Day thirty-nine - Lessons in Humility

My friends all give me varying advice on what to include in this blog. Some tell me to only write upbeat entries. Some advise me to tell the truth. I think for the most part, my entries have been pretty truthful.

Today I made three calls on educational retailers. The first store, “The Learning Post” was great. The buyer at second store “The Learning Connection” seemed disengaged and busy. She insisted that we had made no contact and that no appointment had been made. My third stop (now this was a clerical error on our part) was to the right company but the wrong location. When I finally connected with the buyer by phone he absolutely didn’t want to see me at all.

Being a perfectionist, I will remember this day. I won’t dwell on the first great store that’s interested and has already bought our titles. I’ll think about the two that don’t. And it will be that way for the next year. Yikes. What a life. When you ‘wear the hat’ of a salesperson you don’t really ask for this situation to be thrust upon you but once it happens you are stuck with it.

I’ll walk around thinking about it and I won’t consider myself successful until all three companies are frequent and happy buyers. I will report on my final success (in the blog) one day and you will see me drinking a glass of champagne.

Well. If you’re interested, here are the photos of the folks I visited in Iowa.

Bob and Janelle are the sales people I met at The Learning Post, although Darlene and her son Monty own the store. The Learning Post is a real success story. Since its inception it has grown so much that they have changed locations three times. Darlene and Monty now own this 12,000 sq. ft store plus a second Learning Post in Ankeny, IA. This store is filled with fun stuff right to the brim. The staff is upbeat and there are many things I’d like to purchase for myself, including a wonderful line of stickers!

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Janelle [top left], Bob [top right], Outside the store [bottom left] and Inside the store [bottom right].

My second visit was to The Learning Connection in Coralville. This is just outside of Iowa City. Luckily for me, Mindy Wieland, the owner, was in. Mindy is one busy lady. She still works part time (mornings) as a Special Ed. teacher and she owns a second Learning Connection store in Davenport. As you can see from the photos, Mindy’s store in Coralville is bright and cheerful.

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Mindy Wieland, owner [top left], Outside the store [top right], Inside the store [bottom left and right].

Here is a photo to remind me of the meeting that never happened at the Iowa Book and Supply Company.

This is a little worse than getting your foot in the door. Actually, it’s worse than peeping your head through the door. It’s never making it to the door. Period.

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Outside at the Iowa Book and Supply Company.

Ha ha. Well. This will be my project for the year. If I make a sale to this place we will all have a drink.

Day thirty-eight - Driving to Des Moines

Before embarking on this odyssey, I used to think of ‘taking a Sunday drive’ as a short leisurely jaunt through country roads. Today’s Sunday drive from Lawrence, Kansas to Des Moines, Iowa probably took me about six hours of highway driving (with breaks). Oh well.

My B & B hosts for the evening, Jane and James, were very charming. Jane is a retired “Reading Recovery” teacher and James is a semi-retired architect. They live in a beautiful home, designed by James, in downtown Des Moines. Their house is surrounded by wooded forests and the backyard is often frequented by visiting deer.

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Jane and James, my B & B hosts.

Day thirty-seven - Working the weekend, again

Well. It’s Saturday and I was scheduled to do quite a bit of driving again. Oh well. The trip is nearing its end and the extra driving and weekend calls allow me to squeeze everything in. It seemed to be about five hours behind the wheel before I finally arrived in Lawrence, Kansas. But what a great town Lawrence is!

If it weren’t for this marketing trip, I would never have had the chance to visit so many places off the beaten path. Lawrence proved to be really nice! I’d place it up there with Gainesville, Florida. It’s lively. The streets are filled with people and interesting shops. It’s a university town too.

My stop in Lawrence was at the M & M Office Supply Store. M & M is located in a prime location on Massachusetts Street by 6th. People are strolling up and down this street all day. It’s a center of bustling activity. The original M & M store opened 45 years ago and it has been in its present location since 1981. Kathy Winters showed me around the store and we had a great talk. She realizes how special Lawrence is too.

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Outside the store [top left], Kathy Winters [top right] and Inside the store [bottom].

Here are a couple of photos of the town. The historic buildings and the bright airy sidewalks make this an ideal town for weekend strolls.

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Downtown Lawrence [left] and Dan Kozak [right].

Day thirty-six - Singing tunes in Tulsa

When I arrived at The Apple Tree in Tulsa there were already parents and grandparents waiting to meet me. It was exhilarating. Earlier that week, the article in The Oklahoman had also run in the local Tulsa newspaper and I was greeted by an interested group of enthusiasts. “Show us what you have,” they demanded. Suzanne Ham, owner of The Apple Tree was able to find us a place to sit and chat. What a nice way to start the day. Suzanne, who has a Masters in Early Childhood Education, was instrumental in the development of the first Title One programs in her area. Her extensive knowledge and experience is evident in the way she organizes her store.

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Suzanne Ham, owner [top left], Outside the store [top right] and Inside the store [bottom left and right].

A few miles down the highway the folks at The Learning Shop were waiting for me. Some in-school workshops, at the local immersion school, Dwight Eisenhower had been planned for me that afternoon.

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Students learning a new French song.

After spending the afternoon with kids and teachers of Eisenhower School I returned to The Learning Shop where I was able to ‘regroup’ before retiring for the evening. It was great to meet with Alison Raff, the buyer and Deena Smith, the owner. A big thank you to Cari Bashaw for organizing the afternoon activities.

Day thirty-five - People who make a difference

Well. I have to say. This trip through Oklahoma has been a real experience. I have had the chance to visit some really tiny towns and to meet so many people whose lives really make a difference. What a day!

First stop of the day was to The Learning Ladder in Muskogee, OK. I was running late and missed meeting the owner, Susan, however, it was still great to see the store. I met with Julie a sales associate at the Learning Ladder who told me all about her travels around the world as part of ‘missions’ teams. This was an uplifting conversation so early in the day. It’s nice to see young people like Julie. The Learning Ladder has been a fixture on the main street of Muskogee for the past twelve years.

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Julie, Sales Associate [top left], Inside the store [top right] and Outside of the Store [bottom].

If one knows how to drive without getting lost, McGowan School Supply is only supposed to be an hour’s drive from Muskogee. The key is “not getting lost”. I had a great time though. I have never seen so many fields filled with cows, horses, llamas and goats. I almost drove by Clyde’s store, McGowan School Supply. I laughed and had to back track. Clyde’s store is surrounded by cows on all four sides. Clyde used to work for Oklahoma School Supply in Muskogee until it closed down. He then opened his own small company in Hulbert (fifteen years ago) which grew from one small room of 128 square feet to a combined space of 2700 square feet. It’s easy to see that the store is Clyde’s pride and joy. He enjoys being able to contribute to the community by being the only source for educational resources for miles around.

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Clyde, owner [top left], Inside the store [top right], Outside of the Store [bottom left] and one of Clyde's neighbors [bottom right].

An hour or so further down the road I’d have the biggest surprise of the day.I was looking forward to staying with Lucille and her partner Clyde. Lucille seemed like a real character; and a character she was. This lady (who is almost seventy) holds down about six part time jobs including teaching and counseling at the local community college. It seems that she has a real knack for counseling and students seek her out. Every year at least 300 students (whether assigned to her or not) latch onto Lucille for guidance. It was nice to see that she was so active and involved in life. But the REAL SURPRISE was that Lucille’s home is a ‘foster parent’ shelter for animals and she shares her home with 14 cats and 3 dogs. When I expressed my surprise and concern (I am allergic to cats) Lucille poured me some wine and told me not to worry. She was right. I wasn’t affected too much. I think she keeps her home exceptionally clean. Lucille and Clyde both make an enormous difference in their community of Broken Arrow, just outside of Tulsa.

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Lucille and Clyde, my Bed and Breakfast hosts.

Day thirty-four - North to Norman

After that great day in Denton I drove 150 miles to the home of my hosts, Joyce and Les, in Norman, Oklahoma. Joyce and Les spoke enthusiastically about their holiday in Prague as part of the EducatorsTravel.com program, Joyce is a retired elementary school teacher and Les is a pastor. Les is also a great cook. He got up so early in the morning to make a breakfast of waffles with home cooked apples and maple syrup.

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Les, my host in Norman, OK.

My first stop in the morning was to Copelin’s Teaching Tooks in Norman. The Copelin store is big. They sell furniture, stationary and school supplies. I had a great time at Copelin’s. Lyn Copelin, the owner and Jennifer, her assistant, were very organized. About a dozen patron showed up for a “Meet and Greet” and we had a get-together in the ‘conference room’.

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Meet and Greet Session [top left], Lin Copelin, co-owner [top right], inside of the store [bottom left] and outside of the store [bottom right].

Next stop was to Mardel’s head office just outside of Oklahoma City. You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen Mardel’s head office. Actually Mardel’s is part of a conglomerate with other companies including: Hobby Lobby, Crafts Etc., World Wood and Hemispheres. The head office is 1/2 mile long and 1/2 mile deep. The complex is 2.6 million square feet. (And I thought everything in TEXAS was big!)

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Gayleen at reception [left] and outside of Mardel's, which stretches for half a mile [right].

Last stop of the day was to Learning Tree Toys, Books and Games in Oklahoma City. Kathy Carey and Patty Tepper have been co-owners of this (3500 square foot) store for the past 19 years. At Learning Tree Toys, Books and Games also hosted a “Meet and Greet” session where I was able to meet and converse with many customers.

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Co-owners Kathy Carey and Patty Tepper [top left], Patty and Alison, hamming it up [top right] and the exterior of the store [bottom].

As you can imagine it was getting pretty late. I was supposed to drive to Muskogee. I would have been an “Okie in Muskogee” that night. Unfortunately it was so dark and so late I decided to forego the “Okie in Muskogee” experience and pulled off the highway a little earlier just to stay safe.

Day thirty-three - Living in a Bubble

Tuesday was an exciting day for me. I drove into Denton after a few days of meetings in Dallas. I planned to spend the day visiting the music department and listening to bands perform. Apart from the urban sprawl all around the campus, things didn’t seem to have changed much.

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Photo of the Campus.

I was still in awe at how much music was happening and the standard of it all. I think that one can never imagine what it’s like. You’d really need to visit to experience this first hand.

From the first hour I arrived, I heard music non-stop until the time I left. I sat in on a class during an incredible performance of African drumming (and dancers). Out of respect for the performers, I didn’t take any photos of this. I had heard that Phil Woods, renowned alto sax player would be rehearsing with the 1 o’clock lab band so while I waited until one o’clock, I walked down to the commons area where I was pleased to find a noon hour performance of the 4 o’clock lab band. At UNT, students in the jazz department audition for positions in the bands. Nine big bands rehearse (at their respective times) each day. As a student progresses in ability, he/she moves up to a band rehearsing earlier in the day. Hence, students in the bands rehearsing at one, two, three and even four o’clock are seasoned and veteran players even at the age of 21.

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The 4 o'clock lab band performing in a concert.

The practice hall at one o’clock was crowded with students anticipating the rehearsal of Phil Woods with the band in preparation for a Thursday night performance. Unfortunately, Phil didn’t not show up because he was feeling ill, but listening to the band was fantastic anyway.

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Photo of the 1 o'clock lab band.

The next hour everyone trouped over to watch the Phil Woods master class. Here he did show up, tell animated stories, perform a few tunes and listen to some of the more advanced players play with the one o’clock rhythm section.

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Phil Woods performing [left] and the master class [right].

I started my studies at UNT almost 30 years ago and stayed there for 3 years finishing up a Bachelor of Music degree. At that time I was in awe of the players. I still am. It seems that the best players flock from all across the country (and some from outside of the country) because of the dynamic music program. What happens, because they live inside this small little bubble of Denton Texas, is that they start to compete among themselves. It’s really an amazing place. I started to think that if I could become independently wealthy, maybe I would return and try to compete again. Ha ha. I hope someone buys this business fast or I might be 70 years old when I finally start playing in a lab band again.

The thing I like about being at North Texas is that it’s just about being the absolute best. When you listen to all of these players, and you start to wonder, how they could ever all get work when they get out, you realize that some probably won’t work as musicians.

However, the training that they have had and the years of trying to be the absolute best in an art form, will carry over into the rest of their lives and I am sure that graduates go on to try to “be the best” at whatever they do.

After leaving the campus I decided to walk over to see if my old residences were still around. The very first, a second floor flat in an old mansion on Oak Street was not there. Alas, it had been torn down. Oh well. It had been in pretty bad shape even when I was there. What was a gracious big old building now it seems is a paved parking lot.

My second places of residence were on a street called “Normal Street”. Pretty weird name but “Normal” used to be the name for the “College of Teachers” which was called “Normal College”. Those two humble abodes were still standing. They had been old when I lived there. They looked even worse now. Oh well. Maybe my living expenses wouldn’t be too high if I moved back here!

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My first little house [top left], my second little house [top right] and a photo of the little houses on Normal Street [bottom].

Even my friend and neighbor, Ross’s house was still standing. Although I think it has seen better days. (I’ll have to e-mail a photo of this to Ross.)

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My friend and neighbor Ross's house.

Day thirty-two - Media and More

Today was to prove an interesting day.

I started out by going across town to visit a wholesaler named “Dallas Pen”. To be honest, I’d never heard of “Dallas Pen” before but during my trip, so many retailers in Louisiana and Texas were singing praises of Dallas Pen, I felt I should include them in my trip. Dallas Pen publishes a catalog which is then distributed through various educational parent/teacher stores. The best thing, according to retailers, is that Dallas Pen can fill orders within 24 hours. Now I call that service!

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Pat Melugin, president [top left] , Linda Carrington, catalog coordinator [top right] and outside Dallas Pen [bottom].

While at Dallas Pen I had a good meeting with Pat Melugin, president and Linda Carrington, the catalog coordinator. It was apparent why Dallas Pen is so successful. They take care with every minute detail and they know everyone of their customers very well.

I anticipated the afternoon with much excitement and wondered who else would be participating at the “Coffee Roundtable” media event hosted by Jon Griffin. When I arrived, I found that the only two participants would be Jon and me. Oh well. I never really run out of things to talk about! The 30 minute interview, complete with music clips, will be broadcast on three Dallas radio stations this weekend, “99.5 The Wolf”, “93.3 FM The Bone and “Sportsradio 1310 The Ticket”

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Me in the studio [left] , My host, Jon Griffin [right].

A big “thank you” to my host Jon Griffin for having me on the show. I think we both had a great time.

Day thirty-one - Workin' the Weekend

One more day of work this week. I thrust it upon myself because I wanted to take Tuesday off and spend some time in Denton at University of North Texas, my alma mater. Actually, in those days it was known as North Texas State University but it doesn’t matter. It’s still known to be one of the finest music schools and maybe the best jazz program around.

In order to be able to spend all day Tuesday in Denton, I needed to schedule some store visits on the weekend. Saturday was spent zigzagging across Dallas from Home Educator’s Resource in Duncanville, to A + Teacher in Irving, and, finally, Teaching Etc. in Richardson. Dallas has grown to be an enormous mega-city. Several cities surround the core to make one big metropolis. Actually, there has been such a boom in development that it seems there is little undeveloped land between Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton.

First stop of the morning was to Home Educator’s Resource in Duncanville, where I had a terrific visit with Hope Evans, the owner and manager. She recounted how their store had first opened in 1998 in a small section of her husband’s ‘vacuum and janitorial’ store. Since then, the store has grown many times over. In March, Hope will be opening a second store in Lewisville. Hope’s store was so jam-packed with neat stuff that I spent $100 on resources for myself!

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Hope Evans, owner of Home Educator's Resource [top left] , inside of Home Educator's Resource [top right] and outside of Home Educator's Resource [bottom].

To reach the second stop of the day I found myself driving across the city again, this time to Irving, Texas and A+ Teach R. Unfortunately, Janis Wingo, the owner wasn’t in but I had a nice visit with Cynthia, the sales clerk. A+ Teach R usually carries our titles so we had a good chat about which ones have been most popular among the customers.

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Cynthia, a sales clerk [left] and inside the store [right].

Last ‘retailer visit’ of the day was to Mary Lou of Teaching Etc. in Richardson. Mary Lou’s experience teaching first grade for seven years, and then owning the store for fifteen, makes her a valuable resource for the many teachers and parents visiting her store. Mary Lou already carries a nice selection of our titles. Check out the special display she made in the photo.

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Mary Lou [left] and outside Teaching Etc. [right].

By this time I was really ready for a weekend rest. I climbed into the van and sped off looking for the closest hotel with high speed Internet access!

Day thirty - Moving on to Dallas

Sally and Rod, being teachers, were up and ready-to-go early. I decided to pay another visit to Starbucks before my trek to Waco and Dallas. I didn’t need to go so much for the coffee, just for the ‘office space’ and internet access. I’ve now visited so many Starbucks across the nation I don’t even bother to get photos snapped. It’s become my home away from home. If it weren’t for Starbucks, half of these blogs wouldn’t even get done!

Rod hopped in my van and directed me to the closest Starbucks. It appears Starbucks is a haunt for Rob and Sally too, but mostly for ‘take out’ coffee on the way to work.

I was looking forward to my drive. I had never been to Waco before and was curious to have a look. Actually, it turned out to be just a nice small quiet city.

My first stop was at The Learning Center, where I visited with Carol Birdsong, the owner. Carol has had her store for 24 years and seems to have enjoyed every minute of it. Before that she taught in the classroom for three years so we had a lot to talk about. Her store was big, bright and cheerful and when she does special orders for her customers she prides herself in usually being able to provide ‘next day’ delivery.

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Carol Birdsong, owner of The Learning Center [top left], Inside The Learning Center [top right] and Outside The Learning Center
[bottom ].

Just around the corner from Carol’s store, I found my next destination, The Compass Christian Lifestyle Super Store. This huge place included a nice selection of educational resources. Unfortunately, Holly Pennington, the owner was unavailable but I did meet with two young sales people, Dan Roberts and Kenda Herring. These two seemed very capable, articulate and enthusiastic. I think that Holly is lucky to have Dan and Kenda on her staff.

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Dan Roberts and Kenda Herring [left] and Outside The Compass Christian Lifestyle Super Store [right].

Then, it was off to find my B&B hosts for the night. Francille and James were fantastic hosts and we had much to talk about. Francille is a vocalist and retired music teacher (having taught from kindergarten through college). James worked many years in the oil industry and then as a teacher of Industrial Arts and Cooperative Training. This unassuming couple has done a lot of things. Little things just slip out in conversation, like the five years they spent in South America and the time they lived in Edmonton, Alberta. They still, it seems, have a very full life and travel when Francille is not performing as a storyteller and editing the national magazine for the Association of Storytellers.

Day twenty-nine - Texas on My Mind

I know that the song is ‘Georgia on My Mind’ but it seems that the last few days, since I arrived here, I have had ‘Texas’ on my mind an awful lot. Yesterday, I had a great visit with Sylvia Cantu, office manager of National Education Systems Inc. in San Antonio. Sylvia was truly excited about our materials and it was a good meeting.

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Sylvia Cantu, the office manager of National Education Systems Inc. in San Antonio.

Then I drove to the suburbs of Austin, where I stayed with my hosts, Sally and Rod, who both teach grade six. Sally is a language arts teacher with a music background (opera singing!) and Rod teaches math. They were both very hospitable and their home was great.

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Sally [left] and Rod [right], my hosts in Austin, Texas.

What is bothering me is our discussion over morning coffee. Sally mentioned that at her school they’d been having a lot of problems with grade six kids becoming violent in the school yard. Apparently kids have been trying to settle issues themselves through violence. Sally mentioned that this year the problems have escalated. She seemed surprised.

From an outsider’s point of view, it’s disturbing but not so surprising to me. Kids emulate what they see around them. They emulate what they see on television and what they see at home.

If we want our kids to learn to settle their issues without violence; if we want our students to confer with others and to learn tolerance and conflict resolution, then we, as adults, need to set an example by seeking peaceful solutions to the world’s problems.

Learning to appreciate and celebrate diversity is free but it is learned by example. It doesn’t cost lives and it might help Johnny the next time he considers flexing his muscles or ‘throwing a punch’ in the school yard.

Day twenty-eight, - Back to San Antonio

When I woke up just outside of Houston on Wednesday morning the cars were zipping by outside my hotel room window. I psyched myself up for three hours of driving into San Antonio across I-10 West. The 'upside' of driving is that you don't really see a country until you see its back roads. I thought you'd enjoy this snapshot of George, the cowboy. I met George at a rest stop between Houston and San Antonio. George trains horses and, where he lives, he doesn't even have access to a telephone!

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George, a genuine cowboy.

The first stop I planned to make in San Antonio was a parent/teacher store known as The Education Shop. I was greeted by Pam and Kristy who run the place. Later I met the owner, 'Harvey Jack', upon his return to the shop. Apparently, in Texas, men are often called by BOTH of their names. The folks at the Education Shop were very hospitable and we had an enjoyable visit. The store is 25 years old but has been in its present location for seven years.

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Kristy Frese and Pam Phillips [top left], Harvey Rogers, the Owner of The Education Shop [top right], Inside The Education Shop [bottom left] Outside The Education Shop [bottom right].

Down the highway and around a few corners I was able to locate The Learning Zone. This family owned and run business has now expanded to two locations. The first and original store, located close to the Teachers' Credit Union, is in an older building that has lots of separate rooms with different themes. The second store in a newer location has a brighter more airy feel. Both stores offer very important resources for teachers and parents in the San Antonio area.

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Amanda, the manager of The Learning Zone [left] and the inside of The Learning Zone [right].

By this time I was really looking forward to meeting my host for the evening, Betty, an elementary reading teacher. Over Mexican food, Betty and I found that we had loads in common. Music and singing is 'instrumental' in Betty's life. She sings in two choirs and is very involved in a harmonica organization. She even taught the harmonica to her class last year and found that it did wonders to boost the self esteem of slow learners, especially when they did a great job at mastering the harmonica. Betty is looking forward to her involvement as a volunteer at the IRA (International Reading Association) conference taking place in San Antonio in May of this year.

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Betty Welch, my B & B host in San Antonio, Texas.

Day twenty-seven - Driving through daylight

When I finally stopped to sleep on Monday night, I was somewhere between Lafayette, LA and Beaumont, TX. I don’t exactly remember the town but it was the first one I came to before it got too dark. After my blowout on the highway, I have become more attentive to driving only during daylight hours. All I remember is booking into a Holiday Inn, finding out the Internet wasn’t working, checking out, and moving to a Days Inn.

I’ve become a seasoned traveler. I don’t even unpack my bags until I check the hotel’s Internet connection! Some places advertise that they have it, but my advice to other ‘Internet junkies’ is to “check out the Internet before you check into the hotel”.

When I woke up at the Days Inn, I was still a couple of hours behind my targeted schedule. I got on the road as quickly as I could and made it over to Manning’s School Supply in Beaumont. You know, personal visits mean a whole lot. I think they might mean a lot to the vendors; they really mean a whole lot to me. When I see buyers at the NSSEA show each year, I never could really imagine what their stores looked like. To be able to visualize everything now is so important. It gives a special insight into the needs of each retailer.

Manning’s School Supply’s 25,000 square foot store is large and airy. It resembles the inside of an “Office Place” or “Staples”, with clean white walls, high ceilings, and bright lights. Except that Manning’s specializes in school supplies. Now, they even specialize in fresh custom-ground coffee beans. A second store is located in Wederland, TX.

When I met with Stacie, the buyer, and we talked about my long drive from the north, she told me that Corinne’s mother has a business in Ontario. (Corinne and her husband Richard Creason are the owners of Mannings.) I know it’s a little off topic but this really fascinated me. Evelyn Manning’s company is called ‘Canadian Fly-in Fishing’ and it flies in fishermen/women into Red Lake, Ontario, where ten cabins sit in isolation on seven beautiful lakes. (www.canadianflyinfishing.net). These are only accessible by float plane. When I heard about this and saw the brochure, I knew of someone immediately who would love to hear about this! Dick Cromlish of School Resources Inc, Belmont, NC, had just shared his travel and fishing tales with me recently.

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Stacey [top left] the buyer of Manning's and Manning's inside [top right] and out [bottom].

Next stop of the day would be a classroom visit. Dr. Debby McKinney of Bear Branch Elementary in Humble, Texas, invited me to visit her music classes. It was a very gratifying experience. These little kids (in grades one and two), knew so many songs by memory and had such fun singing them that it was a very ‘humbling’ experience. Thanks to Debby and her school for the invitation. I had a great time!

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Debby and her class showing me what great performers they are.

Moving right along, and almost on schedule, my last stop of the day was at Basic Office and School Supply in Houston, TX. There were some scary moments along the way. It was just about rush hour and, there I was, zipping along the freeways with one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding my directions. (Not recommended.)

I am glad to report that I made it safely and had a good visit with Shiray, the owner. Shu-Ray has had her business since 1983. The store has been in its present location for the past 11 years. The 16,000 sq.ft premises has separate rooms, cubbies, and cubicles crammed with interesting resources for teachers and parents alike. I was glad that I had been able to visit. Now I only had to make my way through the rush hour to my hotel. This was to be a trip I would never forget.

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Shu-Ray [top left] the owner and Basic Office and School Supply inside [top right] and out [bottom].

Day twenty-six, - Hoping my van will make it

After the fiasco with the tire blowout in Baton Rouge, I was wondering if I’d ever make it over to School Aids. I even thought about canceling my visit. But boy, was I happy someone from the mechanic’s place offered to drive me over there to meet with Bart Todd, Celeste the general manager, and Jamey Finberg.

What an enormous place! This building is the ‘headquarters’ and main School Aids store. They also have five other locations located throughout Louisiana, Florida and Missouri.

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Bart with Celeste [top left], Jamey [top right], inside [bottom left] and outside [bottom right] of School Aids.

Climbing into my van (complete with a new back tire), I crossed my fingers that I’d have no more problems. I had one more retailer to visit and was running about two hours late. When I arrived at J & R School Supplies Inc, in Lafayette, LA, the sun was just going down. As you can see from the photo, the J & R building is so big it won’t fit into one picture!

Jean and his wife Rosemarie opened their first school supply store 33 years ago. The business has grown so big that it now encompasses 33,000 square feet. I was surprised to see so many resources there, but Marie explained that there are many ‘French Immersion’ programs in Lafayette. Jean and Rosemarie’s first language is French and they still speak French at home.

J & R is a family-run business. I had the chance to meet Marie’s daughter Nicole and her brother Randall. After school, Nicole comes to the store, where she likes to help with sales.

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Marie with her daughter Nicole [top left], Marie with her father Jean [top right], and the inside of their store [bottom].

Hope everybody had a nice VALENTINE’S DAY!!!

Louisiana Weekend

This is my first time visiting Louisiana and I’ve seen a lot. Staying with my gracious Bed & Breakfast hosts, stopping in at school supply stores, and watching the sunsets should have been enough.

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Beautiful Louisiana sunset off the highway.

But I got a chance to experience Louisiana on a deeper level. I saw how helpful people can be here when you are really in trouble. Between fixing my brakes, experiencing a tire blowout on the freeway, having a crew of men jump out and change my spare, and practically living at the mechanic’s garage as they needed to check my van for the third time in two days, I really got to experience what Southern Hospitality is all about.

Special thanks to Larry Bennett and Charlie of Total Tire and Service, Baton Rouge, who put up with me.

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And to my heroes, Terry Logan, Carl Pelletrin and Todd Baker, of Louisiana’s Wildlife and Fisheries Department, who jumped out of their trucks, grabbed their tools and put on my spare as cars whizzed by at 80 miles per hour.

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My heroes from Louisiana’s Wildlife and Fisheries Department.

I will never forget my time in Louisiana.

Day twenty-four, what a difference an hour makes

Wow! It’s taking some getting used to this ‘Central Standard Time’. As most of my friends know, I have been getting up at 5:00am for years and years (sometimes even earlier). That habit became engrained in me while I was trying to juggle my teaching job with running Sara Jordan Publishing. Anyway, when I wake up here and it feels like it is 5:00am it’s really only 4:00am in Mobile!

Oh well. First stop of the day was at Anders Bookstore in Mobile, where I met with Alice, the manager. Anders is an enormous store that carries college texts and parent/teacher school supplies. It’s located just across the street from the University of South Alabama. Anders has been in business over five decades and has been in its present location for 13 years.

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Alice [top left], the manager of Anders Bookstore showing inside [top right] and out [bottom].

My next stop was a hop, skip, and a jump to the state of Mississippi, where I’d stop at the School & Carnival Supplies Store in Gulfport. School & Carnival Supplies has to be the busiest store I have visited on my trip. It’s gigantic and it’s just bustling. I think I know their secret. Although they have a ton of educational resource material they also specialize in party supplies. No doubt the states of Mississippi and Louisiana must be filled with partiers! All kinds of people were in the store buying helium, Valentine party favors, and party stuff of every kind. At the same time teachers were buying their supplies. Genna and Theresa were very kind to take the time to greet me and Genna showed me all around the store. They really were so busy. It was nice that she took the time.

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Genna [top left] and Theresa [top right]. Inside of School and Carnival Supplies [bottom].

One more stop today and that is just outside of New Orleans, to stay with my host for the night, Joanne. Hard to believe I’ve covered so many states in such a short time. There is lots of water around here too. Everywhere you look there is water and causeways. The Deep South certainly is beautiful, not to mention warm.

Day twenty-two and twenty-three, a quick stop, then lots of driving

Just before leaving Gainesville, I decided to drop in on Learning Path School Supplies. What was originally a ‘cold call’ turned into a pleasant visit with owner Joan Knuth. Joan has had her store in Gainesville for the past 26 years. She holds a degree in Elementary Early Childhood Education. I left Learning Path School Supplies with a long drive ahead of me. I decided to split the long trek over two days. Tuesday night I would spend in Marianna, Florida and by Wednesday night I would be driving into Mobile, Alabama and Central Standard Time.

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Joan [top right] and Learning Path School Supplies inside [top right] and out [bottom].

Day twenty-one, alligators and more fun

Hey everybody. Bet y’all been wondering what happened to me! Well, I have been busy writing these blogs (sort of), but sometimes the channels get clogged and blogged (pun) because of the heavy load of responsibilities on my partners who help put this online. Anyhow, I hope that these blog entries will be more current again soon.

Right now, I am sitting in the Starbucks in Gainesville, Florida. I’m gazing out a very clean window on a gorgeous sunny day. The surroundings are great, and they play ‘real’ jazz and unpasteurized music at this Starbucks. Gainesville is a nice place. I would consider moving here. This small town of 100,000 people (of which 40,000 are students) has plenty of bookstores, vegetarian restaurants, Indian food cuisine, coffee shops and lots of green grass and foliage. Yes, I like Gainesville, home of University of Florida. It’s a place to be.

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Me [left], enjoying coffee, highspeed and my surroundings [right] at Starbucks.

Yesterday, I trekked across a toll road known as Alligator Alley. I was wondering if I’d see any alligators. Probably if I’d had to stop at the side of the road with mechanical difficulties I might have; maybe even have an unwanted encounter with one. But I’ve been assured by the locals that encounters between humans and alligators are few and far in between.

Fortunately, however, I made it across the beautiful state of Florida, along Alligator Alley, with no problems. First stop was at School Stuff Inc. in Fort Myers, FL. I was able to meet with Donna, the manager, as well as with Jennalee, the store clerk. School Stuff is an enormous store with very high ceilings.

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Jennalee [left] and the inside of School Stuff [right].

Next, I drove to Giggles and Good Grades in St. Petersburg, where I was greeted by owner/manager Matt Wolfe. It is little wonder that Giggles and Good Grades is expanding. They are opening up a second store in Clearwater at the beginning of March. Matt’s effervescent personality and the great selection in the store make this a popular shopping place for local educators and parents. There are several different ‘themed’ learning centers within the store. This building was originally used as a bank.

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Matt [left] and the inside of Giggles and Good Grades [right].

Last night, I was a guest at the home of Neil and Mary. Neil is a math professor at the University of Florida; Mary is a retired grade five teacher. They were very friendly, flexible, and accommodating, especially considering I showed up 24 hours earlier than planned.

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Mary, my host for the evening.

By now, you must know about www.EducatorsTravel.com, a great network for educators to join and participate in accommodation and accommodating around the world. If you decide to join, please say I referred you. My membership number is 13357.

So long for now, I’m off on another day of driving, meetings, and excitement. Have a good one!

Day twenty, halfway and finally a long weekend

Halfway through the odyssey and time for a long awaited break. I think I mentioned earlier that I look as though I’ve been sleeping in my van. I needed a chance to wash my clothes and rest up a little.

My hosts during my extended stay in Delray Beach, Roxanne and her mother Iva, were incredible. Roxanne is Head of Math at a local high school and her bubbly mother, Iva, is a former primary school teacher. Roxanne and Iva were the perfect hosts. They recommended several places of interest during my stay, one being the wetlands reserve of Wakodahatchee and the other being a free outdoor concert in Fort Lauderdale. We enjoyed a wonderful concert in the sunshine and the walk through the wetlands reserve was fabulous.

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Roxanne and Iva [left], my hosts. Roxanne and I relaxing at the jazz concert [right].


The Ruby Baker Band [left] and the Wakodahtchee Wetlands [right].


Nature shot at the Wakodahtchee Wetlands.

Day eighteen and nineteen, I needed a break

Hello Everyone:
I am sure you must have expected I fell off the side of the earth, or at least into the Atlantic. In truth, I really needed a break to get myself cleaned up. I took in a long weekend in Delray Beach, Florida, but now I’m ready to go again!

Here is what transpired on Week 4, Days 3 and 4.

First stop of the day on Week 4, Day 3, was to Sebring, Florida. Because it was such a long drive to such a small place, I was a little leery of the trip. But what I finally found at the end of the rainbow, was an incredible store, the Happy Owl, run by two equally incredible people. I was greeted by Kay Pigman and her daughter Suzette Rhoades. Both Kay and Suzette have a background in education and were a pleasure to meet with. By the time I was leaving their store, they had the sample CDs out and were listening to them in their store.

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Kay Pigman [left] and Suzette Rhoades [right].

Later that day I drove to Teacher’s Pet and More in Stuart, Florida . Teacher’s Pet and More is a source of valuable curriculum resources for teachers in the Stuart area. (They also have a second store in Fort Pierce.) I was able to meet with Cassie who gave me a tour of the store and valuable insight.

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Cassie [left] and the inside of Teacher's Pet [right].

Ace Educational would be the last stop before my long weekend hiatus. This incredible store of 35,000 square feet is just one of the two owned by Ace Educational. The other store, located in Margate, FL, is 15,000 square feet. One can find almost anything of educational value in these enormous stores. I was pleased to see many of our titles featured at Ace Educational and discussed how we could improve business and sales with Darci, the audio buyer. I would like to encourage anyone living in the Fort Lauderdale area to visit the store which is really incredible.

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Darci [left], the audio buyer. Me [right] checking our stock levels at Ace.

Day seventeen...was busy, busy, busy.

Three visits to retail stores, one dinner meeting plus a side trip to Orange City.
I think the trip to Orange City might be the most humorous so I’ll start with it first. As you might know from previous blog entries, I deal with rage. All sorts of rage. ‘Store rage’, ‘stage rage’ and I think maybe ‘caged rage’. ‘Caged rage’ is when anger isn’t dealt with appropriately and builds up into an explosion.

As I drove past Orange City, I remembered a victim of my ‘caged rage’. I decided to stop in and deliver some sort of peace offering. After all, this explosion was ten years ago. It was lunch time when I arrived in Orange City and I was pretty hungry. Stopping by a local pizzeria, I asked Milton, the manager if I might be able to buy one slice. He looked at me and said, “No. It’s six slices or all you can eat.”

Now for a person trying to watch carbs…six slices or all you can eat seemed to be an awful lot of food. I said, “Look, just sell me a slice. I promise I will never return here.” Milton looked at me dumbfounded. “How could you be so rude?” he asked. Then I started laughing. I told him that I had come to Orange City to apologize for being rude ten years ago. Now, as it turns out, I was rude to him too, the first person I met up with in Orange City.

Milton laughed and said not to worry, that it must be a character trait that I can’t control. We became fast friends. Wow. I think they should start to offer EQ101 in college for people like me!

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Milton at CiCi’s Pizzeria in Orange City.

As far as my visits to retailers, they were very positive today. I met up with some good people. As soon as you see Roberta, owner of The Apple Tree, you’ll see she’s one dynamic lady. She’s had her store at the same location in Holly Hill for the past 21 years, and also has a second store in DeLand, Florida. With her experience as a Special Ed. and primary school teacher she is really able to help parents and teachers choose what they need. Roberta and I also had something else in common. Growing up in Buffalo, she used to frequent Port Dalhousie to watch her husband compete in rowing races on Martindale Pond. Every day in the summer I watch racers on Martindale Pond from my kitchen window. I even tried racing myself for two seasons.

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Roberta [left] and her store, The Apple Tree [right].

Next stop was to Miller’s School Supplies where I met with Becky Tindall, the buyer in their head office, and Marie Miller, the manager of the Longwood store.
This company really excels in customer service. Becky and I had a good meeting and by the time I had left Marie’s store, I had eaten lunch in their staff room and used all of their facilities. A big thank you to Marie for making this stop fun and memorable. Millers School Supply has two stores. The second one is in Orlando, Florida.

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Becky [left], buyer at Miller's School Supplies and Marie [right], Manager of the Longwood Store.

Last retail stop of the day was to Education Express of Orlando located in an upscale plaza known as the Marketplace. Unfortunately the owners, Julia and Lisa, were not in but Kristen, the sales clerk, was happy to show me all around.

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Kristen [left] the friendly sales clerk who showed me around Education Express [right].

Before retiring for the day I had one last meeting. Maria Alvarez, a social worker in Kissimmee (just outside of Orlando), met with me for dinner to discuss how our resources could help her clients. In the near future she hopes to make learning resources more accessible for youngsters in the Kissimmee area who are struggling with life skills and literacy.

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Maria, social worker with a vision of linking
resources to the community.

Wow! What a day. Time for a rest. I’ll take a few days off soon just to get cleaned up. It’s starting to look as if I’ve been sleeping in my van.
Take care.