This morning CNN.com presented a nice story.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/23/cookie.factory.reopens/index.html
The gist of it is that (evil) Archway closed a cookie factory in Ohio earlier this year, and laid off the 300 workers. Another snack food company, Lance, bought the factory at an auction and is rehiring the workers previously laid off. As if that wasn't enough, Lance gave each of the 300 workers a prepaid Visa card worth $1500 just before Christmas, even though not all of them had been rehired yet. Lance said they wanted the town and the workers to know who they were. No doubt left that Lance are the good guys.
I get very discouraged by all of the bad news, reports of horrible things perpetrated by people onto each other, and most of all by an apparent trend to keep all of us in a state of fear over what might happen next. Yes, its a tough world out there. And bad things happen. But lots of good things happen, too. Most of the time its just one person being kind or considerate of another. But sometimes, its worthy of notice. Thanks to Lance Snack Foods for going above and beyond, for restoring hope, joy, but most importantly, self-worth in a population of previously laid-off workers.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
A long cold business trip
I just returned from two and a half weeks in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The purpose of the trip was to manage a technical problem with an electric motor. But the most memorable aspect of the trip was the weather. It was cold and snowy.
When I arrived, there was several inches of frozen snow in the ground, the temperature was well below freezing. I grew up in Milwaukee, and remember lots of snow from the days of boyhood, struggling with snow shovels, digging forts in the piles of snow, snowball fights, and ice skating. I also remember lots of snow from from the days of my early adulthood, but these memories center more on the work caused by snow instead of the joy.
It snowed several times while I was there. It actually got above freezing for a day, and the dirty slush on the streets melted and flowed away, and it was pretty nice out. But of course that didn't last long. I remember times when we wondered whether there would be snow for Christmas. A few years there was not. But snow came early this year to Wisconsin.
The trip afforded an opportunity to visit friends and family, as the business side of things dragged on slowly. That part was fine, it is always good to visit the ones you love and appreciate. I rescheduled my return to Texas several times, and finally got back. The technical part of the trip continues to be a concern, and will hopefully work itself to a successful conclusion in another few days.
When I arrived, there was several inches of frozen snow in the ground, the temperature was well below freezing. I grew up in Milwaukee, and remember lots of snow from the days of boyhood, struggling with snow shovels, digging forts in the piles of snow, snowball fights, and ice skating. I also remember lots of snow from from the days of my early adulthood, but these memories center more on the work caused by snow instead of the joy.
It snowed several times while I was there. It actually got above freezing for a day, and the dirty slush on the streets melted and flowed away, and it was pretty nice out. But of course that didn't last long. I remember times when we wondered whether there would be snow for Christmas. A few years there was not. But snow came early this year to Wisconsin.
The trip afforded an opportunity to visit friends and family, as the business side of things dragged on slowly. That part was fine, it is always good to visit the ones you love and appreciate. I rescheduled my return to Texas several times, and finally got back. The technical part of the trip continues to be a concern, and will hopefully work itself to a successful conclusion in another few days.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
On the road again
I am not sure where home is right now, but within a few weeks it will be Sugar Land, a southwestern suburb of Houston. We close on our house there on Monday the 15th of December. The movers will be at the house in TN on the Monday afer Christmas, and I will be there as well on Tuesday evening. Wednesday, the wife & I will celebrate New Year's Eve on the road, probably in Memphis. With the dogs. We will hopefully make it to Houston the next day, New Year's Day, but if not, certainly the next day. Then within afew short days we will be unpacking and getting our household set back up.
For the last few weeks, I have been traveling. Mostly business, but the week of Thanksgiving was with my lovely wife in TN. I spent a few hours in Houston before hitting the road again, this time to Milwaukee to see about an electric motor that is causing some problems. I also managed to get over to a little town north of Flint Michigan to see a potential customer. I will hopefully get to (finally) fly back to Houston on Thursday. Lots of things to do in preparation for the move. Being here in the frozen Midwest will help the company, but it is starting to encroach on my ability to have a personal life. The weather has been cold and snowy. Times liek this make me question that whole global warming thing. Winter seems to have come quite early here, and deposited a considerable snowy mess.
For the last few weeks, I have been traveling. Mostly business, but the week of Thanksgiving was with my lovely wife in TN. I spent a few hours in Houston before hitting the road again, this time to Milwaukee to see about an electric motor that is causing some problems. I also managed to get over to a little town north of Flint Michigan to see a potential customer. I will hopefully get to (finally) fly back to Houston on Thursday. Lots of things to do in preparation for the move. Being here in the frozen Midwest will help the company, but it is starting to encroach on my ability to have a personal life. The weather has been cold and snowy. Times liek this make me question that whole global warming thing. Winter seems to have come quite early here, and deposited a considerable snowy mess.
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