Robert Stinnett

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Top 10 Reasons The Gym Is Less Crowded

Feb 1

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | Comments

Well folks, its February and you know what that means – lots of people are giving up on those New Year resolutions to lose weight.  Suddenly all those new faces at the gym start disappearing, and you find the crowds aren’t so bad as they were a mere month ago.  Now, I know you have a strong will, so I know you aren’t one of them that has given up and thrown in the towel after a mere month.  Don’t let me down, I’m counting on you!

So since you and I’ve stuck it out together, let’s take a few moments to poke some fun at those quitters.  That’s right, say it loud and say it proud with me — “Quitter! Quitter!”

 

Top 10 Reasons the Gym is Less Crowded Nowadays

10.  A Baskin Robbins opened up shop right across the street from the gym.  31 flavors!?  One for each day of the month!baskin robbins

9.  People just couldn’t figure out how to get their no-show socks to stop showing at the gym.

8.  “Nudie Night” just wasn’t quite the success the gym owners thought it would be.

gay gym hotties 7.  People got mad when they were told that no, you cannot wear rollerblades on the treadmills.

6.  Turns out that yeah, all the good looking guys at the gym really are gay! (Oh the social events you are going to miss!)

5.  They went 5 times the first week and got upset they weren’t toned up on day 5.  Headed to Baskin Robbins instead.fast food

4.  Got warned numerous times about eating Monster Burgers and fries while using the equipment. 

3.  Didn’t realize that one year membership included months other than those that start with “Jan”.

2.  Turns out that it IS impossible to work out and then pig out.  Who would have thought it?

1.  They broke a sweat and decided it was too much work – they never broke a sweat watching TV, and they weren’t starting now!

 

Photo Credits:  Baskin Robbins by lordog; Crunch Gym Hotties by Walter Parenteau; Fast Food by Christian Cable.

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Now, Before or After – Working Out and Munching Down

Jan 27

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | Comments

I see a lot of advice floating around about when to eat if you are working out.  Everything from don’t eat before a workout for optimal fat burning to eat a light snack an hour beforehand to build up reserves – and everything in between (sorry folks, but the one thing I haven’t seen is the one that says to eat a Kit Kat bar during the workout!).  Armed with all this conflicting information I set about to pull it all together and see what makes sense and what doesn’t.

I found out that, really, it just doesn’t matter.  The truth of the matter is this – if you workout and burn 500 calories then your body “subtracts” 500 calories.  At the end of the day, when you tote everything up, if your body needs more fuel it will simply get those 500 calories form your fat reserves.  It’s as simple as that.  I can find no scientific evidence that any special type of meal or time of day is going to increase or decrease calories.  At the end of the day what matters for weight loss is calories –plain and simple.

Realize to that everyone is different.  What works for me may not work for you.  Personally I feel like I get a nice post-workout “high” by eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when I come back from the gym.  This isn’t “free” food calorie wise, it’s still part of my daily meals – but I find by having it within an hour of working out I get a nice, natural high.  It’s just how my body responds.  I know some people who eat about 60 minutes pre-workout to build up the sugar and energy in them to help motivate them to workout.  Like I said, whatever works for you GO FOR IT!

About the only thing I ever take with me to the gym and consume during workouts is Propel water.  I don’t know about you – but I have to have some flavor in my water.  Plain water never has done much for me.  When you are working out and doing cardio you need to make sure you keep yourself hydrated, so find some type of water and take it with you.  Stay away from sodas and teas which can actually dehydrate you.

Oh, and for those of you who like those energy bars and such – hey, it’s your calories, but I would like to point out that most of those things are just sugar and protein (sometimes and most often just sugar).  Why not save yourself some money and pack you some Ritz crackers with peanut butter or make you some Rice Krispie treats instead?  How about peanut butter on the Rice Krispie treats?  Sounds good to me!  Either way, you will be saving money and controlling how much sugar and fat go into your mouth!

So there you have it – 100’s of thousands of Google hits boiled down to a simple statement.  Eat when you feel like it, eat right and drink plenty of liquids.  Solid advice for anyone whether they are trying to lose weight or not.

 

Photo Credit: Drunken Monkey on Flickr.

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Got Sweat?

Jan 26

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | Comments

One of the most often asked questions, and one I asked myself a lot when first starting out, was how do I know when I’m doing cardio exercises right?  There are a plethora of charts out there that show you your target heart rate given your age and what “zone” you want to be in.  There is also the age old advice of “If you can hold a conversation with the person next to you, you aren’t working out too hard”.  I find that is good advice, but I’ve also discovered when you are trying to lose weight (and not just maintain fitness) there is one sure fire way to know you are burning off the calories and fat and working in your “zone”…

 

You have to sweat.

Robert Showing off his Sweat!

Yes folks, you may not want to hear it – but if you want to get those pounds off you have to get sweaty.  Which is why the second most commonly heard statement in any gym is, “please be sure to wear deodorant!”

If you find yourself on the treadmill going along at a good pace but are relatively dry then you aren’t in your zone.  What’s more, as you get fit you will find that your zone changes.  The stronger your heart gets thanks to all that exercise you will find that it will beat slower at the same intensity over time.  So that 4mph @ 6% incline that caused you to get drenched a few months ago now may be a piece of cake – time to turn it up a notch!

I had firsthand experience with why it’s important to sweat when doing cardio last summer.  I was walking almost everyday a good 3 miles around town.  For the first month or two the weight came off, but then I hit a plateau.  My body had build up muscle and now when I was doing the same walk around town I wasn’t exerting myself as much and I stopped sweating.  The end result was that I wasn’t burning as many calories and so I began maintaining my weight instead of losing. 

One of the curious things I find out about people (and I hear this a lot as an excuse as to why people don’t want to exercise) is that people for some reason hate sweating.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to be stuck on a plane next to some sweaty person anymore than the next guy, but in a gym everybody is sweating so there is no need to be embarrassed or self-conscious about it.  In fact, you should think of it as your personal badge of honor to finish up your workout sweaty.

There is a saying I heard that I think is quite appropriate here – you can eat ANYTHING you want, just as long as you are prepared to sweat every last calorie of it out later!

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I Indulged on Cheetos – And I Feel Good!

Jan 25

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | Comments

Last night I ate almost 3/4th of a bag of Cheetos.  Why?  Because I had a craving for them and they were in the kitchen.  Now this wasn’t some huge 50-lb bag, but still it was a good 6 servings worth probably.  I blame my craving for not eating properly during the day.  I had been over at a friend’s house watching football and had just snacked on the typical football food and earlier in the day I had a peanut butter & jelly sandwich.  Aside from the sandwich, it was a pretty unhealthy day food wise.

Yet, I don’t feel guilty.  Not one bit.

I know a lot of people who just beat themselves up when they indulge on something – especially when they are trying to lose weight or get in shape.  Often times they will indulge for whatever reason (maybe they went to a friend’s house or out on the town for a night, or maybe they just felt like ice cream) and that is the breaking point for their fitness goals.  They throw up their hands in the air the next day and just say “I can’t do it!” 

It’s easy to give up, but I have found it’s even easier to say “Yeah, I ate it – so what?” and move on.  Let’s face it folks if you try to take away all the foods that are bad for you, or take away all the foods you love the most you are just setting yourself up for failure.  That’s a primary reason why I never believed in any type of diet – take away the food people enjoy and they are already 99% of the way to failure.

I subscribe to the fact that as a general rule you should include a wide variety of foods in your diet.  Make your meals well-balanced and include fruits and vegetables aplenty in your daily intake.  Personally, I just love steamed broccoli on the vegetable side and apples on the fruit side.  Mix it up – but don’t run away from food.

Now before you think I’m saying to just eat anything you want, in whatever quantities you want let me stop you right there.  I’m not saying sit down everyday and just stuff yourself or run to McDonald’s or Burger King and think you are going to lose weight.  What I am saying is that McDonald’s and Burger King are OK once or twice a month.  The other 28 days in the month you have to practice self-control and know that these are “treats” and not everyday meals.  Have a craving for a hamburger?  Instead of the the calorie-rich, fat-laden Double Whopper w/ Cheese, why not make a turkey burger at home with some avocado on a wheat bun, or how about cooking up a lean hamburger and dressing it up with some salsa, lettuce and even a few olives thrown on for good measure?  Not only are you going to cut your calorie consumption by 66%, these burgers are going to be so good and so delicious that you may swear of Burger King forever! 

I always give myself one “indulge” day a week.  I know this is my day to have a special treat for myself, or maybe to eat a little unhealthy.  The great part about it is when it’s all said and done – I don’t beat myself up over it!  In fact, I usually feel pretty good about myself because I know overall I’m still zooming right along towards my goal.

In fact, today, the day after my Cheetos episode, I planned my day around my indulgence.  I added an extra apple as a snack, and ate a very low-fat lunch.  For breakfast I had my usual banana and toast with a little bit of peanut butter.  Here it is 6:00PM and I’m not starving at all – I’ll have some chicken and other vegetables and a salad for dinner and be fine.

So stop beating yourself up and enjoy food like Julia Child told us to do.  As long as you are making steady progress towards your goals it is all good.  Just make sure that your indulgences don’t turn into an everyday affair and you will be just fine. 

We all need some McDonald’s fries at least once every few months!

Photo courtesy of Apple Blossom Photography on Flickr

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It only gets easier

Jan 24

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | Comments

Here we are, roughly 28 days into my undertaking to turn a new leaf and get fit.  It seems like a short period of time, but in those 28 days I’ve celebrated a birthday (I’m now 36 for those of you keeping score), we’ve entered a new decade and most of all – I’ve found that when you put your mind to doing something, that thing you dreaded the most becomes second nature and the dread turns into, dare I say it, a love affair.

Ok, so maybe I don’t have a love affair going with the gym, but you get my drift.

I commented on Facebook the other day that when I started I was able to run around 3.0mph on a 4% incline.  Today I discovered that I can now maintain a 4mph run at a 6.5% incline – a dramatic improvement.  I also find myself no longer making excuses for being too busy, too tired, too [insert excuse here] for working out.  I find that if I miss a day (other than scheduled days off) I really feel bad about it.  Most of all, I find that going to the gym is something that relaxes me – and is a great way to blow of steam and the stress of everyday life.

If you are reading this chances are you want to lose some weight yourself; I’m willing to bet as well that you are like me – you see this monumental task in front of you and come up with 1,001 excuses about why you can’t do it today, but by golly you will get to it tomorrow!  Funny thing is, tomorrow just never seems to come.

My advice to you is simple – just do it.  Don’t be scared to go to the gym.  For so long I didn’t want to go because I thought I’d be the laughing stock of the whole place.  You know what I discovered?  There was a whole gym full of people just like me.  Sure, there are the gym jocks – but even they flash a smile when they see a “regular” like me walk in nowadays.  You will find that once you get past the first week or two, and become a regular face that your whole attitude is going to change.  Instead of dreading it, you will think of it as “your place” where you can escape from the real world and blow of some steam.  You will start to get to know faces, and you will start to make friends.  Heck, I even ran into an old work colleague from 10 years ago the other day!

I know what helped me a lot, and still does, is to bring along a few podcasts.  Get yourself an iPod or a Zune and load it up with music and podcasts.  I love to listen to Cartalk and Leo Laporte while working out.  Not only does it take your mind off what you are doing, but it lets you focus in on yourself and drown out the world around you.  You don’t even need to get a fancy one, the cheap iPod shuffle works just fine for the gym!

It only gets easier folks – no matter how out of shape you are, no matter what fears you have, just get out there and start doing it and you are going to be amazed at how your attitude changes in just a few short weeks.  Your body will thank you for it!

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More 411 on Peanut Butter

Jan 9

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | Comments

What can I say, it’s truly a food that everyone should have in their kitchen – especially people trying to get healthy.  I wrote about my cardio exercise the other day and how good peanut butter was, and stumbled upon a few more articles worth reading about this delicious treat.  Peter Pan always has an open invitation to stay at my place!

Grab you a spoonful and give these a read:

Now don’t just sit there, get some whole wheat bread and grape jelly and dig on in!

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Cardio + Strength Training + Peanut Butter = Success!

Jan 8

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | Comments

I’ve been faithfully hitting the YMCA doing cardio and strength training for almost two weeks now.  To my amazement, I’m actually seeing small, but beneficial results already.  I went from being able to maintain a 2.7mph pace on the treadmill at a 5% incline to being able to make it up to a 3.5mph pace at a 7% incline – even managing to get a few bursts of 3.8mph.

I also made sure to add strength training to the workouts as well.  Cardio burns calories, while strength training helps build muscle mass that helps you burn calories 24×7 and gives your body a better overall appearance.  At first I was a little reluctant to try strength training, but to my amazement it’s actually become something I look forward to.  Right now I’m focusing on my abdominal and back muscles – but try to get some tricep and bicep exercise in as well. 

You know the old saying, “Feel the burn?” Well let me tell you, I can feel the burn when it comes to the strength training.  It’s not unusual to have a bit of soreness the next day, but as I’ve learned you want some soreness – this is your body’s way of telling you that it is building and repairing your muscle mass.  What you don’t want, of course, is prolonged, agonizing pain – that is your body’s way of telling you “way too much! stop it now!”

Peter Pan Peanut ButterOne of the observations I’ve made is that there are a lot of people who do strength training who believe in spending a lot of money on expensive protein and vitamin shakes.  Call me old fashioned, but paying $50 for a jar of powder just doesn’t top my list of fun things to do.  Luckily one of my favorite foods provides a lot of the vitamins and protein I need and is available for just a few dollars in any grocery store – peanut butter!  It really is a super food when it comes to protein and heart health.  Yes it has fat, but it is good fat.  As long as you aren’t eating a whole jar a day peanut butter can really be a great resource of vitamins, protein and heart-healthy fats.  I’d much rather spend $3 on a jar of Peter Pan than $50 on a jar of powder.

Of course, man cannot live on peanut butter alone – and I’ve tried to make sure I slowly adapt my diet as well.  Fruits and vegetables are a must – broccoli in itself is one of nature’s super foods.  I have started to pack my own lunch for work which is not only helping me keep my food intake in check, but also seriously reducing the amount of money I spend.  It takes a bit of getting used to, but after a while making your lunch becomes second nature.  Many times I just pack up leftovers from the night before and take along with me.  I also make up a little container of vegetables to pop in the microwave and enjoy.  It’s amazing how much flavor vegetables can have by being creative – and I’m not talking about salt and butter, either.  Garlic, pepper and even a bit of basil can really spice them up and make them taste great.

If the cardio machines are to be believed, I’m managing to burn through about 450 calories during each 35 minute session.  I’m slowly increasing my minutes (I started at around 25) to work towards a good 45 minute burn.  Luckily between my iPod and the televisions they have at the Y it is hard to get bored – as long as your mind is on something else the time really does fly by!

So far, so good – and I’m having a lot of fun doing it.  Amazing what can happen when you put your mind to it!

 

(Photo Credit:  stopnlook on Flickr)

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Ho-Ho-Ho, This Weight Has Got To Go-Go-Go

Dec 30

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Get Fit | Comments

It’s that magical time of year again – you know the unofficial holiday that takes place right after Christmas.  I’m talking about weight loss and fitness.  It seems this time ever year, as we prepare to hang up a new calendar, the television ads are non-stop about how everyone should run out and buy a bunch of gear, supplements, diet foods, etc. and take off those pounds.

Now I’ve tried to get in shape many times – but it was always something that got in the way.  Work kept me busy, I was caught up in personal life items, it was raining out, I just didn’t feel like it, etc., etc.  This year however I finally found my motivation – myself.

I thought if I was going to do this I was going to do it right – no New Year’s resolution crap, we all know that doesn’t work.  If you are serious about something why don’t you start on it right now?  So that is what I did.  I started on losing weight and getting into shape right now – today as a matter of fact.

What better way to keep the motivation up but to blog about it?  I’ll throw in some Twittering and Facebook as well just to keep all the social networks busy.  Sorry MySpace users, but you are out of luck – I don’t touch MySpace with a virtual 10 foot pole.

So let’s run through some stats shall we?Robert Stinnett - Before Shot #1

Height:  5’11”

Age:  35 (36 in January)

Weight:  <ugh> 304lbs

Waist Size:  40 (I got serious beer belly and I don’t even drink beer!)

Cover your eyes, because I’ve even attached some pictures for your viewing displeasure.

The first order of business was how to go about doing it.  I’ve tried it on my own many times.  Exercise bike, weight bench, walking the Katy Trail.  Now all of these had some benefit, but they all fell short and eventually the weight just crept back up.  Exercise bike was boring (Hulu was a great distraction, but after a while I found I ran out of things to watch or the episodes weren’t long enough and I was fitting my exercise to the episode length and not doing nowhere near enough), weight bench was too basic and the Katy Trail was great, but when it’s cold, rainy or snowy (about 1/3rd of the year here) it becomes something you can only really do in the warmer months.

Robert Stinnett - Before Shot #2 This time around I signed up for the gym – the YMCA as a matter of fact here in Boonville, MO.  I figure there is no better motivator than a financial one.  If it’s costing me money you better bet I am going to make sure I get my money’s worth and a whole lot more out of it!  I have to admit, here in the Boonville our Y is really well equipped.  I guess we can thank the casino and the tax revenue it generates for that.

Second, I’m enlisting the help of a friend of ours who is studying sports fitness in college up at Central Methodist in Fayette, MO.  I figure when you have an expert available you might as well use them! 

Finally, I’m just saying “NO” to the distractions and “YES” to making it happen.  An hour a day, at least 5 days a week – that is the plan.  Make it happen.

So over the next few months (and perhaps years!) I’ll keep you updated on what I’m doing and what is working for me and what isn’t.  I’m not promising to turn into a super stud (how can you enhance perfection, right?) and I know it won’t happen overnight.  However hopefully along the journey I can pass along what did work and give you some inspiration and motivation to get fit yourself.  After all, if I can do it then what’s your excuse?

Today was day #1 at the gym.  30 minutes @ 3.2mph pace on a 5.5% incline; 100 reps on the ab crunch machine (that was interesting to say the least!) and 125 reps on the machine that, well, can’t remember it’s name but it helps strengthen your back and abs.  The who-zi-dowiger.

And you know what, after all of that sweat and heavy breathing, I actually left feeling pretty darn good!  It turns out that perhaps exercise can be rewarding in many different ways.  Either that or the pain hasn’t caught up with me yet.

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Christmas Treats: Homemade Fudge

Dec 11

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Yum! | Comments

Nothing says Christmas to me like mom’s homemade fudge.  It’s hard to believe that its been three years now since mom passed away, but each Christmas I remember her in my own special way by making her homemade fudge.  Everyone around and near Shenandoah Ave. in St. Louis came to mom every holiday season for some of her fudge.  It wasn’t uncommon that in a Christmas season she would cook up well over 100lbs of fudge!

Fudge is a wonderful gift to give others, and means a lot more than some store-bought trinket.  It takes time and patience to make, and personally I love it when I get homemade gifts.  Best of all, it’s something that everyone can enjoy and if you have a family, something that everyone can get involved in making.

So without further ado, here is mom’s recipe – copied straight from her handwritten recipe card!

You’ll need:

  • A heavy-bottomed large sauce panFudge making ingredients
  • 9×9 or larger basking dish
  • wax paper
  • 3 cups of sugar
  • 3/4th cup of evaporated milk (sorry, can’t use fat free!)
  • 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I suggest a premium brand a not Toll House)
  • 1.5 sticks of butter (not spread – we need the real deal here folks)
  • 1 large jar of marshmallow fluff
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons of real vanilla extract (never, ever use imitation vanilla for ANYTHING!)
  • 1 cup of walnuts, peanuts or pecans (optional)

Place butter, evaporated milk and sugar in the sauce pan on a high heat and bring to a boil.  Stir everything up while you are waiting for it to boil.  The sugar should be completely “dissolved” into the butter and milk.

Stirring the butter, sugar and milk. Now this is the trickiest part of the whole thing – once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high and constantly stir for 5 to 6 minutes.  Do not walk away and do not stop stirring or you will have a scorched mess on your hands!

When the time is up, remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the chocolate chips.  Stir until they are melted and you have a thick chocolate “soup”.  Now, using a silicon based spatula, stir in the marshmallow fluff.  Go ahead at this point and throw in the vanilla as well.  Do not add the vanilla to the mixture when it comes right off the heat as it will just “burn off”.

Chances are you won’t get all of the marshmallow dissolved – that is ok, a few lumps and streaks are OK!  That is what makes it “homemade”!Lined baking dish

Last, add your nuts if so desired.  Just mix them in a few strokes.

Now with your baking dish, make sure you have it lined completely with wax paper.  Pour it in and then let it sit overnight to  stiffen.  Don’t rush it!  It will take a long time for it to cool – and if you rush it then its just going to be a soft, gooey mess.

Finished fudge! Cut into small chunks and enjoy!

 

As Alton Brown would say, now that’s some Good Eats!

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Kmart: Turning Around a Negative Brand Image

Nov 26

Posted by Robert Stinnett in Marketing | Comments

kmart-logo I originally posted this on MyKmart.com, a public forum where customers and employees can talk about Kmart and suggest ideas for improvement, and talk about their general experiences.  I’m reposting it on my blog because Kmart still continues to be my favorite place to shop, but they are a classic example of how a negative brand image can really hurt a company – even after the initial reason for the bad image has past.  You can read the original thread here.

It’s good to see so many people getting involved and telling their stories about Kmart and Sears.  I’d like to give my input using my marketing background a bit to respond to the whole Sears vs. Kmart thing.

Brand name and brand image play an important part in consumer choices.  Kenmore and Diehard are two brand names that most consumers have a positive image of and therefore they tend to be the leaders in their categories.  As a company, many people also have a positive image of Sears.  Almost everyone grew up with Sears and they have a reputation of still being customer-focused (granted, they did slip for about 3 years but I think they have gotten back on track).

On the other hand Kmart’s #1 problem is not what they are doing today.  I think that Kmart is doing everything extremely well from what I can see (I’m a customer, not an employee) and I’ve been very impressed at the turnaround I’ve seen in the stores and in the way they advertise.

Kmart’s problem is an image problem that started back in the late 1980s and continues to this day.  So many people have a negative image of Kmart because of the sad shape the stores got into during the late 80s and 90s.  People think of Kmart as dirty, unorganized and below Wal-Mart in terms of quality (I’m not making this up, numerous marketing textbooks and studies have shown this).  The bankruptcy of Kmart seriously hurt them even further, and until the merger with Sears most stores had not seen a remodel since the early 90s (if that).

Today Kmart is turning its image around, but one of the most difficult things to do in marketing is to take a brand that has a negative image and turn it into a positive one.  From the publicly available data out there, we know more people are returning to Kmart stores and we know that the quality of merchandise has been improving.  It’s now up to Kmart to get those people to become loyal shoppers, and to continue the momentum they built.

I’ve posted it before, and I’ll post it again, but I fully expect Kmart to shutter more stores in the next few years.  There are some stores that just will not be profitable no matter what they do.  They are in a bad location or they are in such bad shape the cost of trying to modernize them is just prohibitive.

I think in 3-5 years we might see the opening of new Kmart’s — but it won’t be a massive expansion.  Select locations, maybe 2-5 a year max; and that might be a generous number.

Kmart had a long rise to the top (in 1986 Kmart was the #1 shopping destination in America) and subsequently their fall to the bottom was hard and painful.  However, I still have faith in the Kmart brand, the people behind Kmart and in Sears Holdings.  I grew up with both Sears and Kmart, and to this day every appliance in our house says Kenmore and every tool in the garage says Craftsman.  I haven’t given up on them yet, and don’t intend to give up on them anytime soon.

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