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Start-Up Diaries: And on Father's Day, He Rested
1 Jul, 2008 By: Peter F. Schopen Jr. Pest Management ProfessionalAuthor's Note: Last month I told you that we were going to look at getting too cozy with our clients. That will have to wait until next month. Some things have happened to me lately that need to be expressed.
For anyone who knows me personally, they'd agree that I have a type AAA personality. Take a cup of Adam Sandler, mix it with a glass of Hulk Hogan, throw in a pinch of Chris Rock and add a splash of David Lee Roth — and you have created Pete Schopen on a slow day.
 Peter F. Schopen Jr. |
When I'm really wound up, I'm more like the Mel Gibson character from the Lethal Weapon series, Riggs, overdosing on Mountain Dew with a Red Bull chaser. I'm just naturally hyper. By the time I finish typing this, I will have bounced my right leg at least 600 to 700 times.
Because I've always been like this, I'm able to get by on four or five hours sleep without coffee (never acquired a taste for it) or cigarettes (yuck). And because I am such an energetic person, I've always kept my plate very full.
However, ladies and gentlemen, I finally hit the wall.
On Father's Day, I actually had six clients lined up for service (it wasn't Mother's Day or Christmas, after all). After getting out of church Sunday morning, I took a deep breath, dialed my customers and rescheduled them. Why? Because enough is enough.
 SCHOPEN'S OPEN BOOK |
Here's what led me to actually take a day off:
Saturday, May 31: I get hit in the face with a baseball while coaching my son's Little League team. It broke my glasses and gave me a wonderful shiner.
Monday, June 1: An18-year-old girl rear-ends my truck while I'm stopped at an intersection. She causes about $1,500 worth of damage to my truck and forces me to reschedule my last four clients while I wait for the police to show up.
Tuesday, June 2: At 3:45 a.m., my wife wakes me up from my bed in the guest room (I snore, OK?!), crying. She's been up since midnight vomiting every 12 minutes. Finally at 7 a.m., I drive her to the emergency room, where we wait 12 hours for answers. I call my clients and reschedule them onto routes that are already bloated. At 7 p.m., we get a hospital room and our family doctor shows up. He runs some simple test and informs us he believes Tami has appendicitis.
Wednesday, June 3: Tami's appendectomy was successful, and at 6 a.m. I tell her that I'm going to try and get in as many clients as I can today while she rests. The kids are with Grandma, so I'm good for the day. My neck and back finally start to really hurt from the car accident, but I have no choice — I've got to keep moving.
Thursday, June 4: Tami is sent home. I get through about half of my route before I start rescheduling people so I can be home with her.
Friday, June 5: Tami is feeling really good and is out gardening when our dog Penny corners a chipmunk. The dog is going nuts. Tami tries to calm her down, but does just the opposite and Penny reacts by biting Tami on the hand. Within 36 hours, we are back in the emergency room because Tami has a fever and her hand is red from blood poisoning. Three days and 36 IV bags later, Tami is finally back at home — again.
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, June 6-8: The Midwest is pounded by bad weather. I have to reschedule nearly all of my exterior-only clients onto routes that are already overbooked.
Sunday, June 8: I was elected to the Board of Elders at my church. I celebrate by breaking one of the Ten Commandments (thou shalt not work on the Sabbath). I pray for forgiveness and knock out six more clients.
On top of my wife's ailments, my accident and the bad weather, my son Trey and I have four baseball games on June 10, 12, 14 and 15. My assistant coaches are great and I'm able to work all the way up to game time. However, to get in my missed clients, I'm running stops on every non-baseball day from 6:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. I also went to work before and after my son's Saturday game.
On Sunday, June 15, I woke up at 4:45 a.m. and realized I cannot go to work today. It's Father's Day, and I'm going to be a father, no matter what the cost.
I make my kids breakfast; we go to church. I rough up the rug rats for a couple of hours. I call and reschedule my clients. I take a two-hour nap. Then finally, I coach my son's team to our 14th straight loss.
At least for one day, I realized what was really important. I lived for my life rather than for my job.
Schopen is owner of McHenry, Ill.-based Schopen Pest Solutions. You can reach him at 847-529-BUGS or
pete@schopenpest.com.
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