THINKING ABOUT WINDOW CLEANING

THE STORY OF COOL HAND DOUG

2011-03-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

You had to be there.

Of course you could not be there, so I will tell you the story. A certain customer owed us a few hundred dollars. The past due amount, while not huge was significant. The company in question is a large national company. No question they have the wherewithal to pay the bill. The manager of the store appreciates our service. His name is Mike. In November I made my first visit to the store, statement copies in hand. Mike looked over the copies, and said that he would look into into the matter to get us paid. We waited a few weeks, and still no check from company X. I went again in December and had a brief conversation with Mike, handing him more of the same copies.

As a matter of course Doug has conducted numerous of phone conversations from the office to fix the problem. On Tuesday Doug mentioned that he planned to stop in on Wednesday morning at 9:00 AM to personally speak with Mike to press him to help us. "Do you mind if I join you," I asked? I had to see this. While waiting in the parking lot, Doug drove up, and stepped out of his vehicle with a box of one dozen Dunkin Donuts. When he said that he intended to do this, I thought perhaps he was joking. But no. Who doesn't like fresh donuts? Were the donuts a bribe or a peace offering? This will be interesting I thought.

The store was relatively quiet. The girl at the front desk helped herself to a donut and happily directed us to Mike's office. Doug reminded me of Cool Hand Luke, the 1967 film starring Paul Newman. Instead of winning a poker game with a worthless hand on a bluff, Doug aimed to leverage our demand for our cash with one dozen donuts. It worked. Mike put down what he was doing, and right there placed a call to the AP person at corporate. Concluding the brief conversation Mike told Doug that the bookkeeper would expedite the check, and that he would call Doug on Thursday morning with the details of the resolution. Doug was smooth and professional as he worked with Mike. I saw a fine balance of firm resolve and warmth .... and that "peace offering." (bribe)

I stood there marveling --- without needing to utter a word.

OUR OWN MOUNTAIN MEN

2011-01-28T09:53:00.000-08:00

Jon Claussen and Jared Rund just filed this report from their expedition to Argentina. Have you ever had a particularly hard day of window cleaning to get through, maybe with ice and temps in single digits, and felt like you were climbing a mountain? The next time that happens, just think of this story.

It was an interesting few days on the south face of Aconcagua. My buddy and I arrived on January 9th at the base of the wall hoping to start climbing the Argentine Route the following day. Though there was some fresh snow, it was light and we heard that it had just ended a two-week dry spell so the conditions seemed to be promising. We were hoping that the light new snow would become some good ice on the lower sections of the route so we could climb over the notoriously flaky rock with ice tools rather then our fingers. We waited for a couple days for the mountain to unshroud from the clouds and let the sun set the ice.

We started the climb on the 11th and quickly gained elevation to the steep traverse section on the right side of the wall. At first, as we had expected, the new snow had turned to ice and provided a nice alternative to scrambling on bad rock. Later, however, that expectation soon fell apart when we encountered the higher sections of the route where the rock was covered by only two inches of powder and no ice. The warmer temperatures of the previous couple days failed to reach the elevation of these more technical sections, so the ice that we had hoped for wasn't there. These conditions created a less then ideal climbing situation. We could neither effectively climb with our ice tools nor our hands. Using the tools and crampons the rock flaked and peeled under our weight. The alternative was to rock climb, but imagine trying to climb on two inches of snow with your bare hands at 17,000 ft.

We decided to climb with our ice gear and continued to make progress up the wall. It was both a mental and physical battle. At one point my partner almost blew it on an extremely exposed section above a sprawling 600 ft. cliff. I had successfully made the traverse but when I looked back at my partner he was struggling to stick to the rock with his points. Stepping, sliding and the rock flaking I thought he was going over the edge of the cliff. Fortunately, he was able find some stability at which point I got the rope ready to belay him over. The problem, however, was how the hell I was going to belay him over when I couldn't place any protection in the blank and crumbling rock. I resorted to hacking an artificial crack into the wall with my ice tool so I could place a cam. After five minutes and a dull ice tool, I was able to get a placement. I flaked the rope and tied a partial figure-eight for my partner who was patiently waiting for either death or a belay. Fortunately, he got the rope and quickly tied in and began slipping and sliding up to the where I was. After a short rest we continued climbing getting higher on the wall while the sun was sinking behind the peaks. The climb continued to be a physical struggle as we encountered waist-deep snow sloping at 65 degrees. By this point, we were angry and exhausted and our language became as colorful as the sunset. By dusk, we had made it to the final ice wall that would lead us over the shoulder to our first bivy. We ended up doing four pitches of ice in the dark, the last two of which were done with one headlamp because I dropped mine, nailing my belayer in the face. We made it to our first bivy at midnight.

The following day we decided to rest and re-evaluate what the hell we were doing. All through the night the sound of ice falls thundered, shaking our motivation for this climb. Though the glaciers were moving and dropping their ice, we saw no snow avalanches over the past few days, not even on the upper reaches of the face. The thing that concerned us most was the fact the ice fall was inconsistent and falling at untypical hours, sometimes before dawn when the sun hadn't even begun to weaken the ice.

After a day of rest we began our approach to the ice fall. However, after four hours of swimming through waist-deep snow, the ice chunks continued to fall down our intended route ahead. By the time we got near the base of the hanging glacier another major ice fall occurred. We stopped. Sitting there, we collected our thoughts in the bottomless powder and 60 mph winds. We decided to turn around. Two days later we were sipping wine in Mendoza..

DANCING IN THE RAIN, 27 DEGREES

2011-01-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

We all know that we must do what is necessary, to fulfill our responsibilities. This afternoon I loaded the De-Ionization unit into my vehicle and made my way to Barrington. Tim Olson and I needed to remedy a 2nd story cleaning for a Bank. The initial clean was done on a colder day, with gusty wind, driving the effective temperature down. The outcome of the job left something to be desired. I knew that a redo would be more palatable if I joined the effort.

As you may know, the DI unit transmits ultra pure water to a brush. We scrub the higher windows, and when they dry there are no impurities to water mark the windows. So we took turns, one washed, and the other managed the water hose, and adjusted the flow as necessary. The job was completed with satisfactory results. We did get rained on a bit.

As we were finishing up, Marty called to us from across the street. During the last few minutes of the project we had a three man gab fest.

One aspect of what we do to earn a living that I appreciate, over and over, is the fellowship of working with others. I enjoyed Tim's company and it was great to see Marty.

Here is a snapshot of Tim at job conclusion. This is the winter warrior look.

EVERY NEW CUSTOMER IS SPECIAL

2011-01-13T17:53:00.000-08:00

The voice mail was left the night before. I check my messages immediately upon arrival at the office. It was from Dominick. He was wondering if we would come to clean his windows, as well as wipe down the metal work, clearing away the construction dust, and some spackle. I made a metal note to call him shortly and proceeded to check my email.

I barely finished with email and the phone rang. It was Dominick. Construction was finished on his new Laundromat, 24 Hour Laundry Depot. Over the past six weeks, I managed to stop by once per week, and we became acquainted week by week. Of course I described the benefits of professional window cleaning. I explained that we offer great value especially for a business such as his. "We will make your new Laundromat beautiful and attract that many more good customers."

May we come by tomorrow, I asked. I was hoping that you could come today, he replied. I quickly responded, I'll be there myself at one o'clock this afternoon. He then commented, "I thought that you'd send a crew." I laughed and said, "You will see our crew of one."

I was fortunate to reach Mike Giustino by phone. I asked Mike if he could give me a hand with the job. The account will be on Mike's route. He agreed to join me when he finished his route work sometime that afternoon. As luck would have it, I barely parked, and Mike pulled into the lot right behind me. We worked until three o'clock, to job completion. The place gleamed. A bonus for me was the good conversation that Mike and I had as we worked.

I lay flat in the parking lot to shoot this picture of Mike as the snow fell.

On The Value of Failure

2011-01-06T19:29:00.000-08:00

Perfection exists only in the mind. It's an ideal.

It can be crushing to recognize that one is not perfect. There is a gap between doing perfect work, or perfect anything for that matter, and good work. With respect to window cleaning I follow the advice offered by Yoda in Star Wars, as he supervises the training of his Jedi protege: Don't try, just do.

Most of the time I wash, allowing my body to function within the customary channels laid down by years of practice. Sure, I think about what I am doing, just enough,---but never enough to worry if I am getting it right. On occasion I receive a complaint about a finished job. I've learned to greet those complaints with a positive attitude. I know that I have before me an opportunity to discover something I've missed, overlooked, and sometimes, my standard just needs to be elevated a notch or two for that customer.

Best of all, when I make a personal call to examine the cause of the complaint, I am certain to have a rare opportunity to dialog at length with a valued customer. (and they are all valuable)

Displayed for your consideration is "evidence" that I found on a troubleshooting call last week. I remedied the "loose ends", examining the entire job carefully, rewashed three windows, and judiciously applied a rag tipped pole to erase issues. I spent about an hour, and concluded with a satisfying chat with the manager, as peer to peer. He was pleased with my quick response to his complaint. I was gratified to learn which elements of the job are particularly important. This was important as an east to west winter sun directly illuminates those windows all day long on a clear day.

The point of this tale is to understand failure is especially a great occasion for learning, and for strengthening a relationship. Loosen up, lighten up, everyday can be a good day. If you do not occasionally make a mistake, you are not doing anything.

Look What I Found

2010-12-28T19:37:00.000-08:00

Rummaging around in my digital files I found these "celebrity" photos taken during our all nighter at the Thompson Center. Actually, two of these three are celebrities. I celebrate Jason and Chris who lent their skill and their time to the project. In the first pic Jason Strietzel shows fine washing form.

The second shot shows Chris Brunson and myself. I owe thanks to Chris as I could work only till 11:00, and Chris was willing to give me a lift back to my vehicle. He then returned to the work site, and pitched in to job completion in the late morning hours.

Thanks to everyone who pitched in to get this job done.

A CLOSE ENCOUNTER

2010-11-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

Of course I've seen the Thompson Center many times---a monument to former Governor Jim Thompson's ego.

On a regular basis First Impression provides service for retail shops internal to the building. Every other month the building manager requests that First Impression clean all ground level windows, panels and frames around the entire perimeter of the building.

Knowing this project was underway, late in the day Wednesday I volunteered to join Jonathan for the evening work session. I offered to contribute my squeegee as long as Jonathan was willing to drive the distance into the city.

Arriving at seven PM the building glowed like a massive alien object illuminated by the city lights. It's gargantuan saucer like structure, housing State of Illinois agencies, is an obvious architectural statement. The human figure standing upon the side walk is diminutive next to the hulking structure.

We began to work, cleaning aluminum frames, salmon hued panels, and windows. Hydrocarbon residues of a million passing trucks and automobiles, released from vertical metal and glass surfaces blacken?d our strip washer tools. Wet and black, the tools were a type of postmodern road kill.

Jonathan and I worked on. Our spirits lifted when Chris Brunson joined our effort. I learned about Chris?s love for opera. How amazing to hear your fellow window cleaner in fine voice, hold forth with a few lines of an opera lyric in Italian. Quite impressive!

Dennis and Jon joined us around ten o'clock and shortly afterward Jason Strietzel walked up tools in hand. To a beleaguered squad of marines, nothing is more beautiful that the arrival of the reserves.

I had to leave at eleven. I understand that the others worked until job completion at five o'clock in the morning. As with Richard Dreyfuss in Spielberg's film, Close Encounters of The Third Kind, this job was something of a life changing experience. In fact, the Thompson Center resembles the alien space ship in Close Encounters. You don't think.....?

OF TOWNS, FAMILIES AND BONSAI

2010-10-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

Autumn twilight descends with a gentle glow. I join the Long Grove October Fest celebrants to recognize the towns German heritage--a sufficient reason for a party. In the 1800s a band of families took their living from the prairie soil, establishing a blacksmith shop, dry goods store, hotel and a tavern at the crossroads of an old Indian trail. The majority of buildings in the town were built by later descendants of those families. Their names are inscribed upon the tombstones in the cemetery by the village community church, Ruth, Sauer, Stempel, Umbdenstock and Zimmer.

I lean upon the railing bordering the sidewalk overlooking the intersection of Old McHenry Road and Robert Parker Coffin Road. Adults, small children, infants in carriages line the brick cobbled sidewalk. A buzz of conversation and laughter surrounds me. The caress of the leaf scented breeze and stout German beer conspire to put everyone in a lighthearted mood. I thought about the delicate, strenuous, focused work---the constant care required to raise and maintain a family or to care for a town.

I remember the display of bonsai trees that I viewed a few days ago. They are small gems of life, the product of many years, and in some cases, several generations of nurture. A small town, a family, or a bonsai tree, are all alike. All are works wherein nurture and assiduous solicitude, have a cumulative effect. Celebrating October in Long Grove, we pause in this perspective, bathed in the fading light of this autumn day.

May all of us live, love, and build well.

THE POEM I COULD NOT WRITE

2010-10-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning is a divine interlude, if you are not in retail. The world slows down, at least enough to reflect upon itself. I assume my customary spot upon a bench at Kracklauer Park, facing the creek. The creek banks sculpted with sofa sized flag stone, is a repository of wildness in the otherwise manicured landscape. Across the creek is a state-of-the-art children's playground, a raised pavilion for public events, a grassy expanse, that in weekday afternoons transforms into a soccer field, and two fenced in tennis courts. All of the amenities have their use but I offer my gratitude that the village retained the wildness of the creek. The creek, seeming to emerge, from a subterranean place, is life for minnows, frogs, water vegetation, living beneath the surface. The variety of wildflowers and the plants that we would call "weeds" looks like home, a place of shelter and food for the birds, finches and sparrows, as well as the tiny mammals that come and go out of our sight under the ground cover. What if you could take a census of mice, moles and voles inhabiting the creek banks?

I biked to this place intending to write a poem about the current season of politics. Instead my spirit is moved to write words in homage to the beneficent swath of wildness in front of me. Politics is usually a depressing matter, the unending tug-of-war, that makes and breaks our civitas. Particularly depressing is the clear dearth of honorable men and women willing to step forward to humbly contribute. This election season, is our autumn of bombast, as all Parties send in their clowns.

So, I write this respectful deference to nature, to her patterns, her reliable renewal, her constancy, knowing that she is our mother, always welcoming us home.

(So this is not about window cleaning. On the other hand everything is related to everything else...)

Showing !! ...better than telling.

2010-04-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

Recently one of our long term contractors picked up a new account.

How he did it was the interesting fact.

It wasn't through normal solicitation, but....
and this is what I like...it was through his "very meticulous and good service" of a a neighbor's glass.

The person who hired us was a corporate guy from Miami.
He told me that he watched our guy work for about a half an hour and was thoroughly impressed by the quality and care that he took in doing the other store.

This gentleman told me that "your guy must really love his work to do it so well and with so much care" and that this is the kind of service professional he wanted to take care of his store.!

The new store is called The Art of Shaving and they know that one needs to be both meticulous and careful with the face!

Good work and congratulations to Benjamin Turkalj!

No Word Is Ever Wasted

2010-04-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share an inspiring interaction I had while cleaning the other day.

A few months ago I picked up a Starbucks on one of my routes (which the potential for free coffee alone excited me), and while I was washing the outside of said Starbucks I was stopped by a woman who noticed the First Impression t-shirt I was wearing. She shared that she used to manage a store called H20 at a mall somewhere that was serviced by FI. She recounted how the contractor always said, "have a blessed day" as he left and how that often boosted her spirits. At the time she did not subscribe to any religious faith, but since she is an avid church-goer and just that brief salutation has stuck with her. The professionalism, friendliness, and kindness that are hallmarks of FI had left an impression on her. I was inspired by this as it reminded me that every time I am out I have the opportunity to leave people with more than just clean windows: a smile, a kind word, a friendly exchange in the midst of the mundane. I know that in this economic climate stories such as this don't necessarily help the bottom line but they're good for the soul and instill hope that doing our work with excellence, care, and a generous spirit does indeed work.

On the business side, I did ask her if her current store was being serviced. She said it needed to be but the powers-that-be wouldn't spring for it. I do plan on following up.

Grace and Peace,
Erick

Three Dollars Worth of Greed

2010-03-10T20:40:00.000-08:00

Friday, late morning I received a call from a Vernon Hills 7-11 store. They were hosting a company event that evening, and into the weekend. Harry, the manager was anxious to have the windows cleaned that afternoon. I promised him that we would take care of it. I knew that the odds were long that I would reach anyone working in proximity to the store on such short notice.

I finished my lunch and twenty minutes latter I arrived at the 7-11. The store was humming with people cleaning surfaces, dusting, and stocking displays. (Were they expecting Oprah for their event?) Anyway I introduced myself to Henry and got right to work. Four windows, two doors, and twelve cooler/freezer doors later, I was finished. Henry was obviously delighted that I had so promptly met his need.

I put away my tools and retrieved my receipt book. How much should I charge? I was there about 40 minutes as well as making a special trip. I got into a mode of thinking, "wonder how much he would be willing to pay?" Maybe I could charge him $40.00? Then I adjusted my thinking down to thirty eight. I still felt a bit uncomfortable in my gut. Yeah, he would probably pay it, but could possibly have a negative vibe. Then I considered $35.00. I felt a hunch that he'd be quite happy at $35.00, recognizing that with prompt service, a gleaming result, and definitely a reasonable rate---he would be delighted. So that is what I did. I wrote the receipt out for $35.00. Yes, he was quite happy and paid cash.

It is likely that Harry will decide to become a regular customer. There is no "rate book" that one can consult with certainty to settle the quandry "what should I charge?" It's a judgment call, taking into consideration relevant factors. Is it Ok to charge whatever the market will bear? Rarely, if customer satisfaction, and the customers perception of "good value" matters to you. One needs to make a living......and charge a rate that the customer recognizes is fair and affordable. I'll swap the few additional dollars that I could get away with charging for one or two cleanings, in exchange for the opportunity of a relationship with a customer that could last for years.

We Need An Art

2010-03-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

Now, we are as imaginatively disconnected

from the production and distribution of our goods

as we are practically in reach of them.

A process of alienation which

has stripped us of opportunities

for wonder,

gratitude

and guilt.

Work accords each of us a place

within the human hive.

We need an art

that can proclaim

the intelligence

peculiarity

beauty

and horror

of the modern work place.

Work provides us

along with love

with the principal source of life's meaning.

---Alain de Botton

taken from THE PLEASURES AND SORROWS OF WORK

I found this passage recently and cannot get it out of my mind. Yes, work is so critical to life, that it merits celebration in the arts. Perhaps Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp have done as much as any performer to tell the truth about the meaning of work.

The Poetry of Sales

2010-03-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

Recently I've reflected on the experience of doing good sales.

I think it is a bit of an art form requiring intimate knowledge of one's company and of one's potential clients. The "art" aspect is the ability to see the connection that needs to be made between these two entities and then, have the know-how to thread them together meaningfully.

On the one end, knowledge of one's own business might seem to be immediate and without need to investigate. But, on the other end, the client's desires can actually help a company to determine its own sense of mission and niche.

While we tend to focus on the customer and their business, it is often the case that I find myself reflecting more on who we presently are and what we are to become through engagement with the customer.

In this sense, it is more of a discovery, a dance of possible realities which one has to envision in the midst of the game. I like this aspect because it demands full engagement, as if one is in some sort of Olympic event.

In doing sales of late I've tried to focus more on what is unseen, what is there for the taking if one could define it as being possible for the client. I find myself listening more, positioning myself bodily with the client so as to reduce friction and distracting claims. This all must take place in just a few moments so that one swoops in on the opportunity and leaves with a handful of hope and promise.

Lest I sound too flighty, let me illustrate what I mean. When pursuing a potential customer not too long ago I timed my appearance to be able to meet the District Manager whom I felt certain would be there, which she was. To my delight the higher ups, the Regional manager was there as well. I studied the landscape and realized that if I could land amongst their little group at the right time I would have higher visibility and could impact the message with more weight.

I found out who the Regional was and had another top executive bring me to him in what turned out to be an entrance worthy of a king! In fact, the other executive went out of his way on my behalf to deliver me to the Regional. I met this man with arms loaded with merchandise as I "just happened to be shopping for my wife" and proceeded to drop half of them while attempting to shake his hand.

He was delighted to meet me and was very responsive to what we had to offer and ended up asking that I contact him in the future! Such an outcome we had been looking for now for sometime. I walked out with a sense of a worthy visit far beyond my expectations. --- Jonathan

Surveying The Lay Of The Land-PART 1

2010-02-26T18:24:00.000-08:00

I decided a few months ago I'd try an experiment just to test how the market really is in relation to window washing. To do so I chose an area in the south suburbs where First Impression has never washed windows, and decided I would try to build a new route from scratch. Starting in December 2009 I started passing out cards every once in a while I was helping out contractors, and was near the area.

My first big break came when we picked up a new district of H&R blocks in the middle of January. While there were 13 stores involved, only three fit into the route area I had in mind. We divided the other 10 stores into existing routes, and I began cleaning each week with the 3 H&R blocks. The first week I went out to clean these in the middle of January, I was surprised to notice how many stores in the same or neighboring strip malls around these new acquisitions were extremely dirty. I didn't hesitate to pass out as many cards as I could that day. For my efforts I picked up and cleaned three additional new accounts the first day out.

As I travel the route each week, I try to find different roads to travel on, and stop in at least one new strip center each week, and solicit all the stores in that center. I also follow up each week on stores I have solicited in the past that I feel had good potential, and also on some that did not seem to have any potential. Each time out for the past six weeks, I have been able to add between one and three accounts per week. The total sales for the route now stand at over $300 per month. ---Dennis

Notes From Behind The Lines-PART 2

2010-02-26T18:15:00.000-08:00

Some highlights from this experience:

- An account I picked up last week on a second visit, that I was sure I would never get, but followed up anyway. When entering the store the manager gave me the same story he had the week before about how he already had a window cleaner, and was not in need of my services, though he used other words that were not as nice. I looked at how dirty the windows were behind me, and was bold enough to ask how often his other provider was coming by, and if he had seen him this winter? He told me he comes every week. That made me mad inside, as I could see the windows had not been cleaned in some time, or their washer was doing a terrible job. I remained calm, and politely asked if I could do a free clean for him to prove to him that our service would be better. He flippantly agreed to the free clean, almost as if to say if you want to waste your time go ahead. I went outside, and started cleaning this small $5 store front. Not even 2 minutes later as I was nearly done with the clean, the manager came out in a much better mood. He paid me my $5 and signed on for every other week service on the outside, and 1x per month service on the inside. He said he appreciated the way I handled myself, and my willingness to follow up, even though our first meeting he didn't give me the time of day.

- Yesterday at the office we got a phone call from a card I had dropped off 3 weeks ago, and had not yet had an opportunity to follow up on. Usually this means we would not get an account, as rarely do people call from a card you have left. It was from a small Dental center. The store is closed to patients on Wednesday's, and they wanted to know if we could come do a one time in/out clean for the price I had previously written on the back of the card? I told them I'd be in the area the next day, which was today 2-24-10. I met the owner at his store in the afternoon, and performed this one time clean. Half way through the clean, he too signed up for every other week in/out service ($10 each time).

- Last one, two weeks ago I picked up a small pizza shop that used to be a Domino's but went out of business. A couple of the employees stayed on to open their own place. This was my third visit on three consecutive weeks before we came to an agreement on having the windows done. The interesting twist on this one is that due to the business being very new, they are holding their finances very tightly, but want to look good as they grow the business. I have agreed to an in/out cleaning each week (quoted $10), in exchange for either a large pizza (which by the way their pizza is great), or a sandwich and drink of my choice, until they have the financial stability to pay me. This will be a forty dollar a month pickup for 5 minutes of my time each week. In the mean time, I get a free lunch every Wednesday, while I'm down in Hickory Hills. I have already shared half a pizza with one of our great contractors one week, who met me down there while I was finishing up washing. Let me know if your ever in the area on Wednesday and want to share one with me.

The reason I have told this tale is to encourage everyone that our business model is still viable. I have put good effort into building this route, though I do not think I have done anything extraordinary. Some people seem to have the gift of doing sales, and I do not consider myself one of those people.

Still with a little hard work, and good follow up it seems that even in this slumping economy it is possible to build up a window washing route. Besides, you all stand to gain something I do not qualify for each, the $100 prize for our ongoing contest, not to mention the new money from the new accounts you pick up.

Keep checking in on our blog, to monitor my progress as I try to build up this route, and some day pass it on to one of our great contractors!!! ----Dennis

Night Fall

2010-02-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

Every work place is simply ordinary during business hours. It's a place of responsibility, a connection to the world of commerce, problems, desktops piled with documents, and computer monitors glowing with filling email inboxes. At the end of the day it's a place to put in ones rear view mirror. You set out for home, seeking respite from the fatigue of the day.

Friday evening, we scheduled a movie night. Prior to the appointed hour for the movie I crossed the snowy parking lot after dusk. The windows of our work place glowed with light. The office blazed with warmth, a stronghold against winter frost, a fortress against the conflict of the market place. I knew the axis of my attitude had shifted. The office was transformed into a refuge for story telling.

We pulled the conference table aside, and arranged the black leather chairs into a semi circle. The lights were dimmed, and our plates were heaped with liberal portions of chips and dip. We let the movie rip.

The movie, FINDING FORRESTER was a moving experience. The movie featured Sean Connery, playing a renowned author who had been a recluse for 20 years following the release of his one acclaimed novel. The story was about writing, struggle, friendship, sacrifice, living, and inevitably, dying.

The two primary characters in the story, William Forrester and sixteen year old Jamal, were given life, renewal, an openness to the future, due to self sacrifice. Voluntary self sacrifice is the ground and precondition for new life.

The mythic pattern remains the same: nothing can be created without immolation, without sacrifice.
-- Mircea Eliade, Myths Dreams and Mysteries

There are so many stories. Ultimately there is only one story: a variation of the one story told anew, in an office ,in the winter night.

What to do with a celebrity sandwich....

2010-02-20T08:21:00.000-08:00

We had a good laugh last night when Mark Kunze proudly displayed for our examination, a sandwich that was used as a prop for a video piece shot at the Red Hen Bread store by Channel 7. Mark was on hand in Oak Park this Friday morning finishing up his work on the premises of Red Hen Bread as the camera crew from ABC Channel 7 finished their work. Unwilling to waste a gourmet sandwich, the staff asked Mark if he would like the sandwich. Mark knew this was a trophy that would be greatly admired in the First Impression office, so he volunteered to take custody of the celebrity sandwich.

Mark retrieved the sandwich from his lunch box and carefully unwrapped the work of art. We could not help but notice that the sandwich soon to be seen by thousands in their living rooms, neighborhood bars, and hotel rooms was half missing.

Mark confessed with a smile on his face. He ate half of it.... and the pickle too.

Enjoyment of not working

2010-02-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

Recently I have enjoyed the poetry of Wendell Berry in his book CLEARING, published in 1974. The book of poems was discovered in a used book store and given to me by a friend as a Christmas present. The collection of poems is a treasure.

This past Thursday while washing windows in Deerfield this verse came to mind:

One thing work gives

is the joy of not working,

a minute here or there

when I stand and only breathe,

receiving the good of the air.

It comes back. Good work done

comes back into the mind,

a free breath drawn.

I began my window washing "career" over thirty years ago in Deerfield. I was a student at that time and was delighted to find work that paid sufficient to meet my expenses. I've washed countless windows in the interveining years, and the village of Deerfield as changed as it and I have grown older.

I decided to park my tools for a few minutes and go for a walk to look around a bit. A walk around the block took me to Deerfields Bakery, one of my first customers. I walked in. I was treated to the magically colorful display of cookies, sweet rolls, customized special occasion cakes, etc. The shop is a sweet tooth paradise. I ordered a large coffee, and one peanut butter chocolate cookie. I filled my coffee cup and noticed that the windows were immaculately clean. First Impression has played it's role in the Schmidt families successful enterprise for over thirty years. I felt warmed, blessed by the thought.

Good work done....for over thirty years.

Requiem

2010-01-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

Day before yesterday I was on Milwaukee Avenue approaching Vernon Hills. A large sign over a recently opened style-salon-spa caught my eye. It was the name of a gentleman that I washed windows for in the 80s. Sam had a upscale salon in Glenview. I washed windows for some months for him. I remember that his place was real class, Sam's good taste evident in the decor. I recall that Sam treated me fairly, and happily paid for my work.

So, I turned the car around, and drove into the parking lot of his new salon. My intent was to drop in to renew an acquaintance, to say hello. I knew that he might not remember me. Twenty years, after all, is a long time. I parked and walked in. The salon was quiet on a late Tuesday afternoon. Several stylists sat around waiting for customers to arrive. I explained to the receptionist that I was an old acquaintance of Sam's and wanted to know if he was available. She looked me squarely in the eye and said, "Sam's dead."

I was shocked. Not knowing what else to say I asked, "When did he die?" "January 8" she replied. "He went into the hospital for surgery and didn't make it." I told her that I was sorry and that Sam had treated me well over twenty years ago.

As I found my way in traffic, I reflected upon the impressive Salon that I had just visited. It was a witness to Sam's sense of style, and his professionalism. But he was gone. I can still see him, leading a client, with sartorial confidence to a styling station. How many people had Sam employed over the years of his business operation? How many thousands of men and women customers did he make welcome, how many conversations did he have with them? Innumerable.

I can't say that I knew him well. But many people surely will miss him. I was about two weeks too late to renew my acquaintance with him.

Rest in peace Sam Martirano.

Another Day, Another Dollar

2010-01-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

Doug and I found ourselves, squeegee in hand, washing window after window this past Thursday morning. It was a decent winter day, no wind, overcast, temperature just a little south of freezing. Nevertheless, I have to admit that I was wishing that I could be somewhere else. Doug was thinking the same thing.

The day before I had cleaned a Goodyear Tire dealership with unusually dirty windows. It was a challenge to wash the large overhead service doors to bring them up to standard. I could tell that the owner of the business was very pleased when I finished the work. His business had not looked so sharp in many months. The rate charged was fair, and he received equally good value for his money.

The next day as Doug and I worked I felt a slight ache in my forearm, the residue of my efforts at the Goodyear dealership. I shifted more of the work to my left arm in order to favor my right.

As the minutes came and went, squeegee in hand, I remembered a quotation from one of he earliest of the Greek philosophers.

Heraclitus of Ephesus said:

For men to have whatever they wish, would not be well. Sickness makes health pleasant and good; hunger, satiety; weariness, rest.

The old philosopher knew what he was talking about. Upon finishing up in the late morning, we took a break at a bakery where we had earlier cleaned windows. A steaming cup of brew was never more delicious. We both commented upon it's quality. We also had a brief exchange of conversation with the owner regarding the challenge of earning a living in an economy dominated by the large corporations. After a few minutes of rest Doug and I left, thankful, to continue with our day.

Shamwow times two!

2010-01-13T17:56:00.000-08:00

On occasion I get an email from Doug, who sits across the office from me, with the term shamwow. Anytime the term is embedded in a line of text, for me it's a mind stopper. I believe it's the name of a miracle product that is sold on the shopping channel. When washing your car it's supposed to hold 12 times it weight in water. Anyhow it brings to mind a hyped up pitchman who is proclaiming that his product will transform your life, make you happy and make you young again.

It's a term of over-the-top enthusiasm. I don't mind if Doug uses it sparingly. Last week was an occasion for it's use. Both Dennis and Jonathan, brought the shamwow experience to life. Jonathan has been talking for several weeks with a gentleman whose firm is responsible for services management at the recently opened Block 37 mall located on State Street in the city. As a result of Jonathan's patient information gathering and responding to Ron's concerns we were given the go ahead to do the window cleaning for the spacious Puma store in the mall. That will amount to around $500.00 of work per month.

Then several days later, Dennis ran into a district manager for H&R Block while out in the field. The gentleman disclosed that another H&R Block DM had recommended First Impression that very morning. He asked Dennis to work up a bid for his string of offices. Dennis did the homework that very day, and emailed him a spreadsheet with the bid figures. The bid was accepted that afternoon. Talk about amazing timing. The new H&R Block will also amount to about $500.00 in additional work per month.

Shamwow! Shamwow!

I am grateful for the added work as it helps offset the unavoidable losses due to the recession.

Sales success is not a matter of luck, or accident. Jonathan and Dennis are to be commended for their skillful engagement with these decision makers. Sales is just like window cleaning. One learns by doing.

That's How You Know....

2010-01-07T16:18:00.000-08:00

I am sure that winter has had opportunity to say "hello" to all of us as we have had several weeks of biting winter cold. I tell myself, This is how one knows that one lives in the Midwest. I'll take all four seasons, compared with single-season-living in Florida or southern California. I prefer change.

Doug and I put in a few hours in bitter conditions earlier this week. Around 9:00 AM the temperature was in the low teens and we were washing huge thermo-pane windows. The windows were around twelve feet tall by four feet wide. The retail stores fronted by these windows were warehouse sized. As you can imagine very little heat was warming up those windows. To start I dumped a half gallon of alky into my bucket. That was not enough. Parts of the huge window were icing up. I added more. Doug and I changed up our process. I washed and he pulled the squeegee in close tandem. The idea was to allow very little time for the ice to form. Ultimately we finished the job in about the same time as always.

Another interesting aside from the day, occurred after we had worked for about an hour. We took a brief bathroom/warm up break in a store where we are always welcome. I pulled the gloves off and instantly felt throbbing pain as the heat got to my fingers. In past years I've experienced this many times when allowing my fingers to get too cold. No harm done though. After a minute or two of acute unpleasantness, dancing around, grimacing, I was ready to go.

Later that day I was fortunate to witness the creation of the first Hot Zimmerman. Sounds like an exotic cocktail but no, it's a method for drying and warming up your gloves. We all know how uncomfortable damp gloves can be. Doug cut the bottom out of two plastic drink cups, inserted the cups, bottom end first, into the cuffs of the gloves. The pair of gloves were then placed close to a source of heat. They were toasty dry in no time. The cups allowed the heat to be rapidly channeled into the fingers of the gloves. Happiness is having warm hands on a cold winter day.

I heard rumor that Doug will be coming out with a line of branded bottomless cups aka Hot Zimmermans, which can be purchased on the internet.

Be warm.

CHRISTMAS GREETING

2009-12-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity to participate in the Songs of Good Cheer event sponsored by Tribune Charities at the Chicago Oldtown School of Folk Music. Several hundred people sang gloriously one tune after another from Here We Come A-Wassailing to Jingle Bell Rock. The two hours of Carols and Christmas songs afforded me an opportunity to revisit the Christmas story. The nativity story is one of a collection of the stories that have powerfully influenced the historical development of the West. I pondered the two accounts which come to us in the Gospel of Luke and Matthew as expressed in the songs.

As I contemplate writing a brief Christmas greeting note to you, among the many possible interpretations of the nativity story, I find myself fascinated that the story is a celebration of the decency, goodness, and importance of ordinary people. It also underlines the great potential within ordinary life, day to day events. Think about it. A young couple is forced to travel in order to fulfill a legal mandate. She goes into labor. Due to crowded conditions away from home, they take what is available. They welcome their son into the accommodations they can find, the warmth of a manger. They make do. It's also interesting that politics, the demands of living in society, continue to surface in the story. The wise men after journeying to pay respects to the child, are warned in a dream to steer clear of Herod, the local ruler. Herod has solicited their help to find the child.

Not much has changed over these past two thousand or so years. We are all ordinary people doing the best that we can, under given circumstances. In times of heavy travel I wonder if a young man and woman has ever been stranded in an air, bus or train terminal? Has anyone given birth in such circumstances? I'd say the odds are very good that it has happened more than once. We make do. We continue to love and do what we can for one another. And today's "Herod" feels just as obligated to protect the interests of the empire, as rulers did so long ago. He wonders if the surge of 30,000 more troops will suffice to pacify the locals.

For all of you who have been a member of the larger First Impression family this past year I want to thank you for doing what you could, to make things work. Many of you have served customers on short notice, and in severe weather. Life is a network of obligations. Doing what one can, is more important than we can know. We bless you and thank you for what you have done, your contribution over the last few months. Some of you have dropped into the office on occasion, and shared your stories of courage and inspiration. Others, customers, have visited with us on occasion by phone and shared a word of encouragement. There is nothing more basic, or honorable than earning a living. My wish for you is that you will experience the love and peace of Christmas. Know that you are appreciated.

Peace,
Jerry King

IN PRAISE OF WINTER

2009-12-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had occasion to walk to the local grocery story to pick up a greeting card that I needed. On the return, I heard a collective call from birds flying quite high in formation over me. I realized that they were sandhill cranes. The birds must have numbered around fifty, sailing with great wings outstretched in a ragged V. Unlike Canada geese that fly powerfully in all but the stiffest wind, the cranes reminded me of clipper ships, under full sail, tacking a bit, their great V undulating and reforming. Then I was treated to another formation of about the same size following, their tenor voices sounding in trilling melody. Those few moments were magic. I stood still by the road and watched. I wanted to follow those birds. Winter is nature's season of sleep. Nevertheless the migration of the flock, is a necessary ritual to be done. There is much that I will never understand about these matters. How lucky to be a witness.

On a more whimsical note, as humans are not migratory or hibernating, they must continue to earn a living in winter. Doug and I team up to serve a customer in Lake Zurich on a monthly basis. This past Monday we were concluding several hours of work on a winter chilled morning. We composed a short list of the benefits of working outside in winter. Number one has to be the absence of blazing sun, baking the glass surface, and making the work more difficult. Benefit number two would be the smell of a pair of Hot Tamale waterproof gloves as they thaw, while laying upon the defroster vent blast of one's vehicle. Contrast that odor to the delicious aroma of real hot tamales served up for ones pleasure. And number three, we surmised that working in winter cold should be conducive to picking up women. (Not that Doug and I concern ourselves with that anymore as we are married.) In our imagination the female says to herself, "Who is that studly man that I see out there washing windows?" Only real men challenge the cold and do what has to be done. I know, it's just a fantasy.

This past Thursday was the first bitter day of the season. I noted that the vehicle thermometer was measuring minus two, as I made my way in traffic. Four of us worked most of the day to deliver a special request cleaning to a client who needed service on that day, never mind weather conditions. We worked as a team, sharing and taking necessary motivation to do first rate work in difficult conditions. Here is a picture of Jon Claussen working off of a twelve foot ladder in order to clean some high windows. He is using the single-foot-top-rung-pole technique to clean windows over an ice covered roof. (Actually Jon was only posing for the camera.) Together we worked safely and productively to do what we had promised for a good customer. Easing back into traffic for the return, I noted that my vehicle temperature was reading a plus five degrees. With positive motivation, ingenuity, and the support of co-workers, like nature, one can find a agreeable ritual of work in the season of winter.

CHRISTMAS IN LONG GROVE

2009-12-04T06:13:00.000-08:00

The Long Grove Village Christmas tree was decorated a few days ago. I was interested to learn that one of the Long Grove merchants, Tobin Fraley volunteered to decorate the 12 foot tall tree. Tobin, with the help of an assistant spent a day, meticulously placing strings of lights, garlands, and hanging large ornaments on the live tree.

The tree is situated in the center of Apple House square. I believe that it is the first living tree, uncut, that has been used as our Christmas tree. I was intrigued that one of our busy merchants, believed the treatment of the Christmas tree merited a full day of his time. Tobin has responsibility for more than one shop in town.

Since completion of the project, I have purposely gone to the square to view the tree at dusk, as the daylight fades. The tree is breath takingly beautiful.

The view prompted me to recall a massive cedar tree that I once saw in Japan. Outside of Tokyo, there is a mountain that is a favorite weekend getaway spot. Along the path leading to the summit are some massive, very tall cedar trees. In the tradition of the country, someone had wrapped a rather large rope around a tree several times. Little paper notes on which were written prayers, were inserted between the rope and the bark of the tree. Trees are often so old that they remind us that they were alive before we were born, and will remain when we are gone. They are awe inspiring.

I have a feeling of being blessed, that we come to work in Long Grove. And here we have a tree that compels our attention at Christmas time. It reminds us of the unspeakable wonder of life, that life is a gift, and that it is to be shared.

TOO MUCH TV

2009-11-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

I watch too much TV. I avoid the eye candy shows and try to watch the History Channel or other offerings that contain some substance. I've reflected much about a WWII series that made use of color film footage recently discovered and made available for viewing. The pictures make the narrative of a terrible period of conflict and suffering particularly moving. Two guys, megalomaniacs, gathered a following, and plunged the world into a conflict that visited death and devastation upon millions. Hitler and Tojo. Two men mesmerized by racial ideologies, marshaled the resources of two nations. They and their peoples prosecuted a design for world hegemony.

The video footage of combat and wreckage induced some nightmarish dreams for me. I believe that if others suffered the experience, I can manage a nightmare or two in order to try to understand their history.

My parents lived through that time. My dad worked as an air force mechanic repairing landing gear at the Dover airbase in Delaware. My mother made her way from the farm and found a factory job in town. They met after the war, and in 1949 I came along.

I found myself particularly moved by the fighter pilots who protected the bomber crews flying into the night, to face walls of flack, walls of death, over the German cities. Certainly all of the participants in this drama, civilians on the ground, bomber crews, and fighter pilots, on both, sides would have preferred the experience to have been a mere nightmare, a dream from which they could have awakened. Of course each day, each mission was brutally real, a test of courage, character, patience. Death was a near possibility, and one could only hope for survival.

Back to the present. A few months ago, the economy blew up. Not just locally, but world wide. In a matter of hours, there was a melt down, everything seized up. Holders of sub prime mortgages, no long able to pay defaulted, the investment banking crowd, floating so much debt, a good bit of which even well educated people could not understand, well you know the story. Now, a few months later, this is familiar to you because you are living the aftermath. The financial wreckage is extensive and palpable. If you still have a job, and are still paying your mortgage, you are hoping to survive, to get through this real nightmare.

As owner of a small business, I imagine myself as a air squadron commander. I am with four friends, alone in a dangerous night sky. We have a role to play, and if we are fortunate we will survive this.

So, inspired by video taken from my father's generation, I've developed some instructional tools. Using the metaphor of principles of air dog fighting, we can increase the odds of sales success in this new environment. With the help of lady luck, and an organization that is sound, like a sturdy P51 Mustang fighter, we will be able to protect one another's 6. And, like the WWII Aces, we will strive to be first with our presentation, and press home with precise persuasion the value of what we have to offer.

Like our fathers, our watch word is: ALWAYS, ALWAYS ATTACK.

**** A good friend objected to my comparison between the present economic meltdown and the life and death situation of the airmen of WWII. She has a point. However I hold to the comparison. While our need to execute well and aggressively in the present environment is not equivalent to strapping oneself into a fighter to face other men who are intent on killing you, livelihoods are at stake for many families. It's a sober challenge which demands the best of our courage, our willingness to be fearless, and our adaptability to these circumstances.

AS CLOSE AS WE WILL GET

2009-10-16T04:35:00.000-07:00

Recognizing a milestone is important. They are markers, reminding us of how far we have come and how much we owe to others. Yesterday Bill and I had the privilege of cleaning all of the glass at Wickstrom Ford. Last night, they invited friends to their dealership for a celebration of their 25th year in business. When I consider that span of time, I find it difficult to describe the combination of respect, and gratitude that I am feeling. For most of those 25 years, we have been honored to keep their windows in A1 condition. And in today's economy, with the "bones" of several out-of-business car dealerships in the community, to be a thriving dealership is a testimony to the long haul delivery of excellence and integrity. Twenty five years is a lot of promise keeping to customers and employees and suppliers.

So, congratulations to them. And good wishes for many more years to Colin and Richard and all of their fine staff.

While on the premesis, Bill and I were facinated by the Ford GT40 that is on display. This is a limited production race car, that is barely street legal. They will sell it to you for $250.000. The 550 horsepower motor sits under the rear window, where the groceries might sit in the rear seat in your car. When I was a teenager in the 60s the original version of this car finished first, second, and third at LeMans. For a few seconds Bill fantastized that this was his and pretended to polish the rear spoiler. In our dreams is as close as we will get to owning one of these.

JUST ONE MORE STEP

2009-10-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

I thought that I could do it. From day one, I've taken pride in the thought that I'd never ask anyone to do anything that I was unwilling or unable to do. And now, I stand at the end of this ladder, fifteen feet above the ground, unable to take that next step onto the angled glass, and lunge forward hoping that my sneakers will find enough traction to pull myself forward, --forward to safety on the topside of the arched entry shelter. I just couldn't do it. "Mike, I don't feel good about this," I said. He put down his tools, and came over to hold and stabilize the ladder, while I stepped off of the steel framework onto the top rung of the ladder. In this situation I concluded that cowardice was the better part of wisdom. Jumping from a narrow steel frame onto a piece of angled glass on front of me, counting on that single step, did not seem like a reasonable bet. I surveyed the area and could not identify a plan B, should that first step fail to transport me to safety. The only wings that I have, are those of imagination,--not sufficient to prevent a crash landing on the pavement below.

So, Mike held the ladder and I gingerly climbed down. Perhaps for the first time in this career, I deferred to the superior experience, and agility of a coworker. I busied myself with ground level work, while Mike finished up the high work. Then I held the ladder for his descent doing what I could to ensure a safe conclusion to his completed work.

I've never been comfortable with failure of any kind. Even with failure something of value can be learned for future use. Indeed as I thought back over the situation as it was presented, --I am confident that I know a change or two that can be made, to make our access to the top of that glass structure much safer, and of course, more satisfying.

SERENDIPITY

2009-09-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

There are times when I need to catch a break. Life's journey is long, and there are days when duty seems to have no end. Lately as the years have slipped by I feel this way more often. I am no longer seduced by the notion that hope reigns eternal, and surely tomorrow will be a better day. The odds are that tomorrow will be much the same as today. One must play the hand that one is dealt. Each man must inhabit his own time and place, take account of the actual life that he has, rather than conjure up an alternative existence.

Therefore, serendipity, becomes more important than ever.

Webster defines serendipity as the phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.

Serendipity. The sound of the word, reminds me of my childhood. I can remember scooping a jar full of tadpoles from the creek on one of the first days of summer. No school today, or homework assignments; just time to play, and imagine an adventure with friends. In play, the pressure of time is released. Children expect to be surprised by joy.

Recently, I was delighted to find that, a certain tree I had coveted in the spring at a local nursery, remained unsold. They had a Canadian Larch tree that was just the right size and proportion to serve as focal point for the meditation garden I am composing. The tree was offered at two thirds off the original price. I purchased the tree, and happily dug the hole for planting. May it's roots penetrate deeply into the soil and it's foliage keep watch over the surrounding plants and stones for many years.

A few days ago I decided to provide the initial occasion of service personally for a new customer that I was happy to receive. I anticipated three hours of focused labor in late afternoon. I expected the store would be busy. An important responsibility would be to clean sixteen entry doors while they were in use by a steady stream of customers. Doing good work while mindful of customers is an ultimate multitasking challenge. As I proceeded, tools in hand, the manufacturers brand name on the door caught my eye. An idea dawned. I'll bet that I can switch off the doors, and as they are held open, rotate them out ninety degrees, readily accessible for cleaning. The steady stream of customers did need not be watched and avoided at all. A three hour job was finished in two. That's serendipity.

Finally, today, Sunday, I joined a team of four co-workers to provide service for two large three story buildings. I have always disliked Sunday work, but today it was necessary. Early in the day as we began the project, a key piece of equipment failed. I bent over the apparatus like a doctor charged with diagnosing and mending a patient. After some consultation with two coworkers, we used a file, and a generous quantity of electrical tape. With considerable relief, we found the essential tool worked as we hoped. The crisis having passed, we proceeded with focus and much satisfying conversation until the project was completed at 1:00 PM.

Serendipity arrives in many guises as the voice of life reminds us that satisfaction still waits to surprise us around the next corner.

ADVICE FROM A PHILOSOPHER-POET

2009-09-18T17:27:00.000-07:00

On occasion comment has been made that sales, soliciting is stressful, and makes one uncomfortable. No surprise there, as all of us have felt that anxiety at one time or another. Here is one sure fire remedy for the stress that comes upon us. NEVER TAKE YOURSELF SO SERIOUSLY! Jonathan penned this account, in verse, of a sales encounter with a person, who became a customer....... The message is simply: go with the flow; relax in the environment. You are where you belong..... By all means imagine that you are a great bear hunter....!

A follow up on a hunting expedition...

So, I'm wandering about in Chi town

looking for my prey, praying..

Can't find the location of the potential kill,

but run into a grizzly

of an account....a brand new one, fresh from the cave...hungry,

wanting better glass for opening day start.

Management discovers

me meandering around...

finds we do up glass and do it all around them

cards are exchanged, a sizing one another up,

cordialities libated, liberalities promised,

hopes ignite despite recessionary visions...

Next day comes call a of the wild ...frantic

they are for good glass on opening day.

We seal the deal for the common weal,

all is well, all is well, at least till sleeping

bears lie.

To top it off

is $125..

Cash reins for now.

'Twas the night before

Washing....

JR

WHAT MY DAD TAUGHT ME

2009-09-17T05:09:00.000-07:00

On Labor day weekend I find myself remembering what my father who passed on a few years ago taught me about work. Dad grew up poor. His vegetable garden usually produced in excess of what we could use and he gave most of it away. He loved the soil and worked it as long as he was able. Dad taught me that grass grew continuously, so I would mow it every week. The work of mowing our small yard always trumped my plans for play. He supervised, I mowed.

And then there was floor mopping. Dad insisted that I clean my room from time to time. Cleaning, meant mopping the floor. I hated mopping. Dad enforced the mopping part of room-cleaning. Several years later, my first part time job at the local grocery store involved extensive floor mopping, with a really heavy, industrial sized mop. I needed no training. The mop handle fit comfortably into my hand. The boss indicated what was to be done. In that moment I realized that I was a floor mopping professional.

Contemplating my personal history, while finishing my coffee at the counter here at Grandma Vs restaurant, I feel a sense of kinship and pleasure to be counted in company with working people. The staff is comfortable with the host of mundane chores required to make this place dance. It is a ballet of sorts. From this vantage point, the activity appears as barely controlled chaos. Orders are taken, and delivered expediently to the waiting cooks. With speed and precision, food is prepared, steaming platters pushed across to the wait staff. Trays laden with tasty breakfasts are then served with spirited attention to families seated at the tables. Labor makes the human world go round. Labor is the means of transforming the world, and a shared means of affirming our place in society. It is good to have a place.

Thanks Dad for making your point.

LEST ANYONE THINK LIFE IS ONLY WORK AND ACADEMICS.....

2009-09-17T04:50:00.000-07:00

My name is Dan Mikal, and I work up in Round Lake and Gurnee. This past weekend my wife and I took a trip up upper penninsula of Michigan, Jerry thought you might enjoy hearing about it.

Everything along the lake is gorgeous. I'll start with that. We camped at a KOA in St Ignace, which is just across the lake from Mackinaw city. The Mackinaw bridge is actually what divides lake Michigan from Lake Huron. Speaking of Lake Huron, my wife and I were able to go para sailing together on Lake Huron Sunday morning. It was a really awesome experience. We flew for about 15 minutes between 500 - 600 feet above the water and the views and sights were amazing from up there. It turns out if you schedule to do the morning flights at 9 AM you can go for half the normal price! So I was all about that. We also got to jump over the border into Canada for a few hours, We checked out there casino and I actually won about 50 bucks playing Texas hold em! But...I kept playing, and ended up with nothing! That's how it goes.

We also got to go to a black bear ranch and actually got our pictures taken while holding and petting an actual 1 yr old black bear cub. It was precious, and now we officially want one of our own! In time, we shall see. So those were the highlights. Unless you count a weekend away from kids, work, school responsibility a highlight, because it definitely was as well. We also picked up a CD of a local legend band called Da Yoopers. They were just a bunch of crazy backwoods hunters and drinkers that put together some funny songs. A must for any visit to the UP! So that was our trip. Good times!

BANK SHOT

2009-08-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

A cool aspect of window cleaning is the opportunity to improvise. Work that depends upon simple manual tools, leaves room for a clever solution to a problem that one did not expect. In fact, I have a plastic container in my vehicle, that is a collection of "solutions" discovered over the years to such problems. I have a can of WD40, electrical tape, pliers, screw drivers, tiny plastic parts for unger poles, a bottle of Goop Off, and much more. Equipment break downs will happen. Then there is the odd situation, where ingenuity is needed to meet a customers need. Perhaps a brush will be taped to a pole to remove some cobwebs that are out of reach.

I chuckled when I saw this picture taken during a ordinary day of work by Josh and Eric. The bucket rapidly fills with the angle shot out of the tap. Sometimes noticing the little details throughout a day of work is enough to add interest, and contribute to satisfaction at days end.

DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE

2009-06-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

I have cleaned windows for many years. I still think about the stark simplicity, the singular outcome achieved by window cleaning. The enjoyment of perception is one of the common delights of human experience.

In the course of the retail profession, a potential customer must be visually engaged. A clean, unimpaired field of vision is important. A clean window, in all seasons, is an important contributor to commercial success. A store front or a office building facade, that is spotless, is also psychologically inviting. A prospective customer ought to encounter no visual distraction, no sign of neglect, as he or she approaches a retail establishment. Her desired field of view,---pleasant, inviting, well prepared to welcome new guests.

A retail store manager or an operations executive for a company knows that window cleaning is a small item on the never finished to do list. As an expense item, compared with other costs, --lease, utilities, physical plant maintenance for example, the dollars are small. But, the matter does require regular, consistent attention.

Someone must show up at the agreed upon interval and get the job done. That is the crux of the matter. It's a matter of having respect for what you do and what others do, having enough self regard to be on time, prepared to work as a professional. It's not rocket science

The work is basic. There's no need for hype. It's not something packaged in a shiny wrapper.

I noted recently an internet site where a competitor loudly pitched his company as the largest window cleaning company in the world. How could he possibly know that? And even if true, how is it relevant?

We are all human beings, seeking collaboration, needing to work together in order to make ends meet. Reliability, professional quality outcome, fair price, and timely communication are precisely the elements that matter. Everything else is hype.

CIA Report_May 27

2009-05-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

Midmorning, May 27, 10:00 AM. The phone rings. I answer with my practiced "professional" voice, business like, slightly warm, just a bit intimidating. It was Doug Carroll. Doug was calling from Arlington Heights. Doug begins with his practiced courteous tone, and then gets right to the point. I have some news one one of our competitors he announced. The word, "competitor" vibrates from my the phone ear piece, the tiny membrane, making those sound waves, that beat on my ear drum. That word "competitor" flashes, likely finding the shortest path from my ear to the brain. Ok, Ok, so I am paranoid about a few things, competitors being close to the top of the short list. This paranoia has served me well a few times in the past. Sometimes it pays to be crazy. Never the less, news about "a competitor" is rarely good news.

Doug explained that he had a brief conversation with a service person from another company. The guy confessed that they had taken major losses as a result of the recession. So serious in fact, --that they had hired on a "professional" sales person. Our competitor indicated to Doug, that he was already finished for the day. Finished work at mid morning!

Perhaps, for this one time, news of a competitor is not by definition bad. In fact this news represents an opportunity. Doug and I had a brief laugh, over the notion that he was our Department of Intelligence, our companies CIA. Doug remarked, the C arroll, I ntelligence, A gency. I like it. It has a nice ring.

Generally speaking it is not a good idea to have verbal contact with a competitor, about anything, even the weather! A sharp individual can learn something about you or your business by a simple brief verbal exchange. Sometimes a seeming trivial piece of information, or an insight can be effectively used against you. A competitor by definition is someone out to eat your lunch.

In this case, what I learned from Doug's report motivates me to press with sales outreach. It is beneficial and mandatory that we converse with every businessman or woman in our route area, to offer the quality and value of service that First Impression practices. Competitors may not survive this recession. We can become better, more professional, more adapted to what customers are asking for. We will survive.

Competitors.......They bring out the warrior in us. Let's leave em behind!

Paradox

2009-05-09T13:01:00.000-07:00

As I write this the waves beat rhythmically on the sand here at the public beach of Lake Geneva. Young people throw Frisbees, as the town awakens from winter quiet. The sun is warm, the light sparkles like a plate full of diamonds upon the surface of the lake.

This morning it seemed as if I were in nature's orchestra pit as multiple song birds joyfully announce the beginning of mating season. Each spring, nature produces, yet again, the world's greatest passion play. I acted my part by breaking up the garden plot one more time. I plowed in one wheel barrow full of humus and several cubic yards of horse barn manure. I inspected the miniature seed bed counting the varieties that have sprouted. A solitary sunflower has reached a full inch above its cradle of peat moss.

I'm grateful in my soul for the faithfulness of the four seasons. It is as if we are the guests. Each season arrives more or less on time to announce its own distinct celebration. I am a part of this nature, feeling a kinship in my bones with warm sunlight, the blue of the lake, the dark brown of turned earth, and with the interlaced calls of robin, jay and even crows. Out of this nature, I came and into her arms I expect to return.

As the waves beat upon the sand I recall a recent conversation which reminded me that I am a member of the human race. I irrevocably participate, both as cause and as effect, in the common welfare shared by all. Society, in contrast with nature, is not the product of planetary rotation and the result of the laws of physics. Society is the product of our individual purposes, intentions, our values all aggregated, and written to a large scale. This is what we mean when we speak of culture or of an economy. Each of us contributes her quantum of intent, a individual vector, affecting the trajectory of the whole.

My conversation with Bill took place in a large Chevrolet Dealership. It was mid morning, Saturday. We were talking within sight of the showroom. A solitary customer was visible in the showroom. Six salesmen stood more or less idly by, fighting boredom, wondering what to do with themselves. Bill's face had a drawn look. "This recession is absolutely horrible. People are so fearful that they are not buying cars." I couldn't think of anything to reply that would help.

I meditated on the beneficence of nature, and on the ravages of our human creation, both forming a nexus in my mind. Suddenly I recalled a comment made by Warren Buffett yesterday at the shareholder meeting of his company Berkshire Hathaway.

Our system unleashes human potential and that process has only just started. There will be greed and fear, but the trend will be improving. Despite all the horrors of the 20th century, with two world wars, political turmoil, a Great Depression and several recessions, US standard of living improved seven fold. Our enormous human potential will generate much more progress, despite occasional hiccups.

What!? Somehow that does not make me feel any better.

ENLIGHTENMENT ON A THURSDAY AFTERNOON

2009-04-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

So, here I am again, squeegee in hand. As I have done for many years I will clean the windows at this Dominick's store to sparkling perfection. With some effort, I climb atop a pallet stacked with bagged mulch. Several of these five foot tall mounds are closely stacked in front of windows that must be cleaned. While standing, my weight carefully balanced to the center of the mulch pile, Dennis calls to me, "What other job would allow you to become one-with-mulch?"

As I worked, I considered his assertion, one with mulch. Mulch is residue, leftovers, leavings from previously living pant matter. I knelt to apply water and squeegee to soiled glass, one knee pressed into the soft, warm bag. I understood that every vegetable displayed in gleaming, glorious repose in the nearby produce department , is born of the collaboration of sun and water and mulch. Such a humble beginning transforms into such beauties. Furthermore, add the ministrations of a skilled cook to the equation, and you have the makings of heaven.

I finished my work on that set of windows, detailing edges and corners. A scene caught caught my eye inside of the store. Five store employees sat around a table centered in the coffee shop space, managers and assistants no doubt. All appeared to be career grocers, ample of build, white shirts, ties and ruddy faces. These men live by and for food. I've worked in a grocery store so I know that their concerns wrap around staff scheduling, profit margins, display issues, and keeping the corporate bosses happy. I pondered whether someday they would pause to reflect, and be at one-with-mulch.

Nah. I doubt they'll ever realize that every one of us is standing, balanced delicately, on a very tall pile of mulch.

Dance, robin dance !

2009-03-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

I saw it again today. Two robins were engaged in a curious ritual. They circled each other a number of times. Then, with gusto, each flew at the other in a rolling aerial tangle of flapping wings and outstretched feet. This dance went on for several rounds. This is the third time I have seen this display in the span of a week. It is likely happening all around me, every day, in the early morning hours. Robins are one of the first song birds to return from the winter migration. Males arrive first.

What is this ritual dancing? Is it a guy thing, perhaps a morning workout at the local gym, in anticipation of the arrival of the females that evening at the local watering hole? Who doesn’t want to be buff for the ladies?

What taught the robin to dance? The robin just knows. It comes with robinhood. The robin dance is like religion. I suggest that all male robins dance as all humans are religious. The atheist and the Baptist bows his head in the presence of a morning sunrise. Each sunrise reminds us that miracles happen.

Robins are berry and worm eaters. At this point in March, in the midwest, the air is quite chilly and frost blankets the still dormant lawns. I thought to myself, that these birds would be lucky to find a few shriveled up berries for breakfast as no self respecting worm would be making an appearance on the hard earth surface. Then I observed a bird on the driveway finishing up the remnants of a worm. I am taken by surprise again.

The weather of early spring reflects my mood. My heart feels chilly, as I feel a recession frost blanketing the market. Things are moving slowly, and sometimes I think, not at all, as the credit markets are barely loosening up. I do know that workers have been laid off in large numbers recently. Businesses of every category are holding on as fewer customers are willing to spend. Uncertainty about the future is everywhere. It’s like a robins view of the lawn, --frost is everywhere.

I am reminded of Nietzsche’s suggestion.

“One cannot subtract dancing in every form from a noble education.”

Nietzsche believed that we must learn to dance in every form, with one’s feet, with words, and with the pen. I muse to myself, what learning to dance could mean in my case, as the economy is chilled and for now, worms are hard to come by.

A few days ago, I decided to offer a free window cleaning to an old acquaintance of mine. Tim owns a business that up until a year ago we served with monthly window cleaning. At that time he discontinued service due to a need to cut back on expenses. I’ve stayed in touch with him and know that things have not improved. I made up my mind that I would offer a cleanup of his windows just because I felt like making the offer. He was reluctant to let me do it without paying, but I insisted.

So, on a Saturday morning I worked for about two hours putting his store in tip top condition. I removed tape and gum residue, and scrubbed clear the film buildup. It was a challenge. I even wedged myself behind a display to deal with window which was difficult to access. Upon completion of the work the store windows gleamed! I felt good about the workout. It was a variety of a dance, something that I did just for the heck of it. The effort added nothing to my bottom line. But the effort reminded me of my role, my part, in the bigger picture. It was an event with direction.

The philosopher Jacques Baudrilliard once said:

"The absolute rule of symbolic exchange is to return what you received. Never less, but always more. The absolute rule of thought is to return the world as we received it: unintelligible. And if it is possible, to return it a little more unintelligible. A little bit more enigmatic."

A dance is a symbolic act. It is a deed that makes no sense on it’s face. It has no utility. It’s a good deed, the practice of kindness, a demonstration of our humanity.

So, go ahead and learn to dance.

Recession: Loosing of a blood-dimmed tide

2009-03-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

When I read reports of the recession I am reminded of the opening lines of William Butler Yeats poem, the Second Coming.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

Yeats poem is a metaphor for catastrophie. The bird of prey no longer responds to it's trainer. Without a center, a structure for normalcy, the expectation is a chaotic bloody tide that will submerge ways of life that are sane, good, and innocent.

In the Sunday paper this morning, I read about Warren Buffet's annual report to the shareholders of his firm, Berkshire Hathaway. Always plain spoken, Buffet said that he expects the economy to be in a shambles through the remainder of 2009.

Such reports bring me back to the same question, "How can one individual respond to such circumstances?" I am not interested in ruminating endlessly about who is at fault. Nor am I inclined to move into a cabin in the Canadian Rockies and live off the land.

The credit collapse is the recent result of long term arrangements in the way we have done business. Unlike natural systems, where getting and giving are always in balance, we've created tools and promoted methods in the sectors of banking, housing, and labor that have been one sided, unbalanced. We've championed a variety of capitalism that celebrates a few winners, while taking little notice of the many losers.

Also the damage is global. There is no society anywhere that is unaffected.

How can one individual survive all of this?

I believe that something positive was done this past Friday evening.

We had a few people come by the office at the end of the work week to watch a movie together. Following a simple but delicious meal of tacos, nachos, salsa, and pop, we then fired up the DVD. Nacho Libre staring Jack Black was the movie of the evening. We enjoyed the warmth of human contact around a communal meal. Conversation touched on the common problems and aspirations that we share. Then as expected, we all laughed for two hours, enjoying the story of a young man despairing in a dead end job in an orphanage, who summons up the courage to fulfill his childhood fantasy of becoming a professional wrestler. The seven of us became observers of a cleverly told tale showing the wackiness, the irony of human experience universal to all of us.

How often does one reflect upon how right it feels, to share a meal with others, and laugh together? The movie was entertaining. But the movie along with the fellowship with friends was much more. One is reminded that life goes on in all of it's strangeness, and quirkiness, despite the disasters that we bring upon ourselves. We are reminded that though no light can be seen at the end of the tunnel, it just feels worth it to forge ahead.

The next day, Saturday, presented another opportunity for action to counter the recession.

Mid day Saturday, my friend Ed called to ask if I was interested in going with him in to Austin's in Libertyville. Ed and I both enjoy "arena rock" music which was popular in the 80's. Hi-Infidelity would be playing and they cover tunes from bands like Boston and Journey. This will mean a late night out, but how often can I enjoy live music like this? So, we met at Austin's around 9:30.

After two hours of standing in front of the stage at Austin's Fuel Room, Ed and I were well satisfied and getting ready to depart, we left around midnight.

There is nothing quite like being together with a host of strangers, in a small dim performance venue, strobe lights playing over the audience, sweeping the clouds produced by the fog machines, as the band "delivers", song after song. Each individual is a stranger to the others, except for one thing: The music. All are there for the music. It reminds us of our humanity, of what we suffer together, and of what we love together. The themes of the lyrics are common to all of us. And that arena rock music, with the soaring lush keyboards, and slashing guitar riffs, hooks deep into the soul and sweeps one away. A few minutes before we left, the band played the magisterial rock anthem by Boston, -"Foreplay/Long Time." The tune is one of Boston's best and for nearly eight minutes the crowd rocked as one with the band, singing every word at the top of their lungs. I wonder how many times each of us has heard those same lyrics, and how many positive memories do they evoke?

Well I'm takin' my time, I'm just movin' on
You'll forget about me after I've been gone
And I take what I find, I don't want no more
It's just outside of your front door.--Boston

I walked into the cold night being reminded that music shows us that there is something about life that is powerful and able to overcome the darkness and the blind alleys that we produce with our shortsightedness.

Yeats poem grimly concludes with these lines:

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

No matter. Life will go on. There are grounds for hope.

I can feel it.

When Cold Takes CaptiveThe Mind....

2009-02-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

Thursday, I met up with Dan Mikal. We intended to partner up for a few hours of washing. We met at 9:00 AM. The day was sunny and breezy. I suspected that we could be in for an interesting winter day of window cleaning. The temperature gage on my dashboard was registering in the single digits.

I pulled in to the parking lot not far from Dan's vehicle and proceeded to assemble my bucket and tools. I knew we were in trouble when I realized the wind was blowing parallel to the front of the strip center that we were to wash. With the low temperature and no shelter from the brisk wind, it was bone chilling. We managed to wash four or five store fronts. At that point we decided that tomorrow had to be a better day. Despite protective gloves, when finger tips grow numb, one must consider plan B.

I was reminded of my introduction to window cleaning. My very first day with a squeegee in my hand, will never be erased from memory by the passage of time. Somehow pain has that effect. My mind flashes back to a very cold, but brilliant sunny day on Main street in Antioch. It was February 1978. Two of us were standing in front of a several large plate glass windows belonging to Pittman Pontiac. My friend learned to wash windows from an "old school" window cleaner. By old school, I mean that he did not use protective gloves on bitter cold days. Also he believed that the use of hot water would run the risk of cracking cold glass. So, there I was, tools in hand, standing beside my friend who generously agreed to show me the ropes. I plunged my hand into a bucket of cold water, that was exactly as cold as the air temperature, since the wash water was heavily spiked with alcohol to prevent freezing at 32 degrees. I managed to wring the excess water from the washing tool and followed the lead of my friend as we began to wash and squeegee clear the large plates of glass. Though this was a small auto dealership, unlike the ones of today, by the time we had finished cleaning the exterior of the windows, my hands were numb with cold. I could hardly wait to move inside.

I was unaware of the surprise that awaited me. As uncomfortable as a cold numbed body part may be, the addition of heat, to aid the return of normal feeling,---brings excruciating pain. As much as I wanted to wash along side my friend inside the warm showroom, I could not move. For at least two to three minutes, I stood mute with pain, my eyes filling with tears, as feeling returned to my ten fingers. My fingers were on fire. Waves of pain ping ponged from my fingers to my mind. After the worst was over, I picked up the tools and resumed my process of learning alongside my friend.

What happened next was miracle. We worked inside of the dealership show room and offices for the next twenty minutes or so. My fingers fully thawed. I was amazed that my body adjusted to the frigid winter environment, opening up increased circulation to my hands and fingers. We continued our work outside moving to additional customers. My hands did not return to that previous state of numbness. I worked alongside my friend for several more hours without further issues with the cold. Granted working in cold conditions without gloves is uncomfortable, but it can be done. The body will adjust to the severe conditions, provided that one is willing and able to endure the pain of that initial thaw out.

Did I consider quitting at that juncture? No. The motivation was finding the next meal and keeping a roof over my head. It still is.

I am thankful that there is no need for you to experience the profound discomfort of working without protective gloves. There are several glove products that allow us to work in reasonable comfort even on a very cold day. Also, we know there is no danger of initiating a crack in cold glass by using hot wash water. In fact, on a bitter day, the hotter the water in one's bucket, the better.

Window cleaning is the challenge of delivering a needed service in whatever conditions mother nature serves up. The variety offered by working in the elements and the challenge of problem solving are what make the occupation interesting. The "can do" attitude required by the job, as well as the track record of problem solving are wonderfully portable into whatever other fields that you may explore to earn your livelihood.

Ah yes, life can be viewed as a matter of problem solving. Solve your problems and survive. Or not. It's about finding the resources to keep body and soul together (paying the bills).

And making sure that the cold does not take one's mind captive.

Be warm.

What Can I Do About This Recession ?

2009-02-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

Today is Feb 15th, half way through the month. I sit at the counter at Grandma V's restaurant sipping my coffee. I ran a mile here, and will return by jogging the mile back. The dining room is slow on this Sunday morning. In normal times it would be full, as my neighbors bring their families to gather around the heavy round tables to order up substantial breakfasts. Nourishment as well as support for a familial bond is always needed. Sharing is a requirement if life is go to on. Grandma V's has provided both for many years. Yesterday, Jimmy, the owner told me that many of his customers has confided in him that they were unable to come so frequently any more because of a "lay off" in the family. I heard the sadness, the concern in his voice as he told this tale. He felt concern for customers and concern for himself. Jimmy's two sons, as well as four or five cooks, three or four bus boys, and possibly ten waitresses claim the restaurant as their place of employment.

I sat and drank my third refill of coffee, soaking in the warmth of the place, enjoying the unmistakable aroma of egg, maple syrup, and bacon in the air. I noted the well worn but clean stainless surfaces of the serving counter, and sensed the humming refrigeration lockers containing milk, orange juice, and butter. I was taken back to all that I have learned, from the many jobs and coworkers with whom I have associated over the years. It is only by means of work that together, we fashion a warm and inviting cocoon for ourselves. In retrospect I've learned at least as much from coworkers and bosses in my past, as I have from teachers who offered me insight into a field of knowledge.

How can I forget Mr. Wynn, manager of the Winn Dixie supermarket in my hometown? His patience with me, a clumsy kid of 16, with seriously conflicted motivation, made it possible for me to succeed at my first job. He got me through. I purchased a surf board with that $3.50 per hour that I earned bagging groceries and stocking shelves. Work is important for realizing one's dreams. Bruce Springsteen is right. "Working on a Dream" is to be taken literally.

And then there was Mr. Addison who hired me to work at his toy store, Addison's Play World. I learned to sell to customers, ring up the cash with the register, and make change. I learned that physical weariness comes with the territory for all retail workers during the Christmas season. At the time he seemed a hard taskmaster, but I learned what was necessary.

And finally, many years later, I had my dream job, as a research assistant for Monsanto. I'll always value the friendship of a coworker, John Brown, who was just a few years older than myself. John was in the midst of a difficult situation involving close family members, whom he loved dearly. He put up with my judgmental attitude, knowing that I was too inexperienced at life and too naively religious to understand. He did not permit my negativity to affect our working relationship.

Having reflected upon the lessons and the blessings, gathered from these and many other coworkers that I have journeyed with, I drained my third refill of coffee to the last drop. Coat on and gloves in hand I reached for my wallet. I doubled the customary amount of my tip and left it as an offering on the counter top. At the register, I declined to take the change handed to me after making payment for the coffee. "Keep it" I said as I turned to the door.

I knew that I had underpaid for all that I had received.

Damn, that was cold

2009-02-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday, Dennis, Jonathan and I met in Lake Zurich at 8:00 AM. While on the road to our rendezvous point I noted that the dashboard thermometer was reading +1 degree. As we finished our coffee at the Dunkin Donuts I observed two flags in the distance standing straight out due to a stiff wind. One degree with a brisk wind. Hello winter.

We had agreed to service a large shopping center with three outbuildings for a property owner. We figured this was a three man job. The segment of building that was in the sun drew us like a magnet, since "wash in the sun whenever possible", is a good principle for winter washing. Twenty minutes later, we turned the corner and found ourselves in the shade, with that wind blasting us full force. I looked down at my orange Hot Tamale glove and noted the lacy pattern of frost covering the surface. My fingers inside were on the barely warm side of numb. I quickly plunged my gloved hand into the warmer bucket of water. My mind flashed back over the many winters that I have found myself doing this. I always remind myself, "tomorrow will be warmer than today," and usually it is.

Some five hours later we were coming to the end of our job. We had managed to keep going for several sessions of two hours each, nonstop, without breaking for a warm up. Near the end of our project my hands started to cramp from the stress of pulling strip washer and squeegee for an extended period while wearing the gloves. I was reminded again of how much determination working in winter demands. It is not easy. At completion of our job the temperature was a "warm" 18 degrees.

That evening when attempting to answer a few emails I discovered a sore tendon in the middle of the back of my left hand. Ouch. I applied some small ice packs held in place with a rubber band to the back of my hand. After applying ice and favoring the hand for a day, it was fine.

On Thursday February 5th the three of us were back out washing again. Thursdays temperature was 18 degrees. Now that is warm for winter.

Feel free to share some of your winter washing experiences.

The Year of the Wolf

2009-02-01T09:52:00.000-08:00

Year before last I attended a Pioneer reenactment event held in a forest preserve on the south side of Chicago. Individuals and families with an interest in the ways of life of our ancestors who settled this area in the 18th century demonstrated the crafts, and the nature of day to day living that constituted the experience of our predecessors. Settlers as well as American Indians were portrayed. There was one exhibit which I will long remember. A Canadian timber wolf was on display. The animal was kept in a stout cage. One had to view the animal from a distance. The cage was roped off.

The wolf was the size of a large German Shepherd. It was lean and rangy, and gazed at you with steady, yellow, unblinking eyes. I am sure the animal was well fed, but still appeared hungry. The handler told us that this animal would run for miles and miles without tiring. This was a wild animal, beyond any domestication, a hunting machine, insatiable. I was quite mystified by the animal and observed it for some time.

In my middle class neighborhood I often see neighbors walking with various canine pets, all of which trot obediently at the end of a leash. These house pets have never tasted anything that has not come from a can or from a bag of dry dog food. I live among people who think of Shitsu Dogs and Poodles when then think of an animal--and here before me is a animal wholly primitive, representing forces alien to our "managed" civilization.

Recalling this wolf prompted me to reflect upon the recession which we are now experiencing. According to the Chinese new year 2009 is to be the Year of the Pig. Not a bad thought, as I do enjoy pork products. In fact I ordered a side of bacon this morning to consume with my coffee. Who doesn't find the aroma and crunch of well cooked bacon pleasing? As pleasant as it is to fantasize about the year of the Pig, I suggest that in fact, we are living in the Year of the Wolf.

We live in a global civilization that features a credit based economy. Credit, borrowed money, is both foundation and superstructure of the economy. Clearly the assumption of debt at every level, individual, town, state, and nation has become so inordinately large, that confidence that the obligations can be met, the debt responsibly paid down---has evaporated. Many of our largest institutions whose business is "money" are crippled by the weight of obligation which is presently coming due. It's a daisy chain of debt. If he does not pay me, then I cannot pay you, and so on and so on. The so called "masters of the universe" Wall Street investment bank CEOs thought the debt could be managed. They are wrong.

It seems that the wolf, the avaracious aspect of our selves, has broken clear of the cage that we had fashioned. The animal now runs loose, and seems to be runing for a long time. And it is always hungry. Lack of confidence has spilled from the financial markets, into every other market. There is no refuge from the anxiety, that interrupts the normal give and take of buying and selling, the circulation of money in exchange for all the usual needs of living in a complex society. Anxiety like hunger grows, as companies are laying off people because other companies are laying off people. Fear lies behind anticipation of an unprofitable future.

What can we do? There are many business on your route area that will continue to be viable into the future. They have been strong, and have enough resiliency to survive. They recognize that clean windows are essential, because the appearance of their establishment indicates that they care about customer perception. Beat-up-windows show that one does not care, or perhaps worse, is a failing business.

You absolutely must stop in at those businesses, in order to introduce yourself to the decision maker, and leave him or her a business card. This needs to be done with a attitude of confidence and cheerfulness. It is OK if they are currently receiving service from another company. We want to compete for their business. When the wolf is on the loose, price is the trump card. The potential customer may like you, and may even know of the First Impression reputation, but they will make their decision on price. So, for the very large window that in the past you would have quoted at $1.50 per side, you will now be well advised to quote $1.00 per side. A business absolutely must chose the supplier that enables them to financially survive, and that will always be the low cost offer. We know that we will continue to make money even as we quote lower recession rates, because we know how to work efficiently.

I know that it takes strenght of character to do what one does not feel like doing. However, taking responsibility for one's well being, in the midst of good feelings or with bad, is the secret to survival. Do what you need to do.

Let's pull together in this Year of the Wolf. Let's build strength and do what needs to be done.

Please share your stories and your thoughts.

What is the difference between work and fun?

2009-01-31T15:00:00.000-08:00

We have all known individuals who found it impossible to hold the ideas of "work" and "fun" in their minds at the same time. Actually they were adverse to the idea of work. They hated work. I recall one job that I had in a factory making machines that filled cereal and potato chip product into the plastic bags which we find in these product packages. It was not difficult work, and the pay was good for factory work. I recall some individuals in my work area who made it their priority to stay physically hidden from the supervisor. Their challenge was to do as little as possible in a eight hour day. I never could quite figure them out. I didn't mind applying a soldering iron to a circuit board or screwing some simple parts together according to the blue print. There was no heavy lifting involved. The work was clean. The pay covered my living expenses.

No work can be fun. Work by definition demands a certain type of outcome. Fun is when you get to improvise as you go, -without concern for any particular outcome. Work is all about achieving an outcome that someone else is willing to pay for. That is a real responsibility. At the end of the day what you've accomplished matters.

I can affirm that compared with all the other jobs that I've done for a living, window cleaning is near the top of the short list of jobs that were pleasant, jobs I did not mind doing. With window cleaning, one works for one customer at a time. One becomes well acquainted with a customers expectations, with the nature of their personality, in order to meet their needs in a reasonable way. Window cleaning allows one to figure out an efficient work process, which results in a surprising quantityof glass to be cleaned in a short span of time,---thus producing a financial profit. There is no heavy lifting involved. Customers are generally pleasant. And the work environment is unmatched! Even with the challenge of winters blast, how exhilarating to breathe fresh air, and to enjoy the movement of one's body to produce a visible benefit for fellow business people. Now that is freedom !!

Maybe you've got some ideas about what you like or do not like about the job?