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NEWS FROM SUMO SAM July 2020 QuickSumoPestControl.com
HOW I WON OVER MY BOSS AT MY FIRST JOB Reminiscing on My First Summer Job in the ‘90s
When you grow up in a rural area, the local convenience store and gas station have a bit of extra significance to you. For me, that was the Lucas Food Mart, and I’d always wanted to work there. We knew the owner, Abraham, fairly well; we were down there all the time, whether it was gassing up cars or motorcycles, buying candy, or anything else. It was a little country town. We also knew Abraham because he never hired employees — not even once. His policy changed when he hired me, of course. In the early ‘90s, as a teenager, I told my dad that I wanted to work there, but I didn’t know how I’d get hired since Abraham was pretty adamant about working alone. I talked a bit about my dad and his incredible willpower in June’s newsletter. My dad gave me a suggestion: “Don’t take no for an answer. If you ask him for a job and he says no, just look around and find a broom and start sweeping the floor. If you don’t see a broom, look in the utility closet, find the broom, and start sweeping. When he asks you what you’re doing tell him that you’re going to sweep the floor until he hires you.” I thought this was the dumbest, most embarrassing idea I’d ever heard. Eventually, I went down to the gas station. I approached Abraham at the counter and said, “I want a job. Will you hire me?” He told me, “I don’t have any money. I can’t hire you.” The store was fairly dirty; I could tell he needed the help, and I said as much, insisting that he should give me a job because I really wanted to work there. “I can’t afford it. I can’t hire you,” he told me again. So, I decided to try my dad’s dumb idea. I looked through a nearby closet, found a broom, and started sweeping. “He’s not even going to pay me for doing this. This is so stupid,” I thought. Still, I followed my dad’s instructions and when Abraham asked me what I was doing I said, “I’m going to sweep your floor until you hire me.” To my amazement, Abraham gave in. “Okay, fine, but you can only work on
Saturdays, and I’ll only pay you minimum wage.” I think that was around $4.25/ hour at the time, but this was the early ‘90s, so that was fine by me! And as much as I didn’t want to admit it, my dad’s idea really helped me defy the odds. In that way, working at the Lucas Food Mart was an exercise in responsibility, problem-solving, and self-determination. Eventually, I worked there almost every day during the summer. Abraham gave me the keys after a while, and I opened and closed the store sometimes. Reminiscing on those days makes me realize how Abraham really trusted me a lot. Since we were near local fishing spots and would get a lot of anglers in the store, we sold live minnows, nightcrawlers, and other bait. There was also no McDonald’s nearby, so you could easily find food like hamburgers at our stop too. The standards for cleanliness were definitely different in the ‘90s, but I promise I really did wash my hands in between serving up live minnows to one customer and burgers to the next. Abraham had never had an employee before, so I wanted to prove that I was worth hiring. That effort was a success, I’d say. He never fired me, and he even went on to hire two of my brothers after I left (one of those was John, who runs QuickSumo with me). I guess it worked out so well with me that he wanted to keep it in the family. Smart man! Today, if you look up Lucas Food Mart on Google Maps, there’s something you should know: The outside hasn’t changed since the ‘90s when I worked there. The sign, colors, decor — all the same. In fact, as kids, we used to joke about the sign. We knew they never sold “Bait Sandwiches” or “Ice Gas,” but one side of the sign lists bait and sandwiches and the other lists ice and gas. For all those reasons, I don’t think I could ever forget that first job experience.
Josh Hopewell
“In that way, working at the Lucas Food Mart was an exercise in responsibility, problem-solving, and self-determination.”
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214-334-1466
A MEAL FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY
Meals on Wheels Goes the Extra Mile
Meals on Wheels doesn’t often get the credit it deserves. The international nonprofit ensures those who are unable to buy or make their own meals get the food they need to survive. Of course, for many recipients, the efforts of the organization go far beyond “survival.” For those who receive food daily or weekly, those deliveries may be their only source of social interaction. And during times of social distancing, the program became more important than ever.
Meals on Wheels doesn’t just serve meals to the elderly and people with disabilities — it also serves those people’s pets. In 2019, Meals on Wheels Atlanta realized there was a huge need in their community to feed the pets of senior citizens. It stands to reason that if an elderly individual is unable to shop or cook for themselves, their pets may be in a similar predicament. And when someone’s pet is their entire world, making sure the animal is fed and healthy means everything. In response to this need, Meals on Wheels Atlanta began stocking up on cat and dog food, creating their own pantry to serve the local pet community. When volunteers made their rounds delivering meals to seniors, they made sure to bring cat and dog food along too.
volunteer told 11Alive News in Atlanta that Jeffery and Grizzly “have their own special
relationship.” Larry loved Grizzly long before Meals on Wheels Atlanta started the pet pantry because he saw how much Grizzly’s companionship meant to Jeffery. Now, Larry enjoys his service that much more since he gets to provide for Jeffery’s beloved pet, as well. On top of delivering food to seniors and their pets, Meals on Wheels Atlanta also delivers pet toys and pet beds, and they are happy to take in any pet- related food or items for donation. The organization says this endeavor was done out of love, not only for the people they serve but also for the whole family — wagging tails, fuzzy whiskers, and all.
One volunteer with Meals on Wheels Atlanta, Larry Auberbach, had a unique experience delivering meals to Jeffery Jones and his dog, Grizzly. The
FLASHBACK TO DINOSAURS, BASEBALL, AND TOM HANKS SOME OF OUR FAVORITE '90s MOVIES
It’s easy to feel nostalgic about the ‘90s. It was a simpler time before cellphones and social media took over our lives. This decade gave us many things, from fashion to
see his differences as limitations. His attitude affects those around him, and throughout the movie, you see how Gump makes a positive impact on everyone he meets. The film spans a time period ranging from the '50s to the '80s, and it’s still as relevant today as it was when it was first released.
'THE SANDLOT'
technology, that are still part of our lives today. It also brought several movies to the big screen that have since become classics and are rewatched and streamed even today. Trying to narrow down this list of favorites is like trying to pick the best flavor of ice cream or decide on pizza or a burger. These are just a few of our favorites, so we’ll leave it to you to add to this list and rewatch
Speaking of uplifting stories, “The Sandlot” is another tale that gave us the now-famous line, “You’re killing me, Smalls.” The movie is set in California, where a new kid has just moved to town. While he has trouble fitting in at first, he soon finds friends and starts to play baseball with them. The group’s biggest threat is The Beast, but as we soon learn, what seems scary initially is often just misunderstood.
'JURASSIC PARK'
the ‘90s movies you love best.
'FORREST GUMP'
Steven Spielberg made dreams and fears come true with his creation of “Jurassic Park,” based on the book by Michael Crichton. Using state-of-the-art computer-generated imagery, Spielberg’s film brought dinosaurs to life, making theatergoers feel as if they too were visiting Jurassic Park and should fear for their lives when the Tyrannosaurus rex is on the loose. “Jurassic Park” gave us a classic that soon inspired an entire film series and a ride at Disneyland.
This heartwarming movie made us fall in love with Tom Hanks’ depiction of the endearing, unstoppable Forrest Gump. It’s easy to see why this tale, based on a book by Winston Groom, became a classic. We all could use an uplifting story about a person who overcomes obstacles and doesn’t
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F ire ants are small bugs, but they can cause big, Texas-sized problems. According to the National Park Service, a single colony of fire ants can include half a million aggressive workers. They build mounds that poke up from the earth, but their nests can actually extend 20 feet underground with tunnels stretching 8 feet in every direction. That’s a serious network with the potential to damage your landscaping! Fire ants are also a danger to kids and pets. Their stings are painful and can be life-threatening for those with allergies. Plus, they’re a nuisance when you’re trying to do yardwork. If you’ve lived in the Anna area for a while, odds are you’ve seen these reddish- brown pests in grassy places or have experienced their annoying stings. They love our warm, dry climate, but there are a few things you can do to protect your home and yard from an invasion. DON’T LET FIRE ANTS TAKE OVER YOUR YARD! Try These 3 Steps to Protect Your Home
1. Keep things neat and tidy. Fire ants are omnivores, so they eat just about anything we do and more! They usually go for meaty, greasy, or sweet things, which in the wild means bugs, eggs, seeds, and fruit. In urban areas, they’ll hunt down pet food and kitchen scraps. To avoid attracting them, seal
your trash bin and compost pile and consider feeding your pets indoors.
NO-CHURN S'MORES ICE CREAM
2. Start doing threshold inspections.
July is National Ice Cream Month, so why not cool off with some sweet, homemade s’mores ice cream? You don’t even need an ice cream churn!
Obviously, you should keep an eye out for ant mounds when you’re out in the yard, but another way to spot an ant problem early is by inspecting your clothes and any items you’re carrying when you come into the house. If you spot one ant, odds are there are more out there.
INGREDIENTS
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14 oz sweetened condensed milk 2 tsp vanilla extract 10 graham crackers, crushed
1 chocolate bar, chopped 2 cups whipping cream, chilled
3. Call in the professionals. If you’ve seen fire ants in your yard or been
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stung, it’s time to get help. You can try curbing a fire ant problem with over-the- counter bait, but that’s usually a temporary fix because most products only target adult ants, leaving their eggs to hatch later. If you have a fire ant problem and want to solve it for good, we can help. Our team can eradicate the colony and start a preventive maintenance program to keep the ants from coming back. To talk through your options, call us at 214-334-1466.
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, graham crackers, and chocolate. 2. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat whipping cream until peaks form, about 3 minutes. 3. Fold whipping cream into the condensed milk mixture. Transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for at least 8 hours. 4. Serve and enjoy on a hot summer day. It’s especially delicious in a waffle cone!
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279 Highview Lane, Anna, TX 75409 | 214-334-1466 | quicksumopestcontrol.com
1 How I Won Over My Boss at My First Job 2 How Meals on Wheels Atlanta Stepped Up for Its Community Flashback to Our Favorite ‘90s Movies 3 3 Ways to Protect Your Home From Fire Ants INSIDE
Homemade S’mores Ice Cream
4 Find Your Family’s Next Crafting Project
FIND YOUR FAMILY’S NEXT CRAFTING PROJECT
DIYs From Across the Entertainment Sphere
NICKELODEON-THEMED CRAFTS
Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or brand-new to crafting, there are lots of ways to get your kids creating. For example, why buy merchandise from their favorite video game or TV show if they can make it themselves? Check out these resources for
Whether it’s “Blue’s Clues,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” or “SpongeBob SquarePants,” there’s no doubt that your little one is familiar with some of Nickelodeon's most iconic children’s shows. NickelodeonParents.com offers DIY crafts that’ll encourage your kids to get busy and creative while decorating their play areas and beyond. The site also filters crafts by categories like Big Kids, Educational, and Noggin, so you even have options if you want your child to learn something while they play.
free crafting ideas to keep your kids connected to their favorite characters when they’re not looking at a screen.
GEEKY CRAFTS
DISNEY-THEMED CRAFTS
If your kids are huge gamers, GeekCrafts.com is a great website for finding DIYs that they can get invested in. Not everything is designed for small kids, but there’s a large archive to choose from, and it’s not difficult at all to recognize what crafts will be best for your family. From Minecraft-themed building blocks to Pokemon felt hats, you’ll find lots of fun projects that’ll get your kids excited and asking, “What’s the next step?”
From “Star Wars” to all things Mickey Mouse, entire fictional universes can come to life inside your home and make your family time feel a little more magical. Family.Disney.com offers projects for every difficulty level. Many require glue guns and adult supervision, but that’s what makes them fun
We hope these free resources help you and your family spend a little more creative time together! Have fun!
and interactive for both you and your children. Who knows, you might just find inspiration for other decorations in your home after a few Disney- inspired crafting sessions.
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