An Intriguing Tale Of Being An Owner

It’s that time of the year again  – our oil man just came with his big tanker and industrial rubber hose to fill up our oil tank – before the cold hits us bad.   I like to be prepared because we’ve had a number of very cold days already, in fact this year to save cost on heat bill – we are planning to get 2 infrared portable heater for the store.  We’ve heard good thing about the heater and even though we love our oil man with his rubber hose – we love our money more.  Plus, who doesn’t love some savings right in this economy  – and no ferry coming our way next year.  But the kid loves to watch our oil man fill up the oil tank because he explains to her all about how everything works – from the hose he is using till how his tank works.

Winter isn’t here yet – but the weather is getting cold fast – and in preparation for winter in the store – I’ve decided to invest in a little electric mattress pad for my kid when she is at the store – sick.   You see when she is sick from school – she comes to work with us – she has a little sofa bed behind the store – right beside my desk – and there she stays to rest and get well.  Every winter – she seems to have it harder – she gets a lot of cold and sometimes comes down with a fever.  And when she is at the store – she doesn’t seems to be warm enough and it’s hard on her when we have an electric heater blown directly at her.  So this year – since we are doing so much better – I’ve decided to splurge on the essentials – to be prepared.   We worked so hard to keep our family healthy and safe right?  so this is an investment – the spouse and I thinks it’s absolutely necessary.   The kid is thrilled because she likes to get comfy on her sofa couch – she said she won’t mind lying down to watch a movie if she had a electric mattress pad to warm her up in the winter.

Well, we thought we were getting Hurricane Irene for a visit – but it was downgraded to a tropical storm – what a disappointment – for we canceled our trip to the city because of her.  Oh well – at least nothing got torn nor did we lose any power – so I’m happy despite the fact that we didn’t get to go anywhere. I wasn’t going to risk it at all.

We are expecting rain in the next few days ! lets hope it doesn’t turn out to be what happened last year – lots of damages to this town and we really cannot afford it.

So we had a bit of more snow than we liked – but it is afterall February – and anyone who’ve lived in this town for this many years – would know that we will be getting one sooner or later.  Lets just hope that this will be the last one for this winter – but you never know.

Our store was still opened albeit the fact that we were only opened at 12 – 5pm – and even then – people said we were crazy – ahhahaha!!  We shoveled almost the entire day – but it was alright – we still got our morning coffee and managed to get lunch from Jessy’s.  We’ve had worst – and at least we didn’t lose power this time.

So more snow came down today – and we could go sledding if we chose too – but of course shoveling was in store for us at the store.  Did you know that we have to shovel our own building when the snow falls?  the town don’t take care of it – so everytime we have snow coming down last night – i wished the spouse could send me to work earlier – so that I can shovel earlier – instead of 11am when we open our store.  This has gotta be the best fat burning exercises during the winter – don’t you think?  I read somewhere that 30 mins of shoveling – you lose like 150 calories or is it 250 – well – no matter how many – it is definitely good exercise i find.

On the same note – about exercises during Winter – last year – I had bought a Wii Fit – to do step aerobics with – so i have no excuses to not keep fit.  So I better get moving – and doing something for the festive season was over about a month ago.   Burn the Fat!!  Burn The Fat !!  I taught my kid to chant this every morning when we wake up to remind me to do my exercises.  What about  you ?  how do you burn fats and keep fit?

Although most people wouldn’t agree with me – i find that thus far – we’ve had a very mild winter as compared to previous years or is it me being a lot more Canadianized.  Come March this year – it would really be my 12 years in Canada – and during this time – I know that I’ve been disappointed with some of the customers here and a lot of the employees that we’ve had.  I’ve met many good friends here – and have kept them for a long time.  Unfortunately, for the spouse – I find that most of his long time friend isn’t that good a friend – in fact, most of my good friends – eventually becomes his friend too – because he knows how much i appreciate them.

Owning a business in Canada – isn’t as easy as some people may think – about 3.5 yrs ago – the store wasn’t doing as well as we had wanted to.  The spouse made some bad decisions on things and of course – we lost a lot of inventory due to the fact that we rent new games and movies out.  The day he decided not to buy new games anymore – was the day – the business turned around.  We don’t make millions of dollars but you can say that we don’t owe anyone any money  – we are also comfortable with having the store and not worry about the next bill from the supplier or power bill or rent – because we have been doing quite well for ourselves.

So maybe i find that the winter is mild – because there is no need to stress about a lot of things no more – no employees to raise my blood pressure, no bullshit – no trying to do right by time – no trying to reschedule around them.  No worries about stupid lies from employees – our attitude these days is – don’t know don’t care.   We just look after our family, kid, store and ourselves – the hell with the rest.

Winter is definitely here – and every winter I’m afraid – afraid of losing power because it gets very cold here quick and winter is very harsh here for us.  In fact, I think the last few winter had been really nasty – so yes !  year after year we can only pray for no power outages and the other thing to do is to get a back up generator that way – we know we would be left in the cold till we find somewhere to go – or get dig out from the snow.

Places like the old folks home has several honda generators for days like that – and we’ve always joked that we could always hop over to the old folks home if we do lose power and we don’t have a generator. But it is definitely a lot easier to have a back up generator ourselves – and one at the store – plus it is not so expensive to get one these days.  So if you are like us – have a store and have kids – a back up generator is definitely a good investment.  Staying warm is so important especially if you have kids.

It was the Christmas Parade in this town last Saturday – i started watching the parade with the kid – but the weather was so cold and there was just so many people smoking like a chimney – that I had to get the spouse to go out to be with the kid.   I figured I wasn’t really missing out on a lot and judging from the pictures the spouse took – I would say – I did better with vacuuming the store during the parade – hahah!  I guess I’m used to bigger and better floats back home  – but the kids enjoyed it – and the organizers did a great job organizing it – so I can’t really complain eh.  Another year – another parade – Christmas is round the corner – and we’ve yet to start shopping for presents.

It’s that time of the year again – the Town’s Christmas Tree Light up will be next Friday at 6pm.  Usually we don’t get to make it because we have to open our store for business or rush off to get groceries – plus it is very cold this time of the year at that time.  But if things changes – I might just bring the kid for the light up.  You can also bring your old lights and exchange it for a set of LED lights – but I hear – they usually run out in 10 minutes – so I won’t be doing that.

Yes..!! we had a white out again today.  What was given a few centimeters snow turned out to be more like 30 cm – just a rough guess.  But yes, we shoveled at the store – more than a few times..and when we got home we had to shovel again into our driveway.  The darn plow did not come thru’ our street again – they do that all the time.  But this is by far the best fat burning exercises i can get in the winter – so i didn’t quite mind it at all.And we closed the store at 5.30pm because no one in town was open  – well except Sobeys and Toots.  Some even closed as early as noon time – lazy buggers.

Yes, we had a white out today ..!  and boy! i can just imagine what it would be like to be in some Caribbean Hotels just about right now – seven heaven..??  Yes.. right about now.. we could use some vacation.  But as you all know owning your own business doesn’t allow you to just apply for leave .. and then come back to a cushy job.   I really can’t wait to go for a good holiday – the Caribbean would be really  nice – my daughter’s godma Lynn – she goes there every year – because we wanna escape the cold.  A lot of us from Canada either go to the Caribbeans or Hawaii, in fact – sometimes you think that the Canadians and the Americans invaded the Caribbeans when you are there.  Are you ready to leave yet for vacation? we are!

While Bill missed us.. we are looking not forward to Danny coming this weekend. So this weekend is gonna be horrid in sales again.

Tropical storm Danny is forecast to pass just southeast of Cape Cod Saturday evening and then track across Nova Scotia on Sunday. Rain heavy at times and strong gusty winds are forecast to begin in Southwestern Nova Scotia late Saturday and spread northeastward across the remainder of the province Saturday night and early Sunday morning.  Since Danny is a good distance away from the region and there is still some uncertainty on its exact track and intensity, total rainfall amounts and maximum wind gust will not be given at this time.

The public is advised to monitor future forecasts for updated information and possible warnings. Meanwhile, the Canadian Hurricane Centre says Danny will weaken as it moves through canadian waters. In a statement, the Centre says Danny has now become less likely that hurricane winds will occur.

February is almost gone.. and every year we wonder when the warm whether is gonna come .. and we whined about taking a vacation and can`t wait till we get out of this cold and wet weather.  Orlando vacations are very enticing especially during the March break, I know of our regular customer heading that way with her entire family to escape the cold here.  If it wasn`t for the business, I will be the first to head out there.

This time of the year, if you ever go to Cuba, you would think that you probably landed in the wrong country. . or the Canadians owned Cuba.  Yes, the worst time of Winter.. is the time where all Canadians flocked to Cuba.  Travel medical insurance are highly sought after by the people here.. and I tell yer not all the Canadians are smart enough to think of that. But i make sure.. all our customers who are heading that way knows about the benefit of it. Just because we can leave the store.. and go holidaying.. doesn’t mean that we have to be selfish about what we know eh.

A lot of our customers are going away for vacation right after Christmas.  A customer turn into friend.. is heading to Las Vegas with the whole family just after the New Year .. and boy ..!! are we envious. Hotel in las vegas are awesome.. and i know it is cold there.. but not as cold as it is here in Canada.  And I told him not to miss those shows at Ceasar’s Palace as well.  Everyone whom we have spoken to, said we deserve one too.. and boy .. do we know..!! but how to leave your store.. when you haven’t got anyone to entrust it to. Afterall, the man is the only one who does computer work.. and since computer are our major thing.. there is just no way.. to up and leave.  *sigh* .. why do i have to be with a businessman..??

It gets really cold here in Canada.. and one place i would loved to go for a vacation if we could close for Christmas is to be in Las Vegas.  Sure it is cold there too.. but nothing beats the lights and all the cool stuff you can do in Vegas.  Of course, I would never missed the Las Vegas Shows and there are just too much to choose from.

But one can also book your tickets online depending on who you are going with.  If it is only for you and your spouse .. and you are leaving the children behind, I would recommend David Spade show.  But if I was going with my girlfriends.. the Mama Mia show is a must.  Getting your tickets at good price from www.showlasvegas.com is your best bet in getting good tickets at good prices.

It’s April now.. and the feeling inside the house is just like winter.. and outside.. well.. like hurricane. The wind is blowing so strongly.. i just hope that PB remembered to bring the sign in from outside the store.. else .. it would surely be blown away or hit a car on the streets. I told you .. we have no spring here.. and if we are lucky.. very lucky.. summer may come in another few months time.

Yes.. ! this was what it looked like when we left the store at about 5pm today. It was snowing really hard .. by the time we reached the mall. . for some groceries. With this kinda weather.. how can one expect business to be good..?? It’s suxs big time.. but what can we do..? not much .. to be exact. You can imagine how upset i am.. when we are planning to celebrate Easter next week at the store..!

Yup.. it was snowing yesterday.. and i think the storm that was up in Toronto missed us. So you can imagine.. how it affects our business every year.. that even in March.. it is still so cold. Power and oil bills were usually high during this time of the year.. but with this new store.. we’ve noticed that we only need to turn the heat up for a few hours. .and then turn it right down.. and we are all set for the rest of the day. So hopefully, with the new store.. even though customers may not spend so much because of saving up for heat and food.. we also donch have to spend as much .. as our previous years.