So I'm reading an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on line concerning the fall of the Upper East side of the Mall of America. The Upper East Side of the Mall is the 'entertainment' district of the mall. It used to house Fat Tuesdays, Players and Hooters. At one time, there was a Planet Hollywood and a comedy bar called Knucklehead's.
When I was younger, we used to go to the Mall in the evenings to have a drink and hit on all the pretty girls. We would meet at Hooters then head to the sports bar or Fat Tuesdays. Every now and then we would take in a show at Knucklehead's.
But the thing that amazes me, the thing that really is baffling is the fact that the Mall of America is a more popular tourist destination than Graceland, Walt Disney Land and the Grand Canyon...
Indeed, while the fourth floor is largely vacant, the rest of the 4.2 million-square-foot complex is thriving. The mall continues to attract more tourists each year than Disney World, the Grand Canyon and Graceland combined.
Maybe the Upper East Side closing up many of it's clubs is a direct result of the no smoking in public places the city of Bloomington has recently put into effect. Or it could be that Downtown Minneapolis is more of a destination for club going 20-somethings. Either way, I'm sorry to see the Upper East Side of the Mall close down all but one restaurant. But even sadder to learn that a big mall is more of a tourist destination that much more worthy places like Graceland and the Grand Canyon.
AJ
August 31, 2005
August 21, 2005
So, is it cold down there?
I guess nothing should surprise me when it comes to what some kids will do. But when it comes to your own kids, you can be surprised a lot.
On Saturday, we held a birthday party for my nine year-old. And at one point, I had to go into the house to fill more balloons with water for the water game that was being played. As I stood at the kitchen sink filling balloons, I saw a lot of the kids going over to the cooler and getting cups full of ice. At first I didn't think much of it...it was a hot day and we were going through a ton of lemonade and a ton of tea.
Then I saw Joseph go over to the cooler. He didn't have a cup...he just dug into the ice with his bare hand...walked over to a girl, pulled his swim trunks out and dropped the ice into his trunks. I couldn't believe it!
So, because it is now time for me to be the responsible parent, I have to call him into the house (you can't have nine year-olds opening their shorts in front of girls for any reason) and told him to drop his trunks. And guess what? A ton of ice just fell on to the floor. I told him to pull his trunks up, clean up the ice and not to do that again. Then he complains his hands are cold from picking up the ice! He can walk around with ice down his pants and that's okay. But picking up ice with his hands...now that's cold.
Another story of raising kids.
AJ
On Saturday, we held a birthday party for my nine year-old. And at one point, I had to go into the house to fill more balloons with water for the water game that was being played. As I stood at the kitchen sink filling balloons, I saw a lot of the kids going over to the cooler and getting cups full of ice. At first I didn't think much of it...it was a hot day and we were going through a ton of lemonade and a ton of tea.
Then I saw Joseph go over to the cooler. He didn't have a cup...he just dug into the ice with his bare hand...walked over to a girl, pulled his swim trunks out and dropped the ice into his trunks. I couldn't believe it!
So, because it is now time for me to be the responsible parent, I have to call him into the house (you can't have nine year-olds opening their shorts in front of girls for any reason) and told him to drop his trunks. And guess what? A ton of ice just fell on to the floor. I told him to pull his trunks up, clean up the ice and not to do that again. Then he complains his hands are cold from picking up the ice! He can walk around with ice down his pants and that's okay. But picking up ice with his hands...now that's cold.
Another story of raising kids.
AJ
August 17, 2005
I'm not ready for more leadership
I've always viewed my self as someone who could lead and do it well. If I were to brag, I would tell you about record revenues for the Clayton Radio Station for 14 months straight and 20 of the past 24 months. I would also tell you about my days in Greenwood, SC when I was doing news and I got a comment from a listener that ever since I started doing news in Greenwood, so did the local paper. We could even go as far back to my days on the board of directors of the MFA, when they had record numbers for membership and sales. I headed up the sales for the MFA and was VP of the organization. But I'm not here to brag.
The Rabun County Chamber of Commerce has asked that I be chairman in 2006. My name is also being tossed around to be the chairman of the trustees at my church. And the March of Dimes efforts in Rabun County have already approached me about being on their board of directors.
I don't mind playing a role in helping groups organize or playing a role in keeping things like our chamber up and running. But I tend to have a few things that work against me that aren't always clear to others. One of those things is my inability to get organized for efforts outside of my job at the radio station and my business I run from home. And my wife will tell you I'm still not that organized in those efforts. Maybe that's because without her help, I'd be in one heck of a mess.
Another thing that would not bode well is I seem to have much different views about how things are, and how they should be from the majority. I don't know if that's because I'm in radio and those of us in radio tend to have big egos or is it because I've been a part of committees, chambers, and clubs in almost every place I've lived and I have seen things that work well and things that don't. And when most people that volunteer or get roped into these roles on boards don't have the same kind experience I do, I tend to sometimes feel that they just don't know what they're talking about. And when I get to feeling this way, I will sometimes speak up and share my point of view and I'm not known for being very tactful and that can hurt feelings...and that is never my intention.
So I'll have to meditate on these requests to lead various organizations to see where I am lead to lead and to see where I'm best stepping aside and letting someone else lead.
AJ
The Rabun County Chamber of Commerce has asked that I be chairman in 2006. My name is also being tossed around to be the chairman of the trustees at my church. And the March of Dimes efforts in Rabun County have already approached me about being on their board of directors.
I don't mind playing a role in helping groups organize or playing a role in keeping things like our chamber up and running. But I tend to have a few things that work against me that aren't always clear to others. One of those things is my inability to get organized for efforts outside of my job at the radio station and my business I run from home. And my wife will tell you I'm still not that organized in those efforts. Maybe that's because without her help, I'd be in one heck of a mess.
Another thing that would not bode well is I seem to have much different views about how things are, and how they should be from the majority. I don't know if that's because I'm in radio and those of us in radio tend to have big egos or is it because I've been a part of committees, chambers, and clubs in almost every place I've lived and I have seen things that work well and things that don't. And when most people that volunteer or get roped into these roles on boards don't have the same kind experience I do, I tend to sometimes feel that they just don't know what they're talking about. And when I get to feeling this way, I will sometimes speak up and share my point of view and I'm not known for being very tactful and that can hurt feelings...and that is never my intention.
So I'll have to meditate on these requests to lead various organizations to see where I am lead to lead and to see where I'm best stepping aside and letting someone else lead.
AJ
August 09, 2005
I can change a tire
On the way to work this morning my wife, Sara Beth, blew a tire. At least it happened as she was turning into the day care to drop Kallsen off for the day. She called me at 6:30 saying she had a flat and needed to be to work by 7:15. She works in Toccoa, we live in Clayton and Kallsen's day care is just outside of Toccoa and that's a half hour drive for us.
Joseph and I got into the Suburban at 6:31 (good time) and left for Toccoa. Sara Beth ended up only being 3 minutes late for work and I had the tire all but changed when roadside assistance showed up at 7:45. Sara Beth had called them because our insurance offers free roadside assistance.
Anyway...I just wanted to point out that I can change a flat tire. Some folks I know recently didn't take me up on helping them change a tire...and they ended up being several hours late to meet with someone...only if that had trusted in my ability to change a tire...
AJ
Joseph and I got into the Suburban at 6:31 (good time) and left for Toccoa. Sara Beth ended up only being 3 minutes late for work and I had the tire all but changed when roadside assistance showed up at 7:45. Sara Beth had called them because our insurance offers free roadside assistance.
Anyway...I just wanted to point out that I can change a flat tire. Some folks I know recently didn't take me up on helping them change a tire...and they ended up being several hours late to meet with someone...only if that had trusted in my ability to change a tire...
AJ
August 05, 2005
Child Care Crisis
Child care in Rabun County is in a crisis. While Rabun County has some day cares operating, there are few decent day cares available to watch children under the age of 18 months and even fewer day cares I would trust with my child. And with a county commissioner one time telling me he didn't think Rabun County necessarily needed to be family friendly, I wonder if we'll ever have decent, good quality day care for those one parent families or those families where both the mom and dad work.
Much has been said recently in the Clayton Tribune concerning DFACS in Rabun County and the taking of children from homes. And I know of an instance where DFACS has closed a day care in Rabun County. But investigating and closing day cares, while they need to be closed if they aren't doing their job, isn't taking care of all the problems. Closing a day care, when it needs to be done, is making sure children are safe. But what else needs to be done is we need to be working toward top quality day care for the working families and single parent families in Rabun County. And the child care needs to be affordable.
With all the talk recently about the EDA and CVB and having to work to build our economic base by bringing in industry and increasing our amount of tourism in Rabun County can't be done with out several things in place. One of those things is quality child care. Someone isn't going to move to a community to take a job at that new factory or in the resort industry if there isn't quality child care. This is a problem.
While there are plenty of issues our local government leaders need to focus on, quality child care has fallen through the cracks. And our children are much too important to let this happen.
AJ
Much has been said recently in the Clayton Tribune concerning DFACS in Rabun County and the taking of children from homes. And I know of an instance where DFACS has closed a day care in Rabun County. But investigating and closing day cares, while they need to be closed if they aren't doing their job, isn't taking care of all the problems. Closing a day care, when it needs to be done, is making sure children are safe. But what else needs to be done is we need to be working toward top quality day care for the working families and single parent families in Rabun County. And the child care needs to be affordable.
With all the talk recently about the EDA and CVB and having to work to build our economic base by bringing in industry and increasing our amount of tourism in Rabun County can't be done with out several things in place. One of those things is quality child care. Someone isn't going to move to a community to take a job at that new factory or in the resort industry if there isn't quality child care. This is a problem.
While there are plenty of issues our local government leaders need to focus on, quality child care has fallen through the cracks. And our children are much too important to let this happen.
AJ
August 03, 2005
I don't do things for free
It amazes me sometimes what people expect. The Rabun County Relay for Life is a week from this Friday and PartyWright is setting up their Slide, Bounce House, Boom Blasters and Pitchburst.
The deal with doing Relay for Life is simple...they ask that PartyWright bring as many games and attractions as possible, sell tickets and give 25% of the proceeds to the Relay. Not a bad deal. Having done several Pay to Play, I'm getting better at running a pay to play.
To make things easier on PartyWright, and those that will be working for us that night, I have entered into a deal with a local bank to run the Pitchburst for us. They will line up people to be splurshed, PartyWright will sell the tickets and what they raise, minus the expenses incurred by PartyWright, will be given to Relay. I'll write a check from PartyWright, on the behalf of the local bank, to Rabun County Relay for Life.
Well yesterday I got a phone call from another local bank. This bank wants to run the Boom Blasters at the Relay. Which I think is great. I told them that all the money they raise minus my expenses would be given to Relay on their behalf. And they thought that wasn't fair. I told the banker that their is an expense to these units, that the prizes (ones that aren't donated) cost money and I will take that expense off the top. I'm expecting (if the weather is good) for the Boom Blasters to do at least $250 in business that night. I told her my expenses would probable be around $50 or so dollars. And she's mad.
While bigger companies can give things away for free and call it a write off, PartyWright is only 13 months old and we are not in a position to do anything for free at this time.
Anyway...I think what I may do is have tickets that are either good for the slide or the bounce house be one color, a different color ticket for the Pitchburst and a third color for the Boom Blasters. Then by keeping track of the tickets sold by the number printed in the tickets, we can make a determination and donate the entire portion to the Relay for Life for both the Boom Blasters and the Pitchburst on behave of the two banks. Then I'll add my cost to the inflatable cost and be done with it. The end result should be a bigger donation to Relay on behalf of the banks and a smaller donation on behalf of PartyWright.
AJ
The deal with doing Relay for Life is simple...they ask that PartyWright bring as many games and attractions as possible, sell tickets and give 25% of the proceeds to the Relay. Not a bad deal. Having done several Pay to Play, I'm getting better at running a pay to play.
To make things easier on PartyWright, and those that will be working for us that night, I have entered into a deal with a local bank to run the Pitchburst for us. They will line up people to be splurshed, PartyWright will sell the tickets and what they raise, minus the expenses incurred by PartyWright, will be given to Relay. I'll write a check from PartyWright, on the behalf of the local bank, to Rabun County Relay for Life.
Well yesterday I got a phone call from another local bank. This bank wants to run the Boom Blasters at the Relay. Which I think is great. I told them that all the money they raise minus my expenses would be given to Relay on their behalf. And they thought that wasn't fair. I told the banker that their is an expense to these units, that the prizes (ones that aren't donated) cost money and I will take that expense off the top. I'm expecting (if the weather is good) for the Boom Blasters to do at least $250 in business that night. I told her my expenses would probable be around $50 or so dollars. And she's mad.
While bigger companies can give things away for free and call it a write off, PartyWright is only 13 months old and we are not in a position to do anything for free at this time.
Anyway...I think what I may do is have tickets that are either good for the slide or the bounce house be one color, a different color ticket for the Pitchburst and a third color for the Boom Blasters. Then by keeping track of the tickets sold by the number printed in the tickets, we can make a determination and donate the entire portion to the Relay for Life for both the Boom Blasters and the Pitchburst on behave of the two banks. Then I'll add my cost to the inflatable cost and be done with it. The end result should be a bigger donation to Relay on behalf of the banks and a smaller donation on behalf of PartyWright.
AJ
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