Part 1, How I got into the Gun business long version

Growing up, I remember my family owning a business. My grandfather owned a nursery. He loved plants. I remember at a very young age going to the nursery. It was like walking into the jungle. My sister and I would get lost and do dumb things. Not that I learned anything from this, but I believe it was a stepping stone. My parents owned a business too. I grew up thinking owning a business was the only way to go. My father, Mark, decided one day he was going to open a business. Im not sure why, but he wanted a German bakery, deli, and Coffee shop. There was German heritage on my Mom's side, but not on my Dad's side. Either way, he was going to open a restaurant. He loved to cook.

My Dad worked for the Sanitation department in Palmdale. He was a turd tech. Well, really, he operated heavy equipment. He went to a local bakery in Palmdale. It was Palmknols german bakery and coffee shop. He offered to work there for free. He wanted to learn how to bake pastries and make donuts. The owner, I don't remember his name was 100% German. He believed no one could cook german pastries except Germans. My Dad must have worked there for six months every morning and then headed off to his day job. The Old german man did not tell my Dad how he made it, but he would never guess my father had observed his every move. Does this mean my Dad was committing espionage?

At one point, I started working there too. I was ten years old, I believe. I helped put doughnuts or donuts on the frying screens. It was fun, and I was able to learn a little. I can remember the place like it was yesterday. The German bakery had a more mechanized kitchen; unlike my Dad's bakery, we did everything by hand. One day I wanted to help the ladies up front. I went to pour coffee for a customer. I pulled the pot of coffee off the burner and did not see it was brewing fresh coffee and was now dumping it on the burner. I was embarrassed, and I think that was the last time I helped. Looking back, I was drinking coffee at a young age but never developed a real liking to it. Nowadays, I would love to drink it, but I have enough habits.

My Dad and I built his bakery in Quartz Hill. After working at the bakery in Palmdale, we would go to our bakery.