We woke early, had a quick breakfast and said our goodbyes before heading back to Springfield. We really enjoyed our stay with Harvey and Gladys and their insights into family history gave us food for thought.
We took a different route back to Springfield and stopped in Stamford, Connecticut to visit with Scott. Scott was one of the Seagram/Florida group who is currently working for one of the successor companies. We had a great visit and really enjoyed the discussion regarding a former co-worker, Mr. T. At the time, working with the guy wasn’t funny, but in retrospect, the events are hilarious. How companies allow guys like Mr. T to remain in a management role is beyond comprehension. I had never seen someone destroy staff morale, drive out good people and tank productivity as fast as this guy did. To say he was incompetent is charitable. It is one thing to gripe about a boss, but it something completely different with a group of educated, talented and motivated professionals unanimously agree that someone is a jerk. Anyway, the visit was therapeutic in a odd sort of way. There is satisfaction knowing that anyone who had to interact with this guy has moved on — but Mr. T still has to live with himself. I thank all my Seagram friends for helping put this in perspective.
Ever since the flat tire in North Carolina, we were concerned about the tires on the Jeep and before leaving for New York, we ordered a new set of Bridgestone tires. On our return trip to Springfield, a call to the tire store revealed the tires had arrived. We headed right for the store to have the tires installed. What a difference! No more shaking at high speeds. No more howling road noise. No more slipping on wet pavement. It was one of those things you put off, but once done, you wonder what took you so long.
After an excellent dinner with Howard and Suzi at one of the local cafes, we headed for the coach and slept soundly.
Contemporary note: The tires sucked. Somehow, they were totally unsuitable for the jeep. They howled on the highway and had a tendency to wander. In the camera, I could see the jeep slowly weaving down the highway. We suffered with them before finally replacing them in Colorado Springs with a more suitable highway tire.