Breaker

Show Me How Big Your Brave Is

I have no clue if my family has a real, official family crest. When I consider what image or symbol might be fitting for our group, one idea comes to mind. One characteristic demonstrated in more than six different ways. Our common denominator is “bravery”. What do you think of when you hear the word “brave”? The first idea that comes to my mind, is what I call “courageous bravery”; someone who is willing, someone who opts in/chooses to do something most others would be …

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No Cuts, No Buts, No Coconuts.

One of the most important things I will teach my children, is how to apologize the correct way. Many moons ago I read an article about the rules of apologies and it has paid off tremendously in my personal life, my professional life, and my parenting life. Following are my do’s and don’ts from the article and lessons I’ve learned along the way. The Anatomy of an Apology: A Four Part Recipe for Success Start with the obvious, the “apology” words. Use whatever is most …

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On to the Next One and Unforgettable Lessons

When I’m in the car by myself, it’s usually silent. When I get tired of the silence I either switch to XM, an audiobook, Pandora, or YouTube. It all depends what kind of mood I’m in and how long I’ll be in the car. Every Tuesday, I commute to the office which is about an hour and a half drive after I drop the kids off at daycare. Side note, we listen to Pandora “Toddler Tunes” channel on our way to the kids’ school. Once …

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I’d Like to Speak to a Manager Please — Part 2

A few blogs ago I promised to tell you more about my recent successes in asking for a manager. In part two of this three part series, I was going to tell you about my conversation with Cody, a manager of a franchise chicken restaurant I ordered from while I was out of town. Guess what guys? Cody made a liar out of me. He led me to believe I was successful in asking for a manager and getting a refund for the terrible experience …

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Pimp My Loft

If you’re not familiar with MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” tv series, you’re probably a little thrown off by my blog title, so let me fill you in. According to Google, Pimp My Ride is a tv show in which “A resourceful team of experts takes car customizing to a completely different level by taking some of the sorriest vehicles on the road and turning them into impressive new rides.” So on that same note, I need all the help I can get from experts like …

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Leave A Shoe By the Door

For the first time in my life, I did not leave one of my shoes by the front door before I went to bed on December 5. I was out of town for work and as soon as I added our week-long work event to my calendar, I saw the conflict with the annual entry I have at 8 p.m. on December 5 to “Leave Shoes Out For St Nick” and my heart sank a little. No no no. I am not a crazy person. …

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Paper Chains, Mashed Potatoes, Ricky Bobby and Road Trips

Would you hate me if I said Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday? It is. I’m not a grinch, I’m not an ass. I’m a realist. I do not like Thanksgiving food, period. I do not eat turkey. I have no interest in stuffing or cranberries or pumpkin pie or any of these traditional Thanksgiving, fall foods. The best I could hope for as a kid is that someone would have mashed potatoes that weren’t doused in butter and had absolutely no gravy on them. …

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The “No Power” Shit Show

At 6:00 this evening, just as I was about to begin my last task of the workday, the power went out. We live in the country where there are no street lights in sight. It was dark as hell and Daddy was just about to make ‘breakfast for dinner for our “starving” 3 year old and “starving” 4 year old. Meanwhile I was asked to wrap up work and feed the crying baby. I hate being interrupted and I hate how messy our house gets. There …

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You Want Me to Eat What?!?

Eat that Frog. Okay? I first learned about this idea from our CEO during a team meeting. He described the premise of (Brian Tracy’s) book in which you identify the hardest thing you have to do and you do it first. You don’t follow the typical pattern of avoidance or procrastination; you set your table and take a big bite of that ugly, undesirable thing you have to do. Often times, the hardest thing you have to do, is the most important thing you have …

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You Can Call Me Santa

Sooooooooooo it’s no surprise that I’ve had a busy, draining couple of months. I’ve blogged about it once or twice and I’ve continued to say things like ‘the end is near’; ‘it’s almost over’; ‘it’s just a one time thing’; ‘it won’t happen again’; etc. to my loved ones who are seriously concerned about me. Well, it’s almost over; I expect it to be over by Monday; just like I expected it to be over September 7, October 1, and now, I’m stating it for …