Running Your Internet Business – Life Intrudes

As you may know if you’ve been reading my posts for awhile, my father-in-law died about two months ago. (On life and death – part 1, part 2)  We spent a week or so in Ottawa, making arrangements and cleaning up his apartment. At least as far as we were able. After all we are talking about 15 years or so in the same dark, mildewed basement.

When we finally overloaded the van, we had a whole mess load of stuff still to pack. At least a day or two of work yet to be done. Including leaving his ashes on his counter (immediate burial wasn’t possible).

Arrangements were made to return in December to finish cleaning up.

Everything was ready for our return … or so we thought.

Of course, we had some problems scheduling — resolved. And Lisa’s Aunt didn’t seem particularly happy that we were returning.  She also was angry at us for having removed “anything of value” as she put it.

Well, on Friday, we returned. We found out why she wasn’t happy.

By the way, did I mention that this hell-hole was owned by Lisa’s Aunt? (I know I mentioned the fact that she didn’t bother to tell either of her nieces that Gerry was in the hospital dieing.)

It was a long, dangerous drive up to Ottawa in the first blizzard of winter.  Okay, I exagerate. On the edge of the first blizzard. That still means that we drove by 10 car pileups from the whiteouts on the 401. For those of you not familiar with the Highway of Heroes,  the McDonald Cartier Freeway has parts of it which are frankly dangerous in the winter. Especially around Gananoque the highway ices and is subject to blowing snow (aka whiteouts).  So accidents are quite frequent.

Needless to say, I was not really able to navigate the stairs so my wife and her friend went down on their own. The scream from the basement was heart wrenching.

This woman and her friends had emptied the apartment. Photographs had been thrown out (we found some in the garbage). Tools belonging to Lisa’s grandfather had disappeared.  As had all the small appliances, expensive knives and cooking utensils and anything smaller than a desk. Even Lisa’s father’s ashes had disappeared (fortunately found later, below blankets in his bedroom). Even the freezer had disappeared (admittedly we knew about that). The only thing left was what they felt was unimportant and the garbage.

Saturday we spent showing our friend around Ottawa. We even saw the Olympic torch run. That may seem strange but it gave Lisa’s aunt some time to call her “friends” and try to get some of the stuff back. Of course, they denied that they had taken anything. And despite a call to the police, nothing was accomplished.

On Saturday evening, I drove us back to Toronto.  Staying another night was not on.

I’m writing this on Sunday (which is when I try to write my blog posts for the week).  And despite being half asleep, I’m still angry.  Or is it protective? Or is there a difference?

Kharma is a bitch … at least, I hope it will be.

But out of this mess, I have several weeks worth of comments on the sense of entitlement, willingness to do one’s job and other topics for the building your ebusiness portion of this blog. I’ll try to break them up.

But today (as in Monday when this post is published) is my birthday. So my posts this week will be on getting older and better (from an entrepreneur’s viewpoint).  Then next week, I’ll talk about entitlement and doing one’s job and one other subject yet to be determined. Which will take us up to Christmas. *BTW Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends – think of your family when you light the candles tonight and the next few nights. And be thankful.

So entrepreneurs and small business people gather round and listen to me rant. And I’ll try to make it instructive.

Get Learning and Get Earning

Glen Ford