What's new?

Well, I have just gotta tell you, this new school thing for Danielle is really working out. She has met so many new friends, and she loves her teacher, they have an awesome reward program, and the extra-curricular activities there are awesome. Danielle just tried out for a part in a play called "Beauty and the Beast", and she got the part of the color guard. Just the part she wanted!!! So, she will perform in December, and I need to go to a meeting tonight at the school, but she was super excited. And her friend got the part of another color guard. So, they have a few lines, but I think mostly they will stand in front of the "castle" and at times they need to cross their flags together, then hold them straight up...etc. You get the picture, right??
So, guess who has an Ipod Touch? Not me........Danielle does. I know, she has every single gadget known to man I think. But she has been saving up her money, giving massages to grandma and mom and dad, doing chores, helping grandma paint furniture, etc. So, she really earned it. She was going to have to save for much longer, but when Joe was in Salt Lake last week he found a barely used one for like half the price of a new one, and so he bought it. It is actually really cool. The picture is great, and huge, and the sound is cool. We are just having fun downloading video's of the Jonas Brothers and Taylor Swift. It's really neat though. I might just sneak it away from her one day. Oh, and you can even download a full length movie!!!!
Well, fall is in full swing up here in Hauser Lake. The fall colors are coming out, it is COLD in the mornings, and the animals are moving around. Last week Danielle and I saw a HUGE bull moose in our front yard. It was just walking across the street, minding it's own business when Dani looked out the front window and she was like....."OH MY GOSH, LOOK AT THAT HUGE MOOSE!!!!" We were so surprised. And of course we continue to see the momma dear and her fawns. They are getting bigger, but still have their spots.
Well, I have got to go, I need to go get some groceries. Now that we live out here it isn't just a hop and a skip to the store anymore. But, it's ok...it keeps me home more often, and I have found that I really enjoy being "Couped Up". Have a great week everyone!!!

It's about time!!!

We finally broke down and bought Miss D new bedroom furniture. It looks SO NICE in her room, and she has so much more drawer space now!!! Wow. It was bitter sweet in a way though, because the furniture that she has had in her bedroom since she was like 2.....was furniture from a dear friend of mine. She gave it to Danielle because she had saved it since she was a girl, and planned to have it in her daughters bedroom (IF she had a daughter), but she was blessed with two BOYS. So, she gave it to Danielle, and we were so thankful, and we loved the furniture to death. Literally. In the end it was falling apart at the seams. We were no longer able to hold the drawers together. But the good part about that was......it was really used well. We will donate it and see if anyone else can mend it and use it again. Anyway, here are some pics of her bedroom transformation!!!

Here comes the rain........

Oh my gosh, I just couldn't help myself. I am getting so tired of reading letters to the editor that are full of non-truths, I am about ready to start pulling my hair out. So, instead of making myself BALD, I decided to write a letter back......here it is....


I am writing in response to the letter from George Peterson that was published in your paper on Sept 19th. I think it is great that any citizen can write to the paper and state their opinion. But one thing that bothers me is that in some instances, the opinions are not always supported by the facts, but they are supported by information that is just not true. I realize that whoever reads these letters probably figures this out, but for those of you who didn't....here are the facts......

On the issue that Mr. Peterson brought up about Obama raising taxes on the middle class.......Obama's plan in cuts for middle income taxpayers would increase rates ONLY for persons with family incomes above 250K, or individual incomes over 200K. Not individuals making 30K to 75K like Mr. Peterson stated.

On the issue of Capital gains that Mr. Peterson brought up...NEITHER Obama OR McCain propose any change in the current exemption for home sales which taxes profits of 500K or above for a couple and 250K and above for singles. This of course applies to homeowners that have lived in their home for at least 2 of the last 5 years. His claim of Obama changing the current exemption is just false.

If you are interested in researching the facts, a great website I have found is www.factcheck.org.

Hopefully this won't really tick "Mr. Peterson" off, but I just couldn't help myself....

Who has heard of Mystery Shoppers?

What is the definition of a "mystery shopper"? Here is the definition from the dictionary.....

Someone hired by a company to pose as a customer in order to evaluate the quality of its service.

I don't know if any of you are aware of this, but companies hire "mystery shoppers" on a regular basis as a tool to help them see how their employees are performing. I have been lucky enough to be on both sides of this topic. I worked in a place of business where I was "secretly" "shopped" by a mystery shopper on a regular basis, AND I have worked AS a mystery shopper. So, I feel like I have a bunch of experience on this topic.

So, when I worked at Lowe's, they were constantly trying to evaluate the performance of their employees by using mystery shoppers. It is actually kind-of freaky if you are the employee, because you don't have any idea when this is going to happen, or if the customer you just helped was "under cover" or just a regular everyday customer. The secret shopper will act like a normal customer, but they are paying attention to every single detail of their shopping experience with you. Kinda intimidating. So, after you have been "shopped", your employer will normally take you up to their office, and explain how it went. And every time they did this I was completely surprised, I had NO IDEA I was "shopped". So, I always passed with flying colors when it came to my attitude. I have always known that if I wanted to keep my job at Lowe's, I needed to make it a pleasant experience for my customer so that they would keep coming back!!! The only bad remarks I ever got by being secretly "shopped", was that I didn't do enough adding on to my sale. Which means, I sold them a lawn mower, and let them be on their happy way, instead of doing what the retailers want you to do....which is, sell them lawn bags, engine oil, a rake, fertilizer, a hose, EVERY single thing you can think of that will go along with a lawn mower. I always had trouble doing this. If my customer wanted just a lawn mower, so be it. So, as a salesman, I kinda failed on that end. Oops.

So, when I WAS the mystery shopper, I would go into a retail store, and the people who hired me would tell me how much I was to spend, what I needed to buy, who I needed to talk to, and to remember every single detail of the entire transaction from beginning to end. I had to ask all the right questions, so that the salesman would help me in the way I needed to be helped. Then I needed to write a long detailed report about every thing that happened. Was she nice? Was she clean? Was she happy? Did she seem irritated? Did she try to sell me more than what I needed? Did she act like she was too busy? Did she seem interested in what I asked her? What color was her hair? And I could go on and on. So I had to pay SUPER close attention to every little detail. So, I did this for a few months, and then as I got to thinking about it, I really wasn't sure I was cut out for it. I mean, I HAVE been on the employee side of this. I understand if they don't sell the whole entire store to me. I know sometimes you are busy with other customers and you have a hard time multi-tasking. So I stopped mystery shopping. I just had a really hard time disclosing all the bad parts of the employee's behavior. The one thing I didn't have a hard time with though, was understanding the need that employers have for getting top of the notch employees. Their company really depends on it. And they spend ALOT of money every year hiring these "mystery shoppers" that give them a great idea of who is doing a good job, and who really isn't cutting it. I really learned alot from both sides.

A quote I love....

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company ...a church ...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past ...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ...we are in charge of our attitudes.

-Charles Swindoll

I am ready for fall!!!

I just had to update my blog profile even though I may be jumping the gun a little. But, just the thought of entering into the season of fall makes me giddy!!! I LOVE the beautiful colors!!! AND, I haven't seen how pretty it looks around the lake in the fall. I can't wait to watch my view change right in front of my eyes. Happy (early) fall!!!!

Get a different job!!!

I don't know about all of you, but I am sick of going into businesses and having to deal with cranky employees. And I am talking about people who have jobs working in public service of some kind. I am so fed up that I have come close to letting these people know that they could get a different job where they don't have to work with the public on a regular basis. Something like a paper route. You would be up at 4 in the morning, when most people are still sleeping, and you wouldn't have to deal with the public face to face. Perfect.

My latest examples are these.....I went to the department of motor vehicles to change my address. I literally have done this task online whenever available, but with this particular address change, you have to go directly into the office. Well, after I informed the employee of what I needed to do, she proceeded to take a huge breath in, and then loudly let it out, in a way as if to say..." Gosh, what else do you want, a million dollars?". Come on lady, this is your job. This is part of your job description, to help the public with requests on a daily basis. I realize this lady may have been having a bad day but come-on....what is wrong with just doing YOUR JOB in a pleasant manner?

Another great example is restaurant workers. Waitresses in particular. I am pretty sure that their job description is to take hungry patron's orders. So why do they act irritated if you want your salad dressing on the side?? Is that too big of a deal? I didn't think so.

Now, I work with the public. I realize this can really be a challenge sometimes. I have dealt with the angry patron a time or two. I have even left my job in tears because of difficult patrons. I understand the frustration. But if you can't deal with it, get a different job. Oh, I know, you could assemble toys on an assembly line for a job.....then you wouldn't have to communicate with people who ask you a question. Unless of course, it's your boss. But there ARE other options out there. Look for them!!!!

The lady at my pharmacy is another example of an employee that needs to search for another job. I mean, it literally irritates her when someone goes up to the front desk and asks for their prescription. I mean, I have felt like apologizing to her that I even need a refill. "Sorry lady, but I need this filled so I can stay alive." Gosh. Get a different job.

Maybe they all need a refresher course in communication 101. Because even if they don't "say" they are irritated with you, if you are older than 2 you can tell by their body language that they wish you would drop off the face of the earth so they didn't' have to answer your simple question. What is the deal??
I really could go on and on with this, but I will spare you the other examples. But if any of you work with the public, do me a favor and just smile once in awhile. It's really not that bad.

"Oh what a feeling.......

we were dancing on the ceiling.....". Alright, I am exaggerating a bit. But........... my mom, Danielle and I drove down to Moscow to watch the Idaho Vandals football game and when we got there, we went to our "usual" place to sit, and who did we see?? My big brother, and his significant other. So we were really happy, because for some reason we rarely see each other, and out of the blue....there they were. AND we got to sit right next to each other. So, if that wasn't enough good stuff for the day......
The first down of the Vandals possession at the beginning of the game went something like this.......Quarterback to running back.....running back to end-zone. Done. We were on our feet, giving each other high fives, jumping up and down, singing the fight song, and smiling from ear to ear. It was a great day. AND, they won. Like 30 something to 14. Woo-Hoo!!!! I LOVE fall football!! Go VANDALS!!!

Like I said.....

Your Issue Profile: 68% Obama, 32% McCain

While it sounds like Obama is the choice for you, he's not a perfect match. You and John McCain actually share some of the same views. Whether this is news to your or not, you have some studying to do. Obama seems like he's the right fit, but it's an important issue might sway you over to McCain.

Should You Vote for Obama or McCain?

I KNEW John McCain Wanted my vote......

....but not so bad that he would "hire" a UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO alum to be his "running mate". (GO VANDALS) Wow. Impressive. I actually watched her tonight on the Republican National Convention. And I didn't mind it. I know, I think I may have gone temporarily mad or something......

Dang it all to heck if I could just agree with them on the issues I might be able to pencil in the republican circles on my ballet this fall......but don't get your hopes up....
;-)

Wow.

I can't believe tomorrow is the first day of school!!! The summer flew by, and I barely even feel like we had a break. Anyhoo....I just wanted to vent a bit about how nervous I am for Danielle, and state that she is really being a trooper about switching schools. So, keep your fingers crossed for me tomorrow.....I already need a beer to take the "edge" off. Gosh, I am feeling more anxiety then I did when she went to her first day of kindergarten. Go figure....
:-(