Archive for the Thought for the Weekend Category

It’s that time of the year when everything’s almost magically quiet, the week before the holidays, when the office seems downright deserted. Business is slowing, phones are ringing less, and holiday parties are eating up the afternoons. It means that at long last, we’re stepping away from the hustle and bustle of work to be with our families. It’s kind of amazing what ‘family’ can mean, in this day and age. Found families, our families of choice, those people that mean so much to us, whether they’re related to us or not. I think

As we gear up for the newest Star Wars movie, it’s hard not to catch the fever. First of all, it’s spreading around our office. Tickets for opening night went on sale October 19th, crashing movie-ticket websites like Fandango. Folks went to the theaters to get their tickets in hand, and some even started turning them over on eBay! Scalped tickets for opening night showings in major cities were going for up to $1500. I don’t know how I feel about all that. I’m a Star Wars fan, for sure. It was the movie

Been reading the news? It’s like something out of a high-tension TV show: Tractor trailers loaded up – not with standard cargo, but with live surveillance equipment. They’re like bait on a hook to cargo thieves, one of the biggest dangers to the trucking industry. Cargo theft is as bold and outlandish as it sounds. Truckers will drive up with a lone cab, or towing an empty trailer. They look for nondescript, unmarked trailers that will be harder to identify in case of a police search. Then, they simply hook their cab up to

Lots of families have them. There are so many brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins, everyone cannot possibly fit at the dining room table. So, off in the corner, or over in the living room, or even on the porch – there is a kids’ table. Sometimes, it’s just a rickety card table with folding chairs; other times, it’s an elaborate miniature version of the main attraction with special treats, decorations, attractions and distractions. There are those who embrace the kids’ table and those who think that sitting at the kids’ table stinks. As

It’s easy to look at Friday the 13th with fear or superstition, but November 13th is reserved for something else entirely. Since 1998, many countries have used this date to observe World Kindness Day. Kindness, in the spirit of the movement, is about more than just being nicer than normal to your friends and co-workers. Kindness is about reaching across boundaries that often keep us separate – race, age, social class – and doing something for someone we might not often take the time to embrace. While it’s easy to find plenty to complain

By now, you’re all probably familiar with Overtyme, the band I play in regularly on the weekends. (You can watch our video montage here.) We may not be as well known as the Rolling Stones, but you know what? They’ve been at it a little longer than us. Mick Jagger turns 70 this year – 70! The oldest guy in Overtyme is a sprightly young 60 years old, so we’ve got another good decade ahead of us before we’re selling out world tours in advance, just like the Stones. There are no instructions on

This is Shelly, the Matchmaker Logistics Office Manager, writing to you from Charlottesville, VA. Bob is on the road this week, traveling to the annual NASTC conference in Nashville. Then, he moves on to Kentucky to visit some of our shipper and carrier clients. So, I’m pitching in. Because that’s what family does. You see, Matchmaker Logistics has been a family-owned business since 1981. And every member of our team is a part of that family. In fact, we all call our weekly team meetings “Family Meetings”. Modern families come in all shapes and

You may not know it, but Wilmington, NC isn’t just ‘famous’ for being the Matchmaker Logistics headquarters; a few well-known celebrities make their home here. You see, once upon a time, this town was known for filming all kinds of movies and TV shows – Ironman 3, One Tree Hill, Under the Dome and Dawson’s Creek, just to name a few. Wilmington was nicknamed ‘Hollywood South’ and ‘Wilmywood’ for its appeal to producers, directors and actors too. While the film and television industry in Wilmington has died down somewhat, a handful of famous actors