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Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Thank You!
22 years ago my friend Scott and I got on our bikes and went up and down Route 60 in Fredonia. We spent the afternoon filling out applications for the local businesses on the strip. We then returned to my house to watch “The Brave Little Toaster” by Disney.
After that I received two phone calls one from Perkins and one from Ponderosa . I interviewed with Ponderosa first , then Perkins. Perkins offered me a job as a cook and I accepted . I took the job and I only wanted to work it for the summer. I was going into my senior year of High School and didn’t want to be tied down by a job.
My father then became ill and I needed to keep this job, and I am glad I did. Over the next 11 years I worked with some of the best people on earth . I met my wife Sheri there . I worked for a man who went on to help shape my life as well as countless other people’s life as well . Larry was and is such an important part of my life.
In 1999 the Perkins franchise sold it’s stores to Denny’s . We had two days to learn a new menu and new “Standards” . It was a difficult time, but one full of opportunity. I met Vince and he gave me a great opportunity to move into management with Denny’s.
In 2002 I transferred to the Angola location and had an opportunity to work with Vince , there I grew so much and within a year I was the General manager of the store. Vince has always been fair to me and has shown me respect . He has always taken an interest in me and for that I am truly grateful. It is tough knowing I will not work with him anymore.
I appreciated my time with Denny’s corporate. I always felt valued and appreciated. In 2009 Denny’s sold all of the stores to a Franchise Group and things began to change. The purpose of this entry is not to bash anybody , it is to thank them. I was not a good fit for this company (New Franchise) and they were not a good fit for me. I wish them luck and success in the future.
There are many of you that are reading this that have worked with me at Perkins or Denny’s. . I am blessed to have gotten to know so many people through the 22 years I have worked with you. I have so many close friends that I have met through work and many more friends I have met because of work. As I approach my last day with the company , I have to smile and be thankful to God for bringing such wonderful people in my life.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me since 1988, you will all have a special place in my heart!
DJ
Monday, July 19, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
My Thoughts on LeBron James and Cleveland
It has been a few days since the announcement and I think I am ready to talk about it. When he made his announcement I had to say I was angry, felt bad for my fellow fans of Cleveland sports teams and the business owners of the city of Cleveland who profited off of the James for the past 7 years. I even re-posted a comment that Dan Gilbert (the Owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers) on my Facebook page. I was angry, that is for sure.
However LeBron James made a decision that he felt was best for him and the people around him. I have to respect that, but I don’t have to like it. Under the structure of the contract he signed with the Cavs a few years ago he had the option to leave and sign with another team after the 2009-10 season. He had the right to leave and he chose to leave. He is now a member of the Miami Heat and has joined fellow Olympic team members Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to form a super team. If this works out and they are successful remains to be seen, they still have to play games. I will be rooting against them.
I think most of the Cleveland fans understand that he had the right to leave. They don’t have to like it. What gets me is the comments that I have read painting Cleveland fans in a bad light. Most of them are just telling us to shut up or stop whining. We have a right to express how we feel about this. We have the right to hope he falls on his face and fail. We have a right to let out our anger and move on. We have a right to call LeBron a coward, because that is how we feel and we are Americans. So just as you have the right to tell us to stop whining, we have the right to ignore you and continue to express our feelings.
Dan Gilbert had the right to write the letter that he did. I have to agree with the fact that he wrote it. It may have been harsh and I would have worded it much differently. He wrote it, he is a smart man and he knew what he was doing when he posted it. I think the fans of the Cavs appreciated the letter and it made them feel better about the desire of the organization to win.
What upsets me the most is the way LeBron left. He was put up on a pedestal like no other athlete in Cleveland’s history. The fans loved him and felt that he was one of their own. He could do no wrong in this city. LeBron gave us so many moments that we will cherish and I appreciate all of those moments. LeBron also received many things from the community of Cleveland as well. It was a great relationship. To go on national television and announce he was leaving just wasn’t the right way. It was cold and cowardly and he should have been man enough to break it off with Cleveland in person. The whole special on ESPN was about building his brand. He showed his true colors, he never cared about Cleveland at all, just about LeBron. He never even called the Cavs to tell them his decision. Yes, he didn’t have to, but if he cared he would have.
It is over and it is time to move on. It is something that we as Cleveland sports fans have always done after we suffer heartache that one of our teams have given us. We always come back and pour our hearts into the Browns, Cavs and Indians, with the hope that it will pay off. Go Cleveland!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
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