Earlier this afternoon, I began a post about the satisfaction that I felt after rearranging a small area of our home. The beginning of that post is in italics below, just as I left it prior to heading out for our days activities. I am not finishing the post in the manner originally planned due to a recent local newsworthy event which occurred at my Alma Mater. It was (and is) an absolutely tragic occurrence that has hit rather close to home in a sense. Before I go on about the "news", here is the beginning of my original post:
It is the smaller things in life that I find very exciting and fulfilling. I just finished the most lovely project, and I must say, I feel lighter on my feet. (NOT, however, lighter in my loafers, if you catch my drift - I'm light enough there as it is.)
What did I do?
I REARRANGED our computer station! Now, instead of turning sideways to reach the keyboard and see the monitor, we have the option of sitting in front of it! If you know us and have been to our house, you know that we try to maximize the space that we have by cramming as much into one room as possible.
Now, about this tragic story.
Last Wednesday night into Thursday, a Fraternity at a local college (my Alma Mater, as I said) held a party as part of the "pledging" process. As is expected at a college frat party, large quantities of alcohol were being consumed. A freshman, Gary D., who was pledging the fraternity, participated in the festivities. Gary consumed significantly more than his share of alcohol, passed out and was later taken to the hospital where he died the next day. I know of this only by reading it in the newspaper, so I have only the perspective provided by the reporters. I do not always trust what is written, but over all, the coverage of this event thus far seems o.k. According to quotes in the articles, Gary was not one to drink frequently or in large amounts. Unfortunately, this particular night was different. Gary did what was apparently expected of him in order to become part of a group (fraternity).
I do not mean to imply that Gary succumbed to peer pressure. I did not know Gary, but based on the quotes from those who did know him, he seems more the sort who would stand by his principles and do the right thing. Again, I did not know Gary.
What I do know, however, is that his story is one that should not be. It is also one that has been told before, and unfortunately one that will likely be told again with someone else as a main character. This is partly what makes it so tragic. I mean, it goes without saying that when a young person loses his or her life that a tragic event has occurred. The real tragedy here is that it is not a "freak accident". It is an avoidable event that finds away to repeat itself. In Gary's case, it seems that alcohol poisoning led to his death (this is an assumption, as autopsy/toxicology results, to my knowledge, have not been released). For other "young" people, it may be an alcohol related motor vehicle accident, or a drunken stunt gone wrong. (For those of you who know me, you know what I do for a living, and although I have not seen as much "devastation" as some, I have seen enough from both sides to know the pain and suffering that ensue.) Whatever the "reaction", the catalyst is often overuse of alcohol (or other drugs) and the result is all too often death or serious injury.
I mentioned in the beginning that Gary's story hit rather close to home. What makes it somewhat personal is that I attended the same school. I lived on campus, played two sports, was involved in many campus activities and am well aware of the fraternity that he was pledging. This is a relatively small school with a small campus. It has been 10 years since I graduated, and I still feel part of the "family". That is the beauty of the school. It is like a large, extended family.
The other reason that brings it close to home is that one of his Professors is someone whom I consider a very good friend. Prior to reading a news article this evening, I did not know that he was one of her students. As I was reading one article, she came very clearly into my awareness and I thought, "Wow, I think he was one of K's students." Before I could talk myself out of this thought, I glanced at the next article and right at the beginning was a quote from one of his professors - my Friend.
"Professor", I am not sure what the psychic connection is there, but it was interesting.
What is it that makes teenagers and early 20-somethings think that they are invincible? Clearly I was there once, but I just don't recall my thought processes at the time. (I'm a bad barometer, though - I was more of a "goody goody" - no drinking, no drugs - I can HONESTLY say that I didn't inhale. *wink*)
What does all of this have to do with my title, Tragedy and The Little Things?
Well, as I read the articles and glanced back at my blog, I thought about perspective and the little things in life. Today, as I bask in the glory of my newly arranged furniture, a family (immediate and extended) mourns the loss of a loved one.
Does this mean that I should not enjoy my new setup? That others who were touched by this story, or any other story of heartache should not find enjoyment in their daily lives?
Absolutely not.
What this means is that all of us should take time to appreciate what we have, appreciate those we love.
Express gratitude to those who love us and to those who help us along life's paths, as we lend a helping hand to those who need our love and guidance. Be patient and kind to one another and most importantly, ENJOY THE JOURNEY.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Gary's family and friends.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Friday, March 02, 2007
Our Zoo
Our humble abode is never lacking in excitement, depending, of course, on what you consider "excitement". Most this is now due to a very busy toddler, but the rest of our "clan" is never far behind.
Today, as we do many a day, Lady M, Baby Ruth, Big Dog, Little Dog, and I went for a nice walk in the park. These are always lovely until another dog passes by and "Little Dog" - a Jack Russell - tries to eat the passerby, regardless of the breed or size. She is a very "tough" little dog, despite the fact that she has only two top front teeth. Thanks to our brave "Little Dog", we made it safely through our walk without being accosted by any large dogs. It was upon our return home that our brave "Little Dog" showed her true nature.
One of our birds has a new favorite toy. A large plastic ball with a smaller ball with a bell in it inside the large ball. Birdie loves to jingle the bell, pick it up, drop it, etc. (She is actually obsessively trying to get the darn little ball out. - we have O.C.D. issues around here.) Anyway, as it turns out, our brave "Little Dog" who will readily take on any Doberman, German Shepherd, or any other large breed that she encounters is TERRIFIED of this ball and bell!
From the first jingle, "Little dog" began panting, pacing and darting from room to room until she could finally get to her "safe haven". It seems that as long as she is tucked securely inside her travel crate, all is well in her world. I guess it makes her feel like she is finally going to get out of this joint.
Today, as we do many a day, Lady M, Baby Ruth, Big Dog, Little Dog, and I went for a nice walk in the park. These are always lovely until another dog passes by and "Little Dog" - a Jack Russell - tries to eat the passerby, regardless of the breed or size. She is a very "tough" little dog, despite the fact that she has only two top front teeth. Thanks to our brave "Little Dog", we made it safely through our walk without being accosted by any large dogs. It was upon our return home that our brave "Little Dog" showed her true nature.
One of our birds has a new favorite toy. A large plastic ball with a smaller ball with a bell in it inside the large ball. Birdie loves to jingle the bell, pick it up, drop it, etc. (She is actually obsessively trying to get the darn little ball out. - we have O.C.D. issues around here.) Anyway, as it turns out, our brave "Little Dog" who will readily take on any Doberman, German Shepherd, or any other large breed that she encounters is TERRIFIED of this ball and bell!
From the first jingle, "Little dog" began panting, pacing and darting from room to room until she could finally get to her "safe haven". It seems that as long as she is tucked securely inside her travel crate, all is well in her world. I guess it makes her feel like she is finally going to get out of this joint.
Joke of the day
I just had to post this one....
"11 minutes to go"
A cop was patrolling late at night in a well-known spot.
He sees a couple in a car, with the interior light brightly glowing. The cop carefully approaches the car to get a closer look.
Then he sees a young man behind the wheel, reading a computer magazine He immediately notices a young woman in the rear seat, knitting. Puzzled by this surprising situation, the cop walks to the car and gently raps on the driver's window.
The young man lowers his window . "Uh, yes, officer?"
The cop says: "What are you doing?"
The young man says: "Well, Officer, I'm reading a magazine."
Pointing towards the young woman in the back seat the cop says:
"And her, what is she doing?"
The young man shrugs: "Sir, I believe she's knitting a pullover sweater."
Now, the cop is totally confused. A yo ung couple. Alone, in a car, at
night in a Lover's lane....and nothing obscene is happening!
The cop asks: "What's your age, young man?"
The young man says :"I'm 22, sir."
The cop asks: "And her ... what's her age?"
The young man looks at his watch and replies:
"She'll be 18 in 11 minutes."
"11 minutes to go"
A cop was patrolling late at night in a well-known spot.
He sees a couple in a car, with the interior light brightly glowing. The cop carefully approaches the car to get a closer look.
Then he sees a young man behind the wheel, reading a computer magazine He immediately notices a young woman in the rear seat, knitting. Puzzled by this surprising situation, the cop walks to the car and gently raps on the driver's window.
The young man lowers his window . "Uh, yes, officer?"
The cop says: "What are you doing?"
The young man says: "Well, Officer, I'm reading a magazine."
Pointing towards the young woman in the back seat the cop says:
"And her, what is she doing?"
The young man shrugs: "Sir, I believe she's knitting a pullover sweater."
Now, the cop is totally confused. A yo ung couple. Alone, in a car, at
night in a Lover's lane....and nothing obscene is happening!
The cop asks: "What's your age, young man?"
The young man says :"I'm 22, sir."
The cop asks: "And her ... what's her age?"
The young man looks at his watch and replies:
"She'll be 18 in 11 minutes."
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Myself vs. I
Thank you for your patience during my extended meditation exercises. If only my personal experience was as relaxing as the cartoon me appears! I could attempt to explain myself for allowing so much time to pass between blog updates, but I simply have no excuse. Just like everyone else, we are a busy family. My work at the Paper Mill seems endless, but this is a good thing, as it pays the bills! I think that one part of my "anti-posting" campaign is due to a type of writer's block. It's not that I have nothing to write about - there are plenty of day to day events that could be construed as amusing, anecdotal, or educational. The thing is, as I read back over some of the past entries, I feel a lack of "funny" come over me. I want to "hear" that side splitting laughter coming out of my screen when others read what I have written. If not laughter, then a strong sense of "hmmm....." is good. Bottom line is, I've suddenly (ok, it's not so sudden) begun a heated competition with myself to see who can have the best blog entry, and since I know that I am the best, there is no competing with me! (When I say "the best", I mean in the competition between Myself and I - there is no comparison to be made with some of my other blogging friends -- i.e. TheEverythingGirl, Ciar Cullen, to name a couple.)
I am wondering, (Ciar Cullen, perhaps you can answer this) is this normal? I mean, in the "writer" sense. Not that I consider myself a writer, really, but there are a couple of things brewing that I intend to finish one day.
So, where does this leave us?
It leaves me sitting on the couch with a laptop right where it belongs - on my lap, pondering what to do next. One phrase keeps coming to mind - an entry that I have had in my drafts since August. (Where does the time go???) Now seems like an appropriate time to review that one. . . . . stay tuned.........
I am wondering, (Ciar Cullen, perhaps you can answer this) is this normal? I mean, in the "writer" sense. Not that I consider myself a writer, really, but there are a couple of things brewing that I intend to finish one day.
So, where does this leave us?
It leaves me sitting on the couch with a laptop right where it belongs - on my lap, pondering what to do next. One phrase keeps coming to mind - an entry that I have had in my drafts since August. (Where does the time go???) Now seems like an appropriate time to review that one. . . . . stay tuned.........
Life gets in the way of itself
Have you ever felt that life had a tendancy to get in the way of itself? What I mean is, do you ever feel so busy and aspire to do so many things, whether it is in one day or over the course of "time" that very little is accomplished? Sort of like running in circles, but more like an outward spiral. In keeping with previous posts regarding "The Secret" and other motivational inferences, I prefer to take a more positive view than this sounds so far. First, though, I think I need to explain more fully what I mean. Strap on your seatbelts - I am about to take you on a journey through my mind.....are you scared yet? *sinsiter cackle*
Wow! This is more challenging than I thought! All right, I'll begin with daily "aspirations". For me, as for everyone, I suspect, these things change depending on the day. It could be walking the dogs, petting the birds, cleaning the fish, playing with Baby Ruth, grocery shopping, house cleaning, laundry, an oil change for the car, or perhaps all of the above. (OK, so I don't do much of the grocery shopping, but I pitch in everywhere else......supermarkets frighten me.....so much food....so many people........) In addition to these tasks, which are on-going, there are the larger "one-time" projects - painting the doors, replacing doors, a bit of sewing, painting the trim, building a room or buying a house (this last to accomodate our growing family). As the weather warms, there is landscaping to think about. Next we have the walks in the park, blog updating, other writing, time for meditation, planning for the upcoming rec. softball season, and for me a very important part of life, Martial Arts - which leads right into the daily dietary considerations - to fast or not to fast.....and a wealth of other contemplations when it comes to deciding what to consume.....green things are good, processed things are bad.....and what about the air that we breath? the plastic toys? the "mainstream" diapers? aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!
(hey, I warned you that this was a journey through my mind......)
All right, so there are many activities that are available to be accomplished and completed. These are in addition to that little thing called "job". I love my job at the Paper Mill, and often welcome the opportunity to go there. Not because I want to get away from home, but because I enjoy what I do. It does, however, take time from the other things that I want to do. Overall, I feel very fortunate to have so many opportunities to do different things. BUT, the big BUT.......this is where life tends to get in the way of itself. Corporate folks might take the "time management" perspective and say that it is just a matter of managing my time and that I should, perhaps, keep a daily planner and stick to it. What that says to me is, "aaargh! one more thing that I have to do....I have to take the time to sit down to figure out how much time I have for each activity." -- not so helpful.
Where is the positive message in all of this? (A very good question, that is!)
Clearly, priorities must be set, and met. Family first. This includes SELF. We are no good to anyone else if we are not good to ourselves first. This is not an act of "selfishness", although it may sound like it. As I said, I am thankful to have so many opportunities to accomplish different things. The challenge for me lies in my effort to "quiet my mind". I am making an increased effort to set aside some time for daily meditation, in one form or another. The other things to be done are still going to be there afterwards, and if I am lucky, the Fairies (remember the Fairies? - scroll down....) will return and do all of the painting for me!
So, while life does sometimes get in the way of itself and trip us every now and again, we must focus on simply being. Everything will come together in its own time - just enjoy the journey!
Remember: "What we think about, we bring about!"
Wow! This is more challenging than I thought! All right, I'll begin with daily "aspirations". For me, as for everyone, I suspect, these things change depending on the day. It could be walking the dogs, petting the birds, cleaning the fish, playing with Baby Ruth, grocery shopping, house cleaning, laundry, an oil change for the car, or perhaps all of the above. (OK, so I don't do much of the grocery shopping, but I pitch in everywhere else......supermarkets frighten me.....so much food....so many people........) In addition to these tasks, which are on-going, there are the larger "one-time" projects - painting the doors, replacing doors, a bit of sewing, painting the trim, building a room or buying a house (this last to accomodate our growing family). As the weather warms, there is landscaping to think about. Next we have the walks in the park, blog updating, other writing, time for meditation, planning for the upcoming rec. softball season, and for me a very important part of life, Martial Arts - which leads right into the daily dietary considerations - to fast or not to fast.....and a wealth of other contemplations when it comes to deciding what to consume.....green things are good, processed things are bad.....and what about the air that we breath? the plastic toys? the "mainstream" diapers? aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!
(hey, I warned you that this was a journey through my mind......)
All right, so there are many activities that are available to be accomplished and completed. These are in addition to that little thing called "job". I love my job at the Paper Mill, and often welcome the opportunity to go there. Not because I want to get away from home, but because I enjoy what I do. It does, however, take time from the other things that I want to do. Overall, I feel very fortunate to have so many opportunities to do different things. BUT, the big BUT.......this is where life tends to get in the way of itself. Corporate folks might take the "time management" perspective and say that it is just a matter of managing my time and that I should, perhaps, keep a daily planner and stick to it. What that says to me is, "aaargh! one more thing that I have to do....I have to take the time to sit down to figure out how much time I have for each activity." -- not so helpful.
Where is the positive message in all of this? (A very good question, that is!)
Clearly, priorities must be set, and met. Family first. This includes SELF. We are no good to anyone else if we are not good to ourselves first. This is not an act of "selfishness", although it may sound like it. As I said, I am thankful to have so many opportunities to accomplish different things. The challenge for me lies in my effort to "quiet my mind". I am making an increased effort to set aside some time for daily meditation, in one form or another. The other things to be done are still going to be there afterwards, and if I am lucky, the Fairies (remember the Fairies? - scroll down....) will return and do all of the painting for me!
So, while life does sometimes get in the way of itself and trip us every now and again, we must focus on simply being. Everything will come together in its own time - just enjoy the journey!
Remember: "What we think about, we bring about!"
Weekend with Gram
My Mom came to visit this weekend. She used to come to see me, but not so much any more. Now that Baby Ruth is with us, she is the star of the show, as she should be. We had a lovely time going to the park, eating, and playing. Baby Ruth and Gram both seemed to enjoy themselves very much, as did both of our dogs. The little one loves to have someone new to snuggle with at night, and Gram fits the bill quite nicely!
As for the dogs, we seem to have some mixed up priorities in our household. We came to this conclusion one evening as we were playing on the floor with Baby Ruth and the dogs came pouncing in. With glaring eyes and a stern voice, Lady M, pointing at the sofa said, "GET UP THERE AND LAY DOWN!"
Who tells their dogs to get ON the couch so that the humans of the house can have the floor to themselves?? (uh, that would be us)
So, now the dogs have the right idea. They come into the room, see us playing on the floor, and hop right up where they belong - on the furniture. The big brown dog wanted to demonstrate this to Gram this past weekend as we were taking a short break from the movie that we were watching.
Into the living room she trotted and seeing Baby Ruth on the floor, promptly hoped onto the couch next to me. Now, it is very important for a dog to have things arranged just so, and the blanket that was on the cushion was simply not positioned properly. So, in large doggie fashion, she dug and flipped the blanket with her head, tossing it to and fro when suddenly her concentration was broken by a noise from the kitchen. Brown Dog popped up facing the kitchen, front feet on the arm of the sofa, with the blanket draped so daintily around her head and shoulders. We began to chuckle, and then we saw it. Lady M had been folding laundry and apparently an article of her clothing had been left behind. Well, Brown Dog found it. Standing with her front paws on the arm of the sofa and the blanket draped around her, Brown Dog was proudly displaying on her neck a rather large bra hanging by a single strap.
I know that it is not nice to laugh at others, and I did feel somewhat guilty for howling with laughter when I saw the confused look in the dog's eyes, but it was one of the funniest things that I have ever seen!
As for the dogs, we seem to have some mixed up priorities in our household. We came to this conclusion one evening as we were playing on the floor with Baby Ruth and the dogs came pouncing in. With glaring eyes and a stern voice, Lady M, pointing at the sofa said, "GET UP THERE AND LAY DOWN!"
Who tells their dogs to get ON the couch so that the humans of the house can have the floor to themselves?? (uh, that would be us)
So, now the dogs have the right idea. They come into the room, see us playing on the floor, and hop right up where they belong - on the furniture. The big brown dog wanted to demonstrate this to Gram this past weekend as we were taking a short break from the movie that we were watching.
Into the living room she trotted and seeing Baby Ruth on the floor, promptly hoped onto the couch next to me. Now, it is very important for a dog to have things arranged just so, and the blanket that was on the cushion was simply not positioned properly. So, in large doggie fashion, she dug and flipped the blanket with her head, tossing it to and fro when suddenly her concentration was broken by a noise from the kitchen. Brown Dog popped up facing the kitchen, front feet on the arm of the sofa, with the blanket draped so daintily around her head and shoulders. We began to chuckle, and then we saw it. Lady M had been folding laundry and apparently an article of her clothing had been left behind. Well, Brown Dog found it. Standing with her front paws on the arm of the sofa and the blanket draped around her, Brown Dog was proudly displaying on her neck a rather large bra hanging by a single strap.
I know that it is not nice to laugh at others, and I did feel somewhat guilty for howling with laughter when I saw the confused look in the dog's eyes, but it was one of the funniest things that I have ever seen!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Friday, January 12, 2007
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Dream
I know that I said that my previous post would be my last for 2006, but I wanted to share this dream that I had last night. It was quite strange, to say the least, but in the end seemed to have a good lesson.......get comfortable, it’s a long one.....oh, and please pardon any changes in tense and person that may occur......
The dream began with a woman with blonde hair, who I think was supposed to be me. Perhaps this was me from a past or future life. This woman was in a car crash or something that occurred suddenly and sent her into a large amount of water. This incident involved something contrary to the law. Perhaps drinking and driving (we all know this is a no-no, right). My recall is a bit fuzzy, but I know there was water and she was in it. The next thing that I recall is her in the grass next to what may have be softball fields. It seems that she has just climbed out of the water and has been handed a blanket with a pink ribbon on it.
There is a blank period here. Next, I recall seeing her in a building with other people. (I should mention that while I am “seeing” this action from the third person, I am also experiencing it as this woman.) She is in a room. She knows that there was an accident of some sort and knows that she may be in serious trouble, but then through either her own realization or by overhearing a conversation, she realizes that no one was ever able to identify her. (Apparently, she is thought to be dead, but is clearly alive and well - with no identity. By “identity” I mean that she has nothing to call herself. She “knows” who she is, but there is no word or name for her now.) There are people there who she knows, yet she says that she doesn’t remember who she is and this seems like the truth. In her mind, although she feels that it is real, the images of the crash seem like a dream.
She is walking around this building which seems like a dormitory or a hospital or a research facility of some sort. The people whom she knows from before the “incident” all look exactly the same, as does she. They know her, but also know that she doesn’t remember her name, so they don’t either.
(This CLEARLY was a very strange dream! It was like a time paradox or something. The more I write, the stranger it seems........alas, I digress......)
She is shown to her room, which looks like a large dorm room and she will share it with four others.
(please bear with me as I skip around a bit. some images are lost, while others just pop up at random)
She sees a calendar. It is a large white “wipe-off” board with all of the rooms listed. A square around the room means that that room has mail. She goes to get the mail. It is in what appears to be a nurses station. She is handed the mail and has some herself. (I don’t recall what it was, just that it seemed very strange to get mail in this place.)
She is walking around/exploring. She sees a date on a newspaper - a year. It is 5639, or something close to that. It is nearly 3000 years from our “local present time”. She asks multiple people what year it is and all confirm that it is 5639 (or so). Perplexing!
She is talking to one of her “old” friends, who still looks the same and has the same name. She asks how this is possible and her friend just shrugs, giving her a “you know how it is” look. She asks her friend how old she is. Her friend says that she is 15,000 years old - or was it 1500? - either way, it didn’t add up and didn’t make sense to her.
Again, everyone confirms the year.
She is, once again, walking around and exploring outside the building. She is walking on a pathway around the side of the building. Concrete steps are bordered by shrubs atop stone walls. It is very pretty. Beautiful green grass covers the grounds. There are other people around as well. Near the top of the walkway there is larger wall. Above this wall is a giant talking bird. The bird seems to be preaching or giving out some sort of directive. At first, from a distance, this bird seems real, but when she gets closer, she realizes that it is mechanical. She can see the wires holding it up. Now the entire area seems like a movie set. There are also large wild, black cats with large fangs wandering around. She is not sure if they are real or not, but they don’t bother anyone.
After this, there is some more blank space.
She is inside looking at a newspaper again. She is reading over someone’s shoulder and is looking at the dates on the tops of the pages. The dates all seem different. She perceives that she is only supposed to see the first page. (year 5639) To her, this also seems like a movie prop, but when she asks the date, she is again told “5639”. The person turning the pages seems to turn very quickly to the page with that date. She is now beginning to feel uneasy. Something does not seem right.
She is back in her room. A bed needs to be made and one of her roommates is working on it. She says that she is going to go get the mail, but the person making the bed needs help first. She helps, then goes to get the mail. She feels as though she should not be seen, quickly reaches in for the mail and leaves.
She is in a house with someone else - a friend. They are looking for something. The house seems empty. As she goes to the back down a long hallway, she notices that there is a large amount of “stuff” here. Many shelves of books, papers, toys, etc. line the hallway. She tries a couple of doors - knocks on them, I think. An old man’s voice is heard from behind one of the doors. She and her friend both feel the need to leave, but she continues back the hallway. She encounters a snake coiled on a chair. It is real, but looks like a “beanie baby” snake - it is bright blue and green with some other colors. It lifts its head and hisses. She backs away and hurries down the hall.
She feel strongly that things are not right and that she needs to leave this place. In a previous discussion she had asked someone about some sort of “old” tool or device - something that we use today, but should have been obsolete in that time - a pencil sharpener or something - it seemed primitive for that time period. Although she feels that everyone here seems somewhat aloof and secretive, she also senses something much more powerful. Everyone seems to have a very high level of awareness. She can feel it, and feels that she has it too, but her fear of the unknown - unknown place/time/consequences - seem to be keeping her from experiencing it fully.
She is outside in a forest-like area. She is running, perhaps for exercise - it doesn’t seem to be for escape.
She is climbing up rocky steps. The seem to just rise out of no where. At the top of the steps is a rock path with a metal railing. The path just stops at random and a wide stream of muddy water flows through . The walkway continues on the other side. At first it seems that there is no way across, then she realizes that people have now developed the ability to run across water. As she realizes this, another “jogger” runs by, on the water. She knows that if she believes, then she can do it too. Her friend is with her and can’t find her way up the steps. She directs her friend.
Next they are in an area with a thick pink liquid. She gets in and begins to swim. She gets it in her nose and it is hard to breath. At first she begins to panic and starts to sink. Then she realizes that she must relax and she becomes very buoyant. Her friend wants her to taste the liquid. She does not, but it smells like strawberry. She “swims” to a chair holding a black bunny with pink ribbons. The bunny is mechanical. It says to take a ribbon and it will help her “hop” along. She knows that this ribbon will enable her to jump and nearly fly. She marvels about this to her friend and her friend points out that she had a pink ribbon on her blanket earlier, but she didn’t use it. She now olds the ribbon and begins to “hop” along the top of this liquid.
This is where I woke up.
No, I am not crazy. I just have very vivid dreams, and am certain that there are many important messages in there. Perhaps the messages are not just for me, as I felt compelled to post this particular dream for all to read.
What came to mind as I finished writing this in my dream journal was this:
In regard to the ribbons: Sometimes we are given “gifts”, but we don’t know what to do with them. It is not until sometime later, perhaps after some Life Lessons and a reintroduction to the “gift” that we figure out how important it was to begin with.
Our challenge, our goal must be to recognize these “gifts” immediately as we receive them. The “Universe” will help us learn to understand and recognize them.
Be careful what you wish for, and express gratitude for what you have.
I absolutely WELCOME any and all comments on this one!!
The dream began with a woman with blonde hair, who I think was supposed to be me. Perhaps this was me from a past or future life. This woman was in a car crash or something that occurred suddenly and sent her into a large amount of water. This incident involved something contrary to the law. Perhaps drinking and driving (we all know this is a no-no, right). My recall is a bit fuzzy, but I know there was water and she was in it. The next thing that I recall is her in the grass next to what may have be softball fields. It seems that she has just climbed out of the water and has been handed a blanket with a pink ribbon on it.
There is a blank period here. Next, I recall seeing her in a building with other people. (I should mention that while I am “seeing” this action from the third person, I am also experiencing it as this woman.) She is in a room. She knows that there was an accident of some sort and knows that she may be in serious trouble, but then through either her own realization or by overhearing a conversation, she realizes that no one was ever able to identify her. (Apparently, she is thought to be dead, but is clearly alive and well - with no identity. By “identity” I mean that she has nothing to call herself. She “knows” who she is, but there is no word or name for her now.) There are people there who she knows, yet she says that she doesn’t remember who she is and this seems like the truth. In her mind, although she feels that it is real, the images of the crash seem like a dream.
She is walking around this building which seems like a dormitory or a hospital or a research facility of some sort. The people whom she knows from before the “incident” all look exactly the same, as does she. They know her, but also know that she doesn’t remember her name, so they don’t either.
(This CLEARLY was a very strange dream! It was like a time paradox or something. The more I write, the stranger it seems........alas, I digress......)
She is shown to her room, which looks like a large dorm room and she will share it with four others.
(please bear with me as I skip around a bit. some images are lost, while others just pop up at random)
She sees a calendar. It is a large white “wipe-off” board with all of the rooms listed. A square around the room means that that room has mail. She goes to get the mail. It is in what appears to be a nurses station. She is handed the mail and has some herself. (I don’t recall what it was, just that it seemed very strange to get mail in this place.)
She is walking around/exploring. She sees a date on a newspaper - a year. It is 5639, or something close to that. It is nearly 3000 years from our “local present time”. She asks multiple people what year it is and all confirm that it is 5639 (or so). Perplexing!
She is talking to one of her “old” friends, who still looks the same and has the same name. She asks how this is possible and her friend just shrugs, giving her a “you know how it is” look. She asks her friend how old she is. Her friend says that she is 15,000 years old - or was it 1500? - either way, it didn’t add up and didn’t make sense to her.
Again, everyone confirms the year.
She is, once again, walking around and exploring outside the building. She is walking on a pathway around the side of the building. Concrete steps are bordered by shrubs atop stone walls. It is very pretty. Beautiful green grass covers the grounds. There are other people around as well. Near the top of the walkway there is larger wall. Above this wall is a giant talking bird. The bird seems to be preaching or giving out some sort of directive. At first, from a distance, this bird seems real, but when she gets closer, she realizes that it is mechanical. She can see the wires holding it up. Now the entire area seems like a movie set. There are also large wild, black cats with large fangs wandering around. She is not sure if they are real or not, but they don’t bother anyone.
After this, there is some more blank space.
She is inside looking at a newspaper again. She is reading over someone’s shoulder and is looking at the dates on the tops of the pages. The dates all seem different. She perceives that she is only supposed to see the first page. (year 5639) To her, this also seems like a movie prop, but when she asks the date, she is again told “5639”. The person turning the pages seems to turn very quickly to the page with that date. She is now beginning to feel uneasy. Something does not seem right.
She is back in her room. A bed needs to be made and one of her roommates is working on it. She says that she is going to go get the mail, but the person making the bed needs help first. She helps, then goes to get the mail. She feels as though she should not be seen, quickly reaches in for the mail and leaves.
She is in a house with someone else - a friend. They are looking for something. The house seems empty. As she goes to the back down a long hallway, she notices that there is a large amount of “stuff” here. Many shelves of books, papers, toys, etc. line the hallway. She tries a couple of doors - knocks on them, I think. An old man’s voice is heard from behind one of the doors. She and her friend both feel the need to leave, but she continues back the hallway. She encounters a snake coiled on a chair. It is real, but looks like a “beanie baby” snake - it is bright blue and green with some other colors. It lifts its head and hisses. She backs away and hurries down the hall.
She feel strongly that things are not right and that she needs to leave this place. In a previous discussion she had asked someone about some sort of “old” tool or device - something that we use today, but should have been obsolete in that time - a pencil sharpener or something - it seemed primitive for that time period. Although she feels that everyone here seems somewhat aloof and secretive, she also senses something much more powerful. Everyone seems to have a very high level of awareness. She can feel it, and feels that she has it too, but her fear of the unknown - unknown place/time/consequences - seem to be keeping her from experiencing it fully.
She is outside in a forest-like area. She is running, perhaps for exercise - it doesn’t seem to be for escape.
She is climbing up rocky steps. The seem to just rise out of no where. At the top of the steps is a rock path with a metal railing. The path just stops at random and a wide stream of muddy water flows through . The walkway continues on the other side. At first it seems that there is no way across, then she realizes that people have now developed the ability to run across water. As she realizes this, another “jogger” runs by, on the water. She knows that if she believes, then she can do it too. Her friend is with her and can’t find her way up the steps. She directs her friend.
Next they are in an area with a thick pink liquid. She gets in and begins to swim. She gets it in her nose and it is hard to breath. At first she begins to panic and starts to sink. Then she realizes that she must relax and she becomes very buoyant. Her friend wants her to taste the liquid. She does not, but it smells like strawberry. She “swims” to a chair holding a black bunny with pink ribbons. The bunny is mechanical. It says to take a ribbon and it will help her “hop” along. She knows that this ribbon will enable her to jump and nearly fly. She marvels about this to her friend and her friend points out that she had a pink ribbon on her blanket earlier, but she didn’t use it. She now olds the ribbon and begins to “hop” along the top of this liquid.
This is where I woke up.
No, I am not crazy. I just have very vivid dreams, and am certain that there are many important messages in there. Perhaps the messages are not just for me, as I felt compelled to post this particular dream for all to read.
What came to mind as I finished writing this in my dream journal was this:
In regard to the ribbons: Sometimes we are given “gifts”, but we don’t know what to do with them. It is not until sometime later, perhaps after some Life Lessons and a reintroduction to the “gift” that we figure out how important it was to begin with.
Our challenge, our goal must be to recognize these “gifts” immediately as we receive them. The “Universe” will help us learn to understand and recognize them.
Be careful what you wish for, and express gratitude for what you have.
I absolutely WELCOME any and all comments on this one!!
Friday, December 22, 2006
SEASON'S GREETINGS!!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, Everyone!!!!!! To everyone who celebrates Christmas, that is.......
Happy Hanukkah, to those who celebrate Hanukkah......
Happy Winter Solstice, for those to whom it applies.......
And a HEARTFELT Seasons Greetings to anyone and everyone!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope you all have a wonderful, joyous Holiday Season and an even Happier New Year!
Please accept my apologies for the lack of posts lately. The busy season is upon us, and I too have been caught up in the hustle bustle of everyday life. Times are tough at the "Paper Mill" these days and I've had to work extremely long hours just to keep the fires lit. It's tough, but someone has to do it.
For now, I leave you with one last post for 2006........(see below).........
Happy Hanukkah, to those who celebrate Hanukkah......
Happy Winter Solstice, for those to whom it applies.......
And a HEARTFELT Seasons Greetings to anyone and everyone!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope you all have a wonderful, joyous Holiday Season and an even Happier New Year!
Please accept my apologies for the lack of posts lately. The busy season is upon us, and I too have been caught up in the hustle bustle of everyday life. Times are tough at the "Paper Mill" these days and I've had to work extremely long hours just to keep the fires lit. It's tough, but someone has to do it.
For now, I leave you with one last post for 2006........(see below).........
(Wholesome) Parents of the Year (??)
I am quite certain that, based on the last week, Lady M and I are going to be nominated for "Parents of the Year". (yeah, right....)
Again, I do apologize for the lag in posts. Obviously it is a busy time of year for all of us, so I really have no excuse, other than to say that I've been trying to work as much overtime as possible at the "Mill" so that we can get "Baby Ruth" some nice presents this year. *wink*
Anyway, on to the award explanations.......
A very good friend of mine who, until fairly recently, was a closeted Romance writer, recently had her first book signing. (WAY TO GO CIAR!!!!) (By closeted, I mean that I did not know that she was such a phenomenal writer....in fact, I had no idea that she wrote at all.)
Unfortunately, I was working the day of the signing, and because it is crunch time at the factory, I couldn't get the day off. So, I badgered "Lady M" until she conceded and agreed to go purchase a signed copy of Ciar Cullen's "Lords of Chi" for me. At the time, I could think of no reason why this would not be a good idea. "Lady M's" comment of, "Oh good, I'll get my Dad's magazines while I'm there" should have been a clue, however.
(I should mention that the book is technically -Ciar, correct me if I'm wrong- EROTIC FANTASY FICTION.)
So, long story short, I sent my wonderful partner and our beloved offspring to Borders in the local mall to purchase an Erotic novel and Playboy magazines ("Dad's mags")!! I can only imagine the thoughts going through people's heads as "Lady M" approached the counter with a signed copy (which I am VERY proud to have, btw) of "Lords of Chi" and a stack of Playboy magazines with a toddler in her arms.
I imagine things like, "Oh, that poor child! What kind of environment is she being raised in?" and "Oh, you filthy woman........what do you teach this child?"
The reality is, most likely no one noticed or cared, but in my mind, this is strike number one against us for parents of the year.
Strike two came when young "Baby Ruth" decided to titter totter up to the Christmas tree, snatch one of the light bulbs off and pop it in her mouth. This has been a recurring activity, hence strike number two.
I'm giving myself credit for strike number three.
In an effort to get us out the door on time, I decided that I'd try my hand at multitasking. Nothing Earth-shattering, just thought that I'd let the dogs out while changing "Baby Ruth's" diaper. So, out go the dogs (btw, it is rather wet outside) and I set to changing the diaper which, of course, was full of poop. As any well trained young human will do, as soon as I pulled off the dirty diaper and applied the diaper cream, "Baby Ruth" demonstrated her quickness and scurried across the floor. At the same time, in came doggie number one tracking muddy paw prints across the freshly cleaned carpet. I recovered "Baby Ruth" and finished the diapering process. I then grabbed a baby wipe in an effort to clean the floor. During the second that it took me to turn around, "Baby Ruth" began her investigation of the poop filled diaper. I quickly recovered the diaper and turned my attention to the dirty paws afoot. Again, "Baby Ruth", the investigator extrodinaire, turned her attention elsewhere. I glanced back (again, maybe a second or two later) just in time to see a little tiny pointer finger jammed into the opening of the diaper cream.)
Needless to say, the baby wipe that was meant to be used to clean paws was used to clean little tiny fingers.
Although we may not be candidates for "(Wholesome) Parents of the Year", I think we are doing OK. I mean, at least we're not running a "meth." lab in the basement and turning tricks on the nearest street corner! (not that I know anything about this sort of thing......uh.....I mean.....I just overheard something like it at the "Mill" the other day.......yeah, that's it.....)
Again, I do apologize for the lag in posts. Obviously it is a busy time of year for all of us, so I really have no excuse, other than to say that I've been trying to work as much overtime as possible at the "Mill" so that we can get "Baby Ruth" some nice presents this year. *wink*
Anyway, on to the award explanations.......
A very good friend of mine who, until fairly recently, was a closeted Romance writer, recently had her first book signing. (WAY TO GO CIAR!!!!) (By closeted, I mean that I did not know that she was such a phenomenal writer....in fact, I had no idea that she wrote at all.)
Unfortunately, I was working the day of the signing, and because it is crunch time at the factory, I couldn't get the day off. So, I badgered "Lady M" until she conceded and agreed to go purchase a signed copy of Ciar Cullen's "Lords of Chi" for me. At the time, I could think of no reason why this would not be a good idea. "Lady M's" comment of, "Oh good, I'll get my Dad's magazines while I'm there" should have been a clue, however.
(I should mention that the book is technically -Ciar, correct me if I'm wrong- EROTIC FANTASY FICTION.)
So, long story short, I sent my wonderful partner and our beloved offspring to Borders in the local mall to purchase an Erotic novel and Playboy magazines ("Dad's mags")!! I can only imagine the thoughts going through people's heads as "Lady M" approached the counter with a signed copy (which I am VERY proud to have, btw) of "Lords of Chi" and a stack of Playboy magazines with a toddler in her arms.
I imagine things like, "Oh, that poor child! What kind of environment is she being raised in?" and "Oh, you filthy woman........what do you teach this child?"
The reality is, most likely no one noticed or cared, but in my mind, this is strike number one against us for parents of the year.
Strike two came when young "Baby Ruth" decided to titter totter up to the Christmas tree, snatch one of the light bulbs off and pop it in her mouth. This has been a recurring activity, hence strike number two.
I'm giving myself credit for strike number three.
In an effort to get us out the door on time, I decided that I'd try my hand at multitasking. Nothing Earth-shattering, just thought that I'd let the dogs out while changing "Baby Ruth's" diaper. So, out go the dogs (btw, it is rather wet outside) and I set to changing the diaper which, of course, was full of poop. As any well trained young human will do, as soon as I pulled off the dirty diaper and applied the diaper cream, "Baby Ruth" demonstrated her quickness and scurried across the floor. At the same time, in came doggie number one tracking muddy paw prints across the freshly cleaned carpet. I recovered "Baby Ruth" and finished the diapering process. I then grabbed a baby wipe in an effort to clean the floor. During the second that it took me to turn around, "Baby Ruth" began her investigation of the poop filled diaper. I quickly recovered the diaper and turned my attention to the dirty paws afoot. Again, "Baby Ruth", the investigator extrodinaire, turned her attention elsewhere. I glanced back (again, maybe a second or two later) just in time to see a little tiny pointer finger jammed into the opening of the diaper cream.)
Needless to say, the baby wipe that was meant to be used to clean paws was used to clean little tiny fingers.
Although we may not be candidates for "(Wholesome) Parents of the Year", I think we are doing OK. I mean, at least we're not running a "meth." lab in the basement and turning tricks on the nearest street corner! (not that I know anything about this sort of thing......uh.....I mean.....I just overheard something like it at the "Mill" the other day.......yeah, that's it.....)
Monday, November 27, 2006
Fairy Update
The Leaf Fairy has returned! Seriously! I spent a few hours the other day raking and mulching leaves, only to have more blow into the yard the next day. On Saturday, I looked out the window and could see grass again in the rear of my yard! It can mean only one thing, I'm certain......the Fairies are back in action!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Stick Fairy also returned, in the form of my neighbor......she came to collect sticks for firewood and said she wants more! (This must be a work of magic!)
Has anyone else seen evidence of their return?
The Stick Fairy also returned, in the form of my neighbor......she came to collect sticks for firewood and said she wants more! (This must be a work of magic!)
Has anyone else seen evidence of their return?
Friday, November 24, 2006
Yet another "Secret" example
The other day, I made a rather unfortunate discovery in our house. Our cable wire, which enables our internet connection as well as television reception, had been chewed through by a cute little mouse. (I no longer think of the little mousie as "cute", by the way. Well, it is fuzzy and what not, and I still want to use a humane trap to get it out of our home, but it has lost some of the cuteness factor.)
Anyway, clearly it is important to have that internet connection, so I set my mind to getting a new cable wire. The only problem was, where to find it. I thought that I may need to contact the cable company to get that particular type of coax....or perhaps an electronics store.......then I began to brainstorm....perhaps while driving, I might come across a cable company truck and ask the technician what kind of cable and where to get it.
That day at work, I happened to be in a day long meeting and told the cable eating story to a few co-workers, along with the hope that I would come across a cable technician who would help me. On the way home, my co-worker and I spotted just the truck that I needed. Unfortunately, it was on the highway. I dropped off my passenger and continued on my way home. Then, like a flashing beacon on a dark and stormy night, there it was. A CABLE TRUCK pulling out of a gas station. I followed the shining star over the river and through the woods (ok, so it was through a neighborhood, but 'tis the season). I figured the driver was going to a job.....actually, I followed him home. (oops)
I excused myself for being so bold and asked the technician about my dilemma. He was very kind and friendly and just happened to have an extra bit of cable, just the length that I needed!
The moral? "If you think it, you will bring it"
Or, for the movie lover, "If you build it, they will come".
WATCH "THE SECRET"!!!!!
Anyway, clearly it is important to have that internet connection, so I set my mind to getting a new cable wire. The only problem was, where to find it. I thought that I may need to contact the cable company to get that particular type of coax....or perhaps an electronics store.......then I began to brainstorm....perhaps while driving, I might come across a cable company truck and ask the technician what kind of cable and where to get it.
That day at work, I happened to be in a day long meeting and told the cable eating story to a few co-workers, along with the hope that I would come across a cable technician who would help me. On the way home, my co-worker and I spotted just the truck that I needed. Unfortunately, it was on the highway. I dropped off my passenger and continued on my way home. Then, like a flashing beacon on a dark and stormy night, there it was. A CABLE TRUCK pulling out of a gas station. I followed the shining star over the river and through the woods (ok, so it was through a neighborhood, but 'tis the season). I figured the driver was going to a job.....actually, I followed him home. (oops)
I excused myself for being so bold and asked the technician about my dilemma. He was very kind and friendly and just happened to have an extra bit of cable, just the length that I needed!
The moral? "If you think it, you will bring it"
Or, for the movie lover, "If you build it, they will come".
WATCH "THE SECRET"!!!!!
I received this in an E-mail from a good friend (for whom I am very thankful) and want to share it with everyone. Enjoy, and HAPPY THANKS LIVING!
Holiday Lessons to Live By...
You may be aware that while I was growing up, my father was a Protestant minister. For years, I attended service three times per week and, like most kids, often just wanted it to "hurry up and get over with."
However, with my current understanding of the mind, I now know that while I sat in service and doodled, fidgeted or pestered my little brother, my unconscious mind was wide open and received many great teachings and truths.
One of those teachings came back to me in my meditation this morning, and I thought it was very appropriate for this week.
I remember my father saying almost yearly from his pulpit, "We need to not only practice Thanksgiving but 'Thanks Living'."
It's definitely no accident that a major portion of my teaching in The Secret is centered on gratitude. Likewise, I devoted an entire chapter to this technology (and I use that term intentionally) in my book The Science of Success.
While some who don't understand the power of energy, vibration and attraction may think that gratitude is not a big deal, I can promise you that:
Gratitude is the mother of creative vibrations.
You see, when you're grateful for what you currently have in your life, it focuses you on the best. And that puts you in a vibration (feeling) to attract and receive more of the best.
When you have a lack of gratitude in your life, you're focusing on the worst, and that puts you in a vibrational feeling that attracts to you more of the worst.
Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy and YOU are the prophet.
Now as you stop and think about this, it's very practical.
Think about the person who's constantly ungrateful and full of complaints and problems. Do you want to be around them... much less help them? Probably not.
Conversely, think of someone you know who's constantly grateful and appreciative in life. Same question: Do you want to be around them? Would you like to help this person if possible? Probably so.
The universe and all its inhabitants line up in support of the person who's in a vibration of gratitude.
Here's my recommendation as you move into the Holidays this year: Make the theme of the Holiday Season "giving thanks."
While eating turkey and watching football may be the norm around your household, sit down for a least a few minutes and have each family member (including you) list out loud at least 3 things that you're grateful for.
You'll be amazed at how positively this affects the energy in your household. Who knows... you may find it addictive, and you'll find yourself one step closer to "Thanks Living."
Thanks, Dad.
Your success coach,
James Arthur Ray
President/CEO
James Ray International
James Arthur Ray
President/CEO
James Ray International
P.S. Please feel free to share this message with your family and friends this Holiday Season.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
The Secret
The other day Lady M and I watched a wonderful movie. Actually, it wasn’t so much a “movie” as a documentary type film. Either way, it was excellent! It is called “The Secret”. I highly recommend it! It seems to only be available on the website at the present moment, so I have included the link. I’m not going to go into detail about it, because that would ruin the “plot” and give away “the secret”. With that said, however, I do feel that “the secret” is something that should be shared. It is better, though, that you enjoy the secret when you are ready. That is when it will make the most sense and be best put to use.
Curious yet?
Here’s a little story.....
After watching “The Secret”, I decided to fix myself a nice bottle of water with lemon. In order to do this, I first had to remove the pieces of lemon that I had had in my water from earlier. Using a fork, and not giving much thought to the task, I successfully removed the first piece of lemon. I immediately began to ponder the ease in which that lemon came out. I wondered why it hadn’t fallen off the fork or gotten stuck in the opening. I started to picture in my mind all of the ways in which this lemon removing task could have gone awry. (In other words, my mind was wandering at random.) I began to fetch out the second lemon piece. Wouldn’t you know, that darn lemon wedge would NOT stay on my fork! Again and again it fell off. I tilted, poked, prodded, did everything but turn the bottle upside down and dump the water and lemon out. All to no avail. Then, I remembered “The Secret”, and thought, “Hmmm............well, it’s worth a try”. So, I applied “the secret”. Within seconds that lemon was on the fork, out of the bottle and in the trash.
This probably doesn’t seem like an earth shattering or space shifting event, but I found it to be an excellent little experiment. If applying “the secret” can have such immediate consequences with a rather mundane task, what can it do for bigger events? I’m not sure just yet, but I intend to find out.
Enjoy “The Secret”
Curious yet?
Here’s a little story.....
After watching “The Secret”, I decided to fix myself a nice bottle of water with lemon. In order to do this, I first had to remove the pieces of lemon that I had had in my water from earlier. Using a fork, and not giving much thought to the task, I successfully removed the first piece of lemon. I immediately began to ponder the ease in which that lemon came out. I wondered why it hadn’t fallen off the fork or gotten stuck in the opening. I started to picture in my mind all of the ways in which this lemon removing task could have gone awry. (In other words, my mind was wandering at random.) I began to fetch out the second lemon piece. Wouldn’t you know, that darn lemon wedge would NOT stay on my fork! Again and again it fell off. I tilted, poked, prodded, did everything but turn the bottle upside down and dump the water and lemon out. All to no avail. Then, I remembered “The Secret”, and thought, “Hmmm............well, it’s worth a try”. So, I applied “the secret”. Within seconds that lemon was on the fork, out of the bottle and in the trash.
This probably doesn’t seem like an earth shattering or space shifting event, but I found it to be an excellent little experiment. If applying “the secret” can have such immediate consequences with a rather mundane task, what can it do for bigger events? I’m not sure just yet, but I intend to find out.
Enjoy “The Secret”
Thursday, November 02, 2006
H*ll no, we won't go....H*ll no, we won't go.....H*ll no..
(Jeninius, this one's for you)
Has anyone else been having issues with things just not getting done as quickly or easily as they once did? Things like the laundry or dishes. Perhaps there is an excessive amount of dust around the house, and you (or the responsible party) just can’t seem to get rid of it. Does your house seem to be in a constant state of disarray - inside and/or out? Like us, is the clutter overwhelming? How about those leaves? Where do they all come from? Are the trees really that big? They just don’t rake themselves, do they? Does anyone else feel stress over these things?
Well, everyone will be happy to know that I have found the reason for this stressful “mess”. (Notice I didn’t say that I’ve found a solution)
I was commiserating with a friend this evening about the many tasks and little time available to complete them when it came to me. There is a strange phenomenon occurring right now. I’d like to say that this is the first time that it has ever occurred, but I doubt that. I think it has happened many, many times before now, and will likely happen many more times. What is this strange phenomenon, you ask?
The FAIRIES have gone on strike! Yes, Fairies!
You know, like the “laundry fairy” (not to be confused with the “sock monster” - that one is still working, as my miss-matched socks will attest), the “dust fairy”, the “landscape fairy”, the “pooper-scooper fairy”, and many others.
I really am surprised that I didn’t figure this out sooner. All this time, my partner and I thought that we just were not using our time wisely. How WRONG we have been! It’s not that there are not enough hours in the day. The problem is that the FAIRIES ARE ON STRIKE! I know this because I can hear them getting their little signs and things ready at night. For the longest time, I thought that we had a mouse in the house. I thought that it must be a smart mouse, because it just would not get into the trap. (A humane trap, of course.) Well, as it turns out, it’s not a mouse at all, but rather a gathering of striking fairies.
This revelation makes me feel much better about the state of our house and our abilities as “housekeepers”. I’ll admit, I was starting to feel quite a bit of stress about my own lack of competence, thinking that I just do not know how to budget my time. Then I realized, it’s NOT my fault! It’s NOT “Lady M’s” fault! We are doing the best that we can, given the circumstances. If the fairies won’t work, there is not much that we can do but sit back and wait. Oh, we’ll do our best to keep things in order until the little buggers return to work. I mean, we don’t want them to be overwhelmed as soon as they get back. But, the point is, we will no longer feel inadequate. We can’t possibly be as efficient as a magical little fairy, so why try to live up to it!
So, for anyone else who has been feeling a bit behind on the “chores” lately, don’t fret! It is NOT YOUR FAULT!
If anyone reading this has any ideas for bargaining tools to end the fairy strike, please let me know.
Has anyone else been having issues with things just not getting done as quickly or easily as they once did? Things like the laundry or dishes. Perhaps there is an excessive amount of dust around the house, and you (or the responsible party) just can’t seem to get rid of it. Does your house seem to be in a constant state of disarray - inside and/or out? Like us, is the clutter overwhelming? How about those leaves? Where do they all come from? Are the trees really that big? They just don’t rake themselves, do they? Does anyone else feel stress over these things?
Well, everyone will be happy to know that I have found the reason for this stressful “mess”. (Notice I didn’t say that I’ve found a solution)
I was commiserating with a friend this evening about the many tasks and little time available to complete them when it came to me. There is a strange phenomenon occurring right now. I’d like to say that this is the first time that it has ever occurred, but I doubt that. I think it has happened many, many times before now, and will likely happen many more times. What is this strange phenomenon, you ask?
The FAIRIES have gone on strike! Yes, Fairies!
You know, like the “laundry fairy” (not to be confused with the “sock monster” - that one is still working, as my miss-matched socks will attest), the “dust fairy”, the “landscape fairy”, the “pooper-scooper fairy”, and many others.
I really am surprised that I didn’t figure this out sooner. All this time, my partner and I thought that we just were not using our time wisely. How WRONG we have been! It’s not that there are not enough hours in the day. The problem is that the FAIRIES ARE ON STRIKE! I know this because I can hear them getting their little signs and things ready at night. For the longest time, I thought that we had a mouse in the house. I thought that it must be a smart mouse, because it just would not get into the trap. (A humane trap, of course.) Well, as it turns out, it’s not a mouse at all, but rather a gathering of striking fairies.
This revelation makes me feel much better about the state of our house and our abilities as “housekeepers”. I’ll admit, I was starting to feel quite a bit of stress about my own lack of competence, thinking that I just do not know how to budget my time. Then I realized, it’s NOT my fault! It’s NOT “Lady M’s” fault! We are doing the best that we can, given the circumstances. If the fairies won’t work, there is not much that we can do but sit back and wait. Oh, we’ll do our best to keep things in order until the little buggers return to work. I mean, we don’t want them to be overwhelmed as soon as they get back. But, the point is, we will no longer feel inadequate. We can’t possibly be as efficient as a magical little fairy, so why try to live up to it!
So, for anyone else who has been feeling a bit behind on the “chores” lately, don’t fret! It is NOT YOUR FAULT!
If anyone reading this has any ideas for bargaining tools to end the fairy strike, please let me know.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Lessons at the Fair
Yesterday Lady M, Little S and I had a lovely trip to a very large fair with Lady M's parents. We'll call them "Jorge'" and "Cinderella" for the purposes of this post. (just randomly chosen names, no specific reason for them)
We began our adventure by forgetting the stroller for little S and having to return home to get it. Thankfully we were only about 10 minutes into the 2+ hour trip. Now, I am not at all fond of these type of events, so when we pulled back into the driveway to retrieve the stroller, I did consider running away to hide under a shrub. Unfortunately, we don't have any shrubs,
so off we went.
Our drive was lovely. Only one pit stop was needed (by me, mostly) and it would have been a quick one, had it not been for the three tour buses filled with senior citizens - mostly ladies - who filed into the restroom just before my fair maiden Lady M got there. (oops) Then, of course, there was the bus that parked directly in front of the parking lot exit because, in the words of the bus driver who I found strolling out of the rest area, "well, first thing's first, ya know." I used my "authority" and "gently" requested that he pull the bus forward a few feet so the cars could get out.....he kindly obliged and we were once again on our way.
We arrived at the fair, and my educational experience began.
(A bit of history)
Growing up, I recall attending a few festivals/fairs. The memories of the one annual festival that we attended consist of riding the Ferris Wheel with "Pap.", throwing ping pong balls in goldfish bowls, and getting annoyed with the other little kids who were riding the train with me and kept ringing the d@mn bell. (yes, I was prudish even as a little tyke.) We attended the other semi-local event primarily for the horse shows, if memory serves correctly. All in all, I know little of Fair etiquette.
(Back to the present)
As it turns out, the main goal of fair attendance is to eat as many different things as possible and play as many inexpensive games as quarters will allow. Shopping must also be squeezed in throughout the day. The way to attain these goals is simply to PACE yourself. Do not eat too much at one time. Choose the order of cuisine based mainly on the layout of the fair, and choose one's path through the fair based on the level of hunger (or nausea as it may be). My personal goal was to have a semi-nutritious lunch and some rice pudding. So, we started off with pierogies (very nutritious). The rice pudding, although nearby, was to come later, when it was time to leave. (This was where I learned my food lesson - Lesson One.)
After snack number one, we began the migration. We formed a sort of train. Jorge' and Cinderella on the motorized scooters, Lady M with the stroller containing Little S, and I following the slow moving caravan, not sure of where to go and somewhat afraid of getting lost among the farm animals.
We soon came upon a balloon man trying desperately to hold onto his large supply of character/animal balloons. (It was a bit breezy and he had a LOT of balloons.)
Grandma (Cinderella) wanted to get Little S a balloon, so a lovely pink dolphin was chosen. Unfortunately, as I was attempting to tie said dolphin to the stroller, the wind blew it at little S, thereby frightening little S and eliciting blood curling screams any time the pink dolphin floated in her direction. The dolphin spent most of the rest of the day tied to the back of Grandma's scooter and I spent most of the day chasing Grandma on the scooter to re-attach the dolphin to the seat so that it wouldn't whack her in the head. The good thing about the balloon on Grandma's scooter was that it made her much easier to find. It is amazing how easy it is to lose "elders" on scooters at a fair. (I should mention that it was senior citizen day and scooters can be rented at the fair).
(Lessons two and three - bring a fish net? or Buy a smaller balloon (2) and Attach a blinking light on a pole to the rear of the scooters (3))
Little S enjoyed her first fair game. She got to pick up swans from a little pool. She's a good picker and even gave the swans back to the game lady. She won TWO prizes - a stuffed beetle and a crab - she picked them out herself. Little S continued her string of victories throughout the day, winning a stuffed frog, dog, unicorn, and lizard of some sort. Not bad for a 10 month old, no? (ok, so she had some help)
(Lesson Four - bring a wagon for the "loot")
All in all, it was a "fair" experience. I learned important lessons, we left with a trunk full of stuffed things, and I got my rice pudding. The best part (for me, anyway) is that the adventure will not occur again for a full year!
We began our adventure by forgetting the stroller for little S and having to return home to get it. Thankfully we were only about 10 minutes into the 2+ hour trip. Now, I am not at all fond of these type of events, so when we pulled back into the driveway to retrieve the stroller, I did consider running away to hide under a shrub. Unfortunately, we don't have any shrubs,
so off we went.
Our drive was lovely. Only one pit stop was needed (by me, mostly) and it would have been a quick one, had it not been for the three tour buses filled with senior citizens - mostly ladies - who filed into the restroom just before my fair maiden Lady M got there. (oops) Then, of course, there was the bus that parked directly in front of the parking lot exit because, in the words of the bus driver who I found strolling out of the rest area, "well, first thing's first, ya know." I used my "authority" and "gently" requested that he pull the bus forward a few feet so the cars could get out.....he kindly obliged and we were once again on our way.
We arrived at the fair, and my educational experience began.
(A bit of history)
Growing up, I recall attending a few festivals/fairs. The memories of the one annual festival that we attended consist of riding the Ferris Wheel with "Pap.", throwing ping pong balls in goldfish bowls, and getting annoyed with the other little kids who were riding the train with me and kept ringing the d@mn bell. (yes, I was prudish even as a little tyke.) We attended the other semi-local event primarily for the horse shows, if memory serves correctly. All in all, I know little of Fair etiquette.
(Back to the present)
As it turns out, the main goal of fair attendance is to eat as many different things as possible and play as many inexpensive games as quarters will allow. Shopping must also be squeezed in throughout the day. The way to attain these goals is simply to PACE yourself. Do not eat too much at one time. Choose the order of cuisine based mainly on the layout of the fair, and choose one's path through the fair based on the level of hunger (or nausea as it may be). My personal goal was to have a semi-nutritious lunch and some rice pudding. So, we started off with pierogies (very nutritious). The rice pudding, although nearby, was to come later, when it was time to leave. (This was where I learned my food lesson - Lesson One.)
After snack number one, we began the migration. We formed a sort of train. Jorge' and Cinderella on the motorized scooters, Lady M with the stroller containing Little S, and I following the slow moving caravan, not sure of where to go and somewhat afraid of getting lost among the farm animals.
We soon came upon a balloon man trying desperately to hold onto his large supply of character/animal balloons. (It was a bit breezy and he had a LOT of balloons.)
Grandma (Cinderella) wanted to get Little S a balloon, so a lovely pink dolphin was chosen. Unfortunately, as I was attempting to tie said dolphin to the stroller, the wind blew it at little S, thereby frightening little S and eliciting blood curling screams any time the pink dolphin floated in her direction. The dolphin spent most of the rest of the day tied to the back of Grandma's scooter and I spent most of the day chasing Grandma on the scooter to re-attach the dolphin to the seat so that it wouldn't whack her in the head. The good thing about the balloon on Grandma's scooter was that it made her much easier to find. It is amazing how easy it is to lose "elders" on scooters at a fair. (I should mention that it was senior citizen day and scooters can be rented at the fair).
(Lessons two and three - bring a fish net? or Buy a smaller balloon (2) and Attach a blinking light on a pole to the rear of the scooters (3))
Little S enjoyed her first fair game. She got to pick up swans from a little pool. She's a good picker and even gave the swans back to the game lady. She won TWO prizes - a stuffed beetle and a crab - she picked them out herself. Little S continued her string of victories throughout the day, winning a stuffed frog, dog, unicorn, and lizard of some sort. Not bad for a 10 month old, no? (ok, so she had some help)
(Lesson Four - bring a wagon for the "loot")
All in all, it was a "fair" experience. I learned important lessons, we left with a trunk full of stuffed things, and I got my rice pudding. The best part (for me, anyway) is that the adventure will not occur again for a full year!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Where Are My Pants?!?
Have you ever asked yourself (or someone else, for that matter) the question, "Where are my pants?"
It happened to me a couple of weeks ago . . .
Wow, that sounds a bit risque', doesn't it? Hmmm....well, read on. It will all make sense in a moment.
As I prepared to leave the house for the gym/martial arts school where I train a few times a week, I realized that I had a Gi (Karate uniform) with no pants. Perplexed, I looked around the basement, in the laundry, in my gym bag, any place I could think of where my pants could be hiding. I have an uncanny knack for putting things in strange places when I get distracted, so believe me when I say that I looked everywhere. No pants. Of course, I'm now running late and feeling quite frustrated that I have no bottoms. (I do have other pairs, but that's not the point.)
"How can someone possibly lose a pair of pants?" I asked aloud, exasperated.
"Did you check the laundry?" offered "Lady M", trying to be helpful.
I'm sure she was stifling laughter, however, at my latest frantic search for some important article/item that I absentmindedly misplaced at the most inopportune time. (Not that this happens often, or anything.)
So, off I go, pantsless, to the gym. (How's that for a mental image?)
Let's clear that up. I was wearing shorts, and I had a complete uniform in my bag. Just not that particular pair of pants.
I tend to do my best thinking while driving in the car. (Whoever decided that hand held cell phones are the hazard is wrong, btw, it's the thinking thing that gets me in trouble. I do digress, however.) So, as I'm driving, I go through in my head the last time that I was at the gym. I mentally finished class, went to the locker room, changed my clothes, packed my bag...WAIT....back up....finished class.....YES......that's it.........
On this particular night, I had rushed to change clothes and scamper out because I was meeting some co-workers for a late evening cocktail. OK, so now I know that I had been in a hurry to leave, but that just didn't explain the missing pants.
Then, another image came to mind. I had been at the gym one afternoon since then. I had seen a pair of pants lying on the counter in the locker room. Of course, I had no reason to think that they were mine, but now I was not so sure.
When I arrived at the school (gym - interchangeable, really), I asked "Ms. R" (a friend and lovely lady who works at this place of fitness fun) if she had, by chance, found a pair of pants in the locker room. Her eyes widened with a look of shock and a hint of disgust.
"Geesh," I thought, "what's the big deal?"
Ms. R confirms that she did find a pair of karate pants, then she adds, "They had a pair of panties with them."
PANTIES?!?!?!? (she said panties - this always makes me giggle. I don't know why.)
Sheepishly, I asked what kind, then realized, before she replied, that this may not have been appropriate. I mean, it's one thing to find someone's pants, but quite another to find two pairs. Really, in that sort of situation, are you going to check out the brand of underpants that someone wears?? Ms. R's reply pretty much supported that statement. I never knew her voice could go that high.
"I don't know, I threw them in a locker, I didn't look!" She retorted in a high pitched, faced paced tone.
I slinked my way to the locker room and checked the locker in question. There, in a balled up heap, was a pair of karate pants. I carefully extracted and unrolled them. In the mess was a lovely pair of pink jockey underwear. Yep. They were mine. Of all days to leave my britches behind, I pick the day that I wore PINK UNDERPANTS. How un-macho. I'm not sure which was more embarrassing. The fact that I forgot my pants, or the color factor. (I'm kidding - any color of forgotten underwear is quite disconcerting.)
As I was self-consciously stuffing my pants into my bag, Ms. R. walked in.
I informed her that they were indeed my pants and told her how sorry I was that she had to find my sweaty drawers.
"Hey, at least you know that they were mine," I said, trying to ease the grossness of the situation. (This, apparently, was little solace.)
In the end, we had a good laugh over it, but, from now on, I will DEFINITELY check and recheck to make sure that I have all of my pants.
It happened to me a couple of weeks ago . . .
Wow, that sounds a bit risque', doesn't it? Hmmm....well, read on. It will all make sense in a moment.
As I prepared to leave the house for the gym/martial arts school where I train a few times a week, I realized that I had a Gi (Karate uniform) with no pants. Perplexed, I looked around the basement, in the laundry, in my gym bag, any place I could think of where my pants could be hiding. I have an uncanny knack for putting things in strange places when I get distracted, so believe me when I say that I looked everywhere. No pants. Of course, I'm now running late and feeling quite frustrated that I have no bottoms. (I do have other pairs, but that's not the point.)
"How can someone possibly lose a pair of pants?" I asked aloud, exasperated.
"Did you check the laundry?" offered "Lady M", trying to be helpful.
I'm sure she was stifling laughter, however, at my latest frantic search for some important article/item that I absentmindedly misplaced at the most inopportune time. (Not that this happens often, or anything.)
So, off I go, pantsless, to the gym. (How's that for a mental image?)
Let's clear that up. I was wearing shorts, and I had a complete uniform in my bag. Just not that particular pair of pants.
I tend to do my best thinking while driving in the car. (Whoever decided that hand held cell phones are the hazard is wrong, btw, it's the thinking thing that gets me in trouble. I do digress, however.) So, as I'm driving, I go through in my head the last time that I was at the gym. I mentally finished class, went to the locker room, changed my clothes, packed my bag...WAIT....back up....finished class.....YES......that's it.........
On this particular night, I had rushed to change clothes and scamper out because I was meeting some co-workers for a late evening cocktail. OK, so now I know that I had been in a hurry to leave, but that just didn't explain the missing pants.
Then, another image came to mind. I had been at the gym one afternoon since then. I had seen a pair of pants lying on the counter in the locker room. Of course, I had no reason to think that they were mine, but now I was not so sure.
When I arrived at the school (gym - interchangeable, really), I asked "Ms. R" (a friend and lovely lady who works at this place of fitness fun) if she had, by chance, found a pair of pants in the locker room. Her eyes widened with a look of shock and a hint of disgust.
"Geesh," I thought, "what's the big deal?"
Ms. R confirms that she did find a pair of karate pants, then she adds, "They had a pair of panties with them."
PANTIES?!?!?!? (she said panties - this always makes me giggle. I don't know why.)
Sheepishly, I asked what kind, then realized, before she replied, that this may not have been appropriate. I mean, it's one thing to find someone's pants, but quite another to find two pairs. Really, in that sort of situation, are you going to check out the brand of underpants that someone wears?? Ms. R's reply pretty much supported that statement. I never knew her voice could go that high.
"I don't know, I threw them in a locker, I didn't look!" She retorted in a high pitched, faced paced tone.
I slinked my way to the locker room and checked the locker in question. There, in a balled up heap, was a pair of karate pants. I carefully extracted and unrolled them. In the mess was a lovely pair of pink jockey underwear. Yep. They were mine. Of all days to leave my britches behind, I pick the day that I wore PINK UNDERPANTS. How un-macho. I'm not sure which was more embarrassing. The fact that I forgot my pants, or the color factor. (I'm kidding - any color of forgotten underwear is quite disconcerting.)
As I was self-consciously stuffing my pants into my bag, Ms. R. walked in.
I informed her that they were indeed my pants and told her how sorry I was that she had to find my sweaty drawers.
"Hey, at least you know that they were mine," I said, trying to ease the grossness of the situation. (This, apparently, was little solace.)
In the end, we had a good laugh over it, but, from now on, I will DEFINITELY check and recheck to make sure that I have all of my pants.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
My Morning's (mis)Adventures
What a morning!
It started off great with a trip to the car doctor, AKA Toyota Dealership service center to get the oil changed in my lovely wife’s car.
Somehow, I find it quite entertaining to sit in these places every now and then. It’s not like I go there weekly just to sit at the little make-shift cafe tables or anything, but when the opportunity arises (when a car needs some professional attention), I sometimes prefer to wait rather than leave the premises.
It was oddly quiet in there, library-like, most everyone reading a newspaper or jotting notes on paper. Their was a lovely lady to my right (an older lady) who was enjoying a small snack (which she had brought in a plastic bag) while sipping her FREE cappuccino that she had obtained from this new fan dangled machine after a brief lesson from another customer. She, too, was reading the newspaper.
Then, of course, their was the lady who walked in wearing one pink and one yellow sneaker. What’s that about? hmmm....
I always enjoy people watching. Whether at a car dealership, coffee shop, or just out on the street. I can be entertained for hours. As it turns out, the dealership was BY FAR the best time of my morning’s adventures. The rest of the trip went something like this:
While at the dealership, I discover that the registration for wifey’s car was two months overdue. This is not good. Driving with expired registration is bad. So, with fingers crossed, I leave the dealership en route to the DMV. Quick phone call to Lady M, and she says not to worry, it’s registered and the card is in her wallet. “Phew”, I say, and direct my travels to Shop Rite to purchase Lassie’s best dog food for our canine companions.
Phone rings (I have now passed the DMV).
Lady M: “uh...this is a 2005 card...I guess it’s not registered”
Me: “ugh...great....all right, I’ll go back to the DMV after Shop Rite...I’ll just get cash at the store”
I arrive at Shop Rite and head directly to the rest room - too much coffee. I enter the rest room to find three young female employees laughing and having a loud conversation. As I walk in, the three become silent for the moment that it takes me to enter the stall, then their conversation went something like this:
Obnoxious teenager # 1: “Fag”
Obnoxious teenager # 2: “You’re gay”
Obnoxious teenager #1: “You’re a faggot”
Obnoxious teenager # 2: “Lesbian”
Obnoxious teenager # 3: “You know it. That’s actually a complement for me”
All three obnoxious teenagers break into hooting laughter and indecipherable profanities and other rude utterances as they make their way into the hallway.
Perhaps I am becoming a prude, or just a bitter old maid, I don’t know. Regardless, I was beyond irritated with these three, and perhaps even a bit intimidated. Actually, I think I was most aggravated by the fact that I couldn’t pee until they left....fight or flight had set in. I was ready to fight, and my bladder decided to help by not releasing anything that may come in useful in battle.
As I left the rest room, I could still hear the obnoxious laughter and banter making its way down the steps and out into the store. As a former store manager (clothing), I would have been mortified to see my associates behaving like this in front of customers.
“The ‘Warrioress’ must take action,” I thought. Since I left my sword at home, I decided to march straight to customer service and request the presence of a manager. In a very “Warrioress -like” way, I explained the situation to the manager and he immediately knew the three individuals that I was referring to. He assured me that he would turn the matter over to his HR manager and the situation would be dealt with accordingly.
Mission accomplished. Almost. Still need the dog food and have no desire to speak with another store associate. Thank goodness for self-checkout. (NOT! and the hits just keep on coming.....)
With my trusty bag of Lassie’s Best, I pitter patter over to the self checkout aisle where Earl (not sure of his name, but we’ll call him Earl, the keeper of the Self-Checkout lanes) watches my every move, then provides me with a pretty orange paid sticker on my bag. Earl continues to hover behind me as I complete my transaction using the pin pad device as directed by the computer terminal. I happily request a cash back amount of $50.00 (DMV, remember?) and press ENTER.
The machine whirrs, and whirrs, and whirrs, and doesn’t give me any money. Earl, observing the travesty, comes to my aid. He feverishly punches in his password and code, and like any hero would, reads the instructions on screen. The screen says that it is having a problem dispensing $10.00 bills and that the tray should be removed and checked. Earl exits the screen and valiantly struts to his phone to request assistance.
I hear: (Earl) “Oh, really, court? Not here, huh? OK. So, I should just ask him to leave his name and phone number and tell him that we’ll call him when Mike gets back?”
At this, I interject, “If you are referring to ME when you say Him and His name and number, that is completely unacceptable and I am not leaving this store without my money!”
To make a very long story a bit shorter, it took 3 store associates and me nearly shedding a tear to come to the understanding that I would absolutely not leave my name and phone number in the hope that “Mike” would soon return from court to retrieve my money from that particular register. AND, I am not “Him, His, or SIR”. (I was wearing shorts and a tee shirt, for G’s Sake! I know I’m not well endowed, but there is something visible above the waist!)
What were these people thinking? I have been out of retail for a few years now, but has it changed that much? I never would have dreamed of sending a customer away without their change, let alone a direct debit from their bank account!
Finally I got my money, and do you know where they got it? Such trouble these people went to....they had to reach below Earls terminal, into a zippered bag, and pull out $50.00. Wow. Later, they will have to replace it from the drawer of the bastard register that would not dispense $10’s. And, Gee, the customer left (somewhat) satisfied - after nearly 20 minutes of “discussion”.
The DMV, btw, was not a success story either. As it turns out, the registered owner of the vehicle must register in person or have a notarized form indicating permission for another individual to complete said transaction.
This all occurred prior to 10:00 AM.
The Moral of my story?
Hmmm....People-watching is fun, Shop Rite is not, and you might as well just sleep ‘til noon.
It started off great with a trip to the car doctor, AKA Toyota Dealership service center to get the oil changed in my lovely wife’s car.
Somehow, I find it quite entertaining to sit in these places every now and then. It’s not like I go there weekly just to sit at the little make-shift cafe tables or anything, but when the opportunity arises (when a car needs some professional attention), I sometimes prefer to wait rather than leave the premises.
It was oddly quiet in there, library-like, most everyone reading a newspaper or jotting notes on paper. Their was a lovely lady to my right (an older lady) who was enjoying a small snack (which she had brought in a plastic bag) while sipping her FREE cappuccino that she had obtained from this new fan dangled machine after a brief lesson from another customer. She, too, was reading the newspaper.
Then, of course, their was the lady who walked in wearing one pink and one yellow sneaker. What’s that about? hmmm....
I always enjoy people watching. Whether at a car dealership, coffee shop, or just out on the street. I can be entertained for hours. As it turns out, the dealership was BY FAR the best time of my morning’s adventures. The rest of the trip went something like this:
While at the dealership, I discover that the registration for wifey’s car was two months overdue. This is not good. Driving with expired registration is bad. So, with fingers crossed, I leave the dealership en route to the DMV. Quick phone call to Lady M, and she says not to worry, it’s registered and the card is in her wallet. “Phew”, I say, and direct my travels to Shop Rite to purchase Lassie’s best dog food for our canine companions.
Phone rings (I have now passed the DMV).
Lady M: “uh...this is a 2005 card...I guess it’s not registered”
Me: “ugh...great....all right, I’ll go back to the DMV after Shop Rite...I’ll just get cash at the store”
I arrive at Shop Rite and head directly to the rest room - too much coffee. I enter the rest room to find three young female employees laughing and having a loud conversation. As I walk in, the three become silent for the moment that it takes me to enter the stall, then their conversation went something like this:
Obnoxious teenager # 1: “Fag”
Obnoxious teenager # 2: “You’re gay”
Obnoxious teenager #1: “You’re a faggot”
Obnoxious teenager # 2: “Lesbian”
Obnoxious teenager # 3: “You know it. That’s actually a complement for me”
All three obnoxious teenagers break into hooting laughter and indecipherable profanities and other rude utterances as they make their way into the hallway.
Perhaps I am becoming a prude, or just a bitter old maid, I don’t know. Regardless, I was beyond irritated with these three, and perhaps even a bit intimidated. Actually, I think I was most aggravated by the fact that I couldn’t pee until they left....fight or flight had set in. I was ready to fight, and my bladder decided to help by not releasing anything that may come in useful in battle.
As I left the rest room, I could still hear the obnoxious laughter and banter making its way down the steps and out into the store. As a former store manager (clothing), I would have been mortified to see my associates behaving like this in front of customers.
“The ‘Warrioress’ must take action,” I thought. Since I left my sword at home, I decided to march straight to customer service and request the presence of a manager. In a very “Warrioress -like” way, I explained the situation to the manager and he immediately knew the three individuals that I was referring to. He assured me that he would turn the matter over to his HR manager and the situation would be dealt with accordingly.
Mission accomplished. Almost. Still need the dog food and have no desire to speak with another store associate. Thank goodness for self-checkout. (NOT! and the hits just keep on coming.....)
With my trusty bag of Lassie’s Best, I pitter patter over to the self checkout aisle where Earl (not sure of his name, but we’ll call him Earl, the keeper of the Self-Checkout lanes) watches my every move, then provides me with a pretty orange paid sticker on my bag. Earl continues to hover behind me as I complete my transaction using the pin pad device as directed by the computer terminal. I happily request a cash back amount of $50.00 (DMV, remember?) and press ENTER.
The machine whirrs, and whirrs, and whirrs, and doesn’t give me any money. Earl, observing the travesty, comes to my aid. He feverishly punches in his password and code, and like any hero would, reads the instructions on screen. The screen says that it is having a problem dispensing $10.00 bills and that the tray should be removed and checked. Earl exits the screen and valiantly struts to his phone to request assistance.
I hear: (Earl) “Oh, really, court? Not here, huh? OK. So, I should just ask him to leave his name and phone number and tell him that we’ll call him when Mike gets back?”
At this, I interject, “If you are referring to ME when you say Him and His name and number, that is completely unacceptable and I am not leaving this store without my money!”
To make a very long story a bit shorter, it took 3 store associates and me nearly shedding a tear to come to the understanding that I would absolutely not leave my name and phone number in the hope that “Mike” would soon return from court to retrieve my money from that particular register. AND, I am not “Him, His, or SIR”. (I was wearing shorts and a tee shirt, for G’s Sake! I know I’m not well endowed, but there is something visible above the waist!)
What were these people thinking? I have been out of retail for a few years now, but has it changed that much? I never would have dreamed of sending a customer away without their change, let alone a direct debit from their bank account!
Finally I got my money, and do you know where they got it? Such trouble these people went to....they had to reach below Earls terminal, into a zippered bag, and pull out $50.00. Wow. Later, they will have to replace it from the drawer of the bastard register that would not dispense $10’s. And, Gee, the customer left (somewhat) satisfied - after nearly 20 minutes of “discussion”.
The DMV, btw, was not a success story either. As it turns out, the registered owner of the vehicle must register in person or have a notarized form indicating permission for another individual to complete said transaction.
This all occurred prior to 10:00 AM.
The Moral of my story?
Hmmm....People-watching is fun, Shop Rite is not, and you might as well just sleep ‘til noon.
Warrioress
Thanks so much, Ciar Cullen, for the great quiz you posted! After years of soul searching, I have finally found my true identity!Look out world, here I come!
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