JFife

Another thing I've noticed is that most trailer manufacturers are in the Midwest, and the farther you get from there, the prices can increase drastically, especially heading West. From where I live compared to Denver, trailers jump in price about 50% (enclosed). But I believe Haulmark has a Utah facility.

Bloody nice job, Bugger:) (i hope that is reasonably friendly and polite:))

LOL, what is it with DEAF powerwashers?? I swear, I believe there are five deaf guys on TGS doing PW. Was yours work related Carlos?? Seems it would have been tough to be a fireman without hearing, or was it degenerative??

Great words, Ken. Definitely an area where I need improvement. JF

Alan, A good family friend is a trailer dealer, sells Haulmark, which is what I buy from him. In my mind, he's the biggest trailer expert I've ever met.....at one point had a business making these 500K trailers that race drivers basically live in while driving across the country w/ their cars, etc. I'm shopping for another right now, possibly used, and asked his advice. He told me Haulmark and Pace would far and away be his choice at the top of the pack. Not a lot of difference between the two. Actually, the two plants are very near each other, and he said are "mortal enemies". Said the owners of the two Companies actually got into a fight at some trailer expo, LOL. Highly competitive. I've had WellsCargo, I'd consider it a few steps below a Haulmark (never had a Pace). I'm by no means a trailer expert, but I just so happened to have this conversation with a guy that I would consider an expert last weekend, so I thought I'd share. Hope it helps,

Ahhh, nice to see another Sig Man!! You cannot beat the Sig!!

Well said DonL, but over the heads of about 49-51% of the population, maybe more.

HEY CELESTE----I HOPE ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE REDNECK MEALS TO EAT IS "CROW", BECAUSE YOU ARE ABOUT TO CHOW DOWN ON A BIG SERVING OF IT!! WHY YOU WERE SO RESISTANT TO RECOGNIZE A MUNCHKINLAND IN YOUR HOMETOWN IS BEYOND ME, SO I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO GET TO THE TRUTH. HERE IT IS, IN THE PASTED WORDS OF A GOOD FRIEND, WHO LIVES IN THE SAME TOWN AS YOU DO. I'LL REITERATE, I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE DISSAGREEMENT, AND HERE IS WHAT HE SAID. PERHAPS YOU'LL RECOGNIZE THE LANDMARKS, SHOULD YOU QUESTION THE VERACITY! As far as Munchkin Land yeah it's true. It's out in the county on an old abandoned road near the Haw River. You have to cross an old bridge that's nearly fallen down. The state recognizes the land and won't let anyone destroy it. They even put up a road block with a steel bar across it so people can't drive their vehicles down there anymore. I haven't gone there in years but it's still there as far as I know. They live off the land like the amish do, so they don't get out in town much. They are also very protective when people enter their community. You couldn't pay me enough to walk down their alone at night, I'll tell you that much. CELESTE......I KNOW YOU ARE READING THIS.....RESPONSE?????:)

KINDA FUNNY!! JF An actual letter sent to a Senator: The Honorable Paul S. Sarbanes 309 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC, 20510 Dear Senator Sarbanes: As a native Marylander and excellent customer of the Internal Revenue Service, I am writing to ask for your assistance. I have contacted the Immigration and Naturalization Service in an effort to determine the process for becoming an illegal alien and they referred me to you. My reasons for wishing to change my status from U.S. citizen to illegal alien stem from the bill which was recently passed by the Senate and for which you voted. If my understanding of this bill's provisions is accurate, as an illegal alien who has been in the United States for five years, what I need to do to become a citizen is to pay a $2,000 fine and income taxes for three of the last five years. I know a good deal when I see one and I am anxious to get the process started before everyone figures it out. Simply put, those of us who have been here legally have had to pay taxes every year, so I'm excited about the prospect of avoiding two years of the last five years taxes in return for paying a $2,000 fine. Is there any way that I can apply to be illegal retroactively? This would yield an excellent return for me and my family because we paid heavy taxes in 2004 and 2005 and I estimated a gross savings approximating $72,000. After the fine this would yield me a net savings of $70,000. In addition, I would reap the other benefits of being an illegal alien such as free health care, avoidance of paying Social Security taxes, buying automobile insurance, serving on jury panels, etc. If you would provide me with an outline of the process to become illegal (retroactively if possible) and copies of the necessary forms, I would be most appreciative. Thank you for your assistance. Your Loyal Constituent Submitted by Glenn O.

I don't know if I agree with that move or not Diamond Jim.....the fact that this guy was your "friend" makes me give you the benefit of the doubt, but otherwise, I don't meddle in another companies business. If I were doing a sale to a homeowner and the neighbor walked over and said "hey! If you're needing your deck done, I know the best guy in town. Come by when this guy leaves and I'll give you his name." By the time I left, I'd be able to give a concrete answer as to whether or not a size 13EE boot will indeed fit into another man's a__. Regarding product sales, there are a million analogies, but I always go to this: I know NOTHING about computers. I mean ZIP, ZERO. As long as I am alive, I'll always need someone to do repairs, design work, websites, bookkeeping, etc. for me. I'm also aware that I can buy programs, books, etc. that would teach me how to do it myself. But I have NO interest in that, and don't ever plan to have an interest in it. 75% of my customers are like that with their homes. Heck, I'm kinda like that with my home. I hire out little repairs, etc. So the trick is to find the customers that have no interest in being a DIY. The ones that have tried and failed are the best. It's just something you have to deal with......every year new guys make the arguement that HomeDepot should stop selling Powerwashers, hurts guys like us, etc. Those are one of those statements that are so profoundly stupid and hypocrytical beyond belief that I never even bother to respond. Like Diamond said, wanna-be DIY'ers a lot of times end up being customers.

RC, ...We are currently going through the Emyth Mastery program, if you are doing the same and would ever want to talk, it would definitely be my pleasure. Good luck in the new season, JF

.....That's a big fat "NO" on Argentina for me! Krauts? Wops?? That must be the loudest country on Earth!!!LOL Heh, only thing worse than hearing a bunch of greaseballs flappin their jaws is hearing some loudmouth germans or Russians!!!! I'm just gonna go to ireland or scotland, somewhere i don't get made fun of for having pinkish-red skin, freckles, and explosive anger problems,LOL:) Prolly a good market there for washing....lots of mold and fungi from all the rain, yeah?? Rick, There is a commune near where Celeste lives called "Munchkintown", she doesn't know of it (or so she says). The munchkins are mean to us "giants". CELESTE IF YOU ARE READING, AND I KNOW YOU ARE, I'M GOING TO EMAIL MY FRIEND FROM BURLINGTON, HAVE HIM TELL HIS STORIES, GIVE SOME CROSS-STREETS FOR REFERENCE, AND I'LL CUT-AND-PASTE HERE! He recently had a loss, but I'll get him on the ball so he can put an end to this debate between me and Celeste once and for all!!

Perhaps we could tap the wood resto. market in Somalia or Ethiopia, somewhere that the cold and rain wouldn't effect us as bad.

Ditto what Deckguy just said......when we've actually had really "good" teams in the last five years they've flopped. Now we're 2-2 with the Mets after last nights thrashing. I'd love a stl/Detroit World Series..........One thing--I'm tired of playing people that I don't mind losing to. Redsox (2yrs ago) for instance. If I was going to lose a WS, I'd want it to be to the sox. And now we might play Detroit, another deserving, poor, small market team that I'd be honored to lose to. Hate feeling that way. Bring on the Yankees!!!

....Make it a pic from around 93', strutting a small waist with your jean legs tight-rolled. Fishnet?? We wouldn't be so lucky:)

Jeff Robinson said the NFL combine record for 225 was (i think) 58 reps. That's nuts. LOL, yeah, vitamin S will just about double your output.

Jarrod, good to see ya!! That's awesome!! Once I get in a little better shape next summer, I'll be issueing a formal challenge for a youtube BENCH-OFF with Russ S, Jeff Robinson, and I guess you'll now have to be in (obviously, the weight will be 225 or 315, LOL, I cannot afford to get hurt, literally:)) It sucks being in bad shape. Again, nice crib!! And lest anyone forget how rich Jarrod is, he also built a deck and landscaped this summer!! Someone's makin' some paper!!:) Good to see you bud,

Just kidding Mike, I wish I was that good-looking:) I definitely agree to an extent plainpainter. You have to walk a very fine-line of teaching the customer that wants to learn, and force-feeding info to the person that just wants it done a certain way. For instance: with me, we offer a waterbase solution and an oilbase solution. There are some people that are just sworn to the idea that oil is better for anything--exterior paints, whatever. Once I get this feel from them, I no longer try and even proceed with a waterbase option. Not even included in the bid. I've talked/sold people into doing things against "their" better judgement before, and that's a tough battle. You not only have to exceed their expectations, you have to GREATLY exceed their expectations. That isn't always possible, and then you have a dissapointed customer that basically says, "yeah, I new I should have listened to my retired 85 yr old painter friend." But realistically, if you have enough bids coming in, you should be able to weed out the people that tell you what they want you to come bid. There is a massive difference between getting a call, "I'd like for you to come and look at my deck....it looks aweful and we really need to get something done to it." And the call, "I'd like for you to come out and give me a price to chemically strip my deck, neutralize it, and keep it from getting all fuzzy. And I want you to bid to stain it with two coats of Cuprinol." That second call, you should be able to weed out on the phone and either make it a guaranteed sell or pass without going out there. The people that come off like this because they think it'll help them get a better job are an easy sell. The people that come off like this because that is the kind of person they are (control freak) are bad customers. Two minutes into the call, you should have your answer.

Screw you Mike, that's me.

Mike Sullivan: ...I'd definitely pass on your Sikkens clearcoat idea IMO. Try using Natural Oak or Butternut....browner, not as orange/red. Ken, you've asked the million-dollar question that makes wood restoration difficult. The finishes that you can take care of easily, whether it be on a deck or multi-million dollar home, don't look like a million bucks. The finishes that will literally make the customers cry with glee they look so nice pose their own maintenance dilemmas, and will cost far more money to maintain in the long run. ......And what makes matter worse, is that if you are honest and tell customers up front all of these angles, you probably won't get the job at all. Sometimes it is almost a curse to have too much information to give.....you are better off just offering the product and telling them how wonderful it will be and going with it, rather than suggesting the pros and cons of different services.

Ahh, how sweet, Anthony has gone all soft and sweet on us:) Maybe I'll send him a boquet of flowers:) So let me see if I can paraphrase the prevailing opinion: 1) Won't shoot for stealing wand. 2) Won't shoot for stealing rig. 3) How about real property, i.e. someone squats off 10acres of your 1000acre farm?? Shoot for taking that property? 4) Remember that debate we had a year ago--several people were upset over the Eminent Domain issue.....would you "shoot" to protect that property if it were being taken from you?? 5) Most of us are willing to "shoot" to protect the property we refer to as the United States...that's acceptable. Someone attacks that property, or, we feel threatened that they may attack our property, we may "shoot". Back to #1) But we won't shoot on a micro scale if it is only effecting us. Property, Big scale=SHOOT Property, Small scale=NO SHOOT I agree, I'd not shoot someone for stealing my wand either. But I do feel I should have the legal right to, should it be my choice. If someone infringes on my property I should have the right to protect it, just like my country would expect me to do should they call upon me.

Do you have labels already with instructions?? Matter O' Fact, even for like F18 (drum almost empty) I wouldn't mind just getting some labels and transferring from drum to bucket---if they were labeled. I just find it unsafe when we have new people getting chems out of our un-labeled buckets, etc, and that is why i'd like some SC buckets, or at least labels. What are you guys' thoughts?

LOL, Wine is definitely in season:)

Though I don't do housewashing, we constantly find different uses for it. My only criticism of SC thus far would be the packaging. I'd prefer for it to come in a labeled, 5gal or 2-3gal pail. I'm sure many of us could write 100 different uses for it for different surfaces for a label. But we have to transfer it to a bucket, write the name on it, and then tell anyone new to refer to the Operations Manual or ask someone else of the are going to mix up a batch of bleach cleaner, or window scrub, or an aggressive cleaner, etc. I know a bucket and label adds $3-4 to the product, but it would be worth it to me, and it would "keep" better, etc. Even if you (speaking out loud to Bob) just got some labels made up, and gave them out, we could apply them ourselves, as I assume some guys immediately mix the powder into a concentrate any carry it around as a liquid. I'd probably carry one bucket of powder and one bucket of pre-mixed concentrate, and have them as a staple on all vehicles. IMO. JF

[quote= I also have digs at Curves and Cold Stone if I need a more formal meeting palce. I'm looking for a new place with some retail space. KEN FENNER=a Marketing Genius!! First, he fattens up all the women with the ice cream, then he tells them they can thin down at his Curves!! A never-ending circle of cashflow!!:) Re: office. Looking, and hate it. Don't want to buy, don't like Co. assets. Don't want to rent, hate renting and most of the landlords I've dealt with have been women, and I don't get along well with women. My neighbors may just have to get used to having Fred Sanford living next door:)