The Final Straw

Nothing irritates me more than people with a sense of entitlement. Even worse,  the person who spews out one complaint after another and the unfortunate soul who receives a constant barrage of harassment because entitled needs were not met. 
 
Yesterday– my little girls, my mom and I witnessed something so absurd, it really makes me question what our society is becoming. 

It started out as a harmless New Year’s Day trip to a local mall. As we exited a department store and went into the mall area, a nearby vending maching caught the attention of my daughters. “Mama…can we pleeeeeaaase get some candy!?” they asked politely.

Nine out of ten times I say no. But I agreed and put a couple quarters in the machine. Then… nothing.

“Are you going to get your money back, mama?” Presley asked.

“No, there’s something wrong with the machine and it’s just not worth complaining about. Things happen and I’m not going to track someone down in this busy, crazy mall because it’s not their fault either,” I told her.

I was impressed they were more concerned about losing my money, than losing their M and M’s.  Since they handled the disappointment so well,  I offered to take them to the cookie counter instead. Down the escalater we went, where the lower level food court was loud and crowded. We spotted the cookie counter and hurried over where my girls were eager and excited.

A nice older lady took our order and was about to ring us up when two young female customers–including one who was pregnant–returned to the cookie counter cash register for a confrontation unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed.

One of the women complained that her straw would not reach the bottom half of the slushy. When the cookie lady explained  they didn’t have longer straws, the woman asked for her slushy to be refilled to an amount she felt entitled to.  When the cookie lady refused, the women asked for their money back. The cookie lady declined the refund and gave the women a phone number to file a complaint.

“You F&@#!**  B^*%!!!!!  I am ENTITLED to my money back!!!”  The irate customers began shouting expletive after expletive. The days of shielding my girls from R-rated language are over, I thought. 

The foul-mouthed women continued to shout and finally walked away without refunds. But as they walked off they hurled their slushie cups toward the cookie lady’s head– narrowly missing my girls.

That was the last straw for the cookie lady. Pardon the pun.  She retailiated by throwing a vase at them, which ultimately reignited the firestorm as objects everywhere began to fly, including my new belt purchase that had been sitting on the cookie counter. I shielded my girls as I led them quickly out of harms way.

Empty-handed again, we sat at a nearby table to discuss what we had just witnesssed. “It’s okay, mama. We’re sorry.”  They obviously felt some sort of guilt about the vending machine, and now the cookie incident gone awry. Or maybe because my new belt purchase had turned into a weapon. (Happy to report that I went back to retrieve my purchase and the belt was undamaged)  Needless to say, they didn’t ask me for anything else. 

They handled the situation with such dignity and maturity, I ended up back at the cookie counter .  In my quest to satisfy their sweet tooth…the third time was the charm. They finally got their treats. Not because they were entitled…but because they earned it.

 

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Wordless Wednesday: Moments of 2011

  Happy Anniversary to my mother-in-law Margaret and father-in-law Norman, who celebrated 50 years of marriage this year! We threw them a party in their hometown of Centerville, Tennessee, in the exact same place they tied the knot 50 years ago!  Among the guests: their two children with their spouses, 4 grandchildren, and dozens of family members and friends, including three folks who attended the marriage ceremony 50 years ago.

 Below is a cardboard cut-out made from a wedding photo from 1961….you two haven’t changed a bit!!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Ho Ho Horror waiting for Mall Santa? No more!

Dedicated to all you parents who tirelessly wait in those long lines to see Santa at your local mall:

What I am about to share only took me nine and a half years to learn. And although it’s too late to use this tip in 2011, write it down and store it with your snowglobes for retrieval in 2012.

Now think back to where you were on Cyber Monday. You know the day. It’s the Monday following Thanksgiving and the biggest shopping day (and weekend) of the year. A day dedicated to shopping online AT HOME for super cyber deals.  And as I discovered, it’s a day where everyone is soooooo pooped out from weekend chaos…they have absolutely no desire to venture out to any mall. 

 Bingo!  It’s the PERFECT day to grab your kids and take the obligatory photo with Mall Santa!

Perhaps it was my disdain of crowds that led me to procrastinate our Santa mall trip until that Monday. Maybe it was my own exhaustion from the aforementioned weekend. Whatever the case….I “put off” taking my girls to see Santa for about a week, which ultimately led me to pinky-promise to do it on that Monday.

Best decision EVER! No waiting, no line, and no stress! In fact, my kids enjoyed extra time with Santa:

BROOKE:  Santa, what is your favorite movie?

SANTA: The Santa Clause

BROOKE: Do your elves fly?

SANTA: No, not unless they have a turbo engine behind them.

BROOKE:  What happens if  you get too old and die?  (Her comfort level with Santa obviously going up)

SANTA: There will always be a Santa Claus taking care of  good little boys and girls! And I think you are one of my favorite little girls this year!

What a memory!

Now…if only I could eliminate the $40 price tag for two poorly-produced 5 x 7′s with red-eye…..

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Wordless Wednesday: Moments of 2011

Martini–our cat–had a great 2011….

Moments of 2011 continued….

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Wordless Wednesday: Moments of 2011

Hard to believe the year is about to end! In honor of Wordless Wednesdays between now and the end of 2011… I will be posting some of my more interesting moments (captured in photo, of course) that I have yet to share on this blog. (and believe me, there are plenty!)

This week’s selection is a wedding from earlier this year. One of my employees–a dispatcher/driver married another driver.  The twist? They married on one of our motorcoaches!  Bride Becky walked down the bus aisle to her groom, Rick, as friends and family looked on from passenger seats.  TV news crews also showed up to capture the moment.

Congrats to the newlyweds! And may your marriage be free of any bumps in the road….

 

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Forgive me, Tooth Fairy

Things do happen in threes.  But loosing a tooth (3) three times doesn’t seem that unusual if you’re seven years old. Unless you’re loosing a tooth…then loosing the tooth.

Case in point– Brooke was so excited when I picked her up from a friend’s house to tell me that she had lost yet another tooth.

Then panic set in.

“Mommy…I left my tooth at Ashley’s house!!!”   

“No worries, “I consoled her. “We’ll just write the tooth fairy a note and she’ll pick up the tooth at Ashley’s house.” 

My assurances didn’t do much. Brooke reminded me she had also written two previous letters to the tooth fairy with excuses. Last month, her tooth went down the drain. The tooth before that was knocked out and vanished on the gym floor after a boy threw a ball that hit her in the mouth. 

Brooke was trying hard to collect herself so she could speak.  “But MOM-MMEEEEEE…the tooth fairy is going to think this is getting REALLY OLD!!”

Despite her reluctance, she proceded to write yet a third letter to the Tooth Fairy pleading her case.  And I am happy to report that a very understanding fairy still left $3.00 under her pillow.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Paranormal Tour 2011

It was that time …time again to return to Memphis for another unpredictable Paranormal Tour.  My company–Little Rock Tours–(www.littlerocktours.com ) planned the first one for Halloween a year ago after we contacted Memphis Paranormal Investigations (www.memphisghost.com).  It was such a hit, we went for round two.

Memphis Paranormal Investigators

The first good sign? Nearly everyone who signed up for the experience last year came back  for seconds. And apparently they told people, who told people, who told yet more people about what they witnessed. The  result was a tour group that nearly tripled in size.  I suspect next year we will have to offer two or three different weekends to keep the crowd to a minimum.

After our experience last year….my repeaters weren’t nearly the skeptics as my first-timers. And as always, Mike Einspanjer of Memphis Paranormal Investigations and his team did not disappoint.

 To understand Mike, is to truly understand a man who is gentlemanly  and comforting.  He is obviously very loyal to his craft and the people around him. He doesn’t stir up controversy with religion influences, despite acknowledging his Christianity. Above all, he doesn’t accept money. He does this from his heart and everyone around him can truly sense that. He is genuine, and truly believes that by sharing his knowledge–he can help others who may either be grieving a deceased loved one or simply curious about the afterlife.  

 Grief counselor by day, ghostbuster by night, Mike is always ready to assess a potential area of paranormal activity.  He uses audio and video devices, as well as music boxes to respectfully stir up the spirits, which can drain the energy out of everything,  including electronics, cameras, and mostly people, who often leave a haunted area exhausted.  Mike also instructs you to walk wherever your instincts tell you to go.

  So after alerting local authorities, our group ventured out–after dark–to the Shelby County Cemetery,  an indigent burial ground and a very sad place because thousands of children are buried there.  (Please note that you should not attempt to visit this place at night on your own!)

 One of our female passengers spotted some old toys that served as grave markers for children. She started to wipe away her tears as she crept through the cemetery.

“I feel so bad–there is no one here to care for these little children, they don’t have their mothers anymore,” she cried.

Kelly Holland, another paranormal investigator,  gave her a tight hug and explained that there were mothers around ..we just couldn’t see them.  And they say it was at that moment, something materialized.  I did not witness this since I was on the other side of the cemetery at the time. But members of our tour group said a presence formed around their feet near the graves of the children. It appeared in the form of a fog.  This presence was witnessed by six people at the very same moment, including Mike.

And then there were others who said they didn’t see anything ..but did feel something.  Many reported a sudden drop in temperature by 30 degrees or more at the same time they were experiencing a some sort of “presence” around them.

Understanding these sudden temperature changes, I was quick to grab my camera when I too felt a chill behind me and had a peculiar moment in the cemetery when I just didn’t feel alone.  That prompted me to turn around and snap a photo with my camera that at first wouldn’t work.  Moments later, it finally powered up and I was able to capture this

No this is NOT a flashlight

Guess my instincts of feeling something around me were…dead on….

 

 

Posted in Little Rock Tours, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Wordless Wednesday: Halloween 2011

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Wordless Wednesday Lemonade Stand

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Happy Birthday Heifer Ranch

I stumbled across an invitation and thought I would pass this one along…considering most of our readers are mamas looking for something a little different to do!

Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas, is celebrating its 40th birthday this month. If you’ve never been on a regular day–I highly encourage you to check it out.  It’s not only a learning experience for the kids–exposing them to agriculture, charity, and attaining a world without poverty–but it’s a lot of fun!  My kids loved it.

This month there are more than enough reasons to experience the Ranch. For one, the October weather in Arkansas is beautiful…so here’s your chance to get out of the house.  But mark down  October 29th– from 10am-3pm–on your calendars. That’s when Heifer Ranch is having its birthday celebration, complete with a haywagon tour of the ranch to see how others live in the global village. It will also include special activities for kids,  including games and a chance to get close to the farm animals in the Showbarn.

Happy Birthday Heifer!

For more information visit www.heifer.org/ranch or call 501-889-5124.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment