Souvenirs aren't the only thing we brought back

We also brought back some stupid virus, sickness, cold, crappy, nasty stuff.

Yep.....that's right. Now we are both sick and just barely making it through the day. Just getting things done that need to be done and trying to get some rest so we'll be back on our feet.

I wondered what that one really, COLD, WINDY, chilly, freezing day was going to do to us. Now we know.

Oh well......I've got lots of things to share about the trip. Will post when I'm feeling better :-(

The Last Day

Our last day in NYC and I'm sure we're running around trying to get all our last minute things seen, done, and bought. I'll even bet we had some of this while we were there:



We are getting home REALLY REALLY late tonight.....so give me a couple of days and that I'll have a feast of photos from our fabulous vacation!

Still gone

Yep.....that's right.....we're still on vacation!

Visual Entertainment

Enjoy the sights of NYC while we're gone.......I'm sure we are enjoying them as well!

We're going to be a part of it

Start spreading the news
I'm leaving today

I want to be a part of it, New York, New York
These vagabond shoes
Are longing to stray

And make a brand new start of it
New York, New York
I want to wake up in the city that never sleeps
To find I'm king of the hill, top of the heap

These little town blues
Are melting away
I'll make a brand new start of it
In old New York

If I can make it there
I'll make it anywhere
It's up to you, New York, New York.

Wordless Wednesday: Things that make me mad...AGAIN

This is getting old folks.

Can't think of a better place....

.....to spend our 15th anniversary than............ * drum roll please *



Oh my gosh, we're so excited!

Oh my gosh, we have so much to do!

But.....this checks another city off of our bucket list!

The Countdown is on.....tick.....tick.....tick

We're waiting to find out.

In just a few short hours......the last minute fares will be posted.

What exciting destination we'll be going to?

Will we pack shorts and sandals?

Or will it be parkas and snow shoes? (Well I can guarantee you we will NOT be going anyplace where we have to wear this stuff).

We know we're leaving on Saturday.

We know we're coming back on Tuesday night.

We just don't know where it is yet?

But we do know.....we're excited as heck to get out of here!

Let's play Vacation Roulette!

This Saturday marks 15 years of wedded bliss.

We think that we have everything in place so that we can sneak away for a few days and celebrate.

We really had tried and planned this over a month ago and wanted to make our romantic destination Miami/Key West, but unfortunately things have been so UP and DOWN at the Zone....that we were afraid to make the financial committment.

So now.......we are ready once again to play Vacation Roulette!

Monday night at 7pm the last minute fares are posted. We are taking our chances and hoping for an exciting "last minute" destination. This past weekend (we really tried to go this last weekend) was filled with exciting places in Mexico, and Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. and all kinds of other places. But.....it was not meant to be....so it's on for this next weekend.

So my wonderful husband.......where is Vacation Roulette going to take us?

Will it be Miami?



Will it be St. Louis?



Will it be Memphis?



Will it be Philadelphia?



Will it be NYC?



Will it be Las Vegas......where all of this wedded bliss started?



Or will it be somewhere where we can FINALLY use our passports?



Woo Hoo.......can't wait until Monday night so I can start packing!

P.S. It doesn't really matter where we go. I have married the most wonderful man in the world and we have a great time no matter where we are or what we are doing! Gosh....I am so lucky!

We might not have good taste.....but at least it's similar

Paul and I have an unbelievable way of picking out the same things when we're not together. Let me elaborate......

We looked for 2 years for a new sofa. We couldn't find anything that we liked. One day we were in a furniture store looking again and he went off to the restroom. While he was gone, I found the PERFECT sofa. I went to go find him. I walked all around the store and when I got back to the sofa, he was sitting on it and said "this is the perfect sofa". So we bought it.

Yesterday we did it again. We took a rare day off and just ran around doing nothing in particular. We had a nice Cajun lunch and then it was off to find a birthday present for my sister. We went into a home decor store and we each went our separate ways. I didn't find anything in there that I wanted to buy Penny, so I met Paul at the front.

Paul: "Did you find anything"

Debbie: "No, just a painting back there that I really liked"

Paul: "I found one back there too that I liked"

So we walked back to see each other's painting and lo and behold.....it was the same painting. It was this one:



Well after looking at the price and it was 50% off.....guess what we did. Yep, we bought it. Here is where it's new home is going to be. I mean.....it was really so apparent that we were supposed to buy it.

So while I was taking pictures of our new painting, I thought I would just take pictures of our other paintings and share the story of them. They really each hold a little story as we have bought them one by one. Now the story about the one BEHIND the new one we are going to hang is that it was the very first one we ever bought for our house. My mom and dad sent us money for Christmas and we went to a Starving Artists sale to buy a painting for our new house. It first hung over the fireplace for several years. Now it is getting moved again and going into our guest bedroom.



This next picture took Paul YEARS and YEARS to find the perfect picture. It had to be BIG because it was going to hang on our huge blank wall in the living room. I think he picked rather nicely and he just LOVES this painting.



This last one now resides over our fireplace. Paul bought this one during an art auction on our cruise to Mexico many years ago. It's a numbered and signed lithograph and we have number 47/300. I didn't really care for it at first, but it has grown on me these last few years.



Well that is all from our art gallery tour for today. Maybe someday I'll take pictures of the art upstairs, because believe it or not -- there's a story behind each of those as well......but then again, those stories aren't as interesting.

Wordless Wednesday: Things that make me mad

Now we have to work a little harder to pay for this. Why does the world have to be so full of idiots?

All work is not boring

I really do have a lot of boring work to do working with numbers and stuff.

But my ALL TIME FAVORITE part of my job is - when I get to create flyers and ads and postcards and stickers and signs.

It's fun to be creative. I always hope that I am creating something that will inspire people to pick up their phones and place lots of orders.

Well sometimes it works......and sometimes it doesn't -- but the challenge is always there.

Today's project -- finish flyers and stickers for one of the school nights.

Sometimes simple is best

BLT's and cruciferous veggies for dinner!



Yummmmmmm.............

Today I put on a teaching hat

In an effort to get everyone trained really well and all of us doing the same thing......we are putting a spotlight on training this month.

We've discovered that the key to our business running at it's optimal potential....is to have a WELL TRAINED staff.

Unfortunately, the last few years, we've left it up to the people working in the stores to train the new people. That means everyone has a different way of doing things or doesn't know the right way.....and we're trying to change it.

Over the next few weeks, we are holding "mini" training sessions featuring training in one area at a time. Today was my first mini training at the Kuykendahl store and the featured topic was "Telephone Training" and "Completing Customer Satisfaction".

I made up little training manuals and pamphlets and made them as interesting as I could. Today I spent 30 minutes talking with the Kuykendahl crew about how we need to be doing things differently and how we can do them better. Tomorrow I will be doing the same training class at the Grant Rd. store.

Hopefully, the end result of this will mean that we will have capable people that will be able to take over the training (with the right materials) and we will have an AWESOME well-trained staff and we don't have to work any more.

Not holding my breath just yet.........but I feel it is coming soon!