Well, I was hesitant to tell the story behind ‘ironpeddler’ due to its cryptic nature, but here goes.
One of the jobs I had was selling Construction Equipment for a BOTL who was a part owner of the dealership. I had owned a small Construction Company in the past, so doing this was fun because I was able to reconnect with all the guys I ran with during those days. Now, to sell big construction equipment (“big iron”) in the 100K to 2M range, you weren't automatically considered a “peddler" (a term used back in the day), you had to have an impeccable record and be well respected within the industry for many years to qualify. I was a construction equipment salesman as far as I was concerned. Well,there was this one 70yo old timer….a really tough, hard drinking, burly, self-made man that I worked on for quite a while trying to get him to buy from me. He owned one of the biggest & oldest recycling yards in the state and carried a ton of weight in the Construction Equipment Owners Association. He would rake me over the coals on every deal I proposed…busting my chops and telling me everything I did wrong…but in a way only he could, he never belittled or degraded me….he just strongly suggested what I should consider as fair and then walk away from me, giving me time to think about it! You have to understand that if I cracked this guy and got him to buy from me, all the other big contractors would see validity in my products and services. I would have 6yd wheel loaders and huge exacators delivered to him to demo, so he could see how my stuff out performed what he was already buying. One by one he would send them back. This went on for over a year and my buddy that owned the place was busting on me to let this guy go. Finally, after many failed attempts, I slowly converted many pieces of his equipment over to my brands and we developed a very close relationship....and my sales definitely increasing thanks to him. During this time, when I was having a bad day, I would stop by his yard to sit and listen to his stories of all the things he had done and the people he met, and laugh the gloom away (aided by a glass or two of scotch and a cigar)....he was truly a character, a one in a million kinda guy.
One day I got a call that he was taken to the hospital after suffering a major heart attack, which was the first thing I questioned when I visited him because I didn't think he had one! He was hooked up to every life sustaining device you could imagine, IVs in his arms and legs with wires everywhere …it was frightful. During one of my many visits, as I sat there talking, he finally let his guard down and said…”Listen kid, I never told you this, but as time went by I grew to trust you to the point I wouldn't question your pricing or the (interest) rates you gave me…I KNEW you would always do the right thing by me.” Well at this point I figured the doctors probably told him he didn't have much time left for him to talk like this…he was not a mushy guy at all, not even to his own kids. He then continued to say, “You're just like the old timers I knew that helped me out years ago when I first started, you're just like them because you care about your customers, you're a real ‘Ironpeddler’ kid". A chill went through my body when he said that because I knew it came from his heart…this 300 pound, tough as nails man lying in front of me. Not long after that he passed away and there aren't too many days that go by I don't think of him.
I left that job soon after and went back to the Engineering field.....but to this day, I'm still known as “The Ironpeddler”. Sorry for the long story, but it truly is a tribute to a dear friend and mentor of mine.
The market will be DOWN 205
As for my puts...I've got some identified already, and some I'm still working on, but once the eagle lands, I should be able to post both P/T with confidence hehe. 
