Notebook
October 10th, 2008 by admin

Good morning from Collegeville,

 For years there has been a full service car wash on Division Street in St. Cloud.  It was not a cheap date, but there were lots of cloth washing elements, no plastic brushes and lots of folks doing the pre-wash prep and even more young folks doing the drying.  There was a tips jar and I usually put a buck in.  There were gas pumps out front and a convenience store.  Free pop-corn, clean restrooms, lounge chairs and magazines.  I always felt great getting into a sparkling clean car.  It even seemed to run better.

 The car wash now has one employee with three options, a five dollar exterior only wash, an eight dollar exterior wash and a thirteen dollar exterior wash.  The one employee takes your money, rubs a brush on the bugs, directs you to the inside and you ride through with the engine running, being sure to keep your foot off the brake and your hands off the steering wheel.  When you get through all the cloth, the various sprays and the blowing air, there is no one to greet you on the other side.  Bring your own towels.  No gas pumps and no popcorn either.  The operation went from eight or ten employees to one.   

 The show this week is live from The Fitzgerald Theater.  Guests include legendary singer-songwriter, record producer and brooding British balladeer, Nick Lowe.  By the way, five thousand folks showed up for the Street Dance and Meatloaf Supper last Saturday.  Enjoy the show.  You should consider attending the warm up show on Friday nights.  Go to www.prairiehome.org  to check on tickets.

 “Aside from the strictly moral standpoint, honesty is not only the best policy, but the only possible policy.  The fulfillment of the pledged word is of equal necessity to the conduct of all business.  If we expect and demand virtue and honor in others, the flame of both must burn brightly within ourselves…honesty begets honesty; trust, trust; and so on through the whole category of desirable practices that must govern and control the world’s affairs.”  James F. Bell

 

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