The New Year

So we are eight days into the new year and I have had some fun moments. Took my husband out for his birthday and saw the new Star Wars movie, which was amazing. I'm a geek I can claim I have seen them all and watch the clone wars as well. I love the idea of other galaxies and being able to travel to other worlds. I have had my nose shoved in the Game of Thrones books that I got for Christmas. I do love to read ❤️❤️.

As I sit in my car on this very gloomy and rainy Friday I'm wishing I didn't have to go to retail Hell. I guess I will have to since I like the nice things in life like a house to live in and food to eat. 

Have a awesome day and may the Force be with you 

Happy New Year 2016

So a new year is upon us and the resolutions will be declared. The sour kraut and pork is in the crock pot and the house has been cleaned up from last night's festivities. This is the day that most people declares that there will be changes in the up coming year such as weight loss, eating healthy, etc. So I am going to declare my resolution to play outside more with my dogs, to spend less money, to NOT to go to a gym, and above all else to have some fun and laugh more. I think this will be easy enough to accomplish. The city I live in was declared the saddest city in Ohio. I wonder why this is? I mean yes we have had our ups and downs as all cities do but that should not make us the saddest city. I wonder who they interviewed or survey was given to declare this. The people I know are fun loving and don't seem to be depressed. Hmmm....

Happy New Year,

Candi

Christmas Blues

The Christmas blues have came upon me today. Working in retail the last day of the shopping season is always the worst. It really is funny how people will blame you for ruining their Christmas when you can not deliver an appliance the same day that they purchase it or on the day of Christmas. They don't care if others such as the fireman, police officers, and the medical field work on Christmas but you mention that the store will be closed and it becomes a inconvenience to them. So my current situation is that I am nursing a head cold ( my wonderful husband and youngest son decided to share), three nasty blisters on my poor feet, and a pulled Achilles tendon. So as you can imagine I am on my death bed with my feet propped up and a glass of wine on my bed stand. My family is on stand by for any wants or needs that I may have as they are playing Xbox on a group raid in Destiny. So in reality I'm screwed... So I have resorted to watching Christmas shows in my room while wondering if I drink the whole bottle of wine will I be considered a wino or unstable. Times like this I really miss my mother in law. I can still hear her joyful laughter. She loved having fun and was full of life. I will keep her memory close to my heart and will bring that same light into others. This Christmas Eve take a moment to remember the joy it was to be a child on this special night and to still believe in Santa, Keep those memories close to you and spread that light and laughter to others.

Merry Christmas Everyone,

Candi

Cherish Yesterday, Dream of Tomorrow, and Live for Today

We only have five days before Christmas and the stores are packed with shoppers. With working in retail as I have mentioned in other posts of mine, this week can be pure Hell for the retail worker. The shoppers are tired and cranky from shopping and not finding what they want due to the fact that they waited until the last minute. Please don't blame the worker for that item not being available. With this being said again let's think about other things. As I sit in my husband's recliner watching the flames of our electric fireplace and sounds of Snoopy's Christmas Special playing in the background has made me longing for simpler times when I was a young child. I can really relate to Charlie Brown and how he feels like he can never kick that dang football. I mean seriously I feel that life is a struggle with how much people put on the significance on objects instead of experiences and memories. So with this in mind I have vowed to created new memories and some new family traditions in the process. I always baked the normal cookies that everyone seems to bake where I live for example the cookies with the Hershey's in them, Buckeyes, Peanut butter cookies. So this year I decided to bake some different cookies, I only have baked two type of cookies, white chocolate chip with cranberry cookies and chocolate chip with coconut cookies was the two I have chosen. So far everyone at my husband's work are raving about them. So I believe I will bake these again next year. I decided to use the powers of Facebook and create an event for Christmas. I decided on a Christmas potluck was an awesome idea. This actually took the pressure off of me for making up all the food. We had our potluck Friday and it was a huge success. We had tons of food, Christmas movies for the kids and games for the adults. I find it quite hysterically funny to play board games with grown adult men. They get so competitive and if they don't know the answer the answer suddenly becomes "Debbie does Dallas". My husband used this as his answer quite a few times. They also will use distraction techniques to make one forget what their answer was. These are the type of memories that I hold dear and cherish for all times. Christmas is not about the presents but about the time that we spend with friends and loved ones. About passing on traditions and stories to the younger generations so that we stay alive for many generations to come.

Merry Christmas,
Candi

Simpler things in life

Making merry in this day and age is kinda of stressful. No one wants to stop and just enjoy the little things in life. The people today are too busy, too attach to their phones (I'm guilty of this as well), too worried what the new electronic device is or keeping up with the Jones. I am by no means not guilty of this but have gotten caught up in the hype of things that seems to have replaced my time spent with family but instead to busy playing Farmville or some other game. No wonder why I am pre-diabetic and can not seem to shake this 15-20 pounds that I have put on since having children. Writing my experiences of what I want to do and what I have been doing has helped put some perspective back into my life. I love to spend my time being active and working out by doing Yoga and Pilates. I prefer to cook and prepare my meals at home versus going into a restaurant. Not saying I don't enjoy my date nights with the hubby cause I do especially when we share a small pizza and a hard cider. I feel that this electronic world has advantages and disadvantages. I have found others that love DC and Marvel comics, reading, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars as much as I do. I am rediscovering myself by writing this and learning that I really do need to learn how to relax.

I spent my afternoon today coloring in a coloring book and I managed to stay away from my phone and laptop for more than an hour. While I contemplated which color I should use next I manage to intrigue others around me to see what I was doing. I managed to make others forget about electronic devices just for a short time. This was not my intentions today but to do something while I sat with my mother who is in the hospital who was resting and I wanted to be quite while she slept. I even had a few nurses give me tips on what color they would use.

So with this experience I give you this idea to pass on to others who need to unplug. Give them a adult coloring book and color pencils. Let's see if we can unplug a little each day to enjoy the simpler things in life.

Merry Christmas.
Candi

Christmas Magic

I remember growing up being the youngest of seven that as most kids I loved Christmas time. Of course I loved getting presents and winter break from school but the thing that I loved  was the magic that Christmas seemed to bring. I remember sneaking down mid way on the stairs and just sitting and just to stare at the Christmas tree in awe of its beauty. I loved all the beautiful twinkling lights and the special decorations that my mom had collected over the years for our tree. I used to sit there and wonder if Santa was real. I used to make the same secret wish to Santa every year. I would sit on those stairs in my strawberry shortcake night gown and wished for Santa to bring me a doll. But not just any doll but a Ballerina doll. I would spend time in my room and pretend I was a graceful Prima Ballerina from the Nutcracker. Which is my favorite Christmas story of all times. Sadly Santa never did bring me that doll. I still to this day believe in the power of the Christmas magic. I love giving the people that I care about presents and trying to bring them a smile upon their face.

This brings me to the point of my story. I would like to know from anyone that may read this, what was your one Christmas wish that never came true? Or even one that did come true. I still believe in Christmas magic. Each one of us has a chance to be Santa to someone and bring a little bit of that magic to someone that needs it.

Candi

Holiday Maddness

This is a service reminder to help you shop and dine:

As many of you are getting ready for your festivities for what ever holiday you practice. Please remember to be a little nicer to the waitress or waiter that are serving you or to the retail workers that are checking you out or looking for that toy you are looking for your loved one. Also please don't be stingy on tipping your wait staff or even hair stylist or barber. The reason I say this should be obvious unless you never held a retail or restaurant job. I have held both types of jobs and know the horrors of customer service. When people say retail jobs is  comparable to Hell, trust me they are not kidding, It is the untold story of Hell. You help people from a large diverse backgrounds of life and religions. The only thing that I ask of any of these people are simple please ensure that you have bathed with soap and water, use deodorant, brush your teeth and use mouth wash. Some of you may laugh or get upset that I say this but when you have a customer that stinks of pee and sweet it is hard to focus on helping them. The only thing you can think of is how fast can you get away from them. On another note ladies please, please do not bath in perfume. I can not explain how many times I have been in another aisle and can smell the sick sweetness of a woman's perfume. As a woman I do like perfume but I always put it on lightly.  The golden rule is less is more.

Yesterday in retail Hell I had several of these events happen to me and several co-workers. Yes, we do talk about the stinky ones and the rude ones. If you become one of these you will be the subject of break room gossip. Sorry if this hurts but it is true. We don't do this to be mean but instead it is comparable to war stories that we share with each other. For in many ways it is like going to war. We have many customers that we love to wait on and many that if we see them walk in we hide. We become ninja like and busy ourselves with task off the sales floor or with other customers. I kind of feel bad for the cashiers since they can not run away but tied to a cash register. But in war there must be sacrifices.  So with this being said just remember to have some fun, relax, and channel your inner kid that lives in all of us.

Candi