Job, Non-Job & Cultural Small Business Gift

Former Job Connection:
Friday, the first day of 2015 I'm having lunch with my boss of the first 25/27ths of the 27-year gig.  Typically we meet at Matt's Bar, home of the Jucy Lucy, a big burger filled with cheese that explodes all over your shirt when you eat it.   Usually I want to take a shower after eating there.  We'll have a nice chat.  He'll pay for lunch.  We'll avoid talking about the organization.  It's pleasant that our working relationship became a friendship.  That took some work and compromise on each of our parts.

Matt's Bar ... Jucy Lucy

Job Offer:
It's a crazy New Year's week so I've not followed up on a good job lead.  Having been in the corporate world for a long time I know that little gets done between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day and nothing happens the week of Christmas and New Years.  During the gig it was a good time to organize one's plans and strategies.  Now that I'm not really employed but busy more of the time it's difficult to plan and think strategically.  New Year's Day seems like a good time to re-work the resume but it's also he day that we need to count inventory for the small business.

Non-Job Blog Monetization
The small business has taken time from the blog monetization project.  There actually has been a small return from the Google Adsense ads.  Unfortunately Google sends out a confirmation card via snail mail which contains a PIN that needs to be entered online before the buckets of money start flowing.  The card appears to be lost in the holiday mail.

Small Business Customer Appreciation

Swedish Dala Horse

During a typical day we are pretty generous with our customers.  That's something the corporate stores cannot do...perhaps they choose not to.  We're actually friends with many of them on Facebook.  One of our regular (elderly) customers is of Swedish ancestry.  Not only is she a regular customer but she's a good customer, eating often and buying items from the 'pantry.'  I noticed that she 'liked' a post from Sweden of an early primitive dala horse.  In consideration of her patronage I've made one for her, with a few historical and cultural compromises.

Back To The Former Job Discussion:

Bad House

Over the years I worked a lot.  That was my choice.  My intent was to spend my last year working to fund a number of initiatives, attempting to "give back to the community."  When I'd explain that
concept to people they'd look at me like I was crazy and state "why would you work and then give that money away?"  The simple reason was that I started with nothing, growing up in an inadequate house, lacking guidance and poor.  It took years for me to realize that I was one of the disadvantaged of America.  It's played into me working a lot, perhaps too much, but that's the way it goes.  We are from what we came and we make the best of it.  Leaving the gig a bit early compromised this community funding idea.  The blog monetization project is, in part, an effort to find resources to finish this project.  The attached photo is not my childhood home but other children live there.  It's cold in MN.  Without even going inside I know what it's like.

Mars Beagle 2 or Voles

1) Shawdow of the Mars Landing Vehicle 'Beagle 2'
         or
2) Vole Paths Under the Apple Tree








Lee Hecht Harrison
Over the course of the next few months I hope to finish a few projects with my outplacement firm, Lee Hecht Harrison.  It's also time to harass my consultant there if his book is complete.  They've been helpful.