it’s come to this …

Or so that’s what I hear.  I love hosting parties, although I don’t think I’m that particularly good at it and since I’ve never hosted one online before there’s absolutely no telling how this one will come off!  My guess is probably not that good - afterall, I really don’t even know what this is all about but I was called out challenged to participate.

My name is Mandi.  I live in GA with my husband, two-year old son and little baby on the way.  The baby on the way actually still lives in me, but technically since I’m in GA then so is he (or she) … I’m thinking it’s boy #2, but that’s just a hunch.  I’ll know for sure soon enough.

After our son was born I tried to continue working but that got tough.  I enjoyed my job with a User Research Firm in ATL, but not enough to get over the ‘torn’ feeling I had.  So after a year I resigned.  I enjoyed being at home but in some wierd way still missed working.  After a year at home, I went back to work at the same company in a contract role of very part-time position that’s of course ended up more non-part time than part-time.  But with Spring Break & Summer Vacations approaching, that time is coming to end.  I’ll then be back full-time with the little guy & getting ready for the new one on the way.

I started this blog originally because my girlfriends (Sisterchicks - see below) all had a blog and our 20+ daily emails to each other went to zero because there was no need to email anymore - they had all already blogged about it.  So for me to keep up with my Sisterchicks ”it came to this“.   

I normally end up blogging about really important & incredibly interesting topics (read with complete sarcasim).  Unfortunately I rarely blog about anything important or interesting.  And since my camera’s been on the brink recently the posts are even more boring than needed.  Here’s a link or two to my favorite, better, interesting, better among the worst posts, just to give you a better idea of who I am:

 Big News - well this is the one where I announced some Big News.

My Little … Celebrity - this one I just like because of the picture

The Great Eight - this one was just fun for me to write & ‘relive’.

The the Picture behind the Picture - this one just makes me smile.

So that’s scary - I just summed up the best of the worst into four posts … I’m sure you’ll be back for more!!!

So enough about me … let’s get to the prizes.  So since I have to narrow it down to three, my top picks would be … 

1.  The Baby Candy T-Shirt from Baby Candy (because of the little one on the way)

2.  The $50 Gift Certificate from Paperlicious (because who wouldn’t want that)

3.  The Blog Makeover from Shauna (because my blog could certainly use a makeover).

But of course I’d also be really happy with these too: 

4.  The $23 Cash from Kristin at An Ordinary Life (because it’s cash … what a better way to celebrate her Birthday)!

5.  Chocolate - (enough said) - by The Chocolistas.

 So thanks for stopping by … happy party hopping!

So maybe this post should more appropriately be titled “Happy New Post”!  I know, I know it’s been a little while - in this case “a little while” may also be defined as nearly 4 months!  But one, I don’t think I’ve had anything interesting to say & two even if I have I don’t think I’ve had the time to say it.  And so I must also go ahead & apologize because this post will likely be no different … not much to say that is! 

 So let’s see if I can recap a little:
1.  In case you were wondering, the little guy did get some “luggage on wheels“.  He’s so proud to wheel that thing into school every morning.

2.  Football season is coming to a close - definitely NOT a good year for the Falcons.  The Dawgs did pretty good though with some fun wins and are playing in the Sugar Bowl tonight.

3.  My New Favorite Product broke when the little guy decided to pull it from the shelf onto the tile floor, but I still love it!

4.  My weekend project took a better turn when the “after” finally grew on Pep.

5.  To work.  That was the answer.  I ended up going back to work & I’m still there.  It was originally supposed to be a 3 month contract, but I can’t really complain since I work from home most of the time … so for now it’s a good fit still.

In more current news:

We had a great Thanksgiving, a fun Christmas & a rockin’ New Year’s Eve Party (not really so much on that last part, but we did watch Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Party).  It was mellow, but nice.  Check out Staci’s blog for all the details (I’m sure she’ll post soon).

 So, here’s to 2008!  Check back sometime before May and I’m sure I’ll have at least one more post for you to enjoy

You know the feeling I’m talking about … the event, cirmcumstance, or just plain soapbox that makes the little voice inside say something on the lines of “I am so blogging about this”.  I try to resist that voice when it’s just a soapbox … I can tend to be negative & sometimes it helps to get it out & move on then other times it just makes me dwell on it & get more negative.   I’m not sure which side this one is on, but I’m going to blog about it anyways!!

I hate poor customer service!  This week I’ve been surrounded by it.  It all started when I tried to place an order but it was on backorder.  The Customer Service Rep couldn’t tell me when it was going to be back in stock (or wouldn’t) so I asked to be transferred to her manager.  I had to leave a vmail for the manager (not a good sign & makes me more upset) … that was Monday AM - I’m still waiting on that return call.  So Monday afternoon, I sent an email to that Manager’s Manager … I’m still waiting on that reply too!!!   The apple sure doesn’t fall far from the tree on that one!!

Then today, I had to pick up an order I was having engraved.  It was supposed to be ready yesterday.  Today, I’m told “she’s starting on it now, it will be about 20 mins”.  20 Minutes is not a big deal for me (it is a very big deal however for the little guy that is stuck running errands with me)!  My frustration though is that it was supposed to be ready yesterday & I’m sure she ‘just happened’ to start on it only because I ‘just happened’ to come pick up my order!!

So during the 20 minute wait time, we (me & the little guy) trucked over to your local superstore to pick up a few things & develop some digital prints.  Of course the Kodak machine is not reading my card, so the employee directs me to the 1-hour machine (which is fine b/c I now have an extra 20 minutes to waste anyways).  Except as I’m printing off my receipt I overhear the employees tell another customer that the 1-hour developing is down so it will be late afternoon before they are ready … now why in this world did the employee not tell me that before I got started … it was down for a scheduled repair & had been so all morning!!!! 

So I continue in the local superstore picking up the remaining items I need as the little guy informs me he needs to go potty.  I’m not sure where the restroom’s at, so I ask an employee … our conversation goes something like this:

Me:  Excuse me ma’am (who is stocking shelves), where is the closest restroom.

Employee Stocking Shelf:  (No Kidding) … It’s down there. 

Me:  (what I wanted to say out loud) … Oh down there, well that certainly clears that up since this store is huge & we’re in the very middle of it!!!!

Me:  (what I actually say) … down where?

Employee Stocking Shelf:  Right past the shoes, take a left.

No how hard was that to begin with!!!!

Now I am a firm believer that the customer is NOT always right.  But I’m also a believer that the customer has plenty of reasons to doubt the employee!  Sometimes I think it’s a personal issue … that it truly is just hard to find good, competent help.  And then alot of times I think it’s a company issue … that wether they find the right person or not, they just don’t do a good job training people. 

I’m not asking for much; I would just like the employee at the check-out line who hates their job to smile & say hello, the customer service rep over the phone to provide accurate information in a pleasant voice & most importantly for the employee at the fast food window to give me my darn straw!!!

 Whew … I *think* I feel better

I got my very first google search referral this weekend!!  Some poor sole was searching for 5-Course Meal ideas and I came up number 2 on the list.  Don’t you know they had to be disappointed … but not me, I was kind of excited!  How fun, my first referral … and on top of that the post is my Top Post right now.  Who would have thought it.  Since I’m still struggling with posting on topics of relevance or just plain interest right now, I think looking at the stats is my favorite part of blogging.   So thank you poor sole for giving me a blogging reason to be excited about for the day

My friend, Alicia, has been ‘peaking’ at my blog & others for a while now so she decided to start her own!!! I love that she used the word ‘peaking’ … it’s so true.  I mean it’s out here for everyone & anyone to see, but you still feel like you’re peaking into someone’s life … friend & strangers alike!! 

 Anyhow, she’s had her page up for a little while now & hasn’t made her first update, so maybe if you go visit her & say “hi” … then she will … right Alicia?!?!

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog (all 5 of you), then you know it’s been a while since I last posted … so I decided to throw you (all 5 of you) for a loop & provide you with 2 Posts & a New Look … all within a 24 hour (more like 24 minutes) timespan!

 So … check back (all 5 of you) in another couple of weeks & maybe I’ll surprise you (all 5 of you) again!!!

This was supposed to be my big attempt at blogging … a blog concentration so to speak to see if I could get it going … I’m not doing too hot!!  I haven’t blogged since I said I was making it a point to blog this week - oh brother!  I’ve still got all next week,  so hope remains!

I’m not good at this (blogging that is), nor am I really feeling it either.  If I really, really enjoyed it but still wasn’t good at it I’d at least keep giving it a shot b/c I enjoyed it.  But I’m not really enjoying it … I thought I would like it more, but I’m actually finding just the opposite.  I still enjoy reading other people’s but posting for myself is a different story.  I like hearing about the random day to day events & activities for other people, but when I write I really don’t think anyone cares about my experience at the stupid airport, in line at the grocery store, or the really fun thing I did last night (I actually didn’t do anything really fun last night, that was just an example … maybe that’s the probably - nothing really going on to blog about).  My husband is out of town so I’ll either do really good for the next 2 weeks or totally drop of completely … we shall see.  I’m going for a concious effort at this, but … we shall see!!

We got back in from our cruise late last night.  For 4 great nights I was enjoying a 5-Course Meal (or was it 7?) which sometimes included two (yes 2) main entrees & by Thursday night I was eating a Lean Cuisine Frozen Dinner (which I had to heat up all by myself) which tasted exactly as it sounds … FROZEN!  I’ll write more about the cruise at some point, but for now visit Amanda’s OHvacation blog set up especially for our trip!!  I have no doubt you’ll enjoy it

in order to keep up with my friends & family and also have them keep up with me … it’s come to this - this blog. 

I never knew that my best friend got letter head from Quarker Oats to draw on as a child, that my sister’s had the same checking account for 16 years, that another best friend could paint such cool canvas pictures or another carries a book around with her everywhere.   I never knew that Miss Cindy got her first microwave in 1977 or that Nora got curious george panties for her birthday … I never knew any of this until I read these blogs. 

So this is what it’s come to … in order to keep up with everyone else & everyone keep up with me (assuming I actually keep up with this) … then it’s come to this - this blog!