I'm Melting

Seriously. It is so HOT outside and this is what I look like since being out there.

I went to a movie

I am way behind on my entertainment. Long time buddy Barbara got me away from my desk and out into Friday night for a greasy burger at Five Guys. It was really good, but a beer to go with would have made it so much better...probably only because of the busy week I'd had. We then headed to see No Reservations. This is a sweet story about an OCD workaholic chef who inherits her niece when her sister is killed in a car accident...and then about the sort of conflict and eventual romance with her sous-chef--hired during her time off. It was a little slow at times, but it wasn't like the previews made it out to be. It was different from what I expected. A key theme was about connecting with people--the sous-chef with the niece, the niece and the aunt, the sous-chef and the aunt/chef...the difficulty of it and then the joy when someone comes into your life who makes a relationship really easy.

More Pissing & Moaning

At the very heart of great customer service is...SERVICE! To me, service includes things like problem solving, taking ownership, not passing the buck, apologizing when appropriate, telling a customer what you can do (as opposed to what you can't do), finding out what the customer needs (as opposed to what he doesn't need)...actually serving the customer...with a servant's heart and cheerful attitude. And by the way...you get to serve and, in return, you get a paycheck! I think that's a fair trade-off. If you don't like serving customers, then find another job!

I was at Target today. I asked to speak to a manager, so I could offer feedback (you get one guess about what) face-to-face this time. At first, the cashier couldn't answer my question about whether or not I could speak with a manager. Second, the girl emptying the trash at that check stand, told me that the guy at Guest Services had a 'walkie' and he could call a manager for me. I'm confident she saw steam coming out of my ears, because she then began making the rounds herself to find someone who could call a manager for me...since she didn't have a walkie herself.

The manager arrived. She had no real reaction to my comment--no acknowledgement, no apology, no nothing. She proceeded to write a number on a small piece of paper and tell me that she could give me the number to the corporate office--even AFTER I had already told her I had contacted the corporate office about this once before. I told her again that I'd already called and that I wouldn't be calling again. I asked, "Can't you call?" She said, "Well, I thought you would want to." I said, "No. Take ownership of this problem. I am giving you ownership of this problem. I want you to solve it." She seemed taken aback. I was kind but firm...in the same way that I would give feedback to anyone else. She never asked for my name nor my number. She never stated that she would follow up. She never apologized--for trying to get me to do HER job or for the SMELL OF THE FREAKING BAGS! Yes, it's the bags again. I just can't let go. Maybe when I find the perfect tote bag for occasions such as these, I will be able to leave this behind me.

It seemed like such a good idea at the time, didn't it?

Studies show that really cool lower back tattoos are the 3rd best thing a young woman can do to be cool.

Happy August

This is always the time of year when I pause and am amazed again that Christmas is right around the corner.

A year ago at this time I was distraught over the absence of Hannah and the impending absence of Curtis. I didn't believe mom then when she predicted that over time I would come to love being alone in this house and even look forward to the kids leaving the house after a weekend visit. After Curtis started school, my overwhelming emotions were these feelings of sadness and emptyness. Though children graduating from high school and going off to college is a huge accomplishment, I kept wondering, "What am I supposed to do now?" Well, I moved through this and past it. (Many previous blog entries give you an idea of how.)

Mom asked me yesterday if I was looking forward to Curtis going back to school. I giggled and said, "Yes." She chuckled and sort of sang, "I told you." My mom...is so wise...and always so right.