Getting tired of the buzz cut

I think this will be my next hair style. I've printed it off and will bring it to the barber for a consultation on what I need to do. I've always idolized Magnum P. I. (not Tom Selleck but the character) I bought the Detroit Tigers hat about 5 years ago and I like it. I think this is the next logical step. With any heavenly love I'll one day drive a Ferrari:)

Maybe I'm drawn to Magnum because my father always had an identical moustach. He still does. Perhaps it is because of my dad and my good childhood memories that that moustach brings me to a comfort zone.

Bowling thrills and naked table marathons

Its so wonderful to have young kids. In particular, I'm thinking of how fun it is to have them experience new things. Fun, and easy to give them new experiences as there are still many uncharted waters for them.

Take Friday for example. We took them bowling and they loved it. I don't think they stopped smiling from the time they heard the rolling balls when we entered the building, right up to the time they decided they were too tired for life and began crying and whining about different things they felt they needed (gumballs, milk, chocolate milk, etc). In those moments I wonder- did they already forget that we were having a good time?

So, back to bowling. Konrad and Anders were so excited that when one of them bowled a ball the other one stood behind him and danced until the ball reached the other end. Yes there was dance bowling and there was hurtle bowling. The hurtle bowling was done by the women next to us. She seemed very good at it. If you don't know what hurtle bowling is it is very similar to bowling but you have to jump over a Konrad or an Anders that is lying or rolling in your runway.

At first both boys used the "ramp" which is a metal ramp contraption designed to keep your ball on a constant trajectory. It is much harder than real bowling and the boys decided they were up for the challenge. Half way through the game, just when Konrad was about to take the lead he decided not to use the ramp and he bowled the rest of the game with a between-the-leg swinging technique. I think he was giving us a chance since they all went in the gutter from that point on. Further evidence to this is when for the last 2 frames both he and Anders walked over to the gutter and rolled the ball down it.

I said "what are you doing? thats not how you rise to the top! Thats not how you win a game? Wheres the killer in you? You aren't even trying. Bowl better next time or we will never bring you here again!" (just kidding) But I wanted to!

I however, was not about to give the game up. I was determined to run the score up on Jennifer. Show her who is boss when we are at the bowling alley. One needs more than determination to take down a shark. She bowled 4 strikes, 2 of them on her last 3 balls and clutch bowled me right outta town. Man shes good.

How am I supposed to tell my kids I was really good at their games and sports when I was their age and have them believe me if I cant even impress them now? I never used to believe my parents when they would brag of the talents and abilities of their youth. Perhaps I believed them a little, noting that competition was weaker then. Am I becoming one of those who's abilities are discounted by the next generation? In bowling?.....it appears so.

Last night Jennifer made some meatloaf. Mmmmnn, I love meatloaf almost as much as Konrad loves meatloaf. In fact I was about to express my love for meatloaf in a sort of a unique way when, Konrad preempted me. He jumped up from the table wearing nothing but underwear and proceeded to run 216 laps around the table. Now I would have done a few more than that but I was still very impressed by his efforts.

Yes he ran naked around the table for about 20 minutes. 18 strides per lap (give or take a step if he was bumped by Anders or stumbled from dizzyness) I think it was a couple kilometers by my estimates. I wondered where this was going after he surpassed 20 laps without stopping. I think he just kept getting to such a high number that he thought it would be a shame to stop running. I counted. He ran. We all laughed at his wide eyes and his tongue that was sticking out touching his right cheek while he ran.

Thrift in our youth?

I've noticed that it is mostly a guys thing to brag about great deals on purchases. Thats not to say that women don't do. I guess I'm generalizing.

There is no lack of boasting of our recent deals among Jakob men. However, I have noticed that my father is getting soft on coin pinching. I think he is trading his haggling efforts for ease of purchase (less searching and traveling for deals). At first I couldn't understand it but I think it is almost a natural transition that comes with age. Older men don't want to put the work into dealing (generalizing again).

I've found myself getting lazy sometimes and taking a lesser deal out of convenience, but I still have enough youth in me to fight the fight.

Another realization........Good consumers make good salesman. Understanding the ins and outs of distribution and supply and demand and how to work it to your favour. The opposite is also true. A good salesman makes a good consumer.

I'm not a great salesman but I do think the position has helped me find deals. Others tell me that I find good deals. That makes me feel......well.......manly. (by the way, never tell a guy he didn't get a good deal unless it is something that he will buy frequently and you can save him money with the advice. It'll unneccessarily break his heart and it is too late to help) .....I digress....

Maybe people tell me I find good deals because I just brag about them all the time and people have to say something.

Anyhow, shopping shark or not two heads are better than one. Therefore, here is my proposition:

Anyone who would like a second opinion before making a purchase is welcome to email me with details on the product you want general or specific, with features, and the best price you have been able to find so far. I would like the challenge of trying to save you more money. If I am unable to find a better deal then I will start emailing you before I make purchases if you are that good. As I said two heads are better than one.

If this works well maybe one day we can start an online business where we split the difference.

"SALE" in French means dirty

I am renaming my position.

I've always been weary of salesman. When I was offered my sales job 9 years ago I wasn't too excited about it. I suppose that salesman stereotypes had perpetuated into the circles that taught me. Nevertheless, there were enough reasons for me to swallow my pride and try it.

Without a thorough synopsis, I will mention a few things I have noticed about the sales folk I've known.

There are those who enter sales as a necessity. They perhaps cant find another job they would enjoy or don't have many marketable skills or they are simply entering a family business and that is the only place to help.

For those getting into the peddling vocation voluntarily they will now choose what type of sales. person to person (P2P) over the phone, door to door, or in a store. Or....(and most of us are guilty of this one) the mlm party. The other main type of sales is business to business (B2B) which is the way I went albeit I do it a little unconventionally. I've chosen to represent 9 different manufacturers now and sell to distribution and retail centres. I also import and distribute a few of my own products. Representing multiple companies gives me excuse to turn down different jobs I have been offered such as product manager and Canadian sales manager. I admit that managing people might have been more appealing than managing a territory but I have good reason to turn these jobs down.

1. They are jobs in the office where I run on a predetermined schedule with set hours.

2. I would be reporting to people.

3. 1 and 2 along with a certain managment style have lead to the quitting of or hospitalization of almost the entire staff of the division.

4. Oh. Another thing. There are alot of undesirable politics when you are inside. Dont get me wrong. I like politics but not what I would consider negative politics such as the fact that no matter what kind of deal you get you cant drive a car with an MSRP less than $5000.00 under the car your manager drives and crap like that. This weekend I have a show in Montreal and they are all staying at the Hilton for $180.00 / night. I found some deals at a downtown montreal hotel that is normally $300.00 / night and I got if for $99.00 with breakfast. This means I will be staying at (and the family is coming for 2 nights with me) a hotel that was rated one of the top 25 places to stay in North America! That ought to rot the company guys socks! I'll be sure to let them know too. Here is a photo:



So far I'm alright where I am AND I enjoy my job.

Being involved with so many different companies, I get to mingle with many different salesman.

SKIP TO HERE

This brings me to the reason I am blogging. If you have read my lengthy seguay you are kind.

The other day I was at a soiree in a downtown Montreal Hotel showing a new line of garage doors when I realized something. Every time a woman would walk through the room EVERY guy would stop what they were doing or saying and stare her bum or her breasts right out of the room. You know when you see that on the old movies where the sailors will whistle as she walks by, that is actually classy compared to this. Then once she had gone the guys would start talking out loud very rude and dirty comments. I had married men making comments that would make a prison guard soap his ears out.

All conversations are about drinking or sex. After work they all go to the strip clubs without variance. This is something I've known for a while but I only now am able to step outside and realize what a pandemic has hit our sales people. It is almost comical to see all of the mens heads turn. Um geeee...... do you think guys get turned on from visual images? I think there is no question. If women understood that well they would try less to be noticed. Having said that, salesman just have no control.

Okay ladies, I'll meet you half way. Undisceplined men are pigs!

In light of the salesman stereotype. The pushyness, the aggressive, the orator and the dishonest and the disrespectful, I am reidentifying (is that even a word?) my profession.

MANUFACTURERS DISTRIBUTION LIASON (thats not bad)

Biography: "Pushing Tin"

I'LL NEVER MEASURE UP

I first learned about sport cut (or fitted) dress shirts about 2 years ago. I became interested in getting one about a year ago and more recently have become feverish about getting many of them. However to this day I still do not own one.

Jennifer and I went down to Syracuse last Friday and Saturday with shopping on our minds. I was keen on getting the aforementioned dress shirts, at least 1 high quality suit and a new pair of basketball shoes. Jennifer needed some of everything.

We went to an outlet mall settlement in Waterloo about 45 minutes west of the 'cuse. It is the same exit off interstate 90 that you would take to go to Peter Witmers farm. The first place I hit was Calvin Klein to get a decent suit but there were only 2 suits my size (48 tall) and they had patterns I didn't like.

Next I went to the Addidas store and they were under construction for another month. From store to store it was either wrong colour merchandise, or more often than not they just didn't have my size or length. Even the Nike outlet didn't have shoes my size in the models I liked.


I came home with a hat and a sweater vest, but oooooooooooo how I do love sweater vests. Even this evening and last night I spent shopping downtown Montreal as I have been doing business here. I hit almost every mens store and shoe store possible here and there is nothing decent in my size. The big and tall shops sell geeeaaaarrrbbbiiiiiiggge too.


Next we rushed into town for the Syracuse orangemen football game. They were playing Buffalo. They won. Jenn was a little nervous that we didn't have tickets but we played some scalpers against each other and ended up with center field 10th row from sideline tickets for 20 bucks each. Turns out they were seats alotted to alumni. The guy we were sitting beside ended up selling them to the scalper that evening because his buddies couldnt come. Whats even better is out of the whole stadium our row was called over the P.A. system and we won free gasoline. It was welcomed as we were on empty and filled up just after leaving the city.

Our hotel was so cheap that Jennifer was scared. It could have been the Hyatt and if Jenn heard I paid $50.00 for it she would have not enjoyed the stay. I say that but......... it turns out she was right as usual. In fact I have to admit that she is always right about my $50.00 hotels. She is a champ though. She pulled out the earplugs to cut the traffic and party noise and dealt with rolling into me on the soft double bed they gave us. It turns out I was the one who didn't get a very good sleep. Thats rare!

The desk clerk at the hotel was good. He was east Indian and a very loud yet jovial man. It made me want to joke with him a little and so I did. It seemed as though he didn't understand my very funny comments when he didn't seem to crack a smile or react to me in any way. Then, just before we said good night he turned to Jenny and said...

" I can see that he is a jolly man. You have a jolly husband. You should thank the Jesus for your jolly husband."

I guess I am funny. I enjoyed being with and conversing with my sweet heart for that day and a half without the usual distractions parents tend to have.

Here is an update on the outhouse. I have actually advanced even further than the pictures would indicate now. I have actually enclosed the entire edifice. Thats right I said edifice because of its grand proportions.

OF COURSE BEHIND EVERY HARD WORKING BUILDER IS A TOUGH FOREMAN THAT LEADS BY EXAMPLE.

I've sinned

I am writing this evening to make penance for my writing omissions.

Here are some of those camp pics I promised:




















I cannot forget the update on my outhouse. The picture is below. I was told I need a permit for it but I am so far into it now I wont even apply on account I might not get it. Besides, you don't need a permit for a shed under 100 sq feet so if worse comes to worse I will just cover the floor (not permanantly of coarse) and convert it to a shed for them. Here is the pic. I think I am about 2 days from completion assuming I will be working those 2 days by myself. It should be finished before the snow flies.

Suivi

About the roof job I quoted.....I got that job AND 3 of his neighbours roofs as well. 4 birds with 1 stone.

Tent poles....... Yes we found the young women's tent poles that the young womens organization wrongfully accused us of having. They were in the young mens closet. If anyone has ever seen the closet they would know that we almost never go in there and therefore could not have been the ones responsible for putting the poles in there. I just blamed it on Derek. He's not here to defend himself and I think it worked.

Karla, our new guest/nanny from Mexico is wonderful. She is an LDS stalwart and a very doting caregiver. I was able to have the apartment painted and recarpeted for her arrival.

Monday night football: It was great. 36 chicken wings in various flavours, a half gallon of ginger ale and a few cups of blue cheese made it an enjoyable game. The possy consisted of Brock McNabb, Dave Anderson, Mike Vadnais, Curtis Christiansen, Tom Booth and myself.

Young mens camp was a blast. We held it in Val-des-Bois. Since I've blogged alot about pooo lately I will spare the gruesome story about how I got my arm pasted with one of our young men's feces. Oops there I go again, it is hard to leave those stories alone completely.

Young mens camp pictures to follow. I am summoning them from Bro. Mines as we speak.