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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