There's No Business Like Snow Business

Wow, it's been almost two weeks since my last post! Working on the road eats up time like nothing else I know. Someone once told me that seven days on the road makes one weak. Very true.

I ended up spending eight days at home. Went to breakfast at the Dixie Kitchen And Bait Shop in Evanston, IL, (see http://dixiekitchenevanston.com) with my daughter, Carrie, and my son, Davy, took a class, went to a Valentine's dinner with Betsy, visited with my brother, Andrew, got a haircut, and bought a couple of caps. Talk about time flying...

My next show was in Iowa. On the day I was supposed to leave, there was a major snowstorm and the Iowa DOT warned against any interstate travel. The following day, the roads were dry, travel was good, but the detritus of the storm was evident. Cars, trucks, trailers, suvs (what, pray tell is a suv?) littered the landscape from Chicago to Des Moines. When the Department of Transportation told the drivers to get off the roads, I don't think that's exactly what they had in mind...

My friend, Les (see Jan, 21 post) and I went out to lunch at Jason's Deli after I'd finished the booth set-up. We had pastrami and corned beef sandwiches on rye. So good! Les has the exclusive on a unique advertising concept (see http://www.activetable.com) in Iowa. I've known him for years and it was good to catch up. (His jokes are worse than mine.)

The show in Iowa was good. Lots of people, lots of buyers, lots of fun. Then more snow on the way home...

Yesterday I drove to Richmond, VA. There were snow flurries in Indiana, snow flurries in Ohio, snow flurries in the mountains of West Virginia (scary), snow flurries in the mountains of Virginia (scary and dark). It was snow joking matter if you get my drift!

Set up the show this morning. Met the husband of a woman who fed me samples of soup and snack dips in Philadelphia. Small world.

And now it's looking like snow again...

"Round" Trip?

After a short fourteen hour drive, I'm back home in Illinois for three days so far. What a great trip it was! I made money, sure, but I find what I treasure more is the people I met and the time we shared.

Joe, the unknown friend I wrote about a few posts back, showed up and, even though it was the first time we laid eyes on each other, I felt as though I had known him all my life. He didn't look like I thought he would, and yet he was exactly like I knew he would be. And that he took the time to drive out to meet me and say "hello" speaks more of his character and friendship than I had reason to know or expect.

Joe and Diane (more about her in a later post), founded a "Focus Society of Free Thinkers" called the Million Mind March (http://www.theMillionMindMarch.com) with the motto "Change Your Mind...Change Your Income...Change Your Life." I joined the March and I see the change happening already...

Another friend that I met on Facebook through the March was Jason, the truck driver. He said that he would stop by the show and he did. We spent an hour or so talking and getting to know one another. Like Joe and Diane, he has wonderful ideas and an amazing outlook on life.

I already mentioned Bobby and Tommy in an earlier post from the Philadelphia Home Show. At the Morristown Show, I met Diane and Chris, a husband and wife team, who sell DirecTV. They laughed at my dumb jokes and gave me candy. Bill, the cookware guy down the aisle, and I traded stories of show business on the road and mutual friends. And David, the home theater audio/video guy introduced me to the jazz of Earl Klugh. Mellow.

And here's the nice thing, I've even talked with them on the phone since I've been home.

So I guess what I'm saying here is that life is about love and friendship and caring and taking care of each other; people you know and people you don't know yet, because in the end, the nicest thing about having a circle of friends is that they come 'round...