Thankfulness

So many things I’m thankful for:

• The woman in the car today who, along with her husband, circled our building three times looking at all the metal we’re having recycled. She thinks I’m a bitch. I’m not, but it doesn’t matter. I learn so much from unpleasant people. Sorry they couldn’t have anything from the pile. It’s the only income we have from the business at this point as we close down. I let them know we were closing and that our life was destroyed, but she didn’t care. I apologized for being bitchy (translated, I said they couldn’t have anything) and that didn’t matter either. Nor did it matter when I said my husband saw them circle the building and was freaking out. Apparently, she believes I’m mean to everyone. Except for the fact that I’m not. She’s representative of all those people I won’t miss at all.
• I’m thankful for the people at Ponderosa Heating and Cooling. They installed our updraft fan on the roof for our dyno. They did such a great job twelve years ago that removing it was easy. So was patching the hole they left. And they left the insulation stuffed up under the ceiling so that we can fix that too. They do all our heat pump stuff at home and they are just great!
• I’m thankful for the folks at East Cascade Security. They provided us with alarm service and the security cameras we have. Sue was so nice on the phone when I told them what was going on. We’re grateful for all they did for us over the thirteen years we were in business.
• I’m thankful for the people we did business with. Not everyone was loyal to our shop, but many were and they were awesome. Even the folks that went other places were great. They never questioned any of my husband’s recommendations because they knew he wouldn’t sell them anything that they didn’t need or was junk. Neither would I, for that matter. They kept us going during the crash of 2008 and beyond. There aren’t enough words to tell them how much we love them. They were all amazing. We were blessed to know them and they made life at the shop more than joyful.
• I’m thankful for our friends..particularly Rob and June. They’ve been family since the 80’s when we trained together in Kenpo. We’ve been through a lot together and we’ve seen each other through some extremely difficult times. We love them. Simple as that. And we’d do absolutely anything for them.
• The guy who came and picked up our steel and aluminum for recycle was awesome. Schnitzer Steel was the company, and they were so helpful. Sad that we had to throw stuff away, but I can’t take all that home. My husband had collected that stuff for years and had plans for much of it. It was really hard for him to let all of it go, but bless his heart, as traumatic as it was he did it. And since he came today, we don’t have to spend all night here guarding the pile from folks that apparently want stuff from it. 
• As for my landlord, by evicting us because he felt like it, he destroyed our business. I’m thankful that I know at last just who he is. I gave him the benefit of the doubt on a few issues that I now know I shouldn’t have. But live and learn, I guess. When someone says, yeah, don’t turn the guy in back in to the city, just come to me and I’ll handle it, and then nothing really happens, wake up and smell the coffee burning. Because when you get tired of waiting (8 years) and working within the so-called “requirements”, you become the problem when you stand up for your rights. Thanks again, buddy.
• Lastly, I’m thankful for my boys and the lovely women in their lives. Although James and Leah aren’t married, we regard her as our daughter-in-law just as we do Emilie, who married Josh last December. I don’t worry about my boys anymore because of those two incredible women. And my sons have turned into such amazing men. They work hard, are so smart, and behave with honor and integrity. I love the four of them so much.