Occasionally my mommy brain goes on hold to observe and comment on more marketing-minded concepts. I have been struck this week by 2 very odd marketing things that one might say are impacting the brand of these services.
For instance, I called late this afternoon to my local pizzeria to orderia a pizza for delivery. Yes, it's almost 5pm, my toddler is still napping, and I dare not venture out in rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon just for a pizza when he does decide to wake. So I'm on hold waiting to order my Complete Combo with the never-ending $2 coupon, and the marketing terror strikes: I'm on hold to Tejano music! I'm on hold listening to a song being sung in Spanish as I wait to order what one would like to think is an Italian type of food (Do Italians consider pizza an Italian food?) Anyhow, that's just plain wrong.
And yesterday I got a pre-recorded car from Ford calling us to thank us for having our vehicle serviced recently. A pre-recorded thank you; how very thoughtful! Oh, and by the way, a survey is coming your way soon, so please send us lots of kudos if you liked your service experience. I love how these local auto places prime you for receiving something from "Headquarters." I'm all about customer satisfaction, but do you have to prepare me in advance that I will be receiving a survey? Afterall, the service was to repair an item recalled on our vehicle, and you haven't had the replacement parts in stock for almost 6 months. Hmmmm.
And guess what? There are now people in this world with jobs at corporations with the sole purpose of patroling the internet and reading items like mine to try to deflect any negative press and to resolve issues before they get blown out of proportion. Don't worry Ford, I think I have maybe a total of 3 readers on my blog. But I digress. So how does Johnny explain what Daddy does for a living, "My daddy patrols the internet for unhappy people and tries to make them happy." or something like that.
And I'm still on hold waiting to order that yummy Mexican Pizza.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Sheep Clouds and Broken Apples
The past 2 days we have enjoyed blue skies filled with white puffy clouds. Our son, upon no urging from us, has begun looking at the clouds and saying, "baaaaaa!"
Yep, I suppose those white fluffy clouds DO look like sheep, Colin!
And earlier in the week, Colin polished off his first apple (biting off pieces to the core rather than eating it in cut up pieces.) When he got to the core and it was filled with a hollow area and some black seeds, he handed it to Grandma and told her it was broken. "Apple. Broken." I suppose in some way the core of an apple might look like it was broken.
Ahhh, the world as seen for the first time through the eyes of a child. That's partly what makes language at this age such a challenge is that you aren't really sure which part of the world they are noticing and reflecting upon. Charming and cute, nonetheless.
Yep, I suppose those white fluffy clouds DO look like sheep, Colin!
And earlier in the week, Colin polished off his first apple (biting off pieces to the core rather than eating it in cut up pieces.) When he got to the core and it was filled with a hollow area and some black seeds, he handed it to Grandma and told her it was broken. "Apple. Broken." I suppose in some way the core of an apple might look like it was broken.
Ahhh, the world as seen for the first time through the eyes of a child. That's partly what makes language at this age such a challenge is that you aren't really sure which part of the world they are noticing and reflecting upon. Charming and cute, nonetheless.
Stimulating the Veterinary Economy
All the buzz right now is about how these government stimulus checks are going to be used. I could think of some mundane things like new gutters or replacement siding for my fireplace (yawn!), or I could think of some cool home improvements like new window decor for the front room, or a dash of color and some decor for our master suite.
Colin had some ideas, which included a killer playroom with an uber large screen television that plays Word World non-stop. Matt considered a really tricked out BBQ for the great outdoors. I even thought of a pair of plane tickets later in the fall to go some place warm and sunny.
But the cat? His vote won, paws down. He decided he would retreat to Kitty Club Med, a.k.a. our local veterinary clinic. And yesterday we were there yet AGAIN! Poor fellow was so lethargic and wasn't acting himself. His chin had become so inflamed and he had bothered it so much that it looked like raw hamburger meat. Ouch! Cat acne on the loose!
So, with 2 oral meds and one cream later, he is starting to act much more like himself. He's back to wearing the cone again so his chin can get a rest, and they even trimmed the fur around his chin and throat to help in applying the cream, which I had to obtain at a "Human Pharmacy."
And to trim the fur and clean him up, they had to sedate him. (You'll recall from an earlier post that he has the description GRUMPY on his medical chart.) And apparently our big furry fella isn't pleasant when he's being sedated. The vet said he was similar to a "mean or grumpy drunk" as they were sedating him, so they had to wait for him to be completely knocked out.
So, there you have it! Our cat is stimulating the economy on our behalf. I hope this is what George and the folks in Washington had in mind, because it sure isn't what we had in mind!
Colin had some ideas, which included a killer playroom with an uber large screen television that plays Word World non-stop. Matt considered a really tricked out BBQ for the great outdoors. I even thought of a pair of plane tickets later in the fall to go some place warm and sunny.
But the cat? His vote won, paws down. He decided he would retreat to Kitty Club Med, a.k.a. our local veterinary clinic. And yesterday we were there yet AGAIN! Poor fellow was so lethargic and wasn't acting himself. His chin had become so inflamed and he had bothered it so much that it looked like raw hamburger meat. Ouch! Cat acne on the loose!
So, with 2 oral meds and one cream later, he is starting to act much more like himself. He's back to wearing the cone again so his chin can get a rest, and they even trimmed the fur around his chin and throat to help in applying the cream, which I had to obtain at a "Human Pharmacy."
And to trim the fur and clean him up, they had to sedate him. (You'll recall from an earlier post that he has the description GRUMPY on his medical chart.) And apparently our big furry fella isn't pleasant when he's being sedated. The vet said he was similar to a "mean or grumpy drunk" as they were sedating him, so they had to wait for him to be completely knocked out.
So, there you have it! Our cat is stimulating the economy on our behalf. I hope this is what George and the folks in Washington had in mind, because it sure isn't what we had in mind!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Update on Elliot
Our vacation earlier this month was marked with a bit of drama as we whisked out kitty to the vet Emergency Room 1 day prior for what turned out to be a bad drug reaction to an antibiotic.
Because we were so uncertain of what was causing his barfing episodes, we had to rule out things like him having swallowed ribbon that would have been blocking his tummy (and thus a myriad of test, such as blood work and x-rays, a day later).
We left for Hawaii with Elliot in the vet's ICU. It was hard leaving him there, and it was a bit unsettling having the nurse give you instructions for visitation hours, etc. and sounding so selfish to say, "We're going on vacation in a day and won't be coming by to see him." Talk about Mommy Guilt!
So we called and spoke with the vet before our flight departed, and again when it landed. Elliot was getting better with IV fluids and rest. He had little hunger, but was no longer throwing up. We then decided to keep him in the hospital's medical boarding area until the weekend.
Our awesome neighbors went and got him and they split care with him with a pet sitter who had cared for him PC (Pre-Colin).
Elliot was lucky to have such a great care team in our absence, and when we returned home, he was doing great! The only sign of his illness is that he looks like a poodle cat, as they shaved his entire right arm to insert the IV.
It was definitely a scary family heath crisis, and we are so glad our "furry son" is doing much better. Thanks for those of you who have asked about him.
Because we were so uncertain of what was causing his barfing episodes, we had to rule out things like him having swallowed ribbon that would have been blocking his tummy (and thus a myriad of test, such as blood work and x-rays, a day later).
We left for Hawaii with Elliot in the vet's ICU. It was hard leaving him there, and it was a bit unsettling having the nurse give you instructions for visitation hours, etc. and sounding so selfish to say, "We're going on vacation in a day and won't be coming by to see him." Talk about Mommy Guilt!
So we called and spoke with the vet before our flight departed, and again when it landed. Elliot was getting better with IV fluids and rest. He had little hunger, but was no longer throwing up. We then decided to keep him in the hospital's medical boarding area until the weekend.
Our awesome neighbors went and got him and they split care with him with a pet sitter who had cared for him PC (Pre-Colin).
Elliot was lucky to have such a great care team in our absence, and when we returned home, he was doing great! The only sign of his illness is that he looks like a poodle cat, as they shaved his entire right arm to insert the IV.
It was definitely a scary family heath crisis, and we are so glad our "furry son" is doing much better. Thanks for those of you who have asked about him.
Trouble @ 2 for talking on the phone
While we were in Hawaii, Colin's friend Griffin missed seeing him for their weekly playdate. When I talked to Griffin's mom, she said he spent the past week walking around with the family's telephone pretend "talking" to Colin on the phone, "Hello, Colin, blah, blah, blah...."
Apparently at one point Griffin got so in to the conversation that he chunked their phone into the sand/water table and broke the phone. My friend told him, "All right, that's it. No more talking to Colin on the phone!"
Busted, at the age of two. Too funny!
Apparently at one point Griffin got so in to the conversation that he chunked their phone into the sand/water table and broke the phone. My friend told him, "All right, that's it. No more talking to Colin on the phone!"
Busted, at the age of two. Too funny!
MORE Hugs
Yesterday morning Colin and I were up early, as we let Daddy sleep in on Saturdays. A temper tantrum had begun related to a battle over who got to hold the yogurt spoon at breakfast. Lately I have tried to calm these tantrums by giving Colin lots of hugs, which I did upon this occasion.
I was sitting and hugging him for a few minutes. I sat him back from me and he made the hand sign for "more" and I said, "Oh course I will give you more hugs!"
Ahhhhhhh, this made my Mommy Heart smile that he asked for "more hugs!"
I was sitting and hugging him for a few minutes. I sat him back from me and he made the hand sign for "more" and I said, "Oh course I will give you more hugs!"
Ahhhhhhh, this made my Mommy Heart smile that he asked for "more hugs!"
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Feliz Cumpleanos, Hernan!
Today, a little boy in Honduras celebrated a very special day. His name is Hernan, and he is our sponsored child through Compassion. He turned 6 today -- Feliz Cumpleanos, Hernan!
Upon our return from our vacation, we received our first letter from Hernan, via his tutor. We are so excited to get to know him better and to hear how the Lord will take care of him through his involvement with Compassion and their team of people there in Honduras.
Hernan, we hope you had a very happy day and that you went to bed tonight knowing that you were remembered in another part of the world, as well!
Upon our return from our vacation, we received our first letter from Hernan, via his tutor. We are so excited to get to know him better and to hear how the Lord will take care of him through his involvement with Compassion and their team of people there in Honduras.
Hernan, we hope you had a very happy day and that you went to bed tonight knowing that you were remembered in another part of the world, as well!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Sic 'Em Bears
Stories like this make you proud to be a Baylor Bear. This gal is an incoming freshman at Baylor. She was the person of the week on ABC news last week. Very inspirational!
Learn more about this Baylor Bear
Learn more about this Baylor Bear
No H-3 for Me
Quick funny story.
So Matt's back in Hawaii today (as though Hawaii is just a quick little jaunt over a pond....) Anyhow, I digress.
So he's picking up his car at the Hertz rental place and they have an H-3 waiting for him. And the conversation with customer service goes something like this:
Matt: Ummmm, hi! So you've probably never had a request like this before, but do you have anything besides the Hummer H-3? It's, uh, kinda big. (Keep in mind it's like parking a land yacht in the tiny hospital parking garages all around the island.)
Hertz: We have a Mustang, but it doesn't have onboard navigation.
Matt: Oh, OK, guess I'll just stick with the Hummer.
I guess the person at customer service went home saying, "There's a first time for everything!"
So Matt's back in Hawaii today (as though Hawaii is just a quick little jaunt over a pond....) Anyhow, I digress.
So he's picking up his car at the Hertz rental place and they have an H-3 waiting for him. And the conversation with customer service goes something like this:
Matt: Ummmm, hi! So you've probably never had a request like this before, but do you have anything besides the Hummer H-3? It's, uh, kinda big. (Keep in mind it's like parking a land yacht in the tiny hospital parking garages all around the island.)
Hertz: We have a Mustang, but it doesn't have onboard navigation.
Matt: Oh, OK, guess I'll just stick with the Hummer.
I guess the person at customer service went home saying, "There's a first time for everything!"
Picture Recap
Colin enjoys a beach walk along Kauai's south shore. We were looking for sealife in the tidepools near the Sheraton resort. 
Which one is the caged animal? Colin enjoys watching flamingos at the Honolulu Zoo.
Just me 'n my dad, enjoying an early morning rest. 
I love this picture. Notice how early in life they turn their heads to watch pretty girls in bikini's.
Fun times in the keiko pool at the resort.
The sand was more of a hit this trip, so we played on the beach with our bucket and shovel.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Top Ten Vacation List
I thought I would recap our trip with a top ten list. I didn't say it was a "Best" or "Worst" list, so it's perhaps a combo of both.
1. Chicken-chasing, as mentioned in my previous post, was Colin's #1 source of entertainment. "Is the big rooster behind bush #1 or bush #2? How fast can we make him run? Will he cock-a-doodle-doo if I chase him faster? and how about momma chicken and her chicks. Can I split them up so that a few of the chicks split from mom when I chase them into the bushes? Ah, yes. Fun in the sun with chickens on the run!"
2. Mom chasing geckos in the hotel room? Not so much fun! We had 2 different little geckos make the mistake of running from our lanai into our room and behind the entertainment center. Guess these little greenish guys thought it sounded like a good idea at the time. I though I would make some lame car insurance ad joke here, but my funny bone didn't quite thaw completely after our vacation.
3. Having a hotel room with separate kitchen, living, and sleeping quarters totally rocks when you have a toddler who goes to bed at 5pm local time. Yep, you got that right. So we (as parents) went to bed no later than 7:30 or 8 pm and all woke really early each day. Lunch was at 9 am and dinner was around 3 pm. Needless to say, we cooked in our kitchen in the room. Besides, who serves lunch at 9 am? What we HAVE learned in past travel experiences is to respect our son's schedule when we travel across a 3 hour time change. Deviate from his internal nuclear time clock which is set to PST, and you have one grumpy child. Stay the course, and life is good. And thus, lunch at 9 am!
4. Conversely, having a hotel room with no separate sleeping and living rooms, is BAD. Our last night we stayed closer to the airport in a hotel room on the second floor with a balcony the size of a postage stamp. Colin was in a crib next to where our bed would be, and there was no separate place to hang out except for the tiny balcony. I actually considered repelling down the balcony the first floor just so I could hang at the beach for a while. OK, so the thought was only a flash through me mind. We watched a movie on the laptop as we sat huddled on the balcony. The view to the ocean, from our balcony "prison," was, however, remarkable.
5. The Honolulu zoo is a great place for an afternoon adventure. We flew to Honolulu and then went direct to meet friends for a playdate at the zoo. A woman from my MOPS group was in town with her 4 year old while her husband was there on business. And we ourselves were in Honolulu while Matt worked for a day, so what a fabulous way to hook up and see the sights! Colin had zero nap under his belt following our flight from the mainland and was an absolute champ the entire afternoon! We rode the city bus (a fun adventure for little boys) and then made the rounds at the zoo, which included an early dinner there for Colin. The snack hut there, just FYI, was actually pretty tasty.
6. We stayed at 4 different places during our trip. I highly recommend against that with a toddler who thrives on routine, but we survived, nonetheless. I felt like a hotels.com hotel ratings person, making comparisons all the way. I definitely have some feedback to post to traveladvisor.com. Our first place in Kauai was such a pleasant surprise. A smaller and older property north of Lihue, but the rooms had been recently renovated and we had a first floor lanai near the pool, which was great for when our menehune went to bed early. We could hang out on the lanai and not feel like we were missing out on the action.
7. The way to win friends and influence people when you are 2 is to have an abundance of cool animal squeezy toys. And the more you have to share, the more popular you are. Colin loved playing with his toys and meeting new friends at the pool. There was 20 month Alexander from Denver, 5 year old Elle from Irvine, 2 3/4 William from California, and many others whose names and stories we didn't catch.
8. Having a child in tow leads to meeting so many other people. Before we had Colin we never really met other travellers. Now that we have a kid and a million things in tow as we hit the pool area (floaties, toys, towels, snacks, drinks, sippy cups, gobs of sunscreen, etc), we immediately meet others. I met some remarkable people this week -- I had a bit of a social theological discussion with the worship leader of one of the largest churches from our hometown. We talked a bit about some of the challenges his church faces regarding perception in the community, as well as Christianity in general in our community. Interesting.
And then I met another mom from Utah. Her 2 year old spent the past year having 3 major surgeries because of something called craniosynostosis (she didn't have a soft spot in her skull.) This mom just poured out her heart about how it had affected her and the family and how it's helped her to relate to other moms in a more compassionate way. I was very moved by her story and her strength as a mom.
9. We watched several good movies on our vacation. I have to go on vacation just to catch up on the latest in Hollywood. I saw 27 Dresses, Bucket List, Jumper, & Next. I was very moved by the Bucket List, which has had mixed reviews. The characters have a discussion about faith and what happens when you die. Later, Morgan Freeman's character talks about the Egyptians and what the Gods are said to ask them when they die in order to get into heaven. Though I'm not interested in "getting into Egyptian heaven," these 2 questions offer much to ponder: Have you found joy during your life? Have you brought joy to others during your life?
10. Last, but not least, I had the joy of spending the past week with the undivided attention of my 2 favorite boys: Colin and Matt. No household repairs to lament and no work interruptions. Just time together, sitting in a hammock or by the pool. Or running after fowl. Or sipping a cool drink while basking in the sun to thaw out from winter's cold. As my bones warmed up in the Hawaiian sun, so did my heart. And the memories from this trip, dear friends, are a movie I hope to replay in my mind for years to come.
1. Chicken-chasing, as mentioned in my previous post, was Colin's #1 source of entertainment. "Is the big rooster behind bush #1 or bush #2? How fast can we make him run? Will he cock-a-doodle-doo if I chase him faster? and how about momma chicken and her chicks. Can I split them up so that a few of the chicks split from mom when I chase them into the bushes? Ah, yes. Fun in the sun with chickens on the run!"
2. Mom chasing geckos in the hotel room? Not so much fun! We had 2 different little geckos make the mistake of running from our lanai into our room and behind the entertainment center. Guess these little greenish guys thought it sounded like a good idea at the time. I though I would make some lame car insurance ad joke here, but my funny bone didn't quite thaw completely after our vacation.
3. Having a hotel room with separate kitchen, living, and sleeping quarters totally rocks when you have a toddler who goes to bed at 5pm local time. Yep, you got that right. So we (as parents) went to bed no later than 7:30 or 8 pm and all woke really early each day. Lunch was at 9 am and dinner was around 3 pm. Needless to say, we cooked in our kitchen in the room. Besides, who serves lunch at 9 am? What we HAVE learned in past travel experiences is to respect our son's schedule when we travel across a 3 hour time change. Deviate from his internal nuclear time clock which is set to PST, and you have one grumpy child. Stay the course, and life is good. And thus, lunch at 9 am!
4. Conversely, having a hotel room with no separate sleeping and living rooms, is BAD. Our last night we stayed closer to the airport in a hotel room on the second floor with a balcony the size of a postage stamp. Colin was in a crib next to where our bed would be, and there was no separate place to hang out except for the tiny balcony. I actually considered repelling down the balcony the first floor just so I could hang at the beach for a while. OK, so the thought was only a flash through me mind. We watched a movie on the laptop as we sat huddled on the balcony. The view to the ocean, from our balcony "prison," was, however, remarkable.
5. The Honolulu zoo is a great place for an afternoon adventure. We flew to Honolulu and then went direct to meet friends for a playdate at the zoo. A woman from my MOPS group was in town with her 4 year old while her husband was there on business. And we ourselves were in Honolulu while Matt worked for a day, so what a fabulous way to hook up and see the sights! Colin had zero nap under his belt following our flight from the mainland and was an absolute champ the entire afternoon! We rode the city bus (a fun adventure for little boys) and then made the rounds at the zoo, which included an early dinner there for Colin. The snack hut there, just FYI, was actually pretty tasty.
6. We stayed at 4 different places during our trip. I highly recommend against that with a toddler who thrives on routine, but we survived, nonetheless. I felt like a hotels.com hotel ratings person, making comparisons all the way. I definitely have some feedback to post to traveladvisor.com. Our first place in Kauai was such a pleasant surprise. A smaller and older property north of Lihue, but the rooms had been recently renovated and we had a first floor lanai near the pool, which was great for when our menehune went to bed early. We could hang out on the lanai and not feel like we were missing out on the action.
7. The way to win friends and influence people when you are 2 is to have an abundance of cool animal squeezy toys. And the more you have to share, the more popular you are. Colin loved playing with his toys and meeting new friends at the pool. There was 20 month Alexander from Denver, 5 year old Elle from Irvine, 2 3/4 William from California, and many others whose names and stories we didn't catch.
8. Having a child in tow leads to meeting so many other people. Before we had Colin we never really met other travellers. Now that we have a kid and a million things in tow as we hit the pool area (floaties, toys, towels, snacks, drinks, sippy cups, gobs of sunscreen, etc), we immediately meet others. I met some remarkable people this week -- I had a bit of a social theological discussion with the worship leader of one of the largest churches from our hometown. We talked a bit about some of the challenges his church faces regarding perception in the community, as well as Christianity in general in our community. Interesting.
And then I met another mom from Utah. Her 2 year old spent the past year having 3 major surgeries because of something called craniosynostosis (she didn't have a soft spot in her skull.) This mom just poured out her heart about how it had affected her and the family and how it's helped her to relate to other moms in a more compassionate way. I was very moved by her story and her strength as a mom.
9. We watched several good movies on our vacation. I have to go on vacation just to catch up on the latest in Hollywood. I saw 27 Dresses, Bucket List, Jumper, & Next. I was very moved by the Bucket List, which has had mixed reviews. The characters have a discussion about faith and what happens when you die. Later, Morgan Freeman's character talks about the Egyptians and what the Gods are said to ask them when they die in order to get into heaven. Though I'm not interested in "getting into Egyptian heaven," these 2 questions offer much to ponder: Have you found joy during your life? Have you brought joy to others during your life?
10. Last, but not least, I had the joy of spending the past week with the undivided attention of my 2 favorite boys: Colin and Matt. No household repairs to lament and no work interruptions. Just time together, sitting in a hammock or by the pool. Or running after fowl. Or sipping a cool drink while basking in the sun to thaw out from winter's cold. As my bones warmed up in the Hawaiian sun, so did my heart. And the memories from this trip, dear friends, are a movie I hope to replay in my mind for years to come.
Chicken (Burger?) in Paradise
My bones have finally thawed. I think. Ahhhhhhhh. Sure does feel good.
Warm breezes flowing over my skin? Check. Waves crashing on the shore, lulling me into a state of relaxation? Check. Toddler chasing chickens around the beach and pool? Check.
Wait? Chickens? Yep. I just spent several days in paradise with a bunch of chickens, like the kind we....., ya know, uh...eat! And it couldn't have made for better toddler entertainment.
Apparently in previous years during hurricanes, chickens got loose following distruction to their chicken cages, so they now run free. Everywhere!
So here we were, in the keiko swimming pool (kiddie pool) hanging out with Colin when he would spot one, or a mother with her little chicks, and he would go bounding out of the pool to chase them. Over, and over, and over.
He was pure entertainment for many other people to watch, and he gladly defended us all from having chickens underfoot. and one rooster in particular, who was determined to show Colin that he "ruled the roost," was chased so many times that he must have been one buff rooster by the end of the week. In the end, it was Colin who ruled that roost!
Cock-a-doodle-doooooooooo!
Happy 2nd Birthday!
Dad helps colin blow out the "Big 2" candle.
Happy Birthday, sweet Colin!Today we had a pretty low key day, as we just returned late last night from an 8 day vacation in Hawaii. The lil man slept in until 10 am.
This afternoon we celebrated gifts when Dad got home early from work and then we had an early dinner at a local Mexican food restaurant. Dinner was then followed by cake at home and a long walk in the neighborhood.
We have a small party planned with another friend who turns 2 at the end of the month, so we'll celebrate again later in the month with more fan fare.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)