Can Someone Explain This??

I want to say from the outset, that I absolutely LOVE that Aldi opened a store near my office.  At least twice a week, I would find myself needing to stop for something on the way home from work – milk, bread, lunch stuff – and Aldi is so much cheaper than the other grocery stores in the area.  I was shopping at the new Aldi the day they opened – even scored free shopping bags!

So, it pains me to write this, but I really don’t understand this…today, I needed to call my local Aldi.  I wanted to see if they had some shelving they had advertised a week or two ago.  I went online to the Aldi website, quickly found the Store Locator and entered the zip code.  Up popped all the local stores, but there were NO PHONE NUMBERS.  I thought that was a bit weird, but went over to whitepages.com and did a search.  I only got the number for the Aldi District Office in another city.  So, I break down and call 411 – I tried not to, but I’m desperate now.  They have no listing for the local Aldi – only the District Office.  Now I’m really perplexed and decide to call the District Office.  When I told the lady on the phone what I needed she said “We don’t publish or give out the phone numbers of individual stores, but I’m sure I can help you.”  WHAT!!???!!?  They don’t allow me to call the local store. I’m supposed to call the District Office – which would be long distance on the office line, so I used my cell phone – to find out if my local store has something in stock.  I really don’t understand the thought process behind this.  I mean, why would you not want customers to have the ability to call the store to ask questions?  Is it a cost thing – if the phone number was published, would they have to pay someone to answer it?  Is it so the customers who are actually in the store get more personal service?  Both of those are worthy ideas, but I just don’t see it as an either/or proposition.

After all this, they didn’t have what I needed so it really was a waste of time.  Had I been able to call the store directly, I would have spent just a couple of minutes on the phone.  As it happened, I probably spent about 10 minutes trying to get an answer to a very simple question.  (Because when I called the district office I had to listen to the automated attendant, figure out which number to push, wait for someone to answer, wait while I was transferred and then wait while the lady looked it up.)

Am I strange for thinking this is bad customer relations?  Maybe it’s just me, but shouldn’t you want customers to call you?  My husband gets calls at 7:30am from his customers and gladly speaks to them.  See they can reach him because he gave them his number!

Thank You

I can’t say Thank You enough to everyone for your thoughts and prayers over the last few days.  Special thanks to my Jammie Girls – it may sound weird but it felt good to cry with you guys.  We’ve shared so much, this is just another event that binds us together.  

We all still miss Buddy alot – I got teary at dinner the other night when Stephen said the blessing.  He always says “thanks for all our animals” as a part of his blessing.  Last night he sort of stopped at that part and said, “thanks for Rufus”.  Silly, I know but it was another reminder that Buddy is gone.  But each day gets a little easier and thinking about the funny stuff he used to do makes me smile.

And, we ARE NOT in the market for a puppy, dog, cat, goldfish or any other animal or reptile you can think of.  We still have Rufus and Scooter – the deaf cat – so our hands are pretty full.  But thanks for thinking of us!  :)

Here’s a picture we took about 3 weeks ago…Buddy is with Emma & Rufus is with Stephen.

Buddy

On Super Bowl Sunday 1994 Steve & I brought home an 8 week old lab mix puppy.  Steve named him Buddy – original, I know.   While Steve waited in the car with the dog while I ran in WalMart to get a dish, collar, etc., he looked at the black & white fur ball & asked, “Are you going to be my buddy?”  When I got back to the car, Steve told me the name and it stuck.  

On September 18, 2008 we buried Buddy in our backyard.  He would have been 15 years old in November.  I wish I could say that Buddy went to sleep and didn’t wake up, but that isn’t the way it happened.  Buddy and our other dog, Rufus, took off together and didn’t come home that night.  I found them the next morning as I drove Emma to school – Buddy laying on the side of the road and Rufus sitting near him, completely lost.  The best we can tell, Buddy was hit by a car and died quickly, if not instantly.  (I won’t go into why we think that – it’s just the best guess we have based on where & how we found him.)   I was completely devastated – and I still am.  Probably will be for a long time.  

My hubby is the strongest man I know.  He picked Buddy up and brought him home, dug the hole and placed Buddy in it, then covered him up while the kids and I stood there and cried.  Don’t get me wrong – Steve was crying, too.  But he did what needed to be done for all of us – me, the kids & Buddy…like he always does.   

Buddy was, without a doubt, the best dog in the whole world.  We could leave him in the house for hours and he wouldn’t do “his business” anywhere.  Now, he would about run you over to get outside when we got back, but who could blame him.  We took him on trips and he traveled so well.  When I was pregnant with Stephen, we remarked that if the baby traveled half as well as Buddy, we’d have it made.  Both kids learned to walk by pulling up on Buddy.  They literally would grab the flesh on his side and pull themselves up.  He never even growled at them.  When Steve worked nights, Buddy would get on the bed with me when I went to bed.  If Steve was on a shift that brought him home during the night, Buddy knew and after I went to sleep, he would get up and go sleep on “his end” of the couch and wait for Steve.  Once, when I was pregnant with Stephen I got really sick while Steve was at work.  Buddy sat by my side of the bed until he heard Steve pull in the driveway.  He ran to the door and when Steve came in, Buddy led the way to me.  He was our protector and took his job seriously.  

And 4 1/2 years ago when we brought Rufus home to join the family, Buddy took him under his wing and became his best friend.  Here was this high energy puppy bouncing around a 10 year old dog that just wanted a nap.  Buddy could have turned on Rufus and been jealous, but Buddy seemed to “get younger” when Rufus showed up.  They would play together and wrestle like puppies.  But Rufus always knew who was boss – and that came in handy because Rufus ended up being a head taller and about 25 lbs. heavier than Buddy.  Rufus could have easily taken Buddy down, but he didn’t – there seemed to be a respect there.  That’s probably why Rufus stayed with Buddy and we found them together.  Rufus was about 20 feet away from where Buddy laid, back away from traffic but where he could see the road and see Buddy.  It meant so much to see them together.  Steve remarked that it impressed him Rufus stayed there.  It impressed me, too but it didn’t surprise me.  Rufus was lost without Buddy to show him how to get home.  He’s still a little lost, he keeps looking around for Buddy…like we all do.  

Despite all the pain, we’ve clearly seen how God has shown up for us in this.  First and foremost, finding Buddy and Rufus was huge.  We have friends whose dog has been missing since May.  She took off during a bad spring storm and never came back.  We are thankful that we know what happened to Buddy and we were able to say goodbye to him.  And finding Rufus waiting with Buddy – wow, there aren’t words to say what it meant to be able to bring him home to the kids.  Steve being home to comfort me and the kids and bury Buddy gave us all the chance to say goodbye.   

My boss & pastor, Jimmy, told me that we gave Buddy a great life – that he wasn’t a dog, he was a member of the family.  He nailed it – Buddy was and always will be a member of our family.  

Buddy-roe, you will be missed!

Great Post

I subscribe to a great blog called Gifted for Leadership. It’s a leadership blog for women – Christianity Today is behind it. I saw an ad for this blog in Today’s Christian Woman magazine and when I checked it out, I found a lot of helpful articles.

I decided to link to this one article because I found it to be very insightful and it really spoke to me. (Those of you who know me will get a big kick out of the title.)

http://tinyurl.com/59jp6h

Family Day

Today was Family Day. It was the reward the kids earned from last Saturday’s behavior experiment. We told the kids last week to be thinking about what they would like to do. The only stipulation was it couldn’t be anything expensive.

We started the day by sleeping in a bit and then have breakfast at home while getting ready for Stephen’s soccer game. (Emma’s team had a bye this week) After the game (we won, 3-1) we went home so Stephen could shower and then headed to the library. We made it about 30 minutes before closing. Then we went to Ishi in Harrisburg for lunch – since we didn’t go out on my birthday, this was my pick. The kids LOVE it – anything with shrimp sauce is good with them. Then we went bowling at Frye’s in Concord. Frye’s is definitely retro – they don’t even have automatic scoring. Fortunately, I grew up hanging out watching both my Mom and brother bowl in leagues so I know how to keep score. We bowled 2 games – and I won both times. And no, it wasn’t because I kept score. The kids didn’t want the bumpers so they struggled but were able to keep the ball on the lane fairly well by the end of the 2nd game. We ran a couple of errands on the way home & finally got here about 5:30pm.

We’ve had dinner and Emma’s showered and laid out her clothes for church tomorrow. Now we’re watching Ripley’s Believe It or Not on A&E – didn’t even know you could still watch this show.

It was a great day – I really enjoyed just hanging out with the family, not in a hurry or trying to keep on any set schedule. I think the kids had fun, too. Once when we were bowling, Emma was trying to ask Stephen a question while he was throwing his first ball of the frame. I told her to hush, it’s distracting to talk to someone while they’re bowling. I thought Stephen was going to be really angry, but as it turned out, he threw a strike! His first one of the day. So the next time he was up, he called her over & asked her to talk to him again! He told her she was his good luck charm.

The only thing we didn’t do was “go on an actual picnic & eat on a blanket, not at a table”, which was Emma’s request. It was so hot today that she was fine with having lunch at Ishi. Several of Stephen’s soccer games this fall are at Frank Liske Park, so we’ve promised to have a picnic there once the weather cools a bit.

I think we’re going to try to have more Family Days. The kids got along well & seemed to enjoy hanging with us “old folks”.

A Great Day

Today is my birthday – my 39th birthday. I guess for some people it might be a “traumatic” or depressing day. But my day was wonderful. Actually my birthday started yesterday – here are the highlights:
Ladies Lunch on Tuesday at Chick-fil-a. Carol bought a brownie, put a candle in it and everyone sang to me.

First thing this morning, my sweet hubby and my kids wished me Happy Birthday before breakfast. Love that!

My best friend Leigh called me on my way to work to say Happy Birthday – she always makes me smile!

Came in the office to find a beautiful balloon, breakfast biscuits from Bojangles, a wild berry smoothie from Rocky River Coffee & a gift card to AMC Theaters on my desk. My guys (Jimmy, Brandon & Travis) take good care of me.

My sister, Beth, left me a voice mail singing my Happy Birthday. She told me not to let anyone else listen to it – yeah, right!

Leigh’s husband, Brian, called me to say Happy Birthday. That surprised me!

Travis, Kristin & Bria took me to lunch at MexiCasa. Discovered a yummy new dish I hadn’t tried before – Pollo con Crema. Try it – it’s fabulous.

Steve arranged for my friend Crista to bake me an unbelievable birthday cake – Reese Cup Cheesecake. I’m so full, I’m practically sick – but I don’t care. It’s out of this world.

Steve also brought me flowers when he came home tonight – and then cooked me dinner. Steaks & baked potatoes. (That and the cheesecake have about done me in today!)

My Mom called after dinner & we got to catch up on everything going on back home.

I also got cards from my kids, my hubby, my Mom, the guys at work & Crista (the cake lady).

But the real gift I got today was realizing how many people love me – and how many people I love back. Everyone has been so good to me today, it makes me want to be a better wife/mom/sister/daughter/friend.

Happy Birthday to me!!!

My Friend, Niki

Three years ago today, my friend Niki died of breast cancer. She was 29. And to this day I don’t understand…and I think I’ve finally accepted I never will.

Niki loved and served the Lord with her whole life – she was married to a pastor, she worked for Hospice as a Social Worker, she ran our children’s ministry at church. In all of these things, it was God first. His love just shone through her, especially when she smiled. So, why would she die so young? Why would God take her from a husband who clearly adored her, parents & a brother who loved her completely, friends who came to her for wisdom, a good laugh or a good cry? I don’t know and this side of heaven, I doubt I’ll find out.

But for the first time, I think I can say that’s okay. A big part of faith is letting go and accepting the things you don’t understand. God had ordained every step of Niki’s life – why would I think He gave any less thought and care to her death. He was right there beside her when she closed her eyes for the last time on this earth. And when she opened them in heaven, He was there, too. I know that now and it makes me smile. Don’t get me wrong – I want her back. I’d love to be able to pick up the phone & call her. But, to paraphrase Rick Warren, “It’s not about me.” It’s about God’s plan – that’s something Niki understood and lived out. I guess even after all this time, she’s still teaching me stuff.

Experiment Results

So, I spent all day yesterday conducting an experiment on/with my kids. It was an attempt to help them get along better and to show my son that his little sister doesn’t always get away with everything. The kids spent all day doing chores – together. They washed dishes – Stephen washed, Emma rinsed – they folded laundry, straightened, dusted & vacuumed the living & dining rooms and few other small things. I made a point of letting them do the tasks while I was close by – within earshot – but not participating. I only intervened when I heard one of them getting out of line. And when I did get involved, I kept my voice level (miracle, I know but I was determined to make this work) and calmly pointed out who was right and who was wrong. The kids did great! By lunchtime they were play wrestling in the floor and Emma was laughing so hard she couldn’t get her breath. Stephen picked her up and was carrying her to the trash can to throw her away and she was cackling – and I was thrilled. You see, my kids fight and bicker so much, they don’t play like that very often. I don’t hear them laughing together very much at all. I forgot how great it sounded.

So, who learned the most from yesterday’s experiment? Me. I learned that I need to stay plugged in more – not tune them out so much. I also learned that when I keep my voice down, so do they. That’s a hard one for me – my family was known to raise their voices from time to time. So, I have to make a conscious effort not to yell. That’s one to pray about. I think they learned something, too. Like they are siblings who can play and have fun together.

The reward is Family Day on Saturday. We’ve been talking today about fun & free/cheap stuff we can do together after Stephen’s soccer game. So far, Emma has asked for “an actual picnic, sitting on a blanket not at a picnic table” and paddle boats at the park. Stephen wants to go bowling. I think we can probably handle that and hopefully, a lot of fun without a lot of bickering!

Oh, and an added bonus – when Steve got home & I gave him the scoop on the experiment, he asked me where I got this idea/plan. I told him I came up with it myself and he said it was “Ingenious”. I won’t deny that I love it when he compliments me – even after all these years.

Experiment

My kids don’t get along very well. It’s not easy to admit, because I know that part of the problem (a big part probably) is my fault. But, that doesn’t mean I can just ignore it and hope it goes away. So, today I’m conducting an experiment with them.

Let me set the scene: My hubby, Steve, is out of town for the day at a seminar for his business; the kids were supposed to be in school today as a make up day, but I let them stay home. (Confession: I let them stay home because I didn’t want to get up early today. Selfish, I know) So, I automatically earned points with them for letting them play hooky and they really had no choice but to cooperate. There are several chores that need to be done at the house – dishes, laundry, general cleaning and straightening, you get the idea. I usually split them up for chores because all they do is fight when they are working on the same task – not today. Today, they will spend their time doing chores together. There are 2 requirements: they have to work together without bickering & they have to display a good attitude with me. For every task they complete without an argument, they get points. If one starts to pull an attitude or tries to start an argument with the other, they can lose points. If they other one doesn’t take the bait and continues to use nice words, they get bonus points. Here’s the killer: if one of them baits the other into a fight (and they each know how to push each others buttons with the hope of the other lashing out & getting in trouble) and then they both go back to 0 points. So, it really won’t serve either of them to try to get the other in trouble. I actually have a tally sheet next to me as I write this so I can keep up with the scores. (After 2 tasks, Stephen has 12 points, Emma has 8 – Emma’s lost points for the way she’s speaking to Stephen & Stephen got bonus points for not taking the bait.) At the end of the day, I will total their points and they will get a reward based on their COMBINED points. That way it’s not a competition between them and being nice to each other benefits them both.

Why are we doing this today? Because they got into a huge fight last night before bedtime. Stephen announced that Emma was ruining his life and she never gets in trouble when she baits him. I disagreed with both of his statements. However, if that’s his view of things, I needed to help him see that wasn’t the situation. (Disclaimer: he’s 13 and has “the whole world is out to get me” complex going on which makes this whole deal even more “fun”!) I could talk to him until I was blue in the face (again) about how that wasn’t true, but I thought showing him would be better.

I’ll blog about the results either tonight or tomorrow – hopefully with lots of these…

Books I Love

I absolutely love to read. There were times early in my marriage that Steve would make comments like, “You always have your nose stuck in a book.” Since then we’ve struck a pretty easy deal – I still read and now he does, too. I’ve recommended several books to him over the years and he has been known to say, “I can’t believe I don’t have a book to read right now – we need to go to the library.” But, I try not to ignore him when I’m reading and I pick times when he’s not around – like sitting in car rider line at school or after he’s fallen asleep in the evenings – to read. So, here’s a list of books that I’ve read and really liked.

The Mitford Series by Jan Karon – absolutely, hands down, my favorite books. The stories all center around Father Tim, the Episcopalian Priest in the town of Mitford, NC. The town is based on Blowing Rock, NC where the author lived when she began the series. Father Tim has an easy going faith – one I’ve tried to emulate. I’ve learned a lot about life – and being a Christian every day of the week – from Father Tim.

The Harmony Novels by Philip Gulley – a great series about Sam Gardner, the pastor of the Quaker Church in Harmony. Anyone who has ever been in ministry or even gone to church for more than a few Sundays will recognize some of the characters.

Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling – I know, I know, they’re supposed to be kids books. But they are so much more. My good friends, Leigh & Lisa, both told me I HAD to read them. That I would fall in love with the characters and get completely wrapped up in the storylines – as usual, they were right! My brother-in-law gave us several of the books a couple years ago & we completed the set as the books came out. My son has read them all at least 3 times. Steve and I have both read them all and were sorry to see the series come to an end. I was especially sorry to have to tell my son that the movie based on The Half Blood Prince has been moved from November ‘08 to July ‘09. He was NOT happy!

Be Happy or I’ll Scream by Sheri Lynch – Sheri is half of the morning radio show Bob & Sheri that originates in Charlotte, NC and is syndicated all over the USA. (This is her 2nd book – I haven’t read the first one, Hello, My Name is Mommy but I’ve been on the lookout for it.) Sheri decides her family life should be like the families on TV – seriously, this is the premise. She embarks on a year long quest to make her family “perfect” – with hysterical results. Now, this is not a “Christian” book (whatever that means) and she lets a few choice words fly here and there, but overall it’s a great book for any Mom who has thought she’s less than the best & gets the crazy idea that the next door neighbors, the people at church or the people on TV have it all figured out.

Levi’s Will by W. Dale Cramer - I stumbled across this book at the library. (The library near my office has an Inspirational Fiction section that I love) The book is about Will Mullet McGruder, who at 19 years old flees his Amish family in Ohio to find a new life, a life he chooses not one chosen for him. The books spans about 40 years of Will’s life and we see, along with Will, that you can’t truly run away from your past or your family heritage.

I’m sure as soon as I post this I will think of 10 more books to add to the list.

What books do you recommend? I’d love to check them out!