Small and Simple thank you

We are so blessed to have our own business and have really great people that we can trust to take care of things so that we don't have to constantly be there.

That being said, it is still stressful to make sure that people are doing what is in the best interest of our little pizza shop.

While we are not rich, and as much as we'd love to be able to give everyone a big fat raise, we simply cannot afford it at this time.

Today I decided that there was two employees that I just needed to get something for for different reasons.

One employee kind of got a little of my wrath last night when he made a poor decision that affected delivery service to our customers. I tried not to be too harsh, but apparently he thought I was really mad (I was a little upset....but not mad). This kid works very hard, just recently moved out of his parents house, trying to go to school, and work full time -- so I'm sure he's under alot of pressure. I went and bought him a box of Drumsticks along with an apology for my rant. I know eating ice cream always makes me feel better, and I think it helped him too.



My second employee is a single mother who seems like she's always struggling to try and find a decent place to live, trying to take care of a 1 year old who has recently been sick, and really doesn't have the support system of a family to help her out. I went and picked her up the prettiest little boquet of flowers to let her know that someone does care about her, is willing to help her, and that we appreciate her loyalty, trustworthiness, and dedication to Pizza Zone. The smile on her face was so rewarding and she truly appreciated the fact that someone would think of her. I know what it's like to struggle as a single mom, and I had an enormous amount of help and support when I needed it.



So today I can smile with the feeling that two small simple gestures really made an huge impact on someone else. It feels good letting people around me know that I care and that they are appreciated. I am blessed.

Speaking of Ohio.......

As I was writing yesterday's post, I was dredging up some old memories of Ohio and how much my mother and I despised traveling through that state.

Back around 1969 we were relocating from Tucson to New York. My dad and my brother had already made the journey, so it was left to us girls to come on our own. My dad prepared us well for the trip by typing out an index card for each state providing us with the exact route details for each state so that we did not need to rely on making our own route.

So off we went on our cross-country adventure - my mom, me, Penny, and our little parakeet Pretty Bird.



The trip was going along very well until we reached OHIO. One dark night as I was reading my mom the directions for our next freeway change, I shouted out the sign with the arrow pointing to our entrance ramp. My mom quickly made the turn and instead of us being on an on-ramp to the freeway we found ourselves on an off-ramp with a Greyhound bus coming straight at us! My mom slowly backed up, collected her wits, and pulled into a coffee shop across the street and sent me in for a cup of coffee.

She was shook up, I was shook up and felt bad -- but hey I was an 11 year old kid trying to be a good navigator. The problem we discovered in Ohio was that sometimes the freeway signs were right at the exits and sometimes they were ahead of the exits and we were constantly missing ramps because of the inconsistency in the placement of their signs.



I truly don't remember much else about our girl's cross-country trip, but I vividly remember that crazy night in Ohio and how we couldn't wait to finally be out of that state.

But wait.....I do also remember how much I hated traveling through the state of Texas and constantly mentioned the fact that I would never, ever live in that stupid state. Guess things change don't they?

Pizza Related Traveling....to where?

Well it's been awhile since we've really had a day off again.....so we're itiching to take a trip.

Here's our choices:

March 1-3 here:


or February 20-21 here:


Well Paul has made the decision that we are going to try to get to Columbus, that's right Columbus, Ohio. Of course, you all know which one I would have picked. This decision was based on the fact it would probably be more economical for us to go to Ohio and we have never been to the pizza show there. We have attended the one in Las Vegas a couple of times previously.

Now, one of the reasons we live in Houston is because we don't like snow, cold, or winter. Do you know what Columbus Ohio looks like at the end of February? Pretty much like this I would guess:



But knowing my husband, we'll have a good time wherever we go. After all, this is supposed to be a work-related trip learning about how to make us run our business better and make more money. It will also be an opportunity to meet other independent pizza owners and sharing ideas.

Guess I need to go out and buy a few things before we go.

Just another day

Well I could sit here and cry and cry about how much there is to do.....but I think you all know that already.

So today, let's focus on the good....the things I did get accomplished this week!

Got the bedroom painted and most of the trim done -- need to finish that this weekend along with shampooing the carpet. Thankfully my older son wanted to spend the day with me Saturday so he helped me paint ALL day. Without his help, I would still have mega work to do in there. However, my husband loved the color of the room so much that he's decided that's going to be his new office and not the guest room I had planned. :-) I did snap some "before" and "during" pics, but I want to wait until the "after" pics to show how beautiful is looks.

I got new customer packets for Pizza Zone caught up through the middle of December.....only a month and a half left to go before I'm totally caught up. I got 350 postcards and 387 marketing letters mailed to prospective new customers.....thanks to the help of our new secretary!

But alas, there are more things on my plate today that need attention -- so it's time to get my day off to a good start. And trust me I did......



I don't think I could have picked a better way............can you?

Just another sleepness night

Why is it when it's time to go to sleep I'm wide awake?

Why is it when it's time to get up I can get the best sleep ever?

Why is it when I am up late at night and have the time to be on here blogging....the thoughts don't come?

Why is it when I'm really busy and don't have the time to blog....the best ideas flow through my brain?

I really need to be asleep right now. I have a really busy day planned for tomorrow. I'm finally ready to get started painting our new guest room....aka Aaron's old bedroom.

The paint is bought, the room is mostly cleaned out, and I have managed to "eek" out a little time to devote to getting that room painted.

The pictures of the "before" and "after" will come on another post, because I'll be darned if I'm going to run up the stairs right now and take a picture. I'll do that in the morning.

Hopefully the room will come out half as good as the visions in my head, but if I don't get to sleep soon......I'll miss this opportunity to get it done for at least another week.

Now Hiring: Wife

After much thoughtful consideration I've made the decision that it's not more hours in the day I need or a Secretary......it's a wife!

Someone who can clean the house, do the laundry, make my meals, wash the car, do the yardwork, make small repairs, and tackle all those other tasks that always need done. They would also need to help my children and my husband with their daily list of requests that they always seem to need me to do.

I broached this subject with my husband last night and I think that we have very different ideas of what our new wife should be.

This is my idea:



And I think my husband has more of this idea in his mind:



I guess we'll have to postpone hiring our new "wife" until we can come to a mutual decision on what type of candidate we should hire!

Where has the year gone?

Wow.....can't believe how fast this year is already flying by.
Have I lived up to my resolutions.........NOPE!

I AM trying to be more organized this year. My new secretary has started and so far so good. Her primary job right now has been to get me organized. I give her a big box of mess that has been sitting in my office for a year (or two) and she gives me back a nicely organized box of files.

Obviously my creativity desire has taken a back seat (again). But hopefully will find the time to start again. I know that you all are just dying to read what exciting adventures are happening over here in Texas!

Well here's just a tidbit of the stuff I'm working on.

1. Today is picture taking day. We have a photographer friend coming to one of the shops to take our pictures, store pictures and food pictures for the magazine article PMQ is doing on us for their March issue.

2. Working on the design of our new website (oh.....some of this new technology is too hard for us old folk).

3. W2's, cost of goods sold, reconciling bank statements......all for getting the buiness taxes done soon.

4. Cleaning out, shampooing, and painting the bedrooms of the recent residents who moved out.

5. Designing, printing, ordering and mailing new menus, magnets, and anything else associated with marketing materials.

Okay.....that's enough, I don't want to bore you. But, somewhere in all of this I need to find time to do laundry, clean house, grocery shopping, paying bills, training for The Amazing Race, and enjoying life.

Who really needs to sleep anyways????

2011 Word of the Year

.....drum roll please.......

My word of the year is:



So that would be ORGANIZATION. I need to get my life organized, clean, and under control again. Too much time is wasted because of unorganization and I would have more time to do those things I love if I could only get organized.



So this is my mission for 2011 is to get organized and I begin today!

Reflections of a new year

I's now 2011. The first day of the year. A day of hope and new beginnings. A time to look back at the past year and see the things that we wish changed.

Of course, there's always the same old resolutions. You know which ones: this year I'm going to eat better, I'm going to exercise, etc. etc. -- but I'm talking about the ones that are close only to your own personal heart.

Finding the Creative Me
I used to have such desire to cross stitch, decorating or changing the house, writing, or reading. Now those passions have gone by the wayside and taken over by too much work, or this needs to be done, or that has to be done. I regret allowing all the other things to take over the "creative me" and I vow to get some of that back. I want to dig out those all projects that were started and never finished, that half-read book laying on my nightstand, and get the words written down that I'm forever thinking (who knows what THOSE could turn into?). It's time to find the balance between all the work and chores that need done and getting to enjoy some creativity again.

Taking those chances
One example would be my regret at not going to college and taking those classes for the career I had wanted. I chose instead to "take a semester off" and never did get that opportunity. Don't get me wrong.....I love my life and the path it has taken -- but sometimes way deep inside you still think about the "what if I had done that". It's just one of those many things that you regret you didn't do when you had the chance. Then "poof" the chance was gone and you went a different direction. This year I vow to make some of those "what ifs" into "I dids".

Life is short -- we need to live every moment and enjoy every moment to it's fullest -- so that next year at this time you can honestly say to yourself that it truly was a "great great year"!

Happy New Year!