And Everything Be Fine

You know, when your name is posted on a national website, you get all sorts of emails.  Recruiters.  Job Fairs.  Those selling the latest lug nut.  Everything you might imagine.

This one is probably real, but reading it threw me into a giggly mess.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear ThatJanieGirl ,

 

Good day and everything be fine.

 

Nice to inform you that we will attend  Canton Fair 2013. We will give a warm welcome for your coming. Hope to meet you.The detailed information as follow:

Canton Fair 2013

Date: April 15th-19th

Location: Guangzhou. China

Booth No:  16.3F42-G01

I hope the above be useful to you. By the way, here we would like to mention, when you come to visit us, maybe we can’t know you at once. Pls don’t mind and leave us a name card.Thank you in advance.

 

Hope to meet you on the fair and discuss face to face. Thank you for your time.

 

Best Regards,

Sinana

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I was doing fine until I read the "maybe we can't know you at once."

I know.  It doesn't take much to make me laugh.

Bussssssstttted by the Barista

The other night, we ran through the Starbucks en route to Fort Worth.

ThatManILove pulled up to the speaker to order, and the barista begins to speak.

“Welcome to Starbucks! Would you like a vanilla spice latte? Or could I interest you in a caramel macchiato or a some madeline cookies?”

I might not have her spiel right, because I was laughing so hard at TMIL I couldn’t hear her.

You see, the entire time she was giving her little Welcome to Starbucks speech, he was wagging his head and mocking her. And it cracked me up.

And then, she said, “Don’t be wagging that head at me and making fun of me...you know I can see every move you make!” And then, she cracked up. We could hear all the baristas laughing in the store.

I wish I’d had a camera.

I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe. ThatManILove got a kick out of it, too!

Advice Anyone? Beseiged by Spam Commenting

I am getting the most horrific spam comments on my blog!

What can I do about it?

Thank God I have enabled comment moderation, or y’all would be running for them thair hills.

I’m open to your advice - as long as you keep it relatively clean.

A Father and His Daughter (repost)

This post is a repost from my former blog…but still, timely.

As we walked into a restaurant today at lunch, I noticed a man and his daughter sitting at the bar in a local restaurant.  I was just drawn to them. They were sitting side by side, and as Steve and I sat down waiting on our food, I observed them as they talked.  They were sitting so close, you couldn’t have put a piece of paper between them.

The young lady was probably 13 years old, and she was telling her dad a story, something personal she had experienced.  She was very animated, and you could tell whatever had happened had touched her deeply.

Her dad was very calm, and never took his eyes from her face.  He heard every word daughter said, and daughter knew it, with all her heart.  When he started talking to her (and not in correction), she visibly calmed and listened to him - their conversation never missed a beat.  They were definitely in their zone.

It was a very cool thing to watch.

She got up, and walked past our table to refill her drink.  I said, “She’s beautiful!” Steve commented that the daughter might have some attitude, as she flounced by him.  I had a clearer view of her from where I sat, and I said, “Maybe, but I think it’s more “confidence” than “attitude”. She knows she’s her daddy’s daughter, and she’s cool with that - and in her God-given place.  Watch.”  

So, we did.  And he agreed.

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful, this father with his daughter.

"Daughters" by John Mayer

I know a girl

She puts the color inside of my world

But she's just like a maze

Where all of the walls all continually change

And I've done all I can

To stand on her steps with my heart in my hands

Now I'm starting to see

Maybe it's got nothing to do with me

Fathers, be good to your daughters

Daughters will love like you do

Girls become lovers who turn into mothers

So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Oh, you see that skin?

It's the same she's been standing in

Since the day she saw him walking away

Now she's left

Cleaning up the mess he made

So fathers, be good to your daughters

Daughters will love like you do

Girls become lovers who turn into mothers

So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Boys, you can break

You'll find out how much they can take

Boys will be strong

And boys soldier on

But boys would be gone without the warmth from

A womans good, good heart

On behalf of every man

Looking out for every girl

You are the god and the weight of her world

So fathers, be good to your daughters

Daughters will love like you do

Girls become lovers who turn into mothers

So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Crushing Your Head - Easter Style

The other day, I jumped on to Pinterest to see what was kicking…and saw this Peep Picture.

Peep smores.  Yum.  Inspiring, right?

Most people would have gone straight to the store,  purchased Peeps, graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate.

Not I.  No, not I.

My twisted, sick brain?  Goes straight to "Kids In The Hall", the comedy show.

Kids in the Hall - "I Crush Your Head!"

Nobody said I was perfect.

Silent Sunday - Spring Arrives

Crepe Myrtle

Souvenir Jewelry

Yesterday, I went to lunch with customers. Ten of them. And we ate at a local barbeque place.

The restaurant filled up. I looked around, and I knew someone at every table - they were all salespeople. And none of them were with customers - they were with fellow co-workers. I had the only customers in the place. Craziness. That doesn't happen often! My customers were teasing me about running for mayor.

After I dropped the customers back at their office, I went to my office to ready for 1:30 p.m. appointment. Picking up two co-workers, we're driving out of our parking garage. I turn to them and say, "Can y'all smell barbeque? That's what we ate today, and I swear, that's all I can smell." They assured me they couldn't smell anything, and off we drove to the 1:30 appointment. We get into the VP's office, and conduct our meeting. Everything went well, and we returned to the office. 

I get to my desk, check my emails. I'm returning a call on speaker phone, and look down at my desk, and catch something peripherally. There is a small 1/8" piece of brisket on my chest. 

I guess I'd been wearing it as a badge of honor for the last 2 hours. 

Oh, no, you didn't, you say. 

Oh, yes, I did. 

I think the sale was successful. Who says aromatherapy doesn't work on my customers?

Allergies, Schmallergies Part 2

Due to conditions beyond my control, i.e. high blowing winds, things blooming like there’s no tomorrow, and allergies, I’ve been down for the last two days.

Conditions like coughing, runny nose, drainage, not to mention going to the doctor, the “regular” doctor, as opposed to the “allergy” doctor, who won’t see you when you’re sick, even though the “sickness” is allergy-related.

Doesn’t that sound rather redundant?

Yup.  So that means...working from the house, due to my coworkers being young and having a lot of munchkins running around at their feet at their own houses.  (I have a low tolerance for people coming to work sick, and absolutely will not expose my coworkers.)  

The only hard thing that’s happened to me yesterday and today has been talking on the phone...or trying to do so.  My voice is sketchy.  In and out.  Raspy.  As is my throat.

Anyway, thought you’d like this picture of my current office.

I mean, not everyone has a dog laying on their desk amongst their electronics, right?

Of course, they probably don’t have pillows and comforters on their desks, either.

And We're Waiting….

Hopefully, you are - waiting on me to post yet another diatribe about Mi Vida Loca.

I've been super busy, but hope to get my proverbial stuff together soon and get back on the daily track of posting!

Because…I miss y'all!

Until then, Happy Trails to You!!

Talkie the Facebook Smack...

Yesterday seemed like I went from one meeting to another.  I finally finished around 6 p.m.

While I was in the hall at a customer’s office late yesterday, I saw a young friend, and then another.  I think the world of these two.  And I had done lunch with another of their friends the day before.

So, I posted on Facebook last night:

Me:  Good to see you today, Jeremy.
Jeremy:  You, too!

McKensy?  Likes the post.

Me:  And, of course, you, too, McKensy.
Kelly (my lunch date earlier in the week): Jeremy, get your own friends!
Jeremy:  Shush. I knew her first.
Kelly:  She likes me more!

And here’s where it digressed.

Jeremy:  She said you smell like ricotta cheese.

I decide to weigh in.

Me:  Ahem.  I’m watching this conversation.  It’s good to stay in the truth.

Jeremy:  Ok.  Ok.  She said you smell like daisies and lavender and Satan.

They crack me up.

Has My Blindness Been Intentional?

I have all sorts of excuses.

I do.

Travel.

Work.

Shooting.

Life.

It doesn't matter that I walk right by my fireplace on my way out to my vehicle.  Every day.  Well, when I'm here, anyway.

It just doesn't matter.

And it's only because I'm expecting company that I happened to look at things from a different perspective today.

And, thusly, noticed a slight aberration.  All I have to say is "Thank God for Susan."  She's always there to cover me.

I did mention it to ThatManILove this morning.

His response? 

"Oh, yeah.  I noticed that."

God forbid I do the white glove test.

Maybe This Would Be a Solution

I'm thinking ThatManILove and I would benefit from a shirt like this.

Of course, sudden death might be an answer, too.

Oh, wait.

So stolen from the internet.

Random 5 Friday

Welcome to Random 5 Friday --

where you share 5 random facts about you, your day, your week,   your pets, your kids, whatever!

 Here are mine:

1.  I am doubly blessed with cowlicks in my hair.  One front, one aft.  And when I say blessed, I mean it facetiously.  

1. I hate politics.  I hate personal politics more. Work politics? Where’s my shotgun?

1. I love pearls.  My current pearl favorite are the Honora freshwater pearls. Love, love.

1. In the past 30 days, it’s a toss-up which of us have spent more time boarded away from the house - myself, or my dogs.

1. If you asked me to pick my top 50 songs, I could do it.  Quickly.  I love music.

My friend Nancy at A Rural Journal inspired me to do this post.

Go visit her.  Her pictures of ranch life are no less than amazing.

And should you wonder, when you get over there, that's a pheasant in that tree.

Zack and Zanna were very very interested  and told me they want to go visit Nancy.  Right now.

Clara And The Children

I’m looking forward to getting off work today!

I get to see my friend Clara tonight.

She’s in from Africa, and will be speaking at a meeting tonight about the work she does there in Kisumu.

Here’s her website if you want to check out what she does at The Transformation Initiative.

And here's a picture of some of her children on report card day.  I love this celebration picture!

And, if you're in Midland, Clara will be speaking at the Aglow meeting at 7 pm at the Comfort Suites conference room.

What The !@#$%^&*?

Ruhroh.

We walked, with purpose, out to my truck, in the hotel parking lot, in Dallas, yesterday.  That many commas in a sentence may cover up the fact that I'm hesitant to say something.

The sky was blue.

The sun was blazing.

On my beautiful black truck.

And then, I saw…a flash. 

"Oh, just another beautiful gleam of sunshine beaming down on La Trucka," I thought.

Not so.

Dammit.

That is one heck of a ding.  I think, and realize guesses don't really count, that someone had something in the back of their pickup that shifted.  Shifted right into my truck and gouged the heck out of the paint job, and the metal.

Oh, insurance man, honey, Darlin'????  La Trucka's got an owie!!"

It's never boring around here.

Holy Mol(d)y

Never.

Never ever.

Never ever look behind the curtain in the hotel.

Well, if you do, don't look up.

Mold.  INSIDE the window.

I Don't Think It's the Penicillin Type Mold, Either.

Thank the Lord, I'm heading home today.

Oh, yes, I am.

Making The Best Of What You Have

You know that two room suite we were in at the Renaissance in Oklahoma?

It had one SMALLLLLLLLL closet.

So, ThatManILove made do, utilizing every available surface for hanging clothes.

This one?  Cracked me up.

Ironing Board Hanger

He freakin' rocks.

Laundry Dancin'...

We arrived at the hotel yesterday.  ThatManILove had some things to work on, so I went to the hotel laundry.  To do laundry.  For ThatManILove.

People, it is HOT in the hotel laundry.  It’s tucked into a little cranny on the 4th floor.

I had my iPhone.  I had my iPad.  I had my Spark.  

And I had laundry.

So, I got busy.  I put the laundry in the washer, then transferred it to the dryer upon completion.  I didn’t want to hold anyone up.

People were coming in and out of the laundry, getting their stuff done.

Finally, one guy said, “Are you just going to sit here and wait on your laundry?”

I looked at him, and nodded yes.  I guess that’s not the norm in a hotel laundry. He looked at me like I was an idiot.

He would have really looked at me funny had he caught me dancing and singing about 15 minutes later.

Oh, heck.

I just thought about something.

Do hotel laundries have security cameras?

I’ll probably turn up on youtube.  Under the title, "Fat Over The Hill Lady Dances (she thinks) to Eagles "Get Over It" in Doubletree Laundry…FAIL."

Or, I could look like this girl…I freakin' wish.