Control Your Kid – Pleaseeeee

OMG – Why can’t some parents control their kids?

Why is it a new mom will not let Little Johnny or Suzy two feet from them when they first start walking yet in the next year or two they don’t even have a clue where they are or what they are doing?

Don’t get me wrong, I love kids. Why else would I have an ice cream store?

During my many years at Home Depot I was always amazed at how parents never watched their kids. They would let them climb ladders, climb pallets of concrete and climb inside the racking. Did they not care if their kid fell? Or if they ate toxin? Or if they got cut? Hell, never mind the forklifts running around.

Now, I have to deal with these same kids opening and closing my freezers doors over and over. They open the cake freezer doors and poke holes in my ice cream cakes! Watching them lock my front door and laughing. And to top it off they don’t see them picking the candy off their ice cream and throwing it on the floor. Never mind the madness when the sugar kicks in and they run around like mad dogs and start banging on my windows. Yet there is mom and dad talking away not paying attention to Little Suzy or Johnny.

In both situations, I or others are left stopping these kids from their destruction. We say it nice as can be. But most of the time the parent doesn’t even recognize we are talking to their kids. And when they do, instead of embarrassment they look at us as if we are mean or some horrible monster to stop their kid from destroying our stuff or even worse hurting themselves.

Now, I’m not sure, but I’m going make a leap here. I’m thinking these same Little Johnny or Suzy’s are who grow up to be the foul mouth, attitude, destructive teenagers that I deal with as well. The same ones that are mad that I ask them not to sit at my outside table, the ones that bend my 15 min parking signs, the ones that graffiti the walls. They had no consequences as little rugrats which allowed them to become teenage brats. Hey, but that is just my theory.

But I’ll save my rants on today’s teenagers for another time.

I know none of my blog readers do this with their with their kids, but if you know someone, please I beg you, please have them leave my freezers alone because that banging they keep hearing is Little Johnny opening and slamming those freezer doors over and over.

Maybe you’ve lived this nightmare as well. And you know my pain.

Till we rant again..       =)

Prince Poppycock & Defying Gravity were robbed!

Ok, so – were you one of the millions that watched America’s Got Talent? Did you think the right person won?

Two words – HELLLLLL NO.

Don’t get me wrong, that Grimm dude was good. But would I buy his album? NO. Would I pay to see a Vegas show of his? NO.  Odds are, the people that voted for him wouldn’t either. Nor have they obviously been to Vegas.

Let’s get real shall we? Two acts were Vegas – Prince Poppycock and Defying Gravity. Period.

There are no opera singers in Vegas and the only regular singers are in lounge acts or major stars with shows.

Do you see the opera dude from last year making it big in Vegas? Nope. Heck, I’m at a loss for his name and I loved him.

But you do see the first winner Terry Fader the ventriloquist making millions. Those are the acts that make the big money.

Leave the singers for the other shows. Let’s not say we are looking for a Vegas act if we are going to have these singers. Yes they are talented but the masses are not going to go to Vegas to see them.

Don’t worry ABC, I’m not threating to stop watching, and yes I have no right to bitch since I didn’t vote (you can thank TIVO for that). But I do have the right to blog my opinion that Middle America got it wrong. I think Poppycock scared them.

But I promise you this; I will be one person that will go see Prince Poppycock in Vegas. He is Vegas. He is all that you go to Vegas to see in a show. I might even see Defying Gravity.

Ok, I feel better now. I can live with America’s poor decision and move on with my life.

I’ll be back in a year to see how many of you went to see Gimm’s show or if you even recall who won this year.

Till next time……

Dear Teenage Job Seeker

Through the years I have hired hundreds and hundreds of people. I’ve probably interviewed thousands. I have always been amazed at what I have seen. I have even offered my advice too many and now after spending two years watching teenagers walk into my store asking for jobs I feel it is important I share some key information with this demographic.

So here is my letter to the teenagers looking for a job:

Dear teenage or twenty somethinger,

Congratulations you are either looking for your first job or your next one of many. Either way, the advice I’m about to share is for you. As a business owner I think I speak for many others when I say the following:

First Impressions are very important.

–          Do you really need your posse of friends to escort you in? Is there safety in numbers?

–          Guys – Pull your freaking pants up! I do not need to see your cool boxers to determine if you will make a great fit for my team.

–          I understand wanting to have piercings but just so you know, the cool piercing in your nose, your cheeks, your tongue, or the big gauges in your ears  are not going to help you get a job serving the public. (Yesterday I had one with one in her nose, both her cheeks, under her lip and across her eyebrows – two words – OH MY!)

  • Special note on this one – I serve ice cream to kids, some of your piercings would scare the beegeebees about of the kiddies

–          Tattoos – while yes they are a works of art and they symbolize important things to you I’m pretty sure I’m not going to hire you with the naked women down your arm or the skull and cross bones on your neck.

  • See special note above about scaring the kiddies – not to mention freaking out the little tike’s mommy.

–          Attitude – Can you at least fake some enthusiasm? My lord some of you look miserable. I know its hot outside – but darn you look horrible. Its ice cream for Pete’s sake, it’s fun. If this is how you look wanting a job I’d hate to see what you look like after you get it.

  • But I understand – you’d rather be sitting on the couch playing your xbox but mommy and daddy made you go looking for a job (especially you twenty somethings that haven’t left home yet)

Time to cut the apron strings

–          You are the one I’m hiring, not your parents, so you need to be the one to come see me, to get the application, to fill it out. I’m not hiring mom or dad I’m hiring you. I don’t mind talking to them about it, but they can’t be the one to do all the work for you. It’s your butt that will be scooping the ice cream not theirs, so I want to talk to you.

  • PLEASE SHARE THIS TIP WITH YOUR PARENTS

Ok, this letter (and blog) is getting too long. I could go on and on. From not reading the application or maybe having an answer to a simple question like – Why do you want to work here? (HINT – know what store you are in before you open your mouth and words come out – look around first) But, for a moment I’m going to stop being a smart ass and give you some good advice once you’ve done all the above and this works for everyone who wants to get hired regardless of your age:

Persistence pays off.

Just because you have dropped off the application doesn’t mean you never have to come back again. Stop by each week and show me you really want to work there. The folks I’ve hired have shown me they really want to work there and I’ve gotten to know them by their weekly returns for a job. Show me what I’d be getting. Trust me, when I am hiring it is YOU I will remember first.

Thanks for reading this long ass post – not that anyone will listen – Afterall they ARE teenagers and we all know THEY already KNOW EVERYTHING so what do I know?

Silly me thinking that 25+ years means anything.

Till next time….

TTFN as Tigger would say

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