. Three coats of WD-40 and a 3 foot extension pipe and 45 minutes later that thing was not budging. I really don't think men should be allowed to use air guns! They just put shit on entirely too tight! I moved on to other services, lawnmowers. Two down with oil changes, spark plugs, and new air filters. The last one was manufactured by the devil himself. I read the the damn manual front to back and it took me 1 hour to get the damn oil out. Now believe me I do not relish baking in the sun, sweating like a pig, breaking a nail, and getting my hands greasy. It is simply because I am cheap when it comes to certain things. I just can't get over the hump of a lawn mower mechanic getting sixty dollars and hour to change oil and install spark plugs. Then that brutal determination set in that I was getting this done come hell or high water. Well dusk came and I am still at it. For the life of me how can you take a model and serial number plus the owners manual into a parts store and they still give you the wrong air filter! Bummer!

Then came the final part. I purchase my first grease gun. After scanning the instructions I get the thing out do a quick review to check out how it works and install the lube. Oooh this thick pink oozy stuff. Oh my it is really smelly and greasy. It smells just like the garage when you take your car in to be worked on. This was a new experience for me because I just never realized how they got the grease into those little nodules. After the a day of hard labor and an education of how things work I retired to the house like a whooped puppy with an unusual odor that lingered in the air. As I prepared to take a shower, a cold mug of beer in hand , I looked into the mirror with horror. Nail polish worn off, grass and other what not in my hair, and grease smudges everywhere I had realized at that moment that I had turned into a grease monkey for the day!

Just Stuff

On a good note we have been busy. We have had three days of rain right after Easter and lots of lawns to cut. Two landscaping jobs in progress and one painting job. Two estimates are out for pressure washing and deck sealing.
Now I know we are in a recession and that people don't have much money but to leave your grass get above 8 inches high and expect the same price is ridiculous! People just don't realize how hard this is on the blades and belts of really expensive mowers. I actually had to cut one lawn three times. I am going to post a picture of a job that is coming up just to show you what we face some days. If they are elderly I have no problem with this at all, but for a young healthy couple, or people that can afford it I am thinking about having them get another service to come in just to get a taste of those high rates.
I worked all weekend while the weather was good so we really didn't get to do much of anything interesting. We did order some crabs though. What a tease for the season. The weather was so nice here that I even got my first sunburn-whoopie!
As I was passing through town they had an early parade going on for the little league. Small but quaint. The kids seemed to be enjoying it. A client of mine had taken her niece to see the new Hanna Montanna movie and said it was really good. I think I will pass, but if you have kids I am sure they will like it.
I am ready for a little rain this week to get a day off so I can grocery shop. We had peas tonight with no butter-can you just imagine that?
I wished I would have had my camera with me the other day. As I was coming in to the neighborhood I saw a really bright colored beautiful pheasant. I stopped to watch as he strutted around oblivious to my presence. Then while mowing a yard I saw some movement in the grass ahead. Then a baby bunny popped up and was trying to run to the best of his ability. He was so young. So I stopped and to my surprise there were five babies running around only to make their way to the underneath of a row of cypress trees where the guys where hand mowing. I cut a big circle in the yard, got some gloves on and put them all back in their nest. They were so cute. Of course they would have been lunch for the dogs at my house.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying the weather this weekend. We went from wearing coats on one weekend to wearing shorts this weekend.

What are people thinking?

Ham, Ham, Ham, and more Ham. I think I got carried away and bought a ham that was a little large. I am doing the whole thing of ham salad, ham and eggs, beans and ham, and the list goes on. I saw a recipe on TV the other day for deep fried deviled eggs. I am gonna have to try that one. Right now I have been obsessed with making a Cuban sandwich with mojo pork, ham, cheese, and pickles which we will be having tomorrow.

I have been reading alot of information about construction products and equipment and keep coming across the phrase "big box stores". Not fully understanding the reference, I read on only to find out that it refers to large home outlet stores such as Lowes and Home Depot. I found it very interesting that neither of these stores sell one of the top rated paints called Benjamin Moore. I found this odd since these stores are widely shopped around the country. It reminded me of jewelry in a sense. Could you find a Rolex watch at Walmart? Why is this? Many people that shop at Walmart could afford one. Why not have layaway for a high end item like this? Now I have my curiosity aroused about this Benjamin Moore paint that is suppose to be so good at $56.00 a gallon, I am going to have to buy a gallon just to see for myself. At that price it should come with the professional painter to apply it. This should be interesting.

It has rained for days here and all work is on hold-what a bummer. TV has proved to be interesting. Re enactments of the Boston Tea Party due to taxes, States scrambling to come up with ideas to increase revenue by taxing the sinful goods ( I better get that good bottle of bourbon now), one state even mentioned a crack tax- does that mean plumbers or pipe? ( now that has to be the best by far), and of course property tax hikes. Now they are thinking about putting a Casino right in Baltimore City. Not such a good ideal at this point since it rates in the top ten for violent cities, has had numerous police chiefs over the years and is currently under investigation for being corrupt, there is not enough parking, heavy traffic, and poverty. What are they thinking? You can't even get into a ball game without being hassled by the homeless and addicts. So the thought of getting away seemed really appealing until they showed the segment on bed bugs that have invaded hotels, and hospitals. I think I will just stay home.

I had a dentist appointment for a cleaning on Monday. I have been going to the same super busy office for 15 years. This was an entirely different visit. The office was dirty and unkept, they had let the cleaning service go. Only two patients were there to be seen unlike the usual ten. I was seated in the chair waiting to see Val the Hygienist and to my surprise she was no longer there. A small petite woman came in to do the cleaning. I was shocked to learn that it was the actual owner of the dental office that I have not seen in the entire fifteen years that I had been there. Normally there are two to three dentist working and two hygienist. They are taking a huge hit with the recession. People just don't have the money for dentistry and those that have lost their jobs have also lost their insurance. As the snowball rolls it seems to keep growing larger swallowing businesses and jobs in its path.

My sister called from Washington State. Her and her husband were going on a mini vacation to Oregon to see an MBA game. It was her birthday so she decided to get a new dress and wanted her makeup done. She went into Saks Fifth Avenue and inquired if she bought from a line of products if she could have her makeup done. The product she wanted was $63.00. The manager told her she needed to spend $200.00 then she could get it done. Of course she wasn't going to pay that kind of money. Later she went into a Nordstroms store, inquired, and the cosmetic counter was happy to apply her makeup for a small sale. What a difference! My sister has stated that she would never buy from Saks again. What are people thinking?