"I Hear The Train A' Commin......(AGAIN)

It's Rollin' Around The Bend........

Gentle Readers, Hello.  It is Saturday Afternoon and I am here while the crew is working to catch up on the work load.

It was Tuesday, around midnight, an unknown assailant used a rock found on the ground to break out the window of the office at "THE BODY SHOP".  The assailant then broke the blinds climbing through the broken window and went through my office looking for cash.  It was clear that the object was to get cash as they took about $25.00 in coin, from the desk.  It was foolish for them to think I would leave anything more than that.

The police responded quickly to the break and enter with skillful and meticulous CSI work.  The office was dusted from top to bottom with black powder and I am sure if there was a finger print, it was found. 

So......bottom line, they broke a window I have to replace, broke the blinds and only got a few dollars.  Not worth the 2 hours I spent washing the black powder from every surface.

People, I am a small business, not a Walmart!  I am scraping to get by.  Leave me alone!!!!

In closing, I would like to apologize in advance for my warped sense of humor and tell you that a person came in today for an estimate on their "Woe Woe".   Allow me to translate, Volvo.

Have a blessed weekend, what is left of it.    Shangri La

I AM EXTRAORDINARILY PATIENT,

PROVIDED I GET MY OWN WAY IN THE END.

Margaret Thatcher 


Gentle Body Shop Readers,

Last week, I had one of those experiences that, we all wish to avoid, but when they happen, cannot avoid, but need to handle.

One of my employees came to work with the attitude from hell and was ready for a fight.  He had been in my office several days before having a pity party for himself and we talked about that his inability to hold his temper in check is doing him no good in the work place.  He agreed with me and said he would work on it and understood that his problems at home should stay at home. 

I heard the screaming from the front office and ran out the door to the shop.  To make a long story short, the person screaming was the very employee who agreed just a few days before to control his temper.  I stood between him and my painter, two big guys and used my mother voice and said, "Knock it off!" I told him several times to "GO HOME AND COOL OFF"  He preferred to get in my face, scream at me to fire him if I dared, so I finally said, " OK, YOU ARE FIRED, NOW GO HOME".  Seriously, my hands shook for two hours after that but I do not let anyone see it.  It was really ugly and I was sick.

None the less, everyone is relieved that he is gone, the shop drama has gone to nothing.   I had him replaced within three days.  What was the point of all that? Doesn't he know it got him nowhere????

We have had a good week so far.  We have close to 40 cars on our lot and customers are complaining about having to park in the street.  Music to my ears.

I recently received a call from a man who owned a body shop in Northern Ohio whom had stumbled upon said BLOG.   He had to call and tell me that they had gotten absolutely nothing done that day!  They sat in his office reading aloud the Blog and laughing over the stories.  Now, realize, he also felt the PAIN, the BODY SHOP PAIN.  

I asked him how he found me and he said he had a techie working for him. He insisted I call him if I was ever in the area so he could buy me a drink as I was the funniest person he would ever know,  I think I will do that.  A kindred spirit.

Seems we drink a lot in the "BODY SHOP"

Bon Nuit,  Shangri La