Sunday, May 31, 2009

Lemonade Stands & The Economy




Yesterday I stopped at a Lemonade Stand In Provo only to buy yet another very small cup of lemonade for 75 cents! Thats right, not 25 cents, not even 50 cents, but 75 cents. It's quite possible i've stopped at over a hundred lemonade stands. As a matter of fact, I've never passed up a lemonade stand in my whole life, except for one time. That one time I was forced to pass up lemonade stand about a year and a half ago inspired me to do some research. This post is about the research i've conducted over the past 18 months on lemonade stands.
When you picture a lemonade stand I bet the first thing that comes to your mind is a sign on a table or stand that says "Lemonade 25 cents". Thats just the way its been forever. Throughout high school this was never a problem for me, even on my mission it wasn't. When the economy started to decline, most businesses started getting desperate, therefore lowering their prices and rates. The only two businesses I can think of that did the opposite were lemonade stands and oil companies. Now, back to the time I was forced to pass up a lemonade stand.
Yesterday I was driving down some random street in Orem when I saw a lemonade stand. I pulled over and saw the price was 50 cents. At least it wasn't 75 but still, 50 is a little steep for one little cup of lemonade. So I started looking in my ash trey for change and only had 38 cents. I started looking under my seats and everywhere else I could in my car, and couldn't find any more change (the economy has effected me obviously.. At least thats my excuse). So I asked the kids if 38 cents was enough and they said, "No it's 50 cents". I couldn't believe it. They weren't going to budge either. So I just gave them ten cents and left.
A few weeks ago I was home in St. George for the weekend and my nieces and nephews and some other neighbor kids had a lemonade stand, so I pulled over to buy some and noticed something that has been a fairly consistent trend since my research started. They had extra goods and services to offer besides lemonade. They also had popcorn and offered to bring it to your car so you don't have to get out. Yesterday the lemonade stand had lemonade, or gatorade and also cookies. I've stopped at one that sold lemonade and rocks they had collected. When I pulled up to the lemonade stand yesterday the little kid was quick to say, "you can stay in your car sir, we'll bring it to you" ha, who did he think he was fooling? I quickly got out of my car and went to them. I know what they are trying to pull when they do that. They want a tip and they'll bring you more than you planned on getting so you feel bad and just buy it all. When I got my cup of lemonade a cute little black girl gave it to me and I gave her an extra quarter. As I drove away drinking my watered down cup of lemonade (half full with a little dirt in it) I realized I had just spent a dollar. These kids are so tricky with business. Of course they get the cutest little girl in the neighborhood to stand behind the stand with her cute little cornrows. They probably don't even let her keep the 25 cents. They just use her like Little Caesars uses people to dance around all day on the streets with a Hot & Ready sign.
Now, here is the craziest part about my study that has left me so confused and intrigued I decided to write this post today. Only about two hours after I bought lemonade from the stand in Provo, I heard a knock at my front door. I was in my basement playing the guitar so I decided I wouldn't go up to answer it. Then the knocks got really really loud, and being the curious George I am (as well as return missionary who knocked on tons of doors people didn't answer) I decided to go up and answer it. As I opened the door two little girls were walking away. They turned around and started walking back to my doorstep. The girl had a little cup of lemonade in her hand (half full) and said, "Um, we were wondering if you want to buy this lemonade for 25 cents?" I only had 23 cents, I asked if that was ok and with a little hesitation they said, "thats fine".. Wow!! Talk about a serious conflict in my lemonade stand research. Maybe the economy is having an effect on some lemonade stands after all. I mean, thats the ultimate sign of a struggling business. When you resort to going door to door, you know times are hard. My next course of action is going to be to research the cause of these girls resorting to going door to door. Is it the economy? An experiment? Or perhaps just a bad location? At this point I have no Idea, but I hope to have some further insights on these questions and many other questions concerning the Lemonade Stands & The Economy.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Rendezvous In The Rockies






Smokin' Bill, Wild Johnson, Little Stump and I (Lonely Bob) had a great time at The Rendezvous this weekend. I'd have to say my favorite thing about my new friends is the fact that they don't just play the part of mountain men... They literally live in the mountains and dress like this everyday. They nicknamed me Lonely Bob because I played them "Moonshiner" by Bob Dylan and they all really like that song, and I was at the rendezvous by myself.. Well my Uncle Ken and his family were there too. But I slept in a tent by myself and just hung out with Smokin' Bill, Little Stump and Wild Johnson the whole time..


The other highlight of the rendezvous was this lady that was there that went on tour for like three years with Fleetwood Mac. She was their Hair Stylist. She has also been on short tours with The Rolling Stones, Rush, Elton John and David Bowie.. She has hung out with Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia and on and on.. She had her photo albums with her and it was amazing to see all of her pictures in europe with Fleetwood Mac in hotel rooms with them and pictures of her hanging out with Keith Richards and Mick Jagger... She said this was her last rendezvous though cause she's moving to Yosemite National Park to do some Gold Mining. Smokin' Bill gave her a map that shows where all the rivers and mountains that have gold in them.. She's my dream woman. If only she was thirty years younger.