Empress Sassy

posted by EmpressSassy on May 31

To be honest it kind of snuck up on me and I’m totally not ready to even leave! 

It’s time to head to the ocean and although I’m ready to relax it will take a miracle to pull off getting out of the drive-way.  I tried to start getting ready this weekend, but it was just a start.  Being deathly sick didn’t help too much.  I was told I have allergies, which I’ve never suffered from before and they are killing me.

Anyway, count down to vacation so lets just see how much this week can truly suck.  We all know you have to pay for your vacation one day at a time!

posted by EmpressSassy on May 28

Well what a very, stressful day!  My dad came through his heart surgery and so far, as of 10:30 PM it was successful.  They were still waking him up and doing their work on himwhen they sent us home to get some sleep.  All vital signs looked good and it appears the operation was a success.  What a great team of Doctors! 

It’s amazing the roller coaster of emotions you can experience in a 12 hour time frame when someone you love that much is in this vulnerable positon isn’t it?  My heart goes out to so many that has lost loved ones, as I have said before I cannot even imagine the feelings they must encounter.

Just calling my Dad on the phone today, as I drove to the hospital made me break down with tears.  I was sick so I didn’t go see him directly.  It’s so hard to hear yourself say, “See ya later,” and pray that you really do.  I meant it with all my heart and soul, but you have risk, prayer and fate at hand when you let that person go.

It was a very long day and it is interesting to watch different people and how they choose to handle their emotions.  Everyone handles stress differently.  At then end of the day we were able to breathe a sigh of relief and hopefully my dad is on a road of recovery.  He means the world to us; and especially a certain 4 year old!

We will know more tomorrow and we can help him begin the healing process.  What a very, long, tiring day for my mom and all of my family.

posted by EmpressSassy on May 23

Well  shut up, I’ll be cured and dancin’ in no time.  I gotta tell ya people, I feel great.  I thought this Dr. was joking on Friday afternoon, but he wasn’t.  We reviewed my X-rays and he told me the scoop.  Typical pinched nerve and then of course, I had the neck thing I thought I had.

He mentioned the game plan of 3 days a week for about 6 months and then it would slack off and we would start that day.  It wasn’t so bad (and I didn’t cry), but by the time I got home, #1 I could move my right hip and leg and here is the big think I could turn my neck and look to the left!  Yep I haven’t been able to look all the way to the left for, oh I don’t know, 10 years.  No I’m not lying, this was awesome. 

I’m still feeling good today and I slept GREAT on Friday night; no pain and I could sleep in so many positions I have not been able to sleep in for months.  Shut up I just can’t get over how much one, single, adjustment made me feel.  I have to admit, it freaks me out to think about going back Wednesday as the noise was so creepy, but I can make myself do it based on the way I feel this weekend.

He was much better than the last Dr. and I didn’t have to sit straight up and have my neck twisted.  That move alone just freaks me out.  Most of the adjustments were laying down positions and that worked for me.  Who knows, I might just get away from migraines AND pills.  That would thrill me to no end.  Less medicine and less money to Walgreens!

I just can’t get over how much my body snapped up and felt better after one visit.  It is just amazing!

posted by EmpressSassy on May 21

OK, well I didn’t embarrass myself too much and we’ve taken some X-rays!  I have to go back on Tuesday to see the results.

He mentioned a pinched nerve (which I figured as much) and I have issues with my neck (figured that too!).   He says I’m fixable so that’s a good sign, but we are just not sure how long it will take.  One visit at a time.  Our loser insurance isn’t on their plan, no surprise there!  Not that this shocks me, but it is what it is and I will deal with it.  Our insurance totally sucks, but what can you do?

At least I didn’t cry (yet) and I’m going to go back.  At least until he does make me cry! 

posted by EmpressSassy on May 21

Here’s hoping everyone has a great Holiday Weekend and the weather holds out for all those that have outside plans.

It’s always a good time to get together with family and celebrate the holiday and I know there are a lot of Memorial Day celebrations that will  happen across the area.

Jerry is forging ahead with the swing set and it is going very well.  We will hopefully be swinging by the Holiday!  Good news for Noah.  I’m hoping to have the canopy up and things will be looking good.

All we have to do is just get through Friday (for those of us that are stuck working on this last day before the holiday).

Happy long weekend and may it be a long, slow, happy weekend to all!

posted by EmpressSassy on May 20

Lately I have had a few conversations with moms, friends and co-workers and the theme seems to be the same topic; self esteem.  It’s a topic in young, girls that controls and sometimes ruins their lives. 

I don’t think the child can detect it, and sometimes you don’t realize it because it’s a silent attacker in young girls.  What causes low self esteem?  So many things; issues with parents, boys, other girls, looks, weight, height, grades, peer pressure, and the list goes on.

The worst part is that a young girl will not talk about their low, self esteem as most of them don’t even know they suffer from it and I have noticed lately when an older female suffers from this same issue, she has no clue she suffers from it either.  She’s carried it from her past for so long, it’s just a natural personality.

Have we all at one time or another suffered from low self esteem issues?  Yes, but if it’s an every day occurrence then it becomes an issue.  As a parent you have to look for these signs.   What are the signs?  There are several web sites designed to help you with this, as I don’t want to come across as a Doctor, because I”m not, but this is again, a silent attacker controlling young girls and you have to be able to help them realize they are in control of their own lives and teach them to be happy with themselves.

I can’t stand when I smart, single, intelligent woman is in a relationship and is being taken advantage of or being treated poorly due to low self esteem.  I hate when they have so much more to offer to a decent man, but can’t see it in themselves.  It’s hard to make them realize this without them getting the help they need.   Remember it’s better to be alone than in a relationship that is draining you emotionally dry.

If we help them at a young age they won’t have to suffer when they are older and have the repeated patterns of bad relationships.  Talk to your daughters, watch for signs, encourage them to be stronger, teach them to express themselves and believe in themselves, go to church with them and get involved with them at church; that is a great place to build self esteem.  Young girls need all the help they can get to grow up strong.

posted by EmpressSassy on May 20

We had a class on Customer Service today and it was a very good class.  Informative, educational, good information to put into perspective, but here is the thing to consider:  Customer Service is acting.  Yep, it’s true.  Take Disney World for example; have you ever watched the special on Disney World?  It’s a tough place to work.  They basically tell their employees to love their jobs and love the people and for the most part they do.  When you are there, it’s a magical place, but let me tell you those people are acting.  It’s a role they play during their shift and it’s a job. 

Good customer service is empathy toward a customer and knowing how to do it well.  Does that mean you are always faking?  Of course not; we all have true feelings and you do have the customers that you reach out to, but come on, one discussion was today, if you reached out to every customer you dealt with in complete empathy you would go insane.   Thus, good customer service does involve a certain amount of acting to some degree.  This sometimes can make or break the difference in a good or bad customer service representative. 

Not only do you have to be able to multi-task issues, calls, workloads, but you also have to be able to multi-task personalities.  Each time the phone rings will you have a person that is mad, happy, upset, irate, crying, aloof, quiet, etc.  You have to be able to determine the personality type and work with this individual.  If have to laugh at jokes that aren’t funny, respond to questions that are basic and mundane, repeat yourself again and again and instead of yelling, ‘Pay attention you idiot,’ you must say, ‘Is that clear to you now Mr. Jones?’ 

You must talk to people when you are tired, sick, mad, having your own bad day and even when they yell at you;  it’s your job.  You must also talk to people when YOUR company has made a mistake or communicated wrong information and deal with the repercussions.   Are you telling me there is no acting involved in any of this?  Come on!

Customer Service is giving someone something they need.  It’s a basic supply and demand.  The key to good customer service is how well you present the supply and the next time there is a demand will they come back to you?  Acting, charm, social skills, grammar, multi-tasking, education, common sense; all of these are needed to produce good; if not great customer service.  When you are lacking many of these the ability to produce great customer service is apparent. 

You can’t take a customer seriously.  It’s a job.  What you can take seriously is the job itself.  It’s basic principle or concept here is basic; if you’re doing a job - any job do it to the best of your ability and take it seriously.  Do YOUR job and don’t worry about anyone else’s job.  Finish your job and don’t slack off.  Work with your team and be a team player.  When you finish your work, ask to help others.  If you have a solid team the customers will be satisfied as a whole with your company.   Sometimes common sense is the biggest success to great customer service.   Aaahhh I get to use my Golden Rule again:  Treat others as you would want to be treated in the same customer service scenario.  How can you go wrong with that scenario?

posted by EmpressSassy on May 19

Well I’m going to the Chiropractor and might I just say I’m scared to death.  Why am I going?  I’m in serious pain and the right side of my body is just messed up.  It has been for some time now and I just keep putting this off. 

I just get freaked out by this entire process, but I know they can help me.  I think it’s a combination of the noise and the feeling you get when they are cracking your spine. It just doesn’t seem natural.  It’s definitely a control thing and I feel so vulnerable through the entire process.    I guess I will just suck it up and cry on the drive there!  Yep; total baby and it will more than likely happen.

I also suffer from migraines and this is supposed to help so who knows, maybe I’ll be cured with this soon!  I’m willing to give it a try and hopefully I can keep making the appointments and not freak out too much.

A lot of people I know go to the Chiropractor and they just leave there feeling wonderful and relaxed and I know I can do this.  Wish me luck!  I’ll be the one crying on the way in (and maybe on the way out!).

posted by EmpressSassy on May 18

When your child gets the stomach thing you hope and pray you just move past it.  Then in the early hours of the morning you feel it coming on and you think, “Great, lets share everything, why not!” 

The worst part about sharing is that a headache always follows for me.  I had the worst headache today.  The kind where my ears started to burn and that is bad, really bad for me. 

PS:  I can’t feel my legs or my back either and that was a new development so that tells me I’m extremely old and that yard work must be taken much, more seriously.  What was I thinking.  I can’t move and I truly have something wrong with the right side of my entire body.  (this has been coming on for months now, but it’s reached a peak moment now).  I think I will have to see a Dr. at this point which just scares me to death. 

I feel like I have missed an entire day and I’ve lost track of time, but I will forge ahead and take Tuesday in stride.  What a great weekend to end in such a headache, induced coma on Monday.  Such is life right?

posted by EmpressSassy on May 17

I have stated this before and I will say it again so we are clear.  You don’t have to understand my life and you certainly don’t have to come around if you don’t like it, but seriously do you really feel the need to talk about me?  Well just for the official record if you feel that you do then fine.  I only type this (again) to remind people (again) that it isn’t me that is bothered by this, but I’m merely pointing out the when you live in glass houses you really shouldn’t throw stones.

I’m a single “mom” living in a house, not an apartment.  I work 9 - 6.  Yeah the hours suck because when I get home after picking up Noah it’s almost 7 and he needs to be in bed around 9:30.  Do the math!  This gives me 2 1/2 hours to feed him, bathe him and play with him; which is a necessity and lets not forget soccer, T-ball and other various diversions along the way. 

I never have the luxury of going to the grocery on weeknights, nor do I ever just stop off at a store to shop on my way home for personal items.  All shopping is completed on my lunch hour, nights when Jerry has Noah or weekends.

My weekends are used for laundry, cleaning the house, ironing, shopping, yard work, and lets remember I need to throw in a life somewhere so if we DO decide to plan things then all those weekend things I mentioned still need to get done.  At that point I “fit it in” late at night or during the week.  I choose not to have a husband so I don’t have the luxury of splitting up the tasks.

Yes, people, Jerry does help me quite a bit, but he also has a home that he has to manage and he has to do that in his spare time.  He can’t be at my house 24/7 just because I need things (despite what people think).

All that being said, my house gets messy, cluttered and has it moments but then I do clean it up and right now, on this very Sunday I sit and every room is clean, the laundry is done, ironing is complete, yard work is even done.  The cost; I’m exhausted, I haven’t slept since Thursday, I can’t feel most of my body parts and I will be tired for days.  Do I sound like a martyr?  To some, yes, but honestly, this is just the truth. 

I try to get things in order, but tomorrow, the week starts and I just get behind so sue me!  If you want to live in my glass house; please stop by, but until you do please watch what you say.   Some people live much easier lives than others.