customer service......my ass

I work as an office manager for a flooring company. Yes, I sit behind a desk all day...yay! I take care of all of the accounting, ordering materials, scheduling jobs, and fixing my bosses screw ups. When my boss is not here, I am also required to be a salesperson in the showroom. I HATE being a salesperson! I am good at it, but I still hate it. I have no problem striking up conversations with customers and I usually get complimented on my pleasant attitude. Now, anyone who must deal with the public knows that you will always run into the three basic types: the ones who are totally easygoing and great to do business with, the incredibly stupid, and the extremely rude.

I was force to deal with the latter. A couple came into the store with some measurements so that I could give them an estimate, which I did. They apparently didn't think that my calculations were correct and told me in no uncertain terms that they basically though I was retarded. I proceeded to show them exactly how I got said calculations, but that wasn't good enough either. My boss came out and looked everything over and came up with the same thing, so being the wonderful salesperson that I am, I asked "So, do you believe me now, or do I need to show you a third time?" well, that didn't go over very well and they left. My boss was not upset with me and probably would've done the same thing, and it was especially funny when they came back in because they had shopped around and we had a lower price ;0).

Being rude like that always comes back to bite you. So, I would rather deal with either of the first two types of customers. I am surprised that anyone would want to have me dealing with people because I obviously don't do well with rude people and I tend to just say what I think. So, look out if you ever want to buy flooring and watch out for the snappy little woman in the showroom ;0p (I'm really not that bad...it just sounds funny!) Happy Hump Day!

I'm supposed to act like a girl??

It has been brought to my attention on several occasions (read: alot) that I am quite tomboyish. I don't deny that and am actually quite proud. I have my girlie tendencies, but I enjoy things that are typically associated with guys.

I was chatting online last night with a friend from high school and that is actually what prompted this topic. In high school I was a cheerleader.....that's girlie right?, right, but I was also into agriculture, wood shop, metal shop, etc. So you can see what I'm getting at. I have always been into things that were like that. I grew up with mostly boys, and my mom is kinda like that too. Mom used to ride motorcycle and dirt bike, and I remember asking her once if she ever played any sports in school...her response was hallway wrestling..;) So I get it honest. I don't think any of this is bad in any way, just something to talk about, ya know. I have come a long way from the awful days of shit-kickers (boots, for all non-hicks), jeans and flannel shirts. Now I embrace my tomboy in a different way. I also embrace my girlie side way more than what I ever used to....getting older I guess.

For example, I wear makeup, I wear dresses/skirts, and I generally try to look cute. Those things used to never be part of my vocabulary. I was always that girl that would be into anything that involved being or getting dirty, fixing things, or just hanging out with the guys. I didn't care about my hair, or looking cute....I mean, come on, what the hell did I care. I was by no means butchy....I just wasn't interested in looking pretty. This point was also brought up at Thanksgiving dinner where my cousin was astounded at the fact that yes, I do cook, and yes I was wearing a dress and heels....I thought he was going to faint. I have changed a lot since high school people....I get no credit. But anyway, I just thought that was funny. It is amazing how people change as they get older. So, if you will excuse me I have beer to drink and porn to watch....just kidding...relax ;0)

Shoot me now....No, seriously....do it!!

First and foremost, I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving! I am lucky enough to not have to cook a Thanksgiving meal, but I will be forced to eat two of them. I am not complaining. My mother and Tony's mother are both wonderful cooks.

One reason that I am not cooking, is due to the fact that my house is very much under renovation. VERY MUCH!! Truth be told people, I don't have a living room. We live out of our kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, office, and well, that is it. I have no furniture downstairs except a dining table and chairs, so as you can guess, my house is not a prime spot for entertaining. That being said, Tony invited his niece and her family over to see our house (only a handful of people have been to my house so far) before going to his mother's house for Thanksgiving (we live two minutes away from his parents....tops). Now, I don't have a problem with them coming over, but now I will have to clean my entire house. I realize that they know it is being renovated, but I can't fathom someone coming in and seeing it like it is. So, I will be cleaning everything tonight and tomorrow morning, just so that they can come in, look around and leave....brilliant, I know. I don't want to come off as having a dirty house, but when you have to clean up drywall dust or some other sort of dirt all of the time....things don't exactly look sparkly.

I am going to keep a running total during dinner as to how many times I will be asked as to the state of my left hand ring finger and/or my womb. That is one thing that gets old in a hot second. I am the "last one" so I guess they feel like it is funny to tease me about getting married and having a baby. I am not opposed to either one, but do we really need to discuss it over dinner...come on people. So anyway...I hope everyone get a full belly tomorrow. I was going to post about some things that I am thankful for, but I won't bore you anymore.


HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!

One down, two to go....

Well, my pre-Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving family function went off without a hitch. We had a smaller group this year due to illness and hunting trips to the mountains. All of the food was delicious as usual, so I feel about 20lbs heavier than I was on Sunday morning, but oh well.

Speaking of food....I decided to make the scalloped potatoes for the meal. My oven hates me for this decision however. I didn't think of putting anything under my casserole dish, so everything cooked out all over the bottom of my oven. I have a self cleaning oven, but I hate the smell the oven emits while running the self-clean cycle...ACK!

Tony and I got quite a history lesson on the way to the grove. We picked up my grandfather, and the whole ride he took the utmost joy in looking around and telling us what had been here and there 50 years ago. I was really glad that he was feeling up to going along. He seemed to really enjoy himself, and was especially happy to hold the newest member of our family, 6wk old Lauren. We took some really nice pictures of Pap and the family, so when my dad emails them, I will post them.

Every year we take a group photo for posterity, and usually my uncle is the photographer. My dad was going to take the picture (I'm not sure why my uncle wasn't, but oh well) and had the camera set up. Now, my dad is not the most electronically inclined human on the face of this earth *cough cough* so he took one shot minus himself, and we were going to take one minus my cousin to take that shot. I ran over to see if I could set the self timer, which I did, and we got a nice family shot with everyone in it (even though I slid across the floor to be dramatic) ;0)

Everyone was happy and healthy, which is always wonderful to hear. It is unfortunate that most of the family only sees one another once a year, but I guess that's better than never. So, one down and two more to go....my mom's dinner, and Tony's mom's dinner....I can feel myself getting fat already! ;0)

How would you like it?

As I was driving to work this morning, singing at the top of my lungs, and not giving a shit that the lady beside me clearly thought I was more than a little bit crazy, I saw something that I always hate to see. I got behind one of those trucks that carry the live chickens...yeah, you know, the ones with all of the small ass cages, with the birds just stuffed in there....yeah, that kind. Look, I am not a vegitarian or a vegan, but I really can't stand to see how those chickens are treated. Yes, I am quite aware that they were probably going to be taken somewhere to be processed for my chicken cordon bleu....but I digress.

Ok, now I feel a little better....This Sunday is our big Thanksgiving dinner with my dad's family. We were supposed to be doing an Iron Chef type dinner, but everyone punked out. Nobody wanted the hassel, so everyone is just bringing a dish. I am sure it will still be fun, as this is the only time of year that I see certain family members. I have yet to decide exactly what I am making....I am thinking either homemade scalloped potatoes or mashed sweet potato caserole....yes, I dig potatoes! I will be picking up my grandfather and taking him with us to the dinner, so that should be intersting...talk about your backseat driver!! But, that's Ok, at least he will be there. So, for now I must go get some work done....I know....shocking!! So thank goodness it's one day closer to the weekend!!

I'm not ready for Christmas yet......

Well, as Thanksgiving is only a little more than a week away, that mean that Christmas is well on it's way...like it or not. I really love Christmas. The decorations, the songs, and all the other crazy things that go with it. One thing that I am not so enthusiastic about....the cost of Christmas!

I enjoy the idea of buying gifts for my friends and family, if I know what to buy them that is. I have been known to spend too much money, and buy people gifts that maybe I wouldn't have had to buy gifts for, but I'm OK with that. This year however, money is tight, so I am feeling stressed because I don't have the money that I wish I did for gifts.

My side of the family isn't too bad. We buy for my parents, my sister, my brother in law, my grandfather,a mens gift, and a ladies gift. The mens/ladies gifts are for a game we play. Instead of pulling names, we play a game called now you have it, now you don't. Everyone get a gift, so it is just a little more fun than a standard exchange of gifts. Tony's family on the other hand are out of their minds...in a good way. His family is large and close knit, so they all get gifts for everyone. Look, as I said I love buying presents for other people, but we are talking a lot of people...I won't even attempt to list everyone. Buying even somthing small for everyone is expensive...I think there is around 15 people. Why in the hell can't they just pull names or play a game, it would be so much eaiser.

Each year, Tony and I have tried to think of something fun for his nieces and nephews to do for their gifts. Last year, we got four refrigerator boxes, and bought each (4) a bunch of little things from the dollar store and one big gift and crumpled up enough newspaper to fill our living room and hid all of their goodies in these boxes, so they would have to dump them out and dig for their gifts.....that was great. This year we are trying to plan a scavenger hunt of some sort, so wish me luck with that.

I just can't believe the holidays are here already....didn't we just do this, oh well. Does anyone have any nifty Christmas/holiday traditions or games, or anything like that, that they do with family or friends?

Getting Older

I don't know what prompted me to want to write about this today. Maybe I am grumpy or maybe just a bit sad. Either way, I don't feel very chipper. I am borrowing this from a poem that Adam wrote about his grandmother.

My paternal grandfather is the only grandparent that is still living. My mom's father passed away when she was only 12 years old, so I never knew him. My grandmothers both passed in 2000 (exactly 2 months apart to the day!), so Pappy is all that I have left.

Pap had had a few strokes, his memory was not good, and he had the normal health issues of an 89 year old man. It had gotten so that he would leave things in the fridge for way too long and eat bad food, because he forgot that it was bad. He still drove, and would get disoriented and forget where he was going or where he was. Having to watch someone you love go through that was devastating, but having to watch them be forced to give up their freedom is worse IMO.

In July the family decided that it would be in his best interest to go to an assisted living facility. He could come and go as he pleased (if someone took him) and it was supposed to be a pretty nice place. He had been in the hospital, so they decided he would need to go when he was released.

My grandfather can be very emotional, and when they (when I say they, I am referring to various family members) told him what was going to happen, he got very upset. What was going to happen to his little dog? What was going to happen to his belongings? He was just very very upset. Now, Pap lived in an apartment in my Uncle Harry's house, so having his things disturbed wasn't an issue. My parents took Tinkerbell, so that wasn't a problem either....except to him it was. This place could've been the Ritz-Carlton...not good enough, because it wasn't his home. Pappy was used to being independent, and couldn't fathom why he couldn't be now. My uncle had taken his car keys (he was a danger on the road), and he knew that he could come and go and wanted his car. The deal was, that he had to take an evaluation to see if he was fit. He took the evaluation a few weeks ago, and failed. Unfortunately, he doesn't know that yet. My uncle has not told him, for fear that he will become depressed. He had just started to socialize with the other residents, and we don't want to hinder that, but all he talks about is getting his car back.

I love to spend time with him...he tells me stories from when he was young, and when my dad was little...oh the blackmail...but spending time there also breaks my heart. Every time I leave, I want to cry. He had worked his ass off his entire life and now he has to spend his time in a home.

The point of all my blabbering is that it is terrible getting older....not only does your body betray you, but sometimes your mind does too. When you have a loved one who is going through it, it just tears your heart to pieces. I don't really know what else to say. This was just kind of a rant/ramble post, so hopefully I will think of something good for the next one.