Midweek Confessions

I've been following Elizabeth at E, Myself, and I for quite some time. Here are my midweek confessions. . .

So to start off this week I totally messed up my check book balance. How I could forget about writing two pretty large checks is beyond me. It doesn't help that we spend money like we're millionaires. Now we have to keep things pretty tight to the belt for the next couple of weeks. Not a nice way to begin summer vacation.

Monday night or Tuesday morning take your pick, the cat,  Sebastien, started making hackinguphairball sounds. Typically he doesn't hack up hairballs; he pukes up his food instead. We think it's because he's such a HOG and eats too fast. So I heard the heaves and ran out of the bedroom to find him. Mind you everyone else in the house was asleep. I found Sebastien in the living room so I tried to grab him and take him into the kitchen. It's easier to clean cat puke off a linoleum floor. He evaded me and ran right into Michael's bedroom and under the bed. As I tried quietly to coax him out, he puked. Did I clean it up? No. I was not about to go under the bed and clean cat puke up and wake Michael in the process. It's still there. I figure it's easier to clean it up once it's dried. I'm such the housekeeper. I am not my mother in this regard.

In my last post, here, I told you about MomMom's fountain and how we placed it in our back flower bed. Well, Matt used a metal spike pounded into the ground to help support the back of the fountain to keep it from falling over on that side. After the boys left for football conditioning I painted the goose (also mentioned here). Then when Penelope the goose was finished I sat in my chair and listened to the sounds of my beautiful fountain. While I sat there I noticed that the bowl of the fountain wasn't even on all sides. Being the perfectionist that I am, I went over to the fountain and moved the bowl so it was centered on the pedestal. Unfortunately since I moved the bowl it no longer rested on the metal spike that was supporting it. My husband noticed it the next day. So far the fountain hasn't tipped over, but I just can't seem to leave well enough alone. Matt is just waiting to say "I told you so."

This week is finals week. My honors class had their final on last Friday and it was an essay exam. Your basic read the article and right a five paragraph position essay. They had all week to prepare and they could use their notes, an outline, and the article. They just had to do the writing in class. When I should have been grading their essays this weekend, I spent my time catching up on my reading - all the blogs that I follow - as well as writing on my blog. Where are my priorities?

Lastly, I procrastinated again. It seems to be a theme for this past week. I missed a whole week of GH so I sat and watched five episodes in a row. Matt had to work that morning and wouldn't be home until two-ish. I told him I'd have the messy kitchen cleaned by the time he got home so we could have our cookout. At one I finally moved from the couch and began cleaning up in the kitchen. I had to move fast. I turned on Pandora radio to some 80s music and jammed while I rocked out the kitchen. Music always makes me get things done faster and it makes chores a little more fun. When Matt got home he thought I spent the entire morning cleaning the kitchen. I'm good.

What are you confessing this week?

On a Wing and a Prayer: My Students WILL Get to Take Their Exam in the Blue Exam Booklets Like I Promised

I came home early from school today in the pouring down rain and boy did the temperature drop. Chilly and damp. I'm NOT complaining because my flowers so needed a drink and a break from the heat. But then so did I. My classroom can get quite stuffy and stinky with sweaty freshmen boys who just came from gym class. Eeeeewwww.

Anyway, I texted Michael to bring in the mail so it didn't get soaked by the rain. See, we haven't replaced the old mailbox yet (it's been almost two years since the siding was done on the house, and the mailbox was removed at that time) and when it rains the mail tends to drown to the point where I have to get out the blowdryer. You get the picture. My point is that I was expecting a package from Amazon, and I didn't want it to get wet.

Michael brought the mail in, and when I got home he brought the package to me. It was a thin tan envelope. I thought to myself: How in the world did Amazon fit 25 Blue Book Exam booklets in that thin little envelope. Well, they didn't. I opened the envelope to find not 25 booklets, but ONE. One. Booklet. I have 25 students in my Honors English class. 25. They cannot share ONE booklet.

This is the second time I have placed this order. The first time the booklets came the pages were grids. I donated them to the math teacher on my team. I figured he could always use graph paper. He kindly thanked me for my contribution.

Panic squeezed my throat. My kiddos have been preparing for the essay exam this whole week, and I told them they would be writing them in Blue Exam Books like students use at the college level. Their exam is TOMORROW. It was now 4 p.m. Where was I going to find Blue Books by tomorrow morning?

Google. I googled Blue Exam booklets and found them all over the internet, but I would have to order them and have them shipped. I needed a store. A place I could drive to and purchase exam booklets for tomorrow. Staples. No. Office Depot. No. Walmart. No. No. No. No. There wasn't one store that carried them. I had to order them from the online version of the store. I sat there staring at my computer screen wracking my brain for an answer.

Then it hit me. The bookstore at Bowling Green State University Fireland's campus that is located in Huron. Just 12 miles down the road. It was now 4:35. I called the bookstore before heading out. The young lady said yes they did have the Blue Exam booklets. I asked if she had 25 booklets. She said yes. I asked her what the hours were for today. She said the bookstore closed at 5 p.m. I told her I was leaving now from Vermilion and coming there to purchase 25 of the exam booklets. I thought I could make it.

I grabbed my purse and keys and ran out the door yelling to Michael over my shoulder that I was heading to BGSU and would be right back. At 4:42 I pulled out of my driveway. Once I got to Route 2, I literally flew down the highway. I asked God to send an angel to make sure I made it there in time, safely, and without getting picked up. It was still pouring down rain as I frantically drove the 12 miles to Huron. I also asked God to send an angel to the bookstore to make sure it was open when I arrived.

At 4:58 I pulled into a parking place, shut off the car, popped open my umbrella, and made a mad dash in my red dress and white high heeled sandals for the bookstore. When I got to the main door I pulled it open and thrust my umbrella through. Right. I didn't even put the umbrella down.

The girl, a college student by the looks of her, stood just inside the doors of the bookstore speaking with someone. I ran to the doors finally putting my umbrella down. The young lady behind the counter said "Can I help you?" Huffing and puffing I told her I was the woman who called about the exam booklets. She said "Oh. Yes. They're right over here." She led me to the shelf and asked me if I wanted the smaller version or the larger. I chose the larger.

We walked back to the counter. My breathing began to quiet. She told me she hoped I hadn't rushed too much. She said, "After you called I decided to keep the store open for a few extra minutes to make sure you got the booklets you needed."

"Bless your heart!" I beamed at her.

God answered my prayer getting me safely to the bookstore in time and without getting a ticket. He also answered my prayers in the form of a lovely young lady who was kind enough to give me some extra time. Talk about wonderful customer service. I'm writing a letter to BGSU to thank whoever hired this young woman and sing her praises.

I walked out of the bookstore with my orange BGSU bag filled with 25 exam booklets in hand. Unlocking the car door, I placed the bag on the passenger seat, put my umbrella down, and sat behind the wheel. I thanked God over and over again. When I turned the key in the ignition the low fuel light came on. I hadn't even realized how low I was on gas. I couldn't tell you if it was on while I was driving to the bookstore or not. A sense of calm came over me, and I just sat and breathed in and out. Smiling from ear to ear.

Thanks to God and this young lady, my students will get to take their exam in the Blue Exam booklets I've been telling them about.

I just had to share this with all of you because usually you hear people complain about poor customer service. Not this time. What a nice surprise.

When's the last time you received great customer service? Please share.