Joys of Business

Sometimes I enjoy the freedom of owning my own business but lately I have to admit that it has been more trouble than it is worth. Most of the time it always comes down to employees. They can make your life very easy or make it a nightmare. To explain this fully let me give you an example of our lives from Friday to Sunday.
After working all day Friday in Alpine I had to drive to the Sports Arena to help Chad set up for his big weekend. There was a cheerleading competition scheduled which always seem to be very busy for us. Anyway I started receiving the phone calls early evening Friday from one of my Yogurt Mill employees trying to get out of his shift the next night. I gave him several people to try knowing he wouldn't succeed because none of them will ever fill in for each other. He must have called me 5 times with the final one asking me if I could work it. His reasoning was that he had dinner reservations. I told him "no".
Then comes Saturday. Half the day in Alpine. Busiest day of the week. Have my two girls with me as well as two brand new employees I was supposed to be training. What was I thinking? One of the new people I could easily have fired within 5 minutes of hiring her. I don't think I have ever in all my years had a more difficult person to train. Scowl on her face, arms crossed, leaning against the back counter and completely ignoring everything I say. Thank goodness I only had her come for 2 hours. During all of this I get a call from the same Yogurt Mill employee explaining that he is on his way to the hospital because he is dizzy and collapsing and he won't be able to come to work. I wonder if he was still going to make dinner reservations? This left me to work his shift that night but the day was still young so I had to keep moving on. The next call I received was from Chad. He was swamped and needed me to come straight to the Sports Arena because the employee he had got to work, lasted about 15 minutes, called Chad over told him he had to leave because he was having suicidal thoughts. At first I thought this might have just been from the line of cheerleaders he was helping but it turns out as he then explained to Chad was that he needed to go into detox because he had a major substance abuse problem. This part we had already known but to give the guy credit he was one of our best cart employees. Too bad for us detox needed to come in the middle of a busy weekend. As I arrive (still with Haley and Ella) to the mass of people and a van full of apples I start to feel the gravity of my day and also some major cramping. Chad tells me the event is lasting 3 hours longer than scheduled. I still from there have to go work another whole shift at another store. Which would make it a 12 hour day for this 6 1/2 month pregnant mother of two with a house still to clean and errands still to run and a body that just doesn't want to do it anymore. I started crying. This of course did not help the situation at all.
After my small crying jag I make a pleading call to one last hope of an employee for that night. I got 1/2 a shift out of him. Better than nothing. This meant I could still take Ella to Denny's like I promised, go to the grocery store, Costco and Henry's and make it back to the Yogurt Mill by 8pm to close it. To make it even better, Lauren bless her heart came and helped me which believe me when I say made the night not only bearable but quite pleasant. I even got enough energy up to go home at 10pm and sort of clean my house for the party.
Then comes Sunday. You think the worst of it would be over. For me it was. I didn't make it to church like I wanted and I had to drive to Alpine for another load but other than that I got to enjoy a fun day with friends. Chad on the other hand got a call Sunday morning from the girl scheduled for the whole day saying she had food poisoning and couldn't come to work. This meant a whole day mobbed by cheerleaders by himself and no relief in site. And again the event went late and he missed the whole party.
Sooooooo the moral of this very long, stressful story is that you should enjoy the job you have, the boss you have, the money you make and know that at least for this last weekend it was far better than our crazy life.

Top Ten Reasons You Know They Are Getting Too Big

These are just some of the signs lately.

10.Ella tells Haley she doesn't like her tone.
9. Haley has a boyfriend she sits with at lunch and writes notes to.
8. With each move in checkers Ella says "Yeah,Baby".
7. Haley wants to play Truth or Dare.
6. Ella and Haley are jump roping while singing, "Ice cream, soda, cherry on top, whose your boyfriend I forgot?"
5. They both use the toaster, microwave, computer and cell phone with ease.
4. Dora is suddenly for babies.
3. Narles Barkley "Crazy" comes on the radio and Haley tells you to turn it up it is her favorite song.
2.I now have to pay money to get something done when before it seemed all I had to do was ask.
And the #1 reason I know they are getting too big
1.Haley can read the US magazine cover and announces that some girl stole a boy named Justin.

What Am I 80?

Maybe I can blame it on my current state but I have had some disturbing actions lately that are not normal for me.
It started when I took my parents to lunch a couple weeks ago after church. We decided on Shakey's so the kids would play and we could talk. I felt that I should pay since I had invited them and forced Shakey's on them so I ordered a pizza and ONE buffet. I am not sure how my parents felt but they didn't have much choice about it. I made several trips back and forth from the buffet and put the plate in the middle for us all to eat off of. Lauren is probably calling me GHETTO right now.
That wasn't the end of it. The next week I went out to dinner with a friend at Tio Leo's. I am quite obsessed with their chips and salsa soooo... You guessed it- at the end of the meal I asked for a box and container so I could take home all the extra chips and both of our salsas. I think my friend thought I was losing it. I think I am losing it. Ordinarily that would have mortified me.
And the final straw to make me feel like I am 80 came tonight. Ella had arranged with me to get a treat and so we made our way to the mall to get a cookie at the Nestle Toll House. When we arrived she wanted a box of conversation sweethearts instead that you can get anywhere during Valentines. I inquired how much they were and the clerk informed me that they were $1.25. So in my head, and out loud I said that we could get them for a quarter somewhere else. So what did I do? I bought her a $2.50 cookie instead and promised we would get the sweethearts at the grocery store or somewhere later. She made me promise it would be that night. Why didn't I just pay $1.25? To make matters worse when I arrived at Walgreen's drugstore later for no other reason, now with 3 more kids in tow who obviously also needed conversation hearts I started to really question my practicality. I ended up buying an 8 pack for $3.00. An extra stop and $5.50 later I am wondering what principle I was fighting when I made my original decision. 80 years old I am telling you.

The Driver's License

We had a busy weekend so thankfully my in-laws came down for Saturday and Sunday to watch the girls for us. Anyway they brought the girls to work tonight at about 9pm on their way out of town. As they get in the car Haley has an envelope in her hand all addressed and ready to mail. She tells me that the Driver's License that we found is in there.
Now we found this license two weeks ago mind you and I guess my daughter has been keeping it in her pocket and pretending she can drive. I think I passed the buck to my husband on the whole "you need to turn this in somewhere" he probably passed it right back. Anyway Haley asks me for a stamp so she can mail it and I was too tired to inquire further into it so she runs it off to the mail box tonight.
As I sit down at the computer (to check the blogs) I see Microsoft word open. There is a note typed up to Kendall (the license girl) from my daughter telling her all about how we found her license and she hopes she is really happy. She also lets her know what her email address is (mine by the way) and that she could email her if she wanted to. Now mind you I love my daughter's sweet, friendly spirit but this girl is going to think we are wacko. Not to mention the fact that I am sure she has already gotten a new license by now and isn't going to appreciate the fact that it has taken us this long to return it. I will keep you posted on the pen pal relationship my daughter is trying to create. On the bright side it might keep her focus away from emailing the tooth fairy.

You Know You Are Having A Bad Week

So I haven't gotten super profound yet so this is just a small top 5 list to let me know the kind of week I am having.

5. Did the bills and still need $3000.00 to cover them.
4. Average weight gain so far 10lbs a month. In month 6 with 4 to go. You do the math.
3. Four year old still insisting on being called Queen Isabel.
2. Out with a friend and someone asks if she is my daughter.

And the #1 thing topping my week.

1. My daughter (Queen Isabel) asks why my butt is so wrinkly!

Hope you all are having a better one than me. See you Sunday.