Manteca, California

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Moving On

Ryan just found out today that he is going to be the new manager of the Manteca, California Les Schwab!! We are very excited!! A store he has talked about managing since we moved here. You never know when your wishes might come true.......

Manager's Meeting

Even though it's been nearly a month ago, I still wanted to blog about our manager's meeting in San Francisco. We had such a good time! I am a San Francisco lover and being in the city for that long was wonderful. We saw pretty much everything we wanted to see except for Alcatraz. We decided we would visit that spot when the boys were with us.

Ryan at I at Pier 39.

Chinatown was definitely a highlight for us! We haven't been to San Francisco very much so we definitely wanted to see what Chinatown was all about. It was very interesting and we learned a lot about the Chinese culture. I think our favorite stop was this little fortune cookie shop that someone on the street told us about. It's kind of hidden in the back of one of the allies, so unless you knew where it was, you most likely would pass it by. It was very cool to watch them make the fortune cookies right there. Talk about time-consuming work! The little old man in the store was so excited to have us there that he kept giving us free samples.

One of the streets in Chinatown.

A building in Chinatown. Not uncommon to see their laundry hanging out in the wind.

The alley where we visited the yummy fortune cookie shop.

We also walked Fisherman's Wharf and spent quite a bit of time on Pier 39, which is probably the most famous pier there. I was so busy watching for the "Bush Man" that I'm sure I missed out on some of the sites. I am always on the look-out for him because I don't want to be caught in his trap. We walked up to Ghirardelli Square and walked around the shops there, too. We walked A LOT!

The meeting was very nice. It's always nice to see old friends and co-workers. Of course our two favorite people to see was Joe and Donna. We love them like they were our parents and miss living away from them. I can't believe how many people we have come to know through Les Schwab and how many of them used to be a sales-and-service guy when Ryan was an assistant manager that are now manager's themselves. The company is always changing, that's for sure!

The blog wouldn't be complete without talking about the shopping. It was superb! One of my favorite places to shop. Ryan was very patient with me and let me wander into whatever store along the way. We spent most of our time with our friends Tony and Jani from the Escalon store, so Ryan and Tony would stand outside and talk shop talk while Jani and I would wander in and out of the stores. I didn't really buy anything except for a pair of Skecher shoes but I loved just window shopping and browsing the stores. I saw this sign on one of the stores and it made me laugh, so I took a picture of it.

I want this printed on a t-shirt.

All in all it was a great week. The best part was being with Ryan and spending time together, oh and eating cheesecake every night! I am thankful that Ryan and I can go away like that and not look at each other and wonder what we're going to do next because we don't have the kids with us. I'm glad that we still have our own relationship separate from the boys. I am grateful to a company that recognizes all the time these managers spend away from their families and give them a chance to spend some quality time with their spouses. Next year.....Seattle! Yay!!!

Ryan's New Digs

I'm getting this post up to save my life. I think my Mom has her gun loaded and ready to shoot me if I don't post these pictures. The big move for Ryan and Lucas started last Friday. It was a pretty exciting weekend! By the afternoon of Friday, the store was looking pretty empty. Other managers from around the area came in, packed it, and hauled to the new store. After seeing how they pack and load pallets, they will not be invited to help me move my house when the time comes.

All that was left in the show-room when we arrived at the old store Friday night.

Lucas and the "I-T" people from Bend getting ready to shut the computer system down.

One of the service trucks loaded with tool boxes and ready to go!

We let Taylor have a Rockstar energy drink. 'Nough said.

Friday night, Ryan took the boys, Geniel, and I up to see the new store. When I walked in and saw the new store, I wanted to jump and shout for joy right there! I had forgotten what a "real" Les Schwab was supposed to look like. Everything is new, clean, and appealing. I am so excited for Ryan and Lucas!

Lucas. I treat him delicately. He keeps Ryan light-hearted at work.

Saturday we continued getting the rest of the small stuff out of the old store. The painters came to paint the outside of the store and to cover all the windows with plywood. The old store doesn't even resemble a Les Schwab anymore. It's kind of a bitter-sweet feeling for me. I never thought I would feel bad about leaving the downtown store but maybe it's the fact that it's closed down and we aren't just moving on. I feel like a part of Ryan's hard work has died without any credit. No one knows what he has gone through the last five years and as his wife, at times it's been very hard for me to sit by and watch him wait it out.

The new store! This is the view from walking in the side door.

The front counter.

The waiting area.

Now, we are on to greener pastures! Ryan and Lucas both act like they have ADD. They bounce from one project to the next. They have both been putting in some pretty long hours. I keep telling Ryan that it doesn't all have to be done today, but he doesn't listen to me. Ryan told me that they see more cars in three hours than they ever did at the old store in a week. Of course, they are on the corner of an eight-lane road. This makes it a little harder for them to get in too deep with a project during work hours because they have customers to help. Customers!! The employees at the store are walking around Ryan like he's the grim-reaper and he's going to call their number any moment. I don't think Ryan will make any big changes just yet, although they did move the bookkeeper to part-time already.

So, this begins the next chapter in our Les Schwab book. I hope this ride is a little smoother than the one that we've been on the last five years but we know we can handle whatever comes our way. Now, if I can just get Ryan to be as excited to clean out and re-organize the garage as he is over this new store......

Things Are Changing Around Here

One thing about our life, it's never dull. Sometimes it gets quiet and that's when I start to worry. Things have been quiet, a little too quiet. The week before Christmas, Ryan got a call from Greg on his way home. Greg asked Ryan if he had heard anything about Brian from the Hammer Lane store (Les Schwab) quitting. Ryan told Greg no and Greg said that Brian posted on Facebook that he was quitting and tomorrow would be his last day. Lo and behold, Greg was right. The next day, Ryan had to go to the Hammer Lane store and sure enough Brian told him that he was quitting and moving his family back to Oregon.

Ryan came home and confirmed the Facebook rumor to be true and non-chalantly I said to Ryan, "What would you do if they offered you to take over that store?" Someone was tuned into that conversation because the following Monday, Brian quit on Friday, Ryan looked outside his store and walking in was John (Regional Manager) and Neal (Area Manager) to talk to Ryan. They sat down and for the next three hours talked to Ryan about taking the Hammer Lane store. They told Ryan that it was his choice, if he took the Hammer Lane store they would close his store and if he didn't take it, they would leave the store he's currently in open and let him keep doing his thing and just put a new manager in the other store. Ryan told them a whole bunch of things, I think his gun has been loaded for awhile now, and he didn't hold back. He told them that he would need to talk to his wife (he scored points for that) and that he would let them know. They told him that he would need to let them know by Wednesday, two days to make a life-altering decision. They also told him that he wouldn't be able to take Lucas, his assistant manager, and that Brian had run a profitable, money-making store, into the hole $8,000.

Ryan called me at work and told me everything. My mind was spinning and so was his. This wasn't the "prime" opportunity we were both looking for. Although John and Neal told Ryan some really wonderful things about him and his performance as a manger, they wanted us to move to another store, assume another debt, and go that much longer without a bonus? Were they crazy? Were we crazy? What would other people think? Would they think we had failed if Ryan decided to shut his store down? Would we be the laughing stock of the company? Those were the things that were screaming in my head.

We talked about it all Monday night, while also trying to pack, not let the kids know yet, and get Christmas finished up to go to Washington. I didn't sleep all night and cried tears in my pillow over the fact that 1. they didn't want Ryan to tell Lucas, 2. Lucas and his families fate now laid in Ryan's hands, 3. I didn't want to be unloyal to Lucas because he had taken a chance on Ryan and this store, and 4. Dangit, I wasn't moving any closer to home, just moving up the road!

I got up Tuesday morning looking like I had been run over by a train and when Ryan got up I told him that I couldn't do this to Lucas and his family, it wasn't fair. I cried, Ryan cried, and then Ryan said, "Let's say another prayer about this". I had prayed all night, I think Ryan had, too. Then the conversation continued and some things were said that I can't say on my public blog. We had a plan, I felt good about what we decided, and now it was Ryan's turn to make some heavy-hearted decision.

That night Ryan came home and had made his decision once and for all. Ryan told the kids, they seemed indifferent. They're boys, they only get excited over food and sports! What was I expecting? I guess a little bit of a reaction. On our way to Washington Wednesday, Ryan made the call. John was excited about Ryan taking the store. I was happy for Ryan but a little sad to walk away from a store that has taught us a lot about ourselves over the last five years and a store that Ryan had put blood, sweat, and tears into.

It was so hard not telling my family when we were in Washington! I wanted someone to say, "No, Cara, you and Ryan aren't the stupidest people on the planet", or, "It will be a good thing, wait and see". I needed to hear those words from someone, anyone! I would ask Ryan my million questions everytime we were alone. He usually wouldn't know the answer but would reassure me that we were doing the right thing.

Now, here we are. It's now public knowledge and I can honestly say I feel good about it. I think Ryan's head is still spinning from all the things that lie ahead for him to do. He has a new store to get in order, new customers to get to know, and new people to work with. I hope, hope, hope that the things Ryan was told will happen for us. Since then, the assistant manager at the Hammer Lane store has decided to step down because he's a little upset that they won't let him move on even though he's put his two years in. Some people don't realize it's more than just fulfilling the time on your contract but I won't get into that. Today, we are waiting to see what Lucas and his family are going to do. Lucas was offered the position of the assistant at the new store yesterday but he had to discuss it with his wife. I think they had themselves already leaving Stockton. So here I am ,waiting for Ryan to call and biting my nails. It may be a long day!

The Big Island - Les Schwab Week: The Last Night and Day

Today Ryan and I decided that it would be our last hurrah at the beach by the Sheraton. We loved this beach because it looked like what we envisioned Hawaii to be. So we packed up our stuff and headed to the beach for a few hours for some last minute sun and swimming (not me, Ryan).

Later that night, Les Schwab put on a Luau for us. It was something we had never experienced! As we walked in, they had fresh lais for us. Ryan kept wondering out loud to me when he was going to "get laid" in Hawaii. Well, it happened, in front of God and everyone in his company. He got laid as we walked in to the Luau.

I have to say, I was a little disappointed in the food. Most of it was seafood and had the fishy smell, I didn't handle it very well. I don't know if it was just the line that we ended up in or if that's how it was everywhere. I did enjoy some fresh fruit sprinkled with coconut, a lava flow, and their wonderful desserts! They had one of the hotel workers hiding in the middle of one of the tables under some fake vegetables and when someone would come up to take food, he would scare them! It was fun to watch people react to being scared!

The entertainment was wonderful! We learned about the Hawaiian culture and the different dances they do. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures because we were so far from the stage. We enjoyed our evening with our good friends from Lodi, Gary and Eliana. They are a lot of fun to be with and we enjoyed spending time with them there on the Big Island!

As the evening came to a close, Ryan and I were ready for Sunday and to see the boys. There was a little part of me that was anxious for the plane ride to be over, both for them and us!