Monday, June 21, 2010

Good-bye Athens.....hello Delta

As I watched Athens disappear in my rearview mirror I had mixed feelings. It had been a whirlwind 6 week experience. I learned so much, met some great people, had some hilarious experiences and according to my "party-girl" turning grown-up woman roommate I "had been her favorite roommate ever"....wow, a status I had not expected to achieve. It was raining and I had a 90min ride ahead of me...much time to think. I was most grateful for the Ignite folks I'd met that were so wonderful and kind. I think now my real purpose for ever going to Athens was to meet these folks and to have this opportunity and to have met my party-girl. She and I learned much from each other.....I will stay in touch with her....she has many good things ahead of her.
Yes...Delta called and I shall go back to corporate world for a while. In this economy, it is very hard to turn down a good paying job. Picture peddling was fun but not so lucrative. I think in a different area it can be a nice addition to a monthly income....but I need to buy the rig and get to that magic 52 yrs young to draw pensions and then add a little extra from selling pics. Hopefully Ignite will also be adding to my monthly income and I can peddle pics for fun and a few extra $$$....we'll see what the future brings. So....in 3 fast and furious days I unpacked, worked on Iginte and got a car ready to drive back to FL. I will now take a few days for me before re-entering the corp world. It will be a change for me as Delta is not so liberal with their "work from home" rules. So.....scoot over Mom and Shea....guess who's not only coming for dinner, but coming to move in??? I do thank you guys very much for helping me with this...it would be much harder if you guys did not open up your home to me.
So folks....I fear that corp world will not be as entertaining as my adventures in sales....but I will keep you all posted on my happenings.
On second thought....some folks in offices are quite entertaining!!! And as a contractor, you do see things differently.....so maybe there will be some great things to report on.
For now....I shall enjoy the beach a few days...may be a while before I see that again.

Stay tuned.............

Sunday, June 13, 2010

You know you are in the country when...........

1. you are being paid in potatos, plums and green tomatos
2. when you ring someone's doorbell and the siding on the house moves
3. the lock on the front door is a combination lock like on a car
4. there are more pictures on someones walls of their prized cows and dogs than of their kids
5. you are told they have only had indoor plumbing for 10 yrs

Yep.....I have seen some amazing things and heard some unreal stories. I've met some really nice folks and experienced some rude people as well....I guess you can't completly escape the nasty ones no matter where you may go. Yesterday I finally got to have a BBQ sandwich at this local dive...Hot Thomas. I've been hearing about this place for a week....but everytime I'm by there it's closed. Finally....it was open on Saturday. It was good and the sweet tea was a nice change from my normal water. The company was the best. The older couple that owns and runs it were very entertaining. He said they only open 3 days a week and they close at 6p.....no wonder I could never catch them open!!! They have many acres of land and they are all farmed....they have been here 60+ yrs.....in fact he told where to find some of the houses I still needed to go to. I was the only person there eating, some came to get to-go orders, so I knew I would also get entertained....and I was not disappointed. Yep...if you ever get up to Watkinsville, you gotta make it to Hot Thomas for some BBQ.
I'm off to peddle a few more pics...it's been a good weekend....I even sold a 20x30 canvas...wow.
Looks like I'll avoid rain one more day that would be great.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Annie Oakley and the Rattlesnake

Hi...did you see the rattlesnake I just killed??? This is what the nice woman said as she opened the door to her log cabin....No I didn't ....I replied. Well... you'll have to look closer when you drive out of my gate, I left it laying outside the gate for a buzzard or something to eat.
And that was my intro to a woman I will call Annie Oakley. She was young and very full of energy and not afraid of anything so it appeared. She was sitting on 95 acres with horses, barns and a cool log cabin. She'd had the cabin moved there from Tennessee. It had a wide wrap around porch and just off the porch is where the snake was. In fact, right where I had just come up onto the porch.....wow. There were several chairs on the porch and lots of art work. She made art out of junk as she told me. There was some cool stuff. The iron headboard that had crystal punch cups dangling from it. The owl made out of wire. The stained glass/iron abstract piece....and......4 very old small pull-along campers in the yard. Well...she was very nice and we chatted a bit and I had to ask about those campers....it seems they were art projects as well. She calls them vintage campers....see this one on Craigslist...

http://athensga.craigslist.org/rvs/1778589831.html

She buys them as junkers and refurbs them.....now I've seen it all. What an imagination she has and some awesome talent. One even had hardwood floors. She had named one "Lucy". You know I had to ask why....well, it reminded her of an, I Love Lucy show when Lucy and Ricky went camping, unreal. It was a true labor of love. She did buy her picture and as I left I did stop to see the snake....however a rather large Hawk was already having lunch so it had been moved, but he did fly off when I drove up so I got a look.....could have never dreamed up this day.

The people I meet are the absolute best part of this job......I am entertained everyday.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Beach Money.....Never judge a book by its cover!!

After returning to Athens from a short trip to ATL my red-headed roommate had hit the bottle and was now a brunette.....wow....what a difference. She said it was her natural color and it was time to get back to who she really is. She had already shared with me that just before I arrived last month she had let her lip piercing grow closed...so just maybe at almost 23 the party girl is calming down. She had even taken out her garbage while I was gone....amazing. Perhaps this book is about to change her cover....would be a wonderful thing. My party central apt has actually been very quiet lately. My red-head, now brunette roomie is now dating an ex-boyfriend again, he is 30 and seems to be a nice guy. In what little time we have chatted he has admitted to the wild times he used to have but says he's past that and ready to make something of his life. He's a master plumber now and looking for a job. I think he may have a wonderful influence over my party girl. He seems to be really crazy about her...so we'll see.
The lease on the apt ends July 31st...and all but one girl will move on....2 will move to the working world since they graduated last month and one is renting a house with some other kids....one will renew and stay for another year and last weekend her parents brought up a couch. Very nice folks, but rather odd for me to meet a roomies parents that were likely my age.....yes, this whole experience is one for the books. Perhaps I judged my red-head too quickly, I see changes coming.
Speaking of books...my upline in Ignite gave me a book to read...Beach Money....a quick read and a very inspiring book. I'm so excited about my Ignite business....this has such potential....everyone uses energy, I just have to get past the doubters, move to the real believers and those that can see the potential and roll on. As stated in my meeting last night, this can compress a 25-30yr career into 3-5yrs.....I can like that. In 3 1/2 yrs I can draw my pension from my 25yr career....so it is my goal to also have an income from Ignite by then, and if I find the right folks for my team we will all be making more than that 25yr pension will provide!! I have faith and have met some wonderfully positive folks in Athens that are willing to help anyone at anytime. It's so neat to be involved with folks that are fired up and so positive. Last night I took a long time hispanic family friend to the Ignite meeting at headquarters. I know he and his family could work this together and it would be a great help to them. As he stated on our ride home....."if I plant an apple tree this year, it will not have fruit for at least a year"......then I knew he had gotten it.....this will not happen overnite, but it can and will happen given the time and effort that anyone of us would/have/will put into a traditional corporate job.
If you want to join me on this adventure..... www.nathieknell.igniteinc.biz

Meanwhile, aerial photo sales are going ok but not great. Memorial weekend killed me....between the rain and folks vacationing it's been tough. In fact, there is talk that I will be moving on in 2 weeks....I have an option to go to VA.....anybody want to go a little north for the summer????