Shameless Self Promotion

I am the Queen of the Universe, bow down before me! 

Wait, what do you mean I didn't get the job?  I have all the qualifications!  I am the Queen of my home, why not the rest of the universe?  Oh fine, then be that way! 

I'll just stay the Queen of the Neuferland Zoo and you will still bow down before me when you come into my home!

What?  What do you mean you won't bow down before me?  It's my ZOO!  Oh fine, then at least go check these links below and buy something if anything catches your eye! And spread the word to all your friends, family, enemies, frenemies, total strangers, twitter feeds, facebook friends, myspace friends and anyone else you can think of, kay? :)

For now I will forgive your insolence in not bowing down to my greatness but don't push my patience too far! :)

As you can probably tell, I'm feeling a little better.  I still have moments and sometimes days, like yesterday, I was just on edge for no real reason but I have good people who help remind me about the important things in life, like my kids, my health, my well being.  It's all good and will continue to be that way. 

As for a job, while I probably won't be getting a call for Queen of the Universe anytime soon, I am still looking.  It's not easy, between my back and my inability to either sit nor stand for long periods or not being able to pick up more than 20 pounds without it screaming bloody murder at me, it makes the pickings slim and then I'm competing with 50 other people for the same position.  It's disheartening when you put out 20 applications and don't even get one call back.  I'm over qualified for most jobs and don't even get a chance to explain but hey, whatcha gonna do?  Smile and move on to the next application.

I do miss the days of walking into a business, shaking someone's hand and talking to them face to face and that being a BIG part of your application before you even looked at a paper one.  Oh well, again, such is life.

I do have two stores over at Cafe Press, will possibly be adding more as I find more pictures and such.  If I can get these two up and running I might be able to upgrade them and get everything into one shop, that would be nice! :)

So please, go check them out, tell me what you think and for the two lovely people that actually read this blog, thank you! :)

Fabulously Fit Facebookers Official Store

Positive Mental Attitude Page!

You all have a great day and if I don't see you before the weekend is out, Happy Memorial Day to everyone!!  Have a safe and exciting weekend!!!

Deannda

WHERE IN THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN?

I know, I know!  I'm sorry!!! Okay, I'm not really but hey, I could take a stab at some sense of responsibility for not being her, right?  No?  Okay, I won't, I was busy, I have a life, I have things to do, like play Endless Blue Ocean and watch West Wing and look for a job.  Yeah, still looking for a job.  I know what job I would like to have right now after this past week.

The job that would be good for me is to go in and teach others what customer service is about.  I mean, seriously, in this poor economy and people hanging onto their money more than ever, you would think that customer service would be a pretty high priority to most businesses since new business is almost non-existent and repeat business is your biggest money maker right now.  But still, for some businesses it would seem they not only take the attitude that the customer is never right but dang-it I think I'll humiliate them at the same time, just for kicks and giggles!  Which reminds me, I need to make a call to Radio Shack in the mall, be right back.

Okay, I'm back.  Now the reason I called them is because while "technically" they didn't do anything wrong, they followed policy and did what they were supposed to do, it was the "way" they handled the situation at hand.  I won't go into details but let's just say because one person didn't have the common sense and decency to apologize to my daughter, she no longer wants to shop there.  Now there was no real reason for him to apologize since he didn't do anything wrong, he was merely following set rules and regulations but when you have a 14 year old teenage girl at your counter, very upset and distraught over something, the first words you should utter are, "I'm sorry....." followed by why you can or cannot do as she is requesting.  Every other store they went into with the problem had an apology and sympathy for the situation, every store but Radio Shack.  This upset Ellie and she noticed it.  It made a difference to her and how she views that store now.  I just talked to "Bob" (yes, his real name) and explained what happened and told him that while the guy was just doing his job, there could have been a little more sympathy on their part.  He agreed 100%, said he would talk to his staff and told me to tell Ellie that from now on she was to ask for him and he would make sure she was taken care of.  That is good customer service. 

Another example of good customer service was the Comfort Inn we stayed in while in Pittsburgh.  I wrote a letter explaining about our bad experience in the restaurant the last night and my poor experience during check out (was never asked how my stay was and even when I brought up the restaurant experience, nothing from the desk clerk). 

I wrote an email to the manager and explained my experience and why I felt it was important for these issues to be addressed.  She emailed back that not only is she refunding our restaurant charge but she's also using my letter as a tool during their next customer service training session. 

I go around, I watch, I listen and I think to myself, "You know, the customer is NOT always right, but you need to make them think they are so they won't leave and take their business elsewhere."  I watch sales people in stores and I just want to walk up and say, "Here, let me show you how to finish this sale."  Or watch customer service in action and so want to step in and apologize for the store when I see the customer getting more and more upset yet the employee is doing nothing to temper the situation.

Maybe that will be my first big book, "The Customer Is NOT Always Right! - You just have to make them think they are."  Trademark and copyright symbols here. :)

Our Spring Break

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064450&id=1255147729&l=719a16aee4

 

First, I am still doing my Wii Fitness stuff, just not the 30 day challenge right now, making a few of my own routines and also finally was able to hook up the second remote and tonight I challenge Ellie and James at some very simple routines (all upper body right now) and I was very proud of James, he held his own and even beat me on the hitting the boxing heavy bag.  That's my boy!

 

Ellie had to work at keeping up and when we were done she said her arms were so tired that she could barely feel them.  Well girl, that's what happens when you don't work out with your momma like she told you too! :)

 

As for the trip.  We had a great time!  Left Elmira, arrived in Pittsburgh, found the motel very easily and the first thing the kids did was get those swimsuits on and hit the pool.  The next day we went to the Zoo and had a great time!  Got there first thing and walked all over the place.  The best part is that I never got tired or out of breath!  Yeah me!

 

We had Ellie's BFF Trinity with us and you have to understand these two have a very special relationship.  They have know each other going on 10 years and there are no secrets, no walls between them at all.  They fight like sisters and love like sisters.  Well, while at the zoo I swear their influence was being felt by some of the animals.  First the gorillas, there were two of them that just reminded all of us of them.  The bickering, the love, the teasing, it was great to watch.  And then the polar bears started up, it was hilarious!  We had a really good time and when we first walked into the aquarium area I swear Ellie forgot to breath for a moment.  She was just so taken by the huge tanks and the beautiful fish.  And then she got to pet a Mantra or Sting Ray, to watch her was so sweet.  She wants to be a marine biologist and I saw that in her during this trip.  Then the tank with the Black Tip Reef sharks, White Tip Sharks, Zebra Sharks and Shovelhead Sharks.  She just sat and watched.  We moved along to the tunnels and when that first Sand Tiger Shark swam up we all caught our breath and just were awed by the beauty of this creature.  The water was really murky because of the change of weather and seasons and they said it would probably be clear again in a week but we could see them just fine since they kept swimming right by the glass.  It was difficult getting Ellie out of that tunnel, LOL!

 

After that I came out and was looking for Ellie and Trinity who had headed down the hill and I hear this little voice calling, "MOMMY!! MOMMY!!!"  I didn't think much of it until I turned around and saw a woman come out of the tunnel and standing there looking like she was going to cry.  I walked over to her and asked if she was okay.  She said she had gotten separated from her son and had no idea which direction he went.  I told her I heard someone calling from down the hill and we headed down there.  She went ahead and I saw a golf cart with some zoo workers and told them what was going on.  I was very impressed how quickly they organized and got the search going.  I saw Ellie and Trinity and asked if they had seen him and they said there was a little boy over by the big playground looking for his mom.  Turned out it was him.

 

The mom, Julie, was so happy to find him but then couldn't get him to leave the area.  I asked James to watch Blake, her son and told her to just come and sit and breath for a moment.  We talked a little bit and then I looked at her again and she looked so sad and scared.  I asked her, "Do you feel really bad right now?"

 

"Yeah, I do, I can't believe this happened."

 

"I know how you feel.  Like you are the worst mom in the world and what ever made you think you could raise a kid, right?"

 

"Exactly!  How do you know?"

 

"Let me tell you a little story about a bad mom..........." and I proceeded to tell her the story of when Melissa was a baby and how I locked her in the house and she had pulled down her bottles and cut herself and how I ended up calling the police to break into my house and how I shoved the cop aside to find my baby covered in blood and called my mom to come take her away because there was no way I was ever going to be able to do this.  I told her about the time I lost Melissa in a Target, right by the front doors and how they found her in the back by a Lion King display and when Terry lost her by the dyke that was almost overflowing with spring runoff.  And then I told her that despite our best efforts to totally mess this kid up, she's now a beautiful 17 year old Senior who is going to graduate this June.

 

I let her know she's not alone, she's not the first and certainly won't be the last for this to happen to.  She felt a little better when I got done talking.  But Blake was still refusing to budge from the playground area.  So I asked if I could bribe him with pudding.  "Sure, he didn't eat breakfast so he might just go for that."

 

He did, we all went down and had a snack and then started walking out together but then got separated when Blake went one way and we were going the other.  Well after about a minute we heard, "JAMES!!! WAIT FOR ME!!!"  Blake realized he lost James, his new buddy and had to come find us!

 

They were so sweet, I gave her my card and told her to email me so I could send the pictures of them that I took but I haven't heard from her. :(

 

So, anyway, after that, it was our intention to find the Aviary and see the birds.  Well, the directions sucked that we got from MapQuest and I got totally lost in downtown Pittsburgh BUT did end up in Carnegie and we found the Science Center there and had a blast there instead.  They had a robot display going on and a Sports Center next door.  It was a great way to finish off our day.  And I even managed to find our way back to the motel after getting lost again and going in the totally wrong direction, LOL!

 

That night we were deciding if we were going to head home or stay another night.  At first Ellie wanted to go to Gettysburg but that was at least 3 hours from where we were and kind of in the wrong direction of where I wanted to go.

 

So I got online and realized that Cleveland was only 2 hours away and we could go to the Zoo and Science Center and Natural History Museum there for little or no cost.  I found a great room at a Super 8 in Westlake for only $50 a night so I booked it and the next morning we headed out.

 

Went to the Zoo first, which was really amazing.  The Rain Forest Exhibit and building were fantastic!  And the Zoo itself was really a lot of fun.  They have wonderful displays and the walking up and down the hills, again, difficult but not impossible!  If you look through the pictures you will find the sign for the Sky Walk and a picture from the top.  I walked that thing and I paid for it the next day but it felt great to be able to do it!

 

We then left there and found the hotel.  The pool they had was an outdoor one and not open yet so I was looking for something for us to do that evening.  Turns out we were literally 2 blocks from a Dave and Busters and after checking with the front desk to make sure it was truly kid friendly (the commercials are really geared to the adults) we headed over.  It was fantastic!  Great food, lots of games to play, something for everyone from age 7 to 47!

 

The next day we headed downtown and saw the Cleveland Indians home and then the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (didn't go in, to expensive) and went through the Science Center.  And right across the street was the Home of the Cleveland Browns!  Lots of fun right there!  Then we headed out to the Museum of Natural History but again, thanks to really crappy directions from MapQuest, we got totally lost.   Spent the next 2 hours finding our way back and finally had to start heading home.  James was very sad but he understood.

 

Then on the way home, I completely missed the turn off I90, to head toward Jamestown, NY (something about that town that I always miss the turns) and ended up almost all the way to Buffalo!  But it was okay because the service area on the toll road was really cool.  You parked and then had to walk over this raised, enclosed sidewalk to the center area and you could stand there and watch all the traffic go under you.  James thought that was really cool.  We had dinner there and then I looked at the map and that's when I realized just how far off we were.  I was so ticked at myself!

 

I called Terry and got directions and found our way back down south and east towards home.

 

A great time was had by everyone and wonderful memories were made. 

 

Deannda
Was extremely glad to get home! :O)

PSA bullying_0001.wmv

This was done by my daughter Melissa, a very powerful message! :)

Cat?

Cat likes going to the basement and hiding sometimes, which is not a big deal normally. She usually comes out when Ellie gets home and calls her so I don't think to much about it.

Well, today, Cat is officially banned from the basement forever. Why you may ask?

Well, today Ellie came home and went down to get her and she never responded. She does this occasionally. So Ellie comes upstairs to get a few chores done before heading out for the weekend then while in the kitchen starts freaking out.

"MOM!! There is something in the wall!!!"

"What? Quit goofing around!"

"I swear to God Mom, there is something in the wall behind the stove, you can hear it loud and clear."

So I go into the kitchen and sure enough you can hear something in the wall, it almost sounds like it's in the cupboard above the stove but you can hear it walking back and forth over the vent for the hood exhaust.

So, I go over there and tell Ellie there must be a really big squirrel in the wall (there is an opening in the siding on the second floor and I've seen squirrels going in there) so I figured it was a just a matter of time before they found their way into the walls.

I told Ellie I would call the landlord to have something done and to go get Cat from the basement. She goes back downstairs and starts calling Cat and then I hear it.

"Meow"

"CRAP!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

"WHAT MOM? What is it?"

"IT'S CAT! SHE IS IN THE WALL!! JUST GREAT!"

So we start taking the hood down, hoping we can pull the vent out far enough that she can squeeze through and get out. Just as I get the last screw out to pull it out, no more noise. Nothing.

"Mom, where is she?"

"I don't know, start calling her again."

We called her for another 10 minutes with no response. Now mind you she's only been in the basement/wall for a couple of hours so I'm not overly concerned about starvation or dehydration but if she lost her footing and fell down or got stabbed by a nail or did encounter a squirrel and got into a fight................

"CAT!!! KIT CAT!!! PATTY WACK!!!"

"CAT!!!"

"mew"

"I hear her MOM!"

"WHERE?"

"It's very faint, it sounds like it's above us."

"No, NO, NO!!! She moved upstairs!"

Now, we live in the downstairs of a two story house, the upstairs is vacant, has been for a few months and there is a lock box on the door to the upstairs since the house is up for sale.

But, we have a connecting door to the stairs that go upstairs and luckily there is only a chain lock on it, which I can get undone. I get the door open and head upstairs.

We start calling her again and sure enough I can hear her in the walls between the kitchen and bathroom upstairs. Lovely.

BUT WAIT!!!

"ELLIE! BRING ME A PHILIPS HEAD SCREWDRIVER, NOW!!!!"

There is a panel in the wall where at one time they had to get into the pipes for the tub. There are two screws holding it in and I can hear her near that.

I told Ellie to keep talking to her so she didn't head out again as I frantically started unscrewing the screws.

Finally get the second one and remove the panel and "CAT!!!"

There she is, a little dusty but otherwise no worse for wear.

She wouldn't let Ellie hold her right away, turns out she really needed the litter box and thankfully didn't go in the walls!

So she is safe and sound once again and I set up a hook system on the inside of the basement door so we can close it behind us (it doesn't have a latch like a regular door, just a slide lock on the dining room side) and not have to worry about Cat going to the basement EVER AGAIN!

Deannda
On the upside I did manage to capture this picture tonight:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31244096&l=64a59a8...

SPOILER ALERT DWTS

WHAT THE HELL AMERICA?  YOU KEPT KATE AND SENT SHANNON HOME?   AND PAM IN THE BOTTOM TWO WITH SHANNON?  WTF?!?!?!?!?!

AND THE FACT THAT I CANNOT VOTE ON MY PHONES IS EVEN MORE IRRITATING!!!!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  THIS SO SUCKS!!!!!!

About Yesterday

Yes, I got a little hot under the collar.  I was writing to release my fustration from being stuck in this classroom and despite my musings here, I still ended up going ballistic on everyone in here yesterday.  I should apologize for my behavior but I'm not going to at this point.  I have today and tomorrow to deal with this and then I'm done and if my tirade yesterday gets them to keep their mouths shut on politics and such, all that much better.  I will apologize for my behavior only tomorrow before I leave for the last time. 

On a more positive note, I measured myself this morning and I have lost an inch off my belly area!  WOOT!  I started another 30 day challenge this morning and upped the intensity to medium from easy and it was a bit harder but I did sweat and finished all the exercises!  So GO ME! 

Something I was thinking about on the way to school this morning and it's been discussed before is how hard it can be to express what you are really feeling online or in writing.  Sometimes you can't tell is someone is joking or being sarcastic and it boils down to once again, how people view things.  We can all look at the same exact situation and come up with different opinions and ideas about what happened or what is going to happen, even though we all looked at the exact same thing.  It's just human nature.