Eggshell Green

Rant of the day – Smiley face in business

I like using emoticons when I’m typing, but there are times when this is not appropriate.

One of those times is when writing business emails or letters. It might be ok if you are friends with the people you are writing to, but certainly not if you are a customer service person responding to a customer complaint.

The Accor Group has been giving me a headache with their numerous telemarketing calls, and I’ve repeated myself to several of the callers and have even resorted to Twittering them to ask them to stop (I couldn’t find where I should be sending a general complaint to via email). They “assured” me that I have been put on the “Do not call” list and yet I still got calls. Anyway, my last Twitter message to them was responded to with a smiley face at the end. And you know what, it wasn’t just a smiley face, it was a winking smiley face!

I’ll get back to you as soon as I get a reply. ;-)

Are you flirting with me? Or are you only joking about getting back to me? Gah! That completely invalidates the seriousness of the issue, as well as your professionalism.

And using a smiley face in a work email does not make up for something stupid that’s happened, nor does it make up for or an “urgent” request that is made at 4:30pm when it could’ve waited until tomorrow afternoon. Also, if we obviously don’t and will never get along with each other, then a smiley face will not make me like you more. And you know it.

:)

(FYI: I’ve emailed a couple Accor people after asking for some contact details via Twitter, and I have been put on both the New Zealand and Australian “do not call” lists – let’s hope this time that means something.)

Blog, nap, or bake?

These have been my leisure time choices as of late (isn’t that lucky of me?)

Obviously I haven’t chosen the “blog” option because I’ve not posted in nearly two weeks – yikes. I’m at the “just need some photos” stage and haven’t been bothered with trawling through my mass of photos to edit some yet. Also, I’ve been sick and my head hurt too much to think.

Taking that into account, the “nap” option has taken precedence since the weekend, where I came down with a cold and a horrible tummy bug. Abby’s been kind enough to give me some two hour naps in the last couple of days, and lucky Fez got to join me on the bed for some comfy snoozing. It’s tiring being sick and looking after a baby.

The “bake” option was favoured last week, before I got sick. I’ve been commissioned to make birthday cakes for two lovely littlies – one being a castle cake, and the other I shall tell you about at a later stage… I’ve been busy experimenting with different cake recipes, and trying to find a perfect recipe for making a Swiss roll type cake (for the castle towers). The castle cake isn’t needed until next weekend so I have a week to get better and stop coughing over things so I can do some real baking again.

And this is another post that won’t have any photos. I should’ve taken some of the cakes I’ve baked but didn’t think of that before we ate them. That always seems to be the way with me and food.

Stuff I Luff

• My crockpot. And the stews that come out of it.
• Heat pumps. I can’t say I love (or even like) winter but at least we have heat pumps.
• Knowing I am just tall enough to avoid having to use a booster seat in a car! Lol. (And at least I’m taller than the average 11 year old…)
• Trifle made from left over cupcakes. Did I mention they were chocolate cupcakes and I used orange jelly, so it was like having Jaffas :D
• Naps. Actually, sleep, in general.
• Bassetts licorice, still.
• Catching up with friends and family, with a bouncing baby to show off. Abby got so many cuddles in the last few days.
• Grandparents. So my parents drive me crazy but they’re really good with Abby – feeding her, playing with her and making her laugh – giving me as much time to myself as I want!

Dirty Thirty

That’s right, I can no longer say I’m twenty-something.

Do I feel dirty? Only if I haven’t showered (which happens now and then when Abby’s demanding). How about old? Well, yes, and no. It’s a little getting used to when the decade changes. I remember feeling proud when I could say I was in my twenties. I even remember teasing the hubby years ago (because he’s that much older, haha, just kidding) when he turned 25. I kept saying how he was a quarter century old because that sounded so old back then.

Boy, time does fly.

I told myself that by the time I was 30, I wanted to be married, have a house and have a baby. Done, done and done. I also have a dog, so I’m one up on myself :D

So, some notable moments from the last 30 years (yikes):

• Grew up (though try convincing my parents that – they still tell me how I should dress up warm)
• Went to Disneyland
• Got my driver’s licence
• Did hairdressing (and got my hair cut, coloured, permed… etc.)
• Went to uni and got a BSc in Information Systems
• Met my husband
• Went to the lighthouse at Cape Reinga and finally visited the South Island
• Lived in a city apartment
• Went to Las Vegas
• Moved cities
• Became a programmer
• Did more travelling, including a European tour (and saw the Eiffel Tower among other things, and had stuff like escargo, and mussels in Brussels)
• Bought a house
• Bought a brand new car
• Got married
• Made a wedding cake
• Got a dog
• Started a blog
• Sold some paintings
• Became a mother

My 30th birthday yesterday consisted of Mc Donald’s(!), popcorn, ice cream and the movie Boy. We planned to go out for a fancy dinner but then decided to come home and rescue Abby from the grandparents. Good move because she was super grumpy that night as she’s teething and my parents are not good with sticking to routine, or allowing her to sleep by herself.

Today I got two surprises in the mail. An East Day Spa voucher from my naughty husband, and an adorable cupcake cake (a huge cupcake or a mini cake cake?) from my sister in law. She does awesome cakes so if you’re in Palmerston North and need one, I’ll hook you up :D

The cake survived being posted even though I found the package on its side despite having a ‘this way up’ note on it. A couple petals broke off and there’s a crack in the pink icing but I’m sure that has no impact on its deliciousness. Time for a cuppa and cake methinks!

Yum yum

Tags: cupcake

My first Mother’s Day

What a lovey day I had today.

We met up with Abby’s cousin Bridget and her parents, and walked along the Hutt River to town. We had planned to go out to brunch with Abby’s cousin Bridget and her parents, but did not plan on the places we chose to be fully booked out for Mother’s Day – should have known (even if it was over in the Hutt). We ended up at Mr Bun(!) and I even forgot that they did decent brunches and ended up ordering chicken and chips from the warmer. I could’ve had banana and bacon pancakes! Oh well. It was good chicken and chips at least.

Then we did a bit of baby shopping. I was wanting to find some therals but ended up getting two winter weight sleeping sacks instead. Abby likes to kick off her sheets at night so these sacks should keep her warm. And 30% off was not a bad deal at all.

Afterwards we had a cup of tea back at the brother-in-law’s and let the babies have some play time while the dads did brotherly geek things. Abby gets a bit grabby (Grabby Abby – hehe, yet another nickname) and I had to rescue poor Bridget from those sharp litte nails Abby has.

It was nice just being out and spending time together with family. And it was extra nice to be reminded that I am a mother to a beautiful baby girl.

I hope all mothers and their loved ones had a wonderful Mother’s Day today.

(Abby wore her Sunday best today. I had been wanting to dress her up in this dress that a friend’s mother gave me but didn’t have any occasion for it so thought, bugger it I’ll dress her up anyway before she’s too big for it!)

On my first Mother's Day

Tags: baby

Old people are good value

Seriously.

When I worked at the supermarket, this little little old lady would come to my checkout almost every week and ask me if I was from ‘Ch-eyna’, then tell me she was from Scotland. No sorry, I’m not from China, just like the last time you asked (of course I was polite and didn’t actually say all that). I should’ve stopped her half way and tell her that I can predict what she’s going to say next.

Today I was at the post shop and an old lady was fidgeting with the stuff on the shelves, commenting how expensive everything was, and knocking stuff off as well as dropping her letter on the floor. She started cooing over Abby, and told me what lovely skin “you people” have. I told her that Abby’s dad was Kiwi, so she’s whiter than me, lol.

I’m not sure if it’s the same everywhere, but old people seem to be invincible to traffic around here. They literally walk out in front of cars and everyone just stops for them like magic. I saw three old folk doing this along the little stretch of shops on Bay Road in Kilbirnie. I guess you can’t let out that road rage like you would with other people – I would feel very bad for making an old lady cry. Or they might hit my car with their walking stick/frame.

Senior citizens can get away with so much. I guess it’s the reward for putting up with so much crap in their lifetimes.

You know the grumpy-old-man-sitting-in-the-rocking-chair type? Abby’s (step)Grandad’s a bit like that. I won’t repeat the things he’s said (political correctness – what’s that?) but let’s just say, lucky he’s old. He’s not really grumpy, but will voice his opinion, even ringing up the local MP, and good on him for it. Maybe we should all be like that – when we’re old.

Let me end with a quote from Dumb and Dumber – I guess they’re right – old people: though slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose.

Stuff I Luff

• Giveaways! Everyone loves giveaways. There’s a choice package to be won from Reclaiming Me at the moment.
• Fast internet. It’s one of those things that you don’t care about until you’ve gone over your cap…
• Weekends. Ok, so I’m not working at the moment but the weekend means daddy is home and we can enjoy the day together as a family.
• Public holidays, but too bad we don’t get Anzac Day off this year. I’m so peeved off when they fall on a weekend like that. Or when they coincide with another public holiday… unacceptable!
• This long stretched out ‘end of summer’ weather. I don’t want the good weather to end.
• Homegrown vegies. We failed at gardening this summer (again), only managing some tomatoes, but yummy tomatoes they are.

Homegrown tomatoes