Stop Right There...

12-24-06_0006.jpg
Originally uploaded by dublwrap.

...this is a perfect photo opportunity...(i.e. my camera phone is filling up and it's time to unload)

Merry Christmas Baby

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Originally uploaded by dublwrap.

"They say it's your birthday, well it's my birthday too, yeah"

This is an impressive list of XMAS babies....

- Humphrey Bogart (of Play it Again Sam fame)
- Cab Calloway (of Minnie the Moocher fame)
- Gary Sandy (of Great Hair on WKRP fame)
- Jimmy Buffett (of Parrothead fame)
- Larry Csonka (of running over linebackers fame)
- Barbara Mandrell (of country music fame)
- Sissy Spacek (of Carrie fame)
- Annie Lennox (of Sweet Dreams fame)
- Shane McGowan (of The Pogues fame)
- Rickey Henderson (of stealing bases fame)
...and me

Have a Happy!!!!!

Saturday in Gainesville...

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Originally uploaded by dublwrap.

....means basketball. Here is Rob and Ron right behind one of hoops, enjoying the Ohio State vs. Florida game. It may have ended with a 86-60 Gator win over the third ranked Buckeyes, but that didn't mean that the night ended there....A trip to Stubbies and Steak & Shake later means....night of festivities.

How 'Bout Some Cheese With That?

So...I gotta be up at 4:30am tomorrow in order to open my store by 5:30am. Yikes! At 7:30am, I head to Ocala for 12 hours of store setup. I don't think I'm gonna make it through the day...

Scenes From a Store Setup

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Originally uploaded by dublwrap.

Doing some hard labor setting up a store in Ocala. Enjoy the collage...

Petty : Epilogue

Here's a clip from the Tom Petty concert that was held at the O'Dome in Gainesville a few months back. You can catch the complete concert on the Dish Network channel RAVE at the following dates and times :

December 24: 10:00PM
December 25: 2:00AM, 8:00PM
December 27: 3:00PM
December 29: 9:00PM
December 30: 12:00AM, 12:00PM
January 1: 3:00AM

Not Your Typical Holiday Party

Bottoms Up
Originally uploaded by dublwrap.

Well...this pretty much sums up the Sunday evening that I experienced at a multi-hour holiday party put on by my friends at Stubbies. By 5am, I was wiped out, but the night was loads of fun. That is a bottle of Val-Dieu, a delicious Abbey Ale from Begium...and yes, it was a 6 liter glass bottle...and yes, it was heavy. A keg of Rogue Juniper Pale Ale was floating by 12:01am and I embraced a rare French sparking wine from the Loire Valley that made me tingle. A snowflake pinata filled with chocolate was mangled at one point, but not after a broken broom handle was cast off into the night after several futile attempts. Other highlights inluded me conducting a coffee tasting and the hot water heater spilling into the hallway. Now, it's time for a nap...

Amost the End of an Era

Archer Road
Originally uploaded by dublwrap.

I opened this SBUX on Saturday, September 17th , 2003...the day of the Tennessee vs. Florida football game. We lost (thanks Zooker), but the store continues to kick into high gear. On Jan. 1st, 2007, I'll be officially starting a new SBUX position in town and will no longer be running "My" place. Funny thing is, all customers have "their store", but this one will always be mine. I will never forget the 100+ partners who've worked for me, the thousands of customers I've greeted, the oodles of milk pitchers that I've frothed and the number of times I've burned myself. Little do most of you know that I almost had the opportunity to move to Seattle to work at the corporate office. Another fun fact that I still have a copy of my almost resignation letter saved on my computer. This ride has had its scalding moments and cold aftermaths. I was never perfect...far from it, but I embraced the culture and worked everyday to sell the passion to my partners and customers. I will truly miss it...every single espresso shot, crack in the floor, partner question and customer smile. Thank you, Archer Road.

If I Had a Nickel for Everytime...

Not Really....
Originally uploaded by dublwrap.

...I heard this...

Somethings Never Change

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Originally uploaded by dublwrap.

Just modeling the latest fashions....

Green Italics

I can stop.....and go. I can fast forward and rewind. I cannot be controlled or contained. I am my own offensive and defensive coordinator...while being a player/coach. I can quit while I'm ahead and stop the world...and get off. I'm live and taped delayed. I can skip I can skip. I can palindrome emordnilap nac I. You cannot dub me, but I can be muted. Sometimes I come in clear or fuzzy. I'm paused...

A Day in a Life

I'm in bed at 2:36am, freezing my buttocks off. It's 30 something degrees outside and I refuse to run the heat (yet). I'm wearing thermals, wrapped in my duvet (yes I actually have one) and drifting asleep...but I need to write. I had a day of challenges, laughter, heart felt talks, revisiting friendships and abnormal people mingling. I talked with employees, ex-employees, an ex-wife, a current boss, my close friends, passionate business owners, a poll taker, strangers and people who make me smile. I text messaged, e-mailed, voice mailed, called, left messages, dialogued and blabbed with a plethora of friends. I was knee deep in garbage this morning but was enjoying a cafe con leche with toast at closing time. I added additional phone numbers to my cell phone and snapped a few pics too. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

wow...i fell asleep at the keyboard and left my exclamation. Sweet dreams everyone....

The Response

Subject
---------------------------------------------------------------
A Friendly Letter from a Friendly Friend of a Customer


Discussion Thread
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response (Customer Service) - 12/06/2006 11:25 AM
Mr. Ostrow, thank you for contacting The Rockport Company. We
appreciate that you took the time to share information on your friend’s
sandals with us. Please feel confident that the information you have
provided us will be forwarded to the appropriate management.

Unlike any other brand, Rockport is able to provide the very best in
comfort and support performance. We will continue to strive to deliver
new levels of comfort, cushioning and stability.

Thanks again for contacting Rockport.

---------------------------------------------------------------

I don't understand? "Appropriate management" is needed to explore the possibility that my friend is freakishly obsessed with wearing the same shoes for 30 years? I'd love to be the manager of that Wacko department!!!!!

Dear Rockport,

You can love your shoes...you just can't LOVE your shoes
Originally uploaded by dublwrap.

For starters, these aren't my sandals. I cannot take credit for this masterpiece. These "Walks of Art" belong to one of my friends, John Pooser of Gainesville, FL. He has used the same pair of sandals for over 30 years. He has become one with these decaying slip-ons and continues to this day to adorn them when he visits Bourbon Street or when he kicks back on his front porch. Thanks for making such an amazing product that helps my friend function, but can you tell him not to wear socks with them too?

Sincerely,

Robert W. Ostrow

Running Out of Room

Final Touches
Originally uploaded by chasingfun.

I had to post this on my site. Thanks MT for capturing the moment.

Taking Care of The Big "C"

Ok...time to rant. I'm fuming. Scathing mad. Blood boiling. Fists clenched. Teeth grinding. Scowling...simply scowling. I'm not a happy camper. I HATE being treated without respect. I despise people who do not take responsibility for their actions. I don't have time for people who are not knowledgeable about their product and afraid to take ownership of their business. Underpaid and under-trained employees need to be put into an eternal abyss and forced to wait in a Best Buy return line FOREVER!!!!

I'm in the customer service business and I'm damn good at what I do. Why? I believe in taking care of the customer. Period. None of this "Customer is Always Right" crap. The customer is king/queen and people forget what drives the retail business. I try to say "Yes" under any situation. You need to return that? Sure, no problem. Made your drink wrong? Sorry, let me remake that for you...and here's another free one when you come back. It's alright to screw up because we're human. Can't be perfect under every situation. Just say "I'm sorry" and really freaking mean it. People actually appreciate communication between the business and the customer. "That'll be about five minutes" goes a long way. Saying nothing is evil, stinky and downright rude.

I am very patient when it comes to a busy office or store. I know what to expect and anxiously await my turn. You could open another register or actually adequately train and staff your store...but you didn't so I'll suffer the consequences of your tomfoolery. But when you cross the line with me, you're gonna hear it. I understand that "It's not your fault", but guess what Biff? You're wearing a name badge with your company's logo on it. They sign your paycheck and now you're dealing with me. Now get your manager before I push you into that display over there...

Ok...rant over...I feel better. Time to get back in line.

Oops...

This Fan Really F***** Likes His Team
Originally uploaded by dublwrap.

...the ESPN censor was on his potty break...