Back To The Grind – A Pleasant Reminder That I Live in Texas
It’s Tuesday, I’m recovering from a previously long and exhausting workweek. The AC industry is no joke in Texas. Many families can barely afford to cover bills, let alone pay to have a service company come out.
The DIY industry has boomed over the last decade or so since the internet has been empowering homeowners with knowledge. Which is kind of great and horrible at the same time.
Since the beginning of the year, I have progressively watched the cost of A/C equipment go up by 5%-10% twice in the first quarter, and now they are saying it will go up again. As a business owner, you come to expect these sort of setbacks. People expect things to go up a bit, especially with the state of things recently. But try explaining to your regulars when the cost goes up by 25% – 40%
Refrigerant cost has more than doubled since last year, copper has gone up a whopping 200%, and steel a staggering 400%. Think that’s bad?
Shipping is far, far worse. Yes, we can all guess that because of COVID-19 things have progressed slower than usual but this is an entirely different beast. A shipping container from Asia, on average, last year was around $2k per container.
This year? That number has gone up to $20k as of late. An 800% increase.
Let’s just think about that for a second. 800% increase.
Even domestic shipping and freight have been steadily increasing every month since last year.
It’s a tough time for many business owners, it’s a tough time for customers, it’s just tough.
As you can imagine the unique industry I work in brings in some…characters to put it mildly. Imagine living in Texas during the pandemic, with a slew of under-educated, narcissistic mans-man sorts that consider themselves godly church-folk. Now add in just enough YouTube knowledge to make them dangerous and the ability to buy the parts online and buddy─ you’ve got yourself an insufferable man-child.
I’ll definitely take these guys any day over an engineer, however. I’ll explain that particular hell in another episode.
When you live in a place like Dallas, you know that your experience will be different depending on which part of the city, and neighboring cities you are in. If you are anywhere outside of Downtown proper or just outside of a metropolitan area, without a doubt you are dealing with apathetic, single-minded individuals that find this whole pandemic to be blown out of proportion. While, just like any sensationalist news, that does come with some truth, ffs have a brain.
I have signs posted everywhere. Before someone walks in, after they walk inside, all of our employees wear them. And yet, for ever 1 person wearing a mask, 3 do not wear one.
Look. I don’t like masks, I’m vaccinated, I constantly wash my hands make a real effort to not touch my face or dig up my butt crack at work and touch other things, and I keep my distance. But you know what, I wear a flipping mask. So why, in the nine hells, can someone not wear a mask for fifteen minutes or less?
Because, dear friends, I may live near the dessert but I’m drowning in a sea of idiots.
They all, literally, have the exact and I mean verbatim, word vomit. I’ve even heard such phrases as, “my wife is a nutritionist and we refuse to get vaccinated” as if she is at the pinnacle of medical discovery and working hard on the front lines with dying patients. “I’m vaccinated,” yeah, so am I and viruses mutate, next. “The flu has killed more than Covid-19″─ herpa derp─ “I’ve had it, it’s nothing─ berpadee derp herp─ “It’s a conspiracy against white men and it’s racist─ derpa herpadee snort snoot─ “Biden is going to be the ruin of this country─ deeherpa doo da─”
These are not made up conversations, yes, these people do exist. P.S. For anyone jumping on the Right v Left train and that can only identify with one side of the argument and mudslinging bullshit, please go over to the children’s table and learn something called critical thinking.
Biden, by the way, is not democratic. He is what the Republican party used to represent.
The sheer amount of idiocy would surprise many people. I’m not talking about normal people ignorance. I’ve had customers come in for a few years now, we got along great, had differences in opinions politically but nothing we couldn’t ever reach middle ground on. This has been such a weird last two years and really makes me sad. It’s like people have gone completely polar opposite on damn near everything happening. They just need a reason to take their anger out on everything, and everyone. I can’t believe the words leaving people’s mouths right now.
At this point, I have no sympathy for people raised a certain way. When you cannot see reason, you cannot be reasoned with. Therefore, yes, you are a danger to society.
The amount of times that I have heard, “well, I haven’t gotten it once and I’ve been fine, or, everyone in my family got it but me,” is embarrassingly high.
Yeah, no, you got it you just didn’t have symptoms. Congrats, you’re a super-spreader. Even if you didn’t get it, your family did and they spread it. And I’m sure if your dumbass didn’t get a shot, your family damn sure didn’t. Unless you have a teen or young adult with some sense in the house that got vaccinated. For those that seem to think this is a good thing that weeds out the population, while logically I get what you are saying, fuck right off you miserable asshole.
You want to know something? I’m about to get real savage. If you are too fucking stupid to not see people getting this, struggling with their lives, even some of your precious leaders getting it and dying or fighting for their lives, then I have zero sympathy for you. As a matter of fact, I think there should be a waiver that if you refuse to get a vaccine, you also wave your right to get treated in a hospital.
Just so there is no confusion, if you are waiting on a vaccination and on a waiting list─ you are just fine to be treated. For the assholes that try and get clever by being on a permanent waitlist, you can go ahead and get ready to spend a long time in prison. Let’s go ahead and leave the hospital beds open for people that are actually trying to help themselves and others. You got a strong opinion that you undoubtedly stand behind, you’re a big strong adult, you can take care of yourself. The only exception to this rule are children for obvious reasons.
But I digress.
I explained the earlier info to paint a picture of the type of customers we get daily. Today, I had a gentleman from Hong Kong impart top secret knowledge to me that the vaccines were poison, Japan can confirm apparently. 😐🙄
As frustrating as it all can be, at the end of the day it feels good being able to help families. Especially in times when it seems like we all desperately need it.
Anyway, these are my thoughts on a Tuesday. Have a great day lovelies. 💞
Xoxoxo
Grey