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Writing & Gift
With everything else going on around the move, I never did mention: I finally got rejection letters on the two stories I had out! They arrived the same day Lut and I returned the key to our old apartment. Good timing on that; I was afraid they might get lost in the forwarding process. F&SF still wins my "best rejection letter" contest; Asimov's had another one of those paranoia-inducing form letters "We're not using your story and that may be because we were full-up for that month, or it might be for this laundry list of possible faults! Here, take your pick". SciFi.com had the "can't use at this time" sort.
That means I need to look for another market for "Chat" and "Baby". And I never did send out Tufty's nicely trimmed version of "Doll's Life". Maybe I'll send out the longer version of "Baby" next. In fact, both "Baby" and -- what did I call the longer version? ah -- "A Normal Family" are awfully short for most SF markets. Ooo, hey, the 2004 Writer's Market for Novels and Short Stories should be out by now! Must add to my wishlist.
And, speaking of gifts:
About 18 months ago, I started handling the one vehicle floorplan loan Toddler Bank has out. A "vehicle floorplan" is a type of credit extended to auto dealers. Basically, we lend a dealership money for them to buy a car, and they pay us back when they sell the car. Because they're doing this over and over again, and usually not holding onto any one car more than 30 days or so, it's more convenient for both the dealership and the bank if they sign a note that says "You can borrow up to a total of X dollars, to be secured by whatever car title(s) you've got to offer at the time you ask for the money."
But it still requires a fair bit of maintenance on my part: I need to give the dealership the money whenever they need it, and make sure that they're not borrowing more money from us on a given vehicle than that vehicle is worth, and that they're paying us back in a timely fashion. (If it takes you more than 60 days to sell a vehicle, your business isn't doing well, and it always makes banks nervous if the businesses they've lent money to aren't doing well.) I also have to make sure that we get the titles in a timely fashion, and I have to get the titles back to our borrower whenever they pay off vehicles. It's a bit of nuisance, but the people at the dealership are nice, and rather fond of me, specifically. In fact, several months ago we had a meeting between the dealership owners, Glinda, their loan officer, and me, to discuss various aspects of their loan. The dealership operates out of an office directly above one of our branches, and I always thought that they'd rather deal with someone located at that branch, instead of me. It'd be more convenient for them, as the titles would be right there, instead of someone having to drive out to my location to get them.
But they reacted with an air of palpable horror when we suggested someone at that branch could handle the floorplan. "No! We want her." Heehee.
Anyway, this year, I'm on their Christmas list! I got a big "Wine Country" basket from them, with cheese and crackers and chocolates and, of course, wine. With very classy-looking labels marked with the dealership's name. Heehee! I handed out the two wine bottles to a couple of co-workers who like wine, since I'm not a fan of alcohol in general, and as far as I know, Lut doesn't care for wine. (I can't recall him ever drinking it). But the everything else in the basket looks yummy. It even came with a mini tablecloth and a cheese knife. Whee! Everyone at work was envious. I asked, "Don't you wish you took care of the floorplan?"
OK, so they're not that envious. :)
That means I need to look for another market for "Chat" and "Baby". And I never did send out Tufty's nicely trimmed version of "Doll's Life". Maybe I'll send out the longer version of "Baby" next. In fact, both "Baby" and -- what did I call the longer version? ah -- "A Normal Family" are awfully short for most SF markets. Ooo, hey, the 2004 Writer's Market for Novels and Short Stories should be out by now! Must add to my wishlist.
And, speaking of gifts:
About 18 months ago, I started handling the one vehicle floorplan loan Toddler Bank has out. A "vehicle floorplan" is a type of credit extended to auto dealers. Basically, we lend a dealership money for them to buy a car, and they pay us back when they sell the car. Because they're doing this over and over again, and usually not holding onto any one car more than 30 days or so, it's more convenient for both the dealership and the bank if they sign a note that says "You can borrow up to a total of X dollars, to be secured by whatever car title(s) you've got to offer at the time you ask for the money."
But it still requires a fair bit of maintenance on my part: I need to give the dealership the money whenever they need it, and make sure that they're not borrowing more money from us on a given vehicle than that vehicle is worth, and that they're paying us back in a timely fashion. (If it takes you more than 60 days to sell a vehicle, your business isn't doing well, and it always makes banks nervous if the businesses they've lent money to aren't doing well.) I also have to make sure that we get the titles in a timely fashion, and I have to get the titles back to our borrower whenever they pay off vehicles. It's a bit of nuisance, but the people at the dealership are nice, and rather fond of me, specifically. In fact, several months ago we had a meeting between the dealership owners, Glinda, their loan officer, and me, to discuss various aspects of their loan. The dealership operates out of an office directly above one of our branches, and I always thought that they'd rather deal with someone located at that branch, instead of me. It'd be more convenient for them, as the titles would be right there, instead of someone having to drive out to my location to get them.
But they reacted with an air of palpable horror when we suggested someone at that branch could handle the floorplan. "No! We want her." Heehee.
Anyway, this year, I'm on their Christmas list! I got a big "Wine Country" basket from them, with cheese and crackers and chocolates and, of course, wine. With very classy-looking labels marked with the dealership's name. Heehee! I handed out the two wine bottles to a couple of co-workers who like wine, since I'm not a fan of alcohol in general, and as far as I know, Lut doesn't care for wine. (I can't recall him ever drinking it). But the everything else in the basket looks yummy. It even came with a mini tablecloth and a cheese knife. Whee! Everyone at work was envious. I asked, "Don't you wish you took care of the floorplan?"
OK, so they're not that envious. :)
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Scott (Not an alcohol fan either) Kellogg
Hey, a gift's a gift
Re: Hey, a gift's a gift
Re: Hey, a gift's a gift
Re: Hey, a gift's a gift
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Re: Hey, a gift's a gift
How Sweet! ;)
Scott
Re: Hey, a gift's a gift
Be fruitful and multiply. ;)
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When I retired from the nooze biz I went to work in a car store; always wanted to, and I decided I needed to get off my butt and "just do it!" while I was still able.
6 months on the sales floor brought me up from "green pea" status (new, dumb salesman) to conclude that, while I can DO this, I don't WANT to---
Shortly after that the store needed someone to set up and run their Internet Dept., since, besides Internet sales, most every major franchised car store MUST have an "Internet Coordinator" on-staff, because the manufacturers are/have switched almost all of their business communications and much of their sales/service/admin. training to secure, Web-based sources. The store managers knew that I knew enough about the car business by then, I was a highly trusted employee (pats self on the back---GRIN!) and I knew my way around the Web and a PC better than anyone else in the company...so that's where I landed (with a THUD).
It's been an "interesting" 5 years! The car biz is far different in many ways than the public THINKS it is...and yet, there are still many of the "old", sometimes "gray" business practices still in effect throughout the industry, although many of them are (thankfully!) dying out.
But...it's a funny thing. In my last years in journalism I'd reached the point where I wasn't sleeping well at night. I was ASHAMED of "media" in general, and of being associated with it. Now---I sleep VERY well at night (and the main reason I work at THIS store is because we don't DO the skanky things that give the car industry its much-deserved reputation).
"Car guys" (like many other business folks) CAN be some of the nicest business folks around. You're fortunate to be working with some!
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The people we floorplan for are actually an OTR truck (for any of you non-car types reading this, those are 18-wheelers and the like) dealership. They're good folks, always been very prompt about meeting their obligations with us. I must be too much of a capitalist -- I always take it as a good sign if a business makes a profit and satifies their debts. :>
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===|==============/ Level Head