Beware, Valentine?s Day is a trap
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I provide plenty of warning because I?ve always considered Valentine?s Day the trickiest of holidays. Things aren?t so difficult now that I?ve married my Cupcake, in large part because I treat her like a queen. But it still has it challenges.
Take, for example, the ever popular Valentine candy. Most guys know by now they are required to buy this candy. Failure to do so is the equivalent of sending your darling a Valentine card that says:
If you want to know
Where the chocolate is at,
I didn?t buy any
Because you?re too fat.
While buying chocolate is a requirement, it?s also a catch-22 because then there are constant complaints such as: ?I don?t need to eat this chocolate.?
My biggest gripe with Valentine?s Day is the fact that a ?quality? Valentine?s gift is something that for the most part is useless. Let me give you this example.
What Cupcake could probably use more than anything else right now is a new vacuum cleaner. But as she?s been quick to point out, ?Don?t you dare get me a new vacuum cleaner for Valentine?s Day!!!?
While a new vacuum is what we need, most women would throw stones at a man who bought his girlfriend/ wife a cleaning device for Valentine?s Day. Instead, appropriate gifts are things such as stuffed animals, flowers and jewelry.
As a guy, these are items that hold absolutely no value to me, especially the jewelry. If I?m going to fork over $575 for something, it better at least have speakers.
Fortunately, the married men of the world have it somewhat easier than single men. For guys who have been dating a girl for two or three months, Valentine?s Day can be a life-changing experience. At that stage in the dating game, what you give for Valentine?s Day defines the relationship. And there is no winning.
If you spend days hand painting a one-of-a-kind card just for her, you?re labeled a cheapskate because you didn?t spend any money.
The same goes for composing your own song and serenading her under the moonlight. While it may be romantic, you better have some high-dollar gift hidden up your sleeve because free doesn?t cut it when it comes to Valentine?s Day.
On its face, Valentine?s Day may look cute with Cupid shooting arrows through little hearts, but the holiday might as well have Cupid throwing dollar bills onto an open fire. Remember, nothing says ?I love you? like spending a lot of money.
As for other major events, I can?t let Super Bowl Sunday pass by without at least some mention of the biggest football game on the planet.
And here?s an interesting fact you don?t usually hear tossed around: There are fewer weddings on Super Bowl weekend than any other weekend of the year. To me, the surprising part of that statement is that there are any weddings on Super Bowl weekend.
No guy should ever allow his wedding to take place on Super Bowl weekend, with the lone exception being if the wedding is held at the Super Bowl itself during halftime festivities.
The Super Bowl is also the biggest gambling day of the year. In addition to simply picking the winning team, Vegas has betting lines on just about every aspect of the game:
? which team will get the first penalty
? which half will have the most points scored
? which team will use the first coach?s challenge
? will there be a safety
? will the last team that scores win the game.
Since I?ve been known to make a pig of myself at Super Bowl parties, I have a good one for the guys in Vegas. Will I eat more cheese doodles during the first half or the second half? Only time will tell.
New ambulance service
comes to Warren County
Ladies and gentlemen, you are witnessing a piece of history. In my seven years of writing this column, I?ve reported on a variety of new businesses.
I?ve talked about new drugstores, dog trainers, and even a new donut shop. I?ve talked about new catering businesses, computer stores, and even a new car dealer. And we all know I?ve talked about new Mexican restaurants.
But this is the first time I?ve talked about a private ambulance service setting up shop in Warren County. That?s exactly what happened Thursday when Professional Medical Transport opened for business from its local station on Smithville Highway.
Pro Med is based out of Knoxville and has five locations in Tennessee. Locally, Pro Med has hired 12 employees who will man the two-ambulance operation 24 hours a day. Yes folks, that?s 12 new jobs.
One thing I should emphasize from the start is Pro Med is an ambulance service for non-emergency situations. If you have a medical emergency, such as a heart attack or serious accident, call 911.
?The Warren County Ambulance Service handles all emergencies,? said Pro Med base manager Jim ?Sawdust? Hudson. ?Where we come in is if a patient is at River Park and needs to be transported to Erlanger or St. Thomas, we?ll take them. It?s an everyday thing. We?ll make one or two trips a day.?
While the Pro Med focus isn?t emergency situations, Jim wanted to assure all potential patients that his ambulance service is top of the line. Both ambulances are fully stocked with all the necessary medical supplies, and Pro Med utilizes the services of trained paramedics.
Jim says Pro Med is a Class A ambulance service that is capable of responding to emergencies if dispatched by 911 operators. He said that could come in handy in a pinch because Warren County keeps four ambulances on call at all times. This will give the county up to six, if a major situation arises.
?Not only does it add two more ambulances that are here all the time, but Pro Med has a fleet of 25 ambulances that we can draw from other areas,? said Jim. ?Warren County has been great to us and the way I see it, we?re all working together. We can supplement them and be a real benefit to the county.?
Pro Med is located at 4803 Smithville Highway near Delores? Market. Since the business is located in an old house, it has a kitchen and full living quarters set up so it can be manned around the clock. There will also be a receptionist during regular business hours Monday thru Friday.
The Pro Med phone number is 815-9800. But remember, in case of emergency, call 911.
Cumberland Plaza
has a new owner
The fact Cumberland Plaza is now under new ownership probably won?t have much of an impact on most local residents. I think it?s safe to say most folks won?t notice any difference.
But when one of McMinnville?s major shopping centers changes hands, I think I should at least make a note of it. That said, Bowling Green, Ky., based Huntington Investments is the new owner of Cumberland Plaza. The company owns all of the shopping center except for Lowe?s and Applebee?s.
I was fortunate enough to catch up with Huntington Investments owner Jack Sheidler on Friday and he told me the plans are to keep the property fully rented and looking sharp.
?We?ll probably be boring landlords,? said Jack. ?I don?t think you?ll hear much from us. We want to keep the place looking nice and hopefully we?ll do a good job for the businesses that are there.?
Jack described his company as ?small potatoes? in the real estate game. He says his company owns a handful of shopping centers, apartment complexes and office buildings.
The good news for Jack is Cumberland Plaza is currently filled to capacity with the recent addition of CiCi?s Pizza. I don?t know if there?s any bad news on the horizon, but I do know few things stay the same. And it is noteworthy to mention there?s a Dollar General in that shopping center, and we?re all awaiting the announcement expected later this month about the next 133 Dollar General stores that will close.
Edens and Avant is the former owner of Cumberland Plaza.
Mattress Planet in
business of selling rest
Larry Bailey knows what customers want when they buy a mattress ? a good night?s sleep. That?s why he?s been successful as the owner of Mattress Planet and his new store in McMinnville is the 10th in his family-owned chain.
?Most people don?t take bedding as seriously as we do,? said Larry, who is a firm believer in making sure his customers get quality sleep. ?If you don?t get good rest, you?re sluggish. You lack energy the next day. We?re a mattress specialty shop and we specialize in rest. Getting the right rest makes you feel better and that?s what we do.?
Mattress Planet is located in the strip shopping center next to Eckerd. When it comes to bedding, Mattress Planet has you covered from economy models all the way up to very sophisticated mattresses. There are even adjustable mattresses where each partner can adjust their side of the bed to fit their sleep specifications.
One feature Mattress Planet offers is free delivery and set up. On top of that, store employees will also haul away your old mattress if that?s what you want. But Larry says that?s not the reason his customers are so satisfied.
?We make sure you get the rest you need for a healthy lifestyle and I think that says it all,? said Larry. ?If you go to the doctor for a broken arm, you expect to get a cast. If you come here because you?re not getting a good night?s rest, you expect to get a mattress that will allow you to sleep better.?
Larry says every time you toss and turn takes you out of stage 4 sleep, which is the sleep needed to restore your body. He says the proper mattress is often all that?s needed to keep you sleeping soundly. He also sells curved Tempurpedic pillows that can help relieve headaches, neck and back pain.
Mattress Planet customers might notice a familiar face when they walk in the door in Lionel Panter, who retired from Co-op after 30 years. While Lionel knows his feed and seed, he also knows his mattresses and he?s ready to answer your questions.
Mattress Planet is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday thru Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The phone number is 507-BEDS.
Yorozu helps improve
industrial park road
Do we want jobs? Sure we do. But attracting those jobs is no easy task ? especially when the road running through Mt. View Industrial Park is in shambles.
That?s why we should all be glad to know that data furnished to the state department of Economic and Community Development by Yorozu has led to the approval of a $517,000 grant to improve that road.
?Not only does this help the industries that are already on this road, but it will help recruit new industry,? said Yorozu president Jack Phillips. ?It?s pretty embarrassing to bring potential industries in here and have the road look the way it does.?
The road improvements are already well under way. The road will be widened at Yorozu because traffic often backs up when employees are coming to work. The entire road will also be repaved around April because it?s in pretty shabby shape.
Matt Kisber, the state?s Economic and Community Development Commissioner, says the repaved road will ?create an environment where businesses can grow and be profitable, and encourage new job opportunities.?
As for Yorozu, the county?s largest employer, business is steady. Jack says employee figures have fluctuated between a high of 1,065 and a low of 840. Right now it stands right at 1,000 employees.
That?s all folks
Don?t call me with your business tips today between 5 and 9 p.m. I?ll be watching the Super Bowl and choking down many cheese puffs. And I?ll naturally be pulling for Peyton Manning to beat those pesky Bears.
For those who don?t know, you?ll want to be sure to check out the special Peyton Manning and Brian Urlacher posters the Standard has published in today?s edition. I realize I?m biased, but the posters are hot.
I will however be interested in your business tips come Monday. The phone number to call is 473-2191.