June 23, 2015

Very Busy, Productive Day

June 23, 2015

The beautiful rose from Sunday is still lovely and brings me a smile each time I see it.

What a day!  I had to be up early for my allergy shots and then to get to the office earlier than usual.  Ron had an appointment at 9:45 and several errands to run.  Once I got there I did a few little chores and then started working on quilt squares for the string-quilt.  Over the course of the day, I managed to get 9 blocks made, bringing my current total to 95 completed blocks.  Yea!

Today's blocks.  Those scrap pieces hold so many memories for me.  I remember where I used most of the fabrics and have lots of favorites in the scrap basket.  I am not yet seeing a dent in it!

There were a lot of walk-in-customers today and I mean that both figuratively and literally.  We may forget some times as we drive around in our air-conditioned cars, that many people in our community still walk everywhere they go.  They also go places as a family.  Mom, Dad, and the children will come in to have one key copied.  Many carefully count the cost before placing their order of what they want, balanced against what they need.  Others freely spend lots of money on decorated keys - ones coated with a Disney picture or a famous movie star. 

Today people were also picking up locks Ron had been working on for them when he stays at the shop late at night.  Another customer was a friend who has been a blessing to me in the past and he had some good news to share with us.  He was smiling from ear to ear.  When we have good news to share, we can't wait to share it with those who we know will rejoice with us.

There was a challenging customer that Ron took over from me, much to my relief.  He had arrived in a state of anger.  He was upset because a large home store had made him a key that did not work.  It had been one of the decorative keys.  First he was upset because he had walked up to a counter with just a few inexpensive decorative keys and he started the conversation loudly asking, "Is this all you have?"  He wanted me to guarantee that, unlike the other store, mine would work.  I showed him the four large racks we have of the decorative keys at the other counter and told him that it would depend on the quality of his key as to how well my copy would work, but that if it did not work, we would refund his money.

He was loud and angry and didn't want me to promise to return his money, but to promise the key would be perfect.  I asked to see his key.  It was badly worn, so much so that the nickle plating was worn off the key.  It takes a lot of use for that to happen.  Another customer was already at the counter that I had taken this customer to and the second customer was also very loud.  That second customer had been in yesterday and talked and talked very loudly.  Ron could see that the two loud voices  side by side were causing me trouble hearing my customer, and he took over.  The customer left saying he was going to sue us for not taking credit cards on small purchases.  What fun.  There was no way he was going to leave happy. 

I spent a good bit of the day on my feet, helping customers and stocking a little bit of merchandise.  Already we are missing the grandchildren who love to help with those small chores.  Ron was in Harlingen all afternoon on a job so I did some sewing, but much of the time, I was busy with customers.

When Ron got back to the office, as he parked his Suburban, the radiator blew its top!  Yikes!  So, in the morning he will be taking it in for repairs.  After work he took me to my mom's house so I could borrow her car.  I stayed for a while to visit and then took a prescription order to her pharmacy to have filled.  I just need to remember to pick it up along with an over the counter one tomorrow.

On my way home, I stopped at Luby's and got some supper for me.  Ron was eating with his mom and I wanted some vegetables, so I got a nice supper and came home to eat it and read for a while.  I have some laundry going and need to change some sheets.  Recently I have just not been home enough to have Carmen come clean for me.  She is willing but I have not been home much.

Photos are few today again.  I just didn't have time.  I did try to take some of the sunrise this morning, but in South Texas summer weather, mornings are very hot and humid and when you take a camera outside that has spent the night inside in the air-conditioning, the lens fogs up and it can take 15 minutes for the camera to warm up enough to allow a clear shot.  I didn't have 15 minutes to spare either in my time or to get the sunrise to wait for my camera to be ready. 

This is what you get if you don't wait for the lens to clear.