Joe’s first 10 things Tuesday ROCKS THE CASBAH!!! LOVE IT! go check it out.

And on a much much more heart wrenching note, I’ll be attending a funeral tomorrow for a 10 month old. Work with her mom. Here’s her story if you feel like checking it out and saying a prayer for Zach and Haley tomorrow. And say one for me too. This is so so horrible. Our salon is going as a group for support for Haley.

On a trival note to end the post, Dyson’d the bedroom today and I swear there’s a small Sasquatch in the thingy. Good. Grief. I’ve been living in filth. BLEAGH!!!

and I love George Clooney.

We talked last night about doing the Grand Canyon, Sedona and Santa Fe all in the same trip. THAT would not suck. Still not going out on that damned GC Skywalk but that’s cool. I’ll keep you posted!!

Nothing much else going on. Working this week, giving a bridal shower on Saturday night and am afraid NO ONE is coming. Ugh. Then doing the RedBud on Sunday and then on Monday, taking the chirren’s to get their nip/tuck surgeries. In honor of that, every chance we get we look at Little Black Sambo’s balls and bid adieu. They cut them completely off…did you know that? I didn’t. Phil asked if I wanted to keep them in a jar…I declined.

What are you doing this week? Any plans?

Phil and I are talking about a vacation. This year. This summer. Soon. I’m itching for a road trip in Bella, but if we’re doing a real vacation, then I don’t want to spend the time driving…here are a few we’ve talked about as well as a few I’ve done.

1.) Florida…I would actually love to do Disney again. I was there in ’88. The MGM Studios we being built, and they hadn’t even thought of the animal kingdom thing. Plus I could use some beach time. SO maybe Key West. I’ve never been, he has.

2.) North or South Carolina…am wanting a beach and have briefly been to NC for a week on tour with Reno. It was in May, off season, still chilly, all the touristy shops were just beginning to open and get stocked for summer. We were there at ALMOST the right time…would love to go back.

3.) Playa del Carmen or any fun Mexican resort. Phil won’t go to Mexico. Period. He says we’ll get kidnapped. More likely, he’ll pass his drunk ass out on the beach and some fabulously greasy Al Pacino look alike will come whisk me away and we’ll do it all night long. Probably that’s what would happen.

4.) California…Napa…you want a break you take a napa, you don’t move to Napa says Carrie Bradshaw. We were planning this trip with Bonus Mom and Dad when their marriage blew the hell up. We were to go this past January. Oh well. I still want to. Napa, Sonoma, all of it. And not just wine country…I could do southern very well. San Diego. See the KOALAS at the zoo. Visit the family. Man, they’ve got the best weather out there.

5.) Grand Canyon. This is his favorite place ever. I’ve never been. I’d love to see it but you’ll not be seeing me on that new plexi glass whoop-tee-doo that you can walk out on. Hell to the no my friend. Hell to the no. AND, I’m not riding a donkey down to the bottom either.

6.) Santa Fe…I’ve never been to New Mexico. Taos would be nice, too.

7.) Sedona. Back in Arizona. Gertrude’s mom’s bff lives here and communes regularly with the people of Funkytown. I could dig it.

8.) Las Vegas. I’ve been there once. The first actual meeting of Mkaep and Phil. We could go again…it’s a fun party.

9.)NYC. . . always on my list. I’m heading out in September but one of these days I’m dragging Phyllis with me. We’d have a blast.

10.)Italy… Europe. All of it. I want to see and experience all it has. Mostly though, for as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to do Italy. It-Lee. London. All things British for this anglophile. Just all of it.

I bought the Dyson yesterday. Called around and it was the same price everywhere, so I got one of those 20%off coupons for Bed Bath & Freakin Beyond and we bought it there. Came home and did the “test”…used our old one to sweep an area then went back over it with the Purple Monster. OH. MY. GOD. It was like a Biore strip. So freaking cool and gross at the same time. Bleagh. It picked up so much stuff out of the “clean” area that both Phil and I were just amazed. Very cool. Hopefully it will help cut back on the allergies in this house as well.

So what do you think about this Don Imus thing? Anyone have some thoughts? I heard a very valid argument about it last night in the bar. This guy said, “I’m not saying that what he said was correct, or that he maybe shouldn’t be punished for it. However, show me the day that Chris Rock gets penalized for saying something, show me the FCC coming down on someone other than a white guy. I’m sick of the double standard here.” Of course then the other guys at the table jumped in and the conversation just went all Redneck Retard and I had to bow out. But the first part I actually could get behind. There was another guy who said he had no idea the phrase “nappy” was racial. . . because he has some stringy ass dirty hair most of the time and thought it pertained to himself. Bwa ha ha ha. Not really. But I thought that was interesting, that this guy truly had no idea the phrase was racial. Now, maybe it was the ENTIRE phrase “nappy headed ho’s” that was racial…whatever the case, Imus has been suspended for two weeks from both the radio and MSNBC.

Freedom of speech. . . . really? Thoughts? Comments?

And finally we got new music for our jukebox at the bar last night. That my friends, was a fun errand to run. Went to CD Warehouse, which isn’t near as good as the one Reno and I used to haunt in Cincy. But we managed to get about 10 new cds, and made lots of people happy. If I could find one that was mostly greatest hits, that is what we bought. AC/DC Back in Black was my first pick. Along with KISS, Steve Earle, and the essential Ozzy. Some Garth, Shania, the best of America (horse with no name will get the shit played out of it!) and a double cd of 38 Special. The Cars greatest hits went on there as well. So that was just fun. I wanted a copy of Guns n Roses Appetite for Destruction, but no such luck. Joe Ely was also a flop, but I’m still looking for him. So fun to buy music with someone else’s money!

Ok, am out for today. Must go take my taxes to be “done” and get to work. New girls starting today, so that should be fun.
Huzzah and Happy Tuesday and I love George Clooney.

. . . but this is what I think I’m buying today. Dyson DC15 Animal. Yes, I know it’s expensive. But I’m working and making good $$. AND let’s not forget folks, I have four cats in residence. LOTS of cat hair. bleagh. I’ve done the research, and there are two people out of four hundred gozillion in the world that don’t like this vacuum cleaner. TWO. I’ve read reviews till I’m cross-eyed and they all say the same thing. Love Love Love. And reading them is just making me want one all the more.

So. I’m off to run errands, sign up for the Red Bud race next weekend, and maybe buy the most expensive vacuum cleaner I can find.

Wish me luck.

That’s really all I had to say about that.
S. L. U. R. P.

The title is actually a quote from Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way. I think we’ve all done, or TRIED to do this. Anyway, those are her words. Not mine. Observed and credited.

I did some shopping for my Team today. Went to the EVERYTHING IS A DOLLAR STORE. I bought lots of little things. Pop Rocks. Gum. Chocolate. Terra cotta pots with sunflower seeds just add water things. Blue Ribbons for being “caught doing a good job”. Just some stuff.

I asked today if the company would give us a reimbursement for team incentives. Apparently no one had done this before. We get $20 bucks. That’s great with me. I’ll spend 20 at the dollar store and use their 20 for an end of month prize for our “who can prebook the most clients” contest. Think I’ll get it from Starbucks. Everyone in my group LOVES the Starbucks.

I’ve also done a lot of quote research. Tomorrow, I’m going to have our first team meeting before work. I’ll start the contest next week when the new girl is with us. But for Friday and Saturday I have quotes and goodies. I think that this will be fun and motivating. Totally dorky, but they will remember it.

Tomorrow is Easter Bunnies. Stuffed animals. Word association with stuffed animals…childhood…soft…security…AH HAA!!!!!!!! SECURITY!! Security/Teams/Trust/Working Together/TEAMS! Finding security in ourselves, in our goals and in our teammates. . .

This is my quote for our Easter Bunny Friday:

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.—Alan Cohen

I am still open to lots of ideas and suggestions. Meanwhile,
Huzzuah and Happy Friday and as you well know,
I love George Clooney.

At my salon, we started implementing team-building at the end of January. We also moved stations. Our actual cubby/stations move so we change chair/mirrors. This caused such havoc the first time around that one stylist was removed from his Team Leader duty and eventually three people quit/walked out/were fired.

Embracing change people. No one likes it, but at least we know when we have to fake it, yes? Yes.

So, new month, new spot, new teams, new team leaders. I’m one of the leaders. My team consists of three other stylists, and one of the new kids fresh from our school who’s starting next week.

We have a team goal/team focus and we each have individual goals to work on this month. Well, they’re all the same. Prebooking our clients. I don’t have a big problem doing this. It’s fairly easy enough. I remember being surprised at how easy it is because I myself am SOOOOOO not a pre-booker. for ANYTHING. If I prebook an appointment, I’ll wake up that day, having totally forgotten it, not wanting to do it, or having planned to do something else. We try to combat that with a day before confirmation call, which works well. So…

Teams. I think I’m going to do a contest with my team each week. Whoever does the most prebooks gets a prize. Starbucks or movie passes or something. I have also researched quotes (you know I love the words!) and will cut them up and put one in our mailbox daily/every other. . . still working that out. Yesterday I put one in with one of those little individual water flavoring things like crystal light…everyone liked it. We’re all trying to do well eating wise, so I don’t want to do lots of candy, but may get some Easter candy and do that…

I’ve said all this to say this:
I need ideas. Team building ideas. It’s been a long time since the “road manager” days…ideas for prizes (cheap ones if I have to pay for it) ideas for motivation and ideas for contests. I think I’m also going to randomly reward people for doing above and beyond things like complimenting another team members client, or sweeping for someone else. . . we’ve got a lot of self centered workers here people.

Yesterday went ok. I have one girl who WANTS desperately to do better. One girl who kind of wants to do better, but not enough to do anything because she’s already good at everything, and another girl who frankly, just WEARS. ME. OUT. That is my goal for this month. Patience and understanding in communication with this girl.

Dear God,
Make me a bird, so I can fly, fly far far away.

Huzzah and Happy Thursday and I love George Clooney.

After yesterday, anything else seems boring to post. From all the comments, I can see that my taste in boyfriends is clearly my own. I did have some love with Matt Lauer from JRH. And damn, look at those abs and tell me that is not better than a corn dog at the state fair????

Ok… Nothing is really better than a corn dog at the state fair, but you get my drift.

Now you tell me. Who’s on your list?