Attitude...It's All in the Delivery

I'm on the "phone" in a World Class Call Center for 9 hours per day...
I am privileged to service many publics for my Company.
My co-workers and I are empowered to make resolutions right then and there.
No hassles, no jumping through hoops, no problem.
I enjoy it!
I am more than willing to assist.
I love hearing the "thank yous" in such a surprising voice from my callers, that usually they don't know what ELSE to say!

However....
Some people you cannot please. Some people are taking the whole finger pointing line of "you people" to an obscene level. You know...."you people have lousy this..." and "you people" can go sit on this..."

Every month we have to listen to our calls and be rated on the whole Customer Connection. We can be in the wrong by saying, "your blah-blah is covered in full, you would just have a $10 copay" uh no....that should be said, "your blah-blah is covered in full less a $10 copay". ErrRR? Isn't that what I said?

One thing that is unfailing....while I am taking a call where a member has paid over $600 for something they thought was fully covered by their insurance, my attitude is on the side of error (THEIRS!) and remains as such that they might not have been taken to the cleaners, but maybe they should have been better informed in advance as to their coverage and should have actually ASKED why they were writing a check for $600!! (that's the delivery that turns a pissed off person into a groveling consumer begging for information after the fact known as buyers' remorse)

In my other life (aka passion-job) I empower women (and a few good men) with the ability to create something from the heart with their hands. Whether it be a scrapbook layout or card, I love the CAN DO attitude that I relay in teaching.

Like I said earlier, some people are never happy. Some people end up with buyers' remorse (well honey, why did you spend over $100 on glues, papers and ribbon?) Cause they were PUR-deeeee! Nope, it's cause my infectious attitude gave them a reason to want a little something extra in their life. Maybe it is just papers, glues and ribbon...
("JUST"???!!!)but by gosh...you're gonna LOVE that card you spent 4 hours making even though it's 2 weeks late for the intended. So what if that layout is made with pictures from 17 years ago! Hey! That's what scrapbooking is all about! (day late years short)
It's the CAN DO attitude!

How do you deliver?

Life Goes on...Most of the time

Well, today was uh..not so hot.
I am sure my guests don't blog in to hear bad news, but that's life and this is a blog about me and mine, so here goes.

My last unc on mom's side passed away today. He'd been ill and failing so as they say, it's a blessing to end his suffering. His wife (aunt) had called an ambulance for herself due some health issues the night before and didn't even know they were right down the hall from each other. As my cousin was going to see the unc, she passes a room as says woh, that looks like Aunt Kay...woh it is!" Then had to go break the bad news to her.
It was sad.

My other aunt was here from AZ, and was glad to be able to see her brother once or twice before he passed, cousins here from Bay Area and Fresno, too.
We were all meeting at mom's for lunch;

As we were just sitting down to eat, C-Tong (mom's 14 yr old Shitzu) wanted down from the lazy-boy chair and really will only allow mom or me to lift her. Most times she will try on her own but her back and back legs have been on the week side. Sometimes she will not wait til her feet are on the ground to hop out of our hands.
Well today was the "sometime". As I was lifting her down, she hopped out of my grip and landing on the side of her face...wait.

(ok, it's taking me awhile to type this cause I still keep sobbing about it)

She let out a yelp, and her front legs just contorted all crocked like. I KNEW something was wrong and just tried to layout her out on her side, but her front legs were like crossed and pointed straight up in the air, while her back legs were in the opposite direction, still on the side of her face.
Mom had run over to us and knelt down, then cried out and just put her head on the floor and sobbed. I was trying to soothe C-Tong, talking to her to let me straighten her out and roller her over....but I was choking up too.

See....C-Tong isn't just mom's dog. She's my little sister. When mom is gone, I get to babysit her. Sure she bonds with DH while they are home here alone during the day.
(much to our surprise! sometimes he even carries her outside and down our stairs to pee, then brings her back in!)I'm sure it's cause he slips her treats all the time.
Since she was a pup, other than mom, I was the only one who she would actually come to...she would yelp a happy yelp when I came in the house.

So you can see why I was just devastated this happened to her with me.
I cried out for someone to call the vet, begged mom to have her checked. All the local ones were referring out to another over 45 mins away. Finally mom got someone to see her, and my niece drove them over.

I think I was sobbing so hard for alot of reasons.....crappy week at work, some money issues, unc dying...then this.
As the others were cleaning up (I was outside smokin, and yea drinkin and pacing) I realized I was glad Haley wasn't there to see this as she had to leave early for work. She's been around C-Tong since she was small, too.

K, so they were gone for like an hour...I couldn't wait, called Nikki the niece's cell and she picked up and said, "call ya back" and hung up! Oh Christ!

Doc checked her out with hand exam to see if any bones were broken before submitting her to x-rays. She even suggested that maybe C-Tong knocked herself out or maybe even had a small seizure when she hit the floor. Since the damned dog started prancing around for the vet, they sent her home with a warning to watch for signs of a concussion or temporary paralysis.


I had a hard time watching her walking crooked, but after a shot of liquid motrin, she had a fine dinner of left over filet mignon, and just vegged for the rest of the evening.

I however, needed the damned doggie downers and they came home empty handed of those!

Book Review-The Scrapbook

I was fortunate enough to have been contacted by a "sister" Close To My Heart Consultant Peggy Baker recently.
She was soo sweet in her first email to me...(schmoooze properly I tell ya!) In the course of our emails, she mentioned she had just had her FIRST novel published!! How totally cool is that?!
(ok,coming from someone who has been stuck on Chapter 6 of her own book for over 4 years, I thought it was totally cool!)

Anyhoot, Peggy told me the title of her book, The Scrapbook, and oh yea the title had me at "scrap"...I figured gotta read this...but when?! She gave me the link to purchase and I honestly did write it down on my to do list.
Well, maybe being very astute and a bit telepathic, my reply tone to her must have said, "yea right, it's right up there with having another tooth pulled on my to-do list", so being the oh-so-fabulous author she is, next thing ya know I found an autographed copy in my mail box!! Wahoo! NOW I can make the time...heck with sleep or any other projects on the top of that to-do list.

It's a nice size paper-back and I figured (erroneously) a quick read.
Did I say NOT a quick read?! Good, cause for someone who could whip through a Harry Potter in a week (old eyes ya know), I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was going to savor every word.

I can't tell you how many times I laughed, cried (too many to admit on the tear level, but I guess I was due!) and actually said out loud, "hey! I know that blippity blip!! (can't spoil anything there! hehe)

With any good book, there's a beginning, a middle and an end. Most times I can guess what may happen, what turns and twists will occur...but boyO! oh BOY! I didn't see a lot of things coming! I was like, "what? woh? wait...back up here...what'd I miss?"
I did do a lot of reflecting, too while reading this book.
It does center around the the theme of scrapbooking...the who/what/where and of course the relationships that we all love to treasure, celebrate and remember.

Ok...I could go on....
I would normally go on...
but if you scrapbook, ya gotta read this book.

If you've every had a friend since birth (ok that's rare, but maybe a longtime friend) ya gotta read this book.

If you deserve a break in life and have a few hours each day, ya gotta read this book

AND

If you don't scrapbook now, after reading this book, you might just find yourself borrowing some paper scraps from someone who does!

I loved receiving a true gift from a stranger who shares some of the same thoughts and feelings I do.

Well done, Peggy...well done!
www.peggybakerbooks.com (sorry, cant' get the linkie thing to work, durn it!)

My Poor Baby

You will not see a photo here to further aid in telling this story.
The scrapbooker in me just had to step aside for the mom role, the caretaker.

Haley had 3 impacted wisdom teeth.
Yea. What is it with dental issues with our household lately? Yeesh. I mean, I love going to Dr. Noe, but lately we are playing a big part in his ability to build a new house.
He came to the Delta, ink still wet on his degree when our long time dentist retired. He's the only dentist Haley has ever known.

The year she left for Sweden, she had to have exams from the tip of her head to parts previously unseen by other peoples. (women, you know what I mean!)
After her dental exam and cleaning, Dr. Noe informed me there was sightings of wisdom teeth. And yea, eventually the day would come they would have to be taken out.

THAT day was today.
She texted me yesterday, "momma im scared will u pay for knock-out?"
(meaning full anesthesia)
Well, choke me with a 2 by 4. Who wouldn't?!

She was weepy on and off on the way there. But I gotta tell ya, when we had to watch the video (VIDEO?!) about the procedure, I looked over and the largest tears were just running down her face. Crickie! They hadn't even put her in the chair yet!
She read and initialed the patient consent form and had to have me sign it for her.
Oh boy...how's this gonna play out?

Ok, so it's time to go in the real chair. We met the surgeon. He explains things and assures her that the only thing she will feel is the prick of the needle for the IV.
I made the mistake of saying, "you won't even see his feet anchored on the chair for leverage"
Well, the staff cracked up, but her one eyebrow went up into her forehead and the other scrunched down enough to close her eye(when did she learn MY trick?) and there
was no stopping the tears then!
K, now you have to realize.... I had the same procedure done at her age. Three root canls. I've had a C-Section with said child. I've endured 3 BC surgeries and radiation. I've slammed my thumb in a 2ton truck door, and barbed the same thumb with micro sharp scissors. Not to mention my own tooth extraction last month. So while I DO have sympathies for her, trying to ignore the stress with a bit of humor was totally lost on her.

After a few minutes, I thought I'd just peek in to see how she was doin. Staff all gave the thumbs up sign. I saw the oxygen mask on her with a gizmo that keeps her upper jaw open, and her words slurring as she fought the anethesia. My stomach sunk. I said, "did we just have an earthquake?" Everyone's head just tilted slightly in confusion. So...ya know that feeling when your vision turns dark. You feel like your equalibrium is off, and the floor is suddenly coming up to meet your nose?

Well, let's just say, we BOTH needed help to the car.

All is well, minor swelling. Boyfriend is here to jump at her every request. I just keep pumping the pain killers in her.
And mom is feeling....well...feeling like I should have a few of those pain killers myself.

RaNdOm FaCtS aBoUt Me

1. When I was “on my own” I’d dress like Cher’s charachter Laverne and do singing telegrams. I even won first place in a local Gong Show!
A few years back, I wore the costume to a Convention ...it’s now retired. Once I no longer needed to “pad” the hip and butt area, uh, well...






2. I am a Breast Cancer Survivor...During the SGK Race for the Cure a "Survivors" wall of Honor was on display.



And there's my name to prove it!




My friend Margie and I have one huge common bond; she's a BC Survivor, too.
That's where our polar similarities separate.
She is a devoted Christian, I'm a work in progress.
She is an awesome baker, I love to eat whatever she bakes.
She's a tea drinker, I go to Starbucks to inhale and take pictures.
She's in great shape due to water aerobics and exercise, I love to talk about it.
She will asks the kids to play nicely, I intimidate them with the "raised eye-brow".



4. I solemnly swear I will not grow up to be just like my mother.







Oh crap! I already did!

Quite "Cat"ty

There are "cat"ty people, then there are "Cat" people....
I'm not a "Cat" people, but I can sure appreciate a gorgeous Cat!
This is my friend from work Jul'z cat. We had a picture taken of us at an award ceremony (go me!) and she liked it so much, asked me if she could borrow my camera to take some photos of her yard and while she had the camera, took some of her cats.
I love the texture of this cat's fur, but take a good look at his eyes and nose.
Those black lines are REAL markings!
Wish I had eyes like that so when I'm feeling "Cat"ty, I'll look the part as well!

Adventures

Life is one big adventure, right?>
On my adventures, I've done alot and seen alot. I've been trapped in earthquakes, stuck in airports, gotten poison oak by the 2nd degree (meaning wasn't in it, but got it from someone who was!), camped in a trailer with all the comforts as a kid, then camped with cows and a home built shower as an adult.
I've endured my share of chronic car problems, shortage of funds, overage of funds.

Some of the BEST adventures have always been reaching out with long distance friends.
Last weekend COULD have been one of those really fun adventures....
but alas
it was someone ELSE'S turn to have chronic car problems!

Making the trip from Utah to Cali has been quite the adventure for my long distance buddy, Erin. And it ain't over yet!

I made this for her in exchange for some other products she had an abundance of.
Hope she likes it and I especially hope she took tons of photos on her adventure!

PS
Shhhhhh! Don't spill the beans, it's a surprise!