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So this dog looks pretty cute right? Guess again - monster in a puppy body. She took it upon herself to select her mother's brand new Envy 2 out of it's safe location (hidden behind the sofa) and gnaw on it until it transformed from extremely important piece of equipment that allows Mommy to function, to a mangled piece of black plastic.
Mommy now realizes that really she is to blame for leaving Monster unattended - however you'd think that after a year of good home training the puppy clearly knows acceptable chew items and unacceptable chew items. Certainly Father and Mother have spent enough money on cute, squeaky, fuzz filled, joymakers that a cold hard $325 dollar cell phone should be at the bottom of the chew list.
Maybe Mommy will try and embrace the day in a cloistered environment of only a land line.
Disclaimer: Rant full speed ahead.
So, in my adult job, I've got two feet firmly planted on the world of retail. This used to require excellent customer service. Crucial elements for any sales person include, but are certainly not limited to, establishing a report with your customers, "May I help you,?" at the bitter minimum a smile and acknowledgment of guests that are currently in a position to keep your company afloat or to keep you in a job.
Why is it that we now promote and hire people who are inefficient, impolite, unhelpful, and generally terrible in the customer service arena? I can think of a few exceptions of places I'm generally always happy to support because they make me feel like they appreciate the hard-earned money I am spending on their watch. Chick - Fil- A and Trader Joes top my list of places that I can 99% of the time say - it was a pleasure to shop/or do business here. Walgreens and Food Lion are at the bottom of the barrel.
Why do we as consumers allow this behavior? I don't consider myself to be a curmudgeon, nor do I need to be coddled by every sales person in the building. I've seen examples of poor management left and right and up and down, and I just don't understand how it got to be this way? What is the solution? As a general rule, I like to support local and family owned businesses and restaurants instead of the big box stores, but sometimes I don't or can't. Sometimes their customer service is just as notorious as Abercrombie & Fitch.
What gives?
Here are a few pictures from the seeding project
Today is my favorite day of the winter. The day I begin starting my seeds for the spring/summer season wins hands down over Christmas, Valentines and Groundhogs Day. Something inherent knows when it's time, I don't keep track of it by calender but I always seem to get it done within the same week every winter. I should add that this is generally way too early by most people's standards, but clearly I do not care about seed package guidelines. Sowing the herbs, vegetables and flowers that will begin the new season fills me with such excitement - the hardest, darkest days of winter are behind us now. The daffodils and lily of the valley greens start to poke out in the yard and a cursory inspection of the other foliage in the yard reveals buds and new growth.
I was born in the spring and the time of sprouting and blooming is so figurative in my life. Many of my ancestors spent their entire lives toiling in the dirt not only to feed their families, but as some sort of sustenance. Cotton, tobacco, corn and peanuts are all rooted in my history and I can't help but wonder how much of my need/desire to sow are innate. I have the luxury of experimentation and time that my forebears did not.
My journey begins with a trip to the garden center, this year it was Lowes. I've tried several different methods of seeding - the first year I started my crops in random antique teacups that I set around the kitchen - although it was attractive, storing all of those cups during the off season was a pain and you can easily waste a tremendous amount of peat or potting soil getting started. This year I purchased a 72 pellet germinator for a whopping $6.97 that has already saved time and space. I have started basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, cantaloupe, cucumber, eggplant, pepper, Roma tomatoes, Supersweet tomatoes, foxglove and zinnias. I'm going to make a second planting in a week or two - I'll keep you posted and try to add some photos.
So, Sassy Esquire and I went to see He's Just Not That Into You last night. I've already read, memorized, and utilized the information written on the pages and probably more importantly in between the lines of this book. I think most women have had a time in their lives when a dead end situation calls for a little tough love. For instance, yours truly found herself in a pit of despair after a much too long "non-relationship, relationship" which consisted of spending every calender holiday together, thousands of texts, phone calls, inside jokes, etc. You get the picture. I was the Lady who got advice from friends ad nauseum - "cut your losses," "he'll come around," "you deserve better," and the perennial favorite "maybe he's gay?" I finally struck out and away from this particular fella and it allowed me to find what I had been looking for all along - true love and compatibility. It was a refreshing change from banging my head against a brick wall.
Sassy Esquire brought up a good point last night that was echoed in the movie - we women love the drama. Even if we say we don't, there is just something so damn exciting about the early stages of relationships and just starting to fall in love, or trying to hang onto love or let go of something that isn't love that stirs the proverbial pot. When things are going smoothly sometimes we forget to count our blessings.
All of this said, I recommend the movie, and I recommend the message - and I recommend the friendship and discussion that comes from all of it.
Go see it www.fandango.com
Remember your parents asking you if everyone else jumped off the bridge, would you jump too?
This inevitably referred to getting your ears pierced, a tattoo or going on a weekend trip with older friends, while you were still firmly wrapped up in their apron strings.
It seems to me that blogging is the "thing" to do now - but my journey starts with this post not necessarily because I want to follow the trend, but because writing is a talent that I used to use frequently. I've let it fall by the wayside and I feel a strong need to resurrect it. I'm a fan of blogs and I think they are a good platform for reading, writing and sharing information.
The Lady and the blog will bring you and honest look at life, feelings, tips, gossip?(!), reviews and who knows what else.
I invite you to join me in this endeavor and feel free to leave your feedback or random musings.
I'll be setting up the blog and getting my feet wet for a few days.
So this dog looks pretty cute right? Guess again - monster in a puppy body. She took it upon herself to select her mother's brand new Envy 2 out of it's safe location (hidden behind the sofa) and gnaw on it until it transformed from extremely important piece of equipment that allows Mommy to function, to a mangled piece of black plastic.
