It has been a strange Christmas. Will had to leave for TN yesterday to cover bowl game events and the bowl game itself on Sunday. We spent Christmas apart and alone and it was very odd. I had spaghetti for my Christmas dinner and Will had a hamburger from the hotel bar.
We have both been busy this month and neither of us took time to buy any presents. We went to the mall Thursday afternoon and picked out a gift for ourselves. I got a watch and it came with a bracelet. Will got a PSIII game and some kind of DVD series off the Pittsburg Steeler’s website. We looked for a Cocky statue at the mall so Will could pay up on his bet, but we couldn’t find one. Don’t worry, I wont forget about it.
Will recently asked me to describe my favorite childhood Christmas memory. We had great Christmases every year. We never went without. We always ate tons of food with both sides of the family and I had lots of cousins to play with. I loved to get up around 3am Christmas morning to see what Santa brought for myself, Adam, and Kelli and then going back to bed. I also loved to see what Santa left in our stockings.
This is just a lot of rambling, isn’t it? I guess I need to start cleaning the house. I’ve already called “not it” with regard to taking the Christmas decorations down. I put them up so I volunteered Will to take them down.
Hope everyone had a great Christmas! What is your favorite Christmas memory?
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
STAY TUNED
I just wanted to post a quick blog to let everyone know that I have not forgotten about buying the Cocky statue. I may have to order one off the internet. It's not like they sell them here in Tiger Town! Ha, ha. Stay tuned...the bet will be honored soon.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
BRING IT!
Well, it’s that time of the year again…the time that Will and I temporarily declare our wedding license null and void for one day. That day is tomorrow. The Gamecocks and Tigers will play in Columbia. As all of you know, we have had many, many wagers over this game through the years. It’s not really important who has won most of these; although I am sure Will would disagree.
After much discussion and cancellation of several offers from each of us regarding this year’s wager, it has come down to this: if USC wins, a statue of Cocky will be placed by our television with an engraved plaque showing the score, and vice versa should the Tigers win. It will be in full view anytime the television is being watched and will be a constant reminder of this year’s game turnout. Additionally, the loser will have to endure having a picture of them taken while kissing said statue, which will then appear on this blog site.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
LAUGH OF THE DAY
One thing I love about this time of year are the pomegranates. I eat about one a day. Today, Will asked me, "Why did you put that pomeroygranate in this container?"
Friday, November 13, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
LIFE AND STUFF
I feel like I’ve been on a roller coaster ride this past month. Life changes so fast and causes a domino effect that can’t be controlled. Sometimes you just have to hang on tight and go along for the ride.
As all of you know, I lost my grandmother on October 15th. Her name was Doris Chapman aka Magranny. She was truly an amazing person. So much so, that it is hard for me to even describe her. She had been sick for about 5 years and it was time for her to go to a better place.
She died peacefully with 7 of us surrounding her bed. I won’t post the details, but I will say that we witnessed a miraculous event. We saw God take one of his children home. We knew that she was young again, and with those that have passed before us. It was a true honor to be with her when she left this earth. And, I know without a doubt, that she knew we were there.
Please continue to pray for my grandfather as he finds his way without her. He is full of life and loves to laugh. It will just take him some time to get into a new rhythm. They used to like to get a Frosty from Wendy’s every Saturday night. :-)
After the funeral, I came home and took my last series of tests and got ready for my pinning ceremony. I graduated from nursing school! I took a huge leap of faith by leaving my career, dealt with hours upon hours of driving, no sleep, tests, and presentations. But, I finished! I still don’t think it has hit me yet.
I have been job hunting. I’ve gotten used to this phrase, “No new grads.” I will keep applying until I find something though. I also want to continue my education. I know, I know! But, I do! I want to work full-time and go to school part-time. My mind is made up. I want to get my Master’s and maybe even my PhD. But, I will have to do it slowly as work will be my priority.
The pinning ceremony itself went great. My parents, Aunt Regina, Will, Kelli, Kaitlyn, and Hannah were there to watch it. Chris stayed home with Emily, because we were asked not to bring babies. I still got to take some pictures with her when I got home though. She will get to look back at them one day and know she was here when I graduated.
My family thought the hat I had to wear was funny. So, guess what? They all got to wear it!
We went out to eat after the ceremony and had a great time. Will surprised me with this cake. It was strawberry shortcake. My absolute favorite.
I still have to take the NCLEX exam to get my license. The school said it will take a week or more to endorse us and then we will have to pick a test date based on the board’s schedule. When I do find out the date, it will be a secret. That will take some of the pressure off of me. I will let you know about it after the fact.
It’s so hard to apply for jobs and not have a license yet. Most everyone wants online applications and when they ask for your RN license number, I have nothing to put there. However, I have been able to put in a lot of applications and now just hope someone calls me for an interview. I guess they are used to new grads telling them that they don’t have a test date yet. A friend of mine, who works at a hospital, told me they will hire with a status of “pending licensure”. That sounds good to me. At this point, I just need to know that I am going to have a job.
The flu clinic that I was working for is out of seasonal vaccine and they aren’t sure if they will get any of the H1N1 vaccine so I haven’t been able to get any hours there. I am hoping that will change soon. Otherwise, Nurse Vandervort just might have to work at Cracker Barrel…again. Don't think I wont make them put RN on my name badge though! Ha, ha!
As all of you know, I lost my grandmother on October 15th. Her name was Doris Chapman aka Magranny. She was truly an amazing person. So much so, that it is hard for me to even describe her. She had been sick for about 5 years and it was time for her to go to a better place.
She died peacefully with 7 of us surrounding her bed. I won’t post the details, but I will say that we witnessed a miraculous event. We saw God take one of his children home. We knew that she was young again, and with those that have passed before us. It was a true honor to be with her when she left this earth. And, I know without a doubt, that she knew we were there.
Please continue to pray for my grandfather as he finds his way without her. He is full of life and loves to laugh. It will just take him some time to get into a new rhythm. They used to like to get a Frosty from Wendy’s every Saturday night. :-)
After the funeral, I came home and took my last series of tests and got ready for my pinning ceremony. I graduated from nursing school! I took a huge leap of faith by leaving my career, dealt with hours upon hours of driving, no sleep, tests, and presentations. But, I finished! I still don’t think it has hit me yet.
I have been job hunting. I’ve gotten used to this phrase, “No new grads.” I will keep applying until I find something though. I also want to continue my education. I know, I know! But, I do! I want to work full-time and go to school part-time. My mind is made up. I want to get my Master’s and maybe even my PhD. But, I will have to do it slowly as work will be my priority.
The pinning ceremony itself went great. My parents, Aunt Regina, Will, Kelli, Kaitlyn, and Hannah were there to watch it. Chris stayed home with Emily, because we were asked not to bring babies. I still got to take some pictures with her when I got home though. She will get to look back at them one day and know she was here when I graduated.
The ceremony itself was beautiful, but very fast. I compared it to my wedding day. So much planning and then…BAM....over in an instant. I made some great friends in nursing school and I hope that we will stay in touch. Here I am with Mrs. Revis, the instructor that pinned me. She was also my very first clinical instructor.
And here is a picture of the much anticipated pin itself.
My family thought the hat I had to wear was funny. So, guess what? They all got to wear it!
We went out to eat after the ceremony and had a great time. Will surprised me with this cake. It was strawberry shortcake. My absolute favorite.
It has been strange to not have an agenda. Today, I have washed enough clothes to last a lifetime. But, the difference was that I did it without having to worry about schoolwork in the back of my mind.
I still have to take the NCLEX exam to get my license. The school said it will take a week or more to endorse us and then we will have to pick a test date based on the board’s schedule. When I do find out the date, it will be a secret. That will take some of the pressure off of me. I will let you know about it after the fact.
It’s so hard to apply for jobs and not have a license yet. Most everyone wants online applications and when they ask for your RN license number, I have nothing to put there. However, I have been able to put in a lot of applications and now just hope someone calls me for an interview. I guess they are used to new grads telling them that they don’t have a test date yet. A friend of mine, who works at a hospital, told me they will hire with a status of “pending licensure”. That sounds good to me. At this point, I just need to know that I am going to have a job.
The flu clinic that I was working for is out of seasonal vaccine and they aren’t sure if they will get any of the H1N1 vaccine so I haven’t been able to get any hours there. I am hoping that will change soon. Otherwise, Nurse Vandervort just might have to work at Cracker Barrel…again. Don't think I wont make them put RN on my name badge though! Ha, ha!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
A LITTLE UPDATE
I will be working as an LPN while I finish out my nursing program and until I find a job as an RN. I will be giving flu shots at various locations such as Wal-Marts, malls, and business offices. Taking this on is a bit of a challenge with so much going on with school, but the money is very good and we need it! Plus, I can pick my own hours so I wont overload myself. I start this weekend and I will be working all weekend. Wish me luck! :-)
PS--A milestone for my blog. This is my 100th post. :-)
PS--A milestone for my blog. This is my 100th post. :-)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
BIRTHDAY NUMBER 35
On September 15th, I turned 35. Wow. Halfway to 70. Here is the link to the blog I wrote when I turned 34-- http://cindyslifelessons.blogspot.com/2008/09/blog-post.html
I guess every year will bring new wisdom in some form or another. I am grateful for that, but what is up with this physical aging stuff? It’s not fun…at all. But, hey, I am alive. I am healthy. I have a house. I have food. That is a lot more than some people have, and I count my blessings for that. I can’t stop the wrinkles, the sun spots, or the occasional grey hair. I can, however, choose to continue to try and live life to the fullest and that is what I will do. But, I do like to joke around about getting old. Humor is one of the keys to life.
Some of my nursing school friends threw me a little surprise party before class. I was so appreciative. These girls have been there through all the misery that comes along with nursing school and we have cried and laughed on each other more times than I can count. They made a sign, got me flowers, balloons, made brownies, and gave me a framed picture that I will treasure forever. The entire class signed a card for me. I am very blessed to have such good friends in my life.
My parents sent me money, which I very much appreciated. My sister sent me a video of my nieces singing Happy Birthday to me! Oh my goodness, I absolutely LOVED it. Here it is if you want to check it out. It may give you a warning prompt, just hit continue and the video will come up and then just hit the little arrow button to play it.
Now, you may be wondering about the water globe looking thing above. Y’all don’t laugh. Promise? Who is already giggling? Ok, everyone knows that I was a Biology nerd before I went to nursing school. I still am, I guess. I really, really wanted a self-contained ecosystem for my birthday this year. I did not want anything else. Will thought I was crazy and called me a geek many times.
A self-contained eco system is just what it sounds like. There is a little shrimp in it. I named him Herman. I said NO laughing! Ok, his name is Herman and he is c-u-t-e. He is only as big as the tip of your pinky fingernail. I tried to zoom in on him for a picture, but it didn’t work. He’s too little. He’s orange and fairly see-through.
So, he lives in this dome. Everything he needs is in there. The dome does not open. He gets sunlight which provides the solar energy to produce algae which provides his food. He then produces waste which turns into bacteria and does two things: produces carbon dioxide which enables the algae to produce oxygen and provides inorganic nutrients for the algae to continue to survive. Now, how cool is that? His life expectancy is two years.
Well, his life expectancy is two years, unless I accidentally kill him. Which I may or may not have already almost done….um….twice. Ok, here’s the deal. I was talking on the phone with my good friend Kimberly. Herman was sitting on the table that sits beside my recliner. I reached around him to grab a computer cord and knocked him clear off the table!
He fell about 2 feet and then rolled. I picked him up, fully expecting him to be crushed, but he was swimming around like crazy, because he was scared out of his mind. Since he is see-through, I was able to do a thorough head to toe assessment and check for internal injuries. Again, NO laughing! He is fine and has been fine ever since. So, I think all is well.
We had one other close call. There is a small magnet in the dome. To clean the inside of the glass, I take a bigger magnet, connect the two, and rub the inside magnet along the glass to release any deposits which the shrimp actually uses for food. Welllll, the first time I did this, I did not realize the force at which the inside magnet would fly to the outside magnet! I stuck it to the glass and it flew so hard to the big magnet that I am surprised the glass didn’t break.
Once they were stuck together, I could not find Herman! I just KNEW he was between those two magnets and I had squished him to death. Last reminder: NO laughing! I kept looking and looking for him and was too scared to move the magnet. I finally found him hiding in his algae. I think he is scared of me.
Oh, and y’all should see Willis trying to look at Herman! He sees me looking at him, so Willis will cock his head and open his eye as wide as he can trying to see what I am looking at. It is HILARIOUS! I know that he will be able to say his name soon.
I had a good birthday with Will aka WillieOrange, Willis aka Mr. Pickles, Bailey aka Weenie, Web aka Horse, and Herman aka Hermie.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
FARRAH'S STORY
Notice the new link that I put under "Blogs That I Read" called "Farrah Coker's Story." Justin, Farrah's daddy, is a classmate of mine. He and his fiance, Jenna, need your prayers during this difficult time as they help their beautiful daughter fight this battle. Please take time to check out their blogsite and leave them an encouraging word. Please continue to pray for Farrah and her family throughout their journey.
C07 is here for you Justin! We will see you in class tomorrow!
C07 is here for you Justin! We will see you in class tomorrow!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
DOES MY FACE LOOK FUNNY TO YOU?
This past Wednesday, I got out of clinical and found this message on my cell phone, “Web got bit by a snake on the back left leg. I am at the Vet’s right now. His face is swollen.” Followed by this one, “Web is okay, but they are going to keep him for observation.”
I immediately called Will and he told me that he let Web out about 4:30am Wednesday morning and then went back to bed. Web was sleeping when I left for the hospital and I didn’t even look at him. When Will got up about 8:30, he looked at Web and his face was swollen to twice its normal size.
He freaked (who wouldn't) and ran him to the vet. He said that Web plopped down on the floor, but acted as if nothing was wrong. Then, he noticed that a puddle of blood was pooling around his leg. He mentioned it to the staff and they waited their turn. Web acted fine and Will said he even tried to play with the other dogs.
Web weighs almost 95 pounds now at 9 months old. The picture above was taken today. We can’t allow him to play with other dogs, because he will hurt them accidentally. However, I find it hilarious that he was sitting there with his face swelled up like a helium balloon acting as if nothing was wrong.
The vet took him back and said that his vital signs were off. He gave him Benadryl, Prednisone, and an Antibiotic and said he needed to keep him all day for observation.
The doctor had a different theory than a snake bite though. He said that due to the time span that passed (4:30am to 8:30am) and the extreme degree of swelling that he had in his face, he felt that if it had been a snake bite, he would not be alive. His hypothesis was that Web got stung by a yellow jacket (which obviously we had no idea he was even allergic to) and then cut his leg trying to get away.
We are a little apprehensive now, because a second bite from a yellow jacket could be detrimental. I have some children’s Benadryl on hand in the event this occurs, but we aren’t always home with him and it is unrealistic to keep him inside while we are gone so many hours during the day. We will just have to do the best we can.
The vet did say he can’t be positive that it wasn’t a snake, but he was pretty sure that it was a yellow jacket. Will also combed the yard and found no signs of a snake.
We know there will be plenty more adventures to come at The Vandervort Zoo!
I immediately called Will and he told me that he let Web out about 4:30am Wednesday morning and then went back to bed. Web was sleeping when I left for the hospital and I didn’t even look at him. When Will got up about 8:30, he looked at Web and his face was swollen to twice its normal size.
He freaked (who wouldn't) and ran him to the vet. He said that Web plopped down on the floor, but acted as if nothing was wrong. Then, he noticed that a puddle of blood was pooling around his leg. He mentioned it to the staff and they waited their turn. Web acted fine and Will said he even tried to play with the other dogs.
Web weighs almost 95 pounds now at 9 months old. The picture above was taken today. We can’t allow him to play with other dogs, because he will hurt them accidentally. However, I find it hilarious that he was sitting there with his face swelled up like a helium balloon acting as if nothing was wrong.
The vet took him back and said that his vital signs were off. He gave him Benadryl, Prednisone, and an Antibiotic and said he needed to keep him all day for observation.
The doctor had a different theory than a snake bite though. He said that due to the time span that passed (4:30am to 8:30am) and the extreme degree of swelling that he had in his face, he felt that if it had been a snake bite, he would not be alive. His hypothesis was that Web got stung by a yellow jacket (which obviously we had no idea he was even allergic to) and then cut his leg trying to get away.
We are a little apprehensive now, because a second bite from a yellow jacket could be detrimental. I have some children’s Benadryl on hand in the event this occurs, but we aren’t always home with him and it is unrealistic to keep him inside while we are gone so many hours during the day. We will just have to do the best we can.
The vet did say he can’t be positive that it wasn’t a snake, but he was pretty sure that it was a yellow jacket. Will also combed the yard and found no signs of a snake.
We know there will be plenty more adventures to come at The Vandervort Zoo!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
RUNNING ON EMPTY
As I write this, I am ingesting very strong coffee in an attempt to get motivated to study. I am down to the final 8 weeks of this nursing program and I am having to dig deep and push through.
The past two years have been the hardest times of my life. I can remember struggling for weeks to make the decision to leave my very well paying job of 7 years and obtain another degree. My days at USC, though difficult, seem to pale in comparison to the mental and physical stress of nursing school.
I majored in Biology at USC. I was a pre-med student. I was going to be a doctor, I thought. You couldn't have told me any different. Ha, ha. After I graduated in 1997, I knew I wasn't going to medical school.
As the years passed, the field of nursing repeatedly called my name. I do believe that I was called to do this type of work. As I have written before, I never really understood what people meant when they said that God told them to do something. I didn't know if they thought they heard His voice in their head or what. I now know exactly what they meant, because I was told what I needed to do and explaining how I know that God "spoke" to me is impossible.
Oh, I have complained....a LOT....throughout this two years, and will in the 8 weeks to come. I complained about the presentation I had to give in the picture above. I've complained about being overwhelmingly tired too many times to count. I've complained about having to study. I've complained about having to get up at 4:30am. I've complained a lot. I'm human.
But, and I've said this before, every single time I have been in the clinical setting....every single time...God has given me some sort of reminder of why I am in this place in my life now. Whether it was through gratitude expressed by a patient, something said to me by a patient's family, or even just a kind word from a classmate, nurse, or teacher, the reminders have been clear and they are abundant.
As I write this, I am tired. I am tired. I am tired. I am tired. But, because I know that I am absolutely, without a doubt, doing what I was told to do, I will find the motivation to study all weekend. I will find the motivation to finish the next 8 weeks. I will accomplish it. I know, because God already told me so....more than once.
The past two years have been the hardest times of my life. I can remember struggling for weeks to make the decision to leave my very well paying job of 7 years and obtain another degree. My days at USC, though difficult, seem to pale in comparison to the mental and physical stress of nursing school.
I majored in Biology at USC. I was a pre-med student. I was going to be a doctor, I thought. You couldn't have told me any different. Ha, ha. After I graduated in 1997, I knew I wasn't going to medical school.
As the years passed, the field of nursing repeatedly called my name. I do believe that I was called to do this type of work. As I have written before, I never really understood what people meant when they said that God told them to do something. I didn't know if they thought they heard His voice in their head or what. I now know exactly what they meant, because I was told what I needed to do and explaining how I know that God "spoke" to me is impossible.
Oh, I have complained....a LOT....throughout this two years, and will in the 8 weeks to come. I complained about the presentation I had to give in the picture above. I've complained about being overwhelmingly tired too many times to count. I've complained about having to study. I've complained about having to get up at 4:30am. I've complained a lot. I'm human.
But, and I've said this before, every single time I have been in the clinical setting....every single time...God has given me some sort of reminder of why I am in this place in my life now. Whether it was through gratitude expressed by a patient, something said to me by a patient's family, or even just a kind word from a classmate, nurse, or teacher, the reminders have been clear and they are abundant.
As I write this, I am tired. I am tired. I am tired. I am tired. But, because I know that I am absolutely, without a doubt, doing what I was told to do, I will find the motivation to study all weekend. I will find the motivation to finish the next 8 weeks. I will accomplish it. I know, because God already told me so....more than once.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
FEELING SAPPY
I'm not a Miley fan, but this song makes me cry a little...sniff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG2zyeVRcbs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG2zyeVRcbs
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
DID YOU JUST STEAL MY TOY?
This was taken on a day that Willis was having his cage cleaned. It was outside drying off. He was sitting in his travel cage and enjoying the music, until someone came along and stole one of his cage toys that was temporarily placed in a bag on the floor. He thought for a minute and decided, "What can I do?". Then, he resumed his dancing. By the way, the laugh you hear is his own!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
OVERHEARD
I overheard two conversations between two different sets of Clemson students today. They appeared to be freshmen.
Conversation #1
"Let's buy this frying pan."
"No, I brought several from home, remember?"
"But, this one is ORANGE."
Conversation #2
"Let's get some vegetables."
"How about onion rings? Onions ARE vegetables."
Conversation #1
"Let's buy this frying pan."
"No, I brought several from home, remember?"
"But, this one is ORANGE."
Conversation #2
"Let's get some vegetables."
"How about onion rings? Onions ARE vegetables."
Saturday, August 15, 2009
SCHOOL DAYS
School starts back on Monday. How gross is that? However, the good news is that I only have TEN weeks to go!!!! (for this program anyway) It is going to be a difficult 10 weeks, but I shall trudge through. Wish me luck! :-)
The summer flew by quickly. I had a few eventful things happen that included:
--my dog eating the pump to my brand new pool before I was able to use it
--a trip around the world to find a new pump
--the dropping of my laptop by my own hands
--the grieving of the loss of my hard drive that housed many pictures going back many years
--the attempt to get the computer fixed
--sharing a computer with Will
--the realization that I will have to buy a new computer, which I hope to accomplish today
--the fecal impaction of my dog (this one is my favorite)
--the trauma that my dog and myself are still trying to get over after the Vet instructed ME to give him an enema
--the terror of Willis about to pull his leg off when he got his toenail stuck in the carpet
--the severe biting of my hand, by said bird, as I got his toenail unstuck
Oh yes, these are just a few of the adventures we have had this summer. Jealous much?
The summer flew by quickly. I had a few eventful things happen that included:
--my dog eating the pump to my brand new pool before I was able to use it
--a trip around the world to find a new pump
--the dropping of my laptop by my own hands
--the grieving of the loss of my hard drive that housed many pictures going back many years
--the attempt to get the computer fixed
--sharing a computer with Will
--the realization that I will have to buy a new computer, which I hope to accomplish today
--the fecal impaction of my dog (this one is my favorite)
--the trauma that my dog and myself are still trying to get over after the Vet instructed ME to give him an enema
--the terror of Willis about to pull his leg off when he got his toenail stuck in the carpet
--the severe biting of my hand, by said bird, as I got his toenail unstuck
Oh yes, these are just a few of the adventures we have had this summer. Jealous much?
Sunday, August 9, 2009
AN AMAZING FAMILY
You probably remember this post: http://cindyslifelessons.blogspot.com/2009/07/please-pray-for-this-family.html.
I wanted to let you know that under "Blogs That I Read" on the right side of my blog, there is one called Caring Bridge. It is the blogsite for this family. You have to sign up to read it, but it only takes a second.
Once you are logged in, click on Journal and go back to the earlier posts and read until present. Get the tissues out first.
I am amazed by this family's faith in God and with the way they are handling this tragedy. They are truly an inspiration and it will be worth your time to read it.
I wanted to let you know that under "Blogs That I Read" on the right side of my blog, there is one called Caring Bridge. It is the blogsite for this family. You have to sign up to read it, but it only takes a second.
Once you are logged in, click on Journal and go back to the earlier posts and read until present. Get the tissues out first.
I am amazed by this family's faith in God and with the way they are handling this tragedy. They are truly an inspiration and it will be worth your time to read it.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
I want to hear from any readers that might be on Facebook. I want to meet you! Look me up under Cindy Nelson Vandervort. Send me a message that says "blog" in the subject line so I will know who you are.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
A RANT ABOUT GROCERY SHOPPING
People often ask me why I hate grocery shopping so much. I complain about it a lot. Where do I even begin? Feel free to skip this blog entirely if you don’t want to hear a lot of whining!
First, let me say that I worked in customer service for years and years. I worked as a cashier at a couple of McDonald’s, JCPenney’s, Winn-Dixie, and many Cracker Barrel’s. I “kissed butt” for YEARS. It was my job to smile at customers, say thank you, have a good day, and do so willingly. I was quite aware that it was my decision to work in the industry that I was in, and I was also quite aware that I was getting paid to do my job with a smile, whether I liked it or not. I held a Bachelor of Science Degree while working at Cracker Barrel and Winn-Dixie. Did I think I was too good for those jobs? No, I did not, and I would do them again if I had to. I would do anything it took to keep us afloat if I had to, and I would do it to the best of my ability. And, I know without a doubt that Will would as well. I know this because we’ve already done so in the past. Many, many times.
I had people throw money on the counter rather than placing it in my hand. I had to smile while I picked up each coin. I smiled and said thank you. I had customers chew me out because their grits were lumpy. I waived the bill, smiled, and said thank you. It was my job. I will literally stand in a cashier’s line until he/she tells me thank-you. I kid you not. Ask Will. If they hand me the receipt without a word, I will stand there and stare at them. If they ask what else I need, I will tell them, and then I will stand there until I get the thank-you. Snobby? Maybe. But, I’m honestly not trying to be a snob. I’m trying to make a point. If I were a manager, especially in today’s economic environment, I would fire any employee for ONE missed thank-you.
I know, from many years of experience, that it is hard work dealing with the public. I completely realize that there are many arrogant and rude people in this world. However, I would like to reiterate that people who are in customer service type jobs are in those jobs because they CHOOSE to be. This is America. No one is forced to work at the local Ingle’s if they don’t want to. If people don’t want to work in customer service, then they shouldn’t. They should work very hard to obtain the goals they want. They should not expect things to be handed to them. It takes hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and a lot of will to get anywhere in this world. Success is not for lazy people.
I will also say that people who get themselves in management positions and then find that they are bored and miserable, who go on to abuse their “power” are equally despicable to me. Move on! Again, this is America. You are FREE to pave your own path. Be a leader to your employee’s instead of trying to find ways to make them miserable. Lead by example! And, if your employee is better than the norm, let them know it! If you find that you are jealous of your employee’s who do well, because you are bored and being “outdone”, you seriously need to MOVE ON!
I had to go to the grocery store yesterday. Can you tell? Let me just tell you how it went. It was quite lovely. I headed to the produce department first, where I was asked how I was doing by a very nice employee. I smiled back and said I was well and returned the question. I will often ask to speak to a manager when an employee does his job correctly. I’m very serious. It is such a rare thing, that I love to ask for a manager and point out how well an employee is doing. I didn’t yesterday, but I have many times in the past.
I proceeded through the rest of the store, picking up random things. I then decided I would go to the deli and get some sliced turkey. The lady behind the counter saw me, rolled her eyes, then said this to her co-worker, “Every time I try to complete this, someone comes up here wanting something else!” Then she walked up to me and said, “May I help you?”
Deep, deep breaths. This is how our conversation then went:
Me: I would like ½ pound of Butterball Honey Turkey, thin sliced.
Rude Ingle’s Deli Worker (Seneca, SC): I don’t have Butterball Honey Turkey, just Butterball Roasted, but you can get the store brand of honey turkey.
Me: No, I want Butterball. Just give me the roasted.
Rude Ingle’s Deli Worker (Seneca, SC): “I DON”T have honey in butterball!”
Me: Like I just said, give me the roasted Butterball.
Rude Ingle’s Deli Worker (Seneca, SC): Fine. How do you want it cut?
Enter Rude Ingle’s Deli Worker II (Seneca, SC)
Rude 1 to Rude II: I am having to help these customers and I can’t get any of my other work done!
Rude 1 back to me: How do you want it cut?
Me: Like I said, thin sliced.
Rude 1: I mean HOW do you want it cut?
Me: I’m not understanding your question.
Rude 1: THIN, THICK, HOW?
Me: Stared at her for at least 5 seconds while taking deep breaths, “Like I said, THIN!”
Rude 1 to Rude 2: You need to go finish the salad bar. I can’t.
Rude 2: I don’t know anything about stocking a salad bar.
Me thinking to myself: It’s too bad Rude 2 didn’t go to salad bar stocking school. I know that is an incredibly difficult thing to understand how to do.
Rude 1: Here you go. Anything else?
Me: Um, no.
Ok, so a steaming me, with a blood pressure of 1000/2000 proceeds to finish shopping. I am dreading the checkout line so bad. This particular Ingle’s (Seneca, SC) is known in the community for its incredibly rude cashiers AND managers. However, it is within minutes of my house, and let’s face it, where can you get good customer service these days?
I had 3 cashiers to choose from in a crowded store. I got in line. As I stood there, I noticed that the cashier had disappeared. She was standing by the door talking to a woman who was having some sort of issue with her receipt. The cashier looked back at us, the people in line, didn’t say a word, and then walked off to some unknown place. I sighed and moved to the line beside me.
The customer in front of me had 3 kids who were running EVERYWHERE and grabbing EVERYTHING. Did she get on to them? No, she didn’t. See, I despise customers who do not control their children as much as I despise the customer service people. I don’t blame the kids. I blame their moron parents. I do not want to hear a parent say, “I just can’t control them.” You are the ADULT. They are the CHILD. You CAN control them. I’m not talking about babies here people. I am fully aware that babies and toddlers throw temper tantrums that parents cannot control. I am talking about kids who are at a very teachable age. Get a clue parents. You are the PARENT. Act like it!
Being a stay at home Mom is THE hardest job on the face of the planet, in my opinion. I respect stay at home Mom’s a lot. But, just because you don’t have a manager or someone to answer to, does not mean you can slack off. If you chose to be a Mom, then you need to act like one, seriously. (This goes for Dad’s too of course.)
Did I get on another rant? Oops. Ok, so back to the line. The kids are grabbing candy and opening it and eating it, which means the cashier has to keep stopping and grabbing the wrappers so she can charge them, while Mom just leans against the counter, while I stare at her in pure shock. Then, one of the kids, who is sitting in one of those buggies shaped like cars that take up the entire grocery aisle, starts hitting the cashier in the back of the leg with a bottle of some sort of soft drink. Again, Mom does nothing. The cashier finally gets them out of there. My nieces would never act like this in public. Never.
I hand her my Ingle’s card. Ok, this is another problem of mine. Get ready. Why do I need a grocery card for every grocery store in town in order to get their “discounted” prices? This is the most absurd marketing idea I have ever heard of. It drives me literally insane. “Do you have your Ingle’s card?” I got your Ingle’s card alright! Whoever thought of this bright idea needs to go back to marketing school. Seriously, what are they gaining from this? If everyone has a card to every grocery store, where do they make their money with these must have “discount” cards? Maybe one or two tourists come through that don’t have the cards. Maybe they make an extra five bucks off them. Does it cost more to make the cards and hire labor to print two different prices for each product than the profit they make off the people who don’t have the cards? I believe so. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I went to CVS before I went to Ingles’. “Do you have your CVS card?” Aaaarrrrrgghh!
Back to Ingles’. The cashier says to me, “Are you having a good day?” Her bagger said, “She doesn’t look like she is!” I said I was just fine. The cashier then proceeds to check me out slower than a turtle while examining all of my purchases. “This is the smallest steak I’ve ever seen! If I was making this for my husband, I would have to fry him some shrimp to go with it.” And, on, and on, and on.
I don’t like grocery shopping! Will always tells me that I expect too much out of people. That is probably true to some extent. But, I strongly feel that if I am paying for someone to receive a paycheck, they should do their job correctly. And, like I said before, this is the profession that these people chose. If they don’t like it, they need to move on. If they need to work hard to get out of their current situation, then they need to do so. If they don’t want to leave their job, but aren’t particularly happy, they should still put forth 110% effort. Hard work simply pays off in the end.
Will and I don’t have a lot. We never will. What we do have was obtained by hard work. What my parents have was obtained by hard work. What my grandparents have was obtained by hard work. And, I am quite proud that I come from a family who all earned their way. Will and I both worked a lot of jobs while working our way to where we are. We never thought we were too good to work in the customer service industry. We did it with a smile because we knew we had to. Then, we worked hard to get out of it….very hard.
This is why I let our pantry and refrigerator get to a bare minimum. I know it’s time to go shopping when Will starts complaining about lack of food. I’ll say to him, “Why can’t you just make a condiment salad? Look, we have ketchup, pickles, mustard…it will be good!”
First, let me say that I worked in customer service for years and years. I worked as a cashier at a couple of McDonald’s, JCPenney’s, Winn-Dixie, and many Cracker Barrel’s. I “kissed butt” for YEARS. It was my job to smile at customers, say thank you, have a good day, and do so willingly. I was quite aware that it was my decision to work in the industry that I was in, and I was also quite aware that I was getting paid to do my job with a smile, whether I liked it or not. I held a Bachelor of Science Degree while working at Cracker Barrel and Winn-Dixie. Did I think I was too good for those jobs? No, I did not, and I would do them again if I had to. I would do anything it took to keep us afloat if I had to, and I would do it to the best of my ability. And, I know without a doubt that Will would as well. I know this because we’ve already done so in the past. Many, many times.
I had people throw money on the counter rather than placing it in my hand. I had to smile while I picked up each coin. I smiled and said thank you. I had customers chew me out because their grits were lumpy. I waived the bill, smiled, and said thank you. It was my job. I will literally stand in a cashier’s line until he/she tells me thank-you. I kid you not. Ask Will. If they hand me the receipt without a word, I will stand there and stare at them. If they ask what else I need, I will tell them, and then I will stand there until I get the thank-you. Snobby? Maybe. But, I’m honestly not trying to be a snob. I’m trying to make a point. If I were a manager, especially in today’s economic environment, I would fire any employee for ONE missed thank-you.
I know, from many years of experience, that it is hard work dealing with the public. I completely realize that there are many arrogant and rude people in this world. However, I would like to reiterate that people who are in customer service type jobs are in those jobs because they CHOOSE to be. This is America. No one is forced to work at the local Ingle’s if they don’t want to. If people don’t want to work in customer service, then they shouldn’t. They should work very hard to obtain the goals they want. They should not expect things to be handed to them. It takes hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and a lot of will to get anywhere in this world. Success is not for lazy people.
I will also say that people who get themselves in management positions and then find that they are bored and miserable, who go on to abuse their “power” are equally despicable to me. Move on! Again, this is America. You are FREE to pave your own path. Be a leader to your employee’s instead of trying to find ways to make them miserable. Lead by example! And, if your employee is better than the norm, let them know it! If you find that you are jealous of your employee’s who do well, because you are bored and being “outdone”, you seriously need to MOVE ON!
I had to go to the grocery store yesterday. Can you tell? Let me just tell you how it went. It was quite lovely. I headed to the produce department first, where I was asked how I was doing by a very nice employee. I smiled back and said I was well and returned the question. I will often ask to speak to a manager when an employee does his job correctly. I’m very serious. It is such a rare thing, that I love to ask for a manager and point out how well an employee is doing. I didn’t yesterday, but I have many times in the past.
I proceeded through the rest of the store, picking up random things. I then decided I would go to the deli and get some sliced turkey. The lady behind the counter saw me, rolled her eyes, then said this to her co-worker, “Every time I try to complete this, someone comes up here wanting something else!” Then she walked up to me and said, “May I help you?”
Deep, deep breaths. This is how our conversation then went:
Me: I would like ½ pound of Butterball Honey Turkey, thin sliced.
Rude Ingle’s Deli Worker (Seneca, SC): I don’t have Butterball Honey Turkey, just Butterball Roasted, but you can get the store brand of honey turkey.
Me: No, I want Butterball. Just give me the roasted.
Rude Ingle’s Deli Worker (Seneca, SC): “I DON”T have honey in butterball!”
Me: Like I just said, give me the roasted Butterball.
Rude Ingle’s Deli Worker (Seneca, SC): Fine. How do you want it cut?
Enter Rude Ingle’s Deli Worker II (Seneca, SC)
Rude 1 to Rude II: I am having to help these customers and I can’t get any of my other work done!
Rude 1 back to me: How do you want it cut?
Me: Like I said, thin sliced.
Rude 1: I mean HOW do you want it cut?
Me: I’m not understanding your question.
Rude 1: THIN, THICK, HOW?
Me: Stared at her for at least 5 seconds while taking deep breaths, “Like I said, THIN!”
Rude 1 to Rude 2: You need to go finish the salad bar. I can’t.
Rude 2: I don’t know anything about stocking a salad bar.
Me thinking to myself: It’s too bad Rude 2 didn’t go to salad bar stocking school. I know that is an incredibly difficult thing to understand how to do.
Rude 1: Here you go. Anything else?
Me: Um, no.
Ok, so a steaming me, with a blood pressure of 1000/2000 proceeds to finish shopping. I am dreading the checkout line so bad. This particular Ingle’s (Seneca, SC) is known in the community for its incredibly rude cashiers AND managers. However, it is within minutes of my house, and let’s face it, where can you get good customer service these days?
I had 3 cashiers to choose from in a crowded store. I got in line. As I stood there, I noticed that the cashier had disappeared. She was standing by the door talking to a woman who was having some sort of issue with her receipt. The cashier looked back at us, the people in line, didn’t say a word, and then walked off to some unknown place. I sighed and moved to the line beside me.
The customer in front of me had 3 kids who were running EVERYWHERE and grabbing EVERYTHING. Did she get on to them? No, she didn’t. See, I despise customers who do not control their children as much as I despise the customer service people. I don’t blame the kids. I blame their moron parents. I do not want to hear a parent say, “I just can’t control them.” You are the ADULT. They are the CHILD. You CAN control them. I’m not talking about babies here people. I am fully aware that babies and toddlers throw temper tantrums that parents cannot control. I am talking about kids who are at a very teachable age. Get a clue parents. You are the PARENT. Act like it!
Being a stay at home Mom is THE hardest job on the face of the planet, in my opinion. I respect stay at home Mom’s a lot. But, just because you don’t have a manager or someone to answer to, does not mean you can slack off. If you chose to be a Mom, then you need to act like one, seriously. (This goes for Dad’s too of course.)
Did I get on another rant? Oops. Ok, so back to the line. The kids are grabbing candy and opening it and eating it, which means the cashier has to keep stopping and grabbing the wrappers so she can charge them, while Mom just leans against the counter, while I stare at her in pure shock. Then, one of the kids, who is sitting in one of those buggies shaped like cars that take up the entire grocery aisle, starts hitting the cashier in the back of the leg with a bottle of some sort of soft drink. Again, Mom does nothing. The cashier finally gets them out of there. My nieces would never act like this in public. Never.
I hand her my Ingle’s card. Ok, this is another problem of mine. Get ready. Why do I need a grocery card for every grocery store in town in order to get their “discounted” prices? This is the most absurd marketing idea I have ever heard of. It drives me literally insane. “Do you have your Ingle’s card?” I got your Ingle’s card alright! Whoever thought of this bright idea needs to go back to marketing school. Seriously, what are they gaining from this? If everyone has a card to every grocery store, where do they make their money with these must have “discount” cards? Maybe one or two tourists come through that don’t have the cards. Maybe they make an extra five bucks off them. Does it cost more to make the cards and hire labor to print two different prices for each product than the profit they make off the people who don’t have the cards? I believe so. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I went to CVS before I went to Ingles’. “Do you have your CVS card?” Aaaarrrrrgghh!
Back to Ingles’. The cashier says to me, “Are you having a good day?” Her bagger said, “She doesn’t look like she is!” I said I was just fine. The cashier then proceeds to check me out slower than a turtle while examining all of my purchases. “This is the smallest steak I’ve ever seen! If I was making this for my husband, I would have to fry him some shrimp to go with it.” And, on, and on, and on.
I don’t like grocery shopping! Will always tells me that I expect too much out of people. That is probably true to some extent. But, I strongly feel that if I am paying for someone to receive a paycheck, they should do their job correctly. And, like I said before, this is the profession that these people chose. If they don’t like it, they need to move on. If they need to work hard to get out of their current situation, then they need to do so. If they don’t want to leave their job, but aren’t particularly happy, they should still put forth 110% effort. Hard work simply pays off in the end.
Will and I don’t have a lot. We never will. What we do have was obtained by hard work. What my parents have was obtained by hard work. What my grandparents have was obtained by hard work. And, I am quite proud that I come from a family who all earned their way. Will and I both worked a lot of jobs while working our way to where we are. We never thought we were too good to work in the customer service industry. We did it with a smile because we knew we had to. Then, we worked hard to get out of it….very hard.
This is why I let our pantry and refrigerator get to a bare minimum. I know it’s time to go shopping when Will starts complaining about lack of food. I’ll say to him, “Why can’t you just make a condiment salad? Look, we have ketchup, pickles, mustard…it will be good!”
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
JULY 4TH AND MY FIRST CALL TO 911
I'm a little late, but I can't go without documenting our July 4th weekend! I had the best time in Florida last year watching fireworks on the beach with my family. It didn't work out for us to go down this year, so I got the bright idea that we should go buy some sparklers. In case you are wondering, the sparklers have nothing to do with the 911 call!
Yes, we are 34 and 37 years old and it was sparklers that I picked out at the lovely fireworks stand outside of the Ingles. I was tormented as a child by firecrackers and bottle rockets. Various family members thought it was funny to throw firecrackers at the feet of various other family members when they weren't looking! And, I very distinctly remember the day that Mema (my grandmother on Daddy's side) and her sister decided to shoot some bottle rockets. I got scared and ran…straight into a sliding glass door. I hurt my knee and had to be taken to the hospital. To this day, that knee still hurts from time to time! Ok, I hope no one is laughing! Not funny! Ok, it kind of is.
We bought the sparklers and then decided to just take a drive and see where it led us. We ended up in a neighboring city that was having a carnival. We ate some junk food, walked around in the sweltering heat a little, and then headed home to cool off.
We relaxed for a couple of hours and then it was time to load the chairs up to head to our local fireworks show. They always have a band of some sort, tons of junk food of course, and pretty decent fireworks for such a small town.
We got about 1/8th of a mile down the road when I noticed a fire in the woods…not a little fire, a big fire. Then we noticed there were some….ummm….just no nice way to say this… there were some crack heads standing across from the fire. We put two and two together and realized that they shot some type of firework into the woods.
Then, this is how the conversation went:
Will: Call 911.
(sidenote: I have had a recurring dream for years and years where I call 911 and they either don't answer or they put me on hold. No lie.)
Cindy: Seriously? I've never called 911. Surely, the people standing there staring at the fire called them already.
Will: Cindy, they are crack heads, do you really think they called? They probably think it's funny.
Cindy: Ok….(nervously dialed 911, and cleared my throat in an attempt to sound VERY calm and collected…I did not want to sound like a babbling idiot on my first 911 call…I was imagining myself saying, "Get out here NOW! It's pandalerium! These daggum crack heads done set these here woods on fire! Someone's gonna die or even worse!" (think Jeff Foxworthy)
911: 911, What is your emergency?
Cindy: (calm and collected) I would like to report a fire.
911: Where are you?
Cindy: Will, where are we?
Will: By such and such trail.
Cindy: By such and such trail.
911: Ok, I have a fire truck in route. Does the fire appear to be spreading?
Cindy: Well, let me see. No, it appears pretty contained to me.
Will: (Slapping hand on the steering wheel and looking at me like I was crazy.)
911: Ok, I will just send the one truck then.
Cindy: Ok, I think that should be fine. Thank you.
Will: What is wrong with you? Why did you tell them it was contained?
Cindy: It looks contained to me!
On to the fireworks show we went talking about my call to 911 and Will telling me repeatedly that he didn't know when I became knowledgeable enough about fires to know it they were "contained" or not. I told him that I know a lot of things.
We arrived at the local football field and set our chairs up. Then we made a tour around the field to check out the junk food being offered. Will informed me that he was going to get some chili dogs and then a fried Oreo cookie. I informed him that he was gross and offered a friendly reminder that he has not been taking his cholesterol medicine. Then, I bought a funnel cake because they are MUCH healthier than fried Oreo's. Ha, ha! Will ate his hot dogs and then decided he wanted the rest of my cake instead of the Oreo so it all worked out.
Then they announced that the band was coming out. We didn't know who was playing, but we did notice that the generation of 60-something's in the crowd were on their feet. Turns out a band by the name of "Chairmen of the Board" were playing. They started out by saying they were going to do a Michael Jackson tribute. Will and I were on our feet then, because as weird as he was, who can turn down an opportunity to see someone try to impersonate him? Um….they fell slightly short, but at least they tried.
The lady beside us, who was around 70 maybe, danced her little heart out the WHOLE time. We enjoyed watching her and I especially enjoyed the part where she got a little too into it and stumbled into a hole! What? She didn't hit the ground and she wasn't hurt!!!
After the fireworks, the lights came on, and off we went into the crowd to try and find our car. While we were walking out, they came over the loud speaker and announced that a little dachshund was missing in the crowd somewhere and to please scoop her up if we saw her. This is what I had to hear ALL the way to the car and ALL the way home, "Do you think they will find that dog? Poor dog. I am really worried about that dog! What kind of idiot brings their dog to a fireworks show and then let's go of it? Do you think it's ok?"
Our own dachshund welcomed us home. Thankfully, none of our animals are afraid of firework noises. We headed outside with our sparklers.
We lit the first one and then discovered that this was not going to be quite the blast we had imagined. We just kind of held them and laughed and felt pretty silly. In the middle of all of this, the neighbor's dog across the street decided to come and attack us. They never let the dog run loose and they accidentally let her get away from them. I was scared, really scared. The dog was coming at us barking, I was trying to hide behind Will, and the little girl was screaming at the dog. She eventually got the dog's attention and she started running back to her at the exact same time that a car came flying down the road.
Will lost his mind. "Stop calling the dog! Stand where you are!" As for me, I stood there with my hands over my ears. Why is it that when you are really scared about something, you cover your ears? Wouldn't it make more sense to cover your eyes? I noticed the little girl covered her ears as well. We held our breath and I am telling you that car missed that dog by 1/10th of a second. It could have been a disaster. We were shaken up, but decided to continue our fun sparkler lighting.
Will decided it was time for the finale and he lined about 10 sparklers up in the yard with a plan to have them all going at once. This was the best part to me, because as he would go to light the next one, the previous one would go out. It just wasn't meant to be.
We had a good day all in all though. I was pretty proud that I remained calm during my first 911 call and that they actually answered. If y'all ever need to know whether a fire is contained or not and how many trucks you think will be needed to put it out, just let me know.
(To see all of our July 4th pictures, click this link. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=30517&id=1215731504&l=1b7299dd63)
Yes, we are 34 and 37 years old and it was sparklers that I picked out at the lovely fireworks stand outside of the Ingles. I was tormented as a child by firecrackers and bottle rockets. Various family members thought it was funny to throw firecrackers at the feet of various other family members when they weren't looking! And, I very distinctly remember the day that Mema (my grandmother on Daddy's side) and her sister decided to shoot some bottle rockets. I got scared and ran…straight into a sliding glass door. I hurt my knee and had to be taken to the hospital. To this day, that knee still hurts from time to time! Ok, I hope no one is laughing! Not funny! Ok, it kind of is.
We bought the sparklers and then decided to just take a drive and see where it led us. We ended up in a neighboring city that was having a carnival. We ate some junk food, walked around in the sweltering heat a little, and then headed home to cool off.
We relaxed for a couple of hours and then it was time to load the chairs up to head to our local fireworks show. They always have a band of some sort, tons of junk food of course, and pretty decent fireworks for such a small town.
We got about 1/8th of a mile down the road when I noticed a fire in the woods…not a little fire, a big fire. Then we noticed there were some….ummm….just no nice way to say this… there were some crack heads standing across from the fire. We put two and two together and realized that they shot some type of firework into the woods.
Then, this is how the conversation went:
Will: Call 911.
(sidenote: I have had a recurring dream for years and years where I call 911 and they either don't answer or they put me on hold. No lie.)
Cindy: Seriously? I've never called 911. Surely, the people standing there staring at the fire called them already.
Will: Cindy, they are crack heads, do you really think they called? They probably think it's funny.
Cindy: Ok….(nervously dialed 911, and cleared my throat in an attempt to sound VERY calm and collected…I did not want to sound like a babbling idiot on my first 911 call…I was imagining myself saying, "Get out here NOW! It's pandalerium! These daggum crack heads done set these here woods on fire! Someone's gonna die or even worse!" (think Jeff Foxworthy)
911: 911, What is your emergency?
Cindy: (calm and collected) I would like to report a fire.
911: Where are you?
Cindy: Will, where are we?
Will: By such and such trail.
Cindy: By such and such trail.
911: Ok, I have a fire truck in route. Does the fire appear to be spreading?
Cindy: Well, let me see. No, it appears pretty contained to me.
Will: (Slapping hand on the steering wheel and looking at me like I was crazy.)
911: Ok, I will just send the one truck then.
Cindy: Ok, I think that should be fine. Thank you.
Will: What is wrong with you? Why did you tell them it was contained?
Cindy: It looks contained to me!
On to the fireworks show we went talking about my call to 911 and Will telling me repeatedly that he didn't know when I became knowledgeable enough about fires to know it they were "contained" or not. I told him that I know a lot of things.
We arrived at the local football field and set our chairs up. Then we made a tour around the field to check out the junk food being offered. Will informed me that he was going to get some chili dogs and then a fried Oreo cookie. I informed him that he was gross and offered a friendly reminder that he has not been taking his cholesterol medicine. Then, I bought a funnel cake because they are MUCH healthier than fried Oreo's. Ha, ha! Will ate his hot dogs and then decided he wanted the rest of my cake instead of the Oreo so it all worked out.
Then they announced that the band was coming out. We didn't know who was playing, but we did notice that the generation of 60-something's in the crowd were on their feet. Turns out a band by the name of "Chairmen of the Board" were playing. They started out by saying they were going to do a Michael Jackson tribute. Will and I were on our feet then, because as weird as he was, who can turn down an opportunity to see someone try to impersonate him? Um….they fell slightly short, but at least they tried.
The lady beside us, who was around 70 maybe, danced her little heart out the WHOLE time. We enjoyed watching her and I especially enjoyed the part where she got a little too into it and stumbled into a hole! What? She didn't hit the ground and she wasn't hurt!!!
After the fireworks, the lights came on, and off we went into the crowd to try and find our car. While we were walking out, they came over the loud speaker and announced that a little dachshund was missing in the crowd somewhere and to please scoop her up if we saw her. This is what I had to hear ALL the way to the car and ALL the way home, "Do you think they will find that dog? Poor dog. I am really worried about that dog! What kind of idiot brings their dog to a fireworks show and then let's go of it? Do you think it's ok?"
Our own dachshund welcomed us home. Thankfully, none of our animals are afraid of firework noises. We headed outside with our sparklers.
We lit the first one and then discovered that this was not going to be quite the blast we had imagined. We just kind of held them and laughed and felt pretty silly. In the middle of all of this, the neighbor's dog across the street decided to come and attack us. They never let the dog run loose and they accidentally let her get away from them. I was scared, really scared. The dog was coming at us barking, I was trying to hide behind Will, and the little girl was screaming at the dog. She eventually got the dog's attention and she started running back to her at the exact same time that a car came flying down the road.
Will lost his mind. "Stop calling the dog! Stand where you are!" As for me, I stood there with my hands over my ears. Why is it that when you are really scared about something, you cover your ears? Wouldn't it make more sense to cover your eyes? I noticed the little girl covered her ears as well. We held our breath and I am telling you that car missed that dog by 1/10th of a second. It could have been a disaster. We were shaken up, but decided to continue our fun sparkler lighting.
Will decided it was time for the finale and he lined about 10 sparklers up in the yard with a plan to have them all going at once. This was the best part to me, because as he would go to light the next one, the previous one would go out. It just wasn't meant to be.
We had a good day all in all though. I was pretty proud that I remained calm during my first 911 call and that they actually answered. If y'all ever need to know whether a fire is contained or not and how many trucks you think will be needed to put it out, just let me know.
(To see all of our July 4th pictures, click this link. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=30517&id=1215731504&l=1b7299dd63)
Friday, July 10, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SASSY!
My beautiful niece Emily aka Sassy is 2 years old today! She has such a funny personality and brings much joy to our family, as do all of the nieces and nephews.
On our last trip to Florida, Emily caught me fussing at Will about something. Next thing I knew, she was wagging her finger at him, fussing at him in our own language, and then ended it by crossing her arms and saying, "humph!"
On the same trip, we were at Pizza Hut one night, where she was sitting in a high chair at the end of a long table. She spotted her Uncle Will at the salad bar. He was putting dressing on his salad. Emily started drawing a circle in the air and saying "round and round" because that was the motion Will was using to apply the dressing. My point is--she's smart!
It's hard to believe she is already two. I was fortunate enough to be able to witness her birth and it seems like it was yesterday.
She stayed with us last summer, as did her sisters. Here is the blog from that visit if you haven't read it already--http://cindyslifelessons.blogspot.com/2008/08/girls.html
Happy Birthday Sassy! We wish we were there to celebrate with you!!!
On our last trip to Florida, Emily caught me fussing at Will about something. Next thing I knew, she was wagging her finger at him, fussing at him in our own language, and then ended it by crossing her arms and saying, "humph!"
On the same trip, we were at Pizza Hut one night, where she was sitting in a high chair at the end of a long table. She spotted her Uncle Will at the salad bar. He was putting dressing on his salad. Emily started drawing a circle in the air and saying "round and round" because that was the motion Will was using to apply the dressing. My point is--she's smart!
It's hard to believe she is already two. I was fortunate enough to be able to witness her birth and it seems like it was yesterday.
She stayed with us last summer, as did her sisters. Here is the blog from that visit if you haven't read it already--http://cindyslifelessons.blogspot.com/2008/08/girls.html
Happy Birthday Sassy! We wish we were there to celebrate with you!!!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
LAUGH OF THE DAY
I am pet sitting for my neighbor until the 20th of this month. I just walk over to her house several times a day and tend to the animals. Will and I just walked over and after we got done inside, I decided we should go into her backyard and find out if her goldfish, who she keeps in a fountain, was still alive.
We got to admiring her yard because she really has things set up beautifully back there. Each section of her yard has something different in it. Hard to explain.
So anyway, we go to leave and I FELL for no reason! I hit the dirt! At first, Will was scared and was asking me if I was OK over and over but I couldn't answer him because I was laughing so hard that I was not getting any oxygen to my brain.
Then he told me to try and get up because I might be in an ant bed. That made me laugh harder and it was at this point that he grabbed my arms and tried to pull me up. That didn't work though. His attempts to pull me up resulted in me being literally drug across the yard by my arms for 5 feet.
At this point, Will lost it too and had to kneel down in the corner of the yard to keep from falling because he was laughing so hard. As for me, I was still laying in the dirt laughing so hard I thought I might need an ambulance. If any of the neighbors saw us, I am positive they thought we were having a domestic dispute!
I eventually got myself up somehow, dusted off my rear, and said, "I meant to do that."
We got to admiring her yard because she really has things set up beautifully back there. Each section of her yard has something different in it. Hard to explain.
So anyway, we go to leave and I FELL for no reason! I hit the dirt! At first, Will was scared and was asking me if I was OK over and over but I couldn't answer him because I was laughing so hard that I was not getting any oxygen to my brain.
Then he told me to try and get up because I might be in an ant bed. That made me laugh harder and it was at this point that he grabbed my arms and tried to pull me up. That didn't work though. His attempts to pull me up resulted in me being literally drug across the yard by my arms for 5 feet.
At this point, Will lost it too and had to kneel down in the corner of the yard to keep from falling because he was laughing so hard. As for me, I was still laying in the dirt laughing so hard I thought I might need an ambulance. If any of the neighbors saw us, I am positive they thought we were having a domestic dispute!
I eventually got myself up somehow, dusted off my rear, and said, "I meant to do that."
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
WORDLESS WEDNESDAY
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