Corona Virus is Driving Me Crazy.......

[hanks73340]

Didn't get to make the Autorama because we were 2 weeks in Florida and 2 weeks cruising the Caribbean. The first decent swap was just cancelled over here on this side of town which I always look forward to. Now my Friday night Hockey skate has been cancelled along with our Sunday morning skate. Can't go to any restaurants unless they do carry-out which is limited. Our company has all 700 employees working from home since Tuesday, for at least 2-4 weeks. Thank god I'm retiring in Sept. Worst of all.........I can't find any John Wayne movies on the tele or cable! AGGGGHHHH!

I did get to spend time in the garage. Re-sealed the wind shield, gonna see if the new whiskers and felt will fit for the door glass. Need to get over to DPC(Mancinni Racing) to get my new valve covers and get them on. My new Neutral Safety switch and the harness arrived, need to get that on. My mechanic friend called and he just ordered all the parts to convert my rear drums to power disc. Will probably take the Charger to him when we get a little better weather or at least in 2-3 weeks regardless. Might even try to get the radio working.

Every one keep busy and stay healthy. Hopefully everything will be normal in April.

[Nacho-RT74]

So far so good we are in quarantine since saturday at night in Spain, lot of contagious here and increasing really fast. Fortunatelly even we got shortage of supplies in couple of days due ppl getting nervous, all supermarkets are being restocked just fine. We are allowed to leave our homes to buy supplies and to go to work ( those who have a job, not me, yet ) if your job is a primary needed area.

But... thinking about Venezuela where the shortage is a common problem daily not because ppl nervous but the destroyed production system by the government... or being expensive ( sure will be more now )... and my mother and brother are still there.

Spain is one of the countries with the best sanity system in the world, but is being collapsed by the ammount of patientes. In Venezuela the sanity is allmost unexistant with great doctors, but poor system

[71se3834v]

Work still going full tilt with everyone off work they're working on their cars so we're busy as ever but word came down today that we might be forced to shut down. This would be stupid as most of our sales are phone orders. My wife loses her 18 year job May 5th (Art Van) so we lose benefits then and mine haven't kicked in yet. We've been renting movies cause there's only so much Corona coverage you can watch. Can't wait for warmer April cause if I'm off work I'm going fishing!

[Admin]

Most importantly, no one with the virus (that we know of) thus far in the family. My wife and I have been working from home since last Thursday/Friday. So no excess free time for me. At least we are both still working thus far, so I'll take it. Kids were both home for Spring Break last week. At first, notified to stay away from school for an extra week, then notices they were moving to online classes. Daughter will be returning to school this weekend to get her stuff and move back. Son is returning to school for the time being, but will likely be moving back soon as well.

[71se3834v]

Well California shut everything down Friday so our warehouse closed although workers were still there processing orders. That sparked the discussions about our location. Later in the day word came down that they found a loophole that auto parts are essential and opened back up. Damn right they're essential! If guys aren't able to work on their classic cars during this down time they'll go bonkers! Our management assured us they we'll remain open.
This was the bright side of the day as my wife got word that due to this situation the parent company of Art Van is terminating all jobs instead of holding on through the bankruptcy. Benefits ended last night and mine haven't kicked in yet. T.H. Lee, the parent company has been real slim balls through all this I could go on and on about it. Just when you think you're set in the years going into retirement you get a kick in the gut.

[Admin]

Man, very sorry to hear about the Art Van thing. It's such a mess. But glad your place of business is staying open.

Wife and I are still both working from home thus far. Made a made dash to Tennessee this weekend to bring my daughter and her things back home from her university. Pretty tired today.

[hanks73340]

Yeh, the whole Art Van fiasco was nuts. I knew an equity firm bought it but I did not think they would go under that quick. Then again, that's what equity companies do. Buy a business and sell it for a profit if possible. I just think it was crappy of them to give nothing in return to the employee's, at least a little something. The family that owned Art Vans got their money, that's for sure. The NAPA store by me is allowed to stay open since the city gets all their spare parts from that store for all of the emergency vehicles. I'm now working from home until whenever. September can't come quick enough. Talk to you guys later.....

[71se3834v]

Mr Art VanElslander was a generous man giving to the profit sharing during the recession of 2009+, donating to build a wing at the St Joe hospital, (where my daughter once had a major surgery), paid to keep the Thanksgiving Day parade going, etc. You wouldn't hear one bad thing about him outta my wife. He sold the company because he had too many heirs to divide up a company.
The investment company that bought it started expanding driving up debt. Then selling the properties, leasing back said properties but not paying the leases.
Didn't pay the vendors now owing them millions.
Cut the workforce to under 50 per store months ago to not have to abide by the WARN act which states if over 50 employees you have to pay them for 60 days beyond filing for bankruptcy.
Now using the current crisis as a unseen circumstance to immediately fire everyone who worked in an over 50 store and headquarters (where my wife worked) and cut off their benefits. No company, no company plan so no COBRA.
Announced a bankruptcy sale but didn't file the paperwork. Took in some 7 million in one day and refused to refund special order money for items people had no chance of receiving before finally filing the paperwork with the court.

There is probably more that I can't remember at the moment but you guys get the idea. Real slim balls here and they and their stock holders, if any, are getting rich off of others suffering. My wife talked to a lawyer who specializes in the WARN act and he wants to investigate a class action. He also stated that the benefits probably extend through the end of the month which she confirmed so there is another slim ball act of theirs stating in writing that they had ended.
Thanks for listening. My wife and I are in a good position in life so we'll be ok but there are others including my daughter and son in law, who was a sales manager, who will suffer worse.

Oh, and I might add, the 2 Van brothers, who had worked in the business before it sold, had tried to buy it back but the debt was so huge it couldn't be done. Mr. Art Van is surely rolling over in his grave.

[hanks73340]

Thanks Jeff on the info. Equity firms are slime buckets as to how they get away with that crap. Yes, Art Van is rolling in his grave......

[Admin]

A very sad story.