Even death did not end our love (Unknown).
The next day, Lynda went to the bank with Joy and Carol to get her signature
I had an accounting package for a small business which I used in Toronto to help small businesses.
Carol had all the accounting information that I needed to enter into the accounting system, and it didn’t take too long. When I walked through the accounting system, Carol was impressed with it. She expressed an interest in learning to enter data into the system, and I promised her that I would teach her how to do it.
Lynda got in touch with the contractors, the consultant’s friends, who were supposed to do the job some time ago. Basically, she told them that she was the new sheriff in town and if they cannot fix those problems in a couple of days, she would go ahead and hire somebody else. Surprisingly, those outstanding problems were solved in a couple of days. The owners came to see Lynda and told her that they were quite happy.
Lynda used the list of contractors which was provided by Carol, and she made telephone calls to speak to the people at those companies. She asked them to provide her with their profiles so that she could prepare a list of contractors to get in touch with them.
Lynda wrote a brief note to the owners explaining that she didn’t like to just fire Donna (Carols’s granddaughter) or Bruce (Carol’s son-in-law) because they are related to Carol. There are no guidelines for firing workers if they are related to the owners subject to the condition that they are doing their jobs. She explained that if either of them is not doing his or her job, she would let them go. At the same time, she asked everybody to keep an eye on and let her know.
Joy had arranged an outing for the owners to have lunch as a group in a nice restaurant right in Sidney which was attended by several folks, and all appeared to be happy. The atmosphere in the building has changed. Everybody appeared to be eager to stop and say hello to us. In return, we used to make it our business to find an excuse to chat with the other owners.
The next month, Lynda sent a copy of the Financial Statement along with the minutes of the meeting to everybody, which was well appreciated as they had never received it in the past.
Lynda also started going around and checking if the cleaning was done properly on every floor. A couple of times the owners pointed out to Lynda about something being missed on their floor, and Lynda managed to talk to Donna, but she had never heard anything bad about Bruce.
As far as Bruce was concerned, Lynda was approving any minor and quick fixes, but Bruce was responsible for keeping the backyard clean and maintaining the recyclables.
Lynda also found out that the local municipality pays a few hundred dollars every year for the recyclables they pick up from the building.
Lynda and I decided to meet with the new members of the committee to further explain the purpose of the function and listed steps that they can follow. The meeting went very well, and we let them know how much we appreciated their help.
Joy also organized a group of owners to go to Nanaimo to see a show which was well attended. Everybody appeared to be happy with the activities, and they expressed their interest in being involved with any group activity.
I wanted a break from the activities related to the committee and told Lynda that I may explore the possibilities of teaching at the University of Victoria. She said now that things are relatively calmed down, I should give it a try but, in the meanwhile, she wanted to talk to me about the conversion of fireplaces from gas to electricity.
She said she had been making telephone calls to various companies located in Victoria and Vancouver who convert fireplaces from gas to electricity.
I asked what does it takes to convert fireplaces from gas to electricity? She said I spoke to several companies, and I started out by asking them the same question and heard their answers several times that I think I understand the process. What they say was converting a gas fireplace to an electric fireplace is feasible and involves removing the gas components, safely capping the gas line, adding or upgrading electrical wiring, and installing an electric fireplace or insert. The amount of work depends on the type of existing fireplace and the style of electric unit you choose. She continued – The key points were:
- A licensed professional should disconnect and cap the gas line;
- An electrician may need to install a dedicated electrical circuit;
- Electric fireplaces do not require a chimney or vent.;
- A simple insert conversion is generally less expensive than replacing the entire fireplace.; and
- Electric fireplaces are low-maintenance, energy-efficient for supplemental heating, and can provide flame effects with or without heat, though they usually produce less heat than gas fireplaces.
I said, I am impressed with your work. She said, I learned from the expert. I said if I understood you correctly, you were saying that if we need only a simple insert conversion, it would be cheaper. Lynda said WOW, you’re learning, too. She continued; I am just pulling your leg.
She said, I have already arranged with a couple of companies in Victoria to come to look at our fireplaces and give us an estimate. She continued – one company is coming in the morning and the other is coming in the afternoon. I said you’re doing the right thing, my darling and I don’t see how I can help you out. She said once I get two estimates, I want you to look at those estimates and help me decide which company to do business with. I said, that’s not a problem. She said furthermore, I want you to prepare a brief document to make my case with the committee as we have our monthly meeting a couple of weeks from now. I told her that I will do whatever it takes to convince the committee on Monday.
Lynda left by saying that she had a luncheon appointment with her Sorority sisters.
As soon as she was gone, I made calls to find out who I should get in touch with to explore the possibilities of teaching at the University of Victoria on a part-time basis. Finally, I got in touch with the person who oversaw managing part-time teachers and made an appointment to meet with him. When explained to him about what I was doing in Las Vegas with the University of Nevada and the Community Colleges, he expressed interest in meeting with me.
The next week I went to see the professor at the University of Victoria. After chatting for while mainly on the subject of Las Vegas, he said, he wanted me to meet with the guy who basically manages teaching computers on a part-time basis. When I got home, I called that guy. It appeared to me as he was expecting a call from me. He was cordial and agreed to meet with me the next week.
In the middle of the week, Lynda asked me if I had some time. I said, of course, and we landed in our living room with note pads.
Lynda presented me with two proposals that she had received from two different companies. The good news was that both companies agreed with the fact that our fireplaces need a simple insert conversion which was much cheaper. The difference in the amount quoted for the conversion by both companies wasn’t that great.
Lynda said the difference in their proposals is not that great to base the decision. What do we do? I said we need to investigate other factors. She said like what? I said perhaps we need to get the following information on each company:
- How big is the company – How many people are working for them?
- How long have they been in business?
- Where are they located?
- Do they have any clients here in Sidney?
- Names and telephone numbers for a couple of their clients, preferably in Sidney, if they have any.
Lynda said it makes sense. She said, let me go back and get that information from them.
The next day I went to see the guy at the University of Victoria. He said he has been doing that job for years, and it seems to be working for him. I asked him what he recommends as guidelines for the folks who were teaching there on a part-time basis. He said he bought a book a few years ago, and that book has almost everything for the kids to know. I expressed interest in looking at the book. Right away, he got up and took the book from the bookshelf and gave it to me. The first thing I checked was the date when it was published which showed the book was at least 10 years old.
I didn’t see any information related to the standard use of Windows 10 or the Operating System that I used to teach in Vegas which included:
- Basic Navigation and Tools:
- Start Menu: Click the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner to find your apps, system settings, and power controls;
- Taskbar: Pin your favorite programs to the bottom bar for fast, one-click access.
- Search Bar: Type directly on the taskbar to look for files, folders, or settings on your computer.
- Settings: Right-click the Start button and select Settings to change your display, sound, or network options
I spent another 15 minutes trying to understand how they can justify the time and energy that students were investing in learning “What” computers are capable of but not how they can make computers work by following the specific instructions. In the end, I gave up and left.
The next day, Lynda asked me if we could go for lunch to our favourite restaurant and discuss the information that she had acquired talking to the companies. When we got to the restaurant and ordered our lunch, I asked Lynda if she had any difficulties getting information from those companies. She said, none. She said that both companies were very cooperative and provided me with the answers to those questions.
I waited for a couple of minutes when our lunch was served.
While started organizing my plate with the hot food, I asked if she had a chance to make telephone calls to check those references out. She said indeed she did. I asked what did you found out about those two companies. She said both companies have excellent references, and I am not sure if we can zoom in any of those points that we discussed before to zoom in one and justify our decision. I said just slow down for a minute, my darling, and tell me where those condominium buildings were where you called and checked their references. There were only two here in Sidney for company A and two in Victoria for company B. I said, are you telling me that company B doesn’t have any clients here in Sidney. She said, you got it right, my man. I said, perhaps that is the reason which could be used to make a decision. She said, can we do that. I said, indeed we can do that. Having multiple clients in Sidney for company A deserves some extra points in the analysis and we should proceed accordingly. Lynda said, I am agreeing with you.
She said that the other thing that I wanted to mention to you is that I need you at the committee meeting on Monday, just in case there are any questions that I cannot answer.
I said, I will be there with bells on.
