Simple Panache

Ahh phooey. . .

Ever have one of those days where you wish you could ask  for a refund for the last 24 hours?

Today was one of those days.

I was in some weird funk. I just felt down, tired, just bah humbug blah. In to work I did not go.

I am thinking its due to my monthly friend. Hormones anyone?

PMS sucks. Big time. Ask my husband. I think he wanted to take me out to the desert and leave me for dead.

I hope tomorrow is going to be a better day.

Now excuse me while I go woof down my pint of Ben & Jerrys-its the only thing I have liked today. :(

Ad match hell

***WARNING: This post contains the use of the F word and other colorful language. If that offends you, then I would prefer you go to Martha Stewarts blog. Mmmkay, thanks. ***

Note: The cashier mentioned is not really named Helga. Helga just seems like a really mean, homely name. And if your name is Helga, well then you just found out what I really think about your name. ;)

I usually shop at our local Walmart Supercenter for our groceries. They are relatively cheaper than the other local grocery stores AND as a super special bonus they ad match the other stores sales. I have been doing this for a very long time so I know what Walmart will match and what they wont. Things they dont ad match are buy one get one free, and the percent off sales, ect.

Rob and I did some killer shopping yesterday. About 70 percent of our cart was grocery items. I had maybe 20 items total that were ad match.

I get into "Helga the Walmart bitch from hell" line and immediately I know its not going to be good. She saw the ads in my hand while she was ringing up the person ahead of me. Dundundundun!!!!!

Fast forward to her ringing us up. Let me first back up here a little by saying I really do EXPECT to be treated rudely by Walmart employees because well, they really are usually just rude as hell. I dont understand why, well I do understand why. They honestly work in "hell on earth" and do have to put up with alot of crap from customers. I have been as sweet as apple pie to some of the rudest cashiers there and they barely crack a smile. I think I would be just as miserable doing that job, but I believe that you should grin and bare it, seriously. You signed up for the job and even if you hate it with everything in you, its just wrong to be a miserable old bitch and be intentionally rude. Now giving credit where it is due, I have also had some very, very nice cashiers there however they are a very rare thing.

I tell "Helga from hell" about my first admatch item and ohhh boy, I can just tell she has been waiting for it!

me: "The Yuban coffee is on sale for $5.99."

hfh: "Where at!!! (in her almost yelling tone, no kidding at all)

me: At Safeway (looking at her, blink,blink,blink)

hfh: Let me see the ad!!! (same tone)

me: sure, its right here---her snatching the ad and pushing it down with her yellowing fingernail. She then shoves,SHOVES the ad back at me to continue ringing my things.

Holy shit assholemotherfucker! That is where Helga from hell fucked up! I could feel my neck get red and hot, my ears were ringing, I wanted to reach over and yank out her gray bun!

My next item was coming up. I was ready!

Me: All of the Green Giant canned vegetables are 2 for $1.00.

hfh: Where!!! (still the same tone)

me: hmmm. Um, well do you want me to look for these too? (here is where helga from hell fucked up, I will now make her life a living hell. She chose the wrong person to open up hells gate today.)

hfh: yes! show me the ad!

me: oh, ok.. (I am taking my sweet ass time unfolding the ad.) Hmm, I could have sworn they were on sale at Bashas. hmmm, well hang on now, I know they are in here somewhere. (I have ads from six different stores in my hand. I slowly and carefully unfold ONE, turning the page very slow and looking all squinty eyed) Well, I usually dont have to show the ad for every item, but if thats what YOU require. Hmm, well maybe it wasnt Bashas! Honey, Rob, babe! Do you remember where the Green Giant was on sale at? (he knows exactly what I am doing and smirks)

Rob: Uh, yeah honey. At Bashas!

Me: No, I just looked there and, hmm. Oh wait! I think they are at Safeway! I slowly fold the ad and carefully unfold the safeway ad. I am sure that your manager right over there is so happy you are double checking! Especially when you are busy like you are today! (I point behind me to the line of growing customers ;) ) Oh silly me, I know where they are on sale at now! Frys! Oh, I have that ad right here!

I look at steaming helga from hell and I swear to god if fire could shoot from her eyeballs, I would be toast!

Me: Here you are, you see. Green Giant 2 for 1.00. ( I am now grinning at her like a southern belle.)

She is tossing the cans rather hard in the bag. I can tell she is rather pissed as fuck.

I am eyeballing her every move and she doesnt like it one bit. I get to my mangos that are 2 for 1.oo at Food City and I let her know, and OMFG! She doesnt ask me for the ad! She does however ring them up two for ten!

Me: Um, excuse me! Did I say those were two for ten?!?!? You rang them up wrong!

hfh: Oh! (slam, slam, slam,slam on the key board)

After she corrects her huge ass mistake, I jump right back in.

me: Oh, just one second! I want to see the cash register tape where you corrected that mistake you just made!

She is now breathing so hard she is huffing. She slams the cash register again and rips off the little white tape that just came out.

me: hmmm, wait a minute now. Oh, ok, I see where you corrected your MISTAKE. (still smiling at her)

This continues and I can tell she is now wishing she wouldnt have been so rude. I continue to nit pick her for stupid shit, and she is huffing and puffing louder.

She finishes it all up, CRAMS the reciept in my hand and waves her hand off at me like, shoo fly go away.

Me: excuse me helga??? I just wanted to let you know that you have been the RUDEST cashier that I have ever had my entire life. You should be proud of that! I think I will go tell your manager that you have just made my day by being treated soooo rudely.

She looks at me and gasps. And I did just that. I walked straight over to her manager there and told him exactly what happened while standing there facing her and looking right at her while I spoke. She was so preoccupied with my conversation she wasnt paying attention her new customer either.

Her manager told me this wasnt the first time she had a complaint and that she was an older cashier that had been with the company for a long time. Do I give a shit about that? I looked at him and said, "well then, she should surely understand how to treat a customer and she doesnt! If you are making excuses for her, that is a pretty lame excuse!" He then said, "no I am not making excuses for her, just trying to justify it for me. "

The guy in line behind me had just a few items and after she rang him up he walked over to where I was standing and talking to the store manager. He wanted to let the store manager know how rude she was and didnt greet any of the customers in line, how she slammed the register and demanded loudly that she see the ads. He also told him how rude she also treated him.

Very long story short, if you dont like your job, move the hell on. She had no reason to treat me like she did. I would have gladly showed her the ads and not been a pain in the ass if she would have asked me nicely. She talked to me in a tone that I wouldnt use to talk to a dog.

A little goes a long way.

Speechless

I LOVED him. I hate saying that past tense. I still do love him, unfortunately we will not see any more of him.

So, so sad.

Whenever someone dies, I always wonder what they are thinking (do we still really think?) or wonder what they are doing (what do we still "do"?).

As Rob would say, "Vaya con Dios" (Go with God)

I just wish you werent leaving us so, so soon.

Some things just dont require a title

I want a fish taco! Gah!

One more day!!!

Well, well, well. Here I am, spending my last lovely day at home eating Cheerios with toast for breakfast, packaging up my Etsy sales to ship, watching the Today Show, reading blogs and getting prepared for another Etsy update this weekend AND I DONT want to go back to work tomorrow! Whaaa!!!

But, I know I must. (wiping tears)

Rob is loving, LOVING, LOVING life right now. He comes home from work everynight, eager to tell me about his long day. He worked with at the Veterans hospital yesterday and that was quite an expierence. A good one, of course. Hearing him talk about all the fun things going on in the hospital, just makes me want to hurry up and get my degree already! :)

I am thinking about heading over to IKEA this weekend. I am in dire need of some shelving and also a new work table for my sewing machine. I am sure I will walk out of there with more than I originally intended on purchasing , but hey. Thats ok too.

I am off to enjoy the rest of my last day at home. Have an awesome rest of the week! Will be back in this space this weekend!

The longest week on record

Its so odd, this week feels like a month. In a good way though!

Lady V and Nick came over yesterday and stayed the night last night. What a bunch of freakin fun those two are! Much laughs, good food and good conversation took place into the wee hours of the night.

Rob was the first off to bed. His big day at work was today and he had to be there at a very early 6am. I got up with him with a woozy head since I went to bed MUCH later than he, but "good luck" hugs and kisses were much needed this morning. He looked mighty handsome in his brand new black scrubs. Yowza! ;)

I have been anxiously waiting for a phone call from him all day and sadly he has only called me once and I think we spoke three words to eachother and I heard his pager start beeping in the background "I gotta go love! I will call you back, bye!" and that was that. I cant wait to hear about his FIRST day at the hospital. He will come home to a steaming hot & delicious meal along with a nice adult drink. ;)

I cleaned out two closets today and WOW! Can we say donate? I have been tinkering on the decision to have an yard sale because alot of the stuff I have is practically new and I would LOVE to get some money back out of it. But yard sales can be sooo much work. I do have a few bags marked donate but then I have another pile of stuff that I think I am going to push aside to sell in a couple weeks. After Rob gets settled in and used to the long 12 hour shift.

I made this KILLER chicken wing dip last night and ohhh wow! It is realllly good!

A coworker of mine brings it in for every single potluck we have and its always gone, Im talking licked the pan gone. She had written down the ingredients and of course I misplaced the list, so last night at the grocery store I just wung it and played it by memory. The cool thing is it doesnt have to be PRECISE.

You need:

1 whole rotisserie chicken--- plus I baked with the skin on, 4 chicken leg quarters until they were all bubbly and crispy with lots of spices.

1 whole package philly cream cheese 8oz
1 cup of chunky blue cheese dressing (your favorite will do)
1 jar of Franks hot sauce or Tabasco sauce--she recommeded Franks so Franks it was
8oz block of medium cheddar cheese shredded

All you do is heat the cream cheese just a little to bring it to room temp, add the dressing and the hot sauce and mix really well until all the lumps are out.

Shred the chicken up and you must include some of the yummy goodness of the skin. Pour the sauce contents over the chicken and mix really well until all chicken is coated then mix in the shredded cheese and save some for the top.

Add to a small casserole dish or just do what my co-worker does, use on of those throw away aluminum
pans. Bake at about 350 degrees just until its a little bubbly and the cheese on top melts. Let it completely cool or just eat it hot with some Tostitos chips!

I made a huge pan and its was GONE this morning. Im talking lick the pan gone! ;)

Now I am off to prepare my hungry mans dinner.

::yawn::stretch::sip::home::cozy

Wow, I forgot how wonderful it is to be at home! I have been home since Saturday and I am loving every single millisecond of it. My fun ends on Wednesday as I return back to the world of high heels, hot morning coffee by the cupfulls, very early wakeup calls, long driving commute and just the ho-hum of working out of the home. Do I dare say I actually got a little bored today? Yes, yes I did. I am just not used to having all of the FREE time, but hey, a girl could seriously get used to this. ;)

In good news, Rob got hired! Woooohoooo! Oh my gosh, you have no idea the relief! He is a totally happy camper and is now letting the feeling of accomplishment sink in and get all cozy. I am so, so, so, proud of this man and love him so. He is such a good papa, husband and provider. The long nights doing clinicals at different hospitals all over the valley after working an 8 hour shift at work, he was oh so tired but still pushed on, keeping his family in mind. He has also been home and we have had some wonderful quality time, some well needed make up time of togetherness that has been Lonnnng overdue.

Having this time with my boys has been so exciting and I have had my littlest curly headed muffin by my side all day, planning homeschooling lessons, working on homeschooling lessons, eating hot buttery pancakes side by side talking about anything-everything. Oh how this little boy melts his mamas heart.

Sewing has been a little less pushed for time-a little more relaxed and invigorating.

     

All of these items are up at the SHOP and those magnets are addicting!! I cant get enough of them, so much fun to make! :)

All sorts of goodness

Well, I have kind of fallen off the bandwagon of taking a picture a day for a year. Maybe I will revamp it for a month and start again. Taking the pictures has been no problem, its getting the photos out of my camera. I will make an effort though and try, try again. :)

I recieved an email from the Schmap Los Angeles Guide. My photo was selected for inclusion in the newly released fourth edition! Yay! I am seriously honored and even though I am not getting paid a dime for it, it just makes my heart happy knowing that its there. I didnt include my last name to be published with the photo, but then again I am happy I didnt-mainly for privacy reasons and maybe safety reasons as well. ;)There is a link on the right side of my blog for Schmap where you can see my picture. :)

I have so many hopes and dreams for projects that I want to accomplish this year. So many little things sitting in wait for me to give my time and effort to complete them all. Oh, such sweet, sweet things I want so badly to create and also to publish.

So many happy things happening for my little family right now. Rob has an interview tomorrow (yay!) and we are getting ready for his graduation ceremony on Feb. 8th. Such a proud moment for this papa. He has worked oh so hard, and he deserves this oh so much. Him and I went this afternoon and purchased his cap and gown along with some other fun goodies.

It was a lovely, lovely day.

365 days | one year | my life

: day 3 :

I took this photo accidentally trying to figure out the little flash pop up on my camera. I kept it, I kind of like it. At least today I do, I may hate it tomorrow, ya nevah know.

And for the record, girls with glasses rock harder. ;)

 

365 days | one year | my life

:day two:

      {   Working late into the evening every night is nothing new to me, after a very long day at the office. This part of the day/night brings me so much joy.  I can hear the hum of my house, the TV on for anyone who might give it attention, the laughs of my loves coming from our home office and catching the sweet smile from my "Etsy partner/laborer of love/helper who never complains"  <3 Rob <3 .

The very last thing I do at night is complete my labels for packaging. This one is going to Brooklyn and I couldnt be happier :)    }