Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2023 17:22:09 +0000 (UTC)
From: Mike Simmons <illuminati12353@yahoo.com>
Subject: It was always about the bets 379

It was almost 2:30 when we left the office and there was tittle traffic.
Trey asked if we had any actual highways and how do we manage not to have
any traffic? I laughed and told him with rivers and bridges and tunnels a
3 lane road was a luxury. He just shook his head and I added that there
were a lot less people living here. The rivers and our location, early
on, that made us important and I'm trying hard to find the next thing to
keep us important. We were at the club in under 35 minutes and I simply
parked and we walked to the Pro Shop located beside the 18th green.
Inside watching TV was my favorite Assistant Pro, Todd Seneca. I
introduced Trey and Todd said so your the dude from California. Your Pro,
RJ talked with Bob about you and shit dude, you seem to walk on water,
let me get Mr. Ford. Trey looked around but didn't say anything. Very
quickly Mr. Ford appeared and I again, introduced Trey. There was a bit
of a chat as Bob was sizing Trey up. I was guessing RJ might have gone a
bit over the top raving about Trey. Then Trey asked Mike, is there any
way I can get a look at the course? It was a warmer day and there was no
snow and Bob surprised me and said just grab a cart. Trey smiled and
asked if there was a caddie book available and added, I'll be glad to
pay for it. Bob went in the back and when he came out he handed Trey a
book and said, this will be of more interest and it's yours, no charge.
It was the caddie book for the last US Open. Bob said Trey, we haven't
changed the course since that Open. Trey was all smiles. On the way out
he grabbed a scorecard and a pencil.


On the way to the first hole we passed the 9th green and I told him that
the back of the 9th  green was the practice putting green . He smiled and
said well every course has something unique. He took notes the entire way
down the first fairway and we stopped to check out the ditch left of the
fairway. When we crossed the bridge that spanned the railroad tracks and
the turnpike he laughed and said you need a bigger bridge. I smiled and
said, I know but it is very complicated. He was fascinated by the
"Church Pew" bunkers that separated the third and fourth hole. He shook
his head and said I've seen pictures but it's 1 stroke if you get in
them. Trey, a lot of the times it's more than 1. We took our time and
the tour of the 18 holes took about two hours. We returned the cart and
tried to stop in the Pro Shop to say thanks but it was locked. We got in
the car and I said that we were going to the Hockey game and that we
could eat there. The ride was much slower and we were at The Civic Arena
right around 6:00. I had special reserved parking that came with the
tickets. Trey didn't say anything and I was getting the feeling that he
was starting to understand my status, or was wondering how this was all
possible.


Once we were parked we went right inside the Arena on a lower level, out
tickets were checked and we got on the elevator and when the doors opened
we were inside the Igloo Club. We were immediately seated and I ordered
an iced tea and Trey a beer. Trey laughed and said Mike, will it be beer
or actual tea? I smiled and said tea. Just then the chair beside me was
pulled out and someone sat down. I looked and said well, good evening Mr.
Mayor. This gentlemen here is Trey Sheffield and he is a friend from
California. Trey, this is Mayor Pete. The Mayor ignored Trey and said
Mike, the announcement of my appointment as Assistant Attorney General is
tomorrow at noon, I just want to say thanks for making my job interesting
and good luck. Then he said Mike, I'm sure our paths will cross again at
some point. Then he looked at Trey and said kid, don't let him rub off
on you and the Mayor was gone to bother someone else. Pete could easily
be the Mayor here for a long time but he was restless and wanted bigger
things. I laughed to my self as I thought I was more than a bit like
that.


I was looking at the menu and it had changed a lot since I was here last.
What caught my attention was that a Permanti's Sandwich was a menu item.
This is a very unique Pittsburgh sandwich and the restaurant is Permanti
Brothers, located in a unique couple of blocks on the edge of town known
as the Strip District. Trey asked what I was getting and I told him and
explained that the sandwich was corned beef or ham with two sides
coleslaw and French fries all piled between two thick slices of Italian
Bread. There were no other options it was what it was. He laughed out
loud and said Mike,I have to try that. We reordered the drinks and 2
sandwiches. While we waited for the food Trey asked Mike, when is the
sightseeing over and when do I find out why you wanted me here? Trey, we
are very different than what you are used to and a lot of people would
simply say get me out of here. Dillon and I have shown you the Company
and some of the unique things about our town. We have three big time Pro
Sport teams and right now we are winning a lot. We also have major
museums, a renowned symphony and many broadway plays. We are a major city
in a small footprint. To complicate things we are not East Coast in out
approach to things but we are not Midwestern either. We are what we are.
The food came and Trey smiled and said, well it is exactly what you said
it would be. As we are I asked that we have lunch tomorrow and I would
explain the options then. I suggested we enjoy watching the Stanley Cup
Champions. We finished eating and found our seats.


We had 10 seats for every game and they were between the Red and Blue
lines. It was in an area that was surrounded by a railing. We also had an
usher to get us drinks and stuff. The tickets were used for clients and
if left available they were available to any employee. There was a
limited number of times an employee could request them. The Penguins were
a big draw as they were defending champs and could do a rare back to
back. Tonight was an interesting match as we were playing the
Philadelphia Flyers, our cross state rivals. Once I explained the offside
rule, Trey was good and he seemed to really enjoy his first NHL hockey
match. The fight that ended the first period totally amazed Trey. At the
end on the period the Penguins were down 2-1 and both teams had 3 players
serving penalties. Back in the Igloo cub it was drinks and Trey asked a
lot of questions about Cole. He was especially interested in the
relationship with AP. Trey, you will have to ask Cole about that or when
you see Mr. Palmer again simply ask him. Heck you know him from being my
caddie in January. Trey laughed and said Mike, other than shaking hands
and some golf stuff we barely spoke. Trey, I'll reintroduce you on
Saturday as we are making a commercial for Textron and that new Cessna
jet we both fly. Trey laughed and asked Mike, do you do anything a normal
kid does? I shrugged and said not since football. We went back to the
seats and I spent some time talking with our employees and their
significant others. It was another hard fought period and it was tied at
the end of the second period 3-3. It was back to the Igloo club and
apparently a number of people realized I was here. It was, good luck with
the building, when will it start. Is it a union project? But the one that
set me off was the 30 something dude who asked if we were hiring. Well
call Human Resources and if you have a masters in Computer Science we
might. He just shook his head and walked away. Back at the game it could
have been Wednesday evening at the fights but the Penn's won 5-3. The
last goal was an empty netter.


After the game we drove home. I was exhausted from a very emotional day
and had to call Winnie. I told Trey I would pick him up at 11:30 and we
talk and eat lunch. It would be very casual dress. Mike, I need clothes
so can we go to a mall? Trey, no problem but Orlando will be warm. Mike,
I'm freezing my ass off and it hasn't been cold here, well as cold as
it can get. Ok Trey, after our talk, if you are staying. I'll see you
for the run and don't bet with JJ again, at least for a while. I went in
my room, laid on the bed and called Winnie. She asked about my day and I
said Cole, new guy and hockey game. What did you do? School, fought with
mom, dinner and fought with mom. Oh anyone who wanted to could go to the
gym and watch Cole. Mick he was good and a lot like you. Winnie, I need
him to be Cole but he was very good. I only hope it translates to his
game. Well I'm tired and we have a long weekend ahead, I'll let you
know how Cole is doing, he has a 10:14 and it will be later on Friday
which is good for us as we can follow him around. Ok, Mick I'll make
sure all the girls are at the airport. I said goodnight and I'll see you
in school. With that I set the alarm and jumped into bed.


I was up a good bit before the alarm and pulled on boxer briefs and went
to make coffee. I found Trey sitting at the kitchen bar or island or
table, whatever it was. He looked up from the paper he was reading and he
smiled. Then he said well that was worth getting up for. Mike, the paper
was at the door by the house and I know your parents are in Florida.
Trey, it's cool but I need to get dressed are you done looking. Trey
blushed and said, sorry I shouldn't have said anything. I just got
dressed and went back and grabbed the part of the paper that was
available. There was a couple of articles about Cole, one below the fold
on the front page and the other was a feature article on the Sports Page.
I set them aside, for now, and told Trey it was time to meet JJ. The run
was much more normal and JJ and I made plans to workout but we moved the
tome to 6:00 as JJ had a lesson. Back in my place I went to my room,
closed the door and called Liam. I knew he would answer. When he answered
we chatted briefly and he put Cole on. Cole said MJ, I'm trying to warm
up what do you need? I said asshole hit the damn ball where you want it
to go. We both burst out laughing. Cole, said thanks for the call, this
is about to get real, the course is very hard and it is an all star
field. I laughed and said it sure is or you wouldn't be in it. Just have
fun and the rest will be what it becomes. We will be at the lodge late
morning. With that I hung up. I showered and  put on jeans and a hoodie
and poured a cup of coffee and read the article on the front page. It was
a straight forward article, listed Cole's accomplishment. I laughed when
his State Championship was listed. Trey was in his room and I knocked on
the door. Trey said Mike, come in. I opened the door and said Trey, I'll
see you around 11:30. Trey said Mike, nice outfit, I guess we are not
going into the office. I said Trey, that correct it's lunch and the
mall, enjoy your morning? With that I drove to school.


I payed a bit of attention to English class but mostly I worked on what
and how to explain things to Trey. History was different as the teacher
kept dragging me into the discussion on the Post WWII economy and how
things changed, I finally gave up and got involved. Science was yet
another lecture and I had a full class to work on Trey. With that over I
drove to my place and Trey was dressed in jeans and a sweat shirt. I
smiled and said I see you found clothes. Trey shrugged and said, you said
to look in your closet. I smiled and said grab a jacket and let's go. He
hesitated and asked Mike, what kind of jacket? Trey, I told you yesterday
it's not formal and the jacked should be a jacket to keep you warm.
Trey, went to his room and returned with a jacket to his sweatsuit. With
that we jumped into the Wrangler and he asked if we going off roading?
Dude we are going to lunch nd I haven't moved this in a while and I want
to make sure the battery is charged. I knew that wasn't an issue, I just
wanted a different ride today.


It was a quick ride as I was taking Trey to the Tavern they opened for
lunch at 11:00 and it was a place where I was comfortable in a very low
key way. When I pulled into parking lot Trey said, another old time bar.
I didn't say anything and just got out of the Wrangler. I went in first
and was greeted as always and I got a hug from the owner. I asked for a
specific table and it was way in the back. I introduced Trey and we went
to the table I had requested. Before we got to the table drink orders
were taken and Trey asked for a beer and I ordered iced tea. As soon as
we sat down I looked at Trey and said, this is a special place for me and
I could eat at any restaurant in the City all it would take is a phone
call. I'm not trying to impress you but what you need to know is that I
have given up a lot to do what I do. You also need to know I could simply
go to school in July and never have to think about money. I can't spend
what I have made and what I was given. You have been shown a lot but you
haven't heard about the Cabin and the Winery in the Finger Lakes region
of New York. What I need you to do is to just listen and take what I'm
going to tell you and think about it.


The drinks came and yes, mine was beer. I took a drink and said Trey, MJS
Enterprises is the corporate entity that owns or manages MJS
Technologies, Tim's Legal Firm, the Winery in New York, Standard
Property. Enterprises owned the buildings and the land and will own the
new buildings. Then there is the Restaurant and the Marina. Then there
are the Government Contracts and our plans for the first manufacturing
building to be built in this Region in decades. Those plans are closely
held. We house all the government projects on the 3rd floor and those
projects are the reason for the enhanced security. It also is additional
protection for our intellectual properties. Everyone working here has
some kind of Federal Security Clearance. I don't mess with the day to
day operations of any of those, I simply manage the people in charge and
I am very much the public face of all of it. There are key people, Tim,
Kyle, Dillon, Major Messer and everyone needs to understand that they
have my absolute trust. At the Winery it is Jace and if he leaves I would
sell the place. At this point the waitress came over and we ordered. It
was a salad for both of us and another beer for Trey and Iced Tea for me.


Trey, the other things I deal with are my Foundation and we give 2
scholarships to Caddies at Latrobe, Oakmont and South Hills, each year
and in addition it funds startups that Kyle selects. They are housed on
the first floor of the smaller building. Then there is the USGA and I am
Co-chair of the Woman's Open and Chair of the Men's Open when they are
held at Oakmont. Then there are random people that require my attention.
The salads arrived and I just let that all sink in while we ate. Then I
said Trey, this is all more complicated as in mid July I'm leaving for
VT. I have built a hanger there so that I could have a airplane there to
get home if needed. However, I am determined to have as normal a college
life as possible. Trey laughed out loud then said Mike, anyone who pays
attention to college football knows about you and the minute you walk on
campus you won't have a minute's peace. Coaches, students, alumni, hell
everyone expects you to be more than an impact player. So forget that
regular college kid nonsense. I smiled and said well it's less drama
than if I would have gone to Pitt. Understand, I need to get some
distance between me and my life here because when I come back in three
years there will be no relief until my kids can take over and that is at
least 25 years away.


We finished our salads and the waitress came over and asked if there
would be anything else and Trey immediately replied, 2 iced teas and a
dozen wings in barbecue sauce, mild please. Once we were alone Trey said
Mike, I had a very interesting morning with Dillon, yesterday. He seems
to think you need two things. I just looked and Trey said well a PR guy
and an assistant. I smiled and said well Dillon is correct. Based on what
he and I told you, are you interested in either? Mike, education wise I
am more suited to PR but in reality I am not a "fixer". From my point
of view PR people simply put a good spin on the public image of a company
and individuals. I pretty much tell it like it is. Mike, your public
image is impeccable and no one is that squeaky clean. Most likely there
isn't anything major but there is the ice tea/beer thing and I'm sure
there are others I will discover. The assistant thing is interesting but
I'll need a much more detailed explanation of that job. You see, I
don't run errands and I don't fetch coffee or anything else. Then there
is the turnover in that position. So Mike are you hard to work for or do
you make poor hiring choices? Trey, it is some of each and then people
move onto other jobs. Dillon for example was my assistant and now he is
President. I expect people to push back on me and to offer ideas and real
thoughts. Then any illegal activity, disrespecting a fellow employee or
messing with Security gets you dismissed on the spot. If people don't
make mistakes then they are not working hard enough. They just shouldn't
make the same mistakes over and over again. I expect my assistant to be
versed and involved in the construction projects and to keep the small
shit off my plate. Sometimes he makes a decision and sometime he reefers
it to a department or to a corporate officer. That person can approve
construction change orders up to $30,000. If that happens I need an email
and a reason for the change. I don't need to know about $15,000 or less.
Trey, that sounds simple but it isn't 9 to 5 but it is weekends off and
if you want to work at either South Hills or Oakmont it's an option. I
don't hold people back or stop them from developing and perusing a life
that they choose.


Mike, what does this Assistant get paid? Trey, the package is $27,500
with health insurance and 3% in the company pension program. That is
slightly above the area average. You also get to claim expenses and
mileage. You would be an employee of MJS Enterprises and there will be a
contract to sign. Just then my phone rang and it was dad. Mike, Cole just
hit his tee shot on 15 and he is -1. Then dad said Mike, I'll check back
after 16 as that is a shortish par 5. I said thanks and hung up. Then
Trey asked Mike what was the building like when you got involved? Trey,
we haven't sold it yet so we can go for a ride but the mall is out as I
need to workout at 6:00. We tried to pay the bill but that went nowhere
and I left a big tip. We drove into town and when I pulled into the
parking lot of the old building Trey just shook his head. Inside it was a
mess and there were wires on the floor and hanging from the ceiling. I
showed him dad's office and mine. Trey, looked around and said Mike, I
know it's been vacant but was there ever a decor? I shrugged and started
to the car. As we got in the car dad called and said Mike, Cole is -2 and
he is on 18. The people are loving it. Mike he is like in 5th place but
Couples is tearing the place apart and he is the only one he finished -6.
Thanks dad, I'll see you before noon. Turned out Cole bogeyed #18 as he
three putted. Back at my place Trey and I went inside. I gave him the
keys to the Wrangler and wrote directions to the mall. He said thanks and
was on his way.


I started to pack and it wasn't easy as I had that commercial and
decided that would be khakis and a VT shirt and if necessary I could put
on a blazer. That might work for dinner but then again it might not I
grabbed a dress shirt and a damn tie. Most of the rest were golf shirts
and shorts. Shoes were a pain as I needed formal shoes, walking shoes and
then casual shoes.  With all that done I grabbed workout clothes and
drove to the gym. JJ pulled in at the same time as I did and we quickly
changed and started the workout. There was the usual sauna and as JJ was
hungry. We went to Eat N Park and did the salad bar and iced tea. While
we ate we chatted about the trip. JJ said he had the flight plans done
and it was IRF into Orlando International. Then he asked, Mike would it
be ok if I flew down and you did the trip home? I said sure and would bet
that the Major was worried about me flying into a big airport. I told him
that Cole was -1 and baring a disaster he would make the cut. JJ laughed
and said I know as he is all over ESPN and he might have more people
following him than Palmer. MJ, the winds were howling and -1 was a great
score. With that we went our separate ways and JJ said he would pick Trey
and me up at 6:30.


At home there was no sight of Trey so I grabbed an iced tea and called
Winnie. We talked for about an hour and other than her bitching about not
seeing much of me it was a fun chat. She assured me that everyone would
be at the airport by 7:00 and I told everyone one bag. I had to laugh at
that as I had 2 bags. When we hung up I call Kyle to check in and was
told that both of them were looking forward to the trip and they would be
at the airport at 7:00. Trey appeared at about 9:30 with a ton of
packages and he dumped them in his room. When he came out he grabbed a
beer and sat in the club chair as I was on the loveseat. So Trey, by the
amount of clothes you bought your staying? Mike, on the way to the mall I
saw a real estate office and stopped in. They didn't have many
apartments for rent but from what we discussed the rates here are nowhere
like the prices in California. Then at the mall everything was cheaper
here as well. So the salary you proposed would work but I think I'll
take a year off of school and save for tuition. Trey, let me think about
that but should I have Tim get a contract together? Mike, that would be
great but I don't want the PR job. I laughed and said dude I was never
offering you that job. Trey just looked at me and shook his head. We
chatted for a while and he finally asked Mike, no beer? Trey, JJ and I
are flying 8 people in a jet tomorrow and there are restrictions. It's
worth it as I love flying and this is into a busy airport. Oh, JJ will be
here at 6:30 tomorrow so be packed and ready. With that I went to my room
set the alarm for 5:45 and fell asleep.


 For those of you in the U.S. happy 4th of July. Thanks for reading and I
appreciate the comments.


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