Okay, I never thought I'd say this but I can see why people move to Michigan. I think this beautiful state gets a bad rap because of Detroit, the auto industry and union labor. I'm not about to discuss my thoughts on any of these as I do not want to turn any readers off! That being said I've spent the last two days in southeastern Michigan and have thoroughly enjoyed my time.
I've visited Spartan and Meijer ... hmmm both interesting store concepts and both should hopefully be featuring an outstanding selection of product by January 2012. Great meetings! Next up would be the independent blitz. Here we go ... I always like to give a little shot out and recognition to those stores that are just too cool for words.
If you find yourself in Saugatuck you should definitely visit The Butler's Pantry (www.thebutlerpantry.com). What a marvelous kitchen shop, complete with Stonewall Kitchen goodies and a gift basket area where you can create your own or they'll do it for you! It is right next to a confections shop and the fudge is oh-so-good! While in Saugatuck I would definitely check out The Hickory Pit. Outstanding BBQ and the family just moved from Kentucky. Show a little love to welcome these folks to the neighborhood.
From Saugatuck we headed down to Kalamazoo. Cutest stores ever! First up was actually my dream kitchen store. 5,000 square feet and room for a demo kitchen. Absolute perfection. A great balance of all brands and the ability to brand block was amazing. Not to mention Kalamazoo is an adorable town. Probably not even really a town but a city! So first up was The Mercantile (http://www.mercantile-kitchenware.com/) and about the nicest set of owners with their adorable dog. He was a bit shy but boy oh boy did I have fun in their baking section! Second up in Kalamazoo was Sticks & Stones (you can find her on Facebook) which is quite the amazing housewares shop. Adorable storefront in downtown Kalamazoo, beautiful home accents and essentially only our gadgets! The owner is a kick in the pants and had me laughing the second I walked in.
We had one more stop back in Grand Rapids at an Ace store that was unlike any I'd ever been to, and I've seen quite a few Aces'. This store had a kitchen that I'd dream for in my own home. An awesome housewares section with just about every tool, gadget, small electric, etc that a person may ever need. Check this out ... www.ryleesace.com and select Ace's In The Kitchen. Amazing.
We headed out to Holland this morning visited a beautiful old fashioned general store downtown and had a delightful conversation with a few of the ladies that run the store. Incredible amounts of tools and gadgets and literally EVERY single color of KitchenAid mixers available. The row just kept going and going and going! Visit Teerman's (www.teermans.com) next time you're in Holland. Once you are finished shopping be sure to walk across the street to Crane's and grab a slice of cherry or apple pie. AMAZING!
Back at home, sitting here watching a bit of television. I realize that my job is pretty darn cool and I get to meet some amazing people. I come home and my family is thrilled to see me and while I was gone these two days my daughter learned how to blow me kisses. Life is pretty darn sweet right now.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Grand Rapids, Michigan - Take Two
So I never made it out a few weeks back when I was trying to make my way to Michigan. Ended up being horrible weather and completely destructive tornadoes so all in all I'm glad I was "stuck" at home. But the business must continue on.
Upgrades the entire way, always nice. I'm to the point though that I am definitely spoiled. Ben and I headed to Las Vegas this past weekend for a long weekend away with a few other couples. We were upgraded on the way down but not on the way back. Sadness. Although I must also add, Ben turned to me after the flight down and said, "not sure what the big deal is about". Ahhh to someone who doesn't travel a lot it just seems like a little more room. To me it is more room, food, no waiting in line for a bathroom, better customer service, etc. Or maybe it is simply that the people surrounding you in first travel as much, if not more, and understand how exhausting travel can be and are simply not up for long, entire flight conversations.
Anywho, back to Grand Rapids MI. There is one thing to say for the Midwest. It is always beautiful, lush and oh so green during the months of April, May and well into June. I miss the farms and fields, the humidity (ok just a wee bit) and the warm summers. I have been thinking more and more when I travel what it'd be like to move. I know this is never an option but sometimes it just kills me to see what we pay in Seattle for cost-of-living versus other states and regions in the country.
So I'm here meeting with one key account and about six independents. I am pretty sure I'm going to put more miles on a car with this rep then ever before. Lord help me with his driving though. Any other rep I'd just fly into Chicago and then ride to Michigan. Not with this rep, wowee it is an adventure every mile of the way.
This entire region just reminds me that I REALLY need to bring Elizabeth back here to meet all my extended family. She has yet to meet my grandma or my cousins and second cousins. I see a Midwest trip in our near future. Gee whiz, she is almost a year. I better step on it!
Upgrades the entire way, always nice. I'm to the point though that I am definitely spoiled. Ben and I headed to Las Vegas this past weekend for a long weekend away with a few other couples. We were upgraded on the way down but not on the way back. Sadness. Although I must also add, Ben turned to me after the flight down and said, "not sure what the big deal is about". Ahhh to someone who doesn't travel a lot it just seems like a little more room. To me it is more room, food, no waiting in line for a bathroom, better customer service, etc. Or maybe it is simply that the people surrounding you in first travel as much, if not more, and understand how exhausting travel can be and are simply not up for long, entire flight conversations.
Anywho, back to Grand Rapids MI. There is one thing to say for the Midwest. It is always beautiful, lush and oh so green during the months of April, May and well into June. I miss the farms and fields, the humidity (ok just a wee bit) and the warm summers. I have been thinking more and more when I travel what it'd be like to move. I know this is never an option but sometimes it just kills me to see what we pay in Seattle for cost-of-living versus other states and regions in the country.
So I'm here meeting with one key account and about six independents. I am pretty sure I'm going to put more miles on a car with this rep then ever before. Lord help me with his driving though. Any other rep I'd just fly into Chicago and then ride to Michigan. Not with this rep, wowee it is an adventure every mile of the way.
This entire region just reminds me that I REALLY need to bring Elizabeth back here to meet all my extended family. She has yet to meet my grandma or my cousins and second cousins. I see a Midwest trip in our near future. Gee whiz, she is almost a year. I better step on it!
Monday, May 2, 2011
I'm Proud To Be An American.
So it has been an interesting last 24 hours to say the least. We enjoyed lovely weekend with family and friends and definitely did not want it to end. Last night after putting Lizzy to bed I walked out to find an NBC Special Report stating that they were expecting the president to announce that they had captured and killed Osama Bin Laden. What an evil, evil man and although it is probably wrong, it gave me immediate pleasure to hear that he was gone.
It crossed my mind a few times between last night and my 5pm flight tonight that flying today could be interesting to say the least. Security was maybe a hair tighter and people definitely seemed a bit more on edge. That being said, tonight was the first flight I've had the captain of the plane step into first class (before take-off and door closure of course) and thank each person sitting in first class for their commitment to Alaska Airlines. Impressive customer service ... too bad their baggage handling is severely lacking. Okay back to the point, for the most part it was business as usual.
Until I began chatting with the lady next to me. If you know anything about me, I generally do not make small talk on the plane. I plug-in and fall asleep, work, watch a movie, anything but small talk. Boy am I glad I began talking with this lady.
She was on her way to see her 30 year old son who is currently stationed in Germany but has spent the last year in Afghanistan. He works for the Navy and is an officer with central intelligence. He touched down on U.S. soil for the first time last night in over a year. She has not seen him in well over a year. He was literally on his way to Washington (D.C. that is) for a debriefing of his last mission in Afghanistan. Impressive enough the way this story was. I was in no way prepared for what was coming.
He went into the Navy and became an officer so that and I quote, "no one would cause his family harm every again." Let's back up two steps. He and his mom watched Tower One knowing that his aunt, her sister, was still inside. See they knew this because her brother, mother and father (his uncle, grandma and grandpa) all worked in Tower Two and had gotten out but had been communicating with her sister. She is describing the day the tower fell, how the two of them were glued to the television. Her parents and her brother on cell phones trying to keep in touch with her sister. Telling her to get out. Then the tower fell. She said that when she heard her dad scream ... at that moment ... was when her son looked at her and his career path was forever changed. He WOULD NOT let that pain happen again.
Please remember our service men and women tonight, tomorrow and always in your prayers. I fly a lot, I'm gone a lot. It pales in comparison to what these men and women do day in and day out so that we can talk how we like, work how we like, worship how we like ... the list goes on and on.
Elizabeth, if there is one thing mommy and daddy can teach you it is acceptance. Acceptance of all things and all people. Those that are different, those that are hurting, those that can teach you ... please know we all share this beautiful planet therefore we should be polite, heartwarming, forgiving of those around us.
After all this ... it is time for bed.
God Bless!
It crossed my mind a few times between last night and my 5pm flight tonight that flying today could be interesting to say the least. Security was maybe a hair tighter and people definitely seemed a bit more on edge. That being said, tonight was the first flight I've had the captain of the plane step into first class (before take-off and door closure of course) and thank each person sitting in first class for their commitment to Alaska Airlines. Impressive customer service ... too bad their baggage handling is severely lacking. Okay back to the point, for the most part it was business as usual.
Until I began chatting with the lady next to me. If you know anything about me, I generally do not make small talk on the plane. I plug-in and fall asleep, work, watch a movie, anything but small talk. Boy am I glad I began talking with this lady.
She was on her way to see her 30 year old son who is currently stationed in Germany but has spent the last year in Afghanistan. He works for the Navy and is an officer with central intelligence. He touched down on U.S. soil for the first time last night in over a year. She has not seen him in well over a year. He was literally on his way to Washington (D.C. that is) for a debriefing of his last mission in Afghanistan. Impressive enough the way this story was. I was in no way prepared for what was coming.
He went into the Navy and became an officer so that and I quote, "no one would cause his family harm every again." Let's back up two steps. He and his mom watched Tower One knowing that his aunt, her sister, was still inside. See they knew this because her brother, mother and father (his uncle, grandma and grandpa) all worked in Tower Two and had gotten out but had been communicating with her sister. She is describing the day the tower fell, how the two of them were glued to the television. Her parents and her brother on cell phones trying to keep in touch with her sister. Telling her to get out. Then the tower fell. She said that when she heard her dad scream ... at that moment ... was when her son looked at her and his career path was forever changed. He WOULD NOT let that pain happen again.
Please remember our service men and women tonight, tomorrow and always in your prayers. I fly a lot, I'm gone a lot. It pales in comparison to what these men and women do day in and day out so that we can talk how we like, work how we like, worship how we like ... the list goes on and on.
Elizabeth, if there is one thing mommy and daddy can teach you it is acceptance. Acceptance of all things and all people. Those that are different, those that are hurting, those that can teach you ... please know we all share this beautiful planet therefore we should be polite, heartwarming, forgiving of those around us.
After all this ... it is time for bed.
God Bless!
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