I was just talking to a friend recently about customer service, and WHERE HAS IT GONE? I'm wondering if it has declined everywhere  or is it a local phenomenon? Being in the service industry, I really appreciate getting great service when I'm out, and it seldoms happens. It's not even that it's not great......most of the time it's pretty darn aweful. It's like noone cares anymore. Most of the customer service people seem like they're just going through the motions and never go beyond what is the absolute minimum of what is required.

I don't know....maybe it's the low pay, maybe it's the younger generation, maybe it's that there is no security in the workplace anymore, maybe it's the lack of teaching in the homes and schools.......maybe, no probably, it's all of these. So, what the heck do I expect?

It just feels good to vent. I came to realize that there is a big problem with customer service when I have begun to confirm my own appointments,,,,not the other way around!!!!!! Share your experiences so I can feel that I'm not alone in this.
 
 
I've always watched the late night shows since I work nights and usually get home in time for them. Dave has always been my favorite. I think he's naturally more funny than the others. Sometimes his show is lame though.......that's the writers fault. I usually flip back and forth between them all and try to get a few laughs before bed. My favorite is Kevin, the black guitar player on Jay's show. His comments always cracked me up.Too bad for Conan O'brien, but at least he got a nice payout. Conan grew up in Boston and went to Harvard. Jay grew up in MA also. I didn't really care for Conan's show for some reason. Who do you favor?
 
 
Did you watch the Grammy's last night? I thought it was great! I love the Grammys, because it covers ALL KINDS OF MUSIC in one forum, and everyone appreciates each other's musical style. Why can't politics operate like that? HA! I don't personally like rap or hip hop,  but I did appreciate the artform for what it was last night.

Wasn't  the tribute to Micheal Jackson incredible!!!!!! Again, I loved the diversity of performers singing in that tribute. Did anyone else wonder who dresses Celine Dion? Ok, that was off-subject....couldn't help it. HA!
 
The most moving performance to me was by Mary J Blige and Andrea Bocelli......"A Bridge Over Troubled Water",  for the Haiti people. I was fascinated by the emotion that Mary J Blige was conveying, and then how Andrea Bocelli sensed/absorbed her energy and seemed to really become one with her. It was like watching something very divine for me and brought me to tears. Anyone else experience this last night? You can buy this song at www.itunes.com/target It's $1.39, and ofcourse it supports the efforts in Haiti. Share your thoughts & love of music with me!
 
Money Smarts 01/11/2010
 
Tracking my spending is the most helpful way to stay on top of my finances. There's something about writing things down and keeping track on paper.  I keep a little basket to drop any receipts in for logging that evening. It's so easy to forget about an expenditure.
 
It has become a game to log every single expenditure every day. The income gets logged too.  I have a chart which I make 12 copies each January to make my daily entries. It's all categorized....even "animal expense" is there. The most fun is at the end of the month, to add it all up and see how the in's and out's went. Do I have a profit or a loss for the month? If there's a loss, I just pull back on one of the spending colums the next month, or take on an extra shift at work.

The bottom line is that I always have a handle of where the hard-earned money is going. Some people don't even know how much they need to make in order to keep their lifestyle going. On the "Simple Budget" page, there's a link for Suzie Orman's interactive tracking worksheet. What other tips and tricks do you have to share?
 
 
 I just love the "2010 handbook" my friend Sheri just sent me. I posted it on this site under Happiness Made Easy. I love the tip about walking and smiling. Smiling just makes me feel better, and I love when people smile back.

My 2010 resolution is more of a general attention to live happy and healthy and give back. Add to the side of the good. What about you guys?
 
 
As the end of the year approaches, I always get into a reflective mode and wonder what it's all about......life in general, that is. I generally live with a underlying feeling that I'm not contributing enough, not helping enough, not giving back enough, and usually come down to the question of why the heck am I here? Well, this year, I got the best answer to this general question from my dear husband.

While on vacation recently, I spew all these philosophical queries out to him.....and the final question targeted to him was, "Why do you think you're here Hon?". In his most characteristic calm & insightful way, he said, "I'm here to add to the side of the good". It was the most simple answer.

I thought to myself.......Wow, maybe I can have that as my answer to life too! I've been sleeping a lot sounder knowing that I don't have to come up with a miraculous reason as to how I'm contributing or producing. I can simply be happy knowing that I'm adding to the side of the good.
Any further thoughts about this thing called life for this year's end?
 
 
I remember one of my first experiences serving appetizers at a banquet reception in San Diego. One of the managers put a tray in my hand with some odd looking round balls, and said GO! I asked one of the other servers what it was, and I thought they said, "ta- ta". So, I went around the reception telling people to try the "ta-ta". I had no idea what it was. Later I found out it was pronounced, "Tartar", a raw ground meat of some kind with liquor in it. GROSS. If I had any idea of what I was serving, I might have dumped it in the planter boxes. I was so amazed at how many people ate it without knowing what it was. What about you?
 
 
My spirit.

A Thanksgiving Prayer:
 
When I have food, help me to remember the hungry; When I have work, help me to remember the jobless; When I have a warm home, help me to remember the homeless; When I am without pain, help me to remember those who suffer; And in remembering, help me to destroy my complacency and bestir my compassion. Make me concerned enough to help, by word and deed, those who cry out for what we take for granted. (Samuel F. Pugh)
 
 
I love www.realage.com lately, with Dr. Oz - some really good health and well being info. Also, i just love the money coach from CNN www.clarkhoward.com He's a money geek with a lot of good advice. Ofcourse, my all time favorite is www.ebay.com for buying and selling. What are your favorites?
 
 
My friend and coworker, Cynthia, inspired this blog subject from a conversation we had last night at work. The bottom line of our conversation was that people come and go into our lives for different reasons. Some stay with us for a lifetime; some stay for just a short time. It's hard to know who will stay and who will go, but  we cherish all our friendships throughout life. What makes a great friend to me, is someone who "clicks" with me and who has similar values and principles. It doesn't matter if the person is rich or poor, educated or not,  young or old.....but they have to have the same outlook on life as me. There are a lot of traits that I value in friends such as: loyalty, humor, spirituality, thoughtfulness, and loving spirits. You all know who you are! What about you?