What's in it for me?

As a society (generalizing here), we have become more and more self-centered.

Expectations of customer service have gone through the roof. I'm not just talking about at high end places, but fast food restaurants, gas stations, pharmacies.

• What's in it for me?
• Am I going to be inconvenienced?
• Why should I sacrifice something for you?
• Everything really needs to be perfect. 

ALL THE TIME

We now want what we want, right now. And perfect.

Several months ago a candidate reached out to me to see if I could help her secure and interview with my employer. I got her information to the correct people. She didn't get the job. I did what I could to help.

Fast forward a month later, I called her to see if she would be interested in a couple of different recruiting opportunities.

Not a word from her.

A month so later, she reached out. Apologized for not calling me back. Then asked if I could help her husband out. She sent me his resume.

I sent her e-mail to one person, then let it go. She called me when she needed something, but when I called her, it didn't fit her needs.

Today, I received an e-mail again asking me if I can help her.

Relationships - both professional and personal - they are two way streets. We have to give in order to get. Not the other way around.

When I call candidates, the first thing I ask is "what can I do for you??"

We've forgotten this as a society.

With the latest United debacle, I think this is part of the case.

Yes, United was wrong. So was the passenger. Sorry, my needs are greater than yours.

Remember this the next time you ask for a favor. Perhaps, start with, "I really appreciate all your help. Ask for your favor." - then respond with "What may I do for you?"

And when you are in line and the clerk is slow, your food arrives a couple of minutes late - sit and breathe. We aren't starving after all.

That Spirit

I was in Moab, Utah for a long weekend. This is the 10th anniversary of the original "Puppy Party".

The Puppy Party was actually started 20 years ago, but only 10 years ago did they realize they had a name for the group of people. It started 20 years ago by two guys - one living in Utah, the other living in Ohio. They decided to meet in Moab for a camping weekend.

It started with two guys and two tents.

This was the group this year.

• 5 RZR all wheel drives
• 7 motorcycles
• Over 45 people
• 6 dogs
• One drone - picture courtesy of the drone
• One campfire

Not everyone stays the whole week. Some show up at the beginning of the week. Others during the middle. Another group at the end - or a little bit of all of this.

Campfires, nerf gun wars, a shooting range, hikes, bikes (both motor and manual), sight-seeing tours, boche ball, a movie on the side of the rocks. You name it, it probably happens in Moab.

On Saturday afternoon, a big group loads up in the 5 RZR's and two Toyota Four Runners. We all head down into the canyon. We are on the edge of a cliff. I'm in no way qualified to be driving one of these things - especially down the side of a canyon with a 500 foot drop.

We go down. We make it to the bottom. Blue skies. Like standing at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

As we head up, I was driving and had my friend with me, but two 12 year old girls wanted to ride in the RZR instead of the car.

We double buckle them in. (Two kids in one seat). We all head out of the canyon.

As we get to the top, the RZR in front of me pulls over - they are going to take some pictures. My RZR is first in line. 

We are 10 miles from the campsite.

2 miles in, it begins to sprinkle. Then rain. Then pour. Then hail.

Okay, this is me. Basically, on an off rode vehicle with doors, a windshield but no windows. And TWO 12 year old girls who don't belong to me.

We see lighting strike a few miles away. We are being pelted with hail and rain. 

I look over and say, 

Do you want me to pull over and you can get in one of the cars?

NO!!!, was their response.

We do want a jacket, but this is SO MUCH more fun than being in the car.

We pulled over. We grabbed a jacket from the car.

We raced back to the campsite. In the rain. In the hail.

As we pulled into the campsite, drenched, freezing and covered with mud, I looked over at the girls. Smiling, shivering, and soaking wet.

"Ladies," I said, "Don't you EVER lose this spirit! Hang on to it with all your might".

We ran into the camper to put on dry clothes and try to warm up.

Spirits that can't be and shouldn't be tamed.

Starting Fresh

The spring is a time of renewal. It's a time the earth tells us, we will begin again.

Flowers start to bloom. The grass begins to turn green. There are green buds on the tree. Dirt in the air. Dirt due to the fact that it's still dry - we are waiting on our April showers.

Many people equate spring to "cleaning". Spring Cleaning.

It's time to clean - get rid of the dead.The clutter. The baggage you've been carrying around.

You can plant new stuff, but the stuff you plant in the spring - those are annuals. Things that only bloom once.

One spring and summer - that's all you get.

But first, you must get rid of the winter. The dead leaves that never left the yard. The winter clothes you haven't liked in years, but keep because well, they are easy to wear when it's dark and grey. The toys that are no longer played with. The snow blower you haven't used in years.

I had a juniper bush removed today. It ran the length of my drive-way. Figured it was planted lated 70's or early 80's when those things were popular. There was also a small one in the back yard taken out.

They are HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE plants. They take over. You can't trim them and stuff collects in them.

I also took the trampoline in my backyard down last week. Tomorrow is "big trash" day - and most of the pieces are already gone.

As I took the trampoline down, the memories kept leaking out my eyes. From the boys saving their money to buy it, to sleep overs, to man on the moon stories, too......

The bushes, I've hated for a long time. Although at the end of the day, the final count:

• 15 hockey pucks
• 13 tennis balls
• 12 lacrosse balls
• 2 frisbees 
• 1 water bottle

(and I really can't believe a beer bottle or two wasnt' stashed in there, but if it was, the tree guy didn't let me know). All hiding in the bushes.

Hiding no more. 

After all, it's spring, start fresh. Like the Earth.

I want the one....

Are you going to get another puppy??

No. I'm going to be proud with the one whom went on to great things. I'm going to be happy knowing I did an incredible thing. We helped someone.

Well, maybe.

Maybe, if you have one that is a "re-home". Someone whom thought they could do this, then they turned out, well, they couldn't.

This isn't an easy job. You raise a puppy and have to give it up.

Or maybe, the one, that someone, at the last minute, couldn't/wouldn't/can't commit.

That's the one I want.

The one that needs you, more, well, than you need them.

I don't want to know, "in six months, on such and such date, you will get a puppy."

That's SO not how my life works. Well, it does. It works better though when I get a call on a Monday morning after a horiffic week, that says,

"Will you take a blonde male next Wednesday???"

Yes.

Yes, I will.

At Some Point

A term "Binge Watching" has now been around for a bit.

It is when, a "television/book series" has been on-going, and you can sit down and watch/read the whole series.

I've understood this from books for a bit.

The Hunger Games

The Twilight Series

I skipped Harry Potter

(I guess I like teen lit more than I will ever admit)

The "binge" watching of TV is something I JUST DON'T get. Why in the world would I sit in front of the TV for HOURS/DAY/WEEKS watching TV. (Yes, I watched bunches of TV earlier in life, but have completely forgotten)

Until a couple of weeks ago.

My friend Joellen was living at my house and we discovered a show called "Shameless" had been watched on Netflix.

Whomever was watching it, was on Season One, Episode 5. 

(For those whom have never "started" a series (me!!!). You can start at the beginning and not quit watching until it is all over).

We started at Episode 1. Season 1.

This series was a 'bit' risque. Good acting. Relateability on some levels.

I think we stopped at Episode 3 (yes, the same day - this is called "binge" watching)

Lily came to visit. Evidently, this is huge among the teenagers as we found out it had been Nolan watching the series.

The boys went to school/classes, L and I sat and watched WAY to much TV.

We must have skipped a few seasons, as when she left I was somehow on Season 4.

Truly, this show is messed up. It gets better. I'm still not sure it's not some type of pornographic, but addictive no less. 

It's a messed up family from the South side of Chicago. You really empathize with the bunch.

Empathy. With them. With us. 

Making sure we all know how fortunate we have(had) it in life.

This group of people never stood a chance in life. They were given breaks.

We are all given breaks in life, you have to seize those moments when you get them.

At some point, you have to understand, YOU can be the own difference in your life.



BTW, I've probably watched more TV in the last couple of weeks, than in the previous YEARS. I'm OUT. Someone let me know if I should do this again one day.....

Love is all around us

Friday, February 10, 2017 we had to turn our puppy in.

When we received him, he was 8 weeks old. We knew this day would come. Otherwise, we would have never gotten a puppy. I don't really like things when they are young. 

Give them to me at 10 or above - that's my place.

Ambrose/Brodie arrived at our house October 2015. He lived with us until last Friday. He's now at "Olympic Training". Of course he is, one of my kids had to make it to the Olympics. 

Last Friday, the ceremony:

They start with the Breeders. The people whom are put in charge of the CCI puppies whom have the baby puppies.

They recognize the Puppy Raisers (us).

The trainers of the puppies in Olympic training then talk.

The stories of the people whom need the puppies.

The matches: the matching of the puppies whom have made it through Olympic Training to the people whom need them

The ceremony is a hour and a half. It all flows quickly.

At some point, you realize you are sitting in a room of at LEAST 300 people and over a hundred dogs.

Then at the next point, you realize (as Ed's wife pointed out to me), you are sitting in a room with nothing but love.

Every single person was there because of love.

Through all the happiness.

All the tears.

Love was all around us.

February 12, 2017

February 12, 2007 we lost a friend. http://dnlsumeradventures.blogspot.com/2012/02/fasinating-person-1-2012.html

I wrote the story 5 years ago. But the murder happened ten.

As with life, it goes on. And it should. Vanessa wouldn't have wanted us around moping for her loss. She would have wanted us out their living.

Of course, February 13, 2017 - our friend whom is now married to Vanessa's former husband posted pictures on the day of her death of their family skiing. She still can't handle the fact that everyone misses someones. It's a weird, messed up kinda place. For her. The rest of us, we understand, "she's not our kind of crazy."

For me, I crawled into bed Sunday night, February 12, 2017.

We had just returned from California to turn in our puppy. A day we knew would come. A beautiful, horrible day - all at once.

People we had just met 10 years ago, yet had know for years. With people we had know for longer than 10 years, and we all knew we would be there on this day.

I'll write more about puppy turn in. Because as I said, it was beautiful and horrible all at once.

BUT, on Sunday night, February 12, 2017.......

I crawled into bed with:

• DNL all under one roof
• Silliness of summers past 
• Heartaches of summers too
• Peace
• Wholeness

As I closed my eyes, and thought of the last ten years, I smiled.

Very, very thankful of every minute and every person whom has entered my life in the last 10 years.

So very lucky.

And I slept........