Friday, July 29, 2005

immediate gratification

We sadly live in a world where people are of the "now" mentality. I, too, have fallen into this behavior. I haven't felt that way in a while, perhaps as I continue down the road of becoming the best me I can be I will never have that feeling again. Also, I hope, I may stop feeling the sense of annoyance when others become demanding and "now" about things. But for today, I will be annoyed... :)

Case in point:

Got a pair of shoes back from a customer. They were an 8, she was a size 9.5. My question to her when she called about returning them was "did Jessica try calling the other stores?" Her response, "no, she was adamant about this being the only pair..." When I questioned Jessica about it she said the woman was in a hurry and didn't have time for her to look, but that she offered (which was what I figured already). We have received the sandals back and they are second in the folder of returns. Our policy is when items are shipped back to us to be returned we will do the returns in order of the arrival back to the store and we have 30 days do make said return. This customer just called saying, "I sent the shoes back and you have to return the money to my card, now." I lied and said she was next in the folder and it should be able to be done today. I will do it today, moving her ahead of one other return (which we had only gotten a day or two ahead of hers). I know that I have rewarded her behavior by giving in to her demand of getting the return "now" but I didn't want to have to deal with her any longer.

I wish you all patience and happiness.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

very possibly

The best yoga class EVER! Tonight was the first night that Jill and I met with Diana after work to start our private instruction. She kicked our butts and we, loved. every. minute. of. it. I can see where this road is going to lead us and it makes me happy. Yoga has brought a meaning to my life that I never really knew existed. It's brought peace and balance in my world and has given me a whole new appreciation for the human body. I like the idea that if I treat my body well it will do so in return.

I urge everyone whose eyes read my words to do something specifically for yourself. Something that is kind. Something that will not harm yourself or others. But something souly for yourself!

Right now, I'm going to go read and fall into probably the best nights sleep I've had in a long while...

Namaste (love, light, respect)

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

oh the beauty of it all...


I have received several cases of shoes in today. I covet...COVET...these:

I have them sitting next to me as I type (they are still in the box though). I've worn them around already and they are so damn comfortable! Some may ask, "are these really clogs?" To which I reply...we are clogs-n-MORE!

It is warm here today and I think the suede may not be conducive to this time of year, but they are fall shoes. Yeah, I can also hear the same people who asked if they are clogs make the comment about me living in a rainy climate and suede...

My store room is horrible right now. I had to wear the really cute skirt that I got on Sunday though and I don't want to get all messy. I have done quite a bit of unloading, but I have more to do tomorrow. I am thinking jeans tomorrow. I don't mind if they get dirty. They are jeans. Although can the new shoes be worn now with jeans?

I just had a customer come in and buy the Poppy Suede (red) for her wedding! FOR. HER. WEDDING! I love it when brides come in and buy shoes from me for their weddings! I applaud those who will wear what they want. Me, I couldn't feel my toes for three days after our wedding and although it was a fabulous day I really wish I'd have thought about the whole switching shoes thing after the ceremony, OR just worn silly little sandals. Nobody saw my feet anyway...

Monday, July 25, 2005

quiz time...

http://www.blogthings.com/coffeequiz/

as for me: I'm a soy latte (yeah, right)

"At your best, you are: free spirited, down to earth, and relaxedAt your worst, you are: dogmatic and pickyYou drink coffee when: you need a pick me up, and green tea isn't cutting itYour caffeine addiction level: medium"

Sunday, July 24, 2005

today

We decided to go to Fryes (aka Geek City USA). We jumped in the car and whose little face should we see peering at us, longingly, through the front window but Josie. I looked at Kev, who looked back at me. I told him I wished we could take her with. He said "LET'S!" The road to the store goes right by one of the best dog parks (the 2.5 acres) and so I jumped out of the car, got on her collar, grabbed her leash and off we went.

After walking the park a few times we decided it was time to head to the store. On our way through the parking lot there was a woman with her daughter. Her daughter was laid out on the rock drive, having just had a seizure. We get to the car. I look at Kev and tell him I have to go see if the woman needs any help. I sit and chat with both the mother and daughter and BOOM she goes into a grand mal. I just sit there with her mom until she is out of it, it lasted maybe 20 seconds. As soon as the daughter was coming to and talking with us we were hopeful about getting her up and in the car. No going. She couldn't really feel her legs. Her mother called the EMT's and two physicians came up as well. At that point I felt she had it under control and bid my farewell. I told the daughter I wished we could have met under different circumstances, but wished her well.

At Fryes I stayed in the car with Josie so we could have the A/C on. I read a book my Dad sent me as I waited for Kev to finish up inside. We joked that it really was for the best that I stayed outside with Josie. If I'd gone in he'd have felt rushed to get in and get out. As it was, he mulled around a bit and I just sat with my girl reading. He said he felt badly for the guys in the store with their girlfriends who he overheard trying to explain WHY they "needed" x, y and z. He said he thought, "man, leave her out in the car...don't try to explain..." We joked about it together. Heck, I'm glad I stayed in the car with Josie. I got to watch my beautiful dog observe the world around her.

Now I'm waiting for Kev to finish getting ready so we can go pick up Jill and she and I can take him to work before running around together. It's funny because she had the idea last night to run around with me and when I called her this morning to see if she wanted to do just that she started laughing and told me her story of telling Mark if we went to yoga we could run around together after...I told her I wasn't going to yoga but we could still run around. :) I felt like sleeping in and spending the morning with Kev. It was very very nice.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

random ramblings

Man, today has gone by quickly, now that I look at the clock again. For a while it was slugging by, but now it is 4:43 and I have just over an hour before I head home for my weekend. No major plans, it's going to be a bit warmer this weekend so no painting (we still have yet to do the hallway again...) but I am hoping we can get a big trash can for yard debris and work on the back yard a bit. The back corner, which was cleared when we first moved in, now has tree limbs, blackberry vines as well as who knows what living in it. The blackberry vine is the most annoying of them all though. It could easily take over the world. I'm reminded of Still Life With Woodpecker by Tom Robbins whenever I look at the vines. They are mentioned in the book, which takes place in Seattle. They were taking over the yard in the book too...

Last night Jill, Kiley and I went out to dinner. All of our partners in crime were either out with pals, off to LA, or at work. We decided it would be fun to get together and eat Italian at a place not too far from home. Very nice indeed. Pastini. The Cannelloni Fruttie Die Mar is to die for!!! Go to their menu and read what is in it and then tell me you don't want to go there whenever you are in Portland...

I was riding the bus home last night after work and got to chatting with Michael (he's actually someone who works at our bank, which is how we met). We were talking about blogs and he seemed a bit surprised that I had one. I told him it was for freinds and family and complete strangers to see what's going on in our life. We got to talking about how I'd have ideas of things I'd want to write about while doing whatever (I could be drinking coffee and have an idea, or walking up the block to the store and *poof* something would enter my mind...) and as soon as I got to the computer to write about whatever it was it would be gone. I don't have my book in my bag right now. The book I use to write things in as I get ideas.

Kev is giddy right now. Maybe giddy isn't the right word, perhaps he's more loopy than giddy. He called me earlier, I had to call him back. When I did he just sounded like he'd not gotten enough sleep and was feeling a bit slap happy. He told me he indeed did NOT get enough sleep last night and WAS feeling a bit loopy. Sadly we had to cut our conversation short because he had a customer come into the store. When he's loopy, he's also chatty. I like that...

Okay, those are some ramblings to tide you all over. Sorry for the long wait. I know this entry probably doesn't make up for it. :)

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

oh the joys of hiking


It was a hot day yesterday. We got up early and picked up Jim and Kathy, my father in law and his wife. We decided that we should take them to the Falls Creek Falls. It was nice that we left early because it got up to 100!

Josie loved the water... We are thrilled she's finally finding her water legs. She went in rather far in the creek, river, babbling brook, whatever it was. She had a blast! I wanted to jump in with her by this point because it was on our way back to the car as the heat was climbing.

Today is quite warm as well, but since I'm in the good ol' A/C at work it's not bothering me too much. We just got some darling shoes in and of course I'm trying to justify them already!!! :)

I'm just bad.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

sorry, a little (stupid) rant

Bekah, you will appreciate this one...

I "own" a list on yahoo groups. Most of you all know this. The reason I "own" my own list now is because of ill feelings that I had with the original dog list I was part of. It was deemed time to move on (by my gut feelings) and so I did. I started another group, got together with a couple of my online friends and got a great group together.

Now one of those original friends (we will call her C) has decided she needs to totally blast my very good friend (we will call her R) behind her back to me. OMG!! Are we back in flipping high school?!? If C has an issue with R she knows she can talk to her about it, however, C is now saying she's done with R and sees what other people see....I'm still waiting to see what that is because as far as I'm concerned R has been respectful of others and just shared her knowledge (and damn, she's one smart cookie).

(don't worry, I've said these things to both parties so I'm not really going behind backs here)

The truly interesting thing to me throughout this is that C joined both under her name as well as a fake one. Does she think I don't know she's got two identities (and maybe more) at my group? What made her feel compelled to sign up with the other one (I know she does at all the groups she is a member of)?

And then I remember, it's the freaking internet! It doesn't have any affect on me personally. If she wants to be stark raving mad, I have the power to boot, ban, and not let anyone else join...in fact, I can make my list an invite only list. Hmmmm.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

surprise!!!


My internet friend Bekah sent me these (I say me, but really they are for Josie). I can't wait until Monday to give her some!! Thank you Auntie Bekah! Josie says her card is in the mail...

Speaking of Monday, we are sharing our sacred day with Kev's dad and step mom. I'm excited about taking them to Falls Creek Falls. It was the hike we did a couple of Mondays ago and forgot the camera. Not this time!!! I will have to try to get a shot of Josie gobbling up her Power Bones! I love the name of them.

I've got something up my sleeve to send Bekah, but it's going to take a little while since I've got other things up there at this moment in time. She'll just have to bide her time and be patient...I hope she'll like it!!! :) I'll let you know how much Josie loves and appreciates her treats after Monday.

i am a medium

Not in the sense that I can speak to the dead or anything creepy like that...

You all know of our weight loss thang (seriously, if you are looking for inspiration watch this falls Biggest Loser!)

Anyway, I was out shopping with Kev this week on Monday and I stopped to look at this great tank by Isaac Mizrahi (I'm so glad he's doing things for Target). There were two left, one was a medium and the other an extra large. I hesitated for a second, but picked up the medium. I figured if I got it home and it was too small I'd take it back (we live a hop, skip and a jump from Target). I did the same thing with a pair of rose colored yoga pants. Only there were larges available, I just decided to take the medium there too. Well what do you know, I'm a medium. It's still hard for me to envision myself wearing medium in clothes that for quite some time I was wearing XL. It boggles my mind a bit quite honestly. But hell, I'll take it!!!

I was thinking the other day, as we were driving home from our trail run/walk. I really enjoy who I (we) have become (or would that be whom?). I like being the outdoor-sy girl. I like getting out in nature and really being there in it, away from the "real" world. I like that we want to do these things together, Kev and me. I wouldn't have thought this when we first moved here that in 5 years after moving to Portland I'd be living in my own home, with my fabulous husband, our wonderful animals and getting out and DOING. We used to watch our old neighbors, Kim and Brad, go out all the time to do things out of doors. I'd long to be like them. Now, I am...sigh.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

my dream house...

Will have a room where we have zero furniture, hardwood floors, maybe the free weights, but plenty of room to practice our yoga and meditate.

It will have a well planned and laid out kitchen that is a bit larger than what we have to work with now. I'd love for it to open up into the rest of the house, although not necessary. As long as it is a well thought out and planned kitchen, I'm fine. Oooh, and it has to have a pantry!!!

It will have a large enough "master" bedroom so that all our gorgeous maple bedroom furniture will fit in it and Kev's chest of drawers won't have to reside in the closet.

It will have a cave. I've gotten so accustomed to having a quiet, dark room that I've grown to rather like it...a lot. Especially when the neighbors find themselves needing to set off fireworks. Josie enjoys having a quiet place to go.

It will have a lovely patio where we can entertain our friends and family and Kev can wow them with his culinary skills...he is the true Grill Master!!!

It will have a back yard that Josie ISN'T affraid of.

It will have a spare bedroom as well as a sewing room, that will be used!!!

It will have a garage, two car (not that we will have two cars, but storage baby).

It will have at least one and a half bathrooms. Dood, if we can't both go WHEN WE NEED TO...it isn't our house! As of right now, it gets tricky at times.

It will be in a neighborhood where you know each other and you wave when you see the familiar faces of those you live around. You won't get told stories of home invasions.

I want it to be even closer to Jill and Mark. Not only have they gotten hugs, two bottles of wine, a loaf of homemade bread, but they just recently got...COOKIES! Homemade oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies with a welcome note. I so want to live near them! :)

ahhhh, yoga

So this week I got an email from my yoga instructor Diana. She asked me to give her a call when I had time to chat. We spoke the other evening about her desire to have Sundays off and for herself and Lawrence. I understood completely. I was a bit heartbroken, until she uttered the words "private instruction" to me. She asked if I thought Jill and I would be interested in furthering our learning with her privately if one of her other classes at the other two yoga studios she teaches at wouldn't work. I told her that I was sure that Jill would be interested and I knew that I was interested.

After I got off the phone with her I called Jill. I believe she said something to the effect of YES YES YES to me. We got quite happy about the idea of private instruction, but kept in mind that Diana had mentioned other classes and if we couldn't make any of those then we talk private instruction...

Well, today after class we all went to breakfast and as we were talking she mentioned private instruction again and this time it sounded like she was more into that idea than having us join one of her other classes. When we left Jill and I were giddy because she was talking about going to the park and leading our practice there. My head is spinning and I am all kinds of excited about it! I mean think about how much further we are going to get to go with our practice...YEA!!!!

Friday, July 08, 2005

TAG!!!

I got tagged by Bekah...

What was I doing 10 years ago
:
I was turning 22 and wondering when the hell I was going to grow up and know what I wanted to do with my life.
5 years ago:
I was marrying the man of my dreams (actually exactly five years ago we'd been married already for just two months and had just gotten settled in Portland).
1 year ago:
I was working where I work now and enjoying it as much as I do now (which honestly, is a lot!!)
Yesterday:
I was...crap, what the hell was I doing yesterday?!?!? (I was just beginning to start answering these questions...then we had dinner with Kev's dad and step mom.)
5 Snacks I enjoy:
1.almonds
2.grape tomatoes (like cherry but BETTER)
3.baby carrots
4.cheese
5.yogurt (had you asked me this one year ago I'd not have answered the same way)

5 songs I know all the words to:
1.farmhouse, by phish
2.voodoo lady, by ween
3.not alot to do, by the zutons
4.alphabet song, origins unknown
5.1 2 3 4 5 .... 6 7 8 9 10....11 12222222 (you know the one)

5 Things I would do with a $100 million:
1.pay off the house
2.pay off the car
3.pay off the credit cards
4.pay off my family's debts
5.pay off my friends...

5 Locations I would like to run away to:
1.Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
2.the mountains here in Oregon
3.anywhere that has no clocks (but I suppose that would be impossible for me...there's a Clock any place I go)
4.a cabin in the woods where we can just sit and relax and enjoy each others company (and by we I mean me, Kev, Josie, Simon and Chloe...)
5.seriously, my Mamasita-in-law's house in Texas...total resort!!!

5 Bad habits I have:
1.picking at my nails
2.obsessing on what clothing I will take on trips (no matter long it is until said trips happen)
3.picking my nose
4.finishing sentences for people that I don't know
5.using "..." waaaay too much

5 Things I like doing:
1.embroidery
2.playing with the animals (simon, chloe and josie)
3.talking on the phone with my Mamasita-in-law
4.eating good food with great friends
5.playing board games!

5 TV shows I like:
1.The OC (I know, I know)
2.The Simpsons
3.Futurama
4.The Biggest Loser
5.The Amazing Race

5 Biggest joys of the moment:
1.Knowing I am married to someone who will tell me what is on his mind (finally!!)
2.NOT the fact that I think Josie just snuck some "snacks" from the bathroom
3.hiking every Monday with Kev and Josie
4.watching the cats play with each other
5.chatting with my online animal list (the ladies are just too funny)

5 Favorite toys:
1.my bernina
2.my serger
3.this here computer
4.if board games count as toys than QUELF!!!
5.my living and breathing toys, the cats and the dawg
5 next victims:
1.Kerri
2.Daddy-O
3.the Female CS GradStudent
4.can't think of 4
5. can't think of 5


Thursday, July 07, 2005

i'm getting a girls weekend!!!

Let the obsessing begin! My sister emailed me last week asking if she used her frequent flyer miles would I come down to LA in Septemeber. I told her I had to make sure it was okay with the guy who pays me but I'd let her know. Yesterday Ahmed told me it would be fine and so now I've got a ticket booked!!! Jill might be trying to go with, but I was just looking at the flights and I think she might have to call United to see if she can get the same flight leaving as me. I hope she can go, but if not Julianne and I will have a blast! She has mentioned yoga, dog park, wine bars...

Now, to start figuring out...what ever will I take?!?! I already know that the yoga pants and new yoga tops I'm getting soon from Sierra Trading Co are going. My new jeans. My brown slightly dressy, but not too over the top, top. I mean, Sept is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!!!! :)

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

this is my horn...

...and I'm going to toot it!!!

It is just after I have opened the store downtown. I have a customer trying on clogs I'd held for her. I have another woman come in the store and start looking around. She's acting a bit suspicious. I watch her as she kneels down with a pair of clogs. When she stands back up the clogs are gone and there is an empty spot on the rack. I approach her, knowing the clogs are in her big raffia bag. I ask her if she liked the blue clogs she'd seen on the rack. She sheepishly said yes. I tell her softly, "I'm going to need to look in your bag." She pulls out the clogs. At this time my adrenaline is pumping. She says, "I'd like to buy them, how much are they?" I tell her they are $105.95 and that I can get a different bag for her to carry them in. She doesn't have the money (which I knew would be the case) so I tell her I'll hold them (I'm sure she won't be back).

I RAWK!!!!!

My former co-worker just popped in to get her last paycheck so I told her the story. She said it sounded like I was very compassionate and she thanked me for that.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

not my energy!

Okay, as I wrote before Josie dislikes fireworks. I don't care for them based on the fact that they make my dog pace, bark, pant, lick the air, just act NOT like herself. I don't do anything out of the ordinary, except turn on loud music to drown out the noise. Then I peacefully sit and read. Nothing new there.

As soon as Kev took over he turned down the music...she started doing the afore mentioned behaviours. Tell me, my energy? My dislike? No, my guess is she could hear the damn things and it freaked her out. As a child I did not like the loud booms because they frightened me, as an adult it is because they frighten my animals. I could give or take fireworks for myself personally. But for the three kids I've got running around my house in a panic every 4th of July, I'll give every time!!! Yes, Simon and Chloe got into the act as well and hid all night...although they would come out every once in a while only to have some loud boom happen and send them back into hiding.

Monday, July 04, 2005

oh how i loathe fireworks

We got home from a long hike (at one point we took our hike books author's suggestion and took the "scramble" up the unmarked trail to the upper falls trail...it's called .2 miles of straight up for about a 400' gain in elevation ALL AT ONCE) and decided we needed to go get some grub to grill. As we turned onto our street we looked in the garage of our newer neighbors and saw a card table FULL of fireworks. I HATE FIREWORKS!

Josie's been doing the bark, pace, pant thing for a little while now and we just have to ignore her. She calms down faster than if we say anything to her, but it's hard to NOT cuddle her and tell her it will be okay. I mean, she's a dog and doesn't speak english and wouldn't understand those words at all. However, I do wish she'd chill the hell out. I also wish the neighbors wouldn't have bought out the entire fireworks booth, but that didn't happen either!

I see Tylenol in my future and possibly ear plugs...

Sunday, July 03, 2005

pictures from the game



There are several different cards you have to pick during play. One set is called Roolz. These are things you must do during the game, unless another Roolz card says to discard a current Roole. We had several global Roolz, one of which was we had to keep something that was larger than our fist in our left hand. So, beer. Then I drew a card that made me put one finger in a nostril, yodel while trying to roll three twos. And I had to keep the beer in my left hand...I haven't laughed so hard in a long time!!!!!

oh baby, i'm so tired

Man, I know how to pack a weekend full. Day one of my weekend and I've gone to yoga (such an amazing class today!!!), helped my dear friend Amanda with painting the trim in her kitchen/breakfest nook/mud room (I told Lisel, her beau, it shows how much I love Amanda because I HATE painting trim), took Josie to the dog park (where she only tried to escape once, but was foiled because the woman who came in after me latched the gate after I asked her to), mowed the lawn (which was in need), cleaned the kitchen (which was in dire need after our game night with Shannon and Kiley last night...you all must play Quelf), and now I've finished eating dinner (yummy veggies, almonds, ham and cheese...). I'm pooped. Kev has no clue I've done any of this, other than the yoga and the painting. I told him I'd take Josie somewhere but I don't think he always believes me. :)

Tomorrow we are thinking about getting out of the city. Josie has done much better this year with the fireworks our neighbors have already started setting off (the ignore her while she's barking and reinforcing when she's quiet really is working), but we think we'd still like to get out of town. Hence the lawn work, etc. We had been thinking the coast, but then my friend Reagan sent me and email, as did another friend Kay. It was a link to a story about the Oregon coast being the busiest on the 4th and to expect traffic. We started talking and realized that people will go to the vast expanses of beaches to set of fireworks, watch fireworks, and just be there in general, we think we would like to get up to the mountains instead. So we have been looking online and in our hike book for a place that sounds like it will be the place for us to go and get away from everyone and everything.

We'll let you know how it goes. Please be safe this holiday weekend.

Saturday, July 02, 2005

mmmmm

Friday nights our friends Kiley and Shannon go out to eat. On occasion I get to join them. For no other reason then we like each other's company.

We went to a new place called Nuestra Cocina. It was rather tasty, however the desserts...where it is at! The ap we shared was nice, seared scallops over radicho (sp) and some kind of verde sauce. I opted for a main course of little baby tortillas (made there by hand) stuffed with black beans, avocado, grilled poblano peppers and cheese. They were served with a verde salsa. Kiley had some pork dish that was goooood and Shannon got an ap as a meal and they were little pastries stuffed with chorizo and other goodness.

Because we'd not eaten too heavily we opted for dessert. All night we'd seen this plate coming out of the kitchen with chocolate cake on it. Very dense looking, the kind that would kill me if I ate more than a couple bites. Shannon got that. It was served with a cinnamon ice cream and caramel sauce. For all of Kiley's talk of Flan he changed his mind and got the crepes with fried bananas and fresh strawberries. While I had an Empenada Limon. It was a lemon custard filled empenada served with fresh whipped cream on a ribbon of caramel. The custard was warm inside which was a lovely surprise.

The margaritas...they muddle the lemon, lime and orange with ice giving it a burst of citrus. Muddling is when the bartender puts the ice in a cup with slices of orange, lime and lemon, takes something that looks like a pestle (or is it the mortar that is the basher?) and smashes it all together. YUMMY!

Now I am getting ready for my last day of work for the week and when I get home I must run the vacuum quickly as we have a couple people coming over to play a new game called Quelf. Our friend of a friend designed it with two of his friends...just go to their site to get the logistics. :)