A Fried Hard-Drive Has Necessitated My Absence, But I Am Back!

Back in early December, our home computer system crashed and burned hard, in effect crippling our communications. That is why I have been noticeably absent here lately.  However, I hope to get back into the swing of things, as I have a lot of good stuff to talk about and it will take some time to do it, so we'll start now!

I have been back doing contract work this past couple of months in addition to grad school, and life has gotten extremely busy with both work and class.  But, it isn't anything we can't handle.   Work now is quite interesting, as I am doing an extended project for a retirement benefits company here in Lakeland as a consultant to get them converted to totally paperless.  It is a project I am sure will take a long time, as it requires scanning about 17 4-drawer filing cabinets of alphabetically arranged files into pdf documentation, and then indexing them into a database.  My staffing agent told me initially it would be a two-month project, but somehow I think it is going to take longer.  If you have ever scanned a large volume of documents, you know exactly what I am talking about - removing tons of staples, and also being on the lookout for those annoying little Post-It notes some people like to attach to pages that will easily gum up a scanner if missed.   However, that all goes with the job.  The company, and indeed the job itself, is actually great:  a very laid-back atmosphere, and it is conveniently located in downtown Lakeland just across the street from scenic Munn Park.  Also, with Barb working one block away, it proves convenient for us both too.   It is also nice at lunch when I can explore the local eateries - we have the Bosporus Turkish Grill (good kabobs there, if only they didn't slap a nasty salad on your plate when you tell them you really don't want it!), a decent Chinese place, and Palace Pizza, as well as the Black and Brew Coffee Shoppe (they make a decent cup of coffee and have good blueberry scones I enjoy an hour before heading up to work of a morning).  But besides eateries, there is also a little General Store downtown (next door to the Turkish place, ironically!) that I have been frequenting a lot, and it is fun to visit.  The owner Teresa and her "marketing manager," a terrier mix named Sparky, run the place and she has gotten to know me pretty well - she maintains a good rapport with her regulars.  Of course, when I venture over there at around 12:30 in the afternoon, Sparky is in her "planning session" (for us laypeople, she is taking a nap!) so I don't get to see her too often.  If ever you are in downtown Lakeland though, you must stop by and browse around.  One thing she features at her store are some very good books by local authors, such as Donald Moore, who is from over here in Auburndale and known as "The Redneck Gourmet," and also one of my favorite reads from there is Laverne Stevens' Bread and Butter Days, which chronicles the life story of Clem Flickinger, a childhood friend of the more famous Walt Disney (some of you may have heard that name!), and the life he had growing up in the small village of Marceline, MO.  I want to talk more at another time about that book, as it gave me some childhood memories of my own.

Above are some pictures of the inside of the store, the "Marketing Manager" Sparky, and the front entrance.  A place like this makes a West Virginia boy like me feel right at home, as this is just like the local stores back home where I grew up, that were owned by people like Si Faris and his wife Freda in Rowlesburg, WV; Carl "Sonny" Hedrick and his wife Lorraine in my hometown of Hendricks, WV; Nellie and Lincoln Cox in Kirby, WV, where I spent most of my childhood; and C.J. Smith in Augusta, WV.   All of these high-priced "Quickie-Marts" today just don't have the same level of personal service and nostalgia that these old stores had, so I am thankful to God that in downtown Lakeland there is a little place like this.   Hopefully, they will stay open and successful for many years to come.  I mean, seriously, where else can you get Frostie root beer, Cheerwine cola, and Nehi grape soda in the glass bottle (which actually tastes better to me!)?  Now, if I can only convince Miss Teresa to get some Frozen Run Birch Beer in stock!

The book Bread and Butter Days by LaVerne Stevens, which you can get at the General Store - good read!

Anyway, I just wanted to share a little inspiration with you today here, and in time I plan on being back again with some more tidbits of my West Virginia-originating wisdom for you to ponder.  Until then, this is hoping that everyone had a good 2013 so far, even you folks getting slammed like crazy in the northeast this winter with storms - it is unbelievable that they are actually naming winter storms this year, and I have to watch Al Roker on the Weather Channel every morning now just to see what they are going to name the next one (plus, I lost track of the letters; aren't they in the R's now?).  So, my northern friends and family, be safe in all that mess, and we'll be thinking of you in this 70-degree weather we have here right now.  God bless until next time.