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Musings About Family, Travel And Gardening With Allen Martinson.

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Nerves

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I knew that as the time for Mimi and I drew closer to go to market in Atlanta that the temperatures would tumble. Every year I hope that this would be the year that we could be in Atlanta without the brutal, cold winds blowing up our petticoats. For some reason the big city streets and buildings can make that winter wind pretty bitter. I know for some who are accustomed to it, Atlantas winters are not that bad but for us we might as well be in Antarctica. We like to be at the market doors when they open so we can get as much time in as possible. Parking and remembering where we parked is always a thing. We will map out where the closest parking lot to the right door to the right building will be so our walk through the Arctic air will be as short as possible. Atlanta market consists of 3 giant buildings, each with about 20 floors smacked filled with every retail store buyers in America and some other countries. We know which building and which floor we want to start every morning with. The part we won’t know is where we will be when they run us out of there around 6pm. We could be in a totally different building that faces another direction by the time we get finished running down rabbit holes for that one special something that Mimi knows she wants to offer at our store. Along with thousands of other people, all who knows best, we try to figure out the quickest way back to the parking lot where we left our car that morning. Going to Atlanta every year reminds us of what country bumpkins we are. One of our biggest challenges that comes up every time we move our car from one place to another, market parking to that nights restaurant to that nights entertainment to the hotel and back out to a convenience store for some Ben And Jerry’s in bed, we have to figure out the new (to us) parking pay methods. While the wind is howling, temperatures dropping and people waiting behind us wondering when the Beverly Hillbillies came to town we have to remember our car tag number, our parking slot number and hope this thing works. Sometimes people try to gently help us, more like to get us the heck out of their way, I am no help at all except that I’m really great at getting frustrated and start threatening the entire Atlanta parking system with my cauldron of baseless and futile things that I would do if I could just catch up with the person who came up with this system. I’m sure it’s not that difficult for most people but it will take more than one trip back to your car to make sure you get the numbers right, all the while cursing the cold. Makes me feel real old. I don’t mean to complain but really it’s just tradition, I dread the interaction while Mimi, with all her cool, gets us through it by shooting me some stink eye if my complaining becomes too much or if I get too close while she’s reading the directions for the 3rd time.



I don’t love the valet parking concept either. Once our google maps get us to the restaurant that our reservations are we get deposited right into the valet area. Suddenly there is a kid with his hand held out for the keys to our car. All around us are cars with valet drivers burning rubber and honking their horns while speeding off to park other peoples cars somewhere in dark, mysterious pits of Atlanta. All our stuff in our car is exposed and in view from being in the car for the 6 hours it takes to get there. It makes me extremely uncomfortable to hand over those keys and I usually go into a little panic mode as soon as I realize that we are about to hand our keys off to a perfect stranger who doesn’t look old enough to have a driver’s license. Not only that but I wonder if handing over a tip on the front side will put us in the secret club of valet drivers who take great care of your car and wont pilfer through your stuff. It makes me wonder how much is the amount that won’t offend someone and make them treat our car even worse. Then, at pick up time another tip is expected for bringing her back intact. Can I have a minute to see if anything is missing before I hand over more money feeling like a fool. Obviously I’m overthinking all this, nevertheless that is where my mind goes when I am so unsure of how this system works. We go to a big city so infrequently that we have to pass through the learning curve every time. I can get through New Orleans pretty easy, the rules are a little more relaxed and I can drive around there like I own the place but Atlanta is bigger, faster and unfamiliar to me. New Orleans parking is starting to pick up some of those nasty pay- on -your -own parking habits now. I’m sure to get a ticket next time I go. They should have easier parking rules for people who have been parking in New Orleans since the 60’s. Probably won’t happen.




Once we make our way into the building that we want to start our week long shopping trip we head over to the ever lengthening line to pick up our buyers badges that have our names and the name of our business and the state that we are from. It makes it nice when we run into old friends who’s name I can’t remember or our sales rep from one of the showroom who’s name I can never remember. It definitely sets the tone in a better direction when we can all at least act like we are long lost cousins upon greeting each other. Sometimes we have appointments set at a time that the representative of a company can give us their undivided time while we are buying up a storm. That can really speed things up, it works best at places where we know we will be buying large amounts every time we go. We usually see the same person year after year, sometimes we get introduced to our new rep. They have streamlined the buying process as well as it can be done. When we see the thing we want and have figured our minimum order and checked the price at our retail formula to make sure the end price to our customers is one that we all can live with the rep will scan it and add it to the ongoing order. When we feel like we have gleaned the showroom of everything we want the order is instantly processed and the printer spits out our order complete with its terms and date to be delivered. Some of our orders are to refill some existing products that did well for us in the previous year and some of our orders are for a brand new line that we bank will be a success. We usually ask for delivery of the new to us products to be sent ASAP since we are eager to get that in and display it as soon as possible.



Mimi will base a lot of her decisions upon the new items chosen and I will begin to see a theme begin to develop. That’s when the magic begins to happen. The theme may be a color range or a shape or a style or texture. Once that begins to unfold the buying goes much faster and confidently. When Mimi gets her buying legs under her squared up, confidence up, I know it’s time to go into support mode and generally stay near but out of the way. A force to be reckoned with arises. I will make sure her arms are freed up and her mind can stay clear while she makes these giant decisions sometimes with a shot of coffee that I find back at the rep station where I do a little begging sometimes for a bite of a something or another to keep her energy level nice and high. Some of the showrooms really lay the good stuff out for their buyers, some of them put out the cheap stuff, I am a professional quality free food finder.


The goodies really are for their potential clients but begging is more fun. Once that duty is done I will check the previous orders and their dates to make sure that we don’t have too much shipping on one date. It can be overwhelming when too much product shows up at one time. We are blessed with lots of space at Garden Works but it gets confusing when it looks like there is no end. I also check the dates to make sure that we will be able to handle the charges on the credit card as we get charged when the product ships. That’s the tricky part. All of our inventory has to be paid for before we get a chance to sell any of it so we have to hang our necks out there for a while resting on our faith and Mimi’s buying prowess, both are very good bets. I am always comfortable with the products that won’t arrive until the season is rolling in March or April when it will begin to sell right away making it easier to pay for thirty days later. Those products that show up in the earlier months have to just sit there for too long and hurt our back pockets but we need them there so we can display the following goods against them. We use our sky miles card for all of those purchases so that’s how we are able to fly away on these cool vacations. By the time vacation time comes around we are usually able to fly anywhere we want go for about 30 bucks, it makes it fun.



I know this year that Mimi is very focused on a new room that she and staff that runs that front area has created during these winter months. Garden Works is excited about our newest offering. We now have a room yet to be named that will allow individuals or groups of any size to come in to make crafts, sip on some coffee, listen to music and relax. The ingredients for all sorts of crafts will be available and priced as you add in a way that will allow the individuals or groups to walk out with a very cool craft. We have the ingredients available for succulent wreaths, air plant crafts with hot glue guns and wires and tools handy so the customer can take it as far as their imagination takes them. We have everything you will need for terrariums, fairy gardens or even mobiles made of organic materials.


We hope a parent will choose to spend some of their time with their child in this room making fun crafts. We hope for groups of women who need a place and an activity for their monthly meeting to spend some time in that room having a good time making stuff. The room can be used just to repot an overgrown plant if someone needs to. It will be a great place to come spend a lunch break just to change things up a bit. Someone will be around to guide you through it and to offer any advice we can. Look out Atlanta! Mimi is coming in hot with crafts on her mind! Finding the perfect ingredients for super cool crafts is a lot of what this market trip will be about along with all the other great products that we have yet to see. We are not even there yet and I am already getting anxious about parking, eating, driving around lost, freezing and buying like there is no tomorrow. We’ve been doing this for decades, I shouldn’t let those things bend me out of shape but that’s just how I am. I like things just regular. I am hoping that this winter has been kind to you, it looks like it has settled in on us for sure. It can’t be over with fast enough for me, cold plants and animals make me just as nervous as spending time in the big city.

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