I saw a "Four Things" post over at LUCKYZMOM blog and thought I would 'borrow' the idea for a quick post of my own here today.Four Things
Four jobs you've had:
1. Shoe Salesman
2. Construction Worker
3. Driver - coffee truck, cement truck, dump truck
4. Businessman (currently)
(plus many other menial and soul-crushing jobs)
Four movies you could watch over and over:
Just about any movie ever made, because five minutes after I see it, I can't remember a thing about it.
Four places you've lived:
1. Gross Steinrade, Germany
2. Freedom, Alberta
3. Port Colborne, Ontario
4. London, Ontario, Canada
I've also lived in Toronto, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Burlington, Aldershot, Mitchell, Stratford, Appin, Thorndale (all in Ontario) and Barrhead and Edmonton in Alberta, Canada.
Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. Gilmore Girls
2. Brothers and Sisters
3. Studio 60
4. 24
Four places you've been on vacation:
1. Mexico
2. Germany
3. France
4. England
Four websites you visit daily:
1. Drudge Report
2. GoldInfo.net
3. TD Waterhouse WebBroker
4. The Bloggers on my Bogroll
2. GoldInfo.net
3. TD Waterhouse WebBroker
4. The Bloggers on my Bogroll
Four of your favorite foods:
1. Deep-fried and breaded Mushrooms
2. Kartoffel Kloesse
3. Filet Mignon
4. Dessert Crepes with fruit
Four places you'd rather be:
1. Anyplace warm
2. Jamming with Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Alvin Lee (if they would promise not to laugh at my guitar playing)
3. Exploring Argentina
4. Tracing my father's travels as a young man, through Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Siberia.
"plus many other menial and soul-crushing jobs"
ReplyDeleteYikes what a way to describe it! And yet, so true. And yet how does one get themselves out of a bad situation? The possible rewards are very nice. But it's a big risk too.
Very recently I've discovered just the type of business I would like to get into. One that I am directly interested in, and would have another aspect I totally need in a job... human interaction (beyond customer complaints via phone doesn't cut it).
Now, all I need to do is get out there and do it!
Knowing what you want is half the battle. When I did those 'soul-crushing jobs,' I was merely paying the bills, staying alive until I found what I truly wanted to do.
ReplyDeleteIf you know what you want, go for it. But be very sure your wife and your family are supportive, otherwise either your relationship or your business (if that is what you are proposing) is likely to fail if things become stressful for any reason.
A supportive spouse is worth her (or his) weight in platinum in normal situations, and even more than that in business.
I don't know if I've asked you this before and I'm not sure when you lived in Edmonton, but when did, did you ever shop or stop in at a second hand bookstore called: Jo Books, on 97 street? It was across from the court house. The Army and Navy was a block north, there was a Canada Trust on the north end of the block the bookstore was on and there was an S.O.S. store on the south end of the block. The bookstore itself was sandwiched in between a jewelry store and a hair salon and furniture shop.
ReplyDeleteThe store had a flag out front of it, waving off the top of the door.
Penny: I was in Edmonton in early 1966, I believe. I worked at Woodward's Department Store downtown somewhere, not sure if it still exists. As soon as the snow thawed in early April, a friend of mine and I hitch-hiked to Vancouver and promptly got snowed in at Roger's Pass and got stick in Banff until everything was cleared away. I left Edmonton when I returned form hitch-hiking. Just too cold for me there, plus I wanted to return to school. In Alberta, if you encounter people named Schmigelski (my maternal grandfather's name) or Schulz (my maternal grandmother's maiden name) chnaces are they are related to me in some way.
ReplyDeleteDid you know someone who worked at or owned Jo Books? I don't recall the place or ever going there.
Jo Books was my family's business and we lived in the house attached in the back. But, it wasn't opened at the time that you were in Edmonton. However, my mother, Marjorie worked at Woodwards ~ not sure the time, I'll have to check ~ and she and her twin sister shopped there often. She was quite unforgettable (my biased opinion ;) ) I'd bet you'd remember her, if your paths had crossed. She would have been 26 in 1966.
ReplyDeleteWoodwards is gone, but Edmonton Center still exists, though it has undergone tremendous renovation.
Small worlds interest me. Thanks for answering!
Unfortunately, I don't remember all that much about the short time I was in Edmonton, only about 3 months altogether. I do remember a red-headed singer who worked at Woodward's during the day and performed in clubs at night. Too bad she was older than I and had a boyfriend.
ReplyDeleteWhen we arrrived in Canada in 1949, we lived briefly in Freedom, Alberta and then just outside Barrhead. In 1950, we moved to Ontario.