Call Brady (www.callbrady.com)

I’m proud and excited to announce that “Call Brady, Computer Services” (www.CallBrady.com) is now my full time profession. Working with people is a passion for me, and I enjoy the 1-on-1 interaction I get with people on their home or work computers. I am available for webpage design, computer consulting, repair, and for getting the viruses and spyware out of your system. While ‘home-base’ will continue to be Travelers Rest, SC, I am available to work throughout the Upstate of South Carolina and beyond.

I have been working at building my business gradually over the last few years, while also working as a Server Administrator at Kemet Electronics Corporation in Simpsonville, SC for the last 8 years.

At Kemet my responsibilities included: 

• Corporate Antivirus Administration
• VMWare Server Virtualization
• Sharepoint 2007 Administration
• 2003 Server and Active Directory
• Backup and Disaster Recovery

Jennifer and I are excited about this new venture!  Please tell your friends, or Call Brady today to schedule your appointment. 864-335-8672, or brady@callbrady.com.

My Grandfather, George Donnan, use to keep a bottle of red oil in his medicine cabinet. Nobody ever really knew what it was. It was in a small plastic bottle, and the only marking on it was a hand written sticker reading “Red Oil.” If you got a paper cut, you put red oil on it. If you scraped your knee or elbow falling off the skateboard, you put red oil on it. All we ever really knew was that he had gotten it from the JP Stephens factory he worked at in Whitmire. And we knew that it worked.

It worked like a charm. How did nobody else know about this?

Like all things, time forgot red oil. Well, at least I did.

Last year Jennifer and I were at the Farmer’s Market off Rutherford Road in Greenville, and I saw a bottle of red liquid behind the counter. I was telling Jennifer about Papa’s red oil, and that I thought that might be it. The guy behind the counter told me his own story of red oil, and that no, this wasn’t it. “But next time you head up to the mountains, stop by McLeskey Todd Pharmacy in TR. He’ll have it.”

Well, I drove by the pharmacy a few hundred times before I stopped in. Its only a mile or so from our home. The first time I stopped in to pick up some poison ivy ointment, it felt like a FAMILY pharmacy. Good, friendly, knowledgeable people sit behind the counter counting pills or answering phones. When you start talking to them they treat you  like family. There is genuine concern for your health and well being. They take the time to explain answers to your questions. You never feel rushed, never feel like ‘just another customer.’

So yesterday when I stopped in, I told them about Papa’s bottle of red oil. The youngest man behind the counter said, “With my grandmother, nothing ever happened that she didn’t put red oil on.” I had this vision of the Greek man with his Windex bottle in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”

In a city with a Walgreens under construction, a WalMart, a CVS, and RiteAid, all within 2/10 mile of each other, I would take McLeskey Todd anyday. It is one of the few remaining “family pharmacies” in our area.

When I first moved to TR, I was a closet coffee drinker. An occasional Donut Connection cup, a cup of Starbucks when travelling and I knew I could expense it. After all, $5 is just too much for a cup of coffee.

I kept telling myself not to go into Leopard Forest Coffee Company. “Once you do, its all over.” I was right. The folks who run Leopard are down-to-earth. You walk in and find bags and bags piled with unroasted coffee beans. They have their own plantation in Zimbabwe where they grow the beans, support 90 families, and then ship the coffee to TR for roasting and flavoring.

The coffee is out of this world. If you want just a regular cup, they have 6 to choose from each day. Bring in your own travel mug and its only $.75 a cup. I’ll bring in 2 cups on my way to the office, drinking one on the way, and one once I’m there. I’m particular to their Zimbabwe Peaberry, and their occasional “White Russian” flavored coffees. All are great. Be sure to stop by on your next stop up to the mountains, or make a trip just for Leopard. Trust me… It’s worth it.

OK, who am I? My name is Brady Gilbert. My wife, Jennifer, and I moved in August 2007 to Travelers Rest, in upstate South Carolina. I currently work at Kemet Electronics as a Server Infrastructure Analyst, but take greater pleasure in my own business, “Call Brady, Computer Services,” where I’m a web designer and computer repairman, network installer, and techno-teacher. I’ve been running my business solo for the last few years (in my spare time) but Jennifer has joined me in the business recently and we’re starting to experience some wonderful growth.

I’m not completely sure what this blog will develop into. Perhaps it will focus on the business, maybe some about computers and how-tos, or maybe it will evolve into something completely unique and different. Thanks for checking in, and I hope to see you soon