The Afterlife

Mardi attended her Nurse's reunion today, picking up a friend along the way.

There were 29 of her classmates from 1963 who attended today, more than a third of the class!  Other years were also recognized.

Quite a showing!

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Tampa Bay Rays played a baseball game today.  Toronto Blue Jays failed in their attempt to do the same.

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Now we return to my job list, and the next stage of my employment starts with David.

After working summers at Dofasco, David decided that he was "unemployable" because he couldn't see himself working alongside guys who didn't give a damn and who were just looking for ways to avoid work.

So he decided to set up a paint ball business.  He asked me to cosign a loan to get him started, which I did, and which never cost me a cent.

He revolutionized the paint ball business.  At that time the only paint supplier was located in Windsor, Ontario.  But a lot of the action was in the States.  They had to order their paint and then wait for days or weeks for it to arrive.

David opened a mail box location in L.A. and had paint delivered there.   Then, the U.S. guys could pick up their product when they needed it.  Eventually he had stores in L.A. and handled paint, clothing and (paint) guns.

A few years later he sold off that business and bought a small greenhouse operation in Jordan.  A couple of times he needed help and I did what I could.

After he built the new greenhouse in Grimsby he mainly did wholesale, and a major customer was in Brooklyn, New York.  He was driving non-stop back and forth and I offered to take some trips for him.  So for quite a while we took turns in the truck making that trip.  He also had other U.S. customers and I made some Rochester deliveries as well.

A couple of years into the Grimsby operation he told me that he planned to start a garden centre.  I said "That's great!"  To which he replied "And you're running it."

"Oh!'

I ran the garden centre for a couple of years.  I remember being asked by a customer "Are you full time?"  to which I replied "I'm working abut 70 hours a week so it's almost full time!"

It takes a few years to sort out what kind of help you need and have.  David eventually hired a knowledgeable lady to run the garden centre and I could move on to my dream job - farm labour!

I cut the grass, work on the landscaping, show up when I want, do what I think needs doing unless David has a specific request, leave when I feel like it, and get to work alongside two of my grandsons (and my granddaughter when she's home from Nursing School in the summer).  And watch Sean as he grows into his leadership role in the family business.

David and Sue put up with me.  I'm living the dream!  Really!

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Now it's time to thank granddaughter Anna for setting up my new HP computer and cleaning out the old Acer which is now ready to go to a new home.

A real pleasure to work on the new machine tonight!  Thanks Anna!

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Today at the golf course (where it was darned cold and windy) we chatted about first cars - more nostalgia.  The next issue of the blog will talk about that.  Get your stories ready!

And stay well.