Hommmmmmmmme Cooking

 

 

 

Edition 240 Monday June 30th  2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,homemade anything is the best, yes we are all legends in our own kitchens however as legendary as my sweetcorn fritters are it takes a lot to beat my Mums home cooking! So it was without hesitation we accepted an invite to travel cross country to the leafy hollow of Devonport on the weekend for homemade muffins and pizza. Splashed down with a cheeky Pinot Gris or three it was the perfect treat for the visitors from the Wild North West!...note to selves visit more often!!

From the Fletcher file; Why cant I stay with Nana and Poppa? ,now there is an idea!!!

Nothing beats a good exercise week…..I lapped the guy next to me in the pool, saw shooting stars on early morning runs along the beach and did a personal best bench press in the gym. If you thought you were going to be able to keep up with this Jones boy easily then think again,although as we all know….....perception can be and is everything even if it does seriously deceive most times!!

No matter what sport you are in to you have to be loving the World Cup Soccer as we get down to the serious stuff. Crikey some of the goals being scored are worth waiting a lifetime of rainy Saturdays for !!! It doesn’t get much better…….did I tell you about the time I was a participant in a penalty shoot out!?......well maybe (thankfully)another time J

I hope you had a fun weekend and you are ready for another huge week ahead……….cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon their ‘doggie’ bag from Nana’s went missing in transit!! 

 

 

“It is best not to swap horses while crossing the river.” Abraham Lincoln

 

We got some bad news last week when a sponsorship deal we have had for a couple of years was suddenly pulled out from underneath us without consultation or warning.

This was a deal we had backed from its inception when others were loathe to get involved because of the lack of history or track record.

It was a mutually beneficial gig until one of our well heeled foreign competitors decided there was enough track record now and came in wielding the chequebook and bought the rights to the deal by committing to the show plus a huge $$$$ media advertising program.

There are a couple of key things that annoyed me about this affair amongst others;

1. We were not given the opportunity to discuss or negotiate/decline the chance to be involved for another year. The person we have dealt with the entire time couldn’t even do us the courtesy of breaking the news in person!! So much for loyalty and support!
2. Our fickle competitor trampled all over our ‘home made, local’ deal after initially wanting nothing to do with this startup company or their idea. So much for supporting ‘Kiwi’.
   We know nothing in business is guaranteed , we were not complacent or arrogant about this deal. We had been in touch and working together towards another successful season and partnership.
   This is a kick in the guts and pretty disappointing however we have accepted it and already moved on by planning to utilise the equipment and services more profitably elsewhere for the duration of the show….preferably on on of this competitors sites !!!....in true dont get mad, get even style etc !!
   We are loyal to our customers and it is something that differentiates us from our competitors because loyalty, courtesy and support are lost qualities in business today and any company that can stay true to these principles will always stand out from the rest…and THAT will never change!!
   “An ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness.”--Elbert Hubbard

Friends.....you need them

         

 

 

Edition 239 Monday June 23rd  2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, I wouldn’t consider myself a good friend to have because of my tendency to favour my own space rather than to fill it with other people! I think it is because I interact with people all week at work and look forward to kicking back with family on the weekend rather than seeking the company of friends. This policy tends to naturally limit the number of friends that gravitate your way but has the potential to leave you a bit lonely if you were to be suddenly deserted by family!

I make an effort to behave myself well enough long enough not to have to worry in that respect!

So it was with a great deal of pride that I stood up and was counted in support of a friend over the weekend. I visited him as promised and was blown away with his reaction to my following through on that promise. This small gesture had a huge impact on both of us and for that reason alone I have decided I need to be a better and more regular friend!You cant just opt out of allocating time to others because you want to be reclusive with family!Yes it is a part of the overall life balance thing so best to get used to it because one day I know I will be grateful for friends who made the effort to stand up for me too…thats the way life rolls out here….yes another timely wake up call for me !

From the Fletcher file; weve been watching daily World Cup football (the beautiful game) and working on perfecting our wicked right foot cross and volley…on track for All Whites honours and an appearance at the 2034 World Cup event wherever that may be !!,good to have goals (excuse pun).

Just in case the All Whites don’t make it we have earmarked the Rugby World Cup 2035 as a fall back option…I hope you are also looking ahead to lofty goals whilst also providing plenty of support and friendship for people important and close to you, have a great week ahead........cheers Jonesey !!!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon they will always be my best friend no matter how busy they get in the office during the week or how reclusive they feel on the weekends..Awww!

 

 

Seen in a reception area last week:

 

“At Abodo we don’t have Receptionists”

 

Abodo the home of the beautiful exterior wood.

 

We don’t have a receptionist everyone here has the opportunity to greet visitors.

We hope this explains any imcompetence you might experience. Not that you will.

So please attract someones attention by;

 

1)Presenting offerings of food

2)Performing a stirring rendition of the “Macarena”

3)Wolf Whistling

4)Performing star jumps at an energetic pace.

5) Getting undressed

One of our friendly team will be with you very soon.

 

Things like this say a lot about a company and their outlook/philosophy. They have a lot of fun with this with many visitors opting for the safety of the wolf whistle or the star jumps . Many like me wouldn’t have a clue about the “Macarena” , few are carrying food and thankfully fewer discard their clothes but everyone comments and has a laugh,what a great icebreaker and intro to their business!

 

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” Coco Chanel

Op Shop Penquin hits town!!

 

 

 

Edition 238 Monday June 16th  2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,reunions can be the best or worst of times, at best they are a chance to renew old aquaintances and embelish great times. At worst they can remind us of ‘if onlys’ and ‘regrets’from the past. Reunions make me grateful for good times and mindful of the need to stay in touch with the special people who made them memorable.Sadly some choose not to attend for all the wrong reasons! Last Fridays reunion dinner was made extra special for me because I felt a ‘million bucks’ in my ‘Op shop’ dinner suit(see attached)upon which guests naturally poured praise and admiration…if only they knew from whence it came and the price, yes ladies and gentlemen its great to play ‘dress up’ and ‘perception is everything!’. Dinner suit for hire , preferential rates for ‘Upbeat’ readers !!

From the Fletcher file; Our son has asked me to refrain from competing in the pool at swimming lessons with the other Dads!,yes, I know its not about me but I felt it was worth a crack all the same!

In other developments at 48 the firewood is being shifted and burned at a rate of knots that should still see it last out the decade, our neighbour continues to give us the evils for keeping three noisey man-eating canines and a cosy Saturday night in front of the raging fire saw the mighty AB’s get home narrowly against the poms to cap off a relatively relaxing weekend in our humble abode on the wild west coast!

I hope you were also able to relax and have fun with family and friends........cheers Jonesey !!!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon it is your own fault if you let any dog know that he is funny, for he will immediately lose his head and start hamming it up J.

 

 

 

"I think the biggest mistake that salespeople make today is that they try to pretend they’re not salespeople." Jonesey

 

Its uncanny how things happen sometimes, last week I was doing my random act of kindness thingy by helping a lady get a coffee from a tempermental machine at a function centre. We recognised each other from way back and after talking to her for a few minutes I realised that we had a huge amount in business common which will result in an exciting future opportunity!....now imagine if I had ignored her plight at the coffee machine,we would have passed like ships in the night none the wiser!

 

Then a guy I deal with as a customer tells me he is leaving to consult to a huge prospective customer company which he will get me involved fully with. He has also offered his services to us at a reduced cost which is perfect timing for us on a number of projects….now imagine if I had not fostered a close relationship with this guy over the years, he would have left without me even knowing !

 

Then on the back of overhearing the sales conversation last week I approached the same company the salesperson had ignored and unbelievably my timing was perfect and I was invited to visit and submit a quote for the provision of our equipment and services.

 

Crikey what can I say except to reiterate that in my view “selling has to be and is the most exciting thing you can do with your clothes on”

I think it is essential to get excited about what you do to the point where you cant wait to get out of bed each day to have another crack at doing it. I hope you feel the same way because if you don’t then maybe it is time to think about doing something else……life is too short and all that !!! Have fun!

 

“When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'.” ― Groucho Marx

Ups and downs !

 

 

 

Edition 237 Monday June 9th  2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,one of our neighbours who is an older chap and a relatively recent arrival has decided that rather than ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ he is going to compalin about us instead. Seems his decision to retire ‘within fifteen metres’ of our humble and completely normal everyday residential existence is not going to plan.We have translated to Harry and the Hendersons and having all given the complaint the couple of minutes consideration it deserved we have all chosen to ignore it since…mate,get a life!!

Confession time….my lack of attention on the motorway last week caused another accident, yes my fault and NO definitely not an aspect of my life that is getting any ‘better’ pretty annoyed with myself and lucky not to have hurt myself or anyone else…..crikey definitely not acceptable behaviour !!!

I have a black tie reunion dinner coming up and have paid a small fortune for a ticket.Instead of hiring a penguin suit I thought I would visit my favourite ‘junk shops’ in the hope of stumbling on a pre-loved version. Time was running out until last week when I was thrilled to stumble on a scooby doo example that fits like a glove and is in great nic plus cost next to nothing…recycling at its best!

From the Fletcher file; watched our first All Black test on Saturday night and couldn’t believe his Fathers behaviour or language when things were tight or when the AB’s couldn’t win a trick….its only a game …..isnt it?...........still has a bit to learn that boy !

Got a couple of trade me auctions raging away and looking good to move some stuff we have cluttering various rooms, nothing like a good online auction to get the steptoe genes buzzing around !

Firewood footnote; step one getting firewood to one side of the neighbours (good neighbour)drive is complete however step two getting firewood into our garage still a slowish work in progress.

I hope you had a relaxing weekend with family and friends and that you are well rested for another exciting week ahead…….cheers Jonesey !!!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon retired neighbours who complain are barking mad !!!

 

 

“Believe you can and you're halfway there.”Theodore Roosevelt

 

Crikey talk about an exciting week in the field of opportunity…..

 

1)It started with a hiss and a roar when I won a major account I have been pursuing for some time. “Persistence definitely broke resistence” in this case but what was particularly pleasing to me was the fact that this deal was created from a cold call and plenty of follow up when it seemed things had died and that there was zero interest in doing business. One win like this makes the losses and sales set backs totally worthwhile!

2)Then I happened to overhear a random chat between a sales person and their manager about a lost opportunity and the reasons why. I used it as a bit of a wake up call and the catalyst for following up a couple of sales leads myself that resulted in a break through for me….I guess the lesson learnt here was that we are surrounded by opportunities and some are closer than you think….ie;how many of us call on our neighbours or on potential customers in the streets adjacent to the ones our business is located in?.....try it you may be pleasantly surprised by what happens.

3) As a footnote to last weeks sizzle article on ‘winning’ I am over the moon to announce that my group of Enterprise Business students competed and won their Regional Dragons Den final and will now represent the Auckland region in the Newe Zealand final in Wellington !!!WOW how cool is that !

 

Yee haa what a week, imagine what might have happened if I worked the other two days!!!

 

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!” Audrey Hepburn