Mike Martin

Posted on: Jan 13, 2019 at 2:59 PM

Sandra, I managed to delete your message, which isn't a positive endorsement of my mechanical ability, but I could give you a heads-up next time we visit Sunset Harbour and I could drop by and take a look at your grandfather clock? Of course, there wouldn't be a charge for an old school chum.

Posted on: Jan 12, 2019 at 8:06 AM

Susan's announcement about the wonderful Barber Park Event Center & Ruth Wicker Tribute to Women opening reminds me of a very special person here in the Tryon, NC area. I repair vintage and antique clocks in NC/SC and I received a call from a Ms. Deaver, who is living at a retirement community there. Ms. Deaver will be 100 years old on March 26th of 2019.

My daughter Sarah and I arrived and found that Ms. Deaver's clock was an inexpensive battery powered clock that she had owned for years. She had bought batteries but the clock was too high on the wall for her to reach, or she would have changed the batteries herself and been done with it. I replaced the batteries and then I mulled over what would be the right charge for making the house call, changing her clock's batteries and correcting a few mechanical issues in the clock, and 'spiffing it up' a bit. I call my service policy "The Golden Rule Service Policy" and I do try to treat each of my customers as I would want to be treated, were I the customer. I said "Ms. Deaver, the charge for the service today is $8.00." Ms. Deaver paused from completing the check she was writing to me and said: "Mr. Martin, you're never going to get rich if you don't charge more than that for making a service call, especially this far from where you live." I was floored! And then I laughed and laughed. This lady was wise beyond her 99 years! But I stuck to my guns, and Ms. Deaver completed the check for $8.00. I also lowered the clock's position on the wall so she can reach the hands to change the time when necessary. And change the battery next time it runs down. I promised to call her on her birthday and sing 'Happy Birthday' to her.

We chatted a bit - Sarah was enthralled with the old books and magazines laying about Ms. Deaver's home and the pictures on the walls. Ms. Deaver was a retired physical therapist who worked with soldiers who had been wounded and had been sent to her hospital in New York to recover. She shared photos of her time in New York City in the 1940s with us. By the time we left, I felt like I should have paid Ms. Deaver for sharing her experiences with us. It was certainly an opportunity that Sarah will not soon forget and that I cherish. And on March 26th, I will call Ms. Deaver and sing Happy Birthday to her!

Posted on: Dec 23, 2018 at 8:09 AM

Ahem! I would like to share my favourite seasonal joke:

Why did Santa Claus plant a garden?








So he could ho ho ho!



The end

Posted on: Nov 06, 2018 at 9:17 AM

Is it just me or is it HOT in here?

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! My flag and my pirate canoe.