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KEYSTROKE MONTHLY THE
DECEMBER 2020
SOMETIMES CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS CHANGE
And It’s Not Always Bad!
I think it goes without saying that this Christmas season is going to be different for everyone. Whether you’re planning to stay put when you would otherwise travel to see family, or gather in a smaller setting or different place, the COVID-19 pandemic has ensured that in many ways, the traditions we hold dear will be disrupted — but that doesn’t have to leave us feeling down. In my experience, sometimes Christmas traditions can change for the better. For years, it was my family’s tradition to gather either in Oklahoma or the Dallas-Fort Worth area right around Christmas time. It was a trip I took even when I was a basketball coach, which meant I only had a few days to spare around Christmas to be with family. When I started running Pop-A-Lock, that trip became no less difficult. Gathering together was also a challenge for my brothers and other family members, many of whom also had to make time in their busy schedules to travel and be with family for the holidays. It was often exhausting to coordinate, but we persisted — until one Christmas a few years ago. My family was planning on getting together in Dallas a couple days before Christmas because three of my brothers were living there at the time. Christmas was on a Sunday that year, and we were planning to get together the previous Friday for a big dinner, and then go home the next day, on Christmas Eve. I was planning to go back to Lexington to spend Christmas Day with my now wife, Marilyn, but it didn’t turn out that way. I got to the airport for my flight home, from Dallas to Atlanta, and then from Atlanta to Lexington, and it was canceled. It was a 7 a.m. flight, so at first, I wasn’t concerned. I would just find another flight. But then I found out that all the other similar flights were full. It became apparent that I would not be home for Christmas Eve, or maybe even Christmas Day. I ended up finding a flight from Dallas to Tulsa, and then to Lexington late on Christmas Day. But on Christmas Eve, I had to spend the night in a Holiday Inn in Tulsa by myself.
time of year. They took me up on that suggestion, and we started celebrating “Christmas” together during the second week of January, when traveling was a lot less stressful. And you know what? It was great. In the following years, we actually moved our “Christmas” celebration to February, and then on to March to account for everyone’s busy schedules, and none of it has diminished the quality of our time together. My point in sharing all this is to say that while time with family is important, we don’t have to stress about gathering on Christmas Day — especially during the pandemic. Right now, vaccines are starting to make their way through the United States, and perhaps by February or March of next year, we could be freer to travel and be with one another. It might not be what you’re used to, but we’ve been pretty happy having Christmas in March as a Barnes family tradition. You might like doing something similar — you never know! Before I sign off, whatever you’re doing, I just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope everyone stays safe and healthy throughout the holidays. And, as a business owner, I just want to say thank you to all the members of the Pop-A-Lock family and to the customers who helped us make it through this difficult year. Here’s to 2021! -Doug Barnes
I ended up spending a portion of Christmas Day with Marilyn, but after that fiasco, I suggested we meet for the holidays at a different
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CAN’T AFFORD THAT NEW LAPTOP FOR CHRISTMAS? THERE’S STILL HOPE!
new models. When something is labeled “refurbished,” it was returned to the manufacturer, fixed, and put back on the market. Sometimes these products are restored to like-new condition — Apple and Samsung, for example, will go so far as to include batteries and put their products in brand-new boxes — while other times, they’re fully functional but without the bells and whistles, like charging cables. While refurbished technology isn’t brand-new, it’s pretty darn close. You can find almost any piece of everyday technology refurbished or secondhand, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, PCs, TVs, and digital cameras. According to Money Crashers, these gently used electronics are often discounted up to 50%, helping your Christmas budget stretch further. The best place to shop for refurbished products is directly from the manufacturer. Amazon, Apple, Walmart, and Best Buy all have sections for refurbished
products on their websites. Overstock.com is another great place to check, and you can buy or sell secondhand items on sites like Decluttr.com, BuyBackWorld.com, and Gazelle.com. All that said, saving money isn’t the only perk of refurbished and secondhand electronics. These devices are also better for the planet! By buying pre-owned tech, you can rescue an old device from the landfill and save the resources that would have been used to make a new one. This is a bigger deal than you might think. Mother Jones reports that a United Nations study found “the manufacture of one desktop computer requires 48 pounds of chemicals, 1.7 tons of water, and 529 pounds of fossil fuels — about 10 times the weight of the computer itself.” By shopping secondhand this Christmas, you can save money and be both Santa and an eco-warrior. It doesn’t get much better than that!
If your spouse wants a new tablet for Christmas, your daughter wants an iPhone, and your son is dying for a laptop, odds are it won’t be long before your gift budget runs out. High-tech presents add up fast, particularly this year when so many have fallen on hard times. Luckily, there is a way to get all of the gadgets you need without breaking the bank: refurbished or secondhand tech.
Refurbished electronics are an affordable, eco-friendly alternative to the shiny
Patience Is a Virtue and Timing Is Everything
The DetraPel Story
When timed incorrectly, even the best of business ideas can be duds. However, when timed correctly, a business idea that might not have been smart otherwise can lead to great success. Luckily for DetraPel founder David Zamarin, the story of his company falls into the latter category. DetraPel is the name of the company’s first and foremost product — an environmentally friendly substance you can spray on your shoes to repel liquids — and it is very effective at guarding shoes against liquid spills. The genesis of the idea came from Zamarin’s childhood. When he was growing up, his most treasured possessions were two pairs of Air Jordans. He obsessively tried to keep them clean and wished for a product that would help even as he wore them. His obsession with keeping his favorite shoes clean and his entrepreneurial spirit led him to start a shoe cleaning service at 15 years old. After four months, he was cleaning shoes for every local university sports team in his hometown of Philadelphia. He was eventually offered $150,000 for the business, which he happily accepted. Zamarin used that money to fund the creation of the product he had wished for as a child: an environmentally friendly spray that would keep your shoes clean. He and his team of researchers, Ph.Ds., and labs took three years to come up with the product that would later
be known as DetraPel. When he was just 19 years old, Zamarin landed a deal with Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner on “Shark Tank” to fund his business. As was the case with many businesses, things got a little rocky for Zamarin and DetraPel at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, ever the savvy businessman, Zamarin pivoted from his main product to produce hand sanitizers and disinfectants when there was a shortage of these products. Deviating from a primary business model is risky, but Zamarin correctly timed the deviation to his benefit. After hustling for months cleaning shoes, spending three years developing his product, and putting out the right products at the right time, Zamarin proved the old cliches true: Patience is a virtue and timing is everything.
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DON’T LEAVE YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS OUT For Would-Be Burglars to See
On average across the country, the week following Christmas is the second-most common time of year for burglaries, closely following summer vacations. You can probably guess at some of the reasons. Millions of families celebrate Christmas and exchange (sometimes expensive) gifts with one another, and then sometimes go on winter ski trips or vacations to somewhere warm and sunny. Those two conditions make the final weeks of December a tempting time for break-ins. Even if you’re not planning on taking a trip of any kind, you might still be at risk for a break-in during the holiday season. However, you can do a few things to decrease that risk. DON’T ADVERTISE YOUR GIFTS Everyone loves how their house looks with a big, lit Christmas tree in the front room window — including would-be burglars. Many of them drive through neighborhoods, looking for houses to rob, and houses with a bunch of seemingly expensive gifts under the tree are all the more tempting. Additionally, burglars will survey your trash for big-ticket item boxes, like TVs or gaming systems, to get an indicator of what might be inside.
boxes and throw the pieces away in black plastic bags before the next trash day.
DON’T ADVERTISE THAT YOU’RE NOT HOME Burglary is a crime of opportunity — and what better opportunity to steal your new gifts than when you’re out of town? If you have a vacation coming up after the holiday, don’t put announcements for it all over social media. That gives burglars a very clear window of opportunity. Secondly, find ways to make it look like you’re home while you’re on vacation, perhaps by installing some motion sensitive lights or asking someone to shovel the driveway for you. Plus, you can always ask your neighbors to keep an eye out, too. If you want greater home security this holiday season, you can download a free home security audit at PopALock.com, or call one of our home security professionals. We’re here to help you make sure you and your family are the only ones opening your presents this year. Give us a call today!
With that knowledge in mind, it might be best to wait until Christmas Eve to set out the presents. You should also cut up your
TAKE A BREAK
EDDIE TO THE RESCUE
Spotlighting His Adopted Pups
It’s never easy to say no to adding another furry friend to your family — at least, that’s the case for Eddie Abell, who currently has three rescue dogs (and two rescue cats) as a part of his family. Their names are Dixie, Paco, and Bruno, all of whom Eddie has rescued at different times over the past eight years. Paco and Bruno are Chihuahuas, and Dixie is a mix. Bruno loves being held, sitting on Eddie’s shoes while playing with his chew toys, and playing with Dixie. Paco loves to snuggle and growl at his food bowl, and Dixie watches out for the both of them like any good big sister should. Their favorite food is Beggin’ Strips, and they each get around four a day — but they would eat more if they could!
Eddie loves them all very much. “They’re like my little kids,” he said.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE HOW CHANGING CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS CAN BE A GOOD THING PAGE 1 HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON HIGH-TECH GIFTS THIS CHRISTMAS DETRAPEL: A STORY OF PATIENCE AND TIMING PAGE 2 PROTECTING YOUR HOME FROM BREAK- INS DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON EDDIE TO THE RESCUE PAGE 3 THE SURPRISING HISTORY OF THE SNOWMAN PAGE 4
Building a snowman is one of the most picturesque winter activities, which is why snowmen have become a wintertime cultural icon. A snowman appeared on the very first postcards, was the subject of some of the earliest photos, and even starred in silent movies. Frosty may be a happy snowman now, but his ancestors have a much more varied — and sometimes dark — history. NOT JUST A CORN COB PIPE AND BUTTON NOSE THE MIDDLE AGES Snowmen were a phenomenon in the Middle Ages. They were constructed with deep thought and great skill because, during a time of limited means of expression, snow was a free art supply that literally fell from the sky. These artistic feats were popular winter attractions for well-to-do couples who wanted to get their fix of temporary art. Snowmen were often created by famous artists, including 19-year-old Michelangelo who, in 1494, was commissioned by the ruler of Florence to sculpt a snowman in his mansion’s courtyard. THE MIRACLE OF 1511 In Brussels in 1511, during six weeks of subzero temperatures called the Winter of Death, the city was miraculously adorned with hundreds of snowmen. The spectacle told stories on every street corner — some political and some demonstrating anger with the church, many too
risque to speak of. For the people of Brussels, this Miracle of 1511 was a defining moment of artistic freedom. But when spring came and the snow thawed, the Belgians were left with damaging floods. THE SCHENECTADY MASSACRE Not all snowmen have an innocent history. In 1690, former Fort Schenectady in upstate New York was
home to a remote Dutch settlement, which was under the constant threat of attack. Soldiers guarded the gates at all times because they were frozen open, but during a blizzard, they left a pair of snowmen to protect the gates while they sought shelter. That’s when 200 French Canadian soldiers and Native Americans approached. Naturally, they were unfazed by the snowmen and ruthlessly invaded the settlement. Building a snowman seems like a simple and charming activity, but after learning about its surprising history, you might find those piles of snow seem a little more complicated and a lot more meaningful than before.
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