Better Service Without More Cost

I did a quick trip to Little Valley Thursday to Friday. The goal was to deliver a few Christmas presents for brothers and sisters but also to do a quick check of the homestead and to soak up some of the ambiance of the area. The house was fine. A little cozier and warmer than expected but that is good. And the driveway was very clear - even at the entrance - so the plower we’ve employed is doing his job well. Which may be expected since we are paying by the plow. Makes one wonder what the final bill will be.

Martha had arrived just ahead of me so we ran over to Ellicottville (“the little Aspen of the East”) to have dinner. We ate at the Ellicottville Brewing Company which was a little crowded at first. But we got a small table right away. Once we ordered (fish and chips for both) the meals came almost instantly - hadn’t had more than one sip of our beers. Suspect they may have judged us as we walked in and dumped the fish in the frier. But it was a good meal. Afterwards did a little walking and window shopping on Main St. and drove through Holiday Valley. Not many skiers but lots of slopes open and the snow looked good. Then back to Little Valley where we tested the internet connection (still good) and watched TV.

Friday morning we met Ed for breakfast at Dina’s for our package exchange and to review Ed’s homestead 2005 expenses and 2006 projections. Nothing but good news as the corporation has successfully weathered several household improvements and repairs, the unit is in healthy structural and financial condition, and dues for the next year have been reduced. The new motto is "Better Service Without More Cost". The spreadsheet will be reviewed for possible adjustment at the annual June convention. I should also report that Dina’s has opened their second floor area. As you come in their front door there is a stairway to the left going up to the new dining area. They have also added a huge ceiling to floor curtain to block out drafts at the front door.

After a little shopping in Ellicottville and a short stop in Little Valley (and a short tutorial on podcasts for Martha), I started the return trip to Oberlin. On the way Laura called me to report that her flight was slightly delayed which gave me enough time for grocery shopping at one of our Trader Joes - coffee, wine, soy milk, and marzipanstollen. Laura’s flight arrived 45 minutes late which wasn’t too bad. Traffic around the airport wasn’t bad at all. Stopped at Lorenzo’s to get take-out for supper.

The only other interesting experience that evening was a call from Martin (still in NYC) asking for help. His old Jeep, which he has given to a friend in Oberlin, was not starting and she needed to visit relatives that evening. So I grabbed my jumper cables. Had her started after a few tries. She only lives a few blocks away. We decided she will need to have the battery tested as it is getting very old and looked mighty corroded. Martin will be arriving in just a couple hours. At that point everything should be in place for our family Christmas festivities.

We hope all of you have a worthy Christmas and enjoyable holidays.