Snoozy flameout a good thing in long run

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: On our last day at a beach rental cabin the kids and I were packing up later than the rules asked for, when a familiar car pulled in next door. It was my ex-husband with his new woman and her kids.

My children yelled out, “Look Mom, it’s Daddy! He came to the lake to see us!” and ran over to him for hugs. His girlfriend had the cabin keys dangling, nodded at me, and went inside quickly.

I said to my former husband, “Fancy meeting you here! Come on kids, we’re going home now.” My ex said, “Oh, settle down. Give me a few minutes with my kids, will you?”

So, I finished packing and locked the cabin door, and waited for the kids for 30 minutes in our car. Then I started to cry. It just came gushing out and I couldn’t control it. Finally, my ex brought the children back out. He could see I’d been crying and said in disgust, “Get over it, princess. I have!”

EVEN before the COVID-19 pandemic, another threat to business continuity was looming — the “silver tsunami.” Canada’s 1.2 million small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) community has been bracing for the departure of nearly three-quarters of its owners, who plan to retire within the next decade.

Often, the intent is for owners to transfer the company to relatives or sell to a third-party purchaser. The reality is that either way, many entrepreneurs have yet to draft a formal succession plan or are unable to execute it due to various factors, heightened by the COVID-19 reality.

There’s a lesser-known, but proven, third option that rarely gets the attention it deserves.

SMEs could also consider selling the business to employees or community stakeholders who have formed co-operatives. Such transitions, known as Business Conversions to Co-operatives (BCC), are a tried-and-true solution for rescuing businesses or for succession planning in numerous jurisdictions around the world.

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I’m a loving lesbian woman who is a bit shy. After an expensive dinner out (my treat for my new girlfriend’s birthday) she drove me to her place where she had her favourite romance scene partly set up. She had told me about it over dinner, and it involved far too many lit candles for my big fear of fire. I’m not much of an actor and I’m scared stiff of getting burned.

I somehow managed to fall asleep while she was getting everything ready to go and she had to wake me up. I had totally lost my nerve by then. I freaked and grabbed my jacket and went outside in the cold to book a ride home. I didn’t want her driving me. What chance do I have with her now?

— Lonely, Westwood

Dear Lonely: You’re not a performative-type lovemaker and definitely need someone who is more natural — not to mention safety-conscious.