Tuesday, December 04, 2007
R.I.P
The Mountaineer offense passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Dec. 1. Their demise was caused by an extended attack by at least eleven panthers that lasted approximately 3-4 hours. Repeated attempts to resuscitate the victim were unsuccessful. Survivors include the Mountaineer defense, a number of grief stricken coaches, and legions of fans. Coroner Richard Rodriquez stated that an autopsy will be performed but the results will not be known until Jan. 2. In a joint press release Ohio State & LSU extended their condolences and expressed their gratitude to the Mountaineer offense for their selflessness and generosity.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
The Next Best Thing
I wonder who thought the bagless vacuum cleaners were the next best great idea? Call me crazy or old-fashioned, but to me it was soooo easy to pluck a bag full of dirt from my vacuum & drop it into the trash. No fuss, no muss. Well, my bagless vacuum has a very small capacity & must be emptied constantly. When I empty it, a cloud of dust envelops creating more dirt for cleaning (not to mention a spree of sneezing). In addition, there are filters to clean & wash. Vacuuming has never been so much work! I'm hoping other consumers will agree with me . . . the only fault I could find with vacuums with bags was the number of different kinds of bags & their availability. I may need to start a one-woman campaign to bring back the bags.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Oops
I have been watching "Dancing with the Stars" since its inception a few years ago. On every show they refer to the competition for the "Mirabald" trophy. Unfamiliar with ballroom dancing stars, I assumed the award was named for someone who had distinguished him or herself in dance. Imagine my surprise when today I was reading about the finale online. The "Mirabald" trophy is actually something called a mirrored ball trophy--reference being to the mirrored ball adorning the top of it!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Ramblings
A big WOO HOO to the WVU Mountaineers who are now ranked #2 in the nation!!! A win against Pitt next Saturday would propel WVU into the national championship game in New Orleans.
A few weeks ago at a Mountaineer football game I noticed the kid in front of Trent did not stand for the national anthem. I asked Trent if he thought the kid was protesting. "No," he answered, "did you see what's on his shirt?" Trent then interpreted the "farfrompukin" message on the back of the kid's shirt for me & told me "but I don't think he's that far from puking." The game had just begun when the kid threw up & splashed vomit on the backs of the people in front of him. Swiftly, this kid & his parents left the game. I did my part by screaming for security to come & clean up this mess! Unbelievably, the people who had been hit by the vomit, cleaned up as best they could & stayed for the game. When we got to the game this past Saturday, there was a drunk man immediately behind me. All I could think about while he was slurring his words was the incident of vomiting from a few weeks ago. Luckily, he just had a good time & never did get sick, but it did cause me some anxiety!
This year my sister & I were each to prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. I was positive that my sister told me we were baking turkey breasts, not whole turkeys. Since I had only baked a turkey once in my life, I gladly accepted Rachael's offer to do this for me. My dad bought the turkeys so I called Trent & asked him to pick one up from his grandfather. "Please don't let him get it out of the refrigerator," I told him, "it weighs 20 pounds!" Trent proceeded to tell me it was impossible for a turkey breast to weigh 20 pounds & decided to call his Aunt Jan. Well, he was right; it was a whole turkey. So on Thanksgiving day my sons & my nephews had a heyday with my misconception about the 20 pound breasts. The discussion only went downhill from there, but it did provide some fun even though it was at my expense. The turkey was delicious, by the way.
I find it interesting that the SC football team has a quarterback with a last name of "Smelly" & a kicker with a last name that is pronounced "Suckup!" The Mountaineers have two defensive starters with last names of "Dingle" & "Berry." When they stand side by side, those in the stadium with cameras are taking pictures of the "Dingle Berry" on the backs of their uniforms. In addition, the USC quarterback's name is "Booty." I guess it's good that these guys are probably big enough to take on anyone who would mock their names.
I had a call today at work from someone adding a car. She told me it was a "Zulu" (Izuzu) & in giving me the VIN, said "X" as in "Exxon." Unfortunately, this was just one of many really dumb calls today! Nothing like a Monday following a holiday weekend for a huge number of calls.
And a duh moment for me . . . a couple of weeks ago I had a 7pm meeting across town. After work I typically exercise so I tried to cram in a one hour walk at 5:15. I rushed home, took a quick shower, applied make-up & deodorant, got dressed & jumped in the car. I hurried to the meeting location; however when I arrived, the place was dark & there were no other cars. I quickly checked my calendar to find the meeting was the following week! This was hot on the heels of my being fooled by my atomic clock into thinking daylight savings time had ended the last weekend in October. On my way to church I began to suspect that I was an hour behind. A call to Adam confirmed it. Needless to say, I returned home & and successfully avoided the humiliation of pulling up at church just as it was letting out!
A few weeks ago at a Mountaineer football game I noticed the kid in front of Trent did not stand for the national anthem. I asked Trent if he thought the kid was protesting. "No," he answered, "did you see what's on his shirt?" Trent then interpreted the "farfrompukin" message on the back of the kid's shirt for me & told me "but I don't think he's that far from puking." The game had just begun when the kid threw up & splashed vomit on the backs of the people in front of him. Swiftly, this kid & his parents left the game. I did my part by screaming for security to come & clean up this mess! Unbelievably, the people who had been hit by the vomit, cleaned up as best they could & stayed for the game. When we got to the game this past Saturday, there was a drunk man immediately behind me. All I could think about while he was slurring his words was the incident of vomiting from a few weeks ago. Luckily, he just had a good time & never did get sick, but it did cause me some anxiety!
This year my sister & I were each to prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. I was positive that my sister told me we were baking turkey breasts, not whole turkeys. Since I had only baked a turkey once in my life, I gladly accepted Rachael's offer to do this for me. My dad bought the turkeys so I called Trent & asked him to pick one up from his grandfather. "Please don't let him get it out of the refrigerator," I told him, "it weighs 20 pounds!" Trent proceeded to tell me it was impossible for a turkey breast to weigh 20 pounds & decided to call his Aunt Jan. Well, he was right; it was a whole turkey. So on Thanksgiving day my sons & my nephews had a heyday with my misconception about the 20 pound breasts. The discussion only went downhill from there, but it did provide some fun even though it was at my expense. The turkey was delicious, by the way.
I find it interesting that the SC football team has a quarterback with a last name of "Smelly" & a kicker with a last name that is pronounced "Suckup!" The Mountaineers have two defensive starters with last names of "Dingle" & "Berry." When they stand side by side, those in the stadium with cameras are taking pictures of the "Dingle Berry" on the backs of their uniforms. In addition, the USC quarterback's name is "Booty." I guess it's good that these guys are probably big enough to take on anyone who would mock their names.
I had a call today at work from someone adding a car. She told me it was a "Zulu" (Izuzu) & in giving me the VIN, said "X" as in "Exxon." Unfortunately, this was just one of many really dumb calls today! Nothing like a Monday following a holiday weekend for a huge number of calls.
And a duh moment for me . . . a couple of weeks ago I had a 7pm meeting across town. After work I typically exercise so I tried to cram in a one hour walk at 5:15. I rushed home, took a quick shower, applied make-up & deodorant, got dressed & jumped in the car. I hurried to the meeting location; however when I arrived, the place was dark & there were no other cars. I quickly checked my calendar to find the meeting was the following week! This was hot on the heels of my being fooled by my atomic clock into thinking daylight savings time had ended the last weekend in October. On my way to church I began to suspect that I was an hour behind. A call to Adam confirmed it. Needless to say, I returned home & and successfully avoided the humiliation of pulling up at church just as it was letting out!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Sports Fever
It's a little time consuming to manage my weekly football activities . . . I play college pickem, pro pickem & have a fantasy team. Well, I started out my college picks with a bang! I was even perfect one week!! It all went south for me though when my Mountaineers lost to USF. I had put a huge amount of confidence points on WVU & slipped from first to fourth for the week. I have pretty much stayed there since. The pro teams for me are a crap shoot--the only thing predictable is that bad teams will beat good teams, but it's hard to tell which week that will happen. And my fantasy team . . . my starting quarterback, Drew Brees, was giving me nothing. After doing really well last year, he was struggling. Finally, I picked up a better backup QB, Jeff Garcia, & started him. He's done alright, but I still was hoping for stellar. So last week I dumped Drew Brees in favor of Kurt Warner. With Matt Leinart injured I thought Kurt would seize the opportunity & go crazy passing the ball. I decide to start Kurt instead of Jeff Garcia (who had 21 points while on my bench last Sunday) all the while thinking I have cleverly manipulated my lineup & have quite a "find" in Warner. Well, he got ZERO points for me this week!! In my two years of playing fantasy football I cannot recall any starting quarterback getting zero points. Yes, he got injured, but still. And who did finally go crazy & have a great game? Drew Brees!!! So this morning I'm dropping Warner & picking up Brees which probably means that Warner will have the game of his life next week & Brees will revert to mediocrity. I think I'm beginning to understand that I'm not quite as crafty as I thought when it comes to making the right moves.
So add to the above tracking Jay's football games via text messages every Saturday, tracking Brett's soccer via the internet & phone calls, as well as checking on Adam's FSU games via stat tracker intermittently. Of course there are WVU games to attend and games to watch on tv. And Adam's soccer podcasts as well as the Brothers in 3-Z to listen to weekly. If it wasn't so much fun, it would wear me out!
So add to the above tracking Jay's football games via text messages every Saturday, tracking Brett's soccer via the internet & phone calls, as well as checking on Adam's FSU games via stat tracker intermittently. Of course there are WVU games to attend and games to watch on tv. And Adam's soccer podcasts as well as the Brothers in 3-Z to listen to weekly. If it wasn't so much fun, it would wear me out!
Monday, October 08, 2007
Let Us Pray?
Our church service this past week didn't get off to a good start. Our bell choir was to ring during the prelude which was inadvertently skipped over by the liturgist. We were to ring when the liturgist said "Let us worship God;" however, she said, "Let's us pray," so instead we prayed. Thus began a rather comedic service that went from bad to worse.
Sunday church service usually provides me with some time of reflection & spiritual renewal. Often an insightful or inspiring sermon will stay in my mind during the upcoming week. This past Sunday was totally different. Our church is now looking to replace our minister of eight years--one whose presence in the pulpit was both inspiring and a source of comfort for me. We now have the revolving door of ministers while the search is on. Some are good; some are not. Yesterday's minister, however, was beyond terrible causing many of us to wonder, what, if anything, she was trying to convey to us. Her sermon was peppered with long pauses . . . at first, I thought this was perhaps for dramatic effect. As it unfolded though, it seemed these pauses were more that she had either lost her place in her notes or lost her train of thought. They became increasingly frequent as she continued. At some point after she had told an extremely long antedote, she put her hands up to her face & stated, "I don't know why I told that story!" (Duh, neither do we!) I struggled to stay awake & could not tell you anything about her sermon topic. It all became quite laughable as one of my friends noted that the Zundell boys (yes, they are great with the witty comments) would have had a heyday! When mercifully she finally concluded her sermon, she moved on to communion, & I believe we collectively thought that at least we would have this spiritual experience to take from the service. But this was not to be as she "winged" through the Eucharist, not just changing words or phrases, but changing entire paragraphs making it nearly impossible to follow along. The communion was served, but she neglected to serve the elders who had been at the various stations with the bread & wine. Church begins at 10:45 & generally concludes a hour or so later. Sunday I glanced at my watch as I was leaving what felt like a marathon service to find that it was nearly 12:30! When we were on the sidewalk after church & the jokes were flying as if we had just left a comedy club, we were joined by a member who looked absolutely worn out from the nearly two hour ordeal--I guess it could have been worse; he had been volunteering in the nursery!
Sunday church service usually provides me with some time of reflection & spiritual renewal. Often an insightful or inspiring sermon will stay in my mind during the upcoming week. This past Sunday was totally different. Our church is now looking to replace our minister of eight years--one whose presence in the pulpit was both inspiring and a source of comfort for me. We now have the revolving door of ministers while the search is on. Some are good; some are not. Yesterday's minister, however, was beyond terrible causing many of us to wonder, what, if anything, she was trying to convey to us. Her sermon was peppered with long pauses . . . at first, I thought this was perhaps for dramatic effect. As it unfolded though, it seemed these pauses were more that she had either lost her place in her notes or lost her train of thought. They became increasingly frequent as she continued. At some point after she had told an extremely long antedote, she put her hands up to her face & stated, "I don't know why I told that story!" (Duh, neither do we!) I struggled to stay awake & could not tell you anything about her sermon topic. It all became quite laughable as one of my friends noted that the Zundell boys (yes, they are great with the witty comments) would have had a heyday! When mercifully she finally concluded her sermon, she moved on to communion, & I believe we collectively thought that at least we would have this spiritual experience to take from the service. But this was not to be as she "winged" through the Eucharist, not just changing words or phrases, but changing entire paragraphs making it nearly impossible to follow along. The communion was served, but she neglected to serve the elders who had been at the various stations with the bread & wine. Church begins at 10:45 & generally concludes a hour or so later. Sunday I glanced at my watch as I was leaving what felt like a marathon service to find that it was nearly 12:30! When we were on the sidewalk after church & the jokes were flying as if we had just left a comedy club, we were joined by a member who looked absolutely worn out from the nearly two hour ordeal--I guess it could have been worse; he had been volunteering in the nursery!
Thursday, October 04, 2007
The Workplace
Ahhhh, the workplace, where I spend so many of my waking hours each day. The place where I'm becoming worn out by busy work heaped on me by one of our companies, stupid questions from customers, & a workspace that is in need of a make-over. In addition, there have been problems with the fax machine, printer, scanner, & computers this week. Frustration? Oh, yeah! Fortunately, we have so many strange/stupid interactions with customers that we always have something to laugh about.
This week, the first of the month, has brought forth the usual cast of characters (those who refuse to mail in their payments or go on automatic debit). We have had the man who is so loud we often have a headache when he leaves . . . when he's not talking in his "outside" voice, he's giggling like a hyena. The short (almost can't see her over the counter) woman who has entralled us with details of beating up her female lover & being arrested for battery. The part-Cherokee man who is not licensed to drive--his wife drives him around in a big purple pickup truck--who always is getting ready for a pow wow somewhere & who always has some inside information about gas prices.
We have often thought of secretly compiling a top ten list of the dumbest customers . . . It would be a hot contest! I recently asked a customer (who was reporting a claim) what the circumstances of the accident were. "Huh?" she said. So I rephrased, "how did the accident happen?" She replied, "I don't know." I responded, "Were the police called?" thinking that the details could be found in the police report. "Huh?" she said. She cannot top, however, the guy who let a girl he met in a bar test drive the car he was hoping to sell . . . he never saw the girl or the car again!
So I guess it's good that the crazy, the unusual, the downright stupid daily interactions provide us with something to laugh about. . . at least it is never boring.
This week, the first of the month, has brought forth the usual cast of characters (those who refuse to mail in their payments or go on automatic debit). We have had the man who is so loud we often have a headache when he leaves . . . when he's not talking in his "outside" voice, he's giggling like a hyena. The short (almost can't see her over the counter) woman who has entralled us with details of beating up her female lover & being arrested for battery. The part-Cherokee man who is not licensed to drive--his wife drives him around in a big purple pickup truck--who always is getting ready for a pow wow somewhere & who always has some inside information about gas prices.
We have often thought of secretly compiling a top ten list of the dumbest customers . . . It would be a hot contest! I recently asked a customer (who was reporting a claim) what the circumstances of the accident were. "Huh?" she said. So I rephrased, "how did the accident happen?" She replied, "I don't know." I responded, "Were the police called?" thinking that the details could be found in the police report. "Huh?" she said. She cannot top, however, the guy who let a girl he met in a bar test drive the car he was hoping to sell . . . he never saw the girl or the car again!
So I guess it's good that the crazy, the unusual, the downright stupid daily interactions provide us with something to laugh about. . . at least it is never boring.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Food for thought
It is not in my nature to eat a lot of red meat, and heaven help me, never bacon; however, this week I have embarked on phase one of the "Cheat to Lose" diet. Week 1 is low carb, so hello steak! Since I'm probably addicted to carbs, the first two days were a little rough, but day 3 has been much better. During the first couple of days, I found myself staring longingly at a can of toddler veggie "puffs." How desperate was I! My great treat has been my chocolate calcium chewable which is twice daily. Things begin to look up after the first week as some new foods can be added. After 3 weeks we get into a routine of a "cheater" day on Saturday when anything goes. I guess the prospect of that will sustain me for now.
Ok. Week 2, 5 pounds of ugly fat GONE! It's become increasingly easier as I adjust to the portions & the protein since I get to add in a few more foods. I can now actually eat a restaurant meal & not feel deprived. I have discovered a delicious sugar free ice cream & have to keep reminding myself that a serving is 1/2 cup. Suddenly I realize that if I had been more vigilant about portion size, I probably wouldn't have any weight to lose. I am an adult still wanting to eat like the teenager I once was . . . the one who could literally stuff herself without ever reaching a three digit weight. Ah, if only I could bring back the days of a quick metabolism!!
Ok. Week 2, 5 pounds of ugly fat GONE! It's become increasingly easier as I adjust to the portions & the protein since I get to add in a few more foods. I can now actually eat a restaurant meal & not feel deprived. I have discovered a delicious sugar free ice cream & have to keep reminding myself that a serving is 1/2 cup. Suddenly I realize that if I had been more vigilant about portion size, I probably wouldn't have any weight to lose. I am an adult still wanting to eat like the teenager I once was . . . the one who could literally stuff herself without ever reaching a three digit weight. Ah, if only I could bring back the days of a quick metabolism!!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Surprise
Last Sunday night a group of my close friends surprised me with a dinner get-together in honor of my birthday. The food, wine, & laughter certainly took the edge off my feeling of impending gloom regarding my upcoming birthday. Known for being rather obtuse & unobservant, I was there for at least a half hour (several of us were engrossed in watching Roger Federer play his championship match in the US Open) before I realized that this gathering was for me! Several glasses of wine later, this birthday thing didn't seem quite so bad. It has been said that friends are the family you choose, & indeed I have chosen well!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Drew
What could be better than watching WVU play football on a Saturday afternoon? Spending the day with Drew! While others were lamenting the sluggish first half of WVU vs. Marshall, Drew & I were playing. The simple joys for a 16 month old . . . petting a cat, laughing along as I sang silly songs, pouring a bucket of water over his head in the pool . . . are life affirming. Occasionally I would receive a surprise kiss or hug. . . a true bonus! Drew quite considerately napped during most of the second half, & as it turned out, the only part of the game worth watching. But I would gladly have skipped the whole thing for a day with this precious little boy!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Minnie Mouse
As a sophomore in high school we had our yearbook photos taken in one shot. No time to pose or smile or get ready in any way, just a quick flash. The selection of poses was reserved for upperclassmen. Needless to say, I had an unforgetable yearbook photo my sophomore year. In fact one of my close friends (a really cute guy) told me that I looked like Minnie Mouse in my picture . . . which was unfortunately quite true! He proceeded to call me "Minnie" for the rest of the school year.
Well, I always remember this when getting a new picture taken for my driver's license. Through the years I have always taken time to prepare for this photo since I will have to live with the results for five years. I like to go before work with shining clean hair & make-up intact. I have even gone so far as to practice a sort of half-smile in the mirror. So far, however, this has not worked well for me, & the results have been an increasingly older version of Minnie Mouse. No matter how much preparation & preening I would do, my license photo was always a disaster!
One afternoon last week when I was at work, I suddenly realized that I had not renewed my driver's license, & it would expire the following day. I leapt from my desk, raced home to get the form, & raced to the DMV to get there before it closed at 4:30. I ran in rather breathless at 4:20 & realized I had not completed the form. I did some speed reading & whipped through the questions in record time. At 4:25 I needed only to be fingerprinted & photographed. It dawned on me that I probably couldn't look much worse after a full day of work plus racing to the DMV, but I knew I had no time to do anything about it. Five minutes later I walked to my car & braced myself for what I feared might be a photo even worse than my prior ones. Amazingly, this photo was completely normal . . . not that I would care to enter it in a photo contest, but I looked just like a regular person. Goodbye, Minnie Mouse, at least for the next five years!
Well, I always remember this when getting a new picture taken for my driver's license. Through the years I have always taken time to prepare for this photo since I will have to live with the results for five years. I like to go before work with shining clean hair & make-up intact. I have even gone so far as to practice a sort of half-smile in the mirror. So far, however, this has not worked well for me, & the results have been an increasingly older version of Minnie Mouse. No matter how much preparation & preening I would do, my license photo was always a disaster!
One afternoon last week when I was at work, I suddenly realized that I had not renewed my driver's license, & it would expire the following day. I leapt from my desk, raced home to get the form, & raced to the DMV to get there before it closed at 4:30. I ran in rather breathless at 4:20 & realized I had not completed the form. I did some speed reading & whipped through the questions in record time. At 4:25 I needed only to be fingerprinted & photographed. It dawned on me that I probably couldn't look much worse after a full day of work plus racing to the DMV, but I knew I had no time to do anything about it. Five minutes later I walked to my car & braced myself for what I feared might be a photo even worse than my prior ones. Amazingly, this photo was completely normal . . . not that I would care to enter it in a photo contest, but I looked just like a regular person. Goodbye, Minnie Mouse, at least for the next five years!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Disturbing Ads
Recently I have noticed a cell phone ad for "back to school" for a phone that plays music, has a camera, etc. It doesn't seem to be targeted to college students who logically may be in the market for a phone if they are going away. I find it amusing that a "back to school" need for teens & preteens is not notebooks, clothes, or even a computer but instead an phone!
Something called RLS (restless leg syndrome) has also caught my attention due to the ad. First, is this a new malady . . . I've never heard of it. However, in my opinion, the syndrome seems to be less troublesome than the potential side effects of the medication which include, but are not limited to, unusual gambling or sexual urges!
Since the potential side effects of all medication is required to be included in all advertising, it seems very scary to have anything prescribed! With the exception of the most dire conditions, it seems to me that the risks may often outweigh the benefits.
Ads have been running fairly often on MTV for safe sex. They show a couple about to hook up when the girl abruptly turns down the guy & lectures him on what he's missing out on for not planning to wear a condom. Well, I'm all for safe sex & getting the message out to kids, but this couple seems to have just met. There is no committed relationship which is perhaps going to the next level, but instead a couple of relative strangers . . . I'm not sure that is the message that should be delivered!
The car salesmen (yes, those in the ads are all men) seem to believe that the best way to get the viewer's attention is to yell. Personally, I can't get to the mute button fast enough! There is one local car dealer whose ego seems to be way beyond a normal state of self-confidence. His name is Larry. He wishes viewers a "Larry Christmas" in the winter. He refers to the interstate exit for his dealership as the "Larry Exit." Ironically, at the end of his most recent commercial he urges potential customers to come to his place of business where "IT"S ALL ABOUT you." Yes, the "you" is almost inaudible in this commercial. It actually seems difficult for him to say. I'm not buying it, Larry. . . you haven't fooled me . . . because it's really all about you!
Something called RLS (restless leg syndrome) has also caught my attention due to the ad. First, is this a new malady . . . I've never heard of it. However, in my opinion, the syndrome seems to be less troublesome than the potential side effects of the medication which include, but are not limited to, unusual gambling or sexual urges!
Since the potential side effects of all medication is required to be included in all advertising, it seems very scary to have anything prescribed! With the exception of the most dire conditions, it seems to me that the risks may often outweigh the benefits.
Ads have been running fairly often on MTV for safe sex. They show a couple about to hook up when the girl abruptly turns down the guy & lectures him on what he's missing out on for not planning to wear a condom. Well, I'm all for safe sex & getting the message out to kids, but this couple seems to have just met. There is no committed relationship which is perhaps going to the next level, but instead a couple of relative strangers . . . I'm not sure that is the message that should be delivered!
The car salesmen (yes, those in the ads are all men) seem to believe that the best way to get the viewer's attention is to yell. Personally, I can't get to the mute button fast enough! There is one local car dealer whose ego seems to be way beyond a normal state of self-confidence. His name is Larry. He wishes viewers a "Larry Christmas" in the winter. He refers to the interstate exit for his dealership as the "Larry Exit." Ironically, at the end of his most recent commercial he urges potential customers to come to his place of business where "IT"S ALL ABOUT you." Yes, the "you" is almost inaudible in this commercial. It actually seems difficult for him to say. I'm not buying it, Larry. . . you haven't fooled me . . . because it's really all about you!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Nina needs a nap!
I am becoming increasingly aware that a 50 something woman cannot come near matching the energy level of an exuberant just-turned-four year old boy. This past weekend I picked up my grandson, Owen, somewhere halfway between Marietta, OH & Fairmont, WV. On the way home we stopped at a John Deere tractor lot. There must have been several hundred tractors on the lot, and I believe Owen sat on nearly every one. Always the negotiator he told me that if I would buy him one he could mow my grass. Relying on his love of pizza, I finally convinced him to leave John Deere for lunch with Uncle Adam, Aunt Kelly, and cousin Drew at Pizza Hut.
After lunch we went home to play cats, dogs, race cars, & trains. Owen is at the age where he really can get by without a nap if he gets to bed early; however, his mother suggested that he take a nap at least one of the two days he was visiting me. Around 1:30 I said, "Owen, let's go take a nap." "I don't NEED a nap!" he replied. I attempted to convince him with "Owen, Nina will take a nap with you." His response again was "I don't NEED a nap!" "Well, Owen, you may be right," I answered, "but NINA needs a nap." He feel asleep first, but I slept the longest. Upon waking up we played once more, visited his greatgrandfather where he drove a golf cart & feed a pond full of fish, then went to "Valley Worlds of Fun" amusement park where we rode rides, played mini golf, & had a picnic supper. We ended the day with ice cream on the deck before bed. Both of us were in bed a little after 8 pm.
Saturday morning we were up early playing with the cats as well as racing cars. We left for lunch with Uncle Trent & Aunt Rachael & a visit with their pets. After lunch Rachael suggested that Owen might like the Exotic Jungle pet store, & she was so right! Owen capped off his visit with holding two baby corn snakes . . . Yes, both Nina & Uncle Trent were afraid of the snakes! We retured home & have pretty much the same conversation regarding a nap. Undaunted, I again explain that Nina needs a nap. Owen appeases me once more, & we sleep. After dinner we have visitors. Fortunately, my nephew, Brooks, had plenty of energy to chase Owen around so they had a great time! We go for Frostys on the deck before bath & bed.
Sunday we drive back to the halfway place to return him to his parents. We chat about convertibles & semis as well as the activities of the weekend. He is munching goldfish & talking non-stop in my rearview mirror. My ride back to Fairmont is very quiet . . . I miss that little bundle of energy already!
After lunch we went home to play cats, dogs, race cars, & trains. Owen is at the age where he really can get by without a nap if he gets to bed early; however, his mother suggested that he take a nap at least one of the two days he was visiting me. Around 1:30 I said, "Owen, let's go take a nap." "I don't NEED a nap!" he replied. I attempted to convince him with "Owen, Nina will take a nap with you." His response again was "I don't NEED a nap!" "Well, Owen, you may be right," I answered, "but NINA needs a nap." He feel asleep first, but I slept the longest. Upon waking up we played once more, visited his greatgrandfather where he drove a golf cart & feed a pond full of fish, then went to "Valley Worlds of Fun" amusement park where we rode rides, played mini golf, & had a picnic supper. We ended the day with ice cream on the deck before bed. Both of us were in bed a little after 8 pm.
Saturday morning we were up early playing with the cats as well as racing cars. We left for lunch with Uncle Trent & Aunt Rachael & a visit with their pets. After lunch Rachael suggested that Owen might like the Exotic Jungle pet store, & she was so right! Owen capped off his visit with holding two baby corn snakes . . . Yes, both Nina & Uncle Trent were afraid of the snakes! We retured home & have pretty much the same conversation regarding a nap. Undaunted, I again explain that Nina needs a nap. Owen appeases me once more, & we sleep. After dinner we have visitors. Fortunately, my nephew, Brooks, had plenty of energy to chase Owen around so they had a great time! We go for Frostys on the deck before bath & bed.
Sunday we drive back to the halfway place to return him to his parents. We chat about convertibles & semis as well as the activities of the weekend. He is munching goldfish & talking non-stop in my rearview mirror. My ride back to Fairmont is very quiet . . . I miss that little bundle of energy already!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Insomniac
Sleep has always come easily for me. Just ask any of my family or friends who will tell you that I often cannot control the urge to sleep . . . I believe I'm a little narcoleptic. It has always seemed strange to me that there are actually people who have trouble sleeping. Before the past few months, this was quite a foreign concept.
Recently, though, I have had trouble sleeping. Not falling asleep . . . nothing has changed there . . . just STAYING asleep. I wake up after a couple of hours & cannot get back to sleep. Sometimes I prowl around & clean up the kitchen or throw in a load of laundry. Other times I have gone out to sit on my deck with a glass of wine in the middle of the night. I've now decided that I should stay in bed so I have become somewhat of an expert on late night (or overnight) tv. I can find Oprah at 1 am & Ellen at 3 am. "Larry King" is rerun at midnight. Did you know that there are late-late talk shows on after Conan O'Brien & Craig Ferguson? I can tell you how to make a killing in real estate or lose weight 100 different ways. I know all about acne, make-up, hair stylers & vacuum cleaners. I've seen more "Cosby" & "Cheers" than I imagined possible. I've seen "Bridzillas" & "Platinum Weddings" over & over again. As intriguing as this graveyard shift tv is, I just want a whole night's sleep!
Recently, though, I have had trouble sleeping. Not falling asleep . . . nothing has changed there . . . just STAYING asleep. I wake up after a couple of hours & cannot get back to sleep. Sometimes I prowl around & clean up the kitchen or throw in a load of laundry. Other times I have gone out to sit on my deck with a glass of wine in the middle of the night. I've now decided that I should stay in bed so I have become somewhat of an expert on late night (or overnight) tv. I can find Oprah at 1 am & Ellen at 3 am. "Larry King" is rerun at midnight. Did you know that there are late-late talk shows on after Conan O'Brien & Craig Ferguson? I can tell you how to make a killing in real estate or lose weight 100 different ways. I know all about acne, make-up, hair stylers & vacuum cleaners. I've seen more "Cosby" & "Cheers" than I imagined possible. I've seen "Bridzillas" & "Platinum Weddings" over & over again. As intriguing as this graveyard shift tv is, I just want a whole night's sleep!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Happy Birthday, Owen Mark!
Just four short years ago we spent what seemed like an eternity in the hospital waiting for your arrival. You are the first of what I hope will be many grandchildren to love and enjoy. We have already had so many good times together . . . it is so much fun to sometimes have you one-on-one at my house or yours. You continue to amaze & delight me with each new phase of your development & growth. Have a great birthday, Owen!
Love,
Nina
Love,
Nina
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Oak Island
Reflections on the beach . . .
1) I successfully avoided my night to cook by taking everyone out for a seafood buffet.
2) Although I got a hint of this over the holidays, my daughter-in-law, Rachael, has emerged as quite a game player.
3) Who needs an alarm clock with a 1 year old & 3 1/2 year old? Both boys were awake around 6am!
4) A little boy will imitate a bigger little boy doing just about anything.
5) My grandson Owen's best comment on vacation, "Let's make some friends!"
6) My son Trent's best comment on vacation in response to Owen's constant questions about turning on a microphone for him. "Owen, if anyone ever DID NOT need a microphone, it's you!"
7) Little Drew will come right to anyone who's eating anything hoping for a bite.
8) We all really enjoyed the cooking of my daughters-in-law, Kelly & Rachael, & son, Ryan, who provided several delicious meals. The rest of us were happy to do KP.
9) Grandson learning curve--Owen learned to swim & Drew learned to catch a ball.
10) Who knew I'd love pineapple vodka?
11) There are more ice cream shops on Oak Island than any other business.
12) It was interesting to see the line-up of 7 cell phones in various stages of charging.
13) The ocean is always an awesome & peaceful place for me. It was easy to close my eyes at night knowing I had my children & grandchildren with me.
1) I successfully avoided my night to cook by taking everyone out for a seafood buffet.
2) Although I got a hint of this over the holidays, my daughter-in-law, Rachael, has emerged as quite a game player.
3) Who needs an alarm clock with a 1 year old & 3 1/2 year old? Both boys were awake around 6am!
4) A little boy will imitate a bigger little boy doing just about anything.
5) My grandson Owen's best comment on vacation, "Let's make some friends!"
6) My son Trent's best comment on vacation in response to Owen's constant questions about turning on a microphone for him. "Owen, if anyone ever DID NOT need a microphone, it's you!"
7) Little Drew will come right to anyone who's eating anything hoping for a bite.
8) We all really enjoyed the cooking of my daughters-in-law, Kelly & Rachael, & son, Ryan, who provided several delicious meals. The rest of us were happy to do KP.
9) Grandson learning curve--Owen learned to swim & Drew learned to catch a ball.
10) Who knew I'd love pineapple vodka?
11) There are more ice cream shops on Oak Island than any other business.
12) It was interesting to see the line-up of 7 cell phones in various stages of charging.
13) The ocean is always an awesome & peaceful place for me. It was easy to close my eyes at night knowing I had my children & grandchildren with me.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Mom
It doesn't seem right to blog about the mundane while my heart is still breaking. My mom passed away on June 30 at the age of 85. She was a wonderful woman who lived well and was loved by many. This does give me some comfort, but she left a void in my life and my heart that may never be filled. I will miss her every day! Rest in peace, Mom. Your love lives on in us.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Summer so far
While flipping through my tv channels this evening, I found a show "Honey, We're Killing the Kids," which for some reason I thought was a Disney movie. Upon closer examination I found a couple with 2 young sons whose eating habits were atrocious! The host did a computer projection that showed how the boys would look at 40 if they continued to eat the way they did. Oddly enough, the parents (both of whom were large) were actually shocked!
I have returned this week from a relaxing girlfriends week in St. Augustine, Florida. Everyone should have a week like this . . . totally without responsibilities! Yes, at the beach it was always 5 o'clock somewhere as we enjoyed our wine, beer, & margaritas! I ate too much, drank too much, & spent a ridiculous amount of money on a great pair of shoes. . . but it was all worth it!
Fortunately, I have another vacation to look forward to--a week at the beach in July with my family.
Before leaving for Florida I got to spend two days watching my adorable one year old grandson, Drew. He is learning something new every day & quickly outgrowing the "baby" things, i.e. bottles, binkies, jars of baby food. Yes, I fed him a ham sandwich as well as regular fruit & veggies. He was sooooo much fun!!! This Friday I will go to Ohio to babysit my 3 1/2 year old, equally adorable grandson, Owen. He is always just a bundle of energy & makes some of the most interesting remarks. It should be a lively weekend filled with fun & activity!!!
I have returned this week from a relaxing girlfriends week in St. Augustine, Florida. Everyone should have a week like this . . . totally without responsibilities! Yes, at the beach it was always 5 o'clock somewhere as we enjoyed our wine, beer, & margaritas! I ate too much, drank too much, & spent a ridiculous amount of money on a great pair of shoes. . . but it was all worth it!
Fortunately, I have another vacation to look forward to--a week at the beach in July with my family.
Before leaving for Florida I got to spend two days watching my adorable one year old grandson, Drew. He is learning something new every day & quickly outgrowing the "baby" things, i.e. bottles, binkies, jars of baby food. Yes, I fed him a ham sandwich as well as regular fruit & veggies. He was sooooo much fun!!! This Friday I will go to Ohio to babysit my 3 1/2 year old, equally adorable grandson, Owen. He is always just a bundle of energy & makes some of the most interesting remarks. It should be a lively weekend filled with fun & activity!!!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Chillin'
As I sat in my pajamas on my deck at 6:30 a.m. drinking my coffee & enjoying the sunshine, I wondered what it would be like to just stay put & relax. A day to just chill . . . hmm . . . those days just rarely come along as there is always something that needs my attention. It would be nice just to take a day off to do nothing & not feel the guilt of being non-productive. I need to get ready for work, however, especially since there is a sales contest going on involving money. Of course I'm all over that being both competitive & money-loving. I'm onboard for the "mental health" days some companies actually require employees to take regularly . . . I can't imagine anything more rejuvenating!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Catching Up
Although I thought it was an exaggeration, many people told me that DVR would change my life. My son, Trent echoed this same sentiment in his blog. Actually, it is true! I usually watch very little tv during the warm weather months, but in the winter, I am addicted. No more hurrying home to catch a show! No more thinking & remembering to record! My DVR is smarter than me & after programming my favorites to record all new episodes, I can just relax & forget about it. It's great to whip through the shows commercial-free especially American Idol & Dancing with the Stars when all I really want to see are the competitors & the judges comments. It may have been my smartest tactical move when I traded my $65/month Verizon phone service for the $25/month Time-Warner so that I could afford DVR & HD!!!
When I see something I really want, I am like a dog with a bone. I had been looking for deck furniture for about two years now & could not find anything I really liked that I could afford. Last Sunday while buying some flowers at Wal-Mart, I found a sectional with two ottomans/tables that I loved. After some looking, thinking, & sitting on the furniture, I decided to buy it. When I asked the clerk about delivery, I was told they did not have a delivery service. I checked out the enormous box the furniture came in & decided I would have to keep looking. I did think about the furniture all night & again the next day; then I discussed it with Trent & Rachael. They thought I might be able to have the guys at Wal-Mart put it into a pickup in the box; then I could unload it piece by piece. Trent was leaving for Texas the next day but offered to help anyway. Knowing he had lots of things to do to get ready, I decided to get it myself. Yes, I could have waited & asked my son, Adam, or my nephews to help, but I was determined to have the furniture immediately. I borrowed my dad's pickup & drove to the store to buy the furniture. When it was going to take three guys plus a fork lift to get the box into the pickup, I talked the guys into opening the box & loading the pieces individually. When I got the furniture home, I unloaded it easily by myself until I got to the last piece--the ottoman/table. The ottoman makes a table when the cushion is removed & a large metal tray covers the slats. Unfortunately for me I did not realize this tray was not attached to the ottoman. It fell on my foot as I was lifting the ottoman from the truck. I fear I have broken a bone in my foot as it is quite painful as well as swollen & purple. Right now I can only wear Birkenstocks or running shoes. The furniture looks great on the deck though!
Babies no more . . . My one year old grandson, Drew got a haircut & stopped drinking a bottle. I received some pictures of
3 1/2 year old grandson, Owen, riding a two-wheel bike.
When I see something I really want, I am like a dog with a bone. I had been looking for deck furniture for about two years now & could not find anything I really liked that I could afford. Last Sunday while buying some flowers at Wal-Mart, I found a sectional with two ottomans/tables that I loved. After some looking, thinking, & sitting on the furniture, I decided to buy it. When I asked the clerk about delivery, I was told they did not have a delivery service. I checked out the enormous box the furniture came in & decided I would have to keep looking. I did think about the furniture all night & again the next day; then I discussed it with Trent & Rachael. They thought I might be able to have the guys at Wal-Mart put it into a pickup in the box; then I could unload it piece by piece. Trent was leaving for Texas the next day but offered to help anyway. Knowing he had lots of things to do to get ready, I decided to get it myself. Yes, I could have waited & asked my son, Adam, or my nephews to help, but I was determined to have the furniture immediately. I borrowed my dad's pickup & drove to the store to buy the furniture. When it was going to take three guys plus a fork lift to get the box into the pickup, I talked the guys into opening the box & loading the pieces individually. When I got the furniture home, I unloaded it easily by myself until I got to the last piece--the ottoman/table. The ottoman makes a table when the cushion is removed & a large metal tray covers the slats. Unfortunately for me I did not realize this tray was not attached to the ottoman. It fell on my foot as I was lifting the ottoman from the truck. I fear I have broken a bone in my foot as it is quite painful as well as swollen & purple. Right now I can only wear Birkenstocks or running shoes. The furniture looks great on the deck though!
Babies no more . . . My one year old grandson, Drew got a haircut & stopped drinking a bottle. I received some pictures of
3 1/2 year old grandson, Owen, riding a two-wheel bike.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Random topics
Escape . . .
One of my favorite songs right now is Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape." I had this experience myself last Saturday as I called the hospital & checked in with my mom then ditched my weekend cleaning/laundry chores & headed to Morgantown to visit my son, Adam, & grandson, Drew. Seeing life through the eyes of a one year old is an awesome experience as we went for a "walk" (Drew stopped every few feet to investigate something or just took off running) on the trail. The most mundane things were quite a source of fascination for Drew . . . rocks, weeds, flowers. We encountered a dog & his owner much to Drew's delight as he pointed & said "dog" over & over. Nothing much compares to reading to & rocking a freshly bathed, sweet smelling baby at day's end, but the steaks Adam grilled for us & his dessert coffee were a very close second!
My father's daughter?
I have taken alot of chiding from my family for always wanting to order last at a restaurant. Upon really thinking about it, I guess I always want to know what everyone else is ordering just in case something sounds better that what I had planned to order. My dad does this too or orders first & then either changes his order or spends time lamenting about what he didn't order & someone else did.
This week I have been dealing with hiring someone to help out at my parents' house. First, I asked my dad if he wanted to interview people with me. He said "no, she doesn't have to please me, you should take her to meet your mother at the hospital." Okay, I find someone & offer to take her to the hospital; however, my dad has now decided that I should just interview her on my own. I'm fine with that, but about five minutes before I am to leave & meet her at a coffee shop, my dad calls & says, "why don't you just meet her here at the house?" I explain to him that it's too late to change the plans & that I'll call him afterwards. I ask the caregiver if she can start the following day, & she agrees. The next day my mom has health complications & cannot be released. I call the caregiver to cancel & explain that hopefully she'll be released tomorrow. We agree that I will call her as soon as I know something. In the meantime, my mom does get the green light for release the following day, & my dad has a plan that the caregiver should come with him to help get my mom home. After two phone calls from my dad, we decide on a time, & I call the caregiver on my way home from work. When I arrive home I already have a message from my dad who has decided it would not be a good idea to have the caregiver go the the hospital. He wants me to call & arrange for her to come later--not a specific time later--but to kind of be "on call." I balk at that fearing that she would soon lose interest in a bunch of loonies who couldn't seem to make a simple decision. I told him I would come meet her at the house at the arranged time (10 am) & we could just stay there while he picked mom up. Additionally, I had told him I would pick up some basic groceries on my way there. At 9 am Dad calls "what are you doing?" I tell him I was just leaving for the grocery store & would be at his house in about 45 minutes to meet the caregiver. He agrees that this is fine, & we hang up. While I'm in the grocery store, he calls again while I am on the line with the caregiver going over directions to the house. I call him back while checking out to find that he thinks my sister should go the the grocery store. I then told him the shopping was finished, & I would be there in 10 minutes. I know he's not being difficult, he's just being himself--there's always a better plan running through his mind at the last minute!
Baby Idol . . .
Well, WVAQ, you really missed the boat on this one. Not only did you miss out of the adorable Drew for the top ten, but you also missed a fantastic opportunites for hits on your website from the friends & families of the over 1000 entrants! What were you thinking!!!
Tongue tied . . .
There is a guy, Bob Dick, who sells ads to the "Big Book" (an oversized phone book) & contacts our office frequently. Try as I might I can't keep from getting these things confused & calling the man "Big Dick!"
One more car . . .
Finally, add this car to the list of ones the owners can't pronounce. This week a woman called to delete her Dodge "Decrepit." (Intrepid)
One of my favorite songs right now is Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape." I had this experience myself last Saturday as I called the hospital & checked in with my mom then ditched my weekend cleaning/laundry chores & headed to Morgantown to visit my son, Adam, & grandson, Drew. Seeing life through the eyes of a one year old is an awesome experience as we went for a "walk" (Drew stopped every few feet to investigate something or just took off running) on the trail. The most mundane things were quite a source of fascination for Drew . . . rocks, weeds, flowers. We encountered a dog & his owner much to Drew's delight as he pointed & said "dog" over & over. Nothing much compares to reading to & rocking a freshly bathed, sweet smelling baby at day's end, but the steaks Adam grilled for us & his dessert coffee were a very close second!
My father's daughter?
I have taken alot of chiding from my family for always wanting to order last at a restaurant. Upon really thinking about it, I guess I always want to know what everyone else is ordering just in case something sounds better that what I had planned to order. My dad does this too or orders first & then either changes his order or spends time lamenting about what he didn't order & someone else did.
This week I have been dealing with hiring someone to help out at my parents' house. First, I asked my dad if he wanted to interview people with me. He said "no, she doesn't have to please me, you should take her to meet your mother at the hospital." Okay, I find someone & offer to take her to the hospital; however, my dad has now decided that I should just interview her on my own. I'm fine with that, but about five minutes before I am to leave & meet her at a coffee shop, my dad calls & says, "why don't you just meet her here at the house?" I explain to him that it's too late to change the plans & that I'll call him afterwards. I ask the caregiver if she can start the following day, & she agrees. The next day my mom has health complications & cannot be released. I call the caregiver to cancel & explain that hopefully she'll be released tomorrow. We agree that I will call her as soon as I know something. In the meantime, my mom does get the green light for release the following day, & my dad has a plan that the caregiver should come with him to help get my mom home. After two phone calls from my dad, we decide on a time, & I call the caregiver on my way home from work. When I arrive home I already have a message from my dad who has decided it would not be a good idea to have the caregiver go the the hospital. He wants me to call & arrange for her to come later--not a specific time later--but to kind of be "on call." I balk at that fearing that she would soon lose interest in a bunch of loonies who couldn't seem to make a simple decision. I told him I would come meet her at the house at the arranged time (10 am) & we could just stay there while he picked mom up. Additionally, I had told him I would pick up some basic groceries on my way there. At 9 am Dad calls "what are you doing?" I tell him I was just leaving for the grocery store & would be at his house in about 45 minutes to meet the caregiver. He agrees that this is fine, & we hang up. While I'm in the grocery store, he calls again while I am on the line with the caregiver going over directions to the house. I call him back while checking out to find that he thinks my sister should go the the grocery store. I then told him the shopping was finished, & I would be there in 10 minutes. I know he's not being difficult, he's just being himself--there's always a better plan running through his mind at the last minute!
Baby Idol . . .
Well, WVAQ, you really missed the boat on this one. Not only did you miss out of the adorable Drew for the top ten, but you also missed a fantastic opportunites for hits on your website from the friends & families of the over 1000 entrants! What were you thinking!!!
Tongue tied . . .
There is a guy, Bob Dick, who sells ads to the "Big Book" (an oversized phone book) & contacts our office frequently. Try as I might I can't keep from getting these things confused & calling the man "Big Dick!"
One more car . . .
Finally, add this car to the list of ones the owners can't pronounce. This week a woman called to delete her Dodge "Decrepit." (Intrepid)
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Memories
Not for the faint of heart is this stroll down memory lane. I have been picking through family photos for a potential gift & was able to enjoy & laugh until tonight. Suddenly, while I am also choosing music, I have become sad & teary. It is so true . . . time is fleeting!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
BK
I am so over Burger King. After getting my "order" (unsweetened iced tea only) wrong twice last week, I realized there's no real reason to go there anymore. After all I just went there for the potential refills. I have now moved on. There's a McDonald's down the street that has tea for the same price although the do not have self-serve drinks. They do, however, seem to know the difference between unsweetened tea & sweetened tea. I am now a patron of the golden arches!
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Happy Birthday
Happy first birthday, Drew! It has been a year of love & laughter . . . wishing you a world filled with happiness today & always!
I love you,
Nina
I love you,
Nina
Monday, May 07, 2007
Weekend Woes
Ground Hog's Day . . .
Yesterday while mowing my back yard I spotted a HUGE ground hog standing beside my storage shed. I assumed my mower running at full speed would be my protection as I attempted to point it at him while staring him down. Unperturbed, he stared back. I began to get rather skittish when he stuffed his large body under the shed. Fortunately I had already mowed in that area because I became afraid to go near the shed. When I finished mowing I was too scared to put the mower back into the shed & instead put it in my garage. It has occurred to me, however, that both my gas & my oil for the mower are still in the shed. Hopefully one of my sons will come check it out for me before I need to mow again.
Crisis Averted . . .
While Ryan, Renea, Owen, & Rachael were visiting this weekend, we were discussing our beach vacation. I pulled out the beach info only to find that my contract had the wrong week on it!!! Of course I had already made a deposit of 50% so I was rather undone. I called the rental office which, naturally, was closed but would reopen Sunday at 8 am. I couldn't get to the phone fast enough on Sunday & was told that I was probably stuck since the my deposit had already been sent to the owner. I expressed that it was good that I had purhased trip insurance & was told that this circumstance would not be covered. It was suggested that I call on Monday & speak to the manager. So today I did call & was pleasantly surprised to find that the agent who had booked the condo admitted that it was her mistake & was willing to help me work something else out. She emailed me 5 other places to check out & was very accomodating. I did find another place in the same complex . . . ocean view, not ocean front . . . but otherwise nice & clean with the same ammenities. I can only imagine the snafu we might have had if we hadn't had a conversation about vacation Saturday evening & had instead just shown up on the wrong date!
Yesterday while mowing my back yard I spotted a HUGE ground hog standing beside my storage shed. I assumed my mower running at full speed would be my protection as I attempted to point it at him while staring him down. Unperturbed, he stared back. I began to get rather skittish when he stuffed his large body under the shed. Fortunately I had already mowed in that area because I became afraid to go near the shed. When I finished mowing I was too scared to put the mower back into the shed & instead put it in my garage. It has occurred to me, however, that both my gas & my oil for the mower are still in the shed. Hopefully one of my sons will come check it out for me before I need to mow again.
Crisis Averted . . .
While Ryan, Renea, Owen, & Rachael were visiting this weekend, we were discussing our beach vacation. I pulled out the beach info only to find that my contract had the wrong week on it!!! Of course I had already made a deposit of 50% so I was rather undone. I called the rental office which, naturally, was closed but would reopen Sunday at 8 am. I couldn't get to the phone fast enough on Sunday & was told that I was probably stuck since the my deposit had already been sent to the owner. I expressed that it was good that I had purhased trip insurance & was told that this circumstance would not be covered. It was suggested that I call on Monday & speak to the manager. So today I did call & was pleasantly surprised to find that the agent who had booked the condo admitted that it was her mistake & was willing to help me work something else out. She emailed me 5 other places to check out & was very accomodating. I did find another place in the same complex . . . ocean view, not ocean front . . . but otherwise nice & clean with the same ammenities. I can only imagine the snafu we might have had if we hadn't had a conversation about vacation Saturday evening & had instead just shown up on the wrong date!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Disconnected
Earlier this week I read my son Trent's blog about the problems he was having getting a satellite dish installed. All those phone calls & so much frustration made me really feel his pain!
Well, I may not be able to top Trent's story, but I certainly can add my own tale of woe. Several weeks ago I placed a call to Time Warner to see what it would cost to have phone service. I pay an average of $60 a month to Verizon so I was thrilled when I was told that Time Warner phone service was only $25 a month with unlimited long distance. Sensing immediately that I would be saving $35 per month, I then inquired about adding DVR & high def to my current "bundle." All together my monthly bill would be $129 for all these services. Since I currently pay $103 for cable in addition to my $60 phone bill, I jumped on this with both feet. I was told, however, that I would have to wait 3 weeks for a service call to install. I scheduled an appointment for April 11. The gave me a "window" of 10-12 for installation.
The day before my scheduled installation I called Time Warner to confirm the appointment & to be sure they had my office & cell phone numbers. I explained that I worked 10-15 minutes from my home & asked if the technician would call when he was starting for my house. The CSR I spoke with told me we were all set. On the day of the appointment no one had called me by 11:20 so I decided to go home to wait for the technician. When I got home I found a phone message from the man who was to do the installation stating that he was on my front porch, & no one was home. I then called the company & was told that they do not call ahead & that I must be home for the entire 2 hour window to let the technician in. I explained that I had called the day before to give my phone numbers & was not told that calling would not be an option. Although the CSR apologized he explained that he was in Denver & could do nothing but reschedule. I got an appointment for 2 days later (Friday) with a window of 8-10.
Thursday morning my brother asked me if I could take my dad to the doctor for a 9 am appointment. I told him I would call Time Warner & see if I could change my installation time. Upon calling the company I was told that they need 72 hours notice to change to another time on the same day. The best they could do was to cancel & reschedule for the following week. Of course my dad's appointment took precedence over my cable/phone installation, so I cancelled & rescheduled for Monday.
Later on Thursday I was driving home from work & stuck in a large line of traffic. I decided to call my house & retrieve my messages. I got a message that my phone had been disconnected! I then called my brother to confirm my dad's appointment time & to tell him that if he needed to reach me he would have to call my cell phone. He did call my cell later to tell me that Dad had been confused & his appointment was actually for 12:30--I could actually have kept my cable appointment! So, I am disconnected for the weekend. Hopefully, my service can & will resume on Monday.
Well, I may not be able to top Trent's story, but I certainly can add my own tale of woe. Several weeks ago I placed a call to Time Warner to see what it would cost to have phone service. I pay an average of $60 a month to Verizon so I was thrilled when I was told that Time Warner phone service was only $25 a month with unlimited long distance. Sensing immediately that I would be saving $35 per month, I then inquired about adding DVR & high def to my current "bundle." All together my monthly bill would be $129 for all these services. Since I currently pay $103 for cable in addition to my $60 phone bill, I jumped on this with both feet. I was told, however, that I would have to wait 3 weeks for a service call to install. I scheduled an appointment for April 11. The gave me a "window" of 10-12 for installation.
The day before my scheduled installation I called Time Warner to confirm the appointment & to be sure they had my office & cell phone numbers. I explained that I worked 10-15 minutes from my home & asked if the technician would call when he was starting for my house. The CSR I spoke with told me we were all set. On the day of the appointment no one had called me by 11:20 so I decided to go home to wait for the technician. When I got home I found a phone message from the man who was to do the installation stating that he was on my front porch, & no one was home. I then called the company & was told that they do not call ahead & that I must be home for the entire 2 hour window to let the technician in. I explained that I had called the day before to give my phone numbers & was not told that calling would not be an option. Although the CSR apologized he explained that he was in Denver & could do nothing but reschedule. I got an appointment for 2 days later (Friday) with a window of 8-10.
Thursday morning my brother asked me if I could take my dad to the doctor for a 9 am appointment. I told him I would call Time Warner & see if I could change my installation time. Upon calling the company I was told that they need 72 hours notice to change to another time on the same day. The best they could do was to cancel & reschedule for the following week. Of course my dad's appointment took precedence over my cable/phone installation, so I cancelled & rescheduled for Monday.
Later on Thursday I was driving home from work & stuck in a large line of traffic. I decided to call my house & retrieve my messages. I got a message that my phone had been disconnected! I then called my brother to confirm my dad's appointment time & to tell him that if he needed to reach me he would have to call my cell phone. He did call my cell later to tell me that Dad had been confused & his appointment was actually for 12:30--I could actually have kept my cable appointment! So, I am disconnected for the weekend. Hopefully, my service can & will resume on Monday.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Quick Update
Ok, I admit it. I have been shamelessly lurking on both the Rivals & Scout message boards for news on Coach Beilein for the past few days. Yes, it had become an addiction. I could hardly tear myself away for fear of missing late-breaking news. I have my favorite sources on the Scout boards--Mexman & Eerhole. They seem to be spot on with inside information--none of which during the past few days has been positive. I realized that I had become rather obsessed when I began quoting them to the Progressive rep who was in our office today. Although the Beilein drama is now over, I now find myself enmeshed in the questions/theories on the coaching search, potential loss of players & recruits, etc. I really do have too much going on to be so involved, but it's irresistible to me right now.
I know my son, Adam, does not care for Joakim Noah of Florida basketball fame; however, I always kind of liked him for staying in school out of loyalty to his teammates. I loved him, however, on Monday night when Florida won the national championship, & he went climbing up through the crowd to hug his mom & share the moment with her.
The Burger King near my office now has 2 large new signs with their refill policy for drinks. I'll just call them the Starrett/Zundell memorial posters & let it go at that. The new manager there is reminiscent of the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfield.
I know my son, Adam, does not care for Joakim Noah of Florida basketball fame; however, I always kind of liked him for staying in school out of loyalty to his teammates. I loved him, however, on Monday night when Florida won the national championship, & he went climbing up through the crowd to hug his mom & share the moment with her.
The Burger King near my office now has 2 large new signs with their refill policy for drinks. I'll just call them the Starrett/Zundell memorial posters & let it go at that. The new manager there is reminiscent of the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfield.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Miscellaneous
Is it me or do you need to be an interpreter to work with the public? In our insurance agency, we could compile a hilarious list of mispronunciations of car names. For example, a customer called to delete his "Tota" & add a Mercury "Stable." He was indeed the second customer to call this car a "Stable" rather than a "Sable;" however, the "Tota" for "Toyota" was a definite first. Another customer called about her Ford "Expire" which is certainly an unflatering version of "Aspire." One of our insureds had several conversations about her Mercury "Mesquite" (Mystique) which was also called "Mystic" by another customer. We have had a number of versions of Hyundai with my favorite being hy-YOOON-die. References to having an insurance policy "shut off" as if it were a utility is also amusing. Then, of course, there is the ever popular plural reference to a driver's license, i.e., "I have to get 'them' renewed or 'they've' expired." And I always enjoy someone calling for a "quota" (quote) for insurance.
Iced Tea Recap: Well, I am going to write or call corporate headquarters at BK about our iced tea. Really, if drive-thru customers may not refill, shouldn't the price be lower? Are we expected to subsidize all the dine-in patrons with their multiple refills?
Bring on Nancy & Jill--At the NIT quarterfinals Nancy & I got caught inadvertently behind he Mountaineer basketball team huddle. When the rifle was fired, the band struck up the fight song, & the team was announced . . . "Let's bring on the Mountaineers" . . . Nancy & I were practically on the court behind the players & coaching staff! A WVU staffer was working diligently to roll out the carpet stopping & starting between us as we tried to find the aisle on the floor to get back to our seats.
Iced Tea Recap: Well, I am going to write or call corporate headquarters at BK about our iced tea. Really, if drive-thru customers may not refill, shouldn't the price be lower? Are we expected to subsidize all the dine-in patrons with their multiple refills?
Bring on Nancy & Jill--At the NIT quarterfinals Nancy & I got caught inadvertently behind he Mountaineer basketball team huddle. When the rifle was fired, the band struck up the fight song, & the team was announced . . . "Let's bring on the Mountaineers" . . . Nancy & I were practically on the court behind the players & coaching staff! A WVU staffer was working diligently to roll out the carpet stopping & starting between us as we tried to find the aisle on the floor to get back to our seats.
Monday, February 19, 2007
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Sometimes it's hard to be good or do good. I seldom spend a whole day trying to be good or do good things, so when I do try I guess I expect the universe to recognize this attempt & support me. This Sunday after braving the ice & snow to go to choir & church, I delivered some homemade cookies & brownies to my nephew Jay who was driving back to school. Since I had offered to drive another nephew, Brooks, to the airport in Pittsburgh, I hurriedly went to fill my car up with gas. I stepped right out of my car into a huge mud puddle that totally covered both of my suede (& only) boots. Frustrated I proceeded to pump my gas & accidentally touched my car with my cream colored corduroy pants & got a huge black mark on them. I went home to change my pants & hopefully dry my boots. I threw my boots in the clothes dryer & my pants in the washer, then got a quick bite to eat. I did manage to get my boots fairly dry & put them on & prepared to leave. I was going to visit my parents & write checks for their bills before we needed to leave for Pittsburgh. Grabbing my coat I (fortunately) noticed that one of the cats had thrown up on it. GEEZ! So I quickly throw my coat in the washer, my pants in the dryer, grab another coat & leave for my parents house to pay their bills before picking up Brooks.
Brooks & I leave a little early for Pittsburgh due to weather concerns & have a nice chance to visit during our trip. On the way I find that I have exhausted my windshield wiper fluid so we stop near the airport so that I can buy some. Brooks puts it in for me & fills it to the gills: however, it won't come out to wash my windshield. After dropping him off at the airport I decide to run my windshield defrost hoping that my frozen fluid will begin working, but that doesn't help. I have to stop several times to wash off my windshield. It is now dark, snowy, icy, & it would be difficult to see even with a clean windshield.
Finally I arrived home safe & relatively sound but feeling I deserved an easier time in a day I was just trying to be helpful!
Brooks & I leave a little early for Pittsburgh due to weather concerns & have a nice chance to visit during our trip. On the way I find that I have exhausted my windshield wiper fluid so we stop near the airport so that I can buy some. Brooks puts it in for me & fills it to the gills: however, it won't come out to wash my windshield. After dropping him off at the airport I decide to run my windshield defrost hoping that my frozen fluid will begin working, but that doesn't help. I have to stop several times to wash off my windshield. It is now dark, snowy, icy, & it would be difficult to see even with a clean windshield.
Finally I arrived home safe & relatively sound but feeling I deserved an easier time in a day I was just trying to be helpful!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Real Life
The recent news is giving credibility to the shows of both Jerry Springer & Maury Povich. There was a time when their guests & topics seemed absurd; however, our news is currently filled with such absurdity.
Anna Nicole Smith's recent death has brought forth at least three additional men who claim they are/could be the father of her baby. I have to believe that if her companion, Howard K. Stern, were actually the father, he would have already taken a DNA test. Not only are there several claiming paternity, but also, there is a fight over her burial.
Last week we had the astronaut who drove cross country in Depends to confront & possibly kill her rival. This seemed to captivate the attention of many since it is believed that astronauts are among the best & brightest in this country.
Of course the antics of Brittney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan are always front & center news. Understandably, Paris needs this kind of press since she is famous only for these types of activities. Brittney & Lindsey, however, did have careers which, in my opinion, are not served well by this kind of publicity.
Today we have the father who assaulted his son's wrestling opponent on the mat after his son was pinned. Whoa! He is making the soccer moms look really good.
Jerry, Maury, you have only to turn on CNN to line up your next guests!
Anna Nicole Smith's recent death has brought forth at least three additional men who claim they are/could be the father of her baby. I have to believe that if her companion, Howard K. Stern, were actually the father, he would have already taken a DNA test. Not only are there several claiming paternity, but also, there is a fight over her burial.
Last week we had the astronaut who drove cross country in Depends to confront & possibly kill her rival. This seemed to captivate the attention of many since it is believed that astronauts are among the best & brightest in this country.
Of course the antics of Brittney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan are always front & center news. Understandably, Paris needs this kind of press since she is famous only for these types of activities. Brittney & Lindsey, however, did have careers which, in my opinion, are not served well by this kind of publicity.
Today we have the father who assaulted his son's wrestling opponent on the mat after his son was pinned. Whoa! He is making the soccer moms look really good.
Jerry, Maury, you have only to turn on CNN to line up your next guests!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Car Escapades
Yesterday I decided it had finally become warm enough to rinse my filthy car off. I had applied Windex to all my windows in an effort to be able to see while driving, but my car has had to be parked on the street at work several times lately & became disgustingly dirty. Well, I went to the touchless automatic car wash & paid for the basic wash. After fighting to get each of my dollars inserted & accepted, at long last I received the message to drive into the carwash. The door was down so I assumed someone else was in there. After waiting several minutes I realized that no one was inside & the door was not going to open. So I pushed the "refund" button; however no refund came out of the machine. I pushed this button several times to no avail. Amazingly, the door suddenly came up, & I started to drive in. It dawned on me while I was driving forward that no instructional lights were on, such as "DRIVE FORWARD." I became rather panicked at the thought of driving in & having the door close permantly behind me--a claustrophobic's worst nightmare! So I left after taking down a phone number on the building to call & attempt to get my money back.
On my way to work this morning I went to the drive-thru at my bank. After exiting & before I could get my window up, a huge truck zipped by me splashing water in through my window. No only did I have mud spattered on my car & my jacket, but also I had several huge spots of mud on my face. I continue driving to work trying to dab at the mud on my face with my gloves. By the time I got to work I had only succeeded in spreading the mud out & looking like I had just returned from a round in the mud wrestling pit. Before I went into my office, I sat in the back parking lot with tissues & hand sanitizer & removed the mud from my face. What a way to start the day!
On my way to work this morning I went to the drive-thru at my bank. After exiting & before I could get my window up, a huge truck zipped by me splashing water in through my window. No only did I have mud spattered on my car & my jacket, but also I had several huge spots of mud on my face. I continue driving to work trying to dab at the mud on my face with my gloves. By the time I got to work I had only succeeded in spreading the mud out & looking like I had just returned from a round in the mud wrestling pit. Before I went into my office, I sat in the back parking lot with tissues & hand sanitizer & removed the mud from my face. What a way to start the day!
Monday, February 05, 2007
The Green Eyed Monster
Most of my friends are teachers, & I am sooooo jealous of them as they spend weeks on end in the summer enjoying travel & fun. However, I have never been more jealous than I am today as I prepare to go to work in 4 degree weather. In the past two weeks we have had school cancelled for a dusting of snow, for water problems, and now due to extremely cold weather. Oh, I know teachers work hard when they have school, but having so much time off certainly would make the hard work worth it for me! I'll think of my teacher friends as I don my longjohns & brave the elements to get to my job.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Partners in Crime
My son, Trent, was informed by the man who rents his townhouse that two trees had been damaged in a storm & needed to be removed. He offered to cut the trees down himself if Trent could get someone to remove them. Since Trent lives in Baltimore & the townhouse is in Morgantown, he called me to see if I could arrange for the trees to be hauled away. I in turn asked my son, Adam, who lives in Morgantown, to drive by to assess the scope of the job. After driving to the townhouse & emailing me a picture, we both agreed that we could handle the job ourselves. So a couple of Saturdays ago in 19 degree weather, Adam & I borrowed a pickup from my dad, bundled up, & drove to the townhouse.
We had planned to fill the truck with the trees & drive to Fairmont to dump it all on my dad's compost pile or in the woods on my property. Somehow the small pile of trees loomed much larger when we actually got up close. We realized that it would be at least two full loads of the pickup. Not wanting to make two round trips to Fairmont, we filled the truck & began to scout around for a place to unload the chopped down trees. Fortunately, we did not have to look far; there was a wooded area in Trent's development that appeared to already contain a couple of discarded Christmas trees. Adam parked the truck, & we quickly unloaded while glancing around to be sure no one would see us. (We did remember the dumpster incident from a few years ago when Trent was nearly arrested for illegally dumping trash in a dumpster . . . who knew putting trash in a trash container was illegal!)
Adam suggested that we scout out another location to dump the second load. This time we feared we might be pushing our luck to stay in the neighborhood to get rid of the trees. After driving through Suncrest we decided that the woods around a college apartment complex would be a suitable spot. (We had seen "no dumping" signs in Suncrest & rationalized that we could then dump where these signs were not posted.) Our assumption was that college students would be sleeping at 9 am on a Saturday & that we could go unobserved, just in case. We returned to the townhouse & loaded the truck back up. We drove back to the apartment complex & moving with lightning speed, we were stealth in getting rid of the remaining tree branches. Mission accomplished!
We had planned to fill the truck with the trees & drive to Fairmont to dump it all on my dad's compost pile or in the woods on my property. Somehow the small pile of trees loomed much larger when we actually got up close. We realized that it would be at least two full loads of the pickup. Not wanting to make two round trips to Fairmont, we filled the truck & began to scout around for a place to unload the chopped down trees. Fortunately, we did not have to look far; there was a wooded area in Trent's development that appeared to already contain a couple of discarded Christmas trees. Adam parked the truck, & we quickly unloaded while glancing around to be sure no one would see us. (We did remember the dumpster incident from a few years ago when Trent was nearly arrested for illegally dumping trash in a dumpster . . . who knew putting trash in a trash container was illegal!)
Adam suggested that we scout out another location to dump the second load. This time we feared we might be pushing our luck to stay in the neighborhood to get rid of the trees. After driving through Suncrest we decided that the woods around a college apartment complex would be a suitable spot. (We had seen "no dumping" signs in Suncrest & rationalized that we could then dump where these signs were not posted.) Our assumption was that college students would be sleeping at 9 am on a Saturday & that we could go unobserved, just in case. We returned to the townhouse & loaded the truck back up. We drove back to the apartment complex & moving with lightning speed, we were stealth in getting rid of the remaining tree branches. Mission accomplished!
Friday, February 02, 2007
ground hog day
I've always found ground hog day confusing. Yes, I know that if a certain ground hog in PA ("Phil") sees his shadow on February 2, it means six more weeks of winter. What I don't know is which scenario do we hope for. Is six weeeks a good thing, as in we ONLY have six weeks of winter left. Or is it a bad thing? I wish someone who enlighten me.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Son of a Bich
A man came into my office last week to get a quote for insurance. He handed me his current policy, & I told him I would quote it while he waited. I went to my desk & began to put the information into my rating system. Suddenly, my eyes were riveted to the name of the man's wife "BICH!" Nervously, I wondered if it could be a typo or if her name really is BICH? How, I wondered, do I ask? Assuming the pronunciation of bich would be the same as rich with a "B," I speculated about asking the birthdate & social security number for what seemed to be "bitch." Tactfully, I asked the man if his wife's name was spelled "B-I-C-H." He assured me that it was. Then, I proceeded to ask for "his wife's" information without using her name. He never did say her name, nor did I, but I still wonder if she really is referred to as "Bitch." I can only imagine the scenarios that would result from this name . . . "I need to get home now or "Bitch" will be furious" or "I would like you to meet my wife, "Bitch" or their son, who could actually be a "son of a bitch!"
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Phone Rage
I work in an insurance office with two other agents. We all answer the phone, and at least 25% of our calls are stupid!
Our number is similar to a local car dealership, Urse Dodge, & we get a number of calls for them. However, it's odd that by answering the phone "Smith-Carpenter Agency," one would think it would be clue that they have the wrong number.
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Is this Urse Dodge?"
Me: "No, it's Smith-Carpenter Agency."
Caller: "Is this 366-9200?"
Me: "No, this is 363-9200."
Caller: "I'm calling Urse Dodge." (Duh!)
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Service Department, please."
Me: "Did you mean to call Urse Dodge?"
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Is my car ready?"
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Could I speak to someone in parts?"
The ever popular conversation starters from callers who do not identify themselves:
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "You called me."
Me: "May I have your name?"
Caller: "John Watson"
Me: "I'm afraid I did not call you today, Mr. Watson. Did you receive a message to call me?"
Caller: "No, your number was on my caller ID."
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "You sent me some papers.
Me: "May I have your name?"
Caller: "Marlene Jackson"
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "How much is my bill?"
Me: "May I have your name?"
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "How much would it cost to add a 2003 Honda to my policy?"
Me: "May I have your name . . .
What's in a name:
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Could I speak with Mary?
Me: "No one with that name works in this office."
Caller: "Is there a Cathy?"
Me: "No, we don't have a Cathy either."
Caller: "Nancy?"
Me: "Yes, we do have a Nancy."
Caller: "Ok. I'll talk to her."
And those who are seeking information of any kind:
"Could you tell me the name of the store next door?"
"Could you tell me the number of the store next door?"
"Could you give me the number for State Farm (a competitor)?"
"How much does it cost to license a vehicle?"
"Do you have the number for Urse Dodge?"
And so it goes . . . .
Our number is similar to a local car dealership, Urse Dodge, & we get a number of calls for them. However, it's odd that by answering the phone "Smith-Carpenter Agency," one would think it would be clue that they have the wrong number.
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Is this Urse Dodge?"
Me: "No, it's Smith-Carpenter Agency."
Caller: "Is this 366-9200?"
Me: "No, this is 363-9200."
Caller: "I'm calling Urse Dodge." (Duh!)
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Service Department, please."
Me: "Did you mean to call Urse Dodge?"
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Is my car ready?"
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Could I speak to someone in parts?"
The ever popular conversation starters from callers who do not identify themselves:
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "You called me."
Me: "May I have your name?"
Caller: "John Watson"
Me: "I'm afraid I did not call you today, Mr. Watson. Did you receive a message to call me?"
Caller: "No, your number was on my caller ID."
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "You sent me some papers.
Me: "May I have your name?"
Caller: "Marlene Jackson"
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "How much is my bill?"
Me: "May I have your name?"
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "How much would it cost to add a 2003 Honda to my policy?"
Me: "May I have your name . . .
What's in a name:
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Could I speak with Mary?
Me: "No one with that name works in this office."
Caller: "Is there a Cathy?"
Me: "No, we don't have a Cathy either."
Caller: "Nancy?"
Me: "Yes, we do have a Nancy."
Caller: "Ok. I'll talk to her."
And those who are seeking information of any kind:
"Could you tell me the name of the store next door?"
"Could you tell me the number of the store next door?"
"Could you give me the number for State Farm (a competitor)?"
"How much does it cost to license a vehicle?"
"Do you have the number for Urse Dodge?"
And so it goes . . . .
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