Welcome to my very first Business Etiquette 101 class..the blog where I give you a small lesson on appropriate behavior in a business environment. These are meant to be a little snippy, sarcastic, and I'm actually being slightly serious, because...come on people, you aren't working all by your self out there!
Lesson #1: If you empty out the coffee pot, or leave less than what it would take to fill a coffee mug, dump the remaining coffee and make a new pot. Don't leave it for the next person. Remember, you got your coffee...you're forcing the next person to wait for theirs.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
How I Spent My Summer Vacation aka Things I Learned
So to celebrate 10 years of marriage, Justin and I decided to go on a cruise. This was a REALLY BIG DEAL for us because, first, I have never been on a vacation that was not also visiting family or also a missions trip, with the exception of my H.S. Toronto Trip...which was a band competition. So you see what I mean? My trips have always had an alternative purpose, never just a vacation. The next reason this was a big deal...neither Justin nor I had never flown commercially. Justin went up in a charter plane when he was younger - but that's it. So neither of us have ever dealt with schedules, check points, airports in general. So having this experience was actually among one of my "bucket lists" - which gives you an indication exactly how far down the line I thought having this opportunity actually was. Third reason it was a big deal, well, we have to do something with the kids, right? Thankfully, we have AWESOME parents who are willing to help out and do what they can, but it's still hard leaving the kids for a week long adventure...longest either of us have ever been away from any of our kids.
So, here comes the fun part. What I learned about traveling/vactions/cruises. I've attempted to keep a mental list, and I'm sure I'll forget some, but here we go:
Airports/Flying
1. People really do run in airports. Actually, I thought WE were going to be some of these people on our way home. We started out late in Miami, and was suppose to be 30-40 minutes late for our flight out of Charlotte. Thankfully, and not so thankfully - The Charlotte flight was late leaving....by about 2 hours. Anyhow, it was still funny to see people literally racing through the airport. There was a guy in Dayton who worked in the airport - and was constantly running back and forth, back and forth. I'm convinced that he works so much that this is the only way he can squeeze some cardio into his day. Too bad it's in a very nice suit, but you do what you have to, right?
2. People do not care a thing about the instructions given. This is worse than High School. Heck, it's worse than first day of Kindergarten. So, like I said, we were late arriving in Charlotte, and sure enough, we are not the only ones who are very late for our next flight - about 35 other passengers were late too. Well, the pilot gave very clear and specific instructions to remain seated until we stopped moving and the seat belt light was off and, asking everyone who did not have a connection to get to right away to let those of us who are late exit first. So as we get closer to the terminal, the pilot comes on to make another announcement, IMMEDIATELY the entire plan stands up, starts getting their bags ready - I'm sitting there thinking, "what in the world. The seat belt light is on, he's just giving us some more instructions - am I missing something?" Sure enough, the stewardess starts barreling down the aisle yelling at everyone to sit down and put their seat belt back on. She was NOT happy - that cannot be an easy job! Anyhow, so we get off the plane, and my guess is that of the 35 late passengers, they must have included every seat ahead of us, because only 2 or 3 people waited around to let others exit first. Aren't we a nice lot of people?
That is not the only example of "not following instructions" I witnessed, there were MANY times announcements were made, and left unheard. And yes, sometimes it's hard to hear, but typically they make more than one announcement...at least try and pay attention.
3. Taking a taxi away from an airport because you have a 7 hour wait for your flight - is EXTREMELY expenisve.
4. My carsickness doesn't really extend to an airplane or a cruise ship for that matter. Except when I have an empty stomach and low blood sugar thing going on, then I get really sick. (thank goodness for the "empty stomach" part.)
5. There are some very friendly people out there, you just have to start the conversation, because they sure as heck won't - but once it get's going, there's no stopping it.
6. Flying at night, the lights below are like looking at the stars in reverse. Too bad it was cloudy most of the time.
7. Lightening from an airplane is not better or more interesting or more exciting than it is from the ground. I thought it would be.
Things learned while cruising/shopping/on excursions:
1. You are suppose to tip EVERYONE. Okay, slight exaggeration, but truly, if the person did you a service (tour guide, touched your baggage in any way, opened your door, drove you from point A to point B), it does not matter if you already paid for the excursion and the transportation was "included," it is only polite and proper to tip. Sucks, but it's true. I was actually confused by this at first, but then when I thought about it, I knew it was true. Many people did not/would not tip. I suppose this is up to you, but despite the $100+ you dished out for the excursion, I'm willing to bet that tips are factored into that tour guide's salary. Even the taxi ride we took - they took the cost of the ride and then added an additional 2.00 on top, which was the drivers tip. (This kind of tipping is strange since tipping is suppose to be a reflection of service IMO, but because of confusion mentioned above - I do understand why it's done). And you can tell the people who frequently do not receive their tips, because they TELL YOU to tip them. I.E., the guy who took our bags to put them on the ship for us - Justin said he was afraid NOT to tip him once he asked, for fear of what might happen to our luggage.
2. The bike tour in KeyWest was a LOT of fun - but only once. I would never pay to do it again, I would just rent a bike and ride around next time. (or pick a different excursion). Our tour guide was from the Bronx, NY - had an accent I have only heard on audiobooks. And he was a trip - awesome guide, who knew a lot of stuff beyond typical touristy stuff. (This Tip was not so hard for me/us to dish out, he truly earned it).
3. People are EXTREMELY selfish. No, I did not first discover this on the cruise; but it was magnified to a great degree. People throwing trash on the decks, or getting plate after plate after plate of food and not eating it (seriously people? you could have fed a small village in Africa - just get what you're going to eat...it's one thing if you don't like it, it's a completely other thing to get it just so that you've got it - and someone else didn't - which is what it feels like.) But my favorite are the people who walk everywhere as if if they don't make it to the buffet, they are going to run out of food. Or, cut you off while walking from point A to point B only to stop and talk and take up the entire hallway so you can't pass. Conversations ON the stairs - really?
4. The diversity of both the passengers and the crew on the ship amazed me. I don't know why, but I just wasn't expecting it.
5. The fact that I have black hair, and my name is "Anita," automatically means I'm suppose to speak Spanish. It's just assumed - obviously. I am pretty sure Justin got tired of telling people that his wife does not speak Spanish. ( Justin can speak conversational Spanish). At the Dolphin Mall in Miami FL, it is pretty much required to speak Spanish in order to work there - apparently it is NOT, however, required to speak English, as when I was ordering food - me and the lady behind the counter were not communicating well at all. In the end I held my finger up and said, "the number one." She said, "Uno?" I said, "Yes - Uno!"
6. The Rock Climbing/Zip Line/Snorkling Adventure Excursion in Cozumel is not in a Jungle, or in the woods. It's a rock climbing wall, with rope bridges and zip lines between towers. That was a little bit disappointing, however, we did have a lot of fun regardless. Unlike some people, who never allow themselves to get over the deception so that they can enjoy their day regardless.
7. Snorkling is a LOT of fun - we saw nothing exotic, but it didn't matter. OH, and apparently they train the fish to swim with you, because they basically did - all around us. They weren't the least bit scared.
8. The sand in Cozumel was disappointing to me.
9. The crew members on the ship - are AWESOME! I did not meet anyone who wasn't friendly or just doing their job. I know some of the have to get sick of the false cheer, but it was obvious the ones who were genuinely just happy with their jobs and really did want us to have a good time. I say whoever does the hiring for Carnival is doing great!
10. I cannot remember the number of countries represented on board, but it was A LOT!
11. I don't think I've slept in a more comfortable bed in my entire life!
12. I am 100% sure weight gain is a requirement on a cruise. I think I gained 3lbs for each day. ( I REALLY REALLY hope this is an exaggeration - but I honestly don't know, I haven't checked yet.)
In the end, this cruising business is awesome. I think both Justin and I spent a good portion of the time saying or thinking, "Elijah would love that." or "Wow, I bet Azalyah would really get into this." So we are already talking about doing another cruise, with our kids. I know we won't be able to do as much with our kids along, but we just had our chance - and we loved it! I would love to be able to pass the experience to them as well.
So, here comes the fun part. What I learned about traveling/vactions/cruises. I've attempted to keep a mental list, and I'm sure I'll forget some, but here we go:
Airports/Flying
1. People really do run in airports. Actually, I thought WE were going to be some of these people on our way home. We started out late in Miami, and was suppose to be 30-40 minutes late for our flight out of Charlotte. Thankfully, and not so thankfully - The Charlotte flight was late leaving....by about 2 hours. Anyhow, it was still funny to see people literally racing through the airport. There was a guy in Dayton who worked in the airport - and was constantly running back and forth, back and forth. I'm convinced that he works so much that this is the only way he can squeeze some cardio into his day. Too bad it's in a very nice suit, but you do what you have to, right?
2. People do not care a thing about the instructions given. This is worse than High School. Heck, it's worse than first day of Kindergarten. So, like I said, we were late arriving in Charlotte, and sure enough, we are not the only ones who are very late for our next flight - about 35 other passengers were late too. Well, the pilot gave very clear and specific instructions to remain seated until we stopped moving and the seat belt light was off and, asking everyone who did not have a connection to get to right away to let those of us who are late exit first. So as we get closer to the terminal, the pilot comes on to make another announcement, IMMEDIATELY the entire plan stands up, starts getting their bags ready - I'm sitting there thinking, "what in the world. The seat belt light is on, he's just giving us some more instructions - am I missing something?" Sure enough, the stewardess starts barreling down the aisle yelling at everyone to sit down and put their seat belt back on. She was NOT happy - that cannot be an easy job! Anyhow, so we get off the plane, and my guess is that of the 35 late passengers, they must have included every seat ahead of us, because only 2 or 3 people waited around to let others exit first. Aren't we a nice lot of people?
That is not the only example of "not following instructions" I witnessed, there were MANY times announcements were made, and left unheard. And yes, sometimes it's hard to hear, but typically they make more than one announcement...at least try and pay attention.
3. Taking a taxi away from an airport because you have a 7 hour wait for your flight - is EXTREMELY expenisve.
4. My carsickness doesn't really extend to an airplane or a cruise ship for that matter. Except when I have an empty stomach and low blood sugar thing going on, then I get really sick. (thank goodness for the "empty stomach" part.)
5. There are some very friendly people out there, you just have to start the conversation, because they sure as heck won't - but once it get's going, there's no stopping it.
6. Flying at night, the lights below are like looking at the stars in reverse. Too bad it was cloudy most of the time.
7. Lightening from an airplane is not better or more interesting or more exciting than it is from the ground. I thought it would be.
Things learned while cruising/shopping/on excursions:
1. You are suppose to tip EVERYONE. Okay, slight exaggeration, but truly, if the person did you a service (tour guide, touched your baggage in any way, opened your door, drove you from point A to point B), it does not matter if you already paid for the excursion and the transportation was "included," it is only polite and proper to tip. Sucks, but it's true. I was actually confused by this at first, but then when I thought about it, I knew it was true. Many people did not/would not tip. I suppose this is up to you, but despite the $100+ you dished out for the excursion, I'm willing to bet that tips are factored into that tour guide's salary. Even the taxi ride we took - they took the cost of the ride and then added an additional 2.00 on top, which was the drivers tip. (This kind of tipping is strange since tipping is suppose to be a reflection of service IMO, but because of confusion mentioned above - I do understand why it's done). And you can tell the people who frequently do not receive their tips, because they TELL YOU to tip them. I.E., the guy who took our bags to put them on the ship for us - Justin said he was afraid NOT to tip him once he asked, for fear of what might happen to our luggage.
2. The bike tour in KeyWest was a LOT of fun - but only once. I would never pay to do it again, I would just rent a bike and ride around next time. (or pick a different excursion). Our tour guide was from the Bronx, NY - had an accent I have only heard on audiobooks. And he was a trip - awesome guide, who knew a lot of stuff beyond typical touristy stuff. (This Tip was not so hard for me/us to dish out, he truly earned it).
3. People are EXTREMELY selfish. No, I did not first discover this on the cruise; but it was magnified to a great degree. People throwing trash on the decks, or getting plate after plate after plate of food and not eating it (seriously people? you could have fed a small village in Africa - just get what you're going to eat...it's one thing if you don't like it, it's a completely other thing to get it just so that you've got it - and someone else didn't - which is what it feels like.) But my favorite are the people who walk everywhere as if if they don't make it to the buffet, they are going to run out of food. Or, cut you off while walking from point A to point B only to stop and talk and take up the entire hallway so you can't pass. Conversations ON the stairs - really?
4. The diversity of both the passengers and the crew on the ship amazed me. I don't know why, but I just wasn't expecting it.
5. The fact that I have black hair, and my name is "Anita," automatically means I'm suppose to speak Spanish. It's just assumed - obviously. I am pretty sure Justin got tired of telling people that his wife does not speak Spanish. ( Justin can speak conversational Spanish). At the Dolphin Mall in Miami FL, it is pretty much required to speak Spanish in order to work there - apparently it is NOT, however, required to speak English, as when I was ordering food - me and the lady behind the counter were not communicating well at all. In the end I held my finger up and said, "the number one." She said, "Uno?" I said, "Yes - Uno!"
6. The Rock Climbing/Zip Line/Snorkling Adventure Excursion in Cozumel is not in a Jungle, or in the woods. It's a rock climbing wall, with rope bridges and zip lines between towers. That was a little bit disappointing, however, we did have a lot of fun regardless. Unlike some people, who never allow themselves to get over the deception so that they can enjoy their day regardless.
7. Snorkling is a LOT of fun - we saw nothing exotic, but it didn't matter. OH, and apparently they train the fish to swim with you, because they basically did - all around us. They weren't the least bit scared.
8. The sand in Cozumel was disappointing to me.
9. The crew members on the ship - are AWESOME! I did not meet anyone who wasn't friendly or just doing their job. I know some of the have to get sick of the false cheer, but it was obvious the ones who were genuinely just happy with their jobs and really did want us to have a good time. I say whoever does the hiring for Carnival is doing great!
10. I cannot remember the number of countries represented on board, but it was A LOT!
11. I don't think I've slept in a more comfortable bed in my entire life!
12. I am 100% sure weight gain is a requirement on a cruise. I think I gained 3lbs for each day. ( I REALLY REALLY hope this is an exaggeration - but I honestly don't know, I haven't checked yet.)
In the end, this cruising business is awesome. I think both Justin and I spent a good portion of the time saying or thinking, "Elijah would love that." or "Wow, I bet Azalyah would really get into this." So we are already talking about doing another cruise, with our kids. I know we won't be able to do as much with our kids along, but we just had our chance - and we loved it! I would love to be able to pass the experience to them as well.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Once was a work in progress..
It may be again one day... The following was the opening to a book idea I had. I actually typed up about 15,000 words before something happened and I lost more than half. It was a bit discouraging, and I haven't really picked it back up again, even though I think about it a lot. Just a little something to share for now I guess...
Ch1 - The DreamAvalynn
I started awake with the insistent beeping of my alarm. I moaned and slammed my hands on the clock fumbling clumsily in an attempt to get it to shut up as fast as possible. I’m probably going to have to fix the time before going back to bed tonight, but that wasn’t something I wanted to think about right now. I closed my eyes and tried as hard as possible to recall the dream I just had. It was fuzzy around the edges, as all dreams are when you wake up, but it was so real, and so disturbing and sad. I remember the flash of blue and red; the police lights. I remember the panicked voice of a drunken street bum; his face smudged with what looked like dirt and oil, his hair stringy with grease, a brown hat barely hanging onto his head, eyes wide and excited and just a little bit crazy. He was being dragged off to a cruiser by a couple of officers, all the while the guy was yelling, “He just jumped! He just stepped off the edge and down he went.”The dream faded out then back in, and I was watching as emergency workers dragged a body out of the water. I was watching from above as people rushed around the body in the dark, I could tell that it was probably noisy, with all the lights flashing, people moving around; but it was as if I was watching a TV on mute, no sound. Just before they covered the body with a white sheet I got a quick glimpse of the face of the person they pulled out of the water. He was young; definitely my age, someone familiar. Dark black hair was spiked around his head, and a tattoo on his arm, some kind of tribal thing circling a bicep. ‘He is just so familiar,’ I remember thinking, then flash; there he was sitting in the back of my Civic’s class. Flash; him again sitting under a tree with a guitar in his lap in our common area at school where we sometimes ate. Flash; him once again walking down the hall, black backpack slung over one shoulder, head down, shoulders drooped in a way as if to look invisible. His name escapes me. Or did I ever know it?
Friday, May 6, 2011
It's No Wonder
I love you so much, I feel it
in my hair
my gut
my toes
My heart flips like a teenager's first kiss
It's no wonder the years seem more like days
I know the things you like,
what you love
what the glint in your eye means
You know my secrets
my heart
It's no wonder the years seem more like a lifetime
in my hair
my gut
my toes
My heart flips like a teenager's first kiss
It's no wonder the years seem more like days
I know the things you like,
what you love
what the glint in your eye means
You know my secrets
my heart
It's no wonder the years seem more like a lifetime
Thursday, April 28, 2011
CoverGirl NatureLux Collection - Impressive!
I was so excited to start my first campaign as a Bzzagent, I practically squealed when my free CoverGirl makeup came in the mail. I got it on a Saturday after running around all day, so I saved my first trial for Easter Sunday morning...which was actually taking a risk since I don't really have time to do my makeup twice on a Sunday before church, what with three kids to get ready and everything.
So I put the foundation on, and first thing I notice is how easily it goes on, and evens out on my skin. My skin tone is instantly evened out, and I didn't have any annoying foundation streaks to try and take care of. The makeup went on smoothly. My only problem was, while it wasn't real far off, I think I probably could have went a shade lighter on the foundation. It works - but it will be much better once I get a little bit of sun. What really impressed me though is, how much better it was than my other foundation. I was using a whipped foundation that I previously LOVED. I thought it was the best thing - but when I tried it again to compare the two foundations, I noticed that it wasn't near as easy to apply, and that the Naturelux just looked better all around.
Still yet, my favorite item was the lipstick. I was given the absolute perfect lipstick for casual wear. I couldn't have even picked a more perfect shade out on my own. The color goes on easily, and stays through light wear. You may have to reapply after eating, but what lipstick lasts through that?
I am very happy with this makeup, and will probably get more once my supply runs out.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Year, New Goals
It's a new year, and like many people I'm thinking of some of the ways I can improve my life in 2011. It would be nice to make more money have more stuff, etc., etc. But I know for a fact, that none of these things make me happy. I like stuff, sure. I want a house - instead of this 2 bedroom little thing, I'd like a house more appropriate for a family of 5. But the thing is, we're dealing just fine. It's not awful. We have a roof over our head and are blessed beyond belief. So instead, many of my changes aren't pie in the sky, unobtainable goals. They are lifestyle changes.
- I want to have a more serious, and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. So many times I find myself just complacent and just going through motions. I hate people like me. Well, I don't hate people at all..but I don't like that sort of attitude. That is not a Christian life, that is a fake life. So I'm deciding to more forward instead of standing still. No matter how much fear I may have of what God wants me to do, I'm still going to press on. It's the only way to go. You can't have a fulfilling life standing still. You always have to be moving forward.
- I want to loose that last 5 pounds I've been talking about loosing for a year now. I've doing a great job loosing some weight and then maintaining. But I need to stay in the gym. I need to be healthy, because I think it's irresponsible not to be.
- I want to create more memories with my children. Once again, this does not involve going out and getting/doing a bunch of stuff, but more spending time with them and making each moment count.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Things you never think you'll need to explain 101
things you never think you'll need to explain: why cat's don't play Frisbee, and how even if they did, it wouldn't be with a brush.
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