Colton. Go.

"So, most nights before I go to bed, I will lay six strips of bacon out on my George Foreman grill...."

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:16:52 -0400

“So, most nights before I go to bed, I will lay six strips of bacon out on my George Foreman grill. Then I go to sleep. When I wake up, I plug in the grill. I go back to sleep again. Then I wake up to the smell of crackling bacon. It is delicious, it’s good for me; it’s the perfect way to start the day.”

- Michael Scott

You guys, For the first time since being here (396 days) I have...

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:52:03 -0400

You guys,

For the first time since being here (396 days) I have nothing in my Inbox.

I feel like I just lost 120 lbs.

Farewell, Old Friend. I am Jeepless for the first time in 8...

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:20:56 -0400

Farewell, Old Friend.

I am Jeepless for the first time in 8 years.

He was an awesome transport and I will have one again in the future.

For now, he is off to a better life (of lakes and mountains and the West Coast) and for that I could not be more happy.

Family night out!

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:09:36 -0400

Family night out!

"No kicks in the groin. Home for dinner."

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:41:41 -0400

“No kicks in the groin.
Home for dinner.”

The View from my Thursday

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:58:06 -0400

The View from my Thursday

"It’s important to wash it with cold water, not hot water, to get the best shine. Hot water,..."

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:07:26 -0400

“It’s important to wash it with cold water, not hot water, to get the best shine. Hot water, especially in the winter, can break the glass. Mix any kind of dish detergent with a little ammonia and scrub with a camel hair brush. Use an 18-inch squeegee to clean it off. Your windows will come out spectacularly clear.”

- Answers From a Window Cleaner - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com

Livin’ Large

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:50:03 -0400

Livin’ Large

The Gaylord

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 14:27:03 -0400

The Gaylord

Working. She’s awesome.

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 21:31:47 -0400

Working.

She’s awesome.

iPhone 4 Camera Low light Processed with tilt-shift generator

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:00:00 -0400

iPhone 4 Camera

Low light

Processed with tilt-shift generator

Saturday Mornings

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 09:14:05 -0400

Saturday Mornings

Hustle

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:01:00 -0400

Let’s go on a journey.

Yesterday, I needed one document notarized. I went to four places before it was complete.

1. Branch Office of International Ship/Copy/Print Service

A new office with a helpful looking gentleman. They were my first choice as they advertised this service on their website and they are close to my office.

Me: “Hi, do you have notary public services?”

Him: “Oh, we stopped offering that earlier this year. You can try ***** Bank down the way or ***** Bank across the street, they may have it.”

Takeaway - It’s not profitable for us but we’ll at least point you somewhere else (which I really did appreciate).

2. Branch Office of Large Bank

It is a new office, looks nice, everyone smiles.

Me: “Hi, do you all have notary public services?”

Her: “Hmm, umm, oohh, yess, umm, but, yes she’s out for lunch and will be back in 30 mins.”

Takeaway - We charge a $2 fee per document; it’s not profitable for us to have more than one person as a notary.

3. Branch Office of Other Large Bank

It is a an old office, looks Government-y.

Me: “Hi, do you all have notary public services.”

Him: “Absolutely sir! You have an account with us, right?”

Me: “No.”

Him: “Oh, I’m sorry, we only offer that for members.”

Me (inside my head): “It’s a stamp on a piece of paper.”

Me (to the gentleman): “Even for a fee? I’d be willing to pay a fee.”

Him: “I’m sorry sir, we only offer that if you have an account. There is a print/shipping service in the corner of this mall if you’d like to try them.”

Takeaway - We’d rather pressure you into being a member than to have you actually appreciate us and draw you away from your current bank with our awesomeness. (I did appreciate the suggestion for another place, though.)

4. Small Two-Person Business in Corner of Strip Mall

This place sells EVERYTHING. Bras, shoes, pants, lotto tickets, international music, CD/DVD rentals, calling cards, print services,EVERYTHING. And it is a hole in the wall.

Me: “Do you all have Notary Public Services?”

Her: “Yes.”

She sits down, pulls out her book, takes my piece of paper, asks for my ID, reviews, signs the paper and fills out her registry.

Me, without being prompted: “Thank you! How much will that be?”

Her: “$5.”

Me, happily: “Here ya go!”

Takeaway - They are in business to make money. Not to have rules or bureaucracy or to be snobs. If you need something, and you’ll pay for it, they will get. It. Done.

Guess which one of these four business models is my favorite?

Smells

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:40:30 -0400

I’ve never been a fan of the Victoria’s Secret perfumes.

I don’t know what it is, but when someone walks by wearing any of those all I smell is “high-maintenance.”

You Know What Word I Despise?

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:39:18 -0400

Portal.

Say it ONE. MORE. TIME.

At this time...

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:29:14 -0400

It took one bad breakup in college for me to be on the disappointed side of the following lesson.

It took one more breakup in college for me to realize I was then the one doing the misleading.

If you are not interested in something/someone and you know you aren’t, do not soften the blow with “right now” or “at this time.”

Examples -

What you say:
“I just don’t have a place for this relationship in my life right now.”

What they may hear:
“Let’s talk again in 3 months/after summer break/when you get back from your trip and see if we can work this out.”

What you say:
“I’m not interested in that widget/whatsit at this time.”

What they may hear:
“Great, I’ll call you again in 2 days and try to make the same offer at another time.”

If you know you aren’t interested in something/someone speak up for yourself. (Actually, that’s a great lesson as well. Speak up for yourself! And others! There needs to be more speaking up. \soapbox ). It frees the other person to move on (when they are ready). This works for relationships AND sales. The bf/gf/etc can move on emotionally etc., and the sales person doesn’t have to waste your time nor their time calling someone who is really not interested.

Resources for the Good Life — YES! Magazine

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:23:05 -0400

Resources for the Good Life — YES! Magazine

At one of my favorite weddings ever

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 13:57:00 -0400

At one of my favorite weddings ever

HTML5 (Infographic) (by littlepixer)

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:50:08 -0400

HTML5 (Infographic) (by littlepixer)

Imagining a New American Church Response to Immigration - Noel Castellanos

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:54:08 -0400

Imagining a New American Church Response to Immigration - Noel Castellanos:

via AZSpot