Jim and Lyle are bothers in law. I dealt with them for over 20 years and still don't know their last names. Between them they own one of the greatest hardware stores you can imagine, Ballard Hardware store, of course in the Ballard district in Seattle.

I don't remember ever going for anything that they didn't have. If the item was a screw or bolt it might be on the floor in the screw and bolt department. Their screws and bolts wouldn't be in the little packages like in the nowadays stores where if you want 2 screws you have to buy 10.

Inventory, though, isn't the subject of the Jim and Lyle story. Jim and Lyle were the sweetest guys anyone could hope to deal with.

When my wife and I bought our factory building, it was nothing more than an ugly tent. It had a roof, walls and doors. It had no heat, no plumbing. It didn't even have water to the building.

We used every cent we could scrape up to make the down payment. Our naiveté was colossal. Somehow we were able to install 2 gas furnaces, 4 complete rest rooms, a his and hers on each floor. Also, we built many walls and furnished the rooms.

Much of the equipment and materials we charged at Ballard Hardware. The account languished. I told Jim and Lyle to charge me interest. They said no, they knew I'd pay them when I could. Finally, their bookkeeper wrote on the bill, "Aren't you ever going to pay on this account?". Jim seemed embarrassed that the bookkeeper wrote this note.

Eventually, we were able to pay off the whole account. It's no wonder I have such warm feelings for Jim and Lyle, hardware owners extraordinaire.