OK, This has been festering for quite some time now, and I owe all of you an apology for two things: First of all, I'd like to both apologize for the delays you've been experiencing, and thank (most) of you for your patience....The other apology goes out for the upcoming rant I'm about to embark on, and if it comes off as cold, snotty, and thoroughly unprofessional, I apologize, but the stress level here is beyond comprehension, and apparently, more than a few people out there either don't read any of my blogs, or are really that clueless.......
I use my blogs as a means of communicating with my customers & bringing them up to date with what's going on in my personal life, so they know they're NOT dealing with some company like Amazon, there are, at best, FOUR of us here, Myself, who does all the mold making, casting, the bulk of the painting & office/shop work....my wife, who chips in on the office end, but due to medical issues, can only do so much....My father chipped (note the past tense) in with light office & shop stuff....and one part timer who helps with the computer & graphics end.....That's it, that's us....we're human, we have lives, we get sidetracked....This stuff has to be made, it doesn't magically appear out of nowhere, we don't have vast fleets of ships bringing this stuff in a container load at a time.....to call us a "small business" is almost an over statement...we'd have to grow to be small.......
As stated in my previous blog,and a number of things have changed drastically since then: My father was diagnosed with cancer back in early Summer, and it was going to be a long & difficult haul.....I stated then, that my gut intention was to just close up shop for the duration, but, realistically, I couldn't do that, so I put it out there that you should expect some LOOONG delays, and place your order knowing that going in.....
Well, in the past month & a half, things have gone from bad to worse, as in, Last Rites, powers of attorney, the very real likelihood that if he's out of the hospital by the end of the year (if at all), he'll be damn lucky.....so, as the more reasonable of you can pretty much figure out, I've had my hands full, and I've had more pressing things to worry about, than what, in reality, amounts to a bunch of toys....
And to the one customer who sent me the scathing email, telling me I was "out of excuses"....These aren't excuses, they're REASONS....big difference, and to imply that I'm BS'ing my customers on something of this magnitude, is both heartless & insulting....Sorry if the real spectre of potentially planning a funeral has overshadowed the importance of your train set......Get a life, get a soul, get some compassion or empathy....maybe even get some help......
This whole thing with my father involves more than just running back & forth to the hospital to visit him, it involves me being plunged into his financial world up to my neck, with no clue of what's going on or what needs to be done....try walking into your accountant's or stock broker's office (my dad was a CPA) sit at his desk, and start running things....that's EXACTLY what I'm going through....I'm literally trying to learn a whole business, while still trying to keep my own going.....
So, if you're still with me, and still reading all this, I guess I have to offer a third apology, for wasting five minutes of your life, so you could read what I'm sure a couple will label my "pity party"......Trust me, I'm not asking for that, all I'm asking for is a little dignity & patience from some of my customers......You have NOT been forgotten, you are NOT in the process of getting screwed, it's just a simple case of one guy being up to his eyeballs in BS......which, I guess is part of the problem....in this vast digital/internet world, there just can't be a "simple" answer anymore........
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