Monday, March 11, 2013

Lets see. Where was I?

Oh yeah. I went to work as always, just seeing Saturday and Sunday in my sights. That's what it has become for me. It is a real chore for me to go out in the evening after work. I guess it's part of  aging. Still I can't complain too much. I had a good check up at the doctors and all my numbers are good. My biggest problem is with a still sore left leg from my little incident on vacation last year.

 There are rumours that my company will be sold again. The most recent sale won't be complete until March 18. The word is they are going to rename all the stores they changed, back to the original name. Then they will sell all the Boston area stores under one name. The name we had when all this first went down in1999. They said there was value in the name because we have been around since 1915. What fools. They should have left the name alone when we were first purchased by an English outfit called Sainsbury who owned another New England chain. They stuck both companies together and it seems randomly changed the names of some stores while keeping the old name on others. They changed the way we do business and basically dumbed us down or as they told us, "Lower your standards." I am lucky to still have a job. 700 people were layed off 2 months ago as a condition of the sale. Now they are re-hiring again. I hope the second sale happens and we go back to doing business the way we used to. Of course I'd also like to retire in about a year but that's just a thought at the moment. If this next sale goes down it will be the 5th time we have been sold in 14 years. OK enough about work. I'll be there soon enough.

From the "Are you kidding me?!" Dept. A local group has put in a bid for the next Olympics. In Boston! are you kidding me?! Where? It's cramped enough as it is. I was driving home from my mechanic this morning about 9:45, on a road that runs parallel to the major highway into Boston from the north. From time to time you can see Rt.93 from the road I took. At 9:45, about 10 miles from the Boston line was this nearly stalled traffic jam on a 4 lane highway. According to what I read in the Globe, there will about 16,500 athletes, technical assistance for some 15,000 media members, and they will need hotel space for about 45,000 visitors. That's 76,500 people! Where are you going to put all these people?! In theory it's a great idea and I would love to see it. It would be a boon to the economy, and sure would be fun but let's get back to reality. Boston is a small, big city. It originally was an almost island at the end of a peninsula. Apart from land across the harbor, both north and south, a good deal of downtown is landfill.
 
There's the Garden, where the Celtics and Bruins play, Fenway Park, and Harvard Stadium. Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots play, is about 30 miles away, so I suppose you could have events in these various places but you would have to go beyond the city limits. Personally I think this would be a nightmare.
 
Congratulations to my lady freiend's daughter for being accepted into Harvard University graduate school. I can't imagine how tough that is. This young lady is destined for success. She's very bright and a hard worker. Congratulations Allison!
 
Well this wasn't one of my better blogs but what do you want for nothing? Your money back?
 
I'm outta here.
 
 
  
 
 

6 comments:

  1. Big Congratulations to Arlene's daughter. She is right at the top to be accepted at Harvard!

    My son in law keeps talking about retiring too. He is 60 and my daughter is 55. He will be able to retire at 62 with reduced Medicare benefits. That sounds ok in theory for him but my daughter would have 5 more years before she can get benefits. I don't think he realizes how much they will be paying for insurance.

    As for you, if you can get a good supplemental insurance at age 62 I would say go ahead and retire. Life is short and the best years that Jim and I had were after he retired.

    Take care Paul!! Please pass along congrats to Arlene's daughter, She deserves a lot of accolades.

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  2. How very awesome your lady friends daughter was accepted at Harvard. I wish her success.
    Your store chain sounds like the pig farm chain here. Not quite the same BUT it has been sold 4 times in 9 years. Some rich guy's corp buys it and brings it up in sales and dumps it for more than they bought it for. Sounds like the stock market. Have a great week Paul. At our age life has become more interesting.

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  3. Your company has sold 18-March and same name but first called Sainsbury who owned now England chain in this next sale down it will be the 5 TH time sold in 14 year and you be enough about work soon enough.

    It was very happy with congratulations your lady daughter Allison into the school.
    Have a nice week and your happy daughter!
    Michiko

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  4. Congratulations on your friends daughter. That is some accomplishment. Ah the trials of dealing with or working in companies. Sometimes I really worry about the people in charge. There is that old saying "if it isn't broke, don't fix it". Had a teacher friend who always said when the schools changed so drastically at tims, "Don't throw out the baby with bathwater".

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  5. Yes, Boston is crowded already and it seems ludicrous to even consider such a huge event being held there. In fact, all of the great cities are becoming very overpopulated - for instance, Myrtle Beach SC where I am, and where the ocean is beautiful and photo opportunities of taking nature and sunrise photos are still optional. In my opinion, it's a jungle in the tourist areas however and the traffic is horrendous during tourist season (which is almost all year now)!

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  6. It was indeed a better blog". I don't get around the way I should and used to but I never fail to love being here and seeing what you have to say, Paul. This one was as they all are, interesting and I can sure agree with you after having read what you said regarding space in the city. Olympics would never work. The residents and workers in Boston proper and outlying areas would be horribly inconvenienced never mind the influx of olympic personnel! Not a good idea at all.

    There is not a whole lot worse than the pangs of having the work place change either thru sale or a change of management. And why does it seem that it's always for the worse? Not change per se, but truly the "new" ideas and styles of management are done by people trying to make a mark for themselves, and the heck with who they hurt in the process.

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