Buckeye Mike

My mother was a story teller. Whether talking about the difficult times when she was married to my birth Father, regaling us with tales about the things Josh and I ate as toddlers,or telling us about things she did as a kid, she always had an anecdote to tell in any given situation. She obviously got that from my Papaw, as I found out a couple of years ago  . Now at 41, I feel like the gift or story telling is one of the best traits she passed down to me. This blog is filled with stories from my life. My boys often roll their eyes when I try to teach them a lesson by relaying something I have learned along the way. And lord knows, more than one of my employees have heard me start a conversation with "let me tell you a story" when they needed guidance or direction. One of the stories I left out of this blog a couple of years ago, when I was reliving the last days we spent with her, took place on Christmas Day 2008. I was staying at their house in Illinois, and went about m...

Look around. Go ahead, wherever you may be reading this, stop and take a look at your surroundings. I will wait.................................ok, are you back? Sweet. I am sitting in my bedroom at our little house in Gahanna, Ohio. Little red is in the bed beside me. At the foot of that bed is our monstrous 82 inch TV that she and the boys got me for Christmas, which currently has a Lifetime movie on it (that is the precise reason I am distracting myself by writing a blog.) On the HD screen, though, I have noticed a small issue occurring. There are little specks of white light appearing on the, almost looking like stars in a night sky. Yesterday their was one, now today there are 2 more. I googled it and found that it is a common problem with the DLP mirrors, and that I should call the place where it was purchased tomorrow. No biggie, the TV is easily replaceable if it cannot be fixed. As I continue to look around the room, though, I cannot say the same for a lot of the things I ...

My oldest son can recite every word to Sir-Mix-a-Lot's Big Butts anytime it comes on the radio. He starts out kind of quiet, unsure he is hitting all the right words in rhythm. By the end, though, he is blurting out "little in the middle but she got much back" like a boss. He has also mastered Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise and Regulate by Warren G. Add in the fact that he has no interest in Miley Cyrus or Beiber and I am one proud Dad. I heard the song "I believe in you" by Don Williams last week, and it took me back in time. Something about his smooth yet gravely tone reminds me of my Grandpa Slusher, and I was suddenly in a blue and gray two tone Chevy Van riding down Mohler Road in Goshen, listening to my father's father belt out "Friends in Low Places" when Garth was just an up and comer. That was a moment I never forgot, probably the only moment in my life I remember connecting with that man. As Don told me he "liked to think of...

I remember when John-Michael was in kindergarten. His teacher's name was Miss Marsantile, and one day he told me he did not like her at all. When I asked why, he informed me that it was because "she keeps calling me John, and I told her that's not my name." His name (John-Michael David) is a combination of my birth father (John Michael) and Dad's (Michael David) names, and he has always been very proud of that. Yesterday, I received a Facebook friend request from my son, John Slusher. He had a page before, under his full name, but said he forgot the password. While that may be true, a part of me believes he would much rather set up his own account, where I had set his old one up for him. I took a glance through his friends list to make sure there were no creepers or thugs, and smiled a little that I am the only adult on it. Glad he thinks enough of Tiffany and I that we can be considered friends. A couple minutes later a new notification came down. Friend requ...

Through the years my pallet has changed quite a bit. From seafood to Chinese cuisine, there are a lot of foods I would never try when I was younger that are in my regular rotation now. Yet some things never change. I don't like chocolate. Now, I don't mean all chocolate. I enjoy me some Reese Cups, and I have never been one to turn down a Little Debbie Fudge Round. But the dark, bitter chocolate that most people consider decadent doesn't sit well on my pallet. It is one of very few foods I don't like. Growing up, my Dad used to say my sister and brother were very picky, but I was easy to shop for. I like everything, with a few exceptions. Every time I order a salad at a restaurant, I always say to the server that "cucumber should not even be on the table where my salad was made" (although I love pickles, go figure). I am not a fan of cantaloupe either,as I think that is a texture deal more than anything.  And don't even get me started on this Italian t...

Several years ago, while working on a project in Kentucky with my mentor, he paid me quite a compliment. He told me if Belfor (where I was employed at that time) opened an office in Louisville, that I should apply to be the General Manager. I remember being a little taken aback by his statement, even telling him I was no where near qualified to be in that position. He smiled and said "I think you are, Mike." And while I wasn't sure TG was right, it is a moment I never forgot. Don't get me wrong, I have been in that role before. But a Fuddruckers that did 20,000 a week in Westerville, Ohio is not even in the same universe as a full service restoration company that would break 20 million a year. Looking back, I know I was not ready then. Recently at Mammoth, we have had to face a serious time of transition. The other project manager, who has been with my boss since the company was in it's infancy, decided to pursue his passion and left about a month ago. And sim...

My job is very rewarding. Everyday, I get to help people whose lives have been interrupted by some type of disaster. Some days, its a little inconvenient for them, when my crews are cleaning the walls of their home or our fans are on, drying the carpet. Other days, it requires a bit more finesse as memories and momentos went up in flames or, even worse, lives were lost. It is in these moments that the profession hooked me and I perfected my craft. I have received commendations from higher ups, endorsement letters from happy clients, and even had a competitor tell me that "they won't even try to sell a claim if I am going to be involved." All very welcome accolades, as I truly enjoy being Mike the fire guy. It's a passion. But not the passion. Every few days I sit down and share my thoughts and stories with all of you. Some days "all of you" amounts to a dozen reads, other days there are hundreds. And I am ok with either. I have always said this blog is ...