Skateboards and 36-year-olds don?t mix
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Overall, I?d say I have more holiday cheer than in recent years. And no, it?s not because I?ve been hanging around the eggnog.
I think it?s because I?ll get to relive a large chunk of my childhood with this year?s Christmas haul. That?s because Benjamin has been clamouring for months that he wants a skateboard for Christmas. It?s gotten to the point where he walked up and kissed a skateboard yesterday morning in Hibbett?s.
So I have a strong suspicion Santa will bring Benjamin a skateboard this year. And since his old man was pretty handy with a skateboard in his day, I?ve asked for a skateboard too. I figure it will be a way for us to spend some quality time together.
My calculations indicate that quality time will last all of 10 minutes until I fall off my skateboard and break my collarbone. Anyone thinking of buying a skateboard can probably wait about five months and get one for cheap. My skateboard will likely be among the items in our yardsale come May.
As for folks who aren?t so much in the Christmas spirit, I was reading in the police blotter last week that a mother in Rock Hill, S.C. had her 12-year-old son arrested by police. Officers apparently did not want to arrest the boy, but the mother insisted.
The reason? He had opened one of his Christmas gifts three weeks early, thus infuriating his mom. While this story made its way across the wire, it didn?t list the charge the boy was arrested on. I don?t think there?s a charge for premeditated gift opening.
As for other Business Pulse odds and ends around the nation, I want to tell you about a failed ?Got Milk?? marketing campaign in San Francisco. I guess you could say the cookie crumbled on this ad campaign.
It involved placing cookie-scented cardboard strips at bus stops around the city. Just like those scratch and sniff books, the logic was that bus riders would walk over and scratch and sniff the cookie-scented cardboard. The oven-fresh cookie smell would then entice them to buy milk, or so the logic goes.
In case you?re wondering, the ads lasted one day. They were put in place Tuesday and taken down Wednesday after an onslaught of complaints.
Personally, I think the campaign was a pretty dumb idea, but I don?t know of any reason to complain. If you?re going to complain about the smell of oven-fresh chocolate chips cookies, you?ll complain about anything.
And in maintaining my efforts to bring you the most ridiculous lawsuits of the day, I want to tell you about two Lancaster, Pa., teens who were recently awarded a combined $24 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
These teens, Jeffrey Klein and Brett Birdwell, scaled a fence to gain access to a railroad yard. While the teens were trespassing on the property, they climbed atop a boxcar to check out the view. However, they were severely burned by a 12,000 volt line on the roof of the boxcar.
The teens successfully sued Amtrak and Norfolk Southern railroads for not doing enough to stop them from trespassing on their property. This looks like a case where crime really does pay. Just think, if the teens didn?t break the law, they would have never been injured.
The Home Depot headed to Manchester
From time to time, folks have asked me about the likelihood of The Home Depot locating in McMinnville. I?ve heard that question off and on since Lowe?s moved into town.
What I?ve always heard is The Home Depot was looking to locate in the Morrison area so it could better cater to McMinnville and Manchester customers. Apparently that line of thinking was partially correct.
Last week, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to change zoning restrictions to allow The Home Depot to build a store near the Wal-Mart in Manchester.
Wow, what an amazing concept! You can actually change zoning restrictions. I wonder if anyone realizes that in McMinnville?
The Home Depot is the world?s largest home improvement retailer with 2,104 retail stores in all 50 states. What that means is I have no chance of talking to a live person and ever finding out if The Home Depot has any interest in Warren County. If I was a betting man, I would tend to say there?s not much interest considering the store in Manchester.
Billy?s reopens and customers flock
Billy Foutch doesn?t need me to talk about the reopening of Billy?s Restaurant in this column. He has a problem most businesses would love to have. He has customers coming out of his ears (and I say that figuratively, of course).
After about an eight-month layoff, you could say Billy is back in the saddle again. When I stopped by the restaurant Friday, he was occupying his familiar spot in front of the grill and doing about 10 things at once. I can see why retirement didn?t suit Gator too well. He moves about 97 mph.
?We?ve been busy,? he said.
The new Billy?s isn?t exactly like the old Billy?s. For starters, he is now open for dinner. His hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday thru Thursday and 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. As it stands now, Billy is working every hour.
So when does he sleep? ?I just catch a few hours,? said Billy.
If you want a better idea about Billy?s food, don?t take it from me. Just ask his faithful customers. You?d be hard pressed to find customers more faithful that Charles and Vada Lois Campbell, who eat at Billy?s on a daily basis.
?Now that he?s open at night, sometimes I eat here three times a day,? said Charles. ?He makes his living off me. He?s the best grill man in the state.?
The Campbells said the eight months Billy?s was closed made for some trying moments. They say they only went out to eat a few times during that span.
?We only live about a mile away,? said Vada Lois. ?It?s like a second home. And it?s a wonderful place for him to come in the mornings and shoot the bull.?
So what?s the best item on the menu? ?Hamburger steak smothered in onions,? said Charles.
Sherry Redmon had similar sentiments. ?He?s got the best hamburgers in town,? she said.
New dentist in town is reason to smile
If you want to visit the dentist, but don?t want to worry about pain, Dr. Mark Lambrick has you covered.
?I take a great deal of pride in being considered a gentle dentist,? said Dr. Lambrick. ?My goal is to keep the patients comfortable. With today?s techniques and technology, patients should never be in pain while they?re worked on. There?s no reason for it.?
Dr. Lambrick found his way to McMinnville by buying the longtime dental practice of Dr. Norman Sain. He takes over a practice that is overflowing with experience.
Office manager JoAnn Cox worked for Dr. Sain for 32 years. Dental hygienist Susie Taylor has been there for 27 years and dental assistant Kathy Fults touts 17 years with the business. Add it all together and that?s a lot of years.
?We?ve been able to maintain some core people,? said Dr. Lambrick. ?The patients have to build a relationship with a new doctor, but otherwise it?s the same warm, friendly people who have been here. We?re not only dental professionals, we?re your friends and that?s a huge comfort level.?
Dr. Lambrick is a graduate of Ohio State Dental School who practiced dentistry in Las Vegas for six years. He?s been married to his wife, Dana, for 15 years and they have a 12-year-old son, Christopher. He also has a practice in Brentwood. His McMinnville office is open Monday thru Wednesday.
Dr. Lambrick does root canals and handles just about any kind of tooth problems. He also does cosmetic dentistry which includes zoom whitening among other things. He says he likes to take before-and-after pictures to show how his work really can make a difference.
?To me it?s rewarding to be able to take someone who is self-conscious about their smile, who might hold their hand over their mouth when they laugh, and make them feel good about the way they look,? said Dr. Lambrick. ?That?s why the before-and-after pictures work so well. It?s one thing to see it in a book, but people want to know what you can do.?
Dr. Lambrick?s practice is located at 126 Hobson Street. The phone number is 473-7446.
Post office prepared for Christmas rush
McMinnville postmaster Charles Bogle beams with confidence when talking about the hectic upcoming Christmas mailing season. He knows his highly qualified crew is prepared to handle the rush.
Bogle also wants to highlight the ample supply of Christmas stamps that are currently available at the post office. In addition to the stamps, there?s also mint sets and framed art available that he says will make great Christmas gifts.
?We?re thankful for the opportunity to serve our customers and wish each of them a safe and happy Christmas,? Charles said.
McMinnville Post Office is open Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. The contract station at Super D is open an hour later during the week and from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Mrs. Claus is coming to Waffle House
She may not see you when you?re sleeping or know when you?re awake, but Mrs. Claus will be at Waffle House this coming Saturday, Dec. 16, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Playing the role of Mrs. Claus will be none other than Carol Hollandsworth, who has experience at such things.
?I put on the Mrs. Claus outfit and waited tables and the kids just went crazy,? said Carol.
Said manager Linda White, ?I had to pull her off the floor because the kids were loving her to death.?
It?s with that in mind Linda decided it would be nice to have an encore performance of Mrs. Claus. She?ll be sitting in a rocking chair handing out candy canes and ready to pose for pictures. Parents are encouraged to bring a camera and snap away.
This is also the time of year I like to give a big round of applause to Waffle House employees because they are always forced to work on Christmas day. Outside of the hospital, Waffle House is one of the few places where employees are forced to work on Christmas.
?The day goes by fast because we?re so busy,? said Linda. ?People don?t have any other place to go.?
That?s all folks
It?s the Christmas season and people start to think about things such as spending time with family over the holidays and they forget about Business Pulse. This should never happen.
Be sure to keep Business Pulse in your holiday thoughts. Give me a call with your tips at 473-2191.
The lowdown on mall Santas
General Growth Properties, one of the nation?s largest shopping mall owners, has surveyed 130 shopping mall Santas and found:
? The average Santa weighs approximately 220 pounds
? He stands 5-foot-9
? Youngest Santa ? 52
? Most popular child question: ?Why are there other Santas at other malls??
National Fruitcake Day
Christmas isn?t the only festive day in December. Don?t forget Dec. 27 is National Fruitcake Day.
National Fruitcake Day was established when fruitcake reached its popularity peak in the 1940s and ?50s. Experts differ on if anyone has eaten a fruitcake since.
Christmas Joke of the Day
?Hello, is this the sheriff?s department??
?Yes sir, it is.?
?I?m calling to report my neighbor Virgil Smith. He?s hiding tons of marijuana inside his firewood.?
The next day, sheriff?s deputies descend on Virgil?s house. They search Virgil?s shed. Using axes, they bust open every piece of firewood, but find no marijuana inside. The deputies warn Virgil and leave.
In a few minutes, the phone rings at Virgil?s house. ?Hey Virgil, this here?s Floyd. Did the sheriff and his deputies come??
?Well yes they did.?
?Did they chop up your firewood??
?They sure did, every piece.?
?Merry Christmas, buddy!?