Woolworths I'm disappointed!

We all shop at supermarkets even if it’s just for cleaning products (personally I prefer to shop at the Farmers Market and the old fashioned Butchers for fresh produce). 

This morning I made a quick trip to my local Woolworths shop to grab a few things before starting my work day. It opens at 7am and as I am usually up at 5 it is not uncommon for me to make the trip early. The staff are usually friendly and busy at this hour as there never seems to be enough of them to get things done. The checkouts are all closed with the exception of the self check out area which mostly doesn't worry me. I grabbed what I needed, went through the check out and then went to the counter where they sell flowers, phone charge, newspapers etc where a lady was cleaning the screen of the register. She asked me how she could help and half way through our transaction a man yelled at her about registers not being open – she replied to him that they were due to open at 8am. I looked over to see him standing there with no groceries or trolley with another man behind him casually dressed waiting for a check out to open. It suddenly occurred to me that this man was not a rude customer but store management (which was confirmed by the lady serving me).

I could not believe that someone on a management level would firstly be so rude to his staff in front of a customer let alone interrupt while that staff member was serving without even an ‘excuse me’. I have spent years in customer service and consider any business that has paying cliental should have a high level of courteous behaviour whether it be a retail store or professional establishment.

I then told this gentleman that I thought his behaviour was unacceptable especially for management and what followed has me absolutely dumbfounded. He came across to me saying he was glad I bought it up and went on and on about the fact that he thought we had finished our transaction (even though it was plain to see we were in the middle). He then informed me that the other customer was yelling at him with my response that he should be setting a better example for his staff. I would expect a junior with no experience to have this type of unprofessional response; as management you should know how to handle a difficult customer and it’s not being rude to staff and another customer. In the end I had to tell him that the conversation was over to get him to stop babbling on.

This is 2013 where I would expect a professional approach. We all make mistakes but understand how to settle a situation, not inflame it. If you are in a position where you control staff lead by example and don’t act like a bully. Whatever business you are in realise that you have a job because of the customer or client. Old fashioned courteous behaviour and respect for co-workers is a good start.  

I wish this election was over!

I have been trying so hard not to even utter a word about this bloody election but today I have circum to the pressure! I have had enough of reading ‘who won the debate’, the ‘Actress who did the Labour add that lives with her parents while her Paddington home is renovates’ ‘millions being ripped from the Education budget’ ‘sexy pollies’ ‘inappropriate comments’ ‘biased media’ ‘PNG or not PNG’ blar blar blar!

I have a mate on Facebook that has been VERY vocal about the current Government for, what seems to be, years. Today I open Facebook to see he has commented on a Labour Party post (and quite politically incorrect I might add). I couldn’t help myself, so I read considerable amounts of comments to the post. Some were encouraging others damming but the one that pissed me off the most just stated ‘If you vote for tony abbot you're UN AUSTRALIAN’ I copied and pasted this comment as it is for all to see.

Un bloody Australian indeed! No one has the right to call anyone this. No message of support, no comment of value, just the same crap that we get from the politicians themselves.

What is most Important to me

Paying back debt – If we keep borrowing at the rate we are how the hell will we ever pay it back? It’s a bit like buying a house, then a car, extending the house, renovating the house, going on expensive holidays, eating out every night, private school tuition, designer clothes all on a basic wage – it doesn't add up.

Employment – Everyone that needs to work needs a job. If everyone earns a decent wage then we will have taxes collected that will fund the entire infrastructure we need.

Australian Society – We need to know that the people joining our community are here to do just that. We have a wonderful multi-cultural society that needs to be unified. Over many generations we have seen immigration from every country and most seem to get along just fine. By all means join this country and celebrate the culture you bring, but let us all celebrate with you, as we do with you. The best example I can give of this was the engagement party I attended on the weekend. Macedonian / Greek / English / American / Italian / Australian (sorry if I left anyone out). Traditions shared, food shared, music shared and most importantly best wishes for the couple. This is important to me and I hope every Australian whatever their background. 

  

Planning – We all know we need new schools, roads, bridges, airports etc so let’s look at these issues and plan for the future. It will not happen in 5 minutes but we need to make good plans so we can work out how to achieve them. One example I can give is the M5 in Sydney – when I was growing up we could look at the street directory (remember them?) and see a dotted line that said ‘future motorway’, I’m talking in the 70’s, but it must have been planned long before this as the corridor had been left. It finally got built but some idiot decided to reduce it from 3 lanes both ways to 2 lanes so now we have to do it all again to extend it. I would love to see the difference in cost between doing it properly in the first place to doing it now.

Politics and politicians are a pain in the ass but we need to make a decision as to which party will be able to deliver what is important to us. This should have nothing to do with what your family votes or what your friend votes, it has to do with YOU and who you think can deliver what is important to YOU for this country’s future.

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

 

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24
hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2
cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very
large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf
balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

 The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into
the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open
areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if
the jar was full.
They agreed it was.

 The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if
the jar was full.
The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table
and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the
empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things--your family, your children, your health, your
friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost
and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your
house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand
into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles
or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your
time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the
things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take
your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be
time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf
balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities.
The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented. The professor smiled

. "I'm glad you asked.

 It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

I was sent this a long time ago, can't remember by whom. Just thought I would share it as I think it is a wonderful way to put life in perspective

Its TV people

I have been reading intently the comments on the Offspring FB page this week about the ‘who will die’ episode and really can’t believe the reactions. The ‘I’m never watching Offspring again if Patrick dies’ comment has been flowing with regular monotony. Don’t get me wrong – I love Offspring and have done so since the beginning. I remember when Nina was having the on again off again thing with Patrick and the comments that were fast and furious on twitter for Nina to leave him as he was ‘no good’. What a turnaround (thanks to the writers), everyone loved Patrick and now his character is dead.

This, after all, is a Television show! No one has died really. What a whole new cauldron of story lines this opens up letting some great actors show a gamete of emotions and depth of the characters they play. Look at this year alone – we have had all the other cast in turmoil except for Nina (discounting pocket phone calls and counselling sessions).

I am quite sure who ever casts for the show will find a new hunky male to fit in somewhere for all the desperate women out there who only watch the show to perve (this also comes from comments posted) or maybe they can just watch old episodes to get their fix.

Maybe we will see more of Cherie and Darcy next season as they support Nina, maybe Geraldine will pull herself back to a mother role or fall totally apart or Billie will get her act together for the sake of someone else’s needs not her own destruction. Jimmy and Zara could grow up and have an adult relationship, not forgetting Clegg and his pseudo ‘God Father’ role. How will Phillip react and what will happen with his now defunct relationship with Geraldine. There are now so many places for this story to go.

I shall be watching intently next week for some clues as to how the next season might start.

RIP Patrick Reid (even though we know you will be there in spirit next year so to speak)

Note to self

Who else makes so many iPhone reminders for themselves that you phone is beeping at you all day? I have a diary which I do use on occasions but have found the need to use my phone as a substitute continually. It has everyone’s birthdays down as yearly events so I no longer have the need to rewrite each year, a reminder for me to put out the rubbish bins every Sunday night, every morning it asks me what we are having for dinner that night, it also asks me each afternoon to write a ‘to do’ list for the following day. I have reminders to check moth traps, haircuts, exhibitions, appointments, fertilise garden, lawn mowing, you name it – all visible on my phone and what’s even better it automatically goes straight to my iPad where to view the week or the month is even easier. I am sitting here on my laptop with iPad to my left and iPhone to my right – what the hell did I do before all these devices came into my life?

I have forgotten ‘outlook’. I use this as well. Reminders for tasks, goals, appointments and the like which are also on my Apple stuff – just so I don’t miss anything. Then there are the days where I don’t care what it’s telling me to do I just don’t do it – how rebellious of me.

Shopping lists are now never forgotten as I never leave the house without my phone (even thought I have forgotten my glasses which I need to see the phone), I can read emails while, heaven forbid, someone is making me wait for something, I can make notes about anything and they won’t get lost in the bottom of my hand bag, take photos of whatever where ever I want which can come in handy if you are out shopping and you want to remember what, where and how much something is. I can tell the time without a watch, check what time it is all over the world, read the news publications, never get lost, calculate anything, check my bank accounts, search the net not to mention social networks. I can find out if there are accidents that could delay my journey, find out property values, post a blog, play games, find out the footie scores, edit photos, check what’s on TV even calculate my calorie intake (not sure how this works, my daughter downloaded it onto my phone and I have never used it) – the list is endless. All this and my records are kept in the ‘cloud’ just in case.

I am now wondering if I rule the technology or the technology rules me?????? In any case I still have no idea how life functioned at all before. If anyone can remember please let me know so I can make a note of it in my phone, that way I won’t forget it again. 

Guilty as charged

I was reading an article today about ‘The Commando’ from Biggest Loser, and no it nothing to do with Michelle Bridges (thank heavens). The content of the article was basically about the types of training you would have to do to look like the Commando in addition to the diet. This man is a professional sportsman in my eyes and I admire his mental ability to focus on his goals. He eats between 3 and five meals a day and I’m sure they are well balanced healthy meals to give him the nutritional requirements that his physically strenuous workouts no doubt require. 

There were an number of quotes made my another fitness writer, trainer and nutrition consultant called Ray Klerck that made a lot of sense so I have added a link below if you would like to read the article, but the stand out to me was the following quote:

"Think about people with disabilities who would give anything to have the use of your body for a day, so a good goal would be to be appreciative of your gift, love it and use it,"

Most of us could do with eating a little better, doing more exercise and generally taking more care with our bodies but just thinking what someone else would give to have such changeable dramas in unimaginable. This small line contained in an article has had me thinking for most of the day.

We need to be thankful for what we have. We can look at the celebrities with bodies that we are envious of then look back into our own reflections and consider our thighs too big, our butts are too big or small, our boobs are too small or saggy but we are who we are and we need to be grateful. We can take inspiration from people like Opra Windfrey who has battled with her weight publicly for a long as I can remember; just goes to show it doesn't just take money to fix these problems. We can look at Victoria Beckham who to me never looks happy or healthy, just thin and sad.

I am guilty of forgetting how lucky I am, something I am endeavoring to change.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health-fitness/why-most-of-us-will-never-look-as-fit-as-commando-steve/story-fneuzle5-1226690789578#ixzz2b3HpOEWQ

The Double Edged Sword

After what has been an 'interesting week' to say the least I'm so glad its Friday. 
I mentioned last week I was creating a new blog which I had hoped would be up and running by Monday but I have had a few set backs - what I would really like to know is why things that appear to be easy, and really are easy, have obstacles you need to climb, go around, push over and barrage through? I have come up with a great name, a new format and a host but it is taking its sweet time for the registration to come through (long story as too why) but I'm not going to let this deter me! I will be researching content in the meantime so its not really that bad. Vent is now over.

I am meeting up with an old school friend for dinner tonight. We have only seen each other a few times over the last 30+ years (as she lives in London) and I am really looking forward to it. Were you the class clown? Mary was and was forever getting into trouble for her efforts to entertain the class. When we left school she went to work for an Insurance company but it didn't take her long to work out this was not for her. From there she became a Graphic Artist in Sydney and later moved to London (like so many others at the time) and did lots of jobs until she found her way into Graphic Arts in London. Arriving at work one Monday morning there was this 'thing' in the corner - "This is the future of Graphics" she and her co-workers were told. No one took any real notice of the 'thing' in the corner until one day they were told they would no longer be required as the 'thing' with appropriately trained staff would be replacing them. The 'thing' of course was a computer. Not letting this get to her, Mary decided if you cant beat them join them so she took herself off to University and gained a Computer Science degree. After this she worked as an administrator for Cambridge University among other notable positions. The perfect example of 'If the world giving you Lemons, you making Lemonade'. 

Have a wonderful weekend xox