It's Back And We Are So Happy.

We have found a home and that means the shop comes out of storage, Yeah!!! Four months and one week is way too long to be without your power tools. In fact I believe Linda has had a case of withdraws. That’s right my wife is just as much into the wood shop as I am. Boy did I marry well.  I do make jokes a lot but when it comes to my wife she is the love of my life, mother of my boys, and the one who tries to keep all my fingers attached to the rest of me.

So a week ago we finally move into a house here in Yukon, the best part of it was I was training Cub Scout Leaders so I was not in town. Linda gets a crew of friends and indentured servants (that would be Joshua) and they got the job done. The fact that they did get done not only surprises me but filled me with pride. You see our 350 Sqft of storage includes 100 Sqft of lumber. Hard woods, soft woods, Plywood, and planks are just the start. I have had to move this 4 times already in my life and each time it is a butt kicker. When I got home all the tools and all the wood was in the garage. Wow! The only problem is that it needed to be organized before anything was getting built.

 

Where could I find an Organizer to help with that?  Oh yeah, that would be us!

So today is the end of our first week here and we need a kitchen table. No problem, I can knock out a table in a day… except… the room needs organized first. So by three in the afternoon I actually got started on the legs, and that is as far as I got

Don’t panic! A lot of good things got done today. First we went to the Chamber coffee this morning and represented LRDezine with pride.

 

 We turned in our rental agreement so we won’t be squatters here. We went to Lowes and picked up a pocket hole jig (that also means we had to learn how to use it.  I so hate instructions). Luckily the jig came with a DVD. How did I ever live without one. 

So as this day runs out of gas, I will call it quits till the a.m.  Tomorrow I will try to finish the table.

God Is Good All The Time

I had prayed that I could see the path that God has put us on. Well If you look back the path is quite clear. Just this week so many things have gone right for us.  That is very impressive with all the stuff that has happened to Oklahoma in the past month.

This has been a pretty good week! I have been working with John Miller Homes and we have started work on a storm damaged home.  This is the house with the new roof, but all the windows were still broken

 
 

 They all looked like this...

 
The cool thing about this project is that is the house of the parents of a friend from High school. It’s sad when tornados do so much damage, but I am very happy to be part of the crew that is putting the home back together. Part of the roof was torn off almost all the windows in the house were broken and the work shop in the back yard was leveled. All in all not bad for what happened in Moore. The house next door had plywood sticking out of the walls

and the house across the street is just gone.  The trees that were on that lot were ripped out of the ground. The house sat behind the telephone polls and the pile of rubble next to the driveway, is all that is left of this house.

That is the difference between a direct hit from a F5 tornado and missing that tornado by 200 yards.                                                                                   Working with Lonnie has been great.

He really knows what he is doing, he is another survivor of Yukon High and he always has a smile. His good friend Jonny worked with us most of the week until the band he plays for went on the road. Jonny is a drummer... Jonny Walker is a drummer... What an excellent name for a drummer. So for most of the week it was Lonnie, Jonny,... and Bob.  Wow it's like the new stooges.

 

Other great news LRDezine, the business Linda and I started last week has been active. Less than 12 hours of sending our web page live, we had booked our first consultation. Thursday night we picked up our new business cards and pamphlets,

and Friday morning we participated in the Yukon Chamber of Commerce’s Friday coffee. This week’s coffee was called Stores without Doors. Normally a store hosts the coffee and everyone goes there and checks out their business but for all the home based business in town we go to the Dale Robertson Center and put up tables and highlight our business to the rest of the chamber. It was a great time we gave out lots of cards and brochures and booked another consultation. Now let’s turn the consultations into jobs.

 

Linda has applied for a position as an office manager for a company in the city if that comes through that will be a blessing. They know she homeschools and they are ok with Josh coming to work.

 

So overall a good week and I can see the starting points to the path that God is leading us, income right away, a business, and hope. Now if you would like to check out the new web site for LRDezine then go to LRDezine.com or go like us on Facebook.

 

On your mark, Get set, Go!!!

Life is funny!  Sometimes it is ha, ha funny like “Three men walk into a bar…don’t you think the third one would have ducked?”  Then there is the odd funny that makes you think. Well today is that odd kind of funny. 

I have been working this week with John Miller Homes.  This is what I was doing before I got the Job with Mid-States. Life as a painter is not that bad at all. I have been taken under the wing by Lonnie, a long time painter. He has been showing me the ropes and making this time a lot of fun.

Todays lesson is that rain is no good for paining.

 I plan on helping out with the painting until…..wait for it …. LRDezine takes off. 

 

 

 

Now you may ask, what is LRDezine? I would say that is a very good question.  LRdezine is Linda and Robert Design, our new company that we started today.  First, we will be offering organization help for the person who has lost the time to organize. Second, we will create systems for companies who need to organize anything from their inventory to their daily paperwork. Third, consultation for anyone who wants to get started organizing but does not know where to start.

Why is this an odd funny thing? Last week prayed that I can’t wait to look back and see the path that God has lead us through to get where He wants us. Today I see part of that path. Yes that is cool but it also just makes me stop and re-mind myself, God listens and he answers. All I got to say is “Wow”!

Coming soon our web page and business cards (in the works now) and a face book page (to be started soon). I you are local come by and join us next Friday for the Yukon Chamber of Commerce coffee.  It will be on the 21^st at the Dale Robinson Center at 8am.  

 

 

Added Note: Last night was Brandon N's Eagle Court of Honor. 

 

So, I volunteered to cook. Unfortunately that meant I had to miss the Court of Honor and sit with my fire while the cobblers baked.

As I was finishing up The Scout Master, Chuck comes out and says I need to get into the church. When I arrived in the sanctuary Brandon awarded me a mentor pin. The Silly punk made me cry. Like I said he is a good kid.

 

 

The Gloves Are Off

Warehouse 13 is precisely NOT where I used to work. (Note the phrase “Use to work”) What a nice group of people who are getting the crap kicked out of them. 

 

 Mid—States seemed like a really nice place with some decent people who worked there, but Mid—States was not a company all on its own.  They are a subsidiary of a larger company called Ches  a peak.  (and yes there is a reason to not type their name correctly).  The first reason is they are very protective of their name and second they have some really big jerks working the mid management team.  I never thought a company that big could get there making dumb decisions.  Most likely there has been a turnover in some level of management. I say this because a lot of the decisions being sent down are every modern shortsighted and money hungry.  The best model for business, in my opinion, is to build customer loyalty with great products and great customer service. To treat your customers with contempt and to belittle your employees and think that is the way to motivate and increase sales is insane. Since I do not want to be associated with this kind of business model, I left. 

With that rant done, let’s get on with the real world. 

We have moved again! The house we were living in was sold and we needed to find a new place.  So in one weekend we packed everything we had out of storage packe it into the car and van and moved while volunteering at the Iron Thistle Fair.

Scouts are helpful

Having your belongings in your cart,even for one weekend is kind of scarry.

 

 

 

 

 

Now we are back in the outskirts of Yukon staying with Scout Master Chuck and family.  It is a very nice place and very comfortable. Oh did I mention it just went up on the market.  Yeah it seems like we will just keep jumping house to house helping people sell their homes.

 

 The latest project to help the sale along was fixing a window sill, while the tornado sirens were going off. I know God has a plan and I trust that it is good and beneficial. It will be fun to look back on this time of our life and map out the road that God has us on. To understand why we were in certain places at certain times and to see how God worked through our situation. 

So what are we doing instead of working? Well looking for work is a top concern, but there is so much more.  Bobby and Jordie got married at the Myriad Gardens.

 

 The wedding was wonderful and they took off a week later for a honeymoon in So. California.  Linda and I have been helping Chuck prep the house for sale.

 

 

 

 

 Joshua and Steven went off to his Ordeal for the Order of the Arrow. 

Troop 300 celebrated a new Eagle Scout.

 

  I got to put a team together to go receive a Cub Scout who bridged into Boy Scouts.

 

 Karate, Church, Family time and Sleep round out the rest of the time.

Oh and just for fun we picked up the newlyweds from the airport in a hail storm. 

 

We had to make a few pit stops to avoid the bigger Hail. (I don't eat McDonalds and we didn't need gas, but the cover kept the hail off the car).

Life is not setteled yet, but it is interesting.

Warehouse 13 ?

So what is it like working in a warehouse? First thing it starts a lot earlier than Mini Storage work.  Second, even though it is a big warehouse, it is not anything like “Warehouse 13”.  Now that would be cool, but a lot more dangerous.  This is not so cool but much less dangerous

Yes we use shopping carts to help pick parts.

What do I really do? I check things in, I store them, and then I ship that stuff out.  Some of this stuff is very heavy, so heavy my muscles tell me about it quite often.   The real eye opener is the cost of this stuff. Packing and shipping becomes an art form when you think how much it cost to replace damage goods. 

Here is a look at some of my handy work.

 

Would you believe this is a bunch of chainsaws?  So the next time you receive a package that is not just padded but way overkill padded, don’t think of it as a waste, think how concerned the shippers were for the safety of your stuff.

A week of Scouting

Last Tuesday Linda, Joshua and I went to Edmond, Ok to participate in the Troop 79 Court of Honor. The reason is that 18 months ago I participated in an adult training program called Woodbadge .  Woodbadge is an 8 day training seminar that is some of the most intense training I have ever taken in civilian life.  After the training you are given the rest of your time to accomplish 5 Tickets. A ticket is a project you must complete to qualify as fully trained. After all five tickets are complete then you receive your final award which is called a beading. (It is called a beading because that is exactly what they give you is two wooden beads on a strap of leather.) That is the quick rundown on Woodbadge.

 

So Tuesday I was awarded my beads with three other members of my Woodbadge patrol (the Owls) and two other Woodbadgers from other patrols.  It was a special night with Linda and Joshua helping in the ceremony.

This is a picute of Jim Martin, Rebecca Koss, and myself. Rebbecca was my Patroll Guide and Jim was the Course Director

 

Later that week Linda and I had the honor of participating in the district Cuboree as the King and Queen of their medieval themed weekend.

 

Danielle Cox put on a great adventure for our younger Scouts and it was great to play a small roll.

 

  We will be awaiting the next call.

A Day in the Life

I have now started the second week of my new job and it is going well.

Ok, it is going well, but boy am I tired at the end of the day. This is tired, watch out for the signs of tired, If you feel the signs of tired coming upon you, please seek a bed as soon as possible. Remember friends let friends sleep.
Last Friday one of the long term temps was let go.  When working as a temp the employer does not need to give you warning.  An employer can just say don't come in tomorrow and that is the end of your job. Now get a load of how this new company works.
On Monday morning the boss went to this temp and said your in the reorder of the company your job did not get picked up Friday will be your last day.  She could have bolted for the door right then, and that is the risk my boss took. Since he was stand up to her she responded by being disappointed, but stuck it out all week. During that week she got all her work done and helped others to get situated for when we did not have her to go to.  One of those people was of course me.
On Friday the boss brought his smoker and his grill and cooked up a great chicken lunch to say thank you. The other workers brought sides and made it a feast.
This is the way to let someone go

On a side note you will notice I will not use names when discussing my new job, the reason is it is a big company that has their own PR department.  The PR department likes to control what goes out and does not need or want my help.  You know... I am OK with that. This job has been a lot of fun so far and I like the people I am working with so I can play with their rules.

So let me show you what I can


A small Part of the warehouse where I spend most of my time.

and the leftovers from the farewell feast.

I hope to post some Boy Scout news soon.

Change is in the air

There is a time for a change and that time is now.  First Change will be the name of this blog.  I am leaning toward “The Life of Bob” and that will be the working title, but if you have an idea I will be open.  

Now for the rest of the story.

Two weeks ago (that would be 3/18/13) the day before my 50^th birthday, Storage Management Associates, the management company my old boss hired at the first of the year sent an area manager to Yukon Oklahoma to relieve Linda and myself from our servitude to the company. In other words we got fired. Ok not really a big deal I didn’t trust SMA anyway. Now I will let you know I do not hold any real grudge with SMA I could tell from the beginning it was never going to work.  The style of business that they do and what I have been so successful with are diametrically opposed.  So in the big scheme of things it was not a big surprise. 

Now on that day they fired us they also gave us 7 days to move out, and that did give Linda and I a fairly blue night.  Remember Tuesday is my Birthday and on my birthday for the past 6 years I have baked cookies and given them away last year I did 21 dozen.  This year I really wanted to make 50 dozen so Linda jumped in and started baking. Hey job or no job my 50^th birthday only comes once. That is when we got the call from a real close friend in California that her husband had passed away.  No matter how bad your problems seem there are always people whose problems are worse.  Anyway God is the one who is ultimately in control and he will lead us where he wants.

Tuesday happens and since Linda and I no longer have Jobs we could spend the whole day handing out Bob day cookies. The actual name of my Birthday is “Unofficial International Bob Day” I have networked this day with friends of mine to reach people on six continents.  It is crazy to think on March 19^th people all over the world are making and giving away cookies just to bring a smile.

 

 

Armed with 50 dozen cookies in 100 Red solo cups Linda and I gave cookies away from the north side of Oklahoma City through Yukon and ended up in El Reno.  We spread as much joy as possible and promoted the Military Prayer Group of Yukon an organization that prays for our men and women who serve our armed forces.  Bob Day ended very well.

 

Wednesday we woke up and started packing like crazy.  With the help of our friends lead by the unstoppable Joyce Roper

 

 

 we moved our 300 Square foot storage and our 200 square foot shop to 5 Star Storage owned buy one very honest and honorable man Rick Opitz.

 

Thursday I put my wife on an airplane to California to be with her best friend at the funeral of her husband.   Joyce and Samantha Matthews continued to move wood and boxes from Guardian to Five Star and Started packing up the house.

 

Friday we had more help come in and continue packing the house up. Once again Joyce led the charge and kept me focused.  Without my wife I can get bogged down in the little things it is nice to have someone step in and help.

 

 Saturday night Danielle and her son Gavin came by and packed like crazy. It was the final touch that made me feel ready for the morning.

Saturday was the big move our son Bobby brought the Red Neck army over to help.

 

My dad stopped by and lent a hand packing cleaning and moving.  My body had taken as much abuse as it could stand and it was nice to have the help. Saturday also brought the rain. So it looked like it was going to be a soggy move but Pastor Ron Rasmussen from Christ Church of Yukon brought a line of pickup trucks and we had the house cleared in no time. At one point it felt like we had so much help that I could easily lose control. God is so good he blessed us with an overflowing cup.

Monday I did some cleanup work in storage and ran errands around town. Then spent a long night at scouts explaining what just happened to Linda and me.

Tuesday I started work with John Miller doing some work on a home he was refurbishing. I also received a call from a company to come in for an interview.  Then I spent a long night at Joshua’s Karate class explaining what happened to Linda and me.

Wednesday I came in late to work on the house because of the Job interview.  Then I received a call that afternoon offering me the job.

Thursday I never made it to the house due to the fact it took most of the day to fill out employment paperwork and take a drug test. I then had the great pleasure of picking up my wife from the airport.

Friday I spent the day working for John and the evening with my family.

All that to bring us to today, we are staying with friends, my new jobs starts Monday,  we are blessed with more friends than you can imagine, tomorrow is Easter and God is good… all the time.

The Marx's Brothers

Guardian Storage was visited by some people whom must have failed the I. D. 10-T test. We will introduce Harpo,  Zeppo and Groucho.  That is right the Marx’s Brothers where right here on the property and what a show they put on. 

Groucho and Zeppo called in to find out if there was a parking space available for rent. It seems that Zeppo’s offspring had totaled one of the family vehicles and they needed a place to put it for 30 to 60 day until they could make it go away permanently.  Zeppo had called his good pal Groucho to help him drag this smoking wreckage across the state to the Guardian facility.  Well, being good friends and desperate for a rental of course we said yes.

When they arrived they elicited the help of their third friend Harpo.  After looking at the package that was once a car Harpo asked how they got it on top of the trailer in the first place.  It seems that Groucho and Zeppo had used a come-along to slowly drag the car up on trailer, but there was no real plan on getting it back off.  The major problem it seemed was the driver’s side front wheel was almost snapped off and had no control of where it went. Three of the four tires were flat, the drive train was busted and the engine was in no condition to turn over again.  How could the Marx’s Brothers ever get this hunk of junk into a standard parking space?  Well it was Harpo’s idea to park the trailer in the middle of the space use the come-along to get the back wheels on the ground then drive the trailer out from underneath the car, effectively dropping the broken and twisted wreckage into the space.

After hooking the come-along to Harpo’s car to give a solid base to pull against, the team watched as Groucho started wrenching the car to solid earth, but something went wrong.  As the straps were pulled tighter the wreck did not move but Harpo’s car did start to lift. No matter how much the team pushed, pulled or used engineering terms the wheels of the damaged car would not turn.  Twenty minutes our trio scratched their heads till finally it came to them….  Release the parking break. 

Yes at that point the car rolled, with just some minor coaching from Zeppo, off the trailer and into the parking spot.

You would think that I would have been rolling on the floor, tears flowing from my eyes as I observed this story unfolding.

Ah, but alas I have met Harpo and he is me…..

Some days it just doesn’t pay to be a Bob.