...and I don't think I can write much more about it. Today was the first day on the phones at AT&T. Being one of the four from the "back row", I know that BIG things were expected. Without going into too much detail or pity party central, I will leave you with this: I CAN do better, I WILL do better, and I can only go up from here! I know that I will have awesome results tomorrow! So, until then...
Tomorrow is the big day to get on the phones at my job. To say that I am nervous, would be an understatement! I know that if I just make it through the first call I will be fine. It is just waiting for that first call that might kill me! Anyway, wanted to give a quick update on what is going on with us.
Kathleen and I are single this weekend. Both husbands are on cross-countries. So, we decided to go out. We head to Chili's...the only restaurant option in Pace. We are patiently waiting for a table when we see a kid (about 10-11 yrs old). I thought nothing of it, but the look on Kathleen's face was priceless. I asked what was wrong and she proceeded to tell me that the kid with the long hair was a boy. I said no way, not possible. Not one minute later, the family comes back out and believe me when I say it was the craziest mullet I have ever seen! First of all, I didn't know the mullett was making a comeback...I must have missed that issue of Vogue. The front of his hair looked like the cut of any kid...trimmed, bangs straight across, what I would call a standard boy-cut. Then you see the rest. (This is where Kathleen and I differ.) To me it looked like the hair was down to his waist and Kathleen seemed to think that it was about mid back. Either way, it was a blatant mullett!! Only in Pace!
I woke up today at 6:45...according to the alarm! (Which is not good since I have to leave the house by 7:00 each morning to get to work on time!) It is Friday, which means that it was poker night last night for Taris and it is never a good thing that the alarm is on his side of the bed. (Although in his defense, he is good about hitting snooze. My tendency is to just turn it off...a much bigger problem!) Anyway, I woke up frantic and then I looked at the "back-up" alarm...it said 5:45. When the alarm went off this morning, Taris had a hard time finding the HUGE snooze button and hit all of the other buttons just right, which caused the time on the clock to advance one hour. We fixed it, Taris went back to bed, and I got in the shower.
I know that you are saying to yourself...how is she so smart to look at the other alarm? Well, this is not the first time that Taris has hit the buttons wrong on the alarm. About a month ago on a Friday (ironically), Taris hit the alarm and somehow the time was advanced on the clock by TWO hours! This was before the time change so it was not odd that it was still pitch black out. I rushed to the shower, threw my clothes on, let the dogs out, played and fed them, and got in my car to leave. Believe me when I say that I made it to the end of my street before I looked at the clock in my car and realized that it was only 4:50! I turned back to the house and caught up on some television while cleaning the kitchen. From now on, I look at both alarms before getting out of bed...just to be on the safe side.
Well, it has been a while since I gave an update on work...so here it is! We are finishing up training on Monday and starting Tuesday we will be graded on how we do selling on the phone. By next Friday, we will know if we have a job still or not. I know my products and I have gained a LOT of self confidence since this whole thing started back at the beginning of March, but I am praying that my mouth can spit out the words from my head fast enough to hook the customer and reel them in! This is the first place that I have worked that rates/grades you on your performance numbers...and they certainly have no problem with letting you hit the road if you are not up to par! I ask that you pray for my sanity, my selling, and my adherence (that is what they call your ability to follow your assigned time to be on the phone and not in the restroom, at the trash can, or of course on a personal). I know that I will have SO much more to write about on Tuesday...if my brain doesn't hurt too much!
So, I attempted to play with Roxanne and Kacey this morning before I headed out for work. Kacey couldn't find her ball, so I was throwing with Roxanne until she found it. I bent down to pick up Roxanne's ball, when Kacey decides to jump. The top of her head goes right into the bottom of my nose. (Did I mention that it was 6:15 outside and I was not all the way awake...I certainly was then.) Immediately my eyes started to water, my hand went straight to my nose to make sure that it was still there, and I had flashbacks to the day that Rachel, my sister, broke her nose falling into Alexis', my other sister, door jam...she still claims that we pushed her, but that is unsubstantiated. As I am holding my nose, it starts to gush with blood. I run inside, grab some tissue, and get to work to start the bleeding...I hate putting my nose back because then all that blood...well you know. Anyway, the bleeding stops, there is no major swelling on the bridge, and I can somewhat breathe. I will say this...my gums and teeth hurt and I can't stand to have to blow my nose or sneeze. I think that I will survive!
So, it was a typical Sunday in Wal-mart. My neighbor and I go every Sunday to do our grocery shopping. There isn't a lot of options in the metropolis that we live in here in Florida....your options are Wal-mart or Winn-Dixie. Wal-mart is cheaper...so that is usually where we end up. For some reason, neither one of us had a lot to get...milk, cheese, and produce. We were on our way back up to the front of the store and what do we see...a rat running from produce and attempting to make a bee line for the dairy section! I am from Texas and I will be the first to admit that when we lived in our old house, there was a very small field mouse that took up residence in our home. The animal was eventually eradicated, but never the less, not a great feeling to have. With that being said, I have been up close and personal with small rodents. Believe me when I tell you...this thing was not a mouse! It was a full fledged RAT. It was the kind you see on television when there are shows on about New York. Needless to say, we decided that day that we would through our budgets to the wind and get our produce at Winn-Dixie. And that is the story of how I spent less than $20 at Wal-mart on a Sunday grocery shopping trip!
On Oprah on Friday, she did a one hour show on puppy mills with Lisa Ling, a day in the life of a city animal control shelter, and what the humane society and Main Line Animal Rescue are trying to do to help.
I will start by saying that all three of our dogs are rescued animals and I prefer to rescue an animal from the clutches of euthanasia. I had no idea what puppy mills were like. The largest puppy mill county is Lancaster County, PA. Lisa Ling did an undercover story with hidden cameras and I was appalled. Dogs are kept in cages (most the size of rabbit cages), stacked on top of each other, and most of these dogs have never felt dirt or grass on their feet. I was more upset that even with the poor level of living conditions of these animals, there was nothing illegal about what was happening. Dogs are considered a cash crop just like cows, chickens, goats, or anything else, and therefore can be treated as such! Puppy mills are where 99% of all animal stores get there puppies from. (Something to think about when purchasing a new dog!)
I was doing OK until they got to the segment about the day in the life of the Fort Worth, TX animal shelter. At the end of each day, the head guy has to go cage by cage and decides who will get another day and who will be put down. They have to keep track of the reason (i.e. disease- untreatable, disease- treatable but not soon enough, unadoptable- dog fighting, bad home, or no space). These dogs are then put into a special section of cages the following morning and they have one last chance to be adopted by 4 pm that day. Then one by one, they weigh the dog, make the solution, and stay with the animal until they pass on (which can take 3-5 minutes). First, I can't imagine having to make that decision, but then having to also be the one that carries the decision out. (I am tearing up just thinking about it.)
I write about this to say...If you are wanting an animal, check your local shelter. You would be amazed at what pure breads are actually available. If you are looking for a specific dog/cat type, Google it. There are specialty shelters that are dedicated to the rescue of one specific breed, to then be adopted back out. If you already have a dog, please control the population by having your dog spay or neutered. You think it doesn't matter...it does!
I promised a certain someone that I would write all about my adventure last night when I got home, but I had to go to bed...so that I could get up for work today... so here it is...I am writing it from my 15 minute break at work.
Yesterday afternoon I got a call from Jessica (one of my neighbors) that they were going to Foley tonight to go shopping at the outlet without the kids and wasn't sure if I wanted to come along. Thursday is poker night for Taris, so I had nothing waiting for me at home for the evening. We hit the road around 5:15, Karen drove. (Now I usually get to Foley, AL by taking Hwy 98. It is the fastest way to go...in case you ever have a need to shop while in Pensacola.) I was just along for the ride on this little trip...and assumed that the two gals had the route all mapped out....not so much! They had decided to take I-10, which you can...its just not as quick. You are supposed to take exit 44...we finally decided to turn around when we got to Mobile! (At exit 35!) I happen to be on the phone with my friend, Kathleen, who was kind enough to map quest it for us. She told us that we need to take exit 44, stay on Hwy 59 south, and we would see it on our left. We finally pulled into Tanger Outlet center at 7:00 pm. Now the stores are open until 9, so we split up and were going to meet up back at the car. By 8:45, my arms could not hold one more bag!
We decided to grab a bite to eat on our way home. We pull into Domino's pizza at 9:15 and proceed to inquire about the specials. They had the sign flashing "Hot and Ready Now" and ask what topping. The guy proceeds to tell us that they just never turned off the sign and reminded us that it IS 9:15 and they are closing soon anyway...like we were stupid for inquiring. Then we ask what the special is that the sign by the road states: "$7 large, single topping pizza all night". The same guy proceeds to tell us that down at the bottom it says Wednesday only. (Really! Its Thursday...walk your butt out there and take it down!!) We finally decide on the Brooklyn pizza special for $9.99. When he rings it up, he tells us that it will be $13.75. A little confused, Jessica asks how the price could jump so high! He says that he rang it up wrong and quotes us the new price. We finally get the pizza, eat in Karen's car, and head home.
I got home around 11 pm...I am usually in bed by 8:30 (9 at the latest) on a work night. I had the best time, great adventure, ready to do it again. But girls...next time I'll navigate!
I am out of stuff to write about right now, so I leave you with this. Hope it brings as good of a chuckle as it did me!
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car): Hilda Ion
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Peppermint Stiletto
3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal): Blue Dog
4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born): Jorene Grand Prairie
5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name): Hawes
6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Red Dr Pepper
7. NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers): Wesley Vern
8. STRIPPER NAME ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy): Givenchy Kisses
9. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Akers Atlanta
10. SPY NAME (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Christmas Hydrangea
11. CARTOON NAME (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now): Kiwi Jeans
12. HIPPIE NAME (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Muffin Pearl
