Crazy days of Winter

Well considering it has been over a month since I last wrote, I should have a lot to write about.
I DO. First of all, this last storm we just had really messed up the roads and lifestyle of many people. I enjoy my Mustang most of the time, but it does not handle worth a damn on snow and ice. It definitely hinders your ability to just relax and drive wherever. The number of appointments, and errands skipped because of it really sets things out of whack. On the otherhand, I don't think anything is more magical than seeing snow fall out of the sky.
I played in one of the tougher tennis tournaments in the Pacifac northwest and got my butt kicked royally in both singles and doubles. I won a total of six games between the four sets. To put that in perspective I won a game for every 40 miles I drove to play in it. However, besides playing indoors in 30 degree weather, I loved every minute of it. My lungs burned for about four days afterwards. The best part was watching the University of Oregons players play and get knocked out one by one with their #1 player losing in the finals to a 39 year old ex professional player who still has an amazing game. Although I am not even close to their level, I enjoy and appreciate the talent they possess.
My daughter got two pet rats for Christmas, and really enjoys playing with them. It's fun to watch her enthusiasm when it comes to playing and taking care of them. She does a very good job of taking care of all the pets at both houses. The only thing she gets more excited about is when she doesn't have to run the 1600 at school for weather reasons.
Boring but irritating subject. Contract negotiations have been going on for over a week between my store, RJ Reynolds, and Philip Morris. It is now close to physically impossible to please all three. RJ is starting to get a little big for their britches, P.M. is raising the stakes big time to keep RJ down, and I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. Feb. 1 is when the official contract is available for RJ and I am nervous is won't be good enough to not go higher with P.M. My tough part is I have built an amazing relationship with the Rj rep afters years of hatred for their company. Business is business, but I don't want it to all end over $$$$.
Oh and by the way everyone brace themselves for another month filled with price changes.
I forgot to write about the beautiful oxymoron thrown out by the state of Oregon. We as a retailer will not be able to sell single stick cigarettes after Jan. 31, due to tax reasons. They have been stressing the importance of health and quitting smoking and at the same time they are now forcing anyone who really needs a smoke to buy a whole pack.
My tennis team starts back up the first week of February. YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
Quite possibly my favorite thing to do. I enjoy the challenge of putting together and coaching a good team. You can see how good you are on paper at the beginning of the year, but you never really know. This year should be our best yet. We have some real talent. Our combined reord the last 3 years is 20wins and 2 losses, winning our division all 3 years. I enjoy knowing we are the team to beat.
One quick rant about the store. My most recent hire has received more complaints than any clerk I have ever hired, mostly surrounding behavior. He is young, learning, and still immature, but he has a good heart and will surprise you if you can get past his initial demeanor. I ask you to look a little harder at this one and I think all will be good. However I do appreciate complaints because I can't solve or attempt to without knowing about it in the first place.
Last thought of the day. Katie you are strike three on the PINKIE SWEAR. I now truly understand. It is just a silly saying, it doesn't actually mean anything. My bad for thinking otherwise.
One truly last thought. I finally secured the Domain name Hiltonshaven.com and will have an incredibly cool, bizarre, twisted, abnormal, borderline questionable, website to convey what HH is really about. The amount of radical ideas that have been frying my brain waiting about three years for this will finally happen. The world will never be the same. At least mine won't. By the way anyone in internet land stay away from Hostingplex.com as they truly suck. I would go into greater detail but I'm trying to keep this somewhat clean, unlike my up and coming website.......
As a forewarning to the world. My mind truly is warped I just have enough sense to confine it to the back of my head, I just felt this would be a good place for my disclaimor statement.
One last last thought... Kudos to Irish Brothers coffee stand on 181st for not only hiring pretty, intelligent, and cool woman, but actually staying open long enough for me to patron them. Class act all the way around.