ENLIGHTENED PERSPECTIVE

Read all the way to the bottom: If you will take the time to read these. I promise you'll come away with an enlightened perspective. The subjects covered affect us all on a daily basis:They're written by Andy Rooney , a man who has the gift of saying so much with so few words.Enjoy.......

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.
I've learned.....That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand. I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.
I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I 've learned....That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I've learned....That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
I've learned....That opportunities are never lost, someone will take the ones you miss.
I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I've learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

To all of you.....It's National Friendship Week. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND, even if it means sending it back to the person who sent it to you. If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends. HAPPY FRIENDSHIP WEEK TO YOU!!!!!! YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED! Now send this to every friend you have!! And to your family. This was sent to me by a friend.

One Word

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS USING ONLY ONE WORD

It's not as easy as you might think! Consider yourself tagged upon reading this and post it on your blog if you so desire. It's difficult to only use one word answers.

Where is your cell phone?
Desk

Your significant other?
Caring

Your hair?
Curly

Your mother?
Scrapbooking

Your father?
Helping

Your favorite thing?
Books

Your dream last night?
Forgot

Your favorite drink?
Juice

Your dream/goal?
Teacher

What room are you in?
Office

Your hobby?
Games

Your fear?
Mind

Where do you want to be in six years?
Home

Where were you last night?
Home

Something that you aren't?
Bored

Muffins?
Blueberry

Wish list item?
Brazil

Last thing you did?
Talked

What are you wearing?
Clothes

TV?
blah

Your pet(s)?
cat

Friends?
Amazing

Your life?
meh

Your mood?
okay

Missing someone?
yes

Drinking?
nothing

Smoking?
Sick

Your car?
Toyota

Something you're not wearing?
jewlery

Your favorite store?
downtown

Your favorite color?
Blue

When is the last time you cried?
Today

Where do you go to over and over?
work

My favorite place to eat?
Home

Favorite place I'd like to be?
Home

Where I stood.

I realize that everybody is their own person with their own thoughts and feelings. And I realize that everybody is different. Even though sometimes you wish they weren't. It's something that you don't think about consciously. It's something that's just there, and you can't change it. Because if you could and if you did, you would be playing God.

It's hard to accept things you can't change though. I don't mean things like the color of your hair, or what kind of car you own...I mean things like the weather, or how other people see you, or even how other people feel. Even though so badly you want to. It's like being a parent, or a teacher...There's really only so much You can do. Sometimes I hate it. I hate feeling so helpless. It's too unfamiliar and just so frustrating. It's like sitting on the sidelines, watching yourself head straight for a wall at full speed. Not being able to stop it. And then you realize, it wasn't you because you were sitting there the whole time.

Sometimes you think you have life all figured out. You think you know all you need to know, and you're just out taking a walk enjoying things...when all of a sudden a train hits. And you wake up three weeks later, just to be hit by another train. It sucks because there's nothing you can do...suddenly no matter where you walk, you're just on another track with another train heading straight for you. Sometimes you can jump out of the way, but other times you can't...most of the time you can't. And there's nothing you can do.

Spring Cleaning is Done!!

I decided to clean my apartment today. I did a fantastic job. I moved all the furniture in the living room and my dinning room. I vacuumed under everything, and I used that weird carpet powder. You know the kind you sprinkle all over the place and vacuum up a few minutes later. It made my apartment smell really nice. Well, that including my awesome little wall flower plug ins from Bath and Body, and the febreeze air spray that I have. The funny thing is, my carpet dust is Black Berry smell, my wall flowers are some kind of berry, I want to say it's Raspberry Vanilla or something, and my air spray is some kind of Tropical Breeze or something of that sort. And oddly enough it didn't clash too bad. I think it smells wonderful. But oh! what a job it turned out to be.
I got up this morning at 7:30-ish. And after not doing a whole lot, I decided that I would clean my apartment. I started with my bathroom as maintenance was going to come over and fix the leaky faucet in my tub (He ended up arriving around 10:30-ish, and now my tub is no longer leaky and the caulking job has been re-done). I admit it's very nice not to listen to the water run all the time. Anyway, once I got that done, I headed out to the living room. I picked up all the stupid ads I get in the mail. I swear I get about one thousand a day. It gets annoying you know? I think ads in the mail are as great as Telemarketers. (no offense Kindra), I just think they're annoying and a waste of paper. That and only about one eighth of the ads are actually good for anything.
Once I was done going through my whole apartment cleaning up the ads, I pulled out the vacuum. I moved my couch first as I knew there was definitely going to be some packing peanuts under there. I could see them. So I pulled out the couch. I cleaned underneath, and I pulled out the bed hidden in the couch, (AKA: A hide-away-bed) and I cleaned in there. I moved all the furniture in the living room. Sweeping a layer of carpet dust over everything. and then vacuuming again! I feel like I worked that machine over and over again. I emptied the can at least a dozen times just to make sure it wouldn't get clogged (It didn't by the way).
I then cleaned my dinning area. Under the table, shaking off the table cloth, clearing off the extra books that have piled up over time. I inserted the silly light covers in my kitchen that my cats somehow continuously knock down. I vacuumed my kitchen floor, just because I can. I vacuumed my room. I cleaned up every last piece of paper that was ever on the floor in there. I put away the silly exercise ball that I never use. and then, I cleaned out my closet. My shoes are all lined up. My dirty laundry and any other article of clothing that I assume is also dirty and needs to be washed was put in it's proper pile of one. and then I vacuumed in the closet. Oh, it is nice to have such a clean apartment. I feel like I've just moved in. Kind of nice. I hope I can make this look last. ;-)

This blog post has been brought to you by the letter V, and the number One. (V for Vacuum). Specifically speaking of the vacuum that I received for Christmas from My Mom and Dad. Thank you Mom and Dad.

War.

While I was at work today, I got a call from a gentleman wanting to know where one of our products was made. The product he was asking about is manufactured in Korea. As it turns out, this gentleman was a WW2 veteran. He informed me that he was a P.O.W. and that because of his experiences from that, he would never forgive them for what he claims they had done to him and the other soldiers they had captured. He then asked if I understood his reasoning for that. I told him I did not fully understand that as I have never been a P.O.W. but that I did understand his feelings on a small degree. He didn't appear to like that answer very much, as he went on to explain that they dramatically tortured him. He said he would never buy any product manufactured in Korea or China. He also said he would never forgive them for that. It got me thinking.

So I went and asked Burt and Marc from the warehouse, If they would ever forgive somebody for torturing them in the same manner as the P.O.W's were in WWII. They responded that it would be difficult if they were able to do it at all. Burt then explained that in the vietnam war, one of the most used methods of torture included taking a long glass rod, inserting it into the bladder of the captured men, and breaking it. This would cause the men to bleed everytime they used the bathroom. And there is nothing you can do for somebody who's been through that, It never goes away. The second most favorite form of torture was to take bamboo sticks, and shove them under the P.O.W's finger nails. I cannot immagine the pain that would cause. I can see how it would be hard to forgive them for doing that....I can understand what it's like wanting to hold a grudge. I have held grudges. I know what it's like not to Want to forgive people. But compared to why I hold grudges, and why this man was holding a grudge, is worlds apart. He was tortured, I was given a splinter in comparison. But what about what WE did to our P.O.W's?

What about what America did to our own citizens? Citizens of Japanese descent were thrown into "Internment Camps". Or what about the Atomic Bombs that we dropped on two Japanese cities AFTER they surrendured? The way I see it, there is something wrong with us. Just as much as other people see problems with other countries, I see problems with ours. And in this we are just like the Germans. The Germans do not teach their students about what happened in WWII, They do not teach them what they did to their citizens. A lot of Americans think that is crazy. Yet we are not taught enough of what We did to our citizens either. Or like Guantanamo Bay, we are taught nothing. Way to go America.

The Nutcracker!

It was a wonderful night out! Chris took me to see the Nutcracker this past Saturday, and it was truly amazing.

The day started off with my dying my hair...and worrying that it was going to go wrong. Luckily it didn't and I'm now a few hair shades darker...almost black, but not quite. It's really pretty, and only accents my natural hair color that didn't quite get colored....good thing I picked a color that does that.

Next, Megan and I joined up with Mark (my brother-in-law) and my niece Emma, for an hour or two at the mall. It was cute because Emma decided that she needed to carry her baby doll around with her. Unfortunatley for me I didn't get my Christmas shopping done as I'd hoped. Thankfully Mark didn't seem to mind. I hope I didn't waste his time. Thank You Mark, for going with Megan and I to the mall. Once we were done at the mall, we quickly stopped by Costco. And then we were on our way home,and I was going to drop off Megan as she also had to get home.

How lucky I am to have Megan as a friend! She helped dye my hair by the way, and luckily she liked it! :-) She also let me borrow a beautiful black dress for the Nutcracker. It really was pretty. It had a square neckline, an empire waist with a floral arrangement of beads to accent the line. It was long, and it flowed as I walked. Which I really liked. :-) And the best part about it...It fit! I could breath, and it fit. Which was the icing on the cake for me. See, the dresses I tried on from my mom and dad's....Let's just say this, I'm totally not the same size as those dresses.

After Megan gave me the dress, I hurried home to get ready. My mom pulled half of my hair up, and pinned it with some bobby pins, and she gave me a square necklace with matching earrings, that just happened to match the dress, (my Mom's cool that way, she has a talent for matching). I did my make-up, my mom took some pictures (I'll see if I can't post a pic or two). And then I was out the door. I safely hurried up to Salt lake, Where Chris and I headed out for our date.

We picked up our tickets, and ate at a cute little German Deli/store that was next door. It was delicious and authentic. We sat at the bar that ran along the window (there were only about 5-7 tables, which were all full). We got a really good view though. The snow was falling down, and people were doing stupid things in the street, but we had a nice view of The Monaco Hotel. Once we were done with dinner, we bundled up and went back to The Capitol Theatre. Where they were just opening the doors. I was so excited! But that lasted for a very short time....because by the time we got to our seats...my excitment had been drained a bit. We were two rows away from the back wall....in the second balcony. And because I'm me, and my brain is slowly loosing it's correct wiring...I had a blond moment. I was sitting there thinking, waiting for it to start, and something in my head said "I wonder how they're going to project this far...They'll probably use microphones, but I don't see any speakers up here, oh well I guess I'll just find out when it starts". I did find out when it started. I found out it was a Ballet. No microphones needed. Smart. I know.

But the performance was amazing, and even though there were kids in laps in front of me, (supposedly you're not allowed to do that) and the people behind me were having seating trouble, the show was really good. and I personally, cannot wait until next year to go again. and have better seats, I hope.

So that was our night out. It was amazing. and I loved it. Thank you Chris!

WhirlWinds and SnowFlakes

This week has been one heck of a ride for me. Work has been extremely busy. So much that nearly everybody is ready to bite everybody else's heads off! I know I want too. But because I'm not a cannibal, it's not going to happen.:)

Monday started out keeping me busy, and I am so happy about that. However, because of the high volume we've been seeing,I guess I've been making a mistake(?). I don't know for sure because nobody tells me what I'm doing wrong. If anything at all of course. In my opinion, I've just been doing what I've been told to do. I don't see how that is a mistake. I guess I'll just have to wait until the end of the quarter to find out, seeing as Cathy (who probably wants to bite my head off as well) isn't correcting me at this time. So I find it's best if I don't do anything to make it seem like I'm provoking her. HA! HA! HA! (Funny). Let me clarify here. Cathy is the order desk personnell. She takes the orders and places them. She only uses my help when she's got too much on her plate. But she never admits that she has too much because she's Wonder Woman, and she can do it all (not really, but sometimes I humor her). So sometimes I help her out. Lately she's been giving me more and more work like she's supposed to, and I've been doing fantastic! (again, only as far as I am concerned because there is a lack of communication going on here, so I don't know if I really am. But since nobody is saying anything....I can only assume that I'm doing Fantastic! In other words, I'm doing Fantastic!). So that has been the entire week! No doubt about it, regardless of the economy, or perhaps because of the economy right now, we haven't slowed down at all. Granted, we're not as busy as we were last year (from what I hear of course), but we're still busy. And that is good to know.

So, I've been busy all day everyday this week. Yesterday was the worst day ever though. Our phones kept cutting people off. Much like the cell phones tend to do when your in a particuarly bad spot. So I had taken three times as many phone calls. However...nine times out of ten it was the same person three or four times in a row. Finally, whenever I picked up a call, I would quickly explain the situation, ask for an email, and we were able to continue with business as usual as it could possibly get. Thank goodness for Friday is all I can say at this point.