You're welcome, Miss Mary. Since I know that you owned a gift shop before getting into real estate, did you know I was in sales and management in the gift and home decor industry for 25 years before starting my second career in real estate. And while I lived and traveled all across the country, the only place I never worked was in your part of world, the great plains of the Midwest. Had I called on you years ago, it would have been fun to meet up again this way.

I started like so many in the industry with Russ in 75, left after a few years and became a mfr. rep selling high end out of the Chicago Merchandise Mart, went back to Russ a few years later and moved into management. I was one of the people who helped start Ganz in the US and later launched Giftcraft when they entered the American market.

I was never in KC on business or your part of the world although I have visited and had a wonderful steak there one night, barbecue another. I am originally from Chicago, worked the other Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, etc. Then I moved South and then West and then South again. I was primarily in Chicago, NY, Atlanta and LA for major shows. The closest to you I would have been was Dallas and I never had much responsibility in that part of the world.