No Really, Be There!!

When someone has a baby...you be there for the person.  You help them overnight, take them meals and ice cream in the hospital, send flowers, bring presents for baby, run to the house to feed the cat and grab things mom discovered she needed, bring them home from the hospital and run them around because mom can't drive yet, hold the cute little monkey for a while.  Its sort of what friends do - there is nothing to gain, there is nothing motivating you.  You just do it because its the right thing to do and you be glad in it.

Now that we know what to do, there are a lot of things you don't do: be selfish, be rude, be stand-offish, divert attention to yourself, start fights, cause drama, refuse to be supportive, refuse to come visit, play games, play guilt trips, create more work for mom, break a water main in the subdivision so there is no running water (that was random, but nonetheless SO happened).

There have been a couple times this week when it took all I had to hold my tongue because sometimes people need to be slapped.

That is all.

Be There!

When you're laying in the pool with a friend who starts having contractions, you sorta start keeping track of things.  When you and that friend head out for dinner and the contractions get stronger and closer together...you really start keeping track of things.  And of course when the fireworks on the 4th of July end and the friend says "hey lets head down to Labor and Delivery now, shall we"...you sort of go without hesitation and of course you stay for moral support!

Now I must confess...children are not exactly my forte.  (Read I don't even really like kids and don't know the first thing about them)  I had the privilege of learning first hand about 100 more reasons why I have NO desire to have children.  For roughly 24 hours I watched a friend go through every single emotion humanly possible and enough pain to scare me half to death.  She did it like a champ though...I'm proud of her!  (Read I have absolutely no idea what it is like to be pregnant, be a single mom or go through actual child birth - nor do I wish to learn.)

Joy: FINALLY having her body back, being able to hold little Owen, and of course the simple fact that he was a miracle baby that she thought she would NEVER be able to have.
Exhaustion: Mental and physical.
Sadness: That the baby's dad is a total asshole and loser, the loss of her mother and the fact that she couldn't be there during this most AMAZING time.
Fear: Its not only frightening to go through child birth, but its really scary to think about being a mom.
Happiness: For family and friends sending texts and love constantly!! 
Pain: That goes without saying - refer back to YAY for good drugs.

I will say that of all the people on earth that I could have shared this experience with, I'm glad that it was her.  Giving birth is really a lot of hurry up and wait...there is "checking", "effacing", "membranes", "contractions", "breathing", "positioning", drugs - oh there are drugs!  Thank GOD for pitosin, epidurals and phenegran.    No matter what you think will happen or how you think things will come along...it really boils down to mother nature and that kiddo taking their course of action in accordance with their plans! But it is a really neat thing to experience (read its scary and time consuming, sometimes icky, but a miracle all in itself.)

Having not quite wrapped my head around the whole thing - I'm just happy that I could be there to support her, hand her ice ships and squeeze her hand during the process!! Most of all I'm excited that baby Owen is here...healthy and perfect!  I mean...look at the little foot!!  **sniffle**

Enjoy The Little Things

The landscapers wife was out of town for a couple days (a week or so ago, I'm a little behind in blogging).  THAT was delightful!!  The poor guy was working like a dog trying to get a big project done, but nonetheless made time for me since the wife was two states over!  (I shouldn't giggle, and yet I do.)

It was nice to be able to swing by and say hello, it was even nicer to be able to curl up in his arms.  Kissing under the moonlight on the porch.  Sitting there while he rubbed my back.  Actually enjoying our time together not worried about anything but one another.

Indeed - its the little things that make me happy.

You Can Fire People!

I did a promotion in March with HalfPriceOzarks.com - it is an affiliate of KY3.  I had an amazing response and as such have 17 really good new clients come from the promotion!!  One of the clients that I received, however; has been a pain since day one.  I spent countless time on the phone with her answering questions and talking to her about service.  She had a million questions and seemed to be quite high maintenance.  I explained that I had a sitter who lived less than a mile from her residence, was delightful as well as licensed, bonded and insured.  After a few conversations and answering all of her questions she asked me to have the sitter set up a consultation for her and her pets.

He did so.  The consultation went well and service was provided as requested.  Upon her arrival home she said he was delightful, the pets were well cared for and even sent him a tip to show her appreciation for services rendered.

She called again for service, when I called her sitter he declined the job.  I thought it was odd since he was so close to her home.  He said simply I he wasn't available for her service.  I assigned a new sitter.  This time after the consultation I got a phone call voicing some concern that she is somewhat overbearing, course and very very meticulous about her 5 birds.  I took it with a grain of salt and moved on - I mean, after all - if someone is hiring an in home pet sitter they care quite a bit about their pets.

After this service I received a long detailed email explaining that she didn't feel her sitter fed the proper amount of fruits and vegetables to her birds.  Upon speaking with the sitter, I learned that since the birds weren't eating all that was put out the sitter put out less food so that it wouldn't spoil since the client had expressed multiple times that birds are quite susceptible to botulism.  Makes perfect sense to me.  Way to look out for the well being of the birds and go above and beyond.  EXCELLENT!  Uhm the client did not see it as such - but rather than my sitter was neglecting her birds and not following her instructions.  She paid her invoice in full, without a tip this time and requested this sitter not provide service for her again.  Okay Dokay.

She called AGAIN to request service and requesting her original sitter whom she spoke so highly about.  He again declined the job.  (I might point out again that he lives less than a mile from her home)  I had another sitter call her.  She told the sitter she had canceled her trip and hung up on the sitter.  RUDE!

I having just had my wisdom teeth out and not feeling overly inclined to have to bite my tongue emailed the client and said quite simply:

xxxx,
At this point I do not have any sitters available for you. xxxx said she called this morning and you were rude to her and also hung up on her.  You might try xxxx with "xxxx" at xxx-xxxx.  He has been in business for a while and is licensed, bonded and insured. 


Her reply:

My husband and I had already decided your services were less than acceptable and did not meet even our most minimal standards. 

As far as rudeness., I was not rude. I stated that we did not need services., Someone was to have phoned us last week and due to the fact no one phoned to make arrangements, our trip had to be cancelled. Rude is the fact you pretend to provide services that you do not have. 

I had many friends that were interested in how well your company did/or didn't do. Needless to say, your performance speaks for itself and will be shared. You may consider yourselves dismissed from our employment. I am sure my husband & I will have more to say, should you wish to phone to discuss this.

My reply:

We seem to be on the same page as far as your service is concerned - I wish you luck in finding someone who can suit your needs. xxxx who provided your original service lives less than a mile from you and did not wish to continue service for you.  You RAVED about how wonderful he was and even sent him a tip after service was completed.  If you wish to tell your friends how awful we are, that is fine.  We have a shining reputation and in 11 years of pet sitting you are the first client who has ever been less than pleased.


What I wanted to say was:

You have been a pain in my ass since day one; you want top notch service and yet want to negotiate the price, your original sitter that you spoke so highly about has declined to work for you for reasons unknown to me - even though he lives less than a mile from your home, you call constantly with questions that are clearly answered in writing on the website, in our conversations and in your pet sitting agreement.  If you feel the need to trash my company to your friends, please feel free to do so. If they are anything like you - I don't want to subject myself or my sitters to their ridiculousness.  Furthermore upon calling the sitter I recommended to you I found out he had already dismissed you and also doesn't want to deal with you.  Oh and if SO MANY of your friends had inquired about us, then why didn't any of them call?? After all you just LOVED your original sitter.

Don't Call His Bluff!!

So apparently there are no lines in the sand when it comes to certain people.  I am a very flirtatious person - this I know to be true.  A past client of mine from a former company and her hubby are both friends of mine on facebook - we are all chamber members and of course big animal rescue people.  That being said, its not uncommon to chat with either of them on facebook.  Its also not uncommon to say something that gets turned into a sexual innuendo by him...regardless of how innocent it may seem.  That is just the name of the game.

That being said two days ago he and I were chatting on facebook and he was more less taking the random flirting to a whole new level - it went from funny PG13 to XXX really quick.  By the end of the conversation I had been informed that he and his wife were separated and that he was more than just a little interested in getting to know me better.  Uhm, wait, what?  The ultimate cute and cuddly super couple is separated??  The iconic love birds are getting a divorce??  The two most supportive and loving parents on earth are no longer attending football games together??  WOW ...ok still processing that one.

Yesterday I was laying out at the pool when he texted me.  When I said I was laying in the pool he asked for a picture.  I of course sent him one...of my toes, the end of my floatie, a beer and the pool.  The caption "its good to be the boss".  He replied "Yes it is, glad I'm the boss - can I join you".  I laughed and said if he could find me he could join me, but he had to rub sunscreen on everyone's back at the pool.  (That is only funny because I wasn't the only one at the pool.  For fear of being rude and judgmental I'll refrain from describing the others at the pool.) The flirting continued but was more or less harmless...kinda. 

Anyways today he texted me and said "Good Morning Sunshine".  He was right around the corner from my place working on a water job.  He made the comment that if he had my address he'd take me to bed.  I laughed and gave him my address (thinking absolutely NOTHING of it).  Well I thought nothing of it until he walked into my apartment and proceeded to strip!

I apparently have no filter and no moral compass.  The foreplay was fun...he is very complimentary and all about making sure a woman's needs are met.  Enough said.  Nearly two hours later he was on his way back to the office...I suggested he stop at home and take a shower, taking time to wash out his beard.  Just sayin...I mean, after all, he does have a shop full of guys who work for him.

Do you think they have fans and iced tea in hell?