Kelly's Korner - Home and Garden Shows

Hey, All,

I saw advertising on the TV this weekend for Portland's Fall Home and Garden Show and started thinking about all the shows like this I've been to - various home and garden shows, yard, garden and patio shows, street of dreams and the like.

I love cruising these shows for a variety of reasons - mainly to see what is new and different out there.  I am a fan of the weird and unusual and can usually find one or two things that strike my fancy.  Another reason - and my mom and I have a ball with this - is to pick apart all the impractial things the designers come up with.  Like a kitchen and formal dining area side by side but the only way to go from one to the other is to go out one door, down a hallway in through the door to the other - not particularly practical when a doorway or pass through could have easily been built.

But the main thing is IDEAS!  Seeing through other's eyes what can be done to a particular space and the new products available - not only new construction but remodeling and refurbishing of existing structures.

But be careful!  Do your homework before you buy anything new or sign a contract for remodel work.  Are you being dazzled by all the bells and whistles on those display appliances?  Does that slick talking salesperson really know what he's talking about? If you are looking at appliances there are a lot of things to consider - will it fit where you want it?  What's the warranty?  Does anyone in town service it if something goes wrong?  Do you really need all the bells and whistles or do you just need to get the job done?

Also, watch out for entering drawings for gifts - these are ways for the vendor to build up calls for their sales staff and you might be inundated with all kinds of sales calls afterward.  If you are really interested in what they have to offer you, by all means give them your number or grab one of their flyers or business cards, but if you don't, don't sign up for drawings or only use your email address for contact info.

Have fun at these shows - I always do!

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

(Modified image from Flickr User Marco Belluci/CC)

The essential question is not, “How busy are you?” but “What are you busy at?” ~ Oprah Winfrey

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Friday Morning Videos: The Maytag Flyer

What do you do if you have a bicyle and and old Maytag motor? Well, you could do like this guy and build a motorcycle. Pretty cool project, I must say.



For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Thursday Tweets: Microwave Edition

While looking through our Twitter feed we found these washing machine related tweets to share with you.

Our visit to the Twitterverse begins with a microwave story that's been in the news recently. An internet hoax got our of control:

Don’t fall for fake Apple ads telling you to put your iPhone in the microwave: http://t.co/jHr1kNhlsl pic.twitter.com/4vw03d1ddW
— MirrorTech (@MirrorTech) September 22, 2014

LAPD had to issue a warning to the community NOT to put the new iPhone in the microwave. Seriously. http://t.co/Q2xRo24cpB
— Ryan Parker (@TheRyanParker) September 24, 2014

The app which allows you to charge your new iPhone 6 in the microwave is a hoax!!! Try it and you'll get an explosion and a visit from us!
— Perry Barr Fire (@PerryBarrFire) September 19, 2014

In spite of all the warnings, a lot of people claim to have fallen for the prank:

I tried using the new IOS 8 feature WAVE where you can charge your phone with a microwave, does not work @Apple pic.twitter.com/33NSv42hgO
— rizarul DelRey (@rizarul) September 22, 2014

Omgggg that wave thing for iOS 8 just blew my microwave up 😡😡😡😡 pic.twitter.com/eF4bLDMhDB
— Magnetic Man (@JordanBeeTheGee) September 19, 2014

At least one kid tried to capitalize on the situation:

"Dad, can I get a new phone? I fell for the microwave hoax lol." "No, you little idiot."
— Roger Dorn (@RogerJDorn) September 24, 2014

Others saw this as a chance to clean folks out of their follower list:

If you actually believed the rumor of the iOS 8 being able to charge your iPhone by putting it in the microwave, just unfollow me now. 😐
— Bella♱Faith (@PRETTIIGIRL007) September 24, 2014

Another new report a day or so later reported that the new, thinner iphones were bending in peoples pockets. This tweeter tried to get just a little more pranking mileage out of that news report.

It’s fine, just pop it in the microwave for a minute and it’ll flatten right out. #theprojecttv
— The Project (@theprojecttv) September 24, 2014

The correct answer, even if it is a little over the top, is:

Don't put anything in the microwave. Not your dog, not your phone. It's a deadly, radioactive death machine Just use it for things you eat.
— pumpkin spice sadvil (@crylenol) September 20, 2014

Again, use it for things you eat. Not penguins?!?

Penguins are not microwave safe
— Real Penguin Facts (@PenguinTruths) September 20, 2014

If you are using the microwave correctly, for foods you eat. Don't overdo it with the cooking time.

According to Hostess, it takes about 45 seconds for a Twinkie to explode in a microwave.
— Decoration (@Decorationn) September 23, 2014

"Had to evacuate our building because someone put their chicken nuggets in the microwave for 40 minutes. #freshmen" - Western Illinois Univ
— College Confessions (@CoIlegefessions) September 21, 2014

Signing off, we have a sweet sentiment and a message we would like to send out to all of our customers and blog readers...

Are you a microwave oven? Cause you melt my heart.
— Only Minions™ (@iQuotesJokes) September 24, 2014

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Wednesday W.L.May Profile: Glenn Hovey

This is the part of the blog where we share a little about ourselves. Today we would like to introduce you to one of the people that help provide you with our famously fast and accurate customer service.

Name? 
Glenn Hovey

Job Title? 
Warehouse Associate / Inventory Control Specialist

Where did you grow up? 
Born and raised in Oregon . I lived in Arkansas and Oklahoma area for a year and have been to Florida and back to Oregon while moving with family in my junior high years.

How long have you been with W.L. May? 
Started with company via temp agency on 09/11/2001. I believe my official hire date was 12/2001.

What did you do prior to joining W.L. May? 
I worked fast food with no benefits for around 18 years. Started as cook and ending with the title of Assistant Manager. Did some construction and ditch digging by hand. I also worked for a cabinet shop doing janitorial work and worked in other warehouses such as Warn Industry building truck and rv winches. I also worked for Applied Industrial Technologies full time and emergency on call rotating week schedule for urgent parts to ship to lumber mills that have part go out on the chain feeder, ect.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not at work? 
I like going to live music venues, comedy shows and I listen to and occasionally sing karaoke with my friends on Friday and Saturday nights.

To what do you credit your success? 
Credit my parents in the way I was raised to do chores, which included cleaning the barn and stalls. So, I was never worried about getting dirty or was afraid to do hard work. Also, credit them for teaching me to do the task correctly the first time thru to save time in the long run.

What do you like about working at W.L. May? 
I like that W.L.May company is a small family oriented company with bosses and owners who care what is going on with the employees of the companies daily lives. When something comes up, we rally around one another to do what we can for each other.

Can you share one piece of advice for others in our industry? 
Advice for others in our industry ? Not sure what to recommend.

Can you share something most people do not know about you?
I am a fraternal twin and I am 45 minutes older than my brother. We born before invention of ultrasound so he was a surprise package to everyone, including nurses and doctor, because our hearts were beating in sync with each other so they thought only one birth was coming.

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE

Kelly's Korner - Owner's Manuals

Hey, All,

Friends are the best!!  A girlfriend of mine bought a new gas barbeque grill and gave me her old one.  Thanks, Libby and Richard!  But I have never owned one of these before (was waiting for a Traeger to show up in my stocking lol) so I'm on a learning curve here.

Creative Commons license on image.

So what do you do when you get a new piece of equipment, appliance, or other toy?  Or a used one? Most people (and I'm one) will monkey around with all the dials and buttons and try to figure out how everything works by trial and error.  But did you know that with the purchase of a new item there comes with it a little booklet called an "Owner's Manual'?

What?  Read an owner's manual?  What a novel concept!  Yes, indeed, and this little book will give you all the instructions you need to operate your new purchase.  It may also have troubleshooting tips that could fix an issue before you panic and call a tech to come fix it.  They also might list accessory pieces that you can purchase for your item.  Not to mention warranty information if something should go wrong.

What do you do if you bought something used?  If you go to the manufacturer's website and look under Customer Support or Manuals or something similar, you can - armed with the model number - download or print out the owner's manual on this.  If they don't have it available online, then call the customer service number listed and they should be able to send you one - may be a small cost involved.

Once I read through the manual, I need to go buy a propane jug and some steaks and enjoy my "new" barbeque!

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons. ~Jim Bishop

For more from education and entertainment from W.L. May Company click...HERE