Posted by equiPrime on June 20, 2009
I decided that I was going to do something nice for my boyfriend. I was going to get him a gift he would really enjoy using. He’s super interested in boating and spends a lot of time at marine supply stores so I thought I’d get him some boat parts.
I did the smart thing and fished around for what he might like. (Um, pun not intended!) I casually tried to ask him what he was looking for the last time that we were in the marine parts store together. He mumbled something about Evinrude parts and I made a mental note of it.
I thought it would be easy to find what he wanted. Boy was I wrong! I went into the same store and asked the cashier there about Evinrude parts but he didn’t have any idea what I was talking about. I tried to look online but there were too many different marine parts coming up and I got confused.
Finally I ended up getting my boyfriend something else. Later I told him this story. He explained to me that one of the biggest boat part makers is Evinrude/Johnson but that most people know their parts as Johnson parts so that’s why I couldn’t find what I was looking for. Now I know for next time but boy was I confused!
Technorati Tags: Evinrude Parts, marine supply
Posted by Primer on June 17, 2009
One of the things that I am thankful for is that I have always had a knack with computers. Whether it was software or hardware, it has always seemed that I could figure it out. In fact, what set me apart from my friends was that I could explain how to use computers to anyone at any skill level.
I guess it comes as no surprise that I found myself working as a tech support person for a software company. I came across the job to be support for a company providing team management software and I thought that it would be a good opportunity to share my talents and maybe have the chance to talk some coaches around the world.
I did end up talking to a number of teams across the country, and for the most part, they were all friendly. You did get the odd one that complained about the stress involved with managing teams, but to me that is the fun part!
I think that I will work in this call center for awhile because I like this job. Though it isn’t as challenging as I would like, it is rewarding helping others with something I love - computers.
Technorati Tags: managing teams, share my talents, team management software
Posted by Mel on June 14, 2009
I want a nice built in grill like one of those by fire magic. But maybe with a wooden deck that’s elevated, should I be looking at just a regular rolling barbecue instead? Right now, my husband rolls it out right in the middle of the deck and leaves it there; it’s like the center piece of our whole view when he does that. Then I turn around and push it back out of view.
Maybe I should get a really neat fire magic bbq island. Now, maybe this would look a lot better than a plain old rolling bbq, but then again, our deck really isn’t all that deep. I want something that can be protected well or closed up because we get a lot of dust where we live, and the Ponderosa Pines put off a lot of pollen in late May and early June. It gets into every nook and cranny.
If it were up to me, I’d lay a cement slab under the deck and have my husband barbecue from under there on a fireproof floor and covered from the elements. But he doesn’t want to hike up and down stairs just to barbecue. Go figure.
Technorati Tags: fire magic, fire magic bbq island, Ponderosa Pines
Posted by Mel on
It has been many years now since I first opened our furniture store, but I can now look upon it with a feeling of accomplishment. For the last twenty five years, we have been providing quality furniture to people in our area, and are well recognized. Though we haven’t always had the best price, we have provided exceptional service, and I think our patrons have really appreciated that.
But last year a national furniture store chain opened up in town and the competition started to get fierce. For the first time in ten years, I was seeing our sales start to decrease. I knew that they had lower prices than we did, but I didn’t want to end up in a price war that I wouldn’t be able to win - I knew there had to be another way for us to keep our market share.
My wife came up with the great idea that we could offer accessibility seating to our customers. There was no one in town that sold lift recliners or other accessibility seating options. I found out that some of our suppliers had stock of these types of products, so we brought some in to try them out.
Six months later, we have gained market share and are testing out new products to sell in our store. So far the response to the walk-in bath tubs that has been phenomenal and we are looking to bring in even more options for our customers. I will have to give all the credit to my wife though - she did have a really good idea.
Technorati Tags: Accomplishment, lift recliners, walk-in bath
Posted by ePrim on May 24, 2009
Hot tubs are not all that difficult to take care of, but they do need some regular preventative maintenance. Fairly cheap hot tubs aren’t difficult to find, but they still cost a pretty penny, so you won’t want to be neglectful of the things that will extend your hot tub’s life.
For instance, it is a good idea to clean the filter in your hot tub regularly — the experts usually say between one and three weeks, depending on how frequently you use your hot tub. Cleaning your hot tub filter is pretty simple, and saves you money on buying as many new filters — as well as repairs that could have been prevented with better care.
You will also need to drain and clean your hot tub periodically – every three months or so, generally. This allows you to remove buildups from the water and chemicals in the hot tub, and keep surfaces clean and sanitary.
You may also choose to have your hot tub looked at once a year or so, generally at the beginning of the season, to make sure there is nothing wrong with it. Doing regular maintenance and checking on the hot tub can actually save you money by prolonging your hot tub’s life, and making sure you catch problems early, before they become as expensive.
Technorati Tags: cheap hot tubs, hot tub filter, hot tubs, preventative maintenance
Posted by Primer on
When my boyfriend’s small business started to run into some problems with storage space, he wasn’t sure what to do. I came in and immediately I could see what the problem was: there were filing cabinets everywhere. And where there weren’t filing cabinets there were bookshelves overflowing with paper and loose file folders. There was hardly room in the office for desks and chairs.
I told him he needed to come up with a new filing system, preferably one that involved storing the documents somewhere else. He didn’t have the money for off site storage, so I then suggested that he hire a document imaging service company so he could store all of his company papers electronically, taking care of the need for a physical paper trail.
I looked up the number for a local document scanning solution provider so that we could get an estimate. My boyfriend was pleasantly surprised to find out that this was a solution that he could afford. And now that all of his documents are going to be stored digitally, his staff would actually have the room to move around the office. I even bought a floor plant for the newly cleared space.
Technorati Tags: document imaging service, document scanning solution
Posted by equiPrime on May 15, 2009
Are you thinking about adding an indoor or outdoor wall fountain to your place of business? This can be a really great idea since it brings a sense of peacefulness and beauty to the office space and enhances the appeal of the business for customers.
Some things to consider when choosing water wall fountains for the office include:
- Placement of the fountain. Is this going to go outside in front of your building? If so then you should look at garden wall fountains. If it’s going inside then you want to get something smaller.
- Design of the fountain. Almost all businesses are best-suited for a simple, modern fountain design. Anything else is just too ornate for an office space. However, you may find that certain offices (such as the offices of luxury interior decorators) could get a fancier wall fountain and pull it off.
- Cost of the fountain. Before you get a fountain you should make sure that you understand the initial cost as well as the ongoing cost to keep the fountain in operation.
Having taken these few things into consideration, you should be able to select a wall fountain that makes your office a better space for you as well as for your customers.
Technorati Tags: garden wall fountains, water wall fountains
Posted by Mel on April 24, 2009
My son’s prom is going to be at the Downtown Denver Aquarium. How cool is that? They get the run of the place. How neat it would be to stroll through hallways lighted only by the aquariums, or else to go into the rainforest sections with all the birds and running water. So romantic!
And then I’d like to do some sort of outdoor party for him upon graduation. I’d love to use lots of yard lights and even lights in trees. I have a little bit of a dilemma, though. My trees are 80 foot Ponderosa Pines! Do you think there are some sort of mini lights that would be feasible for those? I’m even thinking I could use some of those giant Christmas decorations that would fit the occasion, like stars or something. But none of this is any use if I need a hook and ladder to get the things up into the trees!
I need some advice from some professional party planners, or people like those on tv who plan big wedding events for movie stars. Maybe one of you does that and would like to give a little free advice? Because I don’t have a movie star’s budget!
Technorati Tags: Christmas decorations, Downtown Denver Aquarium, mini lights
Posted by Mel on April 22, 2009
Our babysitter is afraid of our house. We have windows along the entire back side of the home which opens up into the backyard and at night, with no lights behind the house, it can feel very isolating. She had babysat for us several times during the day but on her first evening of work, she shared with us her fear. Her discomforts lead us to change our plans for the night. We didn’t want to leave our children with someone who was scared of the house; it wouldn’t have been fair to her or our kids.
The situations with the babysitter lead us to reevaluate security in and around our home. While we’ve never felt threatened, we did understand how isolated our home is from the rest of our neighborhood, thus giving the feeling of fear. We decided to contact a company specializing in home security in Denver. An agent came to our home and talked to us about implementation of a home security system that would be monitored 24 hours a day. Within in days, we had all the windows and doors linked to the off-site monitoring center which could be contacted at the punch at the keypad. Our babysitter decided to try babysitting for us again and we had a successful evening out after we put her fears to rest with our new alarm system.
Technorati Tags: babysitter, home security Denver, home security system
Posted by equiPrime on April 16, 2009
I am fairly proficient at using modern technology. I can navigate my way around a smartphone or a modern notebook computer. I can hold my own at video games on today’s gaming systems. But if you ask me how any of this stuff works or how to fix something when it breaks, you’re going to be seeing a pretty dumb look coming off of my face because the nuances of technology are really Greek to me.
I’m a smart girl. I can understand the basics. I know that you can take apart accessories for 2 way radio gadgets and use them as cellular phone accessories. I know that you can change the settings on your computer to maximize its power usage. But beyond the basics, I’m lost.
I don’t know why it is that I have such a tough time understanding the inner workings of today’s technology. I’m not bad at math or science. It’s just that when it gets down to the details of these things, it all just starts to look and sound the same to me. I can’t see beyond the chips and wires to a bigger understanding of how it all works. Luckily there are other people who can and those are the people I rely on when something goes wrong with my technology!
Technorati Tags: accessories for 2 way radio, cellular phone accessories