Small + Cute = Love

Friends of mine adopted two puppies a few weeks ago.  Last weekend I was able to meet them for the first time. Playing with puppies brings such joy and peace to my heart,  I thought I would share photos.  Next time I will try and get a video.

Hi! My name is Toby.

and I am Boomer.

Whaaaatttt? I am exceptionally cute!

I want to eat anything and everything!

 Have a great weekend everyone!

Election Day!

As a citizen of these United States of America  I am able to exercise my right to vote today.
  
Personally I feel it is my duty.  I thank the many women who fought and marched for this privilege 100 years ago.

New York City May 6, 1912

I thank my mom for instilling in me a responsibility to get involved.  To read.  To research.  When I first started voting we had newspapers & the TV news to learn about what each candidate stood for.  Now we have the internet & 24/7 cable news shows.  

Recently I was reminded, again, how precious this right & responsibility is.  I was having a chat with a friend through Twitter and she shared that the country she lives in has only been a democracy for 20 years.  20 years.  Her sense of pride & joy was evident. 

I will leave work and drive to my neighborhood polling station.  I have my sample ballet that I have spent hours mulling over the language in the 11 amendments that are on my ballot.  I will stand in line.

Today I am able to exercise my right to vote.  

Will you?

Ringing Phones

Work has been busy. So much so it has been challenging to handle all the incoming orders & deliveries. Like many companies we downsized and are still running with limited employees. We all are handling several different job duties and with this increase in work load we are now wondering if it is safe to hire. My boss has been trying to make this decision for weeks now but it seems every time he decides to go for it the phones stop ringing and he pulls back, concerned this pattern of increased orders won't continue. I can very much appreciate how difficult it must be, he is not only thinking about his company but also the new employee.

Over the weekend I was thinking about the phones and a thought came to mind: with all the different ways to communicate these days are ringing phones really a true measurement of an increase or decrease of business? 
 
For me, email is the most common form of communication with my customers, much more so than the telephone.  First off I like any direction to be in writing.  When I tell the customer when material will be available for delivery it is via email.  If the customer needs to change a size of an opening I want it in an email.  I always take notes when speaking with someone by phone but sometimes my writing gets sloppy as I try to keep up with the conversation.  I have learned through experience that what I say and what the customer hears sometimes have entirely different meanings.  I may say “your doors are scheduled to leave the factory in Wisconsin on November 3” but the customer hears “I am getting my doors at the jobsite on November 3”.   Early on in my career I learned to follow up a telephone call with an email reviewing all pertinent information that was discussed.  Communication is key to keeping a job moving forward smoothly not only for my scope of work but the many other trades on site.

Even potential customers often make the first contact via our info email address off our website in lieu of phoning in.    

Obviously tracking monthly sales numbers plays an important role in making any decisions on possible future hiring but my boss is old school and a constant ringing telephone makes him happy.  Personally I think it is probably a good mix of all forms of communication. 

Ceiling Mounted Tables

 Here is a space saving idea ~ let's hang the table on the ceiling! 

A brilliant idea for healthcare facilities including assisted living facilities and nursing homes.   Just flip a switch and you can convert your dining room to a recreation area, therapy center, visitors lounge or chapel.  Manufactured by

~ It has no legs so wheelchair patients are not encumbered.

~ The 60" diameter table top will seat 6-8 persons.

~ While the table is in the upright position the floor space can be used for 

    movies or a dance!

~ Cleanup crews love it because they don't have to move all those tables out 

    of the way before sweeping or mopping.

~ Can even be equipped to accommodate cabling for computer use.

~ Choices of table top laminate color. 

Fully retracted

Positioned halfway down

Fully extended

If you would like additional information please visit uptable.com.  Oh and if you are wondering what this has to do with doors...T-Fab is a sister company of a-fabco.  We have one of these cool table in our break room :)

Sherlock Holmes

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DHI CoNEXTions Conference 2012

The DHI Conference is next week, October 14-19, in Las Vegas.  Unfortunately I am unable to attend but feel it is important to still support my industry from afar. 

Last year I was lucky enough to go to DHI in New York City. Flights from FL to NYC were inexpensive and my BFF was going so we were splitting the cost of a hotel room.  This year door and hardware professionals from the West Coast will have an easier and less expensive time getting to the show in Vegas.  Either having the show at the midpoint of the U.S. or alternating having the the show on opposite coasts is only fair.

My BFF is still going and the cool thing is I will be able to follow along on Social Media (SoMe).  A lot of other peeps I have met through SoMe will also be tweeting, posting on Facebook and LinkedIn and probably Instagram so I will be able to see a lot of what is happening.  It won't be the same of course as being there as I will miss the Solution Sessions DHI is offering along with the Forum for the Future, always a great event. But through Social Media people at the show will have the opportunity to share what the door and hardware industry is all about, not only to those of us in the industry but to the rest of the world. 

My heart breaks every time I read an article about a fire that spread because a fire door wasn't in good functioning order or a person, without proper knowledge, left the door open for some reason.  DHI was instrumental in encouraging the IFC and NFPA to adopt annual inspections on fire door assemblies and certain egress doors and continues to educate and promote these new codes.   

As you walk through buildings start paying attention to any door marked with an exit sign.  Is the opening blocked in some way?  Is it chained or bolted?  If there was a fire would you know where to go and is there a clear path to the exterior?  These are all important factors in the continuing education to save lives.   This is one of the many reasons I support the Door and Hardware Institute because what they do matters and truly can save lives.  

Ok jumping off the soap box now :)  If you are going to the DHI show next week please leave your twitter handle or facebook link in the comments below so I can follow along.  Tag all tweets with #DHI2012 to make it easier for those of us in the industry to search.

As an aside I also want to congratulations Lori Greene as she will be receiving the DHI Fellow Award this year! If you don't know Lori she is a force in our industry.  Lori started a blog I Dig Hardware back in 2009.  She can untangle the mind boggling words of building codes and specifications into understandable language.  I use her blog as a resource, weekly if not daily. 


Remember what happens in Vegas, at the DHI Show, doesn't stay in Vegas.  Share the knowledge and have a great show!

Lead Glass

Leaded glass is the most expensive single construction item in a room requiring radiation protection and little thought is given to the size.  With  production limited to four countries around the world (none of them being the USA), most manufacturers/distributors keep limited stock quantities on hand, it’s more important than ever to design with stock sizes in mind. 

Each manufacturer has common and differing stock sizes. The two most prominent lead glass producers are located in Germany (Schott) and Japan (Nippon). Nippon produce sizes up to 96’’ wide by 48’’ high.  Schott's produce sizes up to 84’’ wide by 42’’ high. 

Where lead glass is concerned, bigger is not necessarily better. Many times, the size and placement of the view window can create not only unsightly clutter but the reflect in the cost. 

The difference between a piece of 96’’ x 48’’ with 1/16’’ (2.00mm) lead equiv. & a piece of 84’’ x 42’’ with 1/16’’ (2.10mm) lead equiv. is only a 1080 sq. in.  (7.5 sq. ft.), but with a current price difference of about $50.00 /sq. ft., there could be significant savings. 

Here is a chart to help determine the location and size for a view window frame.