Guestroom Re-do!

You can see all the pictures from the beginning of the transformation of our empty room into our fab new guestroom here.

Now its all been put together.

 

 
And we've even had out first overnight guest.

We are so thrilled with the outcome and our hard work. It looks great! So now it's time to move on to the next room. The makeover of the office/man cave has already started...and I've been snapping pictures so keep an eye out for that update soon.

Customer Service Truths

**** Guest blog by my cousin, Briana, while I'm on vacation ****

Working in Customer Service for the last 8 years has definitely taught me a few things about how to interact with people, on a personal level and how I interact with customers. Based on my lifetime…well, long time knowledge anyway, of being in a customer service field, there are some basic truths that I have come to realize. So here they are, in no way listed in value by importance or dividing positive and negative categories.

*Note: My experience mostly comes in the form of working at a high end gym in Downtown Dallas, so some things mentioned in this list might only pertain to this field, but they can be modified.*

1. A smile goes a long way.

2. Having a great memory helps.

3. Having regulars can be a good thing….and a terrible thing.

-Seeing the same faces over again helps to remember who they are, what locker they like, etc. But seeing the people you cannot stand EVERY DAY? That can be like pieces of your soul dying a little more each day.

4. The customer is NOT always right.

-Maybe in the 1950’s when people didn’t feel like they were entitled to everything, this was a good saying. But customer service has changed over the years and the people doing the servicing are not doormats.

5. No one has the right to belittle you or publicly humiliate you.

-I’ve had people call me incompetent, an idiot, terrible at my job, ridiculed for looking the way I do [someone called me fat], and basically just all around a terrible human being. Just because of little. Tiny. Thing. No one deserves that. Please, never treat anyone like this. You will make them cry.

6. Sometimes the perks are worth keeping the job.

-Free gym membership? Yes, please. [Symbol]

7. There’s not enough coffee in the world to prepare you for the 4:30am shift after a night of drinking.

-Nuff said.

8. Being on the bottom of the totem pole is not a bad thing.

9. Some of the people on the top of the totem pole have no CLUE wtf is going on.

10. You don’t always have to smile to make people feel welcome.

11. You can’t be cheerful 100% of the time for 100% of the days you’re working.

-Some days it will be hard to muster even for your favorite people. It’s okay. You’re human; people [for the most part] should understand this.

12. You will offend someone, in some form, in some way, without even knowing it.

13. Someone will call your work phone. They will want something that has nothing to do with your job. And they’ll get angry when you can’t help them.

-And more than likely you won’t be able to hear them on the phone either. Always happens.

14. There’s not enough coffee in the world to prepare you for the 430am shift after a night of drinking.

-Did I mention this one? I did? Okay, moving on..

15. Going to work can be awesome, depending on the people you work with.

16. Even when someone is berating you for being a moron, all you can do is smile and wait until they leave.

-Fighting back at them is only going to cause an even bigger scene. Smile and nod and then walk away if they continue calling you names. [See number 5 and 25 for reference.]

17. Calling someone names under your breath is fine, until the day someone hears you.

18. Don’t complain about your boss while you’re at work. Cause they’ll always be right around the corner…

-Lurking around the corner, when you least expect it. And of course, you’re usually doing something you’re not supposed to…such as writing blogs =)

19. Make sure to check the schedule if you have abnormal hours. Try to avoid that 5am phone call when you didn’t get to bed until 2am.

20. There’s not enough coffee in the world to prepare you for the 430am shift after a night of drinking.

-This bears repeating after number 19.

21. You WILL have to work with a-holes. Whether in front of the counter or behind.

-Accept it. It’s a fact of life.

22. There will be people you absolutely love to work with.

-And they will make coming to work worth all the other BS you have to put up with.

23. You WILL cry when these people leave.

24. You’ll dance for joy when the a-holes leave.

-Truth.

25. Stand up for yourself; have a backbone.

-Eleanor Roosevelt had it right; “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

-Stand up for yourself against your boss, co-worker, customer, etc. Don’t be a raving lunatic but don’t be a doormat either.

--And I think the overwhelming thing I’ve learned in all my years is something that goes ALLLLLL the way back to Kindergarten: Treat people the way you want to be treated. The people coming into a restaurant, fitness center, coffee place or whatnot could learn to do this. Overall, most people are good, nice and awesome people. Let’s keep it that way and I think the world would be just a little bit better. That’s my take at least.

Oh HAI!

I can't believe its been a week since I posted. That wasn't planned. Life has just been whisking on by, throwing curve balls at me along the way.

This is what's been going on in my life lately...random style:

My Lola girl has been having a hard time with her allergies this season. It's been bad, real bad. Bad for everyone..Lola, Duke, me, and Jeremy. Over the weekend Lola started shaking her head again. We took her to the vet yesterday and turns out her eardrum ruptured. I know that sounds really bad..it did to me..but as my husband puts it, the rupture released the pressure on her ear which probably felt a little better. Anyway, she is on another round of antibiotics, three weeks this time. Ear drops and pain meds. No walks. No baths. That's going to be rough for three whole weeks. But on the positive side, she has been acting her same ol' perky self. She has been eating well and wanting to go outside. She has been chewing on her rawhide. She hasn't been shaking her head or walking funny or tilting her head..she really hasn't been acting like her ear is bothering her at all. So I'm trying not to stress out about it too much. We take her back for a check up in two weeks.

And poor ol' Duke has been having an issue with his anxiety. He's always been a nervous nelly when it rains, especially if it thunders. Lately, even the announcer over the loud speaker at the stadium down the street has been making him shake. It's getting to the point where he is timid about going for walks...and he LOVES to go on walks. I'm looking into getting him a Thunder Jacket.

Last Tuesday, I went to the volunteer orientation for the local humane society. It was pretty straight forward. The other two volunteers were very..interesting characters. One of them was afraid of dogs. Very odd. I mean, I guess there are cats that need adopting too but still. I'm still trying to figure out where I can help. It's hard getting there to help when we are a one vehicle household. I'm sure I'll find a way I can help, I just don't know what it is yet.

After the orientation I met my workout buddy, Tiffany, at Chili's for dinner and drinks. She was good {she ordered from the lite menu}. I was not good. I felt a second of guilt and then enjoyed my meal immensely. We shared a dessert..which we didn't finish. Oh, and the skinny margarita isn't too bad. We ended up sitting outside for an hour just talking, mostly about food and eating habits and living a healthy lifestyle. We confessed some of our darker old eating habits. It was good to dish, get it all other there with someone who can relate on many levels.

I went to Austin over the weekend to visit my friend, Jennifer. We spent Saturday strolling through the Country Living Expo. There was SO much to look at. Sadly, most of it was way out of my price range. I did run into my friend, Autumn, who lives in San Antonio. We haven't seen each other in several years {we keep in touch on Facebook..natch} so I was just shocked and delighted to be able to hug her AND her husband AND her kiddo. I walked away with this adorable painted piggy, thanks to Jennifer who found it at one of the last booths we went into.

On Sunday, we went to Ikea and the outlet mall. Jennifer always takes me to the nicest places. I scored a cute little leather cross body Coach purse at a killer price.

I also picked up two side tables and the bed frame for the guestroom. Did y'all know that the midbeam for the bed is sold separately? Because I didn't and they just let me walk right out of there with a bed frame and no midbeam. How rude. lol. Ah well, we don't have a mattress to put on the bed right now anyway so there is time to get the midbeam. The progress has been slow, I know, but it's coming along.

SSSeeee...I told you. Lots and lots going on. I think things are going to slow down just a bit...at least, I hope they are. I need a second to catch my breath.

Guestroom update

Dirty, cluttered, un-used

First things first...doors

Time to tape

Where did all the junk go?

Oh..in the living room, of course.

Paint!!

Walls and trim are done.

First phase of decorating is done.

Conversations With Madison

I'm taking a short break away from the internets. This is a self-imposed digital detox. No blogging, google reader, email, or facebook. In the meantime enjoy this guest post by my Mother-in-law, Sheila.

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Conversations with Madison:

Yeah!! It's my turn to read the diarrhea of a wimpy kid book...

PRICELESS!!!!!

Dolly (L) and Madison (R)

Confessions of a Former Anti-Cat Human

I'm taking a short break away from the internets. This is a self-imposed digital detox. No blogging, google reader, email, or facebook. In the meantime enjoy this guest post by my cousin, Briana.

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I’ve never been a cat person. In fact, I don’t think that I’m much of a cat person now. I certainly wouldn’t go get one for myself and allow it into my house.

Why? Mostly because I’m pretty freakin’ allergic! Ask my cousins. I used to sleep over at their house, where they had a cat and within about 30 minutes or so my eyes would start watering, I would start sneezing up a storm, and my throat would start closing up and I would get all wheezy and sneezy and all that… .

I really think it’s an overall conspiracy by cats around the world. They can sense when people are allergic to them! They sniff those people out and immediately park themselves in said allergic person’s lap. Coincidentally, the same time those people go over to their cousin’s house without taking their medication. Both Squeak and Otto have done this to me, thankfully, no clawing or biting happened during said lap occupations. Although that has happened before, and attacking my feet and pretending to like me only to bite or hiss at me. The list goes on and on…

I love dogs! I didn’t use to like a lot of animals when I was growing up, but as an adult I really do appreciate canines. Some of my friends have some of the greatest dogs ever and I want one, once I don’t live in an apartment where a big dog would go crazy.

With all of that being said…I hate to admit it, and it pains me to actually say it. But a certain cat has slightly taken away my dislike for felines. That’s right, I, a former anti-cat human, love a cat.

This is probably the only cat that I will ever treat like this. She’s a cuddler, she’s playful, she plays fetch! Sort of. Essentially, she’s a semi-dog in cat form. I think that’s why we have bonded so well. She also curls up in your lap, lets you scratch her belly, and she snores when she naps! You’d have to have a heart of stone not to be charmed by this cat.

Don’t get me wrong, she has her cat moments where she walks on my arms when I’m trying to type on my laptop or she’ll streak across the room and claw at my beloved chair. Or prevent us from having a Christmas tree inside the apartment because she chews on the light chords and swats at the ornaments. Or try to sneak into my room, which is the only “No Mila Zone” in the entire apartment.

And even though I have to take a pill to live with her every day, I’m kinda fond of that dastardly feline. My roommate is probably jumping for joy at reading this. Because even though I’ve told her that I don’t mind her cat, I haven’t really publicly announced it before. So…here I am.

Hello, my name is Briana, and I am a former anti-cat human. Don’t spread that around though, I got a rep to protect.