BIRDIES!!!

For those of you who don't know my house is surrounded by oak brush trees and therefore we have always had at least one bird's nest every Spring. (As far as I remember they have always been robin nests but it is possible that there's been others.) This year is no exception--but there is something a little different. Instead of in a tree we have a nest here...

I guess the mama robin wanted someplace warm for her babies.

Aren't they cute?

Don't worry, I am not bothering them too much. I just like to go out and look at them every few days or so. I have always been fascinated with birds, especially mama birds. They're so dedicated to their babies! Look at her up there just sitting and sitting. It must be boring, yet she does it. I don't know if I could do it. Who knows where the papa bird flew off? (Ha ha, I'm just saying...)

I am so glad summer is around the corner!

Friendship(?)

“Friend: A person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.”

That’s the definition according to dictionary.com. That’s pretty self-explanatory, right? There’s no real need to delve into a discussion about the meaning, right? It’s not something that’s up for debate like abortion or stem cell research, right? ISN’T THAT SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY AND THEIR DOG KNOWS?

You would think so, right? Well, I guess that just isn’t the case anymore. Here’s the 21st century definition.

“Friend: A person acquainted with another through common interests with little to no feelings of affection or personal regard.”

Gee Steph, that seems kind of harsh.

I call it as I see it. Lately I’ve seen a lot of people who are taking friendship for granted and I do not like it. They’ve dropped the “affection or personal regard” part altogether. Its like they’re thinking, “I’ll call so and so to hang out with him. I don’t think he’s a friend really but he’s got a cool X-BOX that we can play together. I want to use him to ease my boredom—yeah, that’s what I’ll do!” That’s not friendship; that’s being a mooch!

But to take a step further when so and so calls him to ask for a favor then he just makes up some excuse for not wanting to help him. Backstabbing and lying are never acceptable, but ESPECIALLY when done to a supposed friend. Why are people doing this? Why are people acting so selfish? I don’t get it and to be honest I am just plain fed up!

People in the world are becoming more and more self-absorbed as each day passes. It’s no longer “Do unto others,” it is, “Survival of the fittest”. I really think that’s sad. I don’t know what can be done about it, which makes it sadder.

Why can’t people stop being jerks?

Not Fair!

I woke up today feeling like I have been hit by a truck even though I got a lot of sleep. I have a bad, bad cold and I don't want to do anything but just lay here on the couch and die. (Even sitting up now with the laptop is kind of making me nauseous). Naturally I did not go to work today. I have always thought that when you don't feel well you should try to go to work anyway. In the past I have done this and have been sent home. That seems more responsible than calling out because people often fake it when they call. (I hear it first hand because I am the one who answers the phones and I can tell when people are faking or when they sound perfectly healthy). Today, though, I decided just to call out because I knew if I went they would have sent me home anyway. I really had the best intentions in mind but now it seems like everything has turned around and bitten me in the butt.

I called my work a little bit after I woke up (like at 7:30am-ish) so I could give them notice because I was scheduled at 8am. Since the store was closed no one answered (even though they are SUPPOSED to) and I was stuck waiting and waiting for TWENTY-MINUTES!!! Finally a girl on the floor answered and transferred me to the manager. When I talked to the manager and told her I was not coming in she asked me what time I was scheduled. When I told her 8am she got mad and said, "That's in ten minutes!" When I explained to her how I had been waiting for 20 mins she said, "Yeah, the phone's not working. I know you're sick but you've really put us in a bind, you know!" I then, trying to help her, gave her the name of someone she could call in my place (because part of my job is to call people to come in and cover shifts) but she still seemed pissed off and just kind of hung up on me.

I've never been a manager and I know they deal with a lot of stress and stuff but I am not happy of the attitude she had towards me! I have only called out once for an emergency and I have been sent home a few times for being sick but other than that I have always been dependable and a great worker! I know people are going to say to me, "Well, that's just how it is in the retail world". Yeah, I know that. I KNOW THAT!!! I also know there's nothing I can do about it and I shouldn't fret over something so stupid. But the thing is that it really, honestly, truly is UNFAIR!!!

Why do all the dimpy little teen aged cashiers get to call out whenever the crap they want to go hang out with their friends but all hell breaks loose on me for calling out because I am genuinely sick? Why are they telling us at work to wash our hands a lot and use hand sanitizers because of all the Swine Flu crap but I get yelled at for actually being sick? I am tired of being taken advantage of. Good workers should be rewarded for their loyalty but they never are, and it sucks! I don't know if I can deal with the retail world any longer! My sister's right, I need to get out of there.

Thank you, little girl

This blog goes out to someone who will never read it. This blog goes out to a little girl I came in contact with a few days ago. Here is the story…

It was a fairly typical night closing in the fitting room. There was nothing particular that happened and I found myself in the usual, “Ugh, people are annoying, I want to go home” frame of mind. (Yes, that is something I think quite often.) But then a family came in to try on clothes. The father went on the men’s side while the mother waited outside with 3 little girls. The only one I really paid attention to was the oldest of the three. If I had to guess I would say she was 7 or 8 years old. She looked at my name tag and asked how to say my name. When I told her she smiled and said, “That’s a pretty name!” I thanked her and continued hanging shirts.

She then wandered into the women’s side and came back out a minute or so with various small pieces of paper. “I picked up all the garbage,” she said. I thanked her and she continued to tell me how she always kept her bedroom clean and how she hated messy places. I told her that was a good habit to keep. She then found some hangers on the floor, hung them on my bar, and then organized them by size for me. She was eager to help me out.

I do not remember everything she said to me but I was very impressed with how polite she was. I’m sorry to say it but I do not come in contact with polite children very often. I am not saying the children I see are impolite altogether but parents usually do not teach their children to behave in stores (or anywhere in public).

I wanted to write this blog to thank that little girl for her kind behavior to me. I actually felt better after talking with her. I admire her kindness, curiosity, and happy demeanor overall. So to this I say thank you, little girl. Thank you for brightening my day. I am just sorry I never learned your name.

Obama is God--apparently

I know this is old, old news but for the life of me I cannot understand why Obama decided an Ipod was a good gift to give the Queen of England! Seriously, what was going through his head? It's not the fact that an Ipod is a bad gift to give somebody but the Queen is not just a "somebody". She's a Queen for crying out loud! And don't give me the "But she already HAS everything else," spiel. As the leader of our country he should have given her a gift that represents us. He could have given her something that commemorates a part of U.S. history or something. His gift should have shown her his respect and admiration for her. I mean, why do I even has to EXPLAIN this? She's the Queen of England!!! Almost ANYTHING would have been better than a freakin' Ipod!!!


But the thing that's bothering me the most is how the news media isn't even talking about it. Well, unless you count this idiot
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/6359512.html

I nearly vomited when I read this article!!!


I can GUARANTEE that if Bush had given her a gift like that the news would be all over it--calling him a redneck, a moron, or whatever. But Obama does it and no one says boo. Not to mention the fact that Michelle Obama broke protocol by HUGGING the Queen. You're not supposed to touch the Queen at all--even little kids know that!

(EDIT: Ok, so I've now read that the Queen herself initiated the hug-- if that's true then it was okay for her to do that.)

Michelle probably meant well but it's just the fact that they seemed ill-informed or that they just chose to ignore the rules altogether. The British people love and admire their royalty. Pretty much everything they do is "For the Queen". To me it just shows utter ignorance and lack of respect on the part of the Obamas.

So Obama is God apparently. He can do whatever he wants and all the millions of people who love him will just fall down and worship him. He dons all the magazine covers and even has collector cards in his honor(it's true, we sell them at Target). Every freakin' day those dumb news entertainment shows talk about "What did Michelle wear today" and stuff. I know that in the past a president and his family have always been considered newsworthy but this time it has risen to epic and frightening proportions. They're treated as super, duper, mega-tron celebrities!!! It's madness!

I really don't like where this is going. Doesn't anyone else see how this is a bad thing?