FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!!

Gentle readers,

The end of a crazy week.  Started with  my new body man setting a car on fire while welding...  The new body guy asked the old body guy if I would be mad!  OMG!  Hells Yea!   He was told no, but that if he did not tell me I sure would. Oh Yea, you have been doing this 30 years!  Hello...Basic welding 101 means No fires!!!!  Never weld after noon in a body shop.  If anything is smoldering, you will know by 5:00.  When my guys weld, they always have water ready.

We painted a big old boat of a classic car bright pink.  Oh yea, Pink.  I ran out into the parking lot before they left to be sure they knew they had picked pink,  PINK.  They said yea, they wanted pink, then I could feel the contact high from the skunk weed inside the car.  FYI, they loved the pink when they picked it up and it took an hour for the skunk weed to dissipate from the front office.  Of course they loved the metallic pink.  The car was worth $50. and they could dump it when things got hot.  That is the makings of a good drug car.

BBB finally got fed up with the Yellow Mustang guy!  That argument has been going on since July.  He is the guy who told me he would make me a laughing stock.  He got nothing, nowhere.  We are the ones laughing at him.  Some people are beyond the realm of normal.

Had to run to the emergency clinic last night....Gilbert, my body man tried to cut off the top of his thumb.  I hate it when they run up front bleeding!  But, he was ok, bot now he is all thumbs.  (sorry, had to do it)

A dear friend of mine, a professor of Sociology at the local large University left his car this morning.  My employees found a Zales bag in his car with a diamond bracelet in it for his wife for Christmas.  The receipt said a grand!  I called him and thanked him for the bracelet and he told me now I know why they call them "Absent Minded Professors"!

I was humbled by my crew and their honesty.  Of course, at the meeting when I thanked them, one guy said he had to wrestle Gilbert to the ground to get the bracelet away from him to turn it in.  All guffawed.

Again, today, a man left a car and on the front seat was several hundred in cash and several checks.  We had to call him to come back and get it.

What is it with the Season of Giving????  Is the stress of covering all the Santa bases too much and everyone becomes brain dead?  What if we were not so Honest and Christian?????

I will tell you what, I would have a very nice diamond bracelet on my arm right now!! 

Love all and God Bless,  do good to all God's Children,  Shangri La  

DANG ME, DANG ME, TAKE A ROPE AND HANG ME....

Bon Jour Mon Ami,  Good Sunday AM.  I am sitting in the kitchen, early, listening to the rain.  I am always so happy when it rains on Sunday and not during the week.  It hurts business.  Speaking of business....

We have a "regular" customer, Mr Hinker.  Mr. Hinker is 80 and has had 3-4 accidents in the last 9 months.  We have fixed his car in the same spot several times.  We have also become very fond of him.  He brings gifts each time he comes.  He said he had to be careful, as his wife gets jealous.  Well, this last accident he paid out of pocket, but lost his licence anyway.  His Dr. had him get tested as part of a physical and he did not pass reaction times.  So, he informed me that driving his car home from my shop would be his last drive.  He then gave me a hug and told me his life was over and he was not a man anymore.   DARN, that is so hard.  I hugged him and told him all the platitudes I could think of.  We have all been there, taking away a licence from an elderly man for their own good, and others, is the hardest thing to do....for everyone.

The phone continues to be a delight to us all up front.  Yesterday, I answered the phone and a lady (elderly and drunk) asked to speak to a police man.  "Mam, I am sorry, you must have misdialed."  Is this bla, bla, bla,.  "Yes it is"  Well, who are you!  "Mam, this is a body shop for cars"  (Laughter, I sure can use some repairs...can you get the phone number for me or connect me?  "No I am sorry I cannot.  Then she hangs up on me!  The temptation to star 69 and hang up back is looming.   

Drama in the back continues....There is drama when we do not have enough to do and there is drama when we have too much.  I have a compulsive talker in the back.  I try real hard to keep him busy.  I am told the compulsive talking is complaining.  I cannot understand what there is for him to complain about, he enjoys everyone he works with, gets the hours he wants and has not made this much money in a long time!!!!  Don't know, Don't get it, Don't want to know, Don't care!

I received an email a couple of weeks ago from a gentleman saying he has a 12" x 18" dent in the roof of the car he just purchased.....how much?  Sir, cannot guess, please bring your car in for a bla bla.  He then wanted to know if we could just pull it out and put in bondo the same color of the car and smooth it out.......He came in and announced to everyone he was an engineer and knew what needed to be done, could do it himself but did not have the time.    He left his car as it was a Saturday.  When body men, etc., came in on Monday it was determined that a tree fell on the car and he needed a new roof.  Peter called him to explain what needed to be done and that against all odds, had found a used roof to cut costs. Mr. Engineer started to cuss and scream that we were x$&())(&##*)_  and %^(++%$@!!@, then hung up on Peter.  We parked his car outside and deemed him a lunatic.  The next day his wife picked up the key and apologized for his behavior.  Sometimes, you just got to let it go.

I have two women working in the back.  They are both excellent and hard workers.  One has been out for two months trying to get a phony workers comp claim through and get money and paid for not working.  The other misses about two days a week, ex husband, sick, son sick, etc. etc. 

Now, I ask you.....I am a woman and work everyday about 10 hours. I do not miss work every time my ex-husband calls.  I used to hate the  competing with men for jobs and equal pay for equal work back in the day.   Felt it was so unfair.  We women worked harder than the men and kept our homes and kids going.  It seems women now want to screw up all that we accomplished for them. 

I will think long and hard about hiring women again, that so sad. 

I have had to change myself quite a bit just to stay in business.  I have to not trust, I am going to start drug testing, require proof of Dr. apts, etc.  TRUST NO ONE!  Be tough, no one's mom, bank for shrink.  Boss and that is it!  It is this or go under.   Most people know when they have it good and work hard.  But many do not and the revolving door keeps going straight to the unemployment office and hours of paperwork for me. 

I cannot find good people and see signs all over town, "Help wanted".  The news says there is record unemployment.  I sat in a restaurant for lunch yesterday, and the TV on the wall just kept flashing advertisements for getting unemployment benefits, even if you have a job making less than you used to. 

I have no comment, I just do my best. 

Monday starts a new week, December.  I just cannot fathom where the year went.  God Bless all.   Shangri La.