A Momentous Occasion

 It's not often you come to work and see your name on the reader board -

For all to see -

"Congrats Tina 

on 20 years

with SSNW"

It's not often anymore that someone actually works for the same company for 20 years!

But I work for a good company -

We have one employee who just hit 40 (yes FORTY) years working for this company.


Many of the employees who work here weren't even born when Dean started to work for Jim. Where were YOU in 1973?  The next guy down has worked there for 28 years - me at 20 -Three guys coming up behind me at 18, 17 &; 16 years - and I think, there are 5 between 10 &; 15 years.

Like I said, it's a good place to work.  

 When you've been there for 20 years, you get a pretty bouquet of flowers - (actually, I got flowers at 10 years too...)

(Don't look at my messy desk) 








 








And you get balloons (which went home with a co-worker for his little girls)















 And a pretty basket of African Violets from an old co-worker -

 

 And you get to throw a pizza party for your co-workers - (the boss bought the pizza)  - 6 of these 12 inch pizza's disappeared like "poof" - and there was a big Caesar Salad and three dozen cheesey balls to boot - Whoosh - watch out for the stampede!   Not a bite left! 


 




And there was cake too - Thanks to my co-workers Nina for picking out the cake and the flowers and Drew for playing Susie homemaker and cleaning up before we left, so I didn't have to.

All in all, it was a Momentous Occasion!

The next party?   - I'm thinking 5 or 6 years - will be the retirement party.  Whoopee! 



.

Holy cow, it's cold outside!

I'm glad I finally sent my sister the scarf that I crocheted for her last spring.

(Of course I tied in all those loose ends before I sent it!) And it make me realize that is one of the reasons I like crocheting with variegated yarn - you get all those color changes without having to tie in all those ends!











Things at work have been, oh, well, we'll just say, stressful... - They laid my assistant off yesterday. So, for the last 48 hours, I've been on somewhat of an emotional roller coaster - alternately feeling like "I can do this!" to feeling like "I am so overwhelmed!"

Now I have to spend two days packing up all my stuff because they want to clean the carpets on Thursday. I'm so far behind because of new software and "etc." and now I have to take two days of work to pack and unpack my stuff so they can move my desk? Does the little frowny face made with the : the - and the ( come to mind here?


Ok, so this was the closest picture I could find to fireworks - kind of looks like one of those big ones that go way out then sparkle down, doesn't it?

Well, the fireworks are for my 25,000th visitor! Wow! And it was someone who lives way up north in Canada who visited here about 7 p.m. Pacific coast time. If I don't hear from this person in a day or so, I'll go to the next one and the next one. For they and Michelle won my prize (ok, so it was a bribe) of gourmet chocolates from our local chocolatier, Chocolate Necessities.




One good thing did happen today. FedEx ground delivered my new bottle of Christian Dior "Dolce Vita" Eau de toilette. The description say it contains apricot, cinnamon, peach, clove, cardamom, bergamot. ("Tester" - comes without the fancy box. )

I have worn this fragrance for a long time - maybe 10 or 12 years...it is getting increasingly hard to find. I used to be able to get it at Costco packed up in a plastic box in one of those designer fragrance towers that they have - but then it was only available at the Bon (now Macy's) or Nordys - and then only on line - now it is hard to even find it on line - mostly get an "out of stock" message - but every once in a while I'll surf the web and go looking for it. (it must be available someplace in the world because you can still get "Tester" bottles. Go figure...) All the reviews I have ever read about this fragrance give it about a 14 out of possible 15 - people who wear it, love it and will go to great lengths to find it.

The day after Thanksgiving I hit the jackpot and found a site (www.unlimitedperfumes.com) that had it in stock. Even though I still have about 1/4 of a bottle, I whipped out my credit card as fast as I could and bought it right there on the spot! It is my Christmas present to myself - my one small luxury - I don't buy purses or shoes or fancy clothes - but once or twice a year, I get my 3.4 ounce bottle of perfume. I think I'm worth it.

I hope all my friends in the snowy weather belt are staying in where it is warm and dry. Guess I'd better get to bed - I have to go to work earlier now to do the tils for our retail store...I don't do real well at "0 dark 30" and that's what time I have to get up now.

All in a day's work, I guess

I am "Finance Manager" for the company where I work. On Monday, I will have been there for 15 years. We have a locksmith shop with the biggest display of safes in NW Washington, we have fire sprinkler & life safety divisions, alarms & security including CCTV & access control and a contractor hardware division. - If it has to do with loss prevention, we can help. And it's got good people.

Several years ago, our locksmiths found a product that they liked using called Corrosion X. When they are repairing locks, a big problem is corrosion and lubrication. This stuff tackles that by spades and also works as a penetrant to loosen tightened screws, bolts, etc. In fact, the guys in the lockshop loved the stuff. So we called their main headquarters and wanted to know if we could buy it from them direct. Next thing I knew, we were set up as the West Coast distributor!

So where am I going with this? Our salesman, Steve, has set up that wonderful web site (click on Corrosion X above) plus he has gotten TrueValue Hardware stores as a national account. So, we get phone calls from all over the US wanting to know about the uses of our product and where they can buy it, etc.

As Finance Manager, I'm the "overflow" person on answering the phones - but having answered phones all my business life, if our phone rings more than three times, I'm going to get it. Here is the phone call I took yesterday:

Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring.

Me: Good afternoon, Security Solutions
Caller: Hello, I'd like to talk to Steve, I have some questions about your products.
Me: Oh, are you calling about Corrosion X?
Caller: Yes, I've had a bottle for a few years now, but I just ran out, and I want to find out if I should get the Corrosion X Heavy Duty or Corrosion X for guns.
Me: Let me get Steve for you.

So I beep Steve, but he's not in the office. Not to worry, I think I can help the caller, after all, I use Corrosion X on my spinning wheel (doesn't get gummy or sticky and it doesn't attract lint) so I go back to the caller.

Me: I'm sorry sir, but Steve is not in. Do you have any TrueValue Hardware stores in your area, maybe you could order it from them.
Caller: No maam, all we've got in our parts is a Walmart. (Did I mention, the caller said he was from Kentucky? He had the most charming drawl)

Me: Ok, well what are you using it for, maybe I can help.
Caller: Well, I need something to use to clean my two AK47 rifles.

At this point, I'm thinkin' that my level of expertise with CX products is probably not going to do it.

Me: All right, well, I tell you what sir, we have an affiliate who ships CX products all over the world - let me transfer you to them, I'm SURE they can help you.

I love the magic of telephones - I pushed my Flash button and transfered this very nice man and his AK47's over to our guy in Spokane who said they would be glad to help him. Ah, technology.

All in another day's work.

Busy days and nights

Holy cow this has been a busy week - I keep looking to see if someone (like that someone would be me...) has done a new post on my blog and it just never happened. Part of the reason was reading Nora Robert's new book "High Noon" - I like her female characters, they generally have "spunk" - for lack of a better term. When I read, I have a hard time putting a good book down - like a little kid "Just a few more minutes, mom, Pulleeeaase"


Last night we had tickets to see Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the Mt. Baker Theater. It was a fun concert - we saw them last year as well - the intertwined harmony and the dancing is incredible to hear and watch. If you get a chance, be sure to go see them.

This picture is from their web site (click on their name and it will transport you to their site). The leader is in his late sixty's and he can still kick his foot up above his head! (singing & dancing at the same time!)

The weather this week has been incredible too - probably some of the nicest that we've had this summer - those absolutely quintessential perfect 70 degree days (but with cool evenings - I even put our blanket back on the bed this week!) When I got home from work yesterday, a chickadee was sitting in the tree over me - Chick-a-dee-dee-dee - It sounded so happy! I'm sure that the finches have found The Shepherd's sunflower patch by now -

Neelix has had a pretty good mad on about being taken to the V-E-T last Saturday. Generally he'll just sulk for a day or two, but he still will barely have any thing to do with me. I've been trying to get him to come in at night since it has been so chilly - I know, he's just a cat, but dang it, he's a cat I just spent $80 on at the vet and I'd rather not have him come down with some kind of fungus-amoungus because he's being stubborn. He's sleeping on the back porch tonight - maybe we're getting closer to reconciliation...

It was payday at work - when I first started to work for this company, (14 years ago) I did payroll for about 15 people - it just took me a couple of hours - (and I had a payroll system that I loved). Now we have 45 people and it takes the better part of two days (and I have a payroll system that I hate). That's progress for ya! Heck, it takes almost 1/2 hour to sign the checks and stuff them into envelopes. My new favorite question for people is going to be "What part of 'Paychecks will be ready at 4:30' don't you understand?" Sheesh.



Well, that was my week - I'll do a walk-about in the garden tomorrow and show you some of the new things that John has been planting.

And look what he got last weekend -

"Let me out!" it says - I'll see if I can find it in the pond tomorrow.