I realized lately that the reason why I don't have any problem with my friends who do not currently have any goals or ambitions for their lives is that I do not have any goals or ambitions for my own life. That being said, I have pondered it and I believe that I have the beginnings of a good list.
1. Train tigers
2. Own a Jeep Wrangler. (I have wanted one since I was 4. You can ask anyone I grew up with.)
3. Own a weekend home in the mountains
4. Hike the entire AT. Maybe not at once, but hopefully before I die.
5. Join a volunteer Search and Rescue Team and work with them for hopefully a minimum of a year or so.
6. Enjoy a successful marriage with the man I am marrying in about 3 months.
7. Own my dream home.
8. Travel to Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Scotland, Japan, and mayhaps parts of China.
These things are in no particular order. They are things I know I want to do within my lifetime. And if I were to learn that I am going to die by the end of a certain time frame, I want to have completed at least a few of the things on my list before I kick the bucket.
Thank you, and goodnight
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
.Trying this Blog thing again.....
OKAY
So I haven't done the blog thing in a while. I have been busy with work and collecting new hobbies.
I have discovered the mountains. The fresh air. The trees. The VIEWS. There is nothing like coming off the mountains having seen the sunset and the stars rise. You can't really compare a good meteor shower from the top of a mountain in the crisp winter air.
I think I found something I can get addicted to without any sort of negative side effects.
Go me.
So I haven't done the blog thing in a while. I have been busy with work and collecting new hobbies.
I have discovered the mountains. The fresh air. The trees. The VIEWS. There is nothing like coming off the mountains having seen the sunset and the stars rise. You can't really compare a good meteor shower from the top of a mountain in the crisp winter air.
I think I found something I can get addicted to without any sort of negative side effects.
Go me.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Top 5 reasons driving in Northern VA sucks.
Having been a Northern VA resident for most of my life, I know a thing or two about terrible driving situations. Here are the 5 reasons I hate driving in my own area.
1. Traffic. The good thing about northern VA is that you can get ANYWHERE fast because there are highways EVERYWHERE. The bad thing about that is that everyone else knows that too, so more often than not no one goes anywhere because they are too busy being stuck in traffic.
2. Out of Town Drivers. Yes this is an important factor on this list. And this is not meant to be offensive to people who aren't from the area. They don't know where they are going, and don't know the local driving situation and often times just get overwhelmed. However, being overwhelmed often means drivers going below the speed limit on a high way creating problem number 1 on this list.
3. Cabbies. Cabbies are some of the most passive aggressive drivers. They can either go too slow, prompting you to pass them, which when they see you are trying to pass them, they get into the lane you are pulling into, further enabling your rage, or they drive too fast, cutting you off at the last possible second, then slowing down in front of you. Its a lose lose situation when cabbies are around.
4. Aggressive drivers. You cant be a defensive driver in Northern VA. Its not possible. Everyone around you is an aggressive driver. They change lanes without using a turn signal, honk at you the millisecond after the light turns green, and make a point of speeding around you making rude gestures if you drive too slow.
5. Buses. Specifically, Metro Buses. I think its a prerequisite for a Metro Bus driver to be certifiably crazy. They pull out into traffic with no warning, and cut people off. They are like cabbies but way worse. So watch out for these awful elephants of the road.
1. Traffic. The good thing about northern VA is that you can get ANYWHERE fast because there are highways EVERYWHERE. The bad thing about that is that everyone else knows that too, so more often than not no one goes anywhere because they are too busy being stuck in traffic.
2. Out of Town Drivers. Yes this is an important factor on this list. And this is not meant to be offensive to people who aren't from the area. They don't know where they are going, and don't know the local driving situation and often times just get overwhelmed. However, being overwhelmed often means drivers going below the speed limit on a high way creating problem number 1 on this list.
3. Cabbies. Cabbies are some of the most passive aggressive drivers. They can either go too slow, prompting you to pass them, which when they see you are trying to pass them, they get into the lane you are pulling into, further enabling your rage, or they drive too fast, cutting you off at the last possible second, then slowing down in front of you. Its a lose lose situation when cabbies are around.
4. Aggressive drivers. You cant be a defensive driver in Northern VA. Its not possible. Everyone around you is an aggressive driver. They change lanes without using a turn signal, honk at you the millisecond after the light turns green, and make a point of speeding around you making rude gestures if you drive too slow.
5. Buses. Specifically, Metro Buses. I think its a prerequisite for a Metro Bus driver to be certifiably crazy. They pull out into traffic with no warning, and cut people off. They are like cabbies but way worse. So watch out for these awful elephants of the road.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Have you ever had insomnia?
And I mean like, REAL insomnia. Real, hardcore insomnia that leaves you awake for four days in a row on a regular basis even though you lie there in bed with your eyes closed praying for sleep to come.
If you haven't ever suffered insomnia, no worries. I'll clue you in.
True insomnia is not just a bed association deal. Some people can't sleep because they associate their bed with homework or TV. So find another place to work. Use the desk in your dorm, use the library. Get a sofa.
And true insomnia doesn't strike because of a family tragedy or seeing someone you love die right in front of your eyes while you are left powerless. Nope. Thats treatable. A psychologist who knows what they are doing will help guide you through the process. Psychologists do not exist ONLY to help people figure out what in their lives spurred their crazy. They also help people deal with crises and help them adjust their way of thinking. Psychologists have a multitude of specialties. Use them.
True insomnia comes from nothing. Its the sort of thing where you go to bed one night and you wait to fall asleep and before you have fallen asleep the dawn has come and you have to get to work. And the first night it happens you say to yourself "Oh, its okay Ill just have an extra cup or two of coffee to get through the day and I'll catch a nap on my lunch break."
And you get through the day. Then when you get home you grab a warm bath, which is super relaxing, you have whatever little foods you eat to help you fall asleep. You are good and drowsy while you are sitting on the sofa watching the news, and you relocate to your bed. But alas sleep doesnt come. So you lay there and wait. And wait.... And wait...
Finally you decide that if you arent going to sleep, you should accomplish some stuff. Afterall, how many times have you caught yourself sighing and saying "There just arent enough hours in the day." And you get up and pick up clothes, fold that clean laundry, get those last few dishes in the dishwasher. Its 3am and you arent tired but the house is clean, so you wander back to bed and wait til dawn to come.
And this is how it continues. Some nights you actually manage to catch a few hours of sleep. But most nights you stay up and clean the house. Once you managed to rearrange the entire study in 5 hours, and in the process you threw away clutter, evicted the family of dustbunnies that had been living under your desk, and alphabetized and categorized the bookshelves.
This is where you learn that there are things other than awake and asleep. There is this place where you are wide awake, and your eyes are closed, and you can feel and hear and sense everything around you. And its really weird because if you lay perfectly still it gives you the same sort of recharge as sleep, but you are not actually asleep. You can feel your muscles And if you actually move, the spell is broken and you are back to being fully awake.
Theres also a state of being where anything that is completely routine can be done in a half coma like state. You can drive to all your normal places, and somehow your obstacle avoidance is still miraculously on point.
Now not all the time does insomnia linger around and there are many nights where you can actually sleep. And those nights are worth celebrating.
The craziest part about insomnia is that sometimes it goes away for months at a time and there wont be any real change in your day to day life. And when you have it, you try EVERYTHING everyone tells you. You drink the warm milk before bed, lavender scented pillows, chamomile tea, cutting caffeine entirely from your diet, exercising in the mornings (which doesnt help you sleep any but does help you stay awake during the day), reading in a different room, aroma therapy candles, white noise machines, TV, no TV, radio, no radio, herbal supplements, and sleep medications.
None of that nonsense worked for me. The worst part was I had borrowed an Ambien from a friend of mine who used it and I was bouncing off the walls all night long. I also tried Tylenol PM and again twitching and tweaking all night long. But my metabolism is very bizarre to begin with, and that is a whole other story.
Another face of insomnia is that when you get into a work week where you start working your butt off physically and mentally, you learn to take a cat nap anywhere. You can sleep on the floor under a desk, ontop of a box, under a stage with a full concert going on, which I have done and when you are that tired, you could sleep through the end of the world. You learn to adapt around not getting a full nights sleep. And when you lose sleep for too many nights in a row, it starts getting very surreal.
When I was young I had minor insomnia so I would imagine scenarios and play in my bed until I fell asleep. Once I reached high school though, my insomnia kicked in full tilt. I would often go 2 or 3 days at a time without being able to sleep at night, and one time I went for 7 days without getting any sleep at all. By day 4 I had started hallucinating. I would be riding in the car with my mom and I would look out the window and there would be men in bio-hazard space suits walking down the street. I also saw them walking down the hallway in the school and other places. There was also a man laying on my ceiling above my bed when I went to lay down at night.
During college I learned to just go with what my body wanted to do. Which turned things into a 36 hour sleep cycle. I would be awake for 24 and sleep for 12, which is the closest I have ever come to having a real sleep cycle.
Basically if you have severe insomnia, sleep becomes a luxury. It is a precious thing that you long for like a junkie without his dope. I hope this allowed people to get a feel for what its like to live without sleep.
If you haven't ever suffered insomnia, no worries. I'll clue you in.
True insomnia is not just a bed association deal. Some people can't sleep because they associate their bed with homework or TV. So find another place to work. Use the desk in your dorm, use the library. Get a sofa.
And true insomnia doesn't strike because of a family tragedy or seeing someone you love die right in front of your eyes while you are left powerless. Nope. Thats treatable. A psychologist who knows what they are doing will help guide you through the process. Psychologists do not exist ONLY to help people figure out what in their lives spurred their crazy. They also help people deal with crises and help them adjust their way of thinking. Psychologists have a multitude of specialties. Use them.
True insomnia comes from nothing. Its the sort of thing where you go to bed one night and you wait to fall asleep and before you have fallen asleep the dawn has come and you have to get to work. And the first night it happens you say to yourself "Oh, its okay Ill just have an extra cup or two of coffee to get through the day and I'll catch a nap on my lunch break."
And you get through the day. Then when you get home you grab a warm bath, which is super relaxing, you have whatever little foods you eat to help you fall asleep. You are good and drowsy while you are sitting on the sofa watching the news, and you relocate to your bed. But alas sleep doesnt come. So you lay there and wait. And wait.... And wait...
Finally you decide that if you arent going to sleep, you should accomplish some stuff. Afterall, how many times have you caught yourself sighing and saying "There just arent enough hours in the day." And you get up and pick up clothes, fold that clean laundry, get those last few dishes in the dishwasher. Its 3am and you arent tired but the house is clean, so you wander back to bed and wait til dawn to come.
And this is how it continues. Some nights you actually manage to catch a few hours of sleep. But most nights you stay up and clean the house. Once you managed to rearrange the entire study in 5 hours, and in the process you threw away clutter, evicted the family of dustbunnies that had been living under your desk, and alphabetized and categorized the bookshelves.
This is where you learn that there are things other than awake and asleep. There is this place where you are wide awake, and your eyes are closed, and you can feel and hear and sense everything around you. And its really weird because if you lay perfectly still it gives you the same sort of recharge as sleep, but you are not actually asleep. You can feel your muscles And if you actually move, the spell is broken and you are back to being fully awake.
Theres also a state of being where anything that is completely routine can be done in a half coma like state. You can drive to all your normal places, and somehow your obstacle avoidance is still miraculously on point.
Now not all the time does insomnia linger around and there are many nights where you can actually sleep. And those nights are worth celebrating.
The craziest part about insomnia is that sometimes it goes away for months at a time and there wont be any real change in your day to day life. And when you have it, you try EVERYTHING everyone tells you. You drink the warm milk before bed, lavender scented pillows, chamomile tea, cutting caffeine entirely from your diet, exercising in the mornings (which doesnt help you sleep any but does help you stay awake during the day), reading in a different room, aroma therapy candles, white noise machines, TV, no TV, radio, no radio, herbal supplements, and sleep medications.
None of that nonsense worked for me. The worst part was I had borrowed an Ambien from a friend of mine who used it and I was bouncing off the walls all night long. I also tried Tylenol PM and again twitching and tweaking all night long. But my metabolism is very bizarre to begin with, and that is a whole other story.
Another face of insomnia is that when you get into a work week where you start working your butt off physically and mentally, you learn to take a cat nap anywhere. You can sleep on the floor under a desk, ontop of a box, under a stage with a full concert going on, which I have done and when you are that tired, you could sleep through the end of the world. You learn to adapt around not getting a full nights sleep. And when you lose sleep for too many nights in a row, it starts getting very surreal.
When I was young I had minor insomnia so I would imagine scenarios and play in my bed until I fell asleep. Once I reached high school though, my insomnia kicked in full tilt. I would often go 2 or 3 days at a time without being able to sleep at night, and one time I went for 7 days without getting any sleep at all. By day 4 I had started hallucinating. I would be riding in the car with my mom and I would look out the window and there would be men in bio-hazard space suits walking down the street. I also saw them walking down the hallway in the school and other places. There was also a man laying on my ceiling above my bed when I went to lay down at night.
During college I learned to just go with what my body wanted to do. Which turned things into a 36 hour sleep cycle. I would be awake for 24 and sleep for 12, which is the closest I have ever come to having a real sleep cycle.
Basically if you have severe insomnia, sleep becomes a luxury. It is a precious thing that you long for like a junkie without his dope. I hope this allowed people to get a feel for what its like to live without sleep.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
All about kids.
Dear World,
Here are some things that, as an intentionally childless twenty something, I notice about parents:
The biggest pet peeve I have with parents of young children, is that there really isnt an instruction book on how to raise your kids. I have seen so many parents who use this line "Oh they are just really spirited and we encourage it!" to excuse their incredibly ill behaved children. When I hear a parent say that, it translates directly into my brain, as their child is head butting me for the hundredth time, to "I am too lazy to actually discipline my children and I dont mind that they act all willy-nilly."
There is something to be said for children who do have an incredibly active imagination and who are highly creative and who do have a lot of energy. But take that energy and try and focus it into an activity like acting, painting, or sports! I hate having some random child punch me or scream behind me for the sake of screaming because they are bored and dont know how to focus their energy into anything. It drives me NUTS. I go to the grocery store in the evenings specifically because I am less likely to bump into some awful parent who refuses to discipline their children.
Now thats not to say all children who run around and do this sort of thing are undisciplined because I see some parents actually take action when their children is acting like a rabid ape, and I appreciate those parents so much! But there are also children who no matter how much you make them sit in time out, take away their desserts, prevent so much as a grain of sugar from entering their body, and ground them- they still act out. And I feel bad for parents who are stuck with children like that.
But I guess that a lot of my feelings comes from how I was raised to act outside of the house. I was spanked when I pitched an unholy fit in the grocery store. I got grounded if I did something that I wasnt supposed to. I can't count how many times I had to sit in the corner when I was a kid. And my grandparents were definitely alumni of the school of "Children should be seen and not heard." So being loud, hitting people, pulling hair- all of that was OUT. Frankly, I still think ALL children should be seen and not heard. They should be polite and RESPECT their elders. Yes, you can talk to your children like adults and make them act mature, but for the sakes of people like me- if they act out, please do something about it!
I have no plans on having children, but I do know that if I ever change my mind about that fact, that I want my children to have structure. I want them to act politely so I can bring them out in public. I want them to love music and the arts, but not be afraid to play sports and video games too. I want to take my children to museums every chance I get. I want them to be incredibly well rounded and be offered the chance to learn about the world around them. I want them to enjoy hiking and kayaking and maybe pause on the river to photograph the landscape and study small animals that are found under rocks. All of these things are things that I would hope every parent would want for their children.
I guess the point of this is- quit making excuses and actually raise your kids! Nothing makes me happier than a parent who enjoys being a parent and is good at it!
Here are some things that, as an intentionally childless twenty something, I notice about parents:
The biggest pet peeve I have with parents of young children, is that there really isnt an instruction book on how to raise your kids. I have seen so many parents who use this line "Oh they are just really spirited and we encourage it!" to excuse their incredibly ill behaved children. When I hear a parent say that, it translates directly into my brain, as their child is head butting me for the hundredth time, to "I am too lazy to actually discipline my children and I dont mind that they act all willy-nilly."
There is something to be said for children who do have an incredibly active imagination and who are highly creative and who do have a lot of energy. But take that energy and try and focus it into an activity like acting, painting, or sports! I hate having some random child punch me or scream behind me for the sake of screaming because they are bored and dont know how to focus their energy into anything. It drives me NUTS. I go to the grocery store in the evenings specifically because I am less likely to bump into some awful parent who refuses to discipline their children.
Now thats not to say all children who run around and do this sort of thing are undisciplined because I see some parents actually take action when their children is acting like a rabid ape, and I appreciate those parents so much! But there are also children who no matter how much you make them sit in time out, take away their desserts, prevent so much as a grain of sugar from entering their body, and ground them- they still act out. And I feel bad for parents who are stuck with children like that.
But I guess that a lot of my feelings comes from how I was raised to act outside of the house. I was spanked when I pitched an unholy fit in the grocery store. I got grounded if I did something that I wasnt supposed to. I can't count how many times I had to sit in the corner when I was a kid. And my grandparents were definitely alumni of the school of "Children should be seen and not heard." So being loud, hitting people, pulling hair- all of that was OUT. Frankly, I still think ALL children should be seen and not heard. They should be polite and RESPECT their elders. Yes, you can talk to your children like adults and make them act mature, but for the sakes of people like me- if they act out, please do something about it!
I have no plans on having children, but I do know that if I ever change my mind about that fact, that I want my children to have structure. I want them to act politely so I can bring them out in public. I want them to love music and the arts, but not be afraid to play sports and video games too. I want to take my children to museums every chance I get. I want them to be incredibly well rounded and be offered the chance to learn about the world around them. I want them to enjoy hiking and kayaking and maybe pause on the river to photograph the landscape and study small animals that are found under rocks. All of these things are things that I would hope every parent would want for their children.
I guess the point of this is- quit making excuses and actually raise your kids! Nothing makes me happier than a parent who enjoys being a parent and is good at it!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Advice for Boys and Girls on relationships
Yes I am inspired to write today.
This is in response to this article I found the other day via my phone: http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/personal/01/07/tf.teach.son.about.women/index.html
I love this article and if I had a son, I would hope that I could teach him the same thing. For those of you who have not read the article- the advice is that he would teach his son to LISTEN to his girlfriend if he cared about her. It will get you a lot farther in a relationship. I really recommend reading the article as I dont particularly wish to butcher this guys words.
So if I had a daughter? What would I tell her? Well, its easy. I would tell her the same thing my dad told me when he realized how serious the relationship I am in now was: If you want something, tell him. You cant expect him to do something if he doesn't know about it.
Lordy, aint that the truth! Now, ladies I know you may really want for your guy to be 100% Mr. Right. He doesn't exist, and if he does- you have already labeled him your friend and won't change his status on your friend list anytime soon. If you want your man to do it right, you have to tell him what it is you want him to do. While you may be waiting for a bouquet of flowers, a box filled with Godiva truffles, and a night at the most expensive restaraunt in town for your first anniversary- he may think everything is sunshine and you may wind up with a date at the local sushi bar, which admittedly you love but is dissappointing when you were expecting some place with Chez or Les in the name.
Don't get mad at him though- he did put some thought into it. On your first date- didn't you say "Oh my god, I love this place? Mr Takiyama is a god at the art of sushi!" You did say that. And he did remember. Yes you guys were just there again last week, but now it is your anniversary and he knows how much you love this place. See? Thought process.
What you didn't tell him when you said "Ohmigodouranniversaryisnextweeek,likearentyousoexcited?" was "IreallywantflowersandchocolatesandaviewofthecityfromourtableatLesChez" which is why you guys are back at Mr Takiyama's. He did not know. And even if you have an observant guy, such as I do, let me say this loud and clear:
SUBTLETY DOES NOT WORK!
For those of you who missed it:
DON'T BE SUBTLE! IT DOES NOT WORK!!!!
Even if you think you were too obvious, you weren't. I guarantee it. Just flat out tell him. Then if he forgets after you had been talking about it for a month, you can chew him out. It may seem like you are taking some of the magic out of the occasion, but its the same thing as when you use a condom. If using it "breaks the moment" then there really wasn't a moment to begin with.
So for all you frustrated ladies and gents- Ladies, tell your man what you want from him. Gents- LISTEN to what she is saying, and remember.
This is in response to this article I found the other day via my phone: http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/personal/01/07/tf.teach.son.about.women/index.html
I love this article and if I had a son, I would hope that I could teach him the same thing. For those of you who have not read the article- the advice is that he would teach his son to LISTEN to his girlfriend if he cared about her. It will get you a lot farther in a relationship. I really recommend reading the article as I dont particularly wish to butcher this guys words.
So if I had a daughter? What would I tell her? Well, its easy. I would tell her the same thing my dad told me when he realized how serious the relationship I am in now was: If you want something, tell him. You cant expect him to do something if he doesn't know about it.
Lordy, aint that the truth! Now, ladies I know you may really want for your guy to be 100% Mr. Right. He doesn't exist, and if he does- you have already labeled him your friend and won't change his status on your friend list anytime soon. If you want your man to do it right, you have to tell him what it is you want him to do. While you may be waiting for a bouquet of flowers, a box filled with Godiva truffles, and a night at the most expensive restaraunt in town for your first anniversary- he may think everything is sunshine and you may wind up with a date at the local sushi bar, which admittedly you love but is dissappointing when you were expecting some place with Chez or Les in the name.
Don't get mad at him though- he did put some thought into it. On your first date- didn't you say "Oh my god, I love this place? Mr Takiyama is a god at the art of sushi!" You did say that. And he did remember. Yes you guys were just there again last week, but now it is your anniversary and he knows how much you love this place. See? Thought process.
What you didn't tell him when you said "Ohmigodouranniversaryisnextweeek,likearentyousoexcited?" was "IreallywantflowersandchocolatesandaviewofthecityfromourtableatLesChez" which is why you guys are back at Mr Takiyama's. He did not know. And even if you have an observant guy, such as I do, let me say this loud and clear:
SUBTLETY DOES NOT WORK!
For those of you who missed it:
DON'T BE SUBTLE! IT DOES NOT WORK!!!!
Even if you think you were too obvious, you weren't. I guarantee it. Just flat out tell him. Then if he forgets after you had been talking about it for a month, you can chew him out. It may seem like you are taking some of the magic out of the occasion, but its the same thing as when you use a condom. If using it "breaks the moment" then there really wasn't a moment to begin with.
So for all you frustrated ladies and gents- Ladies, tell your man what you want from him. Gents- LISTEN to what she is saying, and remember.
Professionalism People?
Today was the day I was destined to buy a calendar. So as a frugal person, such as myself, does when they do not want to spend a lot, but need a new calendar, I went to the mall's calendar nook to get one at an awesomely discounted rate. And I did, its a calendar with pictures of fish and sea life and it reminds me of the need to squirrel away money for a nice tropical honeymoon or vacation.
After I completed my mission I swung into the Victorias Secret to purchase some new (and much needed/wanted) panties. I like bright colors, and so far really- VS panties last me a lot longer than say Haynes or whatever the generic department store brand is. Plus 5 for 25 is a nice deal! ;)
However the thing I was NOT pleased about was the condition of the store. First off it was a wreck. For a store that is designed to sell lingerie (a word that needs to sound the way it is spelled, much like bologna or Gloucester) it certainly was more reminiscent of a Wal-mart. It was overly cluttered, there were large "CLEARANCE" signs everywhere, the employees werent even up to par. I saw three sitting around a table talking while one guy (who I suspect was just a little more trained than a trainee) was running the register. One woman kept skulking in between the register and a table, and finally one miraculously appeared to the register to help Mr Noob with getting some of the people out. And she was hardly dressed to what I would consider VS par.
Now I will fully admit- Tabitha's Salon Takeover is one of my favorite shows and Tabitha is someone I idolize. Most people may view her as a bitch, but in reality she is only a bitch to those who deserve it. She is highly skilled in her field of business, she is polite and welcoming to clients, and she whips the butts of those who need looking after. She doesnt sugar coat things, and she knows what it takes to get a job done well. If I could be anyone for a week, it would be Tabitha.
Now anyone who has seen the show would know that she is able to transform a group of employees and one lousy owner from being lazy, boisterous, and miserable into a team of professional, polite, and above all else HAPPY successful hair dressers. I can NOT emphasize how many businesses need a Tabitha to come in and whip them into shape.
Today VS was one of those businesses. While standing in line, not moving, for about 5 minutes with only 2 people between me and Mr Noob, each of whom only had a couple items, I was heavily contemplating leaving. I was overall appalled by the condition of the store. It was cluttered, clusterphobic, and quite overwhelming. There were tall shelves in front of the registers which made the register hard to find for anyone unfamiliar with the store's layout and were close enough together that I suspect even the larger (not trying to be mean here I promise) woman who seemed to be a manager (but was acting more like everyones assistant) would not have been able to fit between them. If I had not actually needed panties, and had been so so about the ones in my hand, I WOULD have walked out.
The store was so lacking in professionalism, it made me miserable to just be in there. I think I would rather drive to another mall in another town to get panties the next time I need them unless that store shapes up. It was not a pleasant shopping experience and I will need an aspirin or a stiff drink to want to go in there again anytime soon.
So if you are reading this and you do own a business, here are a few tips:
1. Dont let your employees shout to each other across the store. That is fine for after hours but a store is not a party. It is a business. Act accordingly.
2. If you have a dresscode, enforce it. Dont let even one seasonal employee dress outside of it. I want my VS ladies to look as lovely as the models that advertise the underwear no matter the size, age, or gender of the employee, but with clothes.
3. If you are a manager- Act like one. Dont serve your employees and do all their tasks and run their errands. Make them wear their big boy pants and big girl panties and do something for themselves.
4. If it is busy, make sure employees on the floor are either serving customers or tidying up. Dont let them squawk at one another just because they are lazy. The only thing worse than this would be for them to be on a phone on the floor. No excuses. Just do it.
5. A business is not a friendship club. Its a work space.
6. Above all else, the stores I find most enjoyable to shop in are the ones where I am treated with respect. Pay attention to your customers. Greet them with a smile. Answer their questions. Show them where they can find things. Make the experience about the customer NOT YOU, and then I will return.
7. KEEP THE STORE CLEAN.
Two of my favorite stores to shop in no matter where I am are Helzburg Diamonds and Fire & Ice. No I cant afford the majority of the pretty, sparkley things they have displayed in their windows, but I will always go in one. The employees have always taken the time to answer my questions, open jewelry cases, and give me information about the items I am looking at no matter how I am dressed, what my hair looks like, or what city I am in. I could be wearing jeans and a t-shirt with holes and paint stains, and they still smile, welcome me warmly, and treat me the same as any other customer that enters the store. They are the models for how a business should be run.
After I completed my mission I swung into the Victorias Secret to purchase some new (and much needed/wanted) panties. I like bright colors, and so far really- VS panties last me a lot longer than say Haynes or whatever the generic department store brand is. Plus 5 for 25 is a nice deal! ;)
However the thing I was NOT pleased about was the condition of the store. First off it was a wreck. For a store that is designed to sell lingerie (a word that needs to sound the way it is spelled, much like bologna or Gloucester) it certainly was more reminiscent of a Wal-mart. It was overly cluttered, there were large "CLEARANCE" signs everywhere, the employees werent even up to par. I saw three sitting around a table talking while one guy (who I suspect was just a little more trained than a trainee) was running the register. One woman kept skulking in between the register and a table, and finally one miraculously appeared to the register to help Mr Noob with getting some of the people out. And she was hardly dressed to what I would consider VS par.
Now I will fully admit- Tabitha's Salon Takeover is one of my favorite shows and Tabitha is someone I idolize. Most people may view her as a bitch, but in reality she is only a bitch to those who deserve it. She is highly skilled in her field of business, she is polite and welcoming to clients, and she whips the butts of those who need looking after. She doesnt sugar coat things, and she knows what it takes to get a job done well. If I could be anyone for a week, it would be Tabitha.
Now anyone who has seen the show would know that she is able to transform a group of employees and one lousy owner from being lazy, boisterous, and miserable into a team of professional, polite, and above all else HAPPY successful hair dressers. I can NOT emphasize how many businesses need a Tabitha to come in and whip them into shape.
Today VS was one of those businesses. While standing in line, not moving, for about 5 minutes with only 2 people between me and Mr Noob, each of whom only had a couple items, I was heavily contemplating leaving. I was overall appalled by the condition of the store. It was cluttered, clusterphobic, and quite overwhelming. There were tall shelves in front of the registers which made the register hard to find for anyone unfamiliar with the store's layout and were close enough together that I suspect even the larger (not trying to be mean here I promise) woman who seemed to be a manager (but was acting more like everyones assistant) would not have been able to fit between them. If I had not actually needed panties, and had been so so about the ones in my hand, I WOULD have walked out.
The store was so lacking in professionalism, it made me miserable to just be in there. I think I would rather drive to another mall in another town to get panties the next time I need them unless that store shapes up. It was not a pleasant shopping experience and I will need an aspirin or a stiff drink to want to go in there again anytime soon.
So if you are reading this and you do own a business, here are a few tips:
1. Dont let your employees shout to each other across the store. That is fine for after hours but a store is not a party. It is a business. Act accordingly.
2. If you have a dresscode, enforce it. Dont let even one seasonal employee dress outside of it. I want my VS ladies to look as lovely as the models that advertise the underwear no matter the size, age, or gender of the employee, but with clothes.
3. If you are a manager- Act like one. Dont serve your employees and do all their tasks and run their errands. Make them wear their big boy pants and big girl panties and do something for themselves.
4. If it is busy, make sure employees on the floor are either serving customers or tidying up. Dont let them squawk at one another just because they are lazy. The only thing worse than this would be for them to be on a phone on the floor. No excuses. Just do it.
5. A business is not a friendship club. Its a work space.
6. Above all else, the stores I find most enjoyable to shop in are the ones where I am treated with respect. Pay attention to your customers. Greet them with a smile. Answer their questions. Show them where they can find things. Make the experience about the customer NOT YOU, and then I will return.
7. KEEP THE STORE CLEAN.
Two of my favorite stores to shop in no matter where I am are Helzburg Diamonds and Fire & Ice. No I cant afford the majority of the pretty, sparkley things they have displayed in their windows, but I will always go in one. The employees have always taken the time to answer my questions, open jewelry cases, and give me information about the items I am looking at no matter how I am dressed, what my hair looks like, or what city I am in. I could be wearing jeans and a t-shirt with holes and paint stains, and they still smile, welcome me warmly, and treat me the same as any other customer that enters the store. They are the models for how a business should be run.
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