I looked into the new trailer, now labeled “Wally World”. The single most attractive part of the location is that it is zoned differently than this one. Stay close while I explain. This land was sold out from under me because this land was zoned for multi-family homes and it was economically feasible to build condos here. Both conditions had to exist. Nobody would dare trying to build single-family homes in this area because the price would be double that of comparable places a mile north.My thinking is to buy the new unit. Not only is it more than comfortable for two people, the layout means the only common area is really the living room and dining room, with the second bedroom forming an almost self-contained suite. While the fixed cost is higher, the pad rent is comparable and the place could easily be shared without tripping over each other like this joint. There is just one bathroom, but the place is large enough to address that problem in a variety of ways, especially considering the unit rests on a concrete foundation with a large crawl space. Wallace has been updated with all but the newest information concerning all this.
Tomorrow I replace the band DVD player. Sales were brisk enough and are now predictable enough that I can afford it. Good, because I did not know Good Friday was this weekend. I have not been working long enough to let the concept of weekend creep back into my lifestyle. Oh, may I state that I sold a package to a Hindu? From Canada? It was like pulling teeth, but I sold him the entire package. Only those who have tried this can appreciate the feat.
Mike and I gave up trying to get a laptop to work for my gigs. It would seem easy to fire up something that I could use on stage, but no. Laptops are built for dummies, and so is the software. After 16 hours of work, done only because we had the spare time, we gave up trying to use an IBM Thinkpad. It is anything but easy to operate because you can’t turn off the features designed for ignoramuses. Among the major problems were the unpredictable lag time to start playing, difficulty getting all the file names to stay displayed on screen (and not move around, maximize, or overlap each other) and worst, a media player pop-up after each song. That popup seemed to just know where to block what you had to see next. There is no time during a live performance to contend with such nonsense.
Hmm, what’s this then? The French daughter is next door, so she didn’t go back yet. I don’t stand a chance but she sure is easy on the eyes. The brother keeps a close eye on her, and that is only right. When I’m practicing music, she walks back and forth past my window. Sorry, no pictures for you.
Work is the dominating element for now. I’m meeting the quotas but it is not a long term candidate unless the packages become much easier to sell. I’ve sold before and for the same effort, one should be making twice the money. Since that will never happen there, I keep an ear to the ground. First, there is an adult teaching academy in Hallandale looking for teachers and I will have more particulars soon. Two, Marcus, the guy who told me about this job, says he knows of a place where the commissions are higher.
Marcus is one of my regular customers from the shop. He spends around $60 per month on my computers, so he is also a top customer. They let him work the hours he pleases, which is usually from 8 to 11 at night. He makes the same money as me in half the time. Hey, he’s been there five years. There are several other people in the place who have also been in my shop, including some of the higher-ups. Most of the senior people are closers, and I have a total dependency on them as a team to make my sales. What’s happening is I’m losing a third of my calls at the moment I ask for their credit card information.
I use the proven script and imitate the intonation of the closers, but there is some psychologically pothole at this precise point. I suspect it is because I’m more used to asking people directly for money, that is, where the pitch means buy it now or you lose the discount, I must come across as take it or leave it. I now turn all my callers over to a closer at that point but the losses continue as there is a one-minute dead air time on that.
Last for today, folks, I need to flash a message to some people out there. Folks, you did not receive any free money from us. It is a coupon that gets activated when you buy our product. If you don’t have $66.50 to your name, should you be calling about a free Caribbean cruise? Fact number one: you have to arrive near the boat; we don’t send it to Arizona to get you. Vacations cost money. M-O-N-E-Y. You may think you deserve a holiday because you work so hard; the rest of the world disagrees.
Make that second last for today. Call to mind my question over the meaning of “Characters Wanted”. This is an oft-repeated phrase at the end of many television ads for upcoming programs. I’d look up when I heard it, like, it you want characters I’ll give you all you want for the right fee. Anyway, after a week of searching it turns out nobody else around here seems to know what it means either. (Since it is more than one word, you can’t Google it, way to go there Brainiacs.) One person has suggested it is a call sign for the television station, something like “Built Ford Tough”. Except, it does not make sense.
There was a documentary about hidden meanings in the Bible. Something to do with encoded word spacings. My question is if these ancient people knew so damn much, why did they bother with codes? Only a few of them needed fear any prosecutions so why not just come out and say it? I ask, “What is with all the secret codes already?”
Comes the reply, “Characters Wanted.”
