DIS Dads DDC XVIII - Spring Fever!

[Emma's Dad]

And it continues to roll right along.



Hello all. Hope you're doing well.

Just stopped by checking on a couple of other threads and thought I'd say hi.
Haven't been on the boards much the past week or so.

Hey there! All well your way?

 

[FreezinRafiki]

2.) Don't sit on the silver tube. Grandpa once loaded that silver tube with about 8 D-cell batteries. One little touch of that silver tube to a cantankerous old sow's butt and she complained loudly ... but she went where grandpa wanted her to go!

We had a similar device. Its amazing how much "persuasion" as few batteies pack, especially on a 1500 lb cow!

4.) There's something special about stopping by an old country store for an RC Cola and a moon pie!

Very fond memories about the old feed mill - but for us it was always a Root Beer and my brother and I staring at the candy rack for 10 minutes trying to decide what to get!

I was with my grandpa one time when he had to plow a small garden. Rather than use a tractor he hitched up and old mule to a plow.

We didn't have mules, but my dad would plow the garden with 6 furrow plow. Two swipes and he was done! He'd always go around to all of the non-farming neighbors in the spring time and do their's too. Just bein' neighborly, he'd say.

Those were good years!

And it continues to roll right along.



Hello all. Hope you're doing well.

Just stopped by checking on a couple of other threads and thought I'd say hi.
Haven't been on the boards much the past week or so.

Hi Stopher!

 

[afwdwfan]

It’s a bill called the Preserving America’s Family Farm Act

It seems the government is trying more and more these days to control everything.

Part of my trip to DC earlier this month was spent talking to our congressman about it. He's a rural guy and he is on our side on the issue, but a lot of people are just out of touch.

If you're working on a family farm it is your own kid that is doing the work. Are you seriously going to put your child into a dangerous situation that they haven't been adequately trained for??? Of course not!

I've been working in the fields driving tractors by myself since I was in fourth grade... and to this day, I've never thought of it as work. I looked forward to getting out of school to go drive a tractor at the end of the day. I look forward to leaving my "real job" at the end of the day now to go work in the fields. It isn't like farmers are forcing children to labor in sweat shop conditions.

A family farm is called that for a reason. It builds a sense of purpose for the children. Too many people in this country feel entitled. I don't see a problem with having a few chores on the farm to build a work ethic and teach you that money doesn't just grow on trees (and that it isn't made of plastic). I loved driving tractors, but I wasn't such a big fan of feeding cattle everyday after school. That was my job everyday until I graduated high school. Ironically enough though, by the time I moved out to go to college, there were no cattle left on the farm.

The new regulations they're trying to implement would keep a kid from even being able to do something like that. All I had to do was go out to the barn for 15 min a day and shovel some feed, and I gained an understanding of responsibilty by doing it.

I really wish our government would stop trying to micro manage.

 

[AirGoofy]

90% of he population today would not be able to understand/relate what you have written here. I'm glad I do.

Have you guys heard about the rules the government is trying to put in place to protect kids from farming accidents? Basically to keep all kids under 18 from working on a farm??

It seems the government is trying more and more these days to control everything.

What else do the have to do?

 

[afwdwfan]

We didn't have mules, but my dad would plow the garden with 6 furrow plow. Two swipes and he was done! He'd always go around to all of the non-farming neighbors in the spring time and do their's too. Just bein' neighborly, he'd say.

I disked a neighbor's garden a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, my garden is too small for the equipment we have. I have to do my own with my little POS rototiller.

 

[afwdwfan]

And it continues to roll right along.



Hello all. Hope you're doing well.

Just stopped by checking on a couple of other threads and thought I'd say hi.
Haven't been on the boards much the past week or so.

I hope the reason you haven't been here is because business is doing well.

What else do the have to do?

Increase the National Debt?

 

[FreezinRafiki]

I disked a neighbor's garden a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, my garden is too small for the equipment we have. I have to do my own with my little POS rototiller.

Don't you hate it when you tool is too big for the job?

 

[Cinderella's Fella]

Part of my trip to DC earlier this month was spent talking to our congressman about it. He's a rural guy and he is on our side on the issue, but a lot of people are just out of touch.

If you're working on a family farm it is your own kid that is doing the work. Are you seriously going to put your child into a dangerous situation that they haven't been adequately trained for??? Of course not!

I've been working in the fields driving tractors by myself since I was in fourth grade... and to this day, I've never thought of it as work. I looked forward to getting out of school to go drive a tractor at the end of the day. I look forward to leaving my "real job" at the end of the day now to go work in the fields. It isn't like farmers are forcing children to labor in sweat shop conditions.

A family farm is called that for a reason. It builds a sense of purpose for the children. Too many people in this country feel entitled. I don't see a problem with having a few chores on the farm to build a work ethic and teach you that money doesn't just grow on trees (and that it isn't made of plastic). I loved driving tractors, but I wasn't such a big fan of feeding cattle everyday after school. That was my job everyday until I graduated high school. Ironically enough though, by the time I moved out to go to college, there were no cattle left on the farm.

The new regulations they're trying to implement would keep a kid from even being able to do something like that. All I had to do was go out to the barn for 15 min a day and shovel some feed, and I gained an understanding of responsibilty by doing it.

I really wish our government would stop trying to micro manage.

It sounds like it would be a major hit against the Amish.

 

[Cinderella's Fella]

Don't you hate it when you tool is too big for the job?

 

[afwdwfan]

Don't you hate it when you tool is too big for the job?

It sounds like it would be a major hit against the Amish.

Hadn't even thought about it from their point of view, but you're absolutely right.

 

[10dedfish]

This is where I want to be right now... with a nice cold dole whip in hand.

matt

 

[stopher1]

Hey there! All well your way?

We're hanging in there - what with the new business, a 16 yr old learning to drive, lots of Scouting stuff going on (it's that season once again... Summer Camp prep is in full swing!), I've been working on a book about the domestic Disney resorts, and and, and. Things are coming along with the business, though $ is getting a little tighter right now. The severance package $ is gone as of this month, as we move into living off of savings while the business continues to pick up. Our first cruise clients departed this month which is a good thing because that's when the $ comes in, well, it comes in after they get home, but the departure actually triggers the commission payment. I sold that cruise in December, and have numerous other things booked for the rest of the year - into 2013 actually, but yes, no money flows until after departure. We knew going into this that it would take 12-18 months to really be a viable entity. If everything continues the way it has been going, it's looking like the 12 mos vs. the 18... but we'll see. I have several clients now who will be going to various destinations around the globe. The website traffic has been increasing steadily, and the FB fan count continues to grow. I'm trying to use social media as much as I can to continue to build an audience and potential client pool. The best thing is I've been busy providing quotes - but of course quotes aren't actual business... the more important thing is the conversion to a booking rate, which also continues to increase. I was averaging 1 a week before, I'm now up to 2.4 per week, which ideally I want to see at 5 or 6 per week (it really depends on the type of booking. Disney remains my biggest seller, but Disney parks pay just about the lowest commissions vs. DCL, but other cruise lines beat out DCL too). The referrals are coming in now too, even from those who are yet to travel. And it's quite fun to see how much you really don't need a brick & mortar existence in my business these days, as I have customers in 9 different states in addition to my own state.

I'm one of 4 sponsors of a local fashion show this weekend, and everyone involved is excited to see what kind of interest it might generate. It's an annual show in it's 15th year this year, and the last 2 years they had, apparently, some 500 women there. I'll be happy if 10-15 show an interest (more would be better of course) but we'll see. More and more people in my neck of the woods are talking about going on vacations again - something many haven't done in 2-3 years. I'm having fun. A lot of fun. Plus I get to learn a lot about the world we live in, and can't wait to experience many of these destinations for myself in the years to come. History and geography were always favorites of mine in school, but as a youth my family never really traveled much beyond the western US, Hawaii, Mexico or western Canada (we were very much "go to the same cabin every year" kind of people). As an adult my DW and I have traveled all over the US, and of course I've done even more solo through job responsibilities. There are some really cool places that I have added to my bucket list that I never really considered before. I never really would have thought about cruising down the Danube before... or visiting St. Petersburg... or Peru... or Cambodia... or the Yangtze River. But I definitely want to now!

But with all of the fun, I do have one really big frustration - but one that is such a commonality for others who are in business for themselves - and that is the apparent lack of common courtesy that so many people display these days. It's sad really. What is it you ask? The basic concept of saying "thanks, but no thanks" or "we just can't afford that now" after providing someone with a quote that they just don't like for one reason or another. I don't mind the no, I can take it, I can understand it especially if it's a budgetary concern - it happens in ANY business. It's the blatant disregard for the time invested in getting them that quote in the first place. I've now had 5 different people come to me asking for a personalized quote either responding to one of my featured offers on Facebook - or just because they were asking about a destination. Then after I've provided them with a detailed quote, they just just kind of disappeared, ignoring my follow-up phone calls or emails to see if they had any questions or concerns. Not having ever specifically been in sales before (sure my old job impacted sales for the company, but I wasn't an actual "salesman"), I'm still trying to monitor and gauge how often to follow-up without being overly pushy... (I certainly don't want to be classified like the stereotypical used car sales person or something similar) but my mother definitely taught me that whenever I didn't like an offer presented to me, to politely refuse and say why not. Oh well, rant over, I just have to recognize that it comes with the territory and move on, but it is very frustrating.

Things are picking up. I hope you are all doing well. I'm looking forward to being in Florida, and hitting the World in a few weeks!

It's been a little bit since I've been in here. Not much DIS time in the past couple of weeks. Belated birthday greetings, glad to hear about new jobs, and for whatever I've missed - prayers for those who need it, congrats to those who deserve it, and a great big I hope you're doing well to all!

 

[twokids0204]

Back / Neck update.

So it's good news and bad news.

Good News: It's not what I thought. I had a thyroid problem a few years back, and one of the symptoms is back and neck pain. I thought maybe it came back. Dr. doesn't feel that's it.

Bad News: It still hurts. He says it's likely muscle pain and joint pain. Should go away soon. Recommends hot showers and possible massage therapy.

I will give it a few more days, and see how it goes.

 

[afwdwfan]

Back / Neck update.

So it's good news and bad news.

Good News: It's not what I thought. I had a thyroid problem a few years back, and one of the symptoms is back and neck pain. I thought maybe it came back. Dr. doesn't feel that's it.

Bad News: It still hurts. He says it's likely muscle pain and joint pain. Should go away soon. Recommends hot showers and possible massage therapy.

I will give it a few more days, and see how it goes.

I hope it goes away soon.

My dad has been battling a similar issue for the past several months. His is in his back, neck and shoulders. He went for a long time without it improving, but they gave him some steroid pill to take and he's back to his normal self. I guess that's why all those baseball players wanted to use them.

 

[Emma's Dad]

I know you can get a 4 wheeler sliding around it pretty quick.

"What are all these skid marks doing in here?"

We started last weekend but have same forecast for this weekend. I have to ref 2 games. I hate playing in rain.

Playing in the rain = Fun. Ref'ing the game in rain = sucks.

Part of my trip to DC earlier this month was spent talking to our congressman about it. He's a rural guy and he is on our side on the issue, but a lot of people are just out of touch.

If you're working on a family farm it is your own kid that is doing the work. Are you seriously going to put your child into a dangerous situation that they haven't been adequately trained for??? Of course not!

I've been working in the fields driving tractors by myself since I was in fourth grade... and to this day, I've never thought of it as work. I looked forward to getting out of school to go drive a tractor at the end of the day. I look forward to leaving my "real job" at the end of the day now to go work in the fields. It isn't like farmers are forcing children to labor in sweat shop conditions.

A family farm is called that for a reason. It builds a sense of purpose for the children. Too many people in this country feel entitled. I don't see a problem with having a few chores on the farm to build a work ethic and teach you that money doesn't just grow on trees (and that it isn't made of plastic). I loved driving tractors, but I wasn't such a big fan of feeding cattle everyday after school. That was my job everyday until I graduated high school. Ironically enough though, by the time I moved out to go to college, there were no cattle left on the farm.

The new regulations they're trying to implement would keep a kid from even being able to do something like that. All I had to do was go out to the barn for 15 min a day and shovel some feed, and I gained an understanding of responsibilty by doing it.

I really wish our government would stop trying to micro manage.

Amen, brother!

What else do the have to do?

I'd laugh, but when I think about how BAD our government is run right now, I'm crying.

I disked a neighbor's garden a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, my garden is too small for the equipment we have. I have to do my own with my little POS rototiller.

Wait... how many acres do you have? And your garden is too small?

Don't you hate it when you tool is too big for the job?

It sounds like it would be a major hit against the Amish.

Hadn't thought of that either. In any case, I hope the legislation gets passed to prevent the Dept of Labor from instituting their policies. I think this quote from Sen John Thune sums it up best (emphasis added):

“There is no better example of the vast overreach of government into the everyday lives of Americans than the Department of Labor’s proposed rule to regulate young people working on farms and ranches,” Sen. Moran said. “… This proposal should alarm more than just rural America. If the federal government can regulate the relationship between parents and their children on their own family’s farm, there is virtually nothing off limits when it comes to government intrusion into our lives.”

 

[Emma's Dad]

Back / Neck update.

So it's good news and bad news.

Good News: It's not what I thought. I had a thyroid problem a few years back, and one of the symptoms is back and neck pain. I thought maybe it came back. Dr. doesn't feel that's it.

Bad News: It still hurts. He says it's likely muscle pain and joint pain. Should go away soon. Recommends hot showers and possible massage therapy.

I will give it a few more days, and see how it goes.

I had a similar issue about a year ago with my neck... Dr prescribed muscle relaxers and they actually worked. Hope it get better soon... that kind of pain is quite annoying.

 

[Emma's Dad]

We're hanging in there - what with the new business, a 16 yr old learning to drive, lots of Scouting stuff going on (it's that season once again... Summer Camp prep is in full swing!), I've been working on a book about the domestic Disney resorts, and and, and...

Wow. Yeah, you def sound busy! I can see why you've been off the DIS for a while. Glad you stopped by to give an update! Praying things with the business keep getting stronger

 

[tutter99]

Well, it's 11pm on Friday here, and I'm close to finishing my 1.6 liter bottle.

Don't forget to pour some on the ground for the homies who aren't with us anymore.

Have you guys heard about the rules the government is trying to put in place to protect kids from farming accidents? Basically to keep all kids under 18 from working on a farm??

It’s a bill called the Preserving America’s Family Farm Act

Heard about that the other day listening to Beck. Haven't seen all the details but it is insane. I spent all my summers when I was little on our friends farm and for "being on vacation", I worked my butt off. Those are some of the best memories I had and mainly because I had a true sense of helping other people. With the cost of machinery and the low profit margins there is no way to operate a farm without being a community and helping each other out. This definitely sounds like just another way of corporate farms squeezing out the families.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Hello all. Hope you're doing well.

Hi stopher! Hoping your business continues to grow...

The new regulations they're trying to implement would keep a kid from even being able to do something like that. All I had to do was go out to the barn for 15 min a day and shovel some feed, and I gained an understanding of responsibilty by doing it.

Can I still force my kids to mow the lawn? They're just about getting to that age.

We're hanging in there - what with the new business, a 16 yr old learning to drive, lots of Scouting stuff going on (it's that season once again... Summer Camp prep is in full swing!), I've been working on a book about the domestic Disney resorts, and and, and.

Now that idea sounds very interesting...

Sounds like business is building slowly but surely, which is a good sign.

Back / Neck update.

So it's good news and bad news.

Good News: It's not what I thought. I had a thyroid problem a few years back, and one of the symptoms is back and neck pain. I thought maybe it came back. Dr. doesn't feel that's it.

Bad News: It still hurts. He says it's likely muscle pain and joint pain. Should go away soon. Recommends hot showers and possible massage therapy.

I will give it a few more days, and see how it goes.

Sounds like it's time to get DW to work on the therapy!

 

[middlepat]

Maui! Sounds like a great trip!! Lately, I've been singing "Knee Deep in the Water Somewhere" on a regular basis so I'm going to have to admit to being green with envy. Have a great time!! Aloha!

Have a great time! Toast to whomever you choose, and toast often!!

Thanks guys... Maui countdown is at 32 hours.

Don't you hate it when you tool is too big for the job?