2025 October 17th: ROMEO

It was a beautiful Scottsdale day on the Patio for the most recent gathering of weathered but mentally sharp movers and shakers. The General Store has not changed one bit and Hugo was taking good care of the six that made up this power house.  Before we begin with the attendees, I need to mention that Stan and Deone were on a flight to Kansas City to celebrate the first birthday of their grandson. I have to mention that Deone just completed a two hike of 30 miles down the Grand Canyon with 9 of her athletic friends.  Obviously Stan was not in the group. The trip completion speaks to the outstanding physical condition she is in…they are already planning their next major hike.  Tim Sauer looked great and very wise with his graying beard..He is dealing with some nerve issues from ruptured spinal discs but fairing very well.  He mentioned that his son-in-law is now flying F18s for the Navy and is reveling in landing on the aircraft carriers; who knows where.  If not tough enough he enjoys jumping off the carrier with mates into the water for recreation…gosh, I wish I could do that…the rest of the family is well.  Dave Schoenbeck has recently had a titanium knee replacement after some preliminary efforts to correct the problem. His golf game is suffering slightly from neglect.  Bill Harbeck looks well and talked about his early real estate days in Chicagoland when he was driving a yellow Biscayne,(Jim Youngs old company car) to potential sites on the south side where, upon his arrival, scattered the drug dealers thinking he was the police. Who knew yellow was threatening.  Mark Panzer had arrived from a good deed of moving furniture to the Goodwill.  He still has a ton of energy.  We talked about Steve Pimper, Jim Doig, Brad Trom, Shane Sampson, William Emmons, Mark Skaggs, Mike Eckels, Dick George and the missing of the likes of Bob Potter and Chuck Barth.  Oh, the anecdotes were flying about shop lifters, fights, balers, loss prevention and the joys of management in inner city stores. Frank Stock, the financial analyst, sat while listening to the mental images that painted retail as not sales of merchandise alone, but physical and mental survival and creation of memories shared by those who experienced it.    You all have a wonderful day……we did!