tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30648012579840474542024-02-22T12:57:45.333-08:00Being the Perfect DadA dad from the midwest of a 12 year old trying to disprove the theory that you can't be a good parent using sarcasm as your primary form of communication.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.comBlogger268125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-19457899729151758912014-09-22T10:18:00.000-07:002014-09-22T10:18:44.577-07:00Guardians of the GalaxySeptember 22, 2014<br />
<br /><br />
I have further evidence supporting my theory that someone is taking care of me. My Guardian Angel did a lot of work for me on this one. You will see.<br />
<br /><br />
Marked on my calendar for weeks was a trip with CJ and Beth to Wright St on September 19th. Beth had set up a personal meeting with the Dean of the College of Engineering and a Freshman Admissions person. I had the work schedule set up so that I could work 6-7:30 am and then get home to head out with the family for our 10am meeting. Then the forces of nature started acting against me.<br />
<br /><br />
First, my full time cashier who works Mon-Fri at 8am needed off to go to her husband's doctor appointment. No problem. I rearranged the schedule to make it work without changing my schedule. Two days later, she came back to me saying his appointment was changed to October 3rd. I had used her hours to make the changes, so I was not able to add her back in.<br />
<br /><br />
Then, unfortunately, another employee of mine found out that her cancer had returned. She had been in remission, but a form of it had come back in her lymph nodes. She was going to need a 6 month LOA. Please send out your prayers, she is a nice lady and this is obviously a tough time for her and her family. Not to mention it messed up my schedule. (Me selfish much? Think so.) So I went back to full time cashier and told her she could have her hours back if she wanted. She had already made plans. No big deal, the schedule was still working out okay for me.<br />
<br /><br />
THEN, on Tuesday, I got a text from the supervisor who was coming in Friday at 7:30, that she was going to need surgery on Thursday (yes, two days notice for surgery), and she was going to also need Friday off.<br />
<br /><br />
I looked at the schedule and saw that I could give another cashier overtime on Thursday night, thus freeing up my assistant to take off Thursday night and work at 7:30 Friday morning. The cashier agreed to the shift. The only time my assistant is available to work at 7:30 am is on Fridays since his wife works Monday-Thursday at 4am and he has to take his kids to school those days, but not Fridays. Why would a retailer hire a person in management who did not have open availability? That is a blog for another time.<br />
<br /><br />
However, as it turns out, my assistant's wife was asked to work overtime on Friday making him unavailable to come in until closer to 9, 9:15. Now, I've been known to drive swiftly on occasion, but trying to make the hour drive from here to WSU in 50 minutes with my wife screaming the whole time seemed like a bad plan. Every fiber of my conscious was telling me that I was not meant to go on this visit. I gave up and gave in.<br />
<br /><br />
Then, my assistant and the full time cashier, realizing my disappointment, concocted a plan that would have her working 7:30-9:30, and my assistant would come in at 9:30. The trip was back on.<br />
<br /><br />
So, we headed out at 8:30 Friday morning on our way from Cincinnati to Dayton. If you know the highway system around here, you know that Interstate 75 runs along the West side of the city and does to Dayton. Interstate 71 goes through the middle of the city and ventures towards Columbus. I 275 circles the city and connects the two. Therefore, my route from where we live should have been 71N to 275W to 75N. This occurred to me as I drove up 71N towards Columbus about 40 minutes after I should have done the 275W part. "Oh Darn!", I said. Perhaps I did not say darn, but you get the idea. I immediately pulled off the highway at the exit for Washington Courthouse and turned left onto Route 35 West and told CJ to call Stacy on his cell phone. Stacy is the name of the voice we have given to his phone's direction ap. While it was loading, I kept driving on 35W figuring at least west was the correct direction and hoping we did not hear any banjos playing anytime soon. Finally, Stacy located our position and told us to keep going the way we were and we would arrive at our destination in 50 minutes. We looked at the clock which said 9:20. I sped up a bit. As it turns out Route 35 is a rather nice 4 lane highway with little traffic that time of day. Or ever for all we know. Stacy kept adjusting our ETA and gave us the turns we needed. We walked up to the Dean's office door at 9:59:10. 50 seconds to spare. Never a doubt.<br />
<br /><br />
So I gotta believe that my Guardian Angel (who I believe to be my mother) needed a rather stiff drink after that. Apparently, something had to be done to keep me from driving up 75N that Friday. Normally I would guess that avoiding Ikea would be the reason, but I really think my mother would have wanted to go to Ikea. I can only figure rerouting us helped me avoid some accident or something. I'll never know, but I believe.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-43899800011877930762014-08-16T06:56:00.000-07:002014-08-16T06:56:00.451-07:00Part 3...and the leader in the clubhouse is...August 16, 2014<br />
<br />
<br />
CJ knows that his Aunt Kathy went to the University of Cincinnati. Her positive comments regarding the institution and the coop program have been very influential in his psyche. He knows that if she was able to get a good job, UC must have been very helpful. Sure, he has never seen her as anything but a mother to three crazy children, but he does question the intelligence of anyone willing to drive all the way from Georgia to Cincinnati just to visit us. Just kidding, Kathy.<br />
<br />
<br />
So the next stop on our tour was Wright State. Named after the Wright Brothers, all you history majors out there must assume the college resides in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. You would be in the Wrong state. The Wright State is Ohio. More specifically Dayton, Ohio. It is near Wright Patterson Air Force Base.<br />
<br />
<br />
I personally did not know much about them. So how we came to go visit is a good story.<br />
<br />
<br />
Every Third of July our local community has a parade. CJ and the marching band were in the parade so Beth and I attended. Plus, the parade participants throw candy so there is always the chance of losing an eye to a Tootsie Roll and that adds a thrill factor. Anyway, while at the parade, Beth and I ran into the father of one of CJ's classmates. CJ and his son have been classmates all the way back to kindergarten and I have coached them several times when they were on the same soccer team. His parents are two of the nicer people you would want to meet and it was nice to catch up with Mark. We started talking about college visits and he mentioned some of the places his son had gone. His son's favorite was Ohio State. He is very interested in computers as well and Mark mentioned that his own favorite experience had been at Wright State. He explained that the Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science had given a rather passionate speech about the school. His son was not impressed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Then, Beth had a conversation with CJ's drum instructor about colleges. Joe has taken classes at several local colleges and commented how some were much easier to work with than others. For instance, people in the financial aid department at UC took much more joy in tearing up your application that was 20 minutes late right in front of you whereas the same department at Xavier was forgiving about an application that was two days late. "We'll just back date that for you, hon" they said. Editorial comment: yes, I did attend Xavier, but that has not been an option for CJ since the cost of education there is WAY higher than the local public universities. Then Beth mentioned Wright State to Joe and he said he had heard many good things from past and present students there. Plus, CJ had received some literature from there, so we chose to stop ignoring it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Here is what we found out during a visit to WSU. A school that is not as well known outside of Dayton as many of the bigger universities tries harder. They are not small, they have around 15,000 students. The campus is not small either. They are a Division 1 school for athletics. They are well-known in select circles for their research and the work they have done with local Dayton hospitals and with Wright Patterson AFB. In Cincinnati though, not as well known. One employee of mine thought they were a two-year institution like Cincinnati State here. Not so.<br />
<br />
<br />
Everyone that spoke to the big group spoke much more passionately and eloquently about their programs and the university than anyone at the other universities we had visited. Then the Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science spoke. Oh my goodness. He detailed the difference between each engineering degree and computer science degree better than any literature we had pored over to this point in time. He spoke about how every student that wanted to major in engineering was given an equal chance to succeed even if their ACT score was not reflective of the typical success story. And he spoke about an Honors Program for those who had higher ACT scores and math skills that made CJ think he belonged. Wowed were we.<br />
<br />
<br />
The we went on a tour of the campus and it was nice. The nicest dorm we had seen so far. Brand new buildings being built. Impressive. Then we went on a tour of the Computer Science building. We went to rooms for wireless development and 3-D learning and rooms with computer parts strewn about. I thought it looked like a play room where children had not been expected to put the Legos away, but CJ said it was all state of the art computer hardware that had him salivating.<br />
<br />
<br />
Then we spoke to someone about the cooping and internship program who had Beth weeping at how structured it is to help individual students find what's best for them.<br />
<br />
<br />
THEN, we spoke to someone in charge of admissions for the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Beth mentioned to this person that CJ had scored well on the math portion of his ACT and his composite score wasn't bad either. The person asked for specifics and when CJ told her he had gotten a 34 on the math and 30 overall, her eyes got real big and she said that he would probably get a scholarship for 75% of his tuition and maybe more. !!!!! He was learning what it may be like to be a big fish in a small pond compared to a minnow at bigger universities like OSU and UC. It was as if she had just offered him a piece of cheesecake with chocolate pudding on top. <br />
<br />
<br />
So we were very pumped up after this visit to say the least. Being a dad, I have tried to not let this excitement get too out of control. I didn't want it to be like he fell in love with the first girl he had sex with. Or that all three of us fell in love with this girl/university for the wrong reason. That image was perhaps both nas and ty. Sorry.<br />
<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, we have had several conversations making sure we are now going about things the right way with this new leader in the clubhouse that came out of nowhere. I don't want to be Tin Cup with a chance to win the Open and then hit 6 balls into the water. Fortunately, we have a few months before it becomes time to start college applications. A lot can happen between now and then, and it may turn out that the scholarship money isn't what this one person unofficially made it out to be. And I do not want CJ to pick a college simply based on the tuition coverage. We have steered him towards colleges we could afford anyway. The most important aspect of college picking is that you feel like you can have an enjoyable college experience and come out with a degree in a field with a real career possibility. <br />
<br />
<br />
I can tell you first hand that a BS in Mathematics from Xavier University only succeeded in finding me a 27 year career in Retail Management. Sure I have supported myself and my family, but I am the typical parent wanting more for his child. God willing, this can happen. I think He has been steering us on a path thus far, so I guess we will see where that ends. Thanks for reading.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-61904721420150695502014-08-15T06:09:00.000-07:002014-08-16T04:41:05.653-07:00College picking, part 2.<br />
August 15, 2014<br />
<br />
<br />
When we last met, Annie Walker from Covert Affairs was eating pickles. Oh, and we were trying to help CJ pick out a college. Fortunately, Annie wasn't helping him with the college visits while Beth and I ate pickles because she gets shot at an awful lot.<br />
<br />
<br />
Miami University was the next college we visited. While a trip to Florida seems rather extreme, Beth and I are more than willing to do anything to make our son happy. No, not really. Not really Florida, yes really make him happy.<br />
<br />
<br />
Miami of Ohio is in Oxford, Ohio and is about 1 hour from our home. I worked with many of their graduates and our nephew graduated from there and has a really good job. We had gotten something in the mail from Miami University and liked the curriculum it laid out for incoming freshmen in the field of Computer Science. It is still part of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, put it allows you to take more classes as a freshman in a variety of computer interests to help you gauge your interests and expertise. The tuition is a bit less than UC and OSU, so I didn't mind that aspect at all. So we spent a day in Oxford. <br />
<br />
<br />
The campus is beautiful. At one point we did start to notice that most of the buildings look very similar and to tell someone to meet you by the brick building with the white pillars out front would not be helpful. Our tour guide was excellent even though she kept having to pull up her shirt so as to not expose her hoots. We weren't in a group of football recruits after all. It is a college town and would be very comfortable. The drawbacks, however, were the lack of a coop program (they cater more to internships) and that their college is better suited to those majoring in Business or Liberal Arts. That is not to say that you can't come out of there with a great education in engineering since I believe that is what my nephew has, but it didn't do much to sway CJ in their direction. <br />
<br />
<br />
So back to UC. I was not able to tag along, but Beth and CJ were able to get an appointment to speak to someone there from admissions. A previous phone conversation with someone in admissions was not all that pleasant, but the person they spoke with this day made them come home and say that CJ was definitely going to UC. My questions as to why revealed that their coop program was as good as advertised and, even though the same situation existed as at OSU regarding computer science freshmen being herded through a year in engineering before being able to split off, CJ was comforted by the emphasis on mentoring and how there would always be plenty of help available in the form of tutors or learning groups.<br />
<br />
<br />
Let me take this opportunity to explain the potential need for educational assistance. CJ is a smart kid. He has taken the SAT and ACT and scored well enough that acceptance at any of the colleges I have mentioned would not be an issue. He would probably even qualify for some small scholarships. I will be more specific about that in my next post. You'll see why. CJ's GPA after three years of high school is around a 3.7. Colleges don't look as closely at GPA as they used to since not every high school uses the same scale, some weigh the GPA if you take AP courses, and some don't use GPA at all. However, most colleges do look at your class rank. Even with a 3.7, CJ is not in the top 10% of his class. In fact, he is probably closer to the 40 or 50th percentile. There are only 100 kids in his class and a lot of them are brainiacs. His closest friend is one of those students who got a 35 on his ACT, has a 4.20 GPA (on a 4.0 scale)and is waiting to see which college offers him the most money. Many of the guys in his circle have scored between 33-36 on the ACT and have GPAs better than 3.90. (A perfect score on the ACT is a 36 if you were wondering. The average score to get into a good university is between 27-32.) Therefore, CJ has never felt like an idiot, but has certainly never felt like he was an above average student. A degree in engineering and the classes this entails is more worrisome to CJ's parents than it is to CJ so far. He does recognize the potential need for tutors though. <br />
<br />
<br />
So as I leave you today, the University of Cincinnati is the front-runner. What could possibly happen to change this? Stay tuned. <br />
<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-14014945348261679132014-08-14T05:01:00.000-07:002014-08-14T05:01:18.526-07:00Choosing a college, part 1.August 14, 2014<br />
<br /><br />
I realize posts from me have become like a Yeti sighting (infrequent and rather hairy), but I feel the need to document our recent college visit activity. <br />
<br /><br />
Beth and CJ have had a very productive summer and it seems to have lasted longer than last summer. I know this sounds like bitter sentiment from a person who does not get summers off, but I really mean it as a positive comment. Last summer was rather messed up and that made it seem here and gone too quickly. This summer, Beth has gotten so many things done around the house that it seems more like time well spent.<br />
<br /><br />
However, it suddenly became painfully obvious that a college visit or two would be an excellent thing to get done before school starts. CJ will be a senior in high school. That is very difficult for Beth and I to say out loud as it was not that long ago that he was learning his ABC's and reaching for the moon saying "I can't reach it" in a voice so obviously belonging to a little kid. Now, when people call the house, they are not sure if it is CJ or myself who has answered the phone.<br />
<br /><br />
So college. We have long thought that CJ would end up at the University of Cincinnati. Of the Ohio colleges, their tuition is not too unreasonable, they are close to home, and they are a quality institution that offers a coop program that we consider very important. This was the basis we were starting from. Oh, and it has been a given all along that he was going to live on campus wherever he went. The true college experience complete with dirty underwear and Doritos for dinner.<br />
<br /><br />
As it turns out, you need a lot more information than that to pick a college. Shocking, I know. Here are some of the things we have learned. First, when a young person is good with computers and wants to learn enough to make them his career in college, you need to choose your field of study. Fortunately, CJ did not decide on a major involving computers because he is good at computer games and really enjoys Facebook. He has built his own computer and has tried to learn about coding and the things that make your computer perform functions. I know that was pretty technical, but my knowledge begins and ends with how you turn a computer on and whether I need to right click or left click to read about how badly the Reds lost last night.<br />
<br /><br />
We discovered that Information Systems and Computer Science are a couple of degrees you can earn in college. The we took a trip to Ohio State. As it turns out, Information Systems at Ohio State is a course of study in the Liberal Arts college, and Computer Science is over at the College of Engineering. We read a couple of brochures that tried to distinguish the two and ended up at the College of Engineering. This began a day of tours and info sessions that not only showed us the OSU campus, but some details of coming to OSU as a computer science guy. A computer science guy at OSU starts out taking all the same classes as the incoming freshmen whose intent is to become engineers. And a point was made that the goal of the College of Engineering is to weed out the serious and capable from the students who really need to be studying something less difficult, like Retail Management. It was the ole, look to your left, look to you right, out of the three of you only one will survive the program. Okay. Then one of the professors from the engineering program spoke for 40 minutes about the Wright Brothers and we were ready for a nap.<br />
<br /><br />
Since you also are ready for a map, and this post has the potential to get really long, I will break up this adventure into different posts. I know you are on the edge of your seat and waiting to see how Annie Walker gets out of this latest pickle, but that will have to wait until my next installment. I will tease it by saying we went to a school that calls itself the Harvard of the Midwest.<br />
<br /><br />
<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-51463503903277668792014-05-28T05:30:00.001-07:002014-05-28T05:30:20.847-07:00How much does a 2 liter of California Cooler cost these days?May 28, 2014<br />
<br />
Beth asked me to blog this morning before I go to work. She is administering finals to students this week which apparently means looking up stuff on the Internet. Just kidding. Only for you, sweetie.<br />
<br />
I know it has been a while since I posted, but I have worked 29 out of the past 30 days so posting wasn't high on my list of things to do when I have been home. It is amazing how, in a smaller retail environment, you can go from being over-staffed to under-staffed in a period of 4 days. My assistant got pulled to cover another store, then one of my shift supervisors got another job and gave me her two weeks, then a cashier walked out with no notice since she had an aversion to people telling her what to do. It takes at least two weeks to get someone hired and then fate threw in a couple hiccups for good measure, thus, I will not be fully staffed again until June 1st. May has been rough. However, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? I am alive and looking like Charles Atlas over here. Nice current reference, huh.<br />
<br />
So my one day off was Memorial day and it was fantastic. Beth and I went for a couple walks, I washed both cars, we had some down time on the back patio, and CJ threw some Frisbee with me in the backyard. Good times. I hope you all had a good holiday as well. <br />
<br />
Beth and I were discussing what beverage would go with lounging on the patio as we do not have a go to beverage. We don't drink alcohol often so it was hard to decide. Beth suggested Zima but that would have required a time machine. So we went with something way more current as <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">Bartles & Jaymes seem to have also gone into retirement.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;"><br /></span>
Therefore, since I do not have oodles of topics for you, I will try to remember some of the funny things that have happened that I wish I could have blogged about.<br />
<br />
There was the day that I made myself a salad and put too many of the vegetable peas on it. When I tried to explain to Beth how I had ruined my salad, I mistakenly told her I had peed on my salad. <br />
<br />
We were driving around the other day and a fellow driver made a weird turn at a light and I commented about the clown driving that car. As we watched him drive by, we noticed that he was actually wearing a clown costume. We chuckled for a couple miles about that one.<br />
<br />
On one of our walks Monday, we encountered a stray dog. It came up to us very friendly like and would have probably gone home with us. We then noticed that a man was walking towards us with a leash sans dog. The stray did belong to him, but the amusing part was how much this dog ignored him as he got closer. As friendly as it was to us was as indifferent as it was to the owner. Reminded me of a cat.<br />
<br />
Finally, our family has been playing an online game lately called 2048. It is a numbers game in a box that involves making combinations to add numbers together to ultimately end up with the number 2048 in a square. CJ and I have achieved this feet as has a friend of Beth's at work. This friend was upset that when she beat the game her husband told her he beat it also, but had a higher score overall. You get points the longer you are able to play and make combinations even though they may not result in reaching the goal until you do beat it or run out of moves/combinations to make. Beth got very close one day with a 1024 in a box and a 512 also. However, her overall score wasn't all that high. In my effort to be supportive, I explained that is probably better to win with a lower score since it means you achieved the goal with less moves. She has endorsed this idea whole-heartily, as has her friend at work. Great. Steve, ruining other people's marriages since 2014.<br />
<br />
<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-88313002733677870392014-03-29T09:09:00.001-07:002014-03-29T09:09:32.938-07:00Next time we are taking our foam mattress.March 29, 2014<br />
<br /><br />
There are just two days left in our Spring Break. Monday is the day when I have to return to work and Beth and CJ have to go back to school. We are all looking forward to it in a big way. Not. However, we cannot be too disappointed with our break as we returned last night from our trip to Florida. I am not going to gush at you about how beautiful the weather was or show pictures of us basking in the sun because that did not happen very much. Mind you, I am not complaining as it turns out our Florida weather was significantly better than the weather in Cincinnati this past week. And, we were on vacation.<br />
<br /><br />
They key to an enjoyable vacation, as it turns out, is that Steve not obsess with time tables. In the past I have been so obsessed with what time we were doing stuff or what the next thing we were doing was, that I forgot to chillax and vacate. I never let my brain exit work mode and enter anything resembling carefree mode. I think some of that is due to the fact that we drove and did not fly. As CJ pointed out, the be on time and hurry up and wait lifestyle that is flying can be more stressful than driving 12 hours. That is also an easy statement to make while you are sitting in the back seat texting and looking up fun facts during the whole drive, but point taken nonetheless. <br />
<br /><br />
We outsmarted the drive by leaving on Saturday and driving part of the way. Our reservations at The Breakers were not until Sunday, but we had nothing going on Saturday so we just took off. We drove about 75% of the way which landed us in Birmingham, Alabama. We stayed at an Embassy Suites which is our favorite hotel due to the "free" manager's reception and equally "free" brunch. We are smart enough to realize that the price of these things is built into the price of the room, but we still enjoy them anyway. Other than the fact that the hotel had screwed up our reservation (as in did not have it), we still managed to enjoy some local barbeque at a restaurant across the street and get some decent sleep.<br />
<br /><br />
The best part about this plan is that we were able to leave early and arrive in Ft Walton Beach around noon. As it turns out, Sunday was the best weather day of the week and this enabled us to catch a good portion of it. If you have never been to the Gulf side of Florida around either side of Destin, you are missing out on some beautiful white beaches and the clear waters of the Gulf. <br />
<br /><br />
I don't want this post to turn into a novel, so I won't break down the day-by-day for you, but I will say that our goal of eating great seafood and relaxing was met. We ate at a couple restaurants at The Pier (CJ may never be allowed back to the all-you-can-eat shrimp/flounder place), and ended up visiting a place called Stewby's three times. It was highly rated and deservedly so. Yum. Beth and CJ are also still talking about a Thai place we went to. Mission one: eat some great food-check.<br />
<br /><br />
Since mission two was to relax. We did our best to spend time on our balcony, spend time at the beach, and sit and read on the couch. Check, check and check. Our times at the beach were tempered by high winds but CJ and I found time to toss a ball and we all have much nicer skin due to the exfoliating qualities of blowing sand. If you wear sunglasses and keep you mouth closed you will avoid getting grit in unwanted places. We accused CJ of getting unwanted sand in his thongs which grossed him out quite a lot until we were able to convince him that flip flops are also called thongs.<br />
<br /><br />
The pools were heated and did not have as many jellyfish as the gulf, so we spent some time there when there were no screaming children at the pool. Beth and I played shuffleboard and I let her win so that she would not pout and withhold sex. We sat on the balcony and watched about 12 dolphins feeding and swimming near the sand bar. What was weird about that was how exciting it was to see them the first time, and then after about 30 minutes of watching them it became like seeing deer in our backyard. We see them often enough that it has become old hat. <br />
<br /><br />
I will delve into more details at a later time, but it all came to an end yesterday as we drove the twelve hours home. Fortunately, it did not rain the whole way and construction delays only cost us about 45 extra minutes. It could have been worse. So now we have a couple of days to readjust and do homework. I have not told work that I am back in town as they were great about not contacting me while I was gone. Soon enough I will be back to the grind. And quite possibly still finding sand in my hair.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-78357607041000049702014-03-06T09:05:00.000-08:002014-03-06T09:05:50.244-08:00It's weird that a box of girl scout cookies only comes with two servings in it.March 6, 2014<br />
<br />
<br />
As many of you probably know, this is girl scout cookie season. The young ladies are in the process of delivering cookies to your house as we speak or as soon as school lets out if you don't live in Kentucky. Once this is accomplished they will set up their posts at your local grocery store to sell off the remaining cookies. Beth once received some very helpful advice from a grocery store cashier to help with running the gauntlet between the exit doors and our car, "Don't look them in the eye." Too sweet are these girls. <br />
<br />
<br />
We bought a couple boxes from the young lady who lives across the street from us. She came to deliver them on Sunday. She and her little sister handed us our boxes and Beth asked how much we owed. The scout said that she thought we already paid. Even though she is 40 years our junior, we figured her memory of such things was probably more reliable than ours. However, 5 minutes later there was a knock on our door by the two youngsters saying we were correct and we did still owe money for the cookies. I'm guessing that we had already paid but their cookie pimp told them that if we weren't sure to hit us up again. We are exactly the type of demographic (aka old people) who fall for phone scams and send money to George in Jamaica to help collect his lottery winnings. <br />
<br />
<br />
Next comes the purpose for this story. The younger sister was quite adorable. However, it turns out that she was the goon of the duo. I like to play with minds of the kids that come to our door asking for money, but she was prepared. When they asked for the money this time and I said no, the little one looked at me and said, "GIVE ME MONEY!" Beth and I have walked around the house all week holding our hand out to the other and saying, "Give me money." Beth is so cute when she does it that I am almost broke. <br />
<br />
<br />
So watch for the cookie monsters in your area and be prepared for the same kind of strong arm tactics we were subjected to. If you live in Texas, I'm guessing shotguns are involved.<br />
<br />
<br />
Steve, insulting Texas and Kentucky since 2014.<br />
<br />
<br />
Now, if you'll excuse me, there is a sleeve of do-si-dos with my name on it. Don't mind if I do-si-do.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-7254214013877245742014-02-04T09:21:00.001-08:002014-02-04T09:21:58.427-08:00Should I be worried?February 4, 2014<br />
<br /><br />
We watch a fair amount of television. By fair, I suppose I mean more than the average household. Too much really, but this time of year we are not spending a bunch of time outside. And we don't like shopping. So television. However, the issue with that is that there are no good shows on right now. Plenty of reruns and a whole bunch of shows we don't watch. So Beth went out and borrowed some movies from the library over the weekend just in case we needed something to watch. I figured any of these would be better than starting a relationship with Duck Dynasty.<br />
<br /><br />
So here are the four movies she rented: Lincoln (not the vampire slayer Lincoln), Fast and Furious 6, Before Midnight, and This is 40. Since we don't see a lot of movies, sometimes we just have to go for names or titles we may have heard of and hope that the movie turns out okay. I am going to do a bit of a review for you.<br />
<br /><br />
I watched Fast and Furious 6 the other day without having seen all of any of the previous 5. Unbelievably, I was able to keep up with the plot. I figured they had to make a 6th one due to all the of the previously unanswered questions, but as it turns out, they are just really good at finding new ways to film car crashes, do stunts, and blow stuff up. Nonetheless, I was entertained for a couple hours.<br />
<br /><br />
Now my post title will start to come into play. Last night, Beth and I watched Before Midnight. This was the sequel to Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are the stars. Talk about depressing. The characters are probably 6-7 years younger than Beth and I, but good Lord they have trouble communicating. I know all couples have times when they just can't get on the same page, but these two people don't seem to be in the same book. He is pretentious and too emotional in an argument, and she is bipolar. Makes two excellent points quickly followed by a side trip to crazy town. The movie makers tried to give it an everything is going to be okay ending, but I didn't walk away with that feeling. I almost want them to split up so there won't be another movie. The only thing Beth could find interesting about it was that the character, Celine, actually looked like a 4o something year-old woman. <br />
<br /><br />
Christie Brinkley was on the cover of a magazine last month celebrating turning 60 and wearing a bathing suit. Women that look like that are not normal. Celine looks normal. Sure, the producers probably sprung the idea of the movie and the turn-around time on her such that she would have liked to look thinner I'm guessing, but it was realistic. Except that Beth has never walked around our room with her top off as long as Celine did in this movie. Not going to happen anytime soon either.<br />
<br /><br />
After this viewing, Beth put herself on movie picking probation.<br />
<br /><br />
Today I watched This is 40. If you are thinking that it must be nice to have time to sit around watching movies, well I do have to go unload the truck in the snow tonight, so bite me. Anyway, I thought this movie was going to be a comedy and it was. However, it was really just the comedic version of the same movie we watched last night. Two people turning 40 who are having some difficult times in their lives and have absolutely no idea how to lean on each other to right the ship. I was so depressed. Thank goodness there were some funny parts because otherwise I would have gone and stuck my head in the toaster. Or tried to climb through the screen to punch the two characters in the face. Especially him. His wife in this movie is gorgeous. Way out of his league. And way more normal than he is. He is the problem but she seems willing to try harder to make it work. Dude, if she leaves you she will be snapped up as quickly as Beth would if she ever left me.<br />
<br /><br />
Which begs the question, is Beth trying to tell me something by borrowing two movies about couples in their forties who are having trouble communicating? Or is she just really bad at picking movies? If this is her way of communicating the problem with me, I think that would mean we were bad at communicating. Could you imagine that if every time you needed to get a point across to your spouse you had to rent a movie about it? I really wish Paula from June's blog read mine because I am going to ask any of you to submit the name of the movie you would need to rent right now to communicate with your spouse. Paula would totally nail this assignment with something hysterical whereas I am struggling. I can think of plenty that I don't need like Brokeback Mountain or My Life, but let me see if I can think of something.<br />
<br /><br />
How about ........Ferris Bueller's Day Off-Bethie, do you have a kiss for daddy?<br />
<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-66827983239655963552014-01-26T11:19:00.000-08:002014-01-26T11:54:00.929-08:00Here I go, blogging again.January 26, 2014<br />
<br />
I just got home from shoveling snow at my store. I am off today, but since the current temperature of 29 degrees is the high for the week, I thought I better shovel the dock today. I am totally over shoveling snow. And cold weather. And shoveling snow. Good Lord. Lord good.<br />
<br />
I know those of you living in colder climates than Cincinnati are laughing heartily at my displeasure at a few inches of snow, but my question for you is this, "Why the eff do you live there?" I could not imagine dealing with anything colder than this for longer stretches than this.<br />
<br />
However, the visitor's bureaus from warmer climates such as Florida have got to be liking this Polar Vortex. We just booked a vacation for the Spring just to give us some hope for ever being warm again. We plan on going to Fort Walton Beach, Florida if any of you have ever been there and have suggestions. If you have any bad news about going there, please keep your big yapper shut so as to not spoil my moment of zen.<br />
<br />
Speaking of visitor's bureaus, I am quite sure the good people who work for the one in Nebraska were not asked to screen the movie by the same name. Beth and I went to see this movie last night and it did not paint a picture of anywhere I am looking to vacation or relocate to. Oh look, a cornfield. I know what we saw does not tell the whole story that is Nebraska (or maybe it does, it is the Cornhusker state), but it certainly didn't do for that state what shows like CSI Miami and Las Vegas have done for their cities. Sure, people are getting murdered there all the time, but at least the weather and scenery are awesome. <br />
<br />
The movie was quite good even though Bruce Dern reminded us of Beth's father towards the end of his life and the gentleman behind us at the theater reminded me of my father. There is a cemetery scene that concludes with a rather funny moment that made this guy laugh very loudly through the next several scenes. My father would not have done that, but they both had eerily similar laughs. <br />
<br />
Beth and I had this little date night thanks to my son and his girlfriend and their plans. They went to see Panic at the Disco perform at Bogart's. Not familiar, haven't you ever heard of closing the gosh-darn door? That was their breakthrough hit back in 2007. No, that is not the real title, but that is the line most people remember. For those of you planning a visit to Cincinnati, Bogart's is not in the best area of Cincinnati. Unless you are looking to score some heroin. That is not in the brochure I'm guessing. So rather than attending this concert, Beth and I decided to drop off at the door, pick up at the door, and hang out close to the venue during the concert. Thus the movie. What we didn't know was that since GF's father is a defense attorney here in town, he knows two things. First, that many of his clients have visited the area around Bogart's. Second, he knows police officers that can escort his 16 year old daughter to and from the venue and keep an eye on her the whole time. Yes, he did this. We met the "bodyguard" and he was very nice. He was also someone that it would have been a mistake to mess with. I am wondering if CJ now wonders what his date will be like the first time he takes GF out in a car alone. Thank goodness we do not own a van.<br />
<br />
So good time had by all last night and relaxing time today now that shoveling is complete. I am going to watch some television and Beth is going to play her iPad game. I walked in on her the other day and she was looking very intensely at her iPad. I asked her if everything was okay and she replied, "Hey, I'm busy, this candy doesn't just crush itself!" She may have a problem with Candy Crush.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-24672866608565899182013-11-06T15:22:00.000-08:002013-11-06T15:22:59.719-08:00Halloween and Homecoming Pictures as promised.November 1, 2013<br />
<br />
I hope any of you that celebrate Halloween had a happy and safe one. The weather was not awesome here as it was a bit breezy which only helped the girls dressed up as Dorothy. Unfortunately, it was also raining off and on. Therefore, we had a bunch of younger children who braved it for around an hour, but not nearly as many older trick-or-treaters as we usually do. The costume of choice for a lot of the younger beggars was that of a cowboy. A renaissance of sorts for the hero of the west. Our favorite and winner of Beth and Steve's annual best costume prize, was the little dude dressed as Woody from Toy Story. What put this costume over the top was that Woody's horse, Bullseye, was built into the costume such that it looked like Woody was riding him through the neighborhood. Classic.<br />
<br />
CJ went out this year with his friends. One of his group of friends has a little sister, so the whole group gets together to walk the route with her. The teens get to wear costumes and act goofy, while Emmy gets to have an entourage and candy. CJ and two of the girls dressed in costumes from Dr. Who. I have not watched this show, but I need to start as our high school marching band routine has been based on the show this year, and it is apparently very popular. The two girls were Daleks and CJ was the Tardis. He was a police box. If you haven't watched the show, it seems like the Tardis is a very important part of, not only time travel, but quintessential to the plot. We have a Tardis prop for our band show and other school's band members go crazy for it. I gotta watch the show. Anyway, I think the costume theme for next year's entourage will be Secret Service Agents. Good excuse to follow Emmy around again next year.<br />
<br />
I will post a photo of Halloween and the promised pic of Homecoming as well. Now where did I leave that camera cord and my computer aptitude?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Homecoming 2013. Do you guys remember being this adorable? Not me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielEdfj1TYziIal5ankzVS8uxmvhYDOQZalo2n0jR-Pi9veOtYZmbbMjxTfY6k12lxBvPuoNeNjRUtLWjLglpPHeYywAJcrU25K9uH7hhnwybQcmsx4ymjHeWg0RthfC34aIKCf6GoFZzt/s1600/Homecoming_032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielEdfj1TYziIal5ankzVS8uxmvhYDOQZalo2n0jR-Pi9veOtYZmbbMjxTfY6k12lxBvPuoNeNjRUtLWjLglpPHeYywAJcrU25K9uH7hhnwybQcmsx4ymjHeWg0RthfC34aIKCf6GoFZzt/s320/Homecoming_032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
And this one was part of the group from Halloween. GF told CJ to stop touching her buns.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMON4CF6RlRwkE0OZnvqLVukOt_X6eL-JwacEF_lQxZg8_GGzhdKPMEi60foF0QDfF-_PktiLNxgsF6_qQLbc2gzuQZLXHVr54dG6FCxf9N95tuudDkxBjaE5RiT6q3qUD7jzliIJaF1Q/s1600/Halloween.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMON4CF6RlRwkE0OZnvqLVukOt_X6eL-JwacEF_lQxZg8_GGzhdKPMEi60foF0QDfF-_PktiLNxgsF6_qQLbc2gzuQZLXHVr54dG6FCxf9N95tuudDkxBjaE5RiT6q3qUD7jzliIJaF1Q/s320/Halloween.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_1444846601"></span><span id="goog_1444846602"></span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-66063155014131558462013-10-18T11:01:00.000-07:002013-10-18T11:01:29.599-07:00C'mon Beth, I'm Don Knotts over here.October 18, 2013<br />
<br />
I am still alive, just in case anyone was wondering. Be careful what you wish for much? I wanted to be a store manager of a little store so I could run the place the way I wanted to run it. Well, I am running it. 75-80 hours a week running it. I wasn't going to complain about it since I realize no one besides Beth actually cares, but since sometimes putting stuff in type eases the inner beast, I will reluctantly share a bit. As my ego has stated before, I am a worker. I have met very few adults in my 26 years of retail who I feel put in the effort that I do and care as much about a job well done and teamwork. Therefore, I always have to remind myself that everywhere I go, there I am. Trying to be perfect as I run my store is on me and is sometimes the problem However, if I may gloat for just a second, my numerical results for September were #1 in my district, #2 in my region, and #122 in the company. 7000+ stores in the company. Does that equal perfection? Close enough.<br />
<br />
However, wherein lies the problem, is that as I work really hard to do my job, external factors have created more work for me. My assistant got promoted (of all the nerve-doing a good job!), thus creating a 45 hour vacancy in the schedule. Then, two of my cashiers got sick for four days each, in the same week. It is really hard to replace 25% of your payroll in one week. But I did and have lived to type about it. And stayed married. Beth has been a trooper as usual.<br />
<br />
I don't think my store has the appearance of a short-staffed store. In fact, it looks like Christmas has thrown up in there since that extra truck came this week. To be fair, I have not done it alone. The team members who have shown up for work have been awesome. If you are about to open your own store, please keep this in mind-hire the right people. If you don't, you will regret it.<br />
<br />
So life goes on. The weather is starting to get crisp here in Ohio. GF's soccer playoffs have begun. CJ and I watched as they started the tournament with a 7-0 trouncing of another team last night. Band season has also begun for CJ. He is doing awesome and they have scored Superior in the first two events so far. We are off to Harrison, Ohio this weekend for the next event. In fact, that is tomorrow and the weather man tells me there is a 60% chance of rain. Perfect.<br />
<br />
Homecoming was last weekend and CJ and GF went. I will need to post some pictures as they were the best looking couple there. Sure I did not see any of the other couples, but I would guess my assumption is not that far off. CJ's tie (tied by dad) was the cherry on top. The CJ version looked like it had been done by a drunken sailor, so I am taking some of the credit. Homecoming weekend was the same weekend as their 1 year anniversary. Remember being excited about your 1 year dating anniversary? Sweet. GF got CJ a couple of tee shirts for bands they like-Green Day and Fall Out Boy. CJ got GF a gift certificate for a massage and an iTunes card. <br />
<br />
CJ had gone for a massage last week when the knots in his calf had gotten so bad that they were making walking painful. I did not think a 16 year old teenage boy would be interested in getting a massage from a female professional, but he was in. Beth reminded me that he is able to categorize things as being clinical versus not, and could therefore appreciate it for what it was intended to be. She fixed him. I need to be fixed. No not that way-been there, done that. A massage for this knotty pine. Beth, Sweetest Day is tomorrow. Hint, hint. Oh, for you. Uuuuuh. It will be a surprise. For both of us.<br />
<br />
Light bulbs! No, I did not just have a brilliant idea, I just remembered that I forgot to buy light bulbs at The Target today. Drat. Thanks to none of you for reminding me.<br />
<br />
Beth just texted that GF will be stopping by with CJ after school. I suppose I better go tidy up a bit. As it turns out, there are also rules governing pants worn by dad when non family members come over. Talk to you soon. Ish.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-62902216554134863052013-08-30T09:56:00.000-07:002013-08-30T09:56:11.978-07:00Fortunately, GF does not stand for Gigi Festora. See, things are looking up.August 30, 2013<br />
<br />
CJ has not been getting a lot of sleep lately. Between school, band, and work he has been a busy boy. So yesterday when he came home from his day completely spent, I asked him if he was okay. His reply was that he had only gotten about 3 hours of sleep the night prior since he was worrying about something. It turns out that that something was the issues his GF is having. In addition to all of the same things CJ has been dealing with, GF has been troubled by the less than encouraging feedback she recently got from her soccer coach. He is not a man to candy-coat things and his opinion of her play in the last game was not covered in sprinkles.<br />
<br />
So I stopped worrying about CJ for a few minutes and decided to worry about GF. I would love to sit down with her and say some things to make her feel better, but since she has been witness to some of the decisions my son has made and probably assumed they were due to my parenting skills, my advice is certainly not something she would seek out. However, my contention is that his inability to keep a tidy personal space, or his friendship with Rowan, or his unkempt facial hair choices, or even his entertainment preferences ("Hey, let's go see Kick Ass 2"); are not issues to which he first sought out my guidance.<br />
<br />
Therefore, I thought I would get the advice out of my head and onto my blog so that it would be out there and available. Do with it what you wish.<br />
<br />
Here is what I, as an elder in the community, have learned about life. Sometimes it sucks. There, I'm done. Just kidding. Actually, I have decided that there is a reason that sometimes life hands you a challenge. I firmly believe that each of us has a plan. It is not a definitive plan right up to the point when you know you are going to die due to the expiration date on your birth certificate, but it is a plan from up high. I am not going to declare outright that the plan is from God as I am not in tune with your religious inclinations. Therefore, you can believe the "plan" can be from any of a number of gods or god-like influences: Jesus, Allah, Buddha, Ozzy Osborne, Hillary Clinton, Yahweh, Alf (you may have to look him up-it is short for Alien Life Form), that little talking dog from Men in Black, Vidal Sassoon (I know how important your hair is to you), or Lady Gaga.<br />
<br />
Nonetheless, there is a plan. Along the way you will make choices involving right and wrong, vanilla or chocolate, and Coke or Pepsi, but these decisions are not going to make or break the plan. Ultimately, you will be where you need to be. For you, the sky is the limit. With your talents, personality, and parents that care about you, your job simply becomes rolling with the challenges you face along the way. AND learning from them. <br />
<br />
Since I am brand-loyal to Jesus, here is a religious example. In The Bible, there is a story of how the Apostles (Jesus' friends) were in a boat on a lake when a storm came upon them. They were frightened for their lives. Out of the darkness, Jesus came walking up to them on the water. No jet ski or inflatable alligator. He invited Peter to walk to Him on the water and he did. At one point, Peter started to doubt that Jesus would protect him, and he started to sink. He lost faith. Jesus then saved him. The point some people miss from this story is that Jesus did not calm the storm right away or take away the cause of their dilemma, he simply guided them through their troubled waters. Two of the apostles, Simon and Garfunkel, later wrote a song about the experience.<br />
<br />
So take some advice from your elder. I have been through countless times in my life during which I wondered why I was being handed such a challenge. They never stop coming. You have seen some already in your tender years. Divorce, tough coaches, and bad haircuts have caused you strife. <br />
<br />
No, your hair looks fine, why do you ask? Oh, I forgot how sensitive the female psyche can be. I didn't mean a bad haircut, I meant an unfortunate wardrobe choice. <br />
<br />
Ugh. No I am not referring to the time you wore boots with your shorts and came over to our house. I thought you looked fine. And by fine, I mean perfectly appropriate given the event and weather and...oh never mind.<br />
<br />
Anyway, my point is, that all of the events that we encounter along the way are meant to shape us for who we are to become. Survive, learn, grow and move on. This is how we do it. ( Now get that song out of your head the rest of the day.)<br />
<br />
For all you know, your current coach could be the turning point in your life that helps you either become the next Abby Wambach, or the President of these United States. My only caution to you is that if you choose to keep my son around for that second choice, I am not sure how good a First Lady he would be. First Man? First Gentleman? First Dude? Not sure. His inability to clean up after himself and his drum set in the White House basement could be a problem.<br />
<br />
From which you would have to survive, learn, and grow.<br />
Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-21010989966901093342013-08-09T16:43:00.002-07:002013-08-09T16:46:39.977-07:00How much was that warranty?August 9, 2013<br />
<br />
Today was computer shopping day. Earlier this week, CJ's computer died. Beth informed me that he was pretty devastated and was going through the 7 stages of grief. She had seen anger, sadness, confusion, sneezing, Donner, and denial. I did my duty as a father and put him through my grief counselling class. "You could read a book." I suggested. Wow. If looks could kill.<br />
<br />
So we took the computer to a fix it shop guy who said that one side where the lap top opens around the hinge had come loose, thus creating a strain on the other side where a wire connects. This wire had come loose creating a short. Therefore, every time that CJ touched the computer, it turned off. Not especially helpful if you are trying to use it. That sounds rather easy to fix though, don't you think? Well, he could fix it for a mere $250, but he could not guarantee that it would stay fixed.<br />
<br />
This led CJ and his friend, Rowen, to scour the Internet site Newegg in an attempt to buy and build the perfect computer. You can buy the necessary parts there, have them shipped to your house, and then put them together. If it is anything like buying a bicycle and then assembling it in your living room on Christmas Eve, I am assuming it also involves eggnog and cursing. The price for this venture, they assured me, was $694. I thought this was something I could maybe live with.<br />
<br />
Oh, by the way dad, we forgot to add in an operating system. How much? Another $150. So an operating system is essential? It is if you don't want all the other parts to become a large, over-priced paper-weight. Perfect. And, the person helping you assemble it is the same friend who cut himself by swinging an axe and missing the log? Yes.<br />
<br />
Okay, let's go to the computer store.<br />
<br />
So dude at the computer store takes CJ's parts list and assembles one of his own. By the time he was finished, this computer was going to cost around $1100, assembled. Awesome. We did not make any purchases today.<br />
<br />
On the way home, I noticed the license plate on the car in front of me was 694 YDA. (Please do not use this info for anything illegal!) I could not help thinking that this plate was a omen. It was trying to tell me that me agreeing to, or believing in the original computer price of $694, really meant You're a Dumb Aaaaas. Here, let me check my pockets for an extra $700 much less $400 more.<br />
<br />
So we were at home and Beth and CJ went online to bring the price back down into dad's acceptable blood pressure range. They found a prebuilt Dell for around $700 that would work and we would even get a 10% rewards bonus if we used our Discover card. Okay, I am back in the game.<br />
<br />
About 20 minutes later, the guy called from the computer repair shop. We had asked him to put the broken lap top back together and then we would pick it up. He had obliged with the putting back togetherness, and suddenly Peaches and Herb starting singing. "Reunited and it Feels so Good..." The computer was working again. The price, $45. And several hours of my day off that I will never get back. CJ, I love you. The proof is in the pudding...or travel time...or whatever.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-67969808876262061562013-08-04T12:48:00.001-07:002013-08-04T13:58:35.772-07:00What did I ever do to you Montezuma?August 4, 2013<br />
<br />
I can't believe it has been a month since I last posted. I have been working so much that I just don't feel like being on the computer that much. And any funny in my head is very gone by the time I sit down to type. You will see the reality of that statement very soon.<br />
<br />
I have been working a lot due to various reasons, but a good reason was that my sister was coming to visit from Georgia with her family. I worked 13 days in a row to be able to get the time off when they were here and then 5 more right after they left. Fortunately, it was for a good cause. It was a very good visit with awesome weather and fun times. We went to Kings Island Friday, Newport for GameWorks and a walk on the PurplePeople Bridge on Saturday, and a fun-filled family day here at our house Sunday as my brother and his family drove up from Louisville to visit. It is always good when my brother visits as he has way more health problems than I do. He was diagnosed as a diabetic when he was in the 8th grade when no one else in our family had ever been one. Boy was our mother thrilled with that circumstance. The strange thing about mothers is that they can blame themselves for their child becoming a diabetic even though there was absolutely nothing she could have done to prevent it. Now he has a Thyroid condition and Low T. Dude is falling apart. I showed my empathy towards him by making several low testosterone jokes. He was thrilled he told me. As was his wife, though she did seem to confirm his inabilities in the bedroom. <br />
<br />
Aside: does anyone else miss the days when we cut our grass by having cows graze on it or with one of those push things with the blade going around? Man, it seems like every time I sit down to relax, my neighbor cuts his grass. We don't have large yards so I could probably deal with just the cutting more sanely. However, not only does he use a gas lawn mower, but then a gas-powered trimmer to be followed by a gas-powered blower. Boy do I want to break his toys some times.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I should be grateful next door neighbor did not feel the need to cut his grass during our family day. That typically happens.<br />
<br />
So family day on Sunday finished up around midnight when whatever stomach bug my brother-in-law had contracted reared its ugly head. As Beth and I heard him and his body's food evacuation plan starting up, we both did a systems check to see if we also felt ill. Food poisoning at a family outing is always a joyful end. However, since it has taken until Friday night for me to catch the bug, I am guessing it was not food poisoning. Furthermore, with all the potential germs on the money I handle every day, it is not without question that I caught my bug from someone other than my brother-in-law. Thank goodness I have this weekend off so I can feel better just in time to go back to work. <br />
<br />
<br />
The past two weeks have also included band camp for CJ. During these two weeks they learn their show for the year and, thankfully, have fun doing it. I got to see it Friday night, and in my fever ridden state, thought it was better than any show they did last year. I hope I was right and that this year goes better for them than last. The final night involves initiating the Freshmen by toilet papering their houses. Thank goodness it does involve beating the crap out of them as it did at some colleges. Therefore, if you are drving though our neighborhood this weekend, we are not a community of vandals, those houses belong to the incoming freshmen in the band. I'm sure the parents that have to clean it up are thrilled.<br />
<br />
Gotta go. From the hills of Montezuma......Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-26007841255636736912013-07-04T05:18:00.002-07:002013-07-04T05:39:16.464-07:00Happy 4thJuly 4, 2013<br />
<br />
Happy Independence Day to all of you. If you have anyone in your family who is serving our country in the military, or has served, please thank them for me and my family for keeping us safe. I am so glad they are the troops as I would make the worst troops. <br />
<br />
As for Independence Day, Martina McBride sings a song with the same name that is one of my all-time favorites. If you ever get the chance to hear it, you will find it has very little to do with the freedom of our county. However, she does a version live not long after 9/11 that is very moving. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sslFmCepE_0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sslFmCepE_0</a><br />
<br />
There is the link if you want to have a look and have six minutes of free time.<br />
<br />
As for the safety of my family, I am very lucky to be alive this morning. (No, not really) Last night was the night our local community celebrates the holiday. It is done with a mile-long race for adults and children and then a shorter fun race for the little kids. The kids are adorable. One adult ran the race backwards while his dog ran with him, but forwards. I am not sure what the significance of this was except to prove that dogs are smarter than humans. If you know who Bill Cunningham is, he interviewed people at the finish line. He is a local celeb who achieved fame as a radio DJ and has moved on to have a national television talk show. I haven't seen it since, ironically, it is not shown locally.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the race is followed by a parade in which my son's high school marching band participates. This is his third year marching with the drum line and he has come a long way from the kid who had to have someone lift the quads off of him at the end of the route since he was too tired to do it himself. He is in such good shape now that he marched and then went to the fireworks afterwards with his GF. He looked great and they sounded great. <br />
<br />
That leads to my concerns for our safety. I went to bed around 10:00. As you can tell from the number of times I have posted lately, I have been busy at work. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but I have been working a lot. Even when I am at home, I get texted a lot. I just had my monthly visit from my district manager on Tuesday and it went great. He was going to take the traveling trophy for the store with the best numbers with him when he left to hand out at the next meeting, but then saw my numbers and knew he should just leave it with me. I told him I didn't mind bringing it with me so the other managers could at least sit near it for a couple hours. but he didn't think they would be up for me trash-talking. I guess we will see.<br />
<br />
So tired was I. When I sleep, I sleep like a mom. I hear everything that is going on whether it be a storm, Beth walking around when she can't sleep, or a baby crying. Our baby hasn't woken up crying for 14 years or so, but I still listen just in case. However, last night, Beth got a text from CJ to come pick him up around midnight and went to get him. Our house is not big enough that a person can enter the house and not be heard. Except by me last night. When I woke up at 7:00, I had to wonder if my peeps were here. I looked to my left and Beth was there. I was pretty sure that if she was still waiting for a text from CJ at 7am, that she would not be doing so calmly. So everyone survived the holiday intact.<br />
<br />
So I have a couple days off, but our weather isn't going to be great. Rain in the forecast. <br />
<br />
I just got a text that the 8am cashier hasn't shown up. Here goes the holiday.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-59787318372392039242013-06-15T06:16:00.000-07:002013-06-15T06:16:43.159-07:00Soylent Green is people!June 15, 2013<br />
<br />
Good morning all. I have to work later today, so I have time to blog this morning. Yesterday was catch up day at The CVS. I have hired two new people, which turns out to be quite the adventure with our hiring software. The two new hires will bring much needed stability to my team. I finished last week under 60 hours on payroll and am nearing 90 hours to the good for the month. For you aspiring retail managers out there (God help you), this is not a good thing. If your sales are down, then you should cut your payroll. But if your sales are up like mine, and the company gives you X number of hours to use, do not use X-90. This causes people in the forecaster department to think that if you can accomplish an 8% sales increase on X-90 hours one year, you can do it again the following year. They do not assume that the missing payroll hours were made up by the salary guy that works there. Salary guy is tired. <br />
<br />
So there is your retail tip for the day. Your welcome. So yes, I do currently hold the floating trophy for our district for numerical results for the month of May, but it was not without more effort than it should have taken. I am hoping that things level of for the rest of June and that July should be an easier month before August gears up for inventory. Knock on wood, here's hoping. Gotta keep forecaster person in front of their green screen predicting adequate payroll numbers. El Nino or not.<br />
<br />
Currently, my son CJ is sleeping. This is significant because he has had an impressive summer thus far. For example, this week he has gotten up every day at 6am to go running. Summer in Cincinnati means humidity, so 6am is a much better time to go running than noon. He runs a couple miles and does a "hill drill" at the high school. This involves somewhere between 23 and 33 wind sprints up and down a hill at school. You do them in sets like 35753 or 57975. Not too easy. He looks good though. He is around 6' tall and 144 pounds. Pretty lean. I never looked like that since my height topped out at 5'10" Not a lot of workout DVDs that will help you increase your height. CJ even turned down pizza last night since it doesn't help you look better. Good for him.<br />
<br />
CJ has also spent a couple days helping the middle school kids put on a Summer on Stage program by providing instructions to the tech team. At least that is what he thought he would be doing. However, since no one signed up for the tech team, he has actually been the tech team. This only involved three days of volunteering, but last night's show would have had no sound or lights had he not helped out. Good for him.<br />
<br />
Later today he has to work at the pool. A lot of his coworkers were unavailable to work this weekend, so he is working a long day. We double-checked the minor laws to make sure no minors were getting violated. That is how long his shift is. Everything is both hunky and dory, so I am letting him sleep in to be ready for this shift.<br />
<br />
CJ has awakened. He is dressed in workout clothes, so his dedication to the task is admirable. Sounds like weight-lifting is on the agenda. Good for him.<br />
<br />
Finally, in this "all things CJ" update, he started his driving instruction classes this week. These are four hour classes that you sit through leading up to the actual road instruction. Class number one involved four hours of watching people wreck their cars, lie dead in the street, and interviews with their children saying things like, "I don't know why I will never see my parents again." Kind of a scared straight version of driving instruction. Sounds like the same videos they showed us 32 years ago. Perhaps they intend to show them all the After-school Special videos including Cipher in the Snow, and Soylent Green. Perhaps not.<br />
<br />
Oh, one more thing. Did you hear the oldest living human died this past week? He was 117 years old and was the only person left who had lived in three decades. We have decided to make this our goal. Who is with us? CJ has a good chance since he was born in 1996. For Beth and myself, we would have to live to be 135 and 136 years old. Our "baby boy" will be 106. Beth has assumed her health will be good as she declared to me, "I will not be changing your diapers!" I prefer to assume some machine will be changing my diapers by the year 2100. I will have to keep my wits about me though so I choose the machine that changes my diapers instead of the one that turns me into food.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-7014385160077802382013-05-27T06:02:00.001-07:002013-05-27T06:03:08.094-07:00For one last night, I was a Young VolcanoMay 27, 2013<br />
<br />
I know, two posts in the same weekend. But I remembered that I need to tell you about our concert experience.<br />
<br />
About a month ago, I came home from work and found CJ in the basement. That was not the surprising part. However, I was surprised to see that he was forlorn. Apparently, he sat and watched as the last two tickets were sold to the Fall Out Boy concert he had hoped to attend in Columbus, Ohio. Sad was he.<br />
<br />
This huge desire to go to a concert with his GF was spawned during her road trip with her mom. They had taken a trip over Spring Break that toured some of the East coast due to GF having a soccer game with her select team. Exactly where, I cannot recall. I do remember that her mom turned the trip into a mother-daughter road trip that included some college visits to universities such as Georgetown and ended with a visit to friends of theirs in Pittsburgh. The end of the trip also included a couple of concert tickets for GF and her mom to see Green Day. The favorite band of CJ and GF. Jealous was he? Green Day green-eyed jealous he was? You betcha.<br />
<br />
So he hashed a plan for he and GF to see a band together. Their other favorite bands included The Killers and Fall Out Boy. I am going to assume Fall Out Boy ranks ahead of The Killers for reasons I will explain later.<br />
<br />
So there he was, in the basememt, Skyping with GF and watching the last two tickets drip from his concert canteen out onto a desert of sadness. Since I have rarely seen my son in this state of despair, I decided I needed to hero up and fix this situation. I promptly proceeded upstairs to my computer and searched for tickets. CJ had only looked for tickets on the venue's site, so I was able to find them elsewhere-Stub Hub I think. Then, I did the unthinkable. I ordered tickets without consulting Beth first. I KNOW! I am in the future also. Four of them I ordered for a concert in Columbus (two hours away) on a Friday nite that, rotationally, fell on my weekend to work. No issues, I thought, we can work it out. Even if I cannot attend, perhaps GF's mom can go with Beth and the kids. We get along very well with her and I assume she will be game. Less thrilling would be to include GF's dad as the driver. It's not that we do not get along with him, we just don't know him as well as mom. They are divorced and share custody. This does not typically create awkward situations except for when I went to pick up CJ at GF's house the other night and went to the wrong house. Oops. I am so glad that everyone else thought that was pretty funny.<br />
<br />
Anyway, you may have noticed that none of the concert limo services involved Beth as the driver. She is not wild about driving and a trip such as this did not fit into her driving skill set.<br />
<br />
I need to shorten this story, so here is the preconcert Reader's Digest version. GF's mom was going to be in Chicago that night-not available. I was able to get Friday night off but was going to have to work 7am-10pm at work on Saturday. CJ had a full weekend of activities upcoming and GF had a soccer game two hours away on Saturday. All adults involved in the situation were a bit anxsty that Steve bought tickets. Children-still way excitied. Adults-see definition of anxsty.<br />
<br />
Determined to make it work, I soldiered on. We left Cincinnati around 3:30. We encountered the "everyone leaves work early on Friday" traffic, but made it out of Cincinnati in decent time. I had picked a resteraunt close to The Lifestyle Community Pavillion for us to eat prior to the 7:00 concert. We actually made it to the eatery around 5:45, so that was working out. The meal and the company were excellent.<br />
<br />
Now some of you may have noticed, that in the name of the concert's venue, was the word "Pavillion". It had never dawned on me that this meant "outdoors". And that a 50% chance of rain was not ideal. Another potential issue was the fact that all the seats for the concert were general admission. "Even though my ticket has a seat number on it?" "Sorry, sir (old dude), but even though there is a ticket number, all our seats are general admission and the only people that will be under cover are the band." This was told to me over the phone by less than enthused guy at the venue switchboard.<br />
<br />
No problem, I hoped. Oh, and the opening act? Hollywood Holt. Excuse me? I have heard of Fall Out Boy, but Hollywood Holt? Or Diamond Dan as Beth calls him. Oh, a rapper. Perfect. My favorite genre of music.<br />
<br />
Real long story short...the concert was FANTASTIC! The weather was in the high 60s and not a drop of rain. We cut the really long line to get in and got great seats. Not in the pit. OMG! I have never witnessed a concert with a pit before and it was mesmerizing. Three hours of teenagers bodysurfing from the back of the pit to the front and nobody died. We split up from the kids, but we could see them the whole time since the place only seats 4000 and is a big grass hill. They loved the concert and Beth and I did also. I even recognized three of their songs. Quite the show. Diamond Dan only performed for 30 minutes, starting at 8pm, and then there was a 30 minute break before FOB came on to do a 90 minute set. For those of you keeping time at home, that placed us back in Cincinnati around 1am. Everyone was a bit tired on Saturday, but we all survived.<br />
<br />
Beth has taken away my "credit card on the intenet services", but I am still glad I did it. I was there for my son's first concert and saw him behave perfectly. At no point did I have to worry about him trying to sneak anything even though alcohol flowed freely and wafts of weed found there way to those of us at the top of the hill. I was pretty hungry by the end of the concert for some reason.<br />
<br />
So there is the short story of our concert. Were any of you guys at FOB in Columbus on May 17th? If so, please remember for next time that it is a non-smoking environment. Especially in the pit.<br />
<br />
And by the way, The Killers were playing a concert in Cincinnati the same night. At an outdoor venue here. BUT IT RAINED HERE! Boo-yah.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-6916833938207047862013-05-25T05:02:00.000-07:002013-05-25T05:02:07.458-07:00I think I'm back to being a humanMay 25, 2013<br />
<br />
I know many of you have started new jobs before, so you know what it can be like. You may have also encountered the challenge of starting a new job with something to prove. Therefore, you know the challenges of what I am going through right now.<br />
<br />
I knew that there were many of my peers who were upset that they got passed over for the store manager gig I got. There are plenty of reasons that they thought they wanted this store, but most of them centered around the numbers it is pulling in. The previous store manager had done a lot of good things and saw the store through a transition to becoming a 24-hour store, so they knew it would not be a bad store to inherit.<br />
<br />
I feel the same way. It is a great opportunity for me. Close to home, good volume, good people, excellent chance for bonus. Considering the pay cut I took to leave Target and join CVS, it has the potential to get me back to par by the end of my first year. I am blessed.<br />
<br />
However, I have worked very hard my first three weeks for two reasons. First, that is who I am. Everywhere I go, I take me with me. Sometimes I leave parts of me behind and reinvent other parts, but my work ethic always tags along. I am not unhappy about this. My mother instilled this in me and I feel like I would be letting her down if I changed.<br />
<br />
The second reason I have been busting it for three weeks refers back to my "something to prove" intro. I know there are people out there pulling up my numbers every week hoping to see them dip. "I knew I should have gotten that store." "Can you believe they let a new manager go in there and mess things up?"<br />
<br />
Does anyone want to be inside my head? No, I thought not. Sometimes the voices get really loud. Needless to say, when you are hearing things like this in your head, you go about your business with something to prove. And I have. My numbers are great so far. Sales are up, payroll is down. Controllable profit is very good. The end result: Steve is burnt out after three weeks.<br />
<br />
My best employee followed the old store manager to his new store. One of my shift managers was in Ghana on vacation when I started and his return was delayed 2 weeks when he contracted malaria. Even after taking anti-malaria medication. Is anyone grateful to be living with indoor plumbing right now? I am spoiled. Good reminder of how lucky we are. I am still haunted by the images in the movie, Slumdog Millionaire. It makes me hate myself for complaining when I have to clean the bathroom at work. Fortunately, this young man returns to work on Monday. (And yes, I do know that Ghana is not in India).<br />
<br />
I have another employee who works third shift who has been working two full-time jobs. 80 hours a week will make anyone fatigued. Unfortunately, he has decided over the past few days that showing up to CVS is optional. Therefore, Steve has had to work all day, come home, go to bed, get woken up by a distress call, and go back to work all night. Unpleasant. Do you know anyone who wants to work third shift? Call me. <br />
<br />
So here I am, Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. I have scheduled myself off until Tuesday and my assistant has promised me he will try to keep the problems to a minimum. Here's praying that this happens. And here is also a prayer that each of you have a great holiday weekend as well.<br />
<br />
CJ starts his new job today at 4pm. He working the front desk at the local pool. Great gig except for the hat they are supposed to wear. Not especially cool. The bosses have told the newbies they only have to wear the hat if they see the food inspector show up. I will not be eating the food at the local swim club.<br />
<br />
CJ also got his temporary license yesterday. In Ohio, this is what you get so you can start to take driving lessons and so you can drive with a licensed driver before you take the actual driving test and get your license. You have to have your temps for 6 months, so CJ will be getting his license right before Thanksgiving. He only missed three out of forty on the temps test, so not too bad considering he barely read the book. And one of the ones he missed was because he thought everyone in the car had to wear a seat belt instead of just those in the front seat. I like his answer better.<br />
<br />
The weather isn't supposed to be too bad this weekend, so we are going to Wang Chung. I hope it works out for you as well. (And you remember who Wang Chung is so everybody can have fun tonight). Beth and CJ are done with school for the summer, so they have already played some Pink Floyd and eaten their pudding. <br />
<br />
Perhaps I do need some thought control. Gonna go get some coffee. Have a great weekend.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-45963826756468376312013-04-27T04:44:00.000-07:002013-04-27T04:44:46.463-07:00Quiet! Don't tell Beth!April 27, 2013<br />
<br />
Celebrate good times, come on! It is Beth's birthday weekend which is an event culminating Beth's birthday month, soon to be followed by Beth's actual birthday on Tuesday. Party, party, party. We have partied every day like it was her birthday.<br />
<br />
However, as it turns out, other than the surprise birthday I have planned on Tuesday, CJ and I have done very little to make this month a celebration. Lame is what we are when it comes to party planning. Sure, Beth has gotten to go to work, do laundry, cut the grass, and fry up the dinner in a pan; you know, fun-filled activities worthy of a birthday celebration, but we never got around to letting her scrub down the kitchen walls. <br />
<br />
Scrubbing down the kitchen walls was an expression Beth's dad used to say as something he would like to do. When given the choice to go Christmas shopping with Beth's mom or do something else, he would always choose to scrub down the kitchen walls instead of going shopping. I never understood it, but everyone likes to do different things.<br />
<br />
So, on Thursday I attempted to come up with something HUGE for Beth's birthday weekend. I thought I nailed it and made tentative plans for Sunday. Church followed by brunch at a restaurant down by the river (not to be confused with a van down by the river), and then a musical over in Northern Kentucky. Apparently, there is a beautiful theater house over there that plays "off-Broadway" musicals. This one was called Schoolhouse Rock Live. It featured the songs from our childhood educational television show with the same name. Songs like "Just a Bill", "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here", and "Conjunction Junction" still echo through my brain even though I am not sure I actually learned anything more than the song. Couldn't tell you how a bill becomes a law. For all I know that poor guy is still sitting there on Capitol Hill.<br />
<br />
However, credit card in hand, something stopped me from making the brunch reservations or reserving the tickets. Minutes later I heard Beth and CJ remember that CJ has an event to go to on Sunday from 4-7 and had picked up some soccer games to referee on Sunday between 1-3. Whew. That would have been aggravating to have gone to brunch and a show by myself. Or to have to find a date on such short notice. Crisis averted.<br />
<br />
So if any of you are in town Tuesday and want to come to the surprise birthday party celebrating the beginning of Beth's 39th year on planet Earth, feel free to stop by. It is BYOB. I have arranged for Beth to scrub down the walls in the kitchen and then the rest of us are going to paint it. Bring Your Own Brush. I will supply the paint. Seemed like the right time to do it since the walls were going to be so clean. I hope the neighbors don't call the Po Po as it could get cray up in here on Tuesday. Woot!<br />
<br />
Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-10304563756535747572013-04-11T06:11:00.001-07:002013-04-11T06:11:43.532-07:00I got the call today, oh boyApril 11, 2013<br />
<br />
It has finally happened. I use the word "finally", but in reality everything has happened just as it should. I have been promoted to be the store manager for a CVS 10 minutes from my house. It is a 24 hour store which means I will not have to deal with the large workload with only minimal payroll to spend. It also means I will not have to work until midnight (like I have to tonight) unless I choose to. It is a challenging store due to the clientele, the volume, and the fact that it never closes, but I will certainly never get bored there. I don't do boring very well. It is also a tremendous honor that the powers that be are trusting me with this store. New managers do not get put into 24 hour stores as their first assignment. However, due to my background and the work I have exhibited thus far, I am being given this opportunity.<br />
<br />
So, who didn't sleep last night? Could it be this guy? Am I worried about living up to this billing? Maybe a little. However, I have always had the inner drive to live up to my own expectations, so it really is nothing new. I have my mother to thank for teaching me that there are two ways to do things-the right way or the wrong way. I try to choose the right way which means setting the bar high and doing everything in my power to get there.<br />
<br />
I did not always handle this inner burden well in the past. My tenure at Old Navy as store manager did not end well. I took on all the challenges myself and did not hold my team accountable. Past coworkers at The target will tell you that during especially challenging times, I was not fun to work with. However, after a mere 25 years of retail, I have started to figure some things out. Yes, I am a slow learner. Gorillas have learned sign language more quickly than I learned how to be a successful store manager. Therefore, I want to thank any and all of you who have helped me see this over the years. Obviously Beth is a big part of that, but the team at the last Target I worked at were very instrumental as well. Thank you.<br />
<br />
It was not until I started to make some realizations around my goals, my limitations, and how to build a strong team, that I was truly ready to jump back in this store manager boat. I think I am more ready to keep it afloat than I have been in the past. Rough seas should not cause me to go overboard anymore. Fingers crossed. Once again, thank you all.<br />
<br />
For any of you struggling to find your way, please let me tell you that I am an example that there is a higher plan in place for all of us and we have to let it play out. Sure, we have to do our part and not coast through life, but we can't force things to happen and think they won't turn into a big ole monkey's paw. Monkey's paw? Google <br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #444444; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: small/16px arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey's Paw<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #444444; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: small/16px arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">, and see how this short horror story shaped most of my early retail career.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #444444; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: small/16px arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Over the past year I have made a pointed attempt to follow the higher plan. It started when I did not get the promotion I wanted at Target and I tried to make sense of it. As I went through the process, I felt that there was a reason. Then a recruiter called from CVS Caremark, and the rest is history. Nothing I have done with CVS has been accomplished by me forcing my way into things. Examples:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #444444; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: small/16px arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #444444; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: small/16px arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">I went to a training store 45 minutes from my house even though other newbies were sent somewhere more convenient for them</span></span></li>
<li><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #444444; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: small/16px arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">I performed every fill-in task without complaint even though all of them were not pleasant</span></span></li>
<li>I got passed over at least twice for other stores for various reasons even though my district manager considered me the best choice to run a store at the time</li>
<li>I spoke up when my pay was wrong even though it meant possibly losing money</li>
</ul>
I am here to tell you that I firmly believe this promotion will not be a monkey's paw. Will there be some tough times ahead? Absolutely. Am I ready to handle them all with grace and a good attitude? God, I hope so. I think so.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-5132766714408507682013-04-02T06:21:00.000-07:002013-04-02T06:21:27.660-07:00Not as good as Kargo Kids, but it'll doApril 2, 2013<br />
<br />
I want to thank Lisa Pie for the advice for my caffeine consumption. You can see it in the previous post's comments if you too are looking for suggestions.<br />
<br />
My mother-in-law also made a vitamin suggestion for me the other day. No, she does not read my blog. That would involve 21st century electronics and she is not ready. Beth still goes over and helps her with her cable box on occasion so she can watch old British detective shows. I think her 8-track of Streisand music is getting a bit worn. Not a blog reader, I am trying to say.<br />
<br />
However, Beth had told her I was having illness issues (allergy/mucus/cough cough/Beth tried to smother me in the bed Thursday night issues), so she ran out and bought me some Turmeric Curcumin. What a nice gesture, you may be thinking. Well, here is what the bottle says its uses are: Immune Health and Brain Health.<br />
<br />
Which one of these do you think I noticed first? Yes, my M-I-L has given me an herbal supplement to help my brain. Thank you.<br />
<br />
Speaking of my lack of brain health, I was able to pull off one April Fool's Day prank yesterday. CJ was sleeping in, which was helpful. Beth and I went shopping for food for my brain yesterday, so by 10am I had thought of something. I called the house hoping to wake CJ. Cruel? No, it was 10:00. Even if he had stayed up until 2am (which he didn't), this would be 8 hours of sleep. Time to get up. I had counted on waking him since he would then not have realized the date. I had to let the phone go to machine the first time, then hang up and call again. The phone ringing twice meant that the incoming call was important. A groggy voice answered the second time. I apologized for waking him, but told him that we had just run into Grandma coming out of Trader Joe's as we were going in. She had told us that she was going to stop by our house to drop off some money she had meant to give CJ on Easter, and would he be able to come out to the car to retrieve it. Absolutely, he was willing to get dressed and go wait by the front door for Grandma's money delivery service. <br />
<br />
15 minutes later I texted him (very brave of me) to deliver the real message, APRIL FOOLS! Pleased was he. His reply, uncensored, was simply "...ugg" . He kept it clean though I am thinking he filtered it. We found out later he was more upset about being gotten by dad than having to get out of bed. Outsmarted by this guy is rather insulting. Perhaps I should share my new vitamins.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-88819928090179272052013-04-01T06:20:00.000-07:002013-04-01T17:02:40.144-07:00Starting April with snow and the wisdom of FergieApril 1, 2013<br />
<br />
Happy April. It is currently snowing outside which is awesome since it is also opening day for baseball. Perfect.<br />
<br />
I spoke with my sister last night since she is way awesome about calling on the holidays. I asked her why she did not post her guilty pleasure and she pointed out that I already shared her Maniloonie phase with all the blogosphere. However, she then let it slip that I forgot about her love of all things from both Duran and Duran. She is correct, better to keep those things private. Safe with me.<br />
<br />
I am trying to come up with an April Fools prank to play on CJ, but so far my brain is not cooperating. I have only thought of either telling him it was a good thing we went to visit his Great Aunt Rhetta last night as she passed away this morning; OR sending him on a walk to Kroger to purchase some juice whilst giving him our expired credit card. Neither one of these seems like an especially good idea. Not enough caffeine yet today.<br />
<br />
That brings me to the point of this exercise. Yes, I did go around the barn to get to the house, but here I am, at the point.<br />
<br />
All soda is leaving our house and not returning. There are 3 cans of Diet Coke, a couple cans of Sprite, and several cans of Dr Pepper left in the kitchen that will not survive our April cleanse. Beth is starting a diet that is sabotaged by pop, and I need to stop drinking the stuff. For me, this does not mean giving up caffeine as the world would suffer right along with me. AND, I still have the belief that were I a little kid today, I would probably be diagnosed with some sort of ADD. The recommended medications for this involves doctor prescribed caffeine. It helps me focus. I would miss it like a child misses its blanket. Without caffeine, I would quote Fergie even more often.<br />
<br />
Therefore, it is either coffee or a vitamin caffeine substitute for me. I took something called Guarana (I think) years ago that was supposed to either be a substitute or a cure for the caffeine withdrawal, I can't remember. If you have any ideas, please share. However, they cannot involve any of those caffeine boost products like 5 Hour Energy. I am not going to do that to my heart. Men in their forties keep having heart attacks around me and I keep telling myself it has something to do with energy drinks and boosters. Combine that with stress and it is a cardiac event cocktail. <br />
<br />
So I am off to drive Beth to Whole Foods for a juice. As part of her diet plan, Beth is going on the juice. I suppose I will be coming to you in May asking for help in getting her off the juice, but for now, here we go. Or, as Fergie would say, big girls don't cry and look at my humps.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-90029641822202215212013-03-25T11:06:00.002-07:002013-03-25T11:06:22.205-07:00Seriously, I won't tell anyone.March 25, 2013<br />
<br />
It is spring break for Beth and CJ and they are living it up, oh yeah. The weather here is not especially Spring-like as it is currently snowing and in the low 30s. Bummer. No chance for Beth to run around in her bikini and rob banks like that Selena Gomez chick. CJ has either been in the basement or in the kitchen for 71 of the past 72 hours. Showered much? Uh, no. As my father used to say, don't go in there. <br />
<br />
So any news we may have would depend on what is happening on the television. That is why I am here today to talk to you about guilty pleasures. I refuse to reveal the name of the show I watched whose theme was "Guilty Pleasures", as that would totally expose one of mine. Beth would gleefully tell you, but I will not let her as you would think me to be a gleek. Therefore, I will not be gleaking that information.<br />
<br />
Just in case some of you went all mentalist on me up there, you may know the show I watch. If so, I think I need to defend myself. For the record, I do not care who Finn may or may not have gotten pregnant, what boys like other boys, or that Brittany's cat is into Scientology. I really only care about the singing. <br />
<br />
Thus reveals my guilty pleasure. I love to hear Lea Michele sing. I have been know to go on YouTube just to search for videos of her performances. The same goes for other performers I like such as Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, and some of the contestants auditioning for X Factor or The Voice. I really enjoy a great female singing voice. That does not mean that I am biased against male voices. I do think Darius Rucker could be the singing voice of God in a musical and either Brooks or Dunn (I can never remember which one has the incredible vocals) has caused me to play the song "I Believe" 5 times in a row.<br />
<br />
So, what is your guilty pleasure? If you are not sure how to pick one, pretend you could go on You Tube with no history of what you viewed. And if someone came in the room, you would have to sign off quickly. Musically, Glee defined it as liking Wham or being a Fan-ilow. My sister was a Maniloonie as a teen. They also sang some ABBA which was my brother's guilty pleasure. Coincidence, I think so.<br />
<br />
However, it does not have to be about music. It could be those baby pigs dressed in American Girl dresses. Or American Girl dolls dressed as Teacup piglets. <br />
<br />
This your chance to get a secret off your chest in a forum that is perhaps the last bastion of confidentiality-The Internet.<br />
<br />
Finally, if I do not get the chance to blog before Sunday, have a Happy Easter.<br />
<br />
And if any of you are March Madness fans, my first round score was 22/32 and second round, 11/16. I have lost 3 elite eight teams already, but none of my final four. My champ is Michigan. Just another validation that I should never take up gambling for a living.<br />
<br />
Speaking of which, Beth, her mom, and her brother are going to the new casino on Thursday. If any of you see her there, please remind her that we have bills to pay and she should know when to stop before she starts. Thanks.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-8566256468812047352013-03-16T05:31:00.001-07:002013-03-16T05:31:46.315-07:00We don't have The Showtime channel, but I was trying to use a current reference.March 16, 2013<br />
<br />
We will see what happens any second, but I have started countless (two) posts in the past couple weeks only to have the computer do something weird. This causes cursing, loss of patience, and blog terminus. Not necessarily in that order.<br />
<br />
Beth has worked diligently and even called in Tim McGee to break through some firewalls and get the viruses out of our computer. It has even gotten to the point of Beth saying that buying a new computer may be the way to go. What an inexpensive option. The best moment of the computer intervention came when CJ, the 16 year-old, chastised Beth, the 39 year-old, for clicking on ads on other peoples' blogs. "Not a good idea", he tried to calmly coach. "Those people are not your friends."<br />
<br />
So here's hoping peace has been restored in this world of bits and bytes.<br />
<br />
Tim McGee, you ask? Then you must be under the age of 38 as watching NCIS becomes a mandatory viewing requirement for those of us over 38. It is akin to watching Matlock and Murder She Wrote when our parents turned 39. <br />
<br />
So the only real news in my life right now is that I am switching stores. An assistant violated a rather important policy in another store and was terminated. Not good and I wish him the best. For me though, it means going to this store to help out for a while. "A while" meaning "this is permanent until you get your own store." It works for me for a few reasons. <br />
<br />
1. The store needs help and I can make a difference there.<br />
2. The store is not open 24 hours and runs on fewer operating hours, so it will be good to see how that half lives.<br />
3. My drive time will be cut in half. The money saved in gas alone is kind of like getting a raise.<br />
4. I have worked at this store several times and there are good employees and customers there.<br />
<br />
Therefore, I am looking forward to the move. I have lost a little sleep trying to figure out how to empty this store's stockroom (it is too full) without stepping on the store manager's toes, but I think it will turn out okay. As long as she does not wear toe-less shoes to work.<br />
<br />
As for my family's life, CJ recently had a Jazz Ensemble concert that was really good. If you are not music savvy, the jazz genre is not just about playing music that style, it is about learning how to improvise. I can certainly not explain it to you, but I can tell you it is a tremendous learning experience for the young musicians. It was thoroughly entertaining.<br />
<br />
CJ's GF suffered a concussion in gym class on Thursday. Not sure how that happened, but she is currently dealing with the symptoms. It also means there are some things she cannot do this weekend: read, look at screens with movement on them, exercise, receive head slaps from Gibbs. Or in other words, live the life of a teenager. Unfortunately, GF has a project due in math class on Monday that would have involved some hours spent on a computer, using a calculator, and thinking. Sorry, not allowed when you are concussed.<br />
<br />
So who has jumped to the rescue? Is it gallant CJ? You betcha. He is going to, selflessly, go to her house today to spend time with her as her aide. It's like he is Nurse Jackie.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064801257984047454.post-47811535986504574412013-03-03T07:42:00.000-08:002013-03-03T07:42:37.141-08:00Almond Joy has nuts, but coconut is white. Darn.March 3, 2013<br />
<br />
I went to the CVS Minute Clinic yesterday to have a health screening. It is a requirement of my health insurance carrier unless I would prefer to pay an extra $600 per year. I would not. Therefore, Beth went with me and we drove up there. A health screening is not terribly invasive and simply involves blood pressure, height and weight, and a finger stick allowing them some blood to test cholesterol. I didn't even cry and she gave me a lollipop.<br />
<br />
As Rose, the nurse practitioner, entered my information, she asked if I had gotten a flu shot. I explained that, even though CVS wants everyone in America to get a flu shot at CVS, I had not gotten one. Since I switched jobs and started with CVS in September, I had a 90 day period in which I was without insurance. While CVS probably would have still allowed me a free flu shot, I wasn't sure and decided to risk it rather than pay the $32 dollars. During this explanation, I think Rose lost interest. A simple "no" would have sufficed. I could tell she stopped paying attention when she asked me when I started with CVS. I reiterated, September. "Oh, of this year." said Rose. "Yes, Rose, I am from the future." said I. <br />
<br />
This exchange proceeded my finger stick, so I must complement Rose for not retaliating for my use of sarcasm on my poor finger.<br />
<br />
Since I know you are all interested in my health, I will let you know that my blood pressure was 110/70 which falls in the normal range. My body mass index was 22.1 which means she did not ask me to remove my clothing since she said that result meant my body fat and weight were in good shape. I don't know if the eye test would have revealed the same result. My bad cholesterol number was good, but my good cholesterol number was too low. Therefore, I have been given some recommendations to improve this number thus lowering my risk of stroke and/or heart disease.<br />
<br />
More exercise, more nuts, fruits and vegetables, and less white foods like pasta, potatoes, and rice. Since my health is my number one concern, I took to this advice immediately. <br />
<br />
Last night for dinner we went to Chipotle. I had a veggie bol (with white rice). For breakfast this morning, I had two scrambled eggs (with a baked potato mixed in). My lunch plan involves eating some left over food in the fridge which may or may not include elbow macaroni with Alfredo sauce and/or some Tuna Helper. Rose did suggest more fish as well, so I think Charlie once told me that tuna comes from the sea.<br />
<br />
Obviously, I am not off to a good start with my diet changes. A good portion of my diet involves white foods so I do have some changes to make. I will be joining the foods of color movement. Seems rather important. Keeping me around is on Beth's to do list. It's not like my father ever had a heart attack when he was in his forties. He was fifty. That gives me a couple of years before I am actually at risk, right?<br />
<br />
Okay, okay! More salads less colorless foods. Being healthy can be stressful. It leads to stress eating. I need some chocolate. But not white chocolate!Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07357371514929843137noreply@blogger.com0