Hey! I am back.

I have been silent for a few weeks, but I am back. My time has been very packed. I have learned that you may be able to manage two stores, but you can’t work two stores. There is just too much to do to keep one store running let alone trying to do it twice.

My hats is of to John, not only a great guy to work with, but he puts up with my foul moods when time is not my friend. Now that we have some employees to work with at Access we can start getting things done.

As for Guardian, my wife Linda will be taking the helm on the first. This will give us a lot more time to start catching up with a lot of things. One the weeds are moving in so it is time to go to war on them. Of course this also means we get to start our favorite activity “AUCTION”!!!

I have tried this twice before, this year, but the purchase of the new facility took the front burner.

Now we are starting to pick up speed. We are now renting U-Haul trucks from the Access facility.

Debbie was the first to rent a truck. I was not there to get the historic photo. I did catch John renting his first truck the facilities second overall rental.

　

I never thought I would be excited to get back into the Truck Rental Business, yet here I am waiting to get more trucks to rent. 7 years with Budget and Ryder really took it out of me. I am really banking that the new and improved U-Haul will make up for all that. Only time will tell.

　

I am so lazy

So today I slacked off and slept most of the morning.  In fact I never opened the store at all today, I am the laziest man I know and I have proof.

I had a little outpatient surgery today and since we haven’t found the right people to work yet, I just closed shop.  Now this picture was taken while I was getting prepped for surgery.  Now I do not like needles or IV’s or anything that goes into my skin.  What can be so bad to make me make a face like that?  They cut off my bracelet!

It was just a little bit of roped but it was to remind students and parents to pray during the school year.  Our churches youth group gave those out the day before school started in 2011 and as far as we can tell mine is the only one still on a wrist. Well I should say was the only one.

I would like to say thank you to my wife Linda for taking the photos of me before the surgery.  My question is when was this picture taken and why. 

 It is obviously after the surgery (note the big bundle on my arm).  I will also say that I was awake (the glasses are on my face).  I just do not remember this picture.  Me awake, and talking, without my brain in gear it a very scary thing.

Findding employees is not that easy

Sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns.  We have been trying to hire a few part time- employees and have not had very good luck. We put ads in the paper twice and have received very few responses and most of those did not come close to qualifying.  So now I am going to use the direct approach.  I started at my son’s Karate class. I figured who would be better to work with but people who can protect me. Actually it was my wife’s idea.  I will be hitting up the Boy Scouts next; I hope to find some good summer help.

I just don’t get it, I thought with the economy being the way it is, people would want a job.  When I was trying to be an actor in Southern California, I worked for six months on the grave yard shift at a seven-eleven.  To me a job is a job and without one it makes it hard to pay the rent.  Not to mention, acting is a hard way to make a living.  Seven-eleven gives you all the free Slurpee’s you can drink.

A Scam Called a Moving Company

I haven’t seen this maneuver in a couple years but it still smells just as bad.  Over at the new store we had a very nice lady reserve a space.  Her story was that she was moving from somewhere in New Mexico to Yukon Oklahoma and our facility was in the best location for her needs.  She showed up around 10 am rented one of our biggest units and sat back to wait on the moving company.   3 hours later she was still waiting.  I then came to find out that the moving company was stopped on the side of the highway outside of town.  The home office of the moving company had decided to re-evaluate the price of the move, but they had not told their customer yet she just thought they were running late.  This is when I realized that she was doing business with the wrong moving company.   The truck did show up, and parked itself right in front of our gate.   The driver then lets the nice lady know that the main company has re-evaluated the load and the charge for the move has now gone from a staggering $3,000 to an unbelievable $10,000.  That’s right kids they wanted her to pay $7,000 more or he would not be allowed to unload the truck.  Now I did feel like ripping this driver a new orifice, but in reality he was not calling the shots here.  Luckily we soon found out who was. This sweet mild grand ma who had moved to Yukon to live at a retirement home close to her sons turned on the old George Patton.  She had a nice conversation with the moving company management.  She was nice and sweet and got all kinds of information.  Then while the company talked to the driver she called one son, a nice contractor here in the state to come by and help.  He showed up to block the truck in so it could not leave.  Then she called her other son a corporate contract lawyer and turned him loose on the moving company’s corporate leaders.  She ended her battle strategy by calling the Oklahoma City Sheriff’s department.

As soon as the lawyer got involved the driver got a call to leave our facility and to take his load to the company warehouse.  He had to tell them he could not because he was blocked in.  Then the sheriff showed up to take a report on the incident that was happening.  Then the Lawyer / son called to tell mom to only pay the $3,000 dollars after they unload and that his office would be dealing with the claim for the $7,000 extra.  At this point the driver received a call and then unloaded the truck.  These guys screwed with the wrong lady, but they would not be doing this if they did not get away with it most of the time. 

The bad news to all of this was someone had to stay and mind the store and the gates till all this was done.  Sometime after 10 pm.

The lesson:  National moving companies are not your friends.  Even if they have all American names , and large moving Vans, and can move you stuff in a straight Line.  Do not let anyone load your stuff without a written contract that states the final price.  Best policy is to rent your own truck and higher movers on both ends, one to load and another to unload.  I just do not trust the big name trucking companies.   

The Return of the Stooges

When Hollywood remakes a movie they keep the characters it is just the actors that change.  Well the same can be said of the storage world.   Today I had a visit from the stooges.  Now this was not the same actors that visited me over at Guardian but these actors played the pats quite well.

I spent the day at Access Storage with Don and Debbie (two of the big hitters in my world).   We did some work we did some planning and we witnessed some poor decisions being made.

When I arrived at work it was around 11:00 am. and I was there to relieve John who had opened the store.  Debbie had opened with John, but when I pulled in there was three cars in the parking so I picked the spot next to the odd car out, a piece of crap Dodge.  Now if it was taken care of it could be a nice old car, but I doubt that it will survive that long.

So skip ahead an hour and Moe shows up, stops in the office to explain that his car had broken down and he and his buddies were going to get it running.  I look out and Larry is now opening up the hood.   Ten minutes later Shemp shows up.  This is about the time I notice what they are doing.  The Stooges have 2 ½ gallons of gas and they are pouring some into the carburetor. Now they must know that gas has some combustible properties because at this moment Larry places a fire extinguisher on top of the engine.  Let me ask you a question if the engine catches on fire where is, the last, place you want the fire extinguisher?  I would think you would not want it at ground zero, but that is where it stayed.  Oh did I mention Moe and Larry are smoking cigarettes … and Shemp has a pipe.  If you know the substance you are working with is flammable why are you lighting up around it. 

This is the moment I remember where my car is, compaired to this insanity.  Up I jump, grabbing my keys, and I am out the door.  As I pass Moe I ask “gasoline”? He says “Uh-huh”.  I look at his car and say “In the carburetor”?  Again he says “Uh-Huh”.  “Great” I say “I’ll just be moving my car now”, and I do.

Now that my car is in a safe place, on the other side of the property, I sit back in the office.  Debbie and I spend the next houror so watching the slap stick comedy, but to no avail, they can not blow up the car for our entertainment.  Neither can they start the car so they give up and drive off. Leaving the gasoline next to the car along with the fire extinguisher.  They seem to be giving mixed singles here.

 Latter Moe does come back to tell us that he will have a buddy come tow it tonight ….  I sure hope its Curly. I liked Curly better than Shemp.

Sometimes I do not think very clear

There have been days when I go to bed and think can I just have a re-due.

I spent a lot of time in my car today because I could not get my brains in to anykind of order.  For example I needed to take some duct tape, a hamer, one nail, and a "aa" battery to Access Storage.  After three trips out I still had not remember a single Item on that list. So when I finlly get fed up with not remembering I stoped by Lowes and bought a hammer, some picture hangers an took them back to Access.
"Look " I said walking in the door "I have gifts"  I produced the hammr and the hangers with pride. John looks at me for a second and says " and the 'aa' batteries"?
Aw crap! I stood right next to the "aa" batteries and never thought about picking them up.

Now the kicker.

What about the duct tape?

My brain scares me sometimes.

Wild Weather in Oklahoma Tonight

Some things that happen in storage happen because you choose for it to happen. Then there is Friday the 13^th. The weathermen have been calling for severe weather all week and today it arrived. Hail and tornados happening all around the state and I do not have a garage or carport to protect my vehicles. But I do have 10 X 20 units available and that is a great size to park a car. As the storms came closer I realized I was not going to come close to getting my errands done for the day, so I headed back to the office to tuck my car away and do some paperwork. As I was driving back to the 200SQFT units I notice My 20 year olds car and decide to find a space to tuck it in for the night. So I called him at work and asked where the key was and took care of it. 5 minutes later he calls me and ask if we have room for three more cars, that would be for his girlfriend, her mom, and her sisters boy friend. Now this got me to think soI started calling some of the businesses in the neighborhood.

Me - “So are you guys closing up or ridding out the storm?”

Them - “We will stick it out, the storms will be hit and miss.”

Me - “I have some empty space you can park your car in for the afternoon.”

Them - “No I don’t think it will be that bad.”

Me - “Gary England said it could be up to softball size hail.”

Them - “We'll be right over with three cars.”

Me - “See you in a few.”

When Gary England speaks people listen!

I ended up with 9 weather guest for the afternoon. I also ended up with several new friends from the surrounding businesses.