Retail Ramblings with a dash of Poop....er!

It would appear that I am off to a sluggish start of returning to the blogdom, but I assure you that I am just taking it one day at a time and trying not to let it be a big priority in terms of maintenance.

I'm filled with thoughts of the season this year due to the economic changes in the weather. Business is down considerably for us this year. Trying to overcome the pressure to make business happen in a non-shopping, make that, non-buying atmosphere with added tension of a massive expansion and new build at the same time is overwhelming and daunting for a Sophomore retail manager.

I have cut staff hours and now they are feeling the pressure of the holiday season as well. No one is being to vociferous yet, but the whispers are starting, the occasional comment about not making condo dues, medical costs, etc. I'm not blind to their struggles or the stress they face. I was one of them not too long ago and I know what they make an hour and how dependent they are on that 40 hour work week.

I need to draft a communication to them about the need to watch out for complacency at work, to be mindful of our waste, be it hours, materials, mistakes with customers, anything that can lead to some kind of savings that sales are not offsetting at this time. I want it to be encouraging and not doomsday like. Things are tough, but we are still here, we're working and we have a job to do. I have a great group of people to manage and I try to let them know how much they mean to me and what a great job they do. Not something that was done very often in the past. But I need them to raise the bar a little and recognize that the pressure is there on our owners and how we conduct ourselves right now can help them focus on the real solutions and not have to wonder why we are standing around chatting about life.

And because it's Friday and I have a new shot of the Original Pooper, I give to you your Pooper Friday...

Pooper Friday!

I never tire of looking at her. She is just such a lovely dog.

Cowards

I had resolved to let this go and not allow it to affect me. No matter how I try it won't leave me and I feel it nagging me in the back of my sub cordial lobe ( thank you E.R.). This last Halloween we eagerly awaited tricksters and treaters on our living room couch, each of us poised to reach for the candy bowl and the door before they had a chance to knock and jump start Lucy and Harlow with their insane barking. The night before we carved out a couple of pumpkins and they were cool folks. Nick's was a Pirate Fish and it turned out awesome.

We never get more than 20 kids each year and we've been here for 5yrs. We are sure that the neighbors are dependent on our goods at this point. To be honest, we seem to buy enough candy for 100 kids and end up giving out handfuls of candy just to get rid of it. Let's face it, that alone should set us up each year as one house not to miss. Am I right? It's not the crappy stuff either. I only buy what I would eat, and I don't eat crappy candy. Ever. Snickers. Reese's. You get the idea.

The night gets started and we are watching out the window for any signs of activity. The dogs are penned up in the hallway where they can't see out the windows. Pretty soon the kids start coming in small little waves. 3 here, 2 there. Around 8pm there is a group of kids of 4 or 5 and I'm dolling out the goods by the hand full, kids are going "Wow!" and we are just standing there loving every minute of it. I hit each bag as it's presented and the final kid in the back just looks up at me and Nick without a mask on and apologizes, "I'm sorry, I can't take candy from homo's" and scurry's off. I know what you're thinking. I've thought it too. I looked up and out into the dark driveway to see if I can see any parents, but the light shadows everything above the knee. I tell myself that can't possibly be what I heard. I tell Nick and he's all "are you sure?" I'm sure. I was looking right at the kid.

I got mad. I turned off the light and shut it down. Maybe I was scared too. It upset me for the fact that a child of not more than 8 or 9 could say something like that. That's when I really got mad, because I knew that a parent had put them up to it. If that's not abuse, I don't know what to call it. Manipulation? Mean spirited? Cowardice?

I'm not naive. I know that there are people out there that still have issues with sexuality. We don't pretend to be anything other than a couple that lives in a house with 2 cars, 2 dogs and a mortgage. We are very open and up front about who we are and always have been. There has never been a moment in the last 5 year that I ever felt that there was any animosity or distaste from our neighbors. My only requirement is that you treat us respectfully. You don't have to approve, you don't have to like it, but live and let live. We are not doing anything that you're not.

We are fortunate to have neighbors that are friendly and willing to chat and comment on the MANY projects that we are constantly implementing here at casa de homo's. I know that this instance was only one. I'm saddened that a parent could put their child up to that kind of cowardice on their behalf. You have a choice not to come to our house. Use it. But next year, when you go walking by and you think about not taking candy from the gays, your kid is so going to hate life, because we are going to do Halloween so over the top with decorations and give away 3 lb bags of candy. Every kid in the neighborhood will talk about it for years to come. Neener! Neener! Neener!

Pooper Friday!

Yesterday we finally finished the replacement of our oil furnace with natural gas. This is the first morning with the furnace and I have to say, I love it. So quiet, so clean. Not to mention, waaaaaay more efficient. The oil furnace was from 1968. I was born in 1968. Crazy. I will admit however, that when the heat was on, it was on. I loved that when I got up in the morning that the toilet was preheated for my bum. Or how my towel was warm and dry after my shower. Sigh.

Time to Vote...If you haven't already.

I spent part of the day at the arboretum photographing fall color. Sundays little outing inspired this idea with the shoes and leaves. I really like the way it turned out.

I'm so glad that today has finally arrived and yet I'm still anxious and scared of the outcomes. I won't be able to ignore it all today. Thank god for iPhone. Precious lovely iPhone.

Okay...I'll be around. OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA! YES WE CAN!