O Tannenbaum

I've spent some time thinking about the holidays here lately and have found that I've been sharing my Christmas tree stories with folks too. So, I thought I would share them with you here. I'm not good with years and am not so sure that they are being told in order, but I hope you get a laugh out of them anyway.

 The first instance I remember is one year we heard a noise coming from the tree and when we started checking it out, at first, the noise stopped, which was good since we didn't see anything. But as my mom kept looking through the branches she saw a bug of the beetle persuasion. As she kept looking, it turned out she found the rest of the beetles immediate and extended family members. She immediately picked up the tree, lights and decorations still intact, and threw it out the front door. I'm pretty sure there was a Christmas tree shaped patch of burned grass in the back yard after that incident.

The next occurrence was a time when we didn't even have the money to purchase a tree and our uncle bought one for us. After he set it up we got the decorations and lights out of the attic and the decorating fun started. After it was decorated, my mom and sister were in the kitchen while I was in the living room watching TV. Some time passed and I smelled something then noticed the smoke coming from the tree. Now remember, I was little when this took place. So I called to the kitchen telling my mom the tree was smoking. She and my sister hurriedly made their way to the living room to see the tree. The next thing I know my mom is telling my sister to open the front door and mom has the tree, decorations, lights and stand and was going out the front door. That tree definitely left a Christmas tree shaped patch of burned grass in the yard.

Another incidence was the year that we had a great big and full tree that my mom had spent hours decorating with white lights and her glass ornaments that she absolutely loved. Flashback: It had taken a while to get the tree to be straight in the stand. It had fallen a few times before it was decorated so we were a little weary of it, but it had stood on its own for a while so we thought all should have been good. Unfortunately we were wrong. Flash forward: I'm sitting on the floor in the living room, watching TV, when I hear my mom yell at me to move. As I quickly moved out of the way, I heard the sound of shattering glass against the wooden entry way. The tree had fallen and the majority of my mom's ornaments were now broken. As she walked into the living room, she opened the back door, then proceeded to the tree. She picked it up, carried it to the back door and threw it onto the lawn. I don't remember this one ending up in flames. J

Now on to some more colorful accounts.

One year my mom sent my sister and me with my stepdad to go get a tree while she got all of the lights and decorations out from the storage closet under the stairs. When we arrived at the tree lot the first thing we noticed were the flocked trees. As we were looking at all of the wonderfully flocked white trees, we noticed something peculiar off to the side. It was a flocked tree, but it wasn't white. It was hot pink! Yea! Somehow we talked him into buying the tree and we were so excited on our way home. It wasn't until we got home that we realized mom was going to be unhappy with our choice. When we brought the tree in the house and it was set-up in its stand we called for mom to come downstairs. As she came down the second flight first glance at her revealed a smile, but if you allowed your eyes to linger, you were able to see the transformation from excitement, to confusion to shock and eventually to annoyance and possibly anger. I believe her response to the tree was, "What is that?" to which we answered in unison, "Our Christmas tree!" with a smile on our faces. She was not happy at all to the point that she actually pondered going to buy a second tree and setting it up in the dining room.

I remember many mumblings about white trash from her that year, as well as the next year when she sent us again to buy a tree with the stipulation that it could not be flocked pink or any other "loud" color. So off we went to the lot with our instructions. While we were looking at the nice green trees, we noticed they had flocked trees of many colors. There was white, of course, a pink one similar to the one we had the year before, yellow, orange, an avocado green and a light powder blue. We asked if we could get the avocado green one and after moments of hesitation we were told "No. It's really not worth the argument that would follow when we get home." As we went around and continued to look at trees we came back to the blue one and gave our best pitch. It would be wonderful with lots of bright white lights and silver ornaments on it. Mom would love it once it was decorated, really she would! But when we got it home, she really, really wasn't. Even after it was decorated, she still wasn't amused, not at all.

The next year mom went and picked out the tree herself. To think about it, she did from then on. Guess she had trust issues after that! J

There there's Christmas with our dad. He always had the same fake tree with a funky mustard yellow tree skirt. The cool thing was the trains under the tree. He had a train he bough when he was a kid It was a big train. the cars were probably 2.5 to 3" tall and the engine would blow steam that smelled vaguely of wood. It was always laid out with the larges circle around the tree. My sister had a train that was a little smaller than dad's and it was laid out to where it circled the tree just inside of his train. It could really move! Then there was mine. It was little. The cars were about an inch tall and if you got it going to fast it would jump the track!

Now, our dad wasn't the biggest fan of Christmas and I don't think he enjoyed the whole tree bit, which was solidified the year he thought it would be great to have a Charlie Brown tree. He went to the back yard, retrieved a limp broken limb from one of his pine trees and set it up in the living room. There he put on a couple of stray icicles from the decoration box and found a broken ornament to accessorize as well. I wish I had a picture of that!

Those are my Christmas tree stories. I hope you got a smile and maybe even a laugh. I know Halloween hasn't even come and I'm talking about trees, but you wouldn't know that by the look of the stores. Santa is apparently already on his way!

On My Mind

There are only a few things in life that truly bother me to my core and one of them is to see people, namely children, go without food, a basic need.


According to the USDA in 2008, 14.6% percent of households (17.1 million households/49.1 million Americans) were food insecure and 4.1 percent of all U.S. households (4.8 million households) accessed emergency food from a food pantry one or more times.


I am passionate when it comes to giving to charities such as Feeding America and helping locally when able. I am proud that the company for which I work has partnered with Feeding America and has become the first of their donors to supply over 100-million pounds of food in a single year and has been named their 2010 Donor of the Year. They have also have a $2 billion commitment to fight hunger underway. It is exciting to know that one of my passions is able to be pursued through work resources.

I bring this up now, because this morning Ray and I volunteered for a while at the Hancock County Food Pantry. It is a small building with cement floors, 7 stand-up freezers/refrigerators, sparse shelving and a two door loading dock. They had moved everything out of the building so that they were able to clean and paint the floor this weekend and Monday was the day to finish cleaning, move everything back in and restock the shelves. While it was not the most fun thing I have ever done on a Monday, it was rewarding to hear folks clamor over how nice it was to have help stocking shelves, filling bins, wiping down fridges, and cleaning a restroom (Since I cleaned their public restroom, Ray has been tasked to clean our apartment by himself. Fair is fair! J)


All of that to say, try it sometime. Find your local food bank, walk in and ask how you can help them. I have never been to one where I have been turned away. Assistance is always welcome. Put together a food drive at your church or workplace.


Just remember, these folks are trying to meet a basic necessity: food for all.

General Geekery

I admit that I am geeky. I'm okay with that and Ray actually loves that part of me. He tells folks that I am the geek of the family. Funny man. I like computers, all kinds of blogs, pictures, my own and others, reading all types of literature and comics, watching the National Geographic, History and Military channels, playing with and reading and talking about new tech, as well as all things in between. I have a soft spot for ankle biter dogs and most cats. I can't stand disorganization, but can't keep my house tidy…hmmm…I blame that on Ray.

So, I thought I'd share some of the sites I visit regularly so you are able to better understand the geeky side of Priscilla.

Ready? No? Well, it's too late. You can't turn back now!

Gizmodo: Gizmodo was kicked off in 2002. It's a blog about gadgets and tech, new and old, and everything a geek would want to read or complain about. It's my first stop when I get online…every time. New posts are up all throughout the day. Also, you will find much humor and debate in the comments for the article. Sometimes they're even better than the articles!

TmoNews: I am a loyal T-Mobile customer. They may not have the best phones, but the customer service is top notch. TmoNews covers all things T-Moblie: new plans, policies, phones on all platforms, coverage expansions and all the rumors you can stand! Obviously this site caters to the needs of a niche, but the folks running this blog run a few other sites you might be interested in: phonedog (information on all upcoming phones for all carriers), DroidDog (all Android all the time), BBerryDog (the BlackBerry channel), and Today's iPhone (everything iPhone).

Neatorama/NeatoGeek: All things neat and/or odd and all things geek, respectively.

EPBOT: Per the bloggers own description, "Geekery, Girliness, & General Goofing Off". She has an interesting sense of humor that appeals to me and has made me literally laugh out loud. She's a great story teller, designer and finder of all things geeky and girly.

Cake Wrecks: This is written by the same lady from EPBOT, plus her husband every once in a while. It's a blog entirely about cakes that have been mucked up in one way or another by professionals. It's well written and witty. On Sundays you get Sunday Sweets, a reprieve from the disastrous cakes and get a eyeful of what cakes are supposed to look like.

LikeCOOL: This features gadgets and other items new, old, retro, conceptual and odd. It'll also like you up to places to buy and/or read more about these items and the folks who made them.

FAIL Blog: If it's a failure, it's here. Sometimes off color, but always entertaining. A constant reminder of how thick we can really be as a species. This is just one of many funny websites hosted by the CHEEZburger Network.

Very Demotivational: Also hosted by the CHEEZburger Network, but most definitely stands out from the rest. Someone takes a picture or sign and makes it into a poster resembling the motivational posters you have in your office, except with a less inspiring message. Definitely my kind of humor.

Message With A Bottle: This random guy quit his job to be a stay home dad and free lance writer. He noticed he was utilizing post-its for reminders for his work and decided to start making observations about things concerning his son and post them. It sounds lame, but the guy's got a great sense of humor to which I believe most can relate. We've all thought the majority of the things he posts.

Well, if you didn't have anything to do, now you have plans. Make your way through these and I hope you find at least one that peaks your interest. If nothing else, then you know a bit more about my personality, good or bad.

Do you have any sites/blogs you visit regularly? Go ahead and share them. I'm sure I can squeeze a few more in! J

WWII & Alaska?

Really? Why didn't I learn about this in school? Or was it taught and I slept through it? It couldn't have been our top notch history books? Maybe I was sick that week? I did have the chickenpox twice. Or maybe it was taught the last week of my senior year. When I hadn't missed a single day the last semester I decided that I could use a few days off and didn't attend. Hmm, let's not rehash that week. 

Getting back on task, why is it that just yesterday I learned that part of World War II was fought on American soil, and not Hawaii? I mean, we all know about Pearl Harbor, but what about Alaska?

Ray was flipping through the channels when he paused on the History Channel. The title of the show was "bloody battles" or something to that effect. As he changed the channel I heard someone say WWII and Alaska in the same sentence. I looked at him and asked if I had heard it right and he shrugged and turned it back. They were indeed talking about the Aleutian Islands, which are part of Alaska.

It turns out that on June 3, 1942 a small force of Japanese bombers attacked Dutch Harbor, thus the beginning of the Aleutian Island Campaign. Kiska was invaded on June 6^th and Attu on June 7^th.

Right: Buildings burning after the first enemy attack on Dutch Harbor, June 3 1942                                                                   

Left: Anchorage Daily Times June 3, 1942

Due to weather, geography and location restraints, it wasn't until May 11^th 1943 that a counterattack, code-named COTTAGE, began. 

Hauling Supplies in Attu

Castner's Cutthroats, or the 1st Alaskan Combat Intelligence Platoon, was part of the over 34,000 Allied troops fighting the Japanese, The platoon was made up of men who were familiar to the rough Alaskan terrain and weather. They were responsible for reconnaissance missions and served as guides for the Army. There were also 5,300 who were part of the 1^st Special Service Force, or the Devil's Brigade. This was a joint US-Canadian commando unit originally designed to fight in winter conditions. 

Troops fighting the snow and ice in Attua

The official end date of the occupation was July 28^th 1943 and the official end of the campaign was August 24^th, 1943. This was the United States first theater-wide victory in WWII. There were just over 1,600 American and Canadian lives lost during this battle.

Again, with the loss of life on US soil,and not in Hawaii, I sincerely wonder why this is news to me. Maybe I really was asleep.

*More pictures can be found at the below sites:
Wikimedia
Attu WWII Photos

Arbitrary Bits and Pieces About Joe

No, I'm not talking about Joe down the street, across town, the inn keeper or the latest guy to get arrested.

I'm talking about coffee.

There are so many names for it these days: Joe, java, black gold, morning mud, battery acid, bean juice, brew, and my favorite, wait for it, wakey juice. Love it!

It is believed that the craze started with goats. That's right, goats. Ethiopian shepherds noticed their goats were frisky after eating coffee berries. Mmm, berries. While there isn't a lot out there to support this theory, it's a good bedtime story, right? 

Back to fact...A coffee tree can grow up to 30', but this makes it difficult to collect the berries. Over the years, the trees have been cultivated to grow around 10'. Still a bit high for us short folks.

In 1675 King Charles II issued a proclamation closing coffee houses in England "because in such houses, and by the meeting of disaffected persons in them, divers false, malicious, and scandalous reports were devised and spread abroad, to the defamation of his majesty's government, and the disturbance of the quiet and the peace in the realm." Whoa! That's pretty serious. Fortunately the closings didn't last long. I bet there were some people out there with a bad case of the shakes during the closings!


Satori Kato, a Japanese scientist living in Chicago first invented instant coffee in 1901. George Washington, not our President, but rather a man from Belgium, living in Guatemala (Got all of that?), is credited with developing his own instant coffee and successfully commercially marketing it around 1910.

Coffee is the second most traded commodity, behind oil. You here that big oil? Stop pinching my wallet!

Latte art is the practice of making designs in the milk/foam topping (microfoam) of an espresso. There are different levels of snobbery concerning latte art. Purists insist the design must be created by the simple movements of the pouring vessel (free pouring), while others accept that the art may be created utilizing a stirring stick (etching). 


I think someone may have misunderstood my intentions when I placed my order for my beverage. I want to drink, guzzle, sip, knock back, devour, or otherwise consume it in its entirety. I have zero interest in showing it off to my friends, family and/or neighbors. Oh and if I'm paying more than $4 for the brew, it better be yummy or I'm coming back for you and your little dog too!

During WWII our GIs ordered espresso with water so they could dilute the flavor. This became known as the Americano preparation. I refuse to type disparaging remarks about those who serve our country, so all I'm going to say is…Really?!? Fine. Okay. I gotcha. Wait, really?!?

With all that said, there are many ways to prepare java. My favorite preparation is the macchiato.

How do you like your joe? (Tall, dark and handsome is not an option.)

Memories

As another birthday has come and gone I have spent some time thinking about the past and thought I'd share a few stories with you.

Growing up we had a square coffee table in our living room between the couch and the TV. The top was some type of ceramic tiles in an off white color surrounded by dark wood. It had four legs which connected the top platform to the bottom wooden platform of the table, which rested on the floor. My sister, Farrah, and I would squeeze under there together to where one could only see our feet sticking out. We would laugh and fight and have a great time while in this very small, confined space. No one ever really knew what we were really doing under there until one day my mom decided to lay under there with me. Farrah and I had made our own "weather map" on the bottom of the table. We had drawn, to the best of our ability, the US and had cold fronts, snow, tornadoes and hurricanes all over the place in crayon! You can just imagine the look on her face when she saw what we had done to her table! She actually took it well. It was one of the many times she would say, "Just don't tell your father." Somehow or another he found out and didn't take it well. My mom was, and actually still is, the master of keeping our dad calm and with the program, even after 25 or so years of being divorced. You should have seen him on my wedding day. I heard it was touch and go there for a while! I do wish we had pictures of our weather map. It would be interesting to see if our forecasts came true. Who knows, maybe we could have given Al Gore a run for his money!

Our stepfather, Johnny, had a number of issues which caused home to not be pleasant, but he had his moments where the person he could be would shine through. He was the master of making fun appear out of nothing, which was important because we didn't have anything! We had a plastic red bat and white ball that you could buy for $3. Our bases were "borrowed" from local construction sites. You know the round blinking lights on top of the orange barrels? Well they make wonderful bases for nighttime baseball! We would always give our mom a hard time because she would usually end up popping a blood vessel in her hand and we'd have to quit. In her defense, her hand would swell and she would have an awful bruise for a while, but we were kids and had no mercy for our fun being ruined!


There is one baseball story that sticks in my mind vividly. We were playing during the day and Johnny was pitching to us. It was my turn up to bat. I had always been a bit timid of the ball because I didn't want to get hit. I had seen my sister and cousin pinged by balls when they played and saw that it wasn't pleasant. He had been trying to work with me to stay "in the box" when pitched to and this time I was convinced I wasn't going anywhere. He pitched the ball to me, I stayed still, timing my swing, then BAM! I made contact. I instantly had a smile on my face. I hit the ball right on and it was going to fly. I knew I was going to make it at least to 3^rd base, if not home the moment the ball left the bat. Then I heard the noise. It was a dry thud. I looked across the "field" and there was Johnny with his hands up to his face. The ball had hit him. Wait, now he's down on one knee. I've really hurt him. Oh crap! Everyone ran to him and I ran in the house to hide. I just KNEW I was going to be in trouble. He came and found me after he had ice on his eye to let me know it was okay and that he would be fine, but it was really bad. His eye was swollen shut and had already started turning colors. I felt horrible. To this day, my family still laughs at the fact that I ran.

Keeping with the topic of black eyes, I have a story about Farrah. Johnny had taken us to a field to ride our go kart one day while mom was at work. It had rained the night before so everything was nice and muddy and we were looking to have a great time! Farrah had been riding the go kart for a while and it was my turn. She thought she was going to be cool and speed toward us then cut the wheel to skid out and throw mud on us. Well, it didn't quite turn out the way she planned. When she cut the wheel, the go kart kept sliding forward, toward us and the truck. We jumped out of the way and she slid into the tailgate. It turned out that the she hit her head on the tailgate and had an instant black eye and most likely a headache. It was officially time to go home. That afternoon when mom came home Farrah was laid out on one couch and I was sitting very quietly on the other. When she greeted me I burst into tears. She asked me what the matter was and I just looked toward Farrah. When she saw what had happened she lost it on Johnny. Now, while I am sorry my sister was hurt, I'm convinced the crying was for Johnny. My mom lit into him like the 4^th of July. It was BAD! Farrah and I laugh about it now, but we both know he knew it wasn't going to be good when mom got home that day. Oh, and we never did go back to that lot to ride the go kart. It's still my turn!


That's all I have to share for now. I'll think of some more to share later.


Maybe some of you have stories you want to share of your childhood or of times we spent together?

Snickerdoodle

When I was 18 my college roommate brought home a puppy for me. We named her Snickerdoodle, but called her Snickers for short. She was the cutest little dog and turned out to be a mess! When we would leave for class we would put her with her bed in the kitchen and confine her there via a baby gate. When we would come home she would sometimes have dislodged the gate and have gotten out. Eventually we had to buy a second gate and double stack them on top of each other because she would actually scale it and greet us at the front door when we returned home.

When she would get out she would leave us smelly surprises, on the carpet of course, as well as make us aware that there were items in the apartment which were too low to the ground. Those items would include, but not be limited to our laundry, tissues, and hangers just to name a few.

She had a wonderful little personality. She always seemed happy and energetic, but was always up for a nap. She loved people, but wasn't much for other animals. When Ray and I moved to Florida we took her to this great dog park in West Palm. It had three different parks: one for large dogs, one for medium dogs and one for ankle biters like Snickers. While there she would run around and sniff everything. When the other dogs would come around, she would stop what she was doing and look at them for a second then turn away and wander off. She noticed all the owners were on the benches under the trees and made her way to them. They loved on her and she ate it up. When the other dogs would come to the people, Snickers would wander off again only to return for the attention when the other pooches had dispersed.

She loved to ride in the car and put her head out the window, she made sport of stealing food off your plate, but as a mix of beagle and daschund, she had a habit of running off. The last time she ran off she was hit by a car and did not survive. It's been almost 2 years and as odd as some may find it, it was very difficult time. I actually called my boss and got scheduled off work the next day. It still bothers me that I could have done something different that day and she could be curled up asleep next to me right now.

It's interesting how our pets become more than just a dog or cat. They are our companions who greet us when we return home from school, work or a day of shopping. They are not judgmental and seem to, unlike our peers, love us no matter what. They are completely reliant on us for sustenance and care and have unwittingly placed their trust in us for their livelihood.


All of this to say that Ray and I have recently started talking about getting a pet. I know I want a cat, but I think a pooch would be good too. We keep coming back to beagles and found that we really like the under 13's. We've talked about a few of the different terriers too, but some of them are a bit too purse sized and I'm not sure Ray will be allowed to keep his man card if we were to get one!
Any pooch suggestions? Any stories to share?

U-Haul Fail

Let me share my frustrations with U-Haul with you.

Friday, I picked up Ray from the airport with just enough time to make it to our appointment with U-Haul to have a hitch installed and pick-up the enclosed trailer we would utilize to load up my bedroom suite for transport to Indiana. The folks there were timely and had our hitch installed in just over an hour. We left, ate lunch, and then went to another location to pick-up our trailer. As the kind man is hooking up the trailer we check to ensure the lights on the trailer work. Brakes…check. Blinkers…not so much. When you would turn on the blinker it would click once, then nothing. It wouldn't even work on the truck. So he unplugged the trailer from the wiring harness and we tried the blinkers on the truck…they worked. Maybe it's the trailer. So we unhooked from one trailer and hooked up to another, plugged in the wire for the lights, and again…brakes are good, blinkers are not. Hmm…sounds like the harness U-Haul installed has a bit of a glitch.

We return to the U-Haul facility who installed the hitch and harness and a young lady comes out, checks the wiring, determines the wires are good and states, "You probably just need a relay kit. Let me call my manager. He'll have to go get one." We're good with this. We simply need it to work so we can get the last of our belongings loaded up for the move.

She's gone for a while so I get on my phone and look up our truck and trailer/blinker issues and, yup, she's right, we need a relay kit. Ray called and talked to his brother and yeah, it sounds like you need a relay kit. I'm on the phone with my dad, yeah, a relay kit should fix that. We're standing around outside with the truck and are getting restless so Ray decides to go in and see how long it's going to take to get the kit there and installed. When he finally returns, his face is red and he tells me that the manager has decided that we don't need a relay kit and since he doesn't think we need one, they aren't going to go get one, but if we wanted one put on it was going to be up to us to get it and install it.

Now remember, U-Haul installed the wiring harness and the hitch. The lights on their trailers do not work with the wiring harness they have installed and they are now unwilling to expend any more effort to make it work.

I looked at Ray and communicated to him, in words that I will not type here, that they could come out, uninstall the wiring harness, remove the hitch and take back their trailer. I wanted my money back and we would leave the bedroom suite in Alabama and purchase a new one in Indiana.

We did just that. We arrived at U-Haul just after noon and left just after 6pm and had nothing to show for it. What a waste.

My advice: Use PODS. They drop the PODS container where you want it, it's even with the ground so there are no ramps to walk up while loading, you call them and they pick it up. You can either have them store it for you or tell them the location and date to drop it and they do. When it's empty you call them back and they pick it up. So very simple. We should have just called PODS like we did on the initial trip to Indiana. We just thought it was a good opportunity to go ahead and have the hitch installed on the truck.

Anyone else have a negative experience with U-Haul?

New Beginnings

The song says "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" (Closing Time by Semisonic). With a new beginning on the horizon, I find myself spending time reflecting on my journey thus far.

I moved to Florida, started a new job and got married all in a three month period. Makes you tired just thinking about it doesn't it? You should have lived it! Florida was wonderful. I met some great people, made a few friends and gained a new best friend in the process. The beaches and weather were amazing and I still miss a couple of the restaurants. There are days I still struggle with our decision to leave Florida, but the Lord had a bigger plan for us.

Alabama didn't quite welcome us with open arms. It was more of a barely cracked open door and a sideways glance. It took a while for us to find our place here. We were both promoted and worked crazy hours. The stay in Alabama has been right at 2 ½ years…I think the hours we worked are what have made it seem longer! I've definitely made friends here with folks who genuinely care and look forward to hopefully continuing those relationships on as I leave for Indiana.

Alabama brought about some challenges I wasn't ready to face, but have seemed to survive. Besides being in an overly stressful environment due to the nature of the grocery business and being in charge of the transportation of food to 100 stores (and sometimes more depending on if other DC's needed help),major health issues arose. Ray and I both gained a lot of weight during our stay here. We both ended up on high blood pressure medications and my anxiety kicked in again (something I've had under control for a few years). For a couple who aren't fond of doctors, we've gotten on a first name basis with ours.

As I look back over the last 2 years here, I am saddened by the fact that I am once again leaving a group of folks of which I have grown fond. I know the person taking my place will take care of them and continue to move forward, but it doesn't make it any easier to leave. I know my folks know that this was more than just a job for me. I know they knew I made it personal and honestly wanted not only what was best for our company, but for them as well. I know it sounds like a cliché, but it really is the people that make the work worth doing and my work was worth doing every day.

Friday will be my last day in my current position. Next week will be my move week to Indiana and I will start my new position at our optical facility the following week. I visited the facility a few weeks ago and I'm excited to join my new team. I believe this will be a great experience.


While I am downhearted about coming upon another end, I am excited for a new beginning.

Above all, I am thankful for Ray and I to be under the same roof again. It's been three long months and I do miss my husband. I've missed the support that comes from a face to face conversation, the comfort that comes from using him as my pillow on the couch, my personal heater under the covers and the relief I get when he hugs me at the end of a stressful day.

The chorus of the song says "I know who I want to take me home."

Ray, will you take me home?

Thoughts on FICO

Do you know your FICO score? Do you know what factors affect your FICO score? Do you even care?

I have recently changed my answer to the last question to No. No, I do not care about my credit score.

Now, don't start assuming my score is bad. It's not. It's actually very high. I would have no problem with getting any type of loan with a low interest rate…personal, auto or home. And suddenly I am actually saddened by this fact. I have recently had a much needed change of heart toward credit scores and I'd like to share it.

Per FICO, the following criteria are utilized in determining your score:
- Payment History (35%): Payment information, delinquencies, accounts and amounts past due
- Amounts Owed (30%): Amounts owing on specific types of accounts, number of accounts with balances, proportions of credit used and installment loans still owing
- Length of Credit History (15%): Time since accounts opened (by account type) and time since activity
- New Credit (10%): Number of recently open accounts, recent credit inquiries, and re-establishment of positive credit history
- Types of Credit Used (10%): Number of various types of accounts

FICO wants to be clear that they take all of the above into account when determining scores, that the information comes from your credit reports and that they look at both positive and negative items on your reports.

That's great, but if you pay attention to what all of this is, simply stated, it's a score based on your interaction with debt and you have to have debt to interact with in order to have a score. Right at 65% of your score is based off how you have interacted with your debt and the amount of it you have in proportion to the amount of credit available to you.

This is not a score that shows you have been responsible with your money, or about how you have been able to provide for yourself instead of having to go elsewhere to get the financial backing for the items you wish to have, on your own personal financial standing. Instead it is a score based off the money you borrow from banks and other creditors and how well you've done paying it back. Now notice I didn't say, paying it off. They don't want you to pay it off. If they did, then the credit card companies wouldn't close your card accounts due to lack of use, which in turn will lower your credit score. I had this happen to me last year. Looking back, I've never been so proud of my score dropping over 30 points, ever!

I was turned down for my first credit card in my teens due to not having any credit. I had never had any type of debt with which to interact therefore my score was literally ZERO. As strange as it may sound, my new goal is for it to return to zero. I don't need affirmation from the banking world that I know how to handle my finances.

What about buying a house? You can't buy one with cash. No one could ever afford that! Really? Why not? Why aren't we living a lifestyle that allows us to save enough money over however long it takes for you to save the amount of money you want to pay for a house? It's the lack of patience. We live in a "I want it now" society. That's fine, buy the house you want and get a 15yr mortgage. Don't get a 30yr and pay an extra 15 years of interest on your loan. You can't afford that? Then maybe you need to look at the amount you've borrowed. Do you really need a house that costs that much? Do you really need to live in that area? Is it that important? Maybe to you it is, but it's definitely something to think about.

You can get a mortgage without a good credit score. You just need a lender who does their own underwriting. Check it out. It's an option. I know because I'll be utilizing this option.

Don't follow blindly. Educate yourself.

Today's message was brought to you by the number zero!

Monday Morning Leadership - Week 4

Hire Tough

As you can tell, this week is focused on hiring. I’ll highlight what Cottrell has to say about hiring and then, since I am not employed by a company that lets their hiring too far from HR, I’ll share what was trolling though my head while reading the chapter.

Ready?

Cottrell stresses that our most important asset isn’t people, but rather the right people. With the right people in place there isn’t a problem too big or a goal you can’t reach. He also talks about “The Three Rules of Three” when hiring. Those rules are: interview three candidates for each open position, interview them three times, and have at least three people assess the candidates. Many companies already do this or something very similar. It allows your options to be open, for you to “feel out” folks and for others on your team to give their perspective. All of these things, if done consistently will lead to not just filled positions, but positions filled with the right people. It will lead to success.

The thought I had while reading this week started with the “right people”. I think the right people begin with you. Are you the right person for the job? Honestly, are you? If you aren’t willing to make an honest assessment of yourself and the position you are in, then we’ve already got a problem. If you honestly believe that you are in the right position, then good, you can move forward. If not, then you really need to take a step back and think it through. What is it that you are good at? What do you enjoy? Is there something where you currently are that would suit you? If not, then it’s time to look outside. There’s a book called 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller – get it and read it.

Remember, most people spend the majority of their waking hours at work. Make them count.

Monday Morning Leadership – Week 3

Get Out of Management Land

Are you surrounded by egos? Have simple tasks turned into complex adventures? Have the mind/political games taken over? Are things not always what they seem?

If you answered yes to any of these, then welcome to Management Land!

Now find the nearest exit and run!

A leader needs to ensure they are always working on and for their team. So, you need to get out of management land and in touch with your people.

An exercise utilized in Cottrell's book is to list your people in the following categories: Superstars, Middle Stars and Falling Stars. Then see how you rated them on their last evaluation. Do the scores match-up with the category in which you placed them? Probably not. Most likely, you have a Superstar and Falling Star with similar evaluation scores. If you are not honest with your people on how they truly execute their jobs, how are they to improve? What will motivate them to do better? Why are you there?

By not improving your Falling Stars you have shown the rest of your team that the Falling Stars behavior is acceptable. It's almost as if you were punishing your Superstars with the extra work you have given them, since you refuse to give it to your Falling Stars.

Cottrell writes over and over again that "people will quit people before they quit their companies". Don't run your Superstars off by under appreciating them and overworking them. They will go to another shift, department or company. They will quit you.

Raise the bar and stop accommodating those pulling your team down. Coach them up. Make them better. Be a leader.

Don’t you want your “weakest link” to be someone you and the rest of your team is proud of, instead of the team resenting them and you?

If nothing else, complete the exercise above and see how your teams’ evaluations compare to their “Star Status”. It could be an eye opening experience.

Noise to Focus

If you're one for ambient noise to help you relax, focus or go to sleep and you're especially fond of rain, RainyMood is for you. The only function of the site is to play the sounds of a gentle storm, no toggles or options to mess with, just the sounds of a storm.

If you want something more involved, Atmosphere Lite will do the trick. There are both sound and visual options with this program. The sheer amount of options could be overwhelming, but the end result is a winner.

While Atmosphere Lite is a free program you can download, RainyMood is run completely from their site - No download needed.

Has anyone seen my umbrella? How about my pillow? :o)

Walking

Maybe if I write it down, put it out there, I will actually do it. We're all aware that my goal this year is to get off the blood pressure medications. I have this goal for a number of reasons, some personal, some not so much, but all relevant.

I've been to the doctor entirely too many times in the last year for my blood pressure and other related issues. I believe it's time for the next step.

I've joined the American Heart Association's Start! program. It's a free program that puts together weekly walking regimens for you based off some questions, which for me had a sobering effect.

I realize I need to be a participant in my health going forward. The bright side is that this'll help with not only my blood pressure and weight, but my anxiety too. Go figure. I bet my health insurance company is jumping for joy about now!

I'll keep you updated on how the walking goes.

Thoughts on 2012

There are numerous books written about it, a couple of movies and countless documentaries…2012.

Since I have a lot of free time on my hands these days I watch lots of things on the computer. I was on the History Channel site and ended up watching "Nostradamus Effect: 2012 Extinction". It summarizes how many diverse cultures point toward December 2012 as the end of our time ushered in by disaster.

The possibilities range from a magnetic pole shift, to a nuclear/biological war, to an asteroid or comet colliding with the Earth. You remember this scenario from the dinosaurs, right?

Anyone need a happy moment? It's okay. Go ahead. Take a moment.

So is it really the end of the world or just another holiday season filled with consumerism?

Either or, folks are getting prepared for the worst. The Norwegian government has constructed The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, or as the media has dubbed it, the Doomsday Vault. It opened in 2008 and has over 400,000 seed samples stored inside. The vault was carved into the side of a mountain on the Svalbard islands, just north of Norway, where the warmest temperatures during summer reach about 45°F. This vault has been constructed and filled in the event there is a disaster which wipes out all of our existing crops. Smart, yet depressing at the same time.

While there are many cultures that have 2012 as an eventful year, are people reading more into the writings and calendars then they should? Sure the Mayan calendar cumulates on 12/21/12, but is it because it's supposed to be the end of time, or is it perhaps something more simple?

The Mayan calendar is actually multiple calendars tracking various cycles including astronomical and harvest. The calendar begins around 3114 BC (before their culture existed) and ends in 2012 AD. That's a 5,126 year cycle before resetting to zero. So is it the end of time or is the calendar just resetting, like we do every December 31^st?

December 21^st is the winter solstice. The interesting detail for this date in 2012 is that it is also the date that the sun, for the first time in about 26,000 years, will be aligned with the center of our galaxy. While interesting, is it relevant?

So is this another Y2K (Do you remember where you were for Y2K)?

Are people working themselves up for nothing or is Armageddon upon us?

Candy cane anyone?

Monday Morning Leadership – Week 2

Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

If every time you turn around you find yourself donning fire gear and a hose, then you're not being a leader. Leaders are to whom people turn during a crisis, but they should not be continuously putting out fires. You can't lead when you're the one holding the hose.

Instead, a leader should keep themselves and their group focused on their goals…the main thing. The leader needs to ensure the group knows and understands the goals, rather than just assume they do. "... [W]hen you depend on another's perceptions to match your expectations, you're setting yourself up for disappointment." You have to make certain everyone is paddling the boat in the same direction.

What if your boss is a poor leader with whom you have no relationship? Cottrell suggests that the relationship between a leader and his boss affects the workers and he's absolutely correct. I've been there.

I remember how frustrated I was with that person and how much I sincerely did not understand how they were in their current position. I soon realized my poor relationship with her was affecting my relationship with my associates. I had to do an about-face and work to develop a positive relationship. It was a difficult task. Instead of ignoring her and only giving her the basics of what was going on during the course of a day, I coached up. I put together my own spreadsheets and reports and started tracking the information I believed needed to be tracked from a daily and weekly stand point. I then began reporting it to not only her, but to her boss during our daily and bi-weekly meetings. After a few weeks passed Not only could I tell a difference in the relationship, but so could her boss and my associates. It forced her to be more in tune with the needs of the department which led to two things: 1) She had to spend more one-on-one time with me and 2) The positive relationship developed.

Do you know what the main thing is in your area? Is there more than one main thing? How's your relationship with your boss? Is it positively affecting you and your group?

Simply Random

Staying with the theme of haphazard, this really cracked me up and I'm not sure why. It's a useless gadget that helps you accomplish absolutely nothing.

Honestly, I'd like to have one on my desk. You know everyone would ask, "What is it? What does it do?" .

It definitely compliments my personality, don't you think?

 

Together

It's so very nice to have Ray home. We don't do much when he's here…comic book store, Wal-Mart, cook, play board games and "borrow" football games off the internet. To me, it doesn't matter what we do, just as long as he's here.

Anyone out there feeling nauseous yet? :o)

Seriously, we could sit here all day and not do anything but talk and I'd be content.

I can't wait until I too reside in Indianapolis!

Monday Morning Leadership – Week 1

I am currently reading the book Monday Morning Leadership by David Cottrell. It's a short concise book with 8 chapters or mentoring sessions which was recommended to me by a fellow manager. As I am going to go through the book a chapter a week, I will be summarizing what it's about and what I think of it. And since the book is titled Monday Morning Leadership, I think Monday's will be a good day to post.

Aren't you excited? Here we go.

Drivers and Passengers

The difference between a driver and a passenger is that the passenger has no responsibility for the road, its conditions, the other drivers or the rest of the passengers in his vehicle, while the driver is responsible for all of the things. Relating this to a working environment, the difference between an employee and a successful leader is that the leader is responsible for the employees and their work instead of just their own position.

The key word in all of this is responsibility. In order to be a leader you must take responsibility and not make excuses. You have to back your upper management and their decisions and be willing to make adjustments to reach your goals. Blaming people and/or situations for your short-comings is no longer acceptable. When you utilize blame, then you are still looking behind you, in the past. When you utilize responsibility, you are making plans for future successes.

So, are you a driver or a passenger?

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

Martin Luther King, Jr. worked for equality and social justice through his speeches and marches, his nonviolence and service. His charismatic personality inspired the subjugated surrounding him. His message gave hope and dignity to the black and the poor and spurned them to be an active part of the needed social change. On April 4, 1968 Dr. King was shot in Memphis, TN protesting low wages and unbearable working conditions for sanitation workers.

Hopefully, Monday, January 18, 2010 people will think of the "Beloved Community" envisioned by Dr. King and join the rest of the nation in celebrating him and his vision through service. If you need assistance finding somewhere to serve, click here and type in your location.

What are you doing to serve?

The Saw Mill

Growing up I spent a lot of time with my grandpa – Harvey Lee Sasser. He took the time to teach me to read and worked with me when it became apparent my stuttering was more than just a small problem. He taught me there's nothing better than the truth and that like it or not, you have to trust people until they prove otherwise.

We spent mornings, afternoons and evenings either in his backyard on Pin Oak or on his back porch on Foxglove. During that time we'd watch my grandma's current chihuahua run around the back yard believing it was the largest beast for miles around. He would share stories of his childhood, of him sitting in a school house upset with himself because his father was out there working hard to support the family and he wasn't, so he decided one day to not return to school and instead go to work with his father. About how he had entered a small German town with his troop where everyone had been gunned down before they arrived yet he came upon a family in hiding and sat and shared his rations with them. About how he slept in a trench with nothing above him but the night sky for protection and how he jumped from train to train to get home after he returned from the war. About how he and his sons-in-law would go fishing together – and how good of a fisherman he was compared to them!

Now that I am married to my husband who grew up working alongside his father in a saw mill, it is my grandpa's saw mill stories I miss the most. I wish he were still here with us to share those stories with Ray and for Ray to share his stories with him. I truly believe they would have enjoyed each other's company and Harv would have enjoyed sharing that part of his life with someone who could genuinely relate.
I am very thankful I am easily amused by a good story and that even when he would tell me a story for what seemed like the hundredth time, I treated it like the first. He used those stories to share life lessons with me as a child and even as a young twenty-something, when he forgot more than just who I was, those stories and their lessons were still relevant to me.
Remember to share your life stories with those around you; they very well may help mold them.

The Interview

Today was the day of my interview. I think it went really well. I was nervous all last night to the point where I only slept for three hours. Then I was nervous with sweaty palms all morning. When the interview started all of that went away. I felt comfortable, relaxed and confident. The interviewers were very personable and, from my own experience as an interviewer, did very well at balancing the "script" of questions to be asked with personal interest.

Fingers crossed for a second interview!

It’s A New Year

It's January 2010 and there's plenty on my mind.

Indianapolis: Ray moved to Indy the first week of December '09. I'm still in Alabama. I have not enjoyed living apart, yet there are folks witho whom we work which have done it for months at a time and one couple which have lived apart for a year and a half already. I just can't imagine. I've had one job interview and was no'ed due to my lack of floor experience. Not meaning to be a snot about it, but I do have floor experience and since they had just gotten the TPR and some other reports and programs with which I am very familiar, I could have been a big help. But that's okay. I just have to believe that the Lord has something better planned for me.

I do have an interview for another position Tuesday 1/12 at 10:00. It is a step down from what I am currently doing, but that's okay. My ego isn't wrapped up in my job title. Then again, there is a small part of me that really likes being the "boss". I figure it'll give me a chance to prove I can run an operation on the floor and work my way up...again. Very similar to the situation in Baytown now that I think about it. Hmm...

Blood Pressure: Mine is high. It has come down from what I was running in May of '09, but still isn't at an ideal level. It runs around the lower 130's over the mid to high 90's, and randomly peaks. I was eating poorly, stressed and overweight (236 lbs). I have addressed some of this by improving my eating habits and am losing weight (200 lbs). I'm still working on the stress piece. Maybe stepping down to an area manager will be good for me. I will only work 4 days a week instead of being responsible for a 24/7 operation. Wow, that actually sounds appealing. If I get the job, we'll see how long it takes me to get bored.

Lease: Moving to Indy before August will require us to break our lease. I've never done that before and it makes me nervous. It also makes me sad because I had a contract with someone and I will have to break it. It makes me feel slimy, like I've gone back on my word. My grandpa wouldn't have like that at all.

Family: While I don't get to see them very often, I'd like to see them more, especially Farrah and Claudia. They always make me smile. Claudia is just a mess! Dad always keeps up with me and how Ray and I are doing...since he has so much time off *cough*. And mom is mom. She's always up to something. :o)

So what's my resolution for the year?
Get off the BP meds!
This involves me continuing to eat better and continuing to lose weight. It will also involve me getting active. We'll work on that one soon.