Attitude

Nobody is perfect. As humans we are all fallible. We make mistakes. We act inappropriately. Sometimes we are rude when we are frustrated or upset. We take a bad day or an unfortunate incident out on those around us. This is a simple fact of life. We all have acted in this manner at some point or another for whatever the reason, or for no reason at all except we were just "in a mood."

This morning I had a good reminder of just how ugly that kind of behavior makes us look. A woman came through all in a huff and no matter how big I smiled, tried to please her, or how many times I said "have a great day" she just wasn't going to have it. As she drove off in a furry and a huff I started thinking about letting moments like that define our character. This woman was aesthetically quite attractive. I'd say in her late twenties to early thirties she dressed nicely and looked presentable. But while her physical appearance might be "attractive" her behavior made her quite the opposite, she was just plain ugly. Literally and figuratively. It makes me wonder how often do others perceive us in this manner? And when those around us, our friends, family, and loved ones, are behaving in such a negative fashion do we tell them about it? Do we try and help each other grow as individuals and force each other to be better people... to make those ugly negative moments happen less and less.

Nobody is perfect, this is quite true. I know for a fact that I let bad days at work, low blood sugar, or unfortunate circumstances get me down every now and then, and I know there are situations in my recent past where I probably was perceived by others in the same manner as i perceived this woman today. Shame on me. I am not perfect but I try to be. I am glad this woman came through in her ferocious fashion today because it was a good reminder for me to try really hard NOT to act like that. The truth is I hope people never see me in such an ugly light... and to all my blog readers out there, if you ever do see me behave like this, remind me of this woman and of this post. Life is too short to waste precious moments being mad at the world for God knows what (and it is probably nothing at all) and to take it out on those around you. There are too many wonderful bright and shining people out there waiting to fall in love with your smile... don't let them pass you by because you choose to have a bad attitude. Attitude after all is a choice, and it is yours to make. You choose your reaction to every situation life has to offer you, and while every circumstance certainly doesn't deserve a super happy positive attitude, there are no situations in life with which you should behave that badly.

Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes, I know I do... but once I know I've made them, I try to learn from them, correct that behavior, and apologize for the damage that resulted from it.

<3 T

Simple Things

I often think about values, what is important to me, things that I am looking for or things that I cherish. It's easy in life to get wrapped up in the big moments, to get caught up in the glamour and finer things that life can offer. A true judge of your happiness and satisfaction with your current situation, with your life, comes not from the fancy things. Life is not about the big moments, but the little ones. The truth is, if you can't enjoy the small moments of life, then the big ones just don't matter. A perfect weekend afternoon doesn't need to consist of an elaborate trip somewhere, or a fancy dinner... contentment in life can come from something as simple as an afternoon stroll around the neighborhood, talking, and holding hands. When I think about this one thought resonates soundly, life -as stated - is not about the material things, but the immaterial, it is the little moments shared with family, friends, and loved ones. Put simply, life is better when shared with others.

So now I ask you this, who are you sharing your little moments with? And do you look to the big glamourous events for your happiness, or do you look forward to the simplest moments that bring the biggest smiles to your face?

<3 T

Happy Birthday Daddy!

September 25th

Happy Birthday to the best Dad a girl could ask for. Always there for me. Full of wisdom and guidance. A best friend. We are all so lucky to have you in our lives. So here's to you dad, I hope your birthday is full of love and laughter, just like the man that brightens all our lives.

My Daddy. My Hero. My Friend.

Happy Birthday!

Love you Always!!

<3 T

Rules of the Drive Thru

The Top 15 Do's and DONT's of the ordering process...

1. If you're on your cell phone... GET OFF... how am I supposed to know if you're talking to me or someone else?

2. If you want fast service, know what you want, speak up, and have your money ready... it really isn't that difficult.

3. Speak clearly, and preferably in English. If you don't speak English come inside and point at a picture, otherwise I can't help you.

4. If you want something ask for it, I do not read minds, and NO you cannot add on at the second window.

5. PAY ATTENTION. If I repeat your order to you, listen and make sure it is correct, don't tell me 5 minutes later this wasn't what you wanted when I asked if your order was correct and you said yes. Ordering takes two... you speak, I listen, then I speak, you listen.

6. Go to the bathroom BEFORE you order... it is not my fault you took 8 minutes for your BM and your food sat there and got cold.

7. Extra sauce costs 50 cents... get over it. This is nothing new.

8. Distribute the food to your 5 screaming kids after you've pulled out of the drive thru, there are people behind you waiting patiently to pull forward.

9. My arm span is not 8 feet, pull next to the window, I will not climb out the window to hand you your food... and its probably not a good idea for you to climb through your sun roof WHILE you car is still in drive... and when you do, how is this my fault? Last time I checked, the building was stationary.

10. Ordering in the DT is not the time for: domestic disputes, child abuse, arguing, yelling, or cursing. Save it for later.

11. No I cannot throw out your garbage for you - 1. I don't want to touch it and 2. do I have garbage girl written on my forehead? Clean out your car every once in a while and throw it away yourself.

12. Do not pull up the speaker, say "This is Steve" and expect me to know you prefer your coffee half decaf/half regular, 2 creams, 5 sugars, one ice cube, stirred well, and spoon on the side...

13. Do not skip the ordering process in general pull to the second window and wonder where your food is... you sir forgot a critical step in the process, not me.

14. Do not expect me to recognize you by your car, do you know how many white pickup trucks come through every day (Steve)?

15. If you're deaf or mute... this might be a good time to come inside, and bring a pen and paper it expedites the process immensely. Do NOT however curse me out via pen and paper when I give you EXACTLY what you wrote down - I'm sorry, but this language barrier just isn't my fault, maybe YOU should be a bit more patient.

The Ledge

There are moments in life all around us which define us. Moments where we are forced to make choices, usually difficult ones. They aren't easy because they require us to define who we are, what we want, and what we are willing to risk. In business we often talk about the risk to reward trade off. The more you are willing to risk the greater the potential reward. Of course there is the chance you loose it all, and that is why we call it a risk. The greater the risk-reward ratio, the more you can potentially gain, but the greater the probability you loose it all. As I think about life and the decisions we are forced to make many of them follow this same school of thought. The greatest risk-reward ratio is the one that involves matters of the heart. The thing about life is no one can make the difficult decisions for you. No matter how hard we try we just can't make people do things, they either want to or they don't. Some people are risk-averse, they avoid it all costs and only choose to go down paths where the outcome is certain. Others are risk seekers, fearless and willing to take a chance on almost anything, knowing that they are sure to fail many times along the road.

I am a risk seeker in all aspects of life. Failing doesn't scare me. I think in life we learn the most from our weakest moments, from the times that challenge us the most. For in these moments we are forced to define ourselves. Who am I? What are my values? What do I REALLY want? I know what I want and I will go after it time and time again. I embrace the heartaches of defeat and of losing everything because I believe that one day all those challenges, all those bumpy roads will lead to pure happiness. I believe that the most difficult moments in my life make the good moments that much more wonderful. I often talk about the way I view love and risking your heart. Anyone who knows me knows that I wear my heart on my sleeve. Some people teeter on the edge of falling in love and are just too scared to take that leap of faith. Me... well, its safe to say I take about four steps back then go running, take a huge leap over the edge, throw in a few back flips and well, lets hope I learn to fly, and quickly. Sure I've slammed into the ground broken into a million little pieces, but I've always put myself back together, each time a bit stronger and a bit better of a person that the time before.

So what happens then when a risk seeker meet someone who is risk averse. One person wants to go flying over the edge, the other just can't seem to get over the hump. I've said it and I'll say it again, you just can't force people to do things, no matter how hard you try. The risk seeker can't push the risk averse over the edge... that's just not how life works. You can tell them to have a little faith until you are blue in the face but that won't work either. At some point the risk averse has to make a choice, take the leap or don't. The cool thing is, unlike the business world, in matters of the heart you don't have to do it alone. You get to take that risk with someone else. Kinda cool if you ask me. So you risk averse people out there, have a little faith, take a risk, yes you may loose a lot, but I promise you, you risk a whole heckofa lot more if you risk nothing. Don't let a great opportunity pass you by because you were too scared to put your heart out there. Grab the hand extended to you, close your eyes, and enjoy the fall...

...I will catch you.

<3 T

Cross Dressing Robber

On Wednesday night we were almost victim to a robbery by the person below... thank goodness my people are smart enough to lock the doors when people like this come around.... when it didn't work with us he went across the street and hit the Shell. The one thing I just can't figure out is... if you're trying to rob a store, wouldn't you want to dress in something a little more incognito?



Sacramento PD releases photos of cross-dressing robber
By Bee Staff

The Sacramento Police Department released photos today of a robber who dressed as a woman while he held up a convenience store clerk (see below).

The police gave this account of the events in a news release:

On Tuesday at 9:09 p.m., the robber held up the clerk at gunpoint at a gas station/convenience store in the 8900 block of Pocket Road.
The suspect took cash from the cash register and fled on foot in high heels.

The suspect is described as a male black adult who was dressed like a woman. He is believed to be in his early 20s, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 175 pounds.

He was wearing a pink hat, pink shirt, pink/black plaid skirt and pink high heel shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP (4357) or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information.

Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.



Categories: Robbery, Sacramento City News



Read more: http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/archives/2010/09/sacramento-pd-r-20.html#ixzz0zqQ5s5Pj

photo source Sacbee.com

The Choices are Yours

I'm reading a book right now, I was quite skeptical at first but as I read the contents I am amazed at how much I am connecting to its major themes. Based on the many conversations I've had with a lot of my friends and blog readers over the last few months I know that this is something you all can relate to as well....

Who am I and what do I want? Seems like a pretty easy question to answer, but really is it? I bet if you take the time to sit down and truly think about it it might be a bit more difficult to answer than you think. Most of us are struggling to define who we are professionally and personally, we are tied down to jobs that we feel we just can't give up because we are so lucky to have them. We are afraid to venture into a new arena because that opens the doors to a real of unknowns, of what ifs, and the possibility that things may not turn out as we hoped. Instead we stay where we are, at a complacent point in our life, while the important things around us whittle away or take a back seat to our careers.

As Lorber says, "On the journey to success and happiness in life, it is easy to become frustrated at the inevitable crossroads and detours. Some people give up before they get started; others become discouraged when the journey becomes difficult or complex; still others grow excited by the challenges. Some men and women pass by every opportunity that comes their way because they don't see the inherent possibilities... Is life that complicated? Our answer is no, it is not complicated, but life does require making choices. YOu can choose the path you take in life, but only you can make the choices to take you there."

I often speak of the fact that our happiness in life is what we choose to make of it. If we want our life to be wonderful (and really, why should it be anything else?) then WE must take the steps to make it that way, and we should start within ourselves. For if we do not view ourselves as wonderful how can we love our life for being wonderful?

Just some questions to ponder:

If I could make a change and be assured of succeeding, how would my life be different form the life I am living right now?

During the past year which work related activities did I enjoy most? Why? Which family related activities? Why? Which personal activities? Why?

Which action, if I did it immediately, would have the greatest positive effect on my life?

Who are YOU? And What do YOU want?

Not so easy to answer, is it?

<3 T

I beg you…to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without ever noticing it, live your way into the answer… - Rainer Maria Rilke

"so if you need a lover and a friend, baby I'm in!"

TJPC... 9.4.09

Some posts come easy, some are harder to write - this is one of the latter.

It is hard to believe it has been a year since you left us, a young spirit taken from us far too soon. Death is difficult to understand, to accept, to come to terms with... especially when the good die young. As we grow up we are aware that one day we will have to say goodbye to our grandparents and parents, as our elders will surely pass before us. We expect to loose friends and loved ones, but at a much later age, having plenty of time to experience marriages, children, and grandchildren. But we never are prepared to lose our loved ones at such an early and precious age.


Today my heart goes out to your beautiful sister, my oldest and best friend. We speak of you often and I know she loves you so much. I remember all the times the three of us spent together when we were younger, "pal'ing" around the neighborhood, playing basketball in the pool, and hanging out. I remember riding in your moms mini van, you or Danielle in the front seat, and the rest of us piled in the back, talking, laughing, telling jokes. I remember all the times I played intermediary between the sibling rivalry... I wish that I had the chance to tell you how much Danielle adored you, we chatted about you often and she always told me the good things you were doing. She was proud of you and she loves you very much. Today my heart goes out to your mother, such a radiant woman. My mom #2 she had an unfailing love for you, she still does. She was and always will be your number 1 fan. I can only imagine her grief at losing you, no parent should ever have to bury a child, it is just not fair. Today my heart goes out to your Dad, your buddy, your friend.

I think about you often, sometimes wondering if there was a way that this tragedy could have been avoided. It is easy to consider all the "what-if" possibilities that could have prevented the final outcome, but the harsh reality of life is that there are no real what if occurrences, for you are gone. What gives me hope is knowing that while your physical presence on earth is gone, you will forever remain here in spirit. In the roar of a loud and vibrant Lakers crowd we feel your presence. In the swish of the game winning 3-pointer we see your smile. The truth is you are all around us. You're in the glow of a setting sun and in the radiant light of a whimsical rainbow. You're in the photos we have around our houses. You're in the fondest memories of our hearts. I hope you know we all love you, and we always will. We'll think of you often and wish you could be there to share special moments. In our sad times we cry, because the truth is we miss you more and more everyday, and in our stronger moments we smile knowing you are walking hand in hand with God.

I don't know why he took you from us so soon in life, though I am sure there was some special need. That's the thing about faith, it's understanding and believing that while we don't always know why God does the things he does, we believe they serve a purpose far greater than one we could ever have conceived.

So today Travis is for you, our brother, our friend, our son, and grandson... we miss you everyday and we will always love you. May you forever rest in peace.

<3 T

What makes life worth living is knowing one day that you'll wake up & find the person that makes you happier than anything in the whole world. With that mind, promise me this one thing: to not abandon your hope & your faith in love. God has someone exceptional in store for you. Remember: the good guy/girl always wins. :o)