Pen Pals versus Facebook Friends

     Before Facebook there were people that had pen pals.  People would write to a stranger on a regular basis and after awhile these pen pals bonded with each other even though many had never met. Many pen pals started in schools but there were clubs and organizations that promoted pen pals as well.  Most of the time pen pal relationships ended after a few months but some continued for many years.  I recently spoke to an acquaintance that mentioned his wife had a pen pal from Germany that she corresponded with since childhood.  They had become lifelong friends and visited each other on occasion.  That seems pretty special and makes me now wish I had taken the opportunity when it was offered. 

     Regretfully, I never had a pen pal or was even interested in doing it at the time they were popular so I feel like I missed out on that opportunity.  I was too busy being a kid and running around the neighborhood to take time out to write a letter to a stranger.  Too bad maybe I was a little lazy or thought it was weird to write to a stranger.  I took time to sit down a write a letter and even more time to get a response so it never appealed to me.  Fast Forward 50 years and you have Facebook, which unintentionally took the pen pal concept and breathed life back into it by making communication with others easier and with immediate response.  In most cases you will correspond with long lost friends or relatives but I guess you could develop a friendship with a stranger, of course in todays society you must be cautious about talking connecting with strangers.  I found out there are Facebook pen pal clubs that people with similar interest can connect to talk about travel, sports, hobbies, cooking etc.

     I think this is the best thing about social media, re-connecting or connecting with others to share experiences, opinions and dreams. If we are talking and sharing we are listening and experiencing life in a positive way.   So while I agree that you can over share, I like the idea of giving the lazy people like me a chance to have modern pen pals in this electronic age.    

Modern Day (Real life) version of "Who's on First"

     Humor is everywhere and to me the funniest things are the real life situations that aren't intended to be funny but just turnout that way.  Sometimes they initially appear to be frustrating situations but if you sit back and really look at them they are just downright funny. My wife (Mimi) likes to have pedicures sometimes with her friend Cindy, sometimes with our daughter Maureen, but most of the time it's with her sister Ann.  I guess it's a sister bonding time akin to guys going to a cigar bar.

     It seems all nail salons are run and staffed by Asians maybe because they are more accustomed to the service industry.  Many times the staff will take American names, I assume it simpler for the customers, easier to pronounce.  At this salon two Asians on staff have coincidently chosen the American names of Mimi & Ann. They all speak English at the salon but broken English which is much better than I would do in another country so I'm not criticizing them. Sometimes this results in unintentional mis-communication. Here is conversation of a phone call as relayed to me by my wife (Mimi) that reminds me of the skit (Who's on first) by Abbott & Costello.

Mimi: I'd like to make an appointment for Mimi &. Ann

Nail Salon: You want Mimi, Ann

Mimi: No, I'm Mimi & Ann

Nail Salon: Mimi, Ann no here

Nail Salon: You need pointment for Mimi, Ann

Mimi: Yes, I mean I don't care who, anybody

Nail Salon: Ok I make pointment for Mimi, Ann

Mimi: Fine, whatever

Nail Salon: What you name?

Mimi: (Oh Boy! Here we go again.)  It's Mimi & Ann

Nail Salon: Yes, we got Mimi & Ann

Nail Salon: Who pointment for?

Mimi: I don't know & who cares

Mimi: Thanks, I'll call back

Now tell me that's not funny, you know you can't.  As I said early true life stituations' can be funnier than anything you could make up.  Life can be more fun if we don’t take things too seriously.

Yard Cards of St. Charles

I worked full time at McDonnell Douglas/Boeing for 33 years and for the most part it was satisfying but it didn’t fulfill the entrepreneurial side of my life.  Early in our marriage Mimi (wife) stumbled on to our 1^st part time business while reading the newspaper.  She found a business (franchise) opportunity to deliver 8 foot tall greeting cards (Yard Cards) in the St. Charles area.  The franchise was reasonably priced and we thought it would be fun without an extreme amount of effort.   Mimi’s parents had a part time paper business delivering the Globe Democrat, which seemed way more time consuming it would be to deliver Yard Cards. (YC)  So we bought our 1^st business and it was fun because who wouldn’t be happy having an 8 foot tall birthday card placed in their front yard in the middle of the night.  We delivered the cards late at night so they would be surprised in the morning.  The cards were used over and over again plus we charged for the lettering so it was low overhead.

The concept was pretty simple we would receive a call to deliver a card for any specific occasion, which we would deliver on the requested date and then pick up a day later.  Sometimes the customer wanted extra days which was usually no problem.  Each sign/card would be hand lettered with a message from the customer.  We owned this business for about 9 years and in that time we learned the streets of St. Charles very well.  I owned a small truck so it would be easy to transport the YCards but Mimi had a station wagon (older version SUV), which worked but was more difficult to load and unload plus the card turned into a guillotine if you made a quick stop, but we managed.  Most people loved to get these gigantic greeting cards but we did run into a few people that were not at all happy about the gift.

Interesting side story is that in addition to answering calls all day for our business Mimi would babysit for our nephew Kevin (both parents worked during the day) plus our kids were in school.  Since she was home taking care of our business babysitting Kevin was not a problem.  This was in the days before caller ID so we assumed every call was a business call and answered by saying “Yard Cards”.  One evening after my brother-in-law (Tom) picked up Kevin he called to tell us Kevin said his 1^st words which is always a thrill for new parents (we all know that toddlers are mimics that do and say whatever the see and hear), That’s great, well tell us did he say Mama or Dada, neither Tom exclaimed he said “Yard Cards”.  Great, you should be so proud.

Back to the main story, it was beyond our imagination to believe some orders received would be celebrating, divorces, get out of jail parties and even a Yard Card with a marriage proposal.  I was once even met by a guy with a shotgun while setting up a YC.  He was joking, thankfully and the shotgun was broke open without any shells loaded but it was not all that humorous from my viewpoint.

The most interesting story by far was the guy that ordered 3 YC’s for this girl, which were to be delivered in succession.  The 1^st one exclaimed his love for her, the 2^nd asked her to go with him on a Caribbean trip and the 3^rd was a marriage proposal.  This was a great gig for me I would take one down and set the next one up in the same spot.  The girl however was not impressed and called when she receive the 3^rd and final one to ask if we had any more coming because she had kicked this one down and did not want anymore delivered.  She explained clearly that she did not like this guy and wanted nothing to do with him.  I said there were no more cards ordered and I would come over immediately to remove the last one from her lawn.  So I immediately headed out to pick up the card and as I turned the corner to approach the house I saw 2 people in different cars side by side arguing at the stop sign, one was a girl and the other a guy.  Since the house was just a short distance down the street I was able to continue watching as I removed the YC from the lawn.  As I watched I could see the argument getting more heated, seeing arms flaying, fingers pointing etc.  Just as I was about finished I see the girl’s car take a quick right turn from the stop sign then immediately after I seen the guy’s car turn right as well.  It just so happens that was the direction I needed to go so I made a point to keep a lookout for these 2 cars.  Well as you can probably guess about 2 blocks down the road I saw the guy’s car pulled over to the side of the road by a police cruiser.  The girl’s car was nowhere in sight.

I didn’t get any more orders for that address, no surprise. In this case a gift of an 8 foot tall Yard Card was not welcomed surprise.

Give Yourself a Break

     We all make mistakes, have difficult days, regrets but that's life if you're human.  Sometimes we fret over these problems and think about them constantly, which only makes them bigger and more oppressive.  It's time to forgive yourself because turning them over in your mind constantly will not make it better.

     Take a break from your problems and mistakes, it's the easiest way to make your day better.  Stop judging yourself for past problems, it won't help, just vow to do better.  Life problems and mistakes are a constant battle, so it’s important to forgive yourself when they get you down.  If there were no challenges in life we would not become resilient or grow stronger.

     Obligations and responsibilities are a heavy weight on a person. Most people take their responsibilities personally and letting them slide is not an option but sometimes we need to step back from a situation to clear our minds.  Stepping back is not shirking your duties; it's a way to relieve the stress when dealing with a difficult task.  In my opinion we all need time to relax and most of all forgive ourselves when we make a mistake because we are overwhelmed. 

     I'm not claiming that this is magic pill to make your life problem free.  It's just a way of making it ok for screwing up on occasion.  I continue to make mistakes but I forgive myself and try to live everyday a little better than the day before.  "Just Saying...."

Anheuser Busch Wine

     I have become a wine lover over the years, in fact my buddy John and I opened up a website to sell wine accessories (9 years) which is now closed.  I have enjoyed wine for many years and if you read my previous article you also know about my budget box bargain shopping years so now you will see where AB Wine was another of my amazing finds.

     As I stated in my Budget Box Bargain article I would search the Saturday ads for interesting items that peeked my interest.  On one of these Saturdays I found some one selling Anheuser Busch Wine.  I had never heard of AB wine so I called to see if the wine was still available before I drove to South Saint Louis, It was.

     I had a lot of questions for the guy selling the wine but he did a good job answering them all.  He was selling the whole case of 12 (1/2 bottles) with the box for $20, I think (I don’t remember the exact price).  These were sample bottles given out when AB was first started dabbling in the wine market.  The seller was a former AB employee and had collected many AB products, this being one but he was scaling down his collection and the AB Wine was one of the first things to go.  I bought the AB wine (vintage 1985) then did some research on AB wine but found very little about it, so I just considered this to be a unique story with some AB wine I could display in my wine cellar.

     Just this past weekend we went down to AB for a tour and after the tour I ask the our guide what she knew about AB Wine but she was unaware of any such product and said I should go to the AB history museum on the property in the old schoolhouse to see if they could answer any questions.  I didn’t have time that day so I will make sure I visit them in the future.

     I did another Internet search yesterday and found quite bit of information on Master Cellars.  AB wine was to be sold under the name Master Cellars produced under Busch specifications by M. Lamont Winery of Di Giorgio, California, a subsidiary of John Labatt LTD of Ontario, Canada.   According to an article I recently read in Lodi News Sentinel (June 18, 1982), this wine was to be distributed to only restaurants and bars.  Apparently, AB decided against distributing wine and stuck with what they knew best.

     I don’t know if there is any value in the 9 remaining bottles I have (gave 3 away) but it’s definitely an interesting decoration in my wine cellar.  I’ll write an update if anything comes about that I think would be interesting.   

Budget Box Bargain - Micro Mini Monkey Bikes

     We all look for bargains when we shop.  It's good feeling to know that you got a good deal on an item you purchased.  In the current day many of us including me look to the Internet (eBay, Craigslist, etc.) to find our bargains.  A few years ago (15 to 20) even though the Internet was available, my bargain hunting was confined to the newspaper specifically the bargain box. I used to like to check the bargain box on Saturday morning to see if there were any interesting things for sale that I could not live without.

     One of the best finds for me was finding the Micro Mini Monkey bikes.  One Saturday morning while perusing through the bargains I was shocked to find someone selling a Micro Mini Monkey bike for $20.  Wow, this can't be, I immediately knew without question that I couldn't live without this bike.  Now some of you shockingly may be wondering what the hell is a Micro Mini Monkey bike.  Despite my surprise that you are asking, I will explain.  These are the super small bikes that the monkeys, sometimes clowns ride to entertain the circus crowds.  Being a cyclist this find excited me like a kid.  I immediately called and went to buy this bike.  I could not believe my luck in finding this treasure or the fact that no one else saw the value enough to beat me to this prize.  I brought my newly purchased micro bike home with a big smile on my face and road around the driveway.  Mimi did not understand my enthusiasm for the bike. She never knew that I wanted one, truth be known I didn't either until this one became available.

     My life is now complete, but no I had another great idea.  We exchanged Christmas presents with our good friends (John & Cindy) and like me, John was a cyclist so what better present could I get for another cyclist than a Micro Mini Monkey Bike but what was the chance I would find a second one in the bargain box.  So determined but skeptical that I would stumble on another micro bike I searched the bargain box for many weeks and to my surprise I found someone selling 2 bikes $10 each.  I called him and said I would be right down.  Again, I arrived first to purchase the micro bike, I was pleased but confused as to why no one else showed an interest in these bargains, still to this day I can't figure it out.  I picked out the one I wanted without questioning the $10 price when the seller said if you take both you can have them for $15.  Wow! what a deal but there was one problem I only had $11 in my pocket, man this stinks.  I told him the problem and that I was definitely interested in both but I would have send him the extra $4 in the mail as soon as got home.  I'm sure he could see my interest and enthusiasm when he said just give me the $11 and take them.  Holy Crap! two micro mini bikes for $11 that's crazy.  Man! was I on a lucky streak.

     So when Christmas came I gave John his Micro Mini Monkey bike and he was surprised and as pleased as I was to give it to him. Now I still had a 2nd bike from my last purchase which I kept until our son (Patrick) also a cyclist moved into his own place after college.  The micro mini bike was the last thing I threw in the truck (without him knowing) when he packed up his belongings.  He rode it when he got to his new place.

     I don't ride the micro mini bike much but I took it to a Boeing T45 picnic and setup a timed bike race with cones.  It was funny to watch all the adults try to ride this micro bike.  That alone was worth the $20 I paid for the bike.  Also, my son Pat and I took the micro bikes out on the reopening of Hwy 40 (Bellevue) when the highway department let cyclist ride on Hwy 40 before the official opening. We didn't ride far but we got a lot of looks and cheers as we pedaled down the highway.   Say it one more time out loud "Micro Mini Monkey Bike" doesn't to make you chuckle a bit, at least smile. You probably secretly would like to ride one, if so call me, I can set you up.  Life is good.