So my blog is titled Random Ramblings. Here now... some random thoughts...
- I hate the dentist, but if I have to go, mine is the best.
- The countdown to a vacation is killer.
- Caribou is now using Guittard chocolate for their hot chocolate and it is AMAZING. Don't forget a shot of mint.
- I could really go for a massage.
- Maggianos will be missed.
- Like father, like son.... Charley has a bad back and needs a haircut soon after he gets one.
- This season sucks in terms of car cleanliness. I would like a wash, but it just does not make sense.
- Slim-Fast needs to re-appear in stores soon!
- Why do all those people on American Idol think they can sing? It is so annoying!!!
- I wish money grew on trees.... mine would already be bare.
- I wonder what it would be like to have a larger bladder.
- "Oh, you'll do it. You'll do it like every other self-respecting woman. Get on your back, point your heels to Jesus, and think of handbags." - Karen Walker to Jack McFarland
- Everyone should get their birthday off work.
- Surprises are not only surprising, but fun.
- Thankfully football season is almost over... Sundays on Facebook can get back to normal.
And that is what is going through my head right now. Feel free to share any of your random thoughts by adding a comment below.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Sucky Science Museum
This year, Chad and I decided to become members of the Science Museum of Minnesota. For the most part, we did it because of their Titanic exhibit (members get it much cheaper) and because we like the Omnitheater. We thought it would be a wise investment and on weekends we did not have much money, it would give us something fun to do... especially since each of us get a free Omni ticket for every day we go.
Over 6 months ago, the Titanic exhibit opened. It was a big deal, and was pretty cool. We saw the movie and all. Not long after we decided to go back. That is when we realized the problem...
The Omnitheater was ONLY showing the Titanic movie until the end of January. Wait... you mean to tell me that for over 6 months, they are only showing one move in that theater? That's correct. I, of course, wrote an e-mail explaining my sincere dissatisfaction with that. The girl told me she was sorry, but told me how great the museum was. I then corresponded with her supervisor, who gave me the same rehearsed bit. Finally, I went to her supervisor, who did the same thing. They did not budge. Their customer service is appalling, and their policies are worse. How dare they only show one move for more than half of a year and expect that their members would be okay with that.
So now, our current plan is to get as much out of them as possible. They have their annual Omnifest coming up... 5 movies in 6 weeks. You had better believe we are going to every movie, as they are free for members. In fact, there is one I have NO interest in seeing, but we are still going to take them for all we can.
In short, please do not support this organization who treats their members like crap. Instead, do what we did... become members of the Minnesota Zoo and see cute animals whenever you want.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
Over 6 months ago, the Titanic exhibit opened. It was a big deal, and was pretty cool. We saw the movie and all. Not long after we decided to go back. That is when we realized the problem...
The Omnitheater was ONLY showing the Titanic movie until the end of January. Wait... you mean to tell me that for over 6 months, they are only showing one move in that theater? That's correct. I, of course, wrote an e-mail explaining my sincere dissatisfaction with that. The girl told me she was sorry, but told me how great the museum was. I then corresponded with her supervisor, who gave me the same rehearsed bit. Finally, I went to her supervisor, who did the same thing. They did not budge. Their customer service is appalling, and their policies are worse. How dare they only show one move for more than half of a year and expect that their members would be okay with that.
So now, our current plan is to get as much out of them as possible. They have their annual Omnifest coming up... 5 movies in 6 weeks. You had better believe we are going to every movie, as they are free for members. In fact, there is one I have NO interest in seeing, but we are still going to take them for all we can.
In short, please do not support this organization who treats their members like crap. Instead, do what we did... become members of the Minnesota Zoo and see cute animals whenever you want.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Our Perfect Day
As you may know, Saturday marked mine and Chad's one year anniversary together. A few months back, we decided to mark the occasion with our perfect day... essentially doing a lot of the things we most enjoy. So for those who are curious...
We got ready and headed out to McDonalds. We both love breakfast there, regardless of how white-trash it makes us. So, we enjoyed our "breakfast swammies" and then headed off to our massages.
Quick plug for those of you in town who like massages... go to Massage Retreat in Plymouth. Their website is: http://www.massageretreat.com/ Between us going there a couple times, and all of the other people I know who have gone there, I can definitely say this place is one of the best around. Their prices are REALLY good and their therapists are the best. Truly, no one that I know of has had a therapist they would not recommend.
So, we got to Massage Retreat and we are waiting for massages. Out walks this girl who used to work for me at the JCC. Sure enough... she was Chad's therapist. Thankfully she was not mine as that would have been awkward, but Chad said she was great. Her name is Julie. I had Jenn and she was fabulous. It was a great thing to do on our perfect day.
After that, we needed to kill a little time, so instead of lunch, we went and got hot chocolate at Caribou. They recently started using Guittard chocolate in their drinks... GREAT call. Their hot chocolate has always been the best, but now it is that much better. Oh... and don't forget the shot of mint.
Next up, we went to the Godiva store because one of Chad's favorite things is chocolate covered strawberries, and we knew they would go well with the wine we bought for later.
Finally, we checked into the hotel. We got a king room with a whirpool as we both love spending time in the tub. We took a bath and relaxed for a bit. Then it was time for dinner.
We went to one of our favorite restaurants, Fogo de Chao. Anyone who has ever been knows how amazing it is. Those who do not, let me explain... a vegetarian's worst nightmare. It is all the beef and meat you can eat. AMAZING!!!!!
After dinner it was back to the hotel for more tub time, wine, and chocolate covered strawberries. We also watched SNL and ordered a late night snack from room service... Nachos. After all that, our perfect day came to a close and we went to bed.
When we woke up, we wanted to be sure we got plenty of use out of the tub. So we did another round of that, then went downstairs for breakfast. Finally, it was back to the room for one final soak in the tub before showering and then leaving.
It was a perfect day, with the perfect man, to mark the perfect year. Chad is my heart and soul, the love of my life, and my b'sheret. I look forward to many more anniversaries and perfect days together.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
We got ready and headed out to McDonalds. We both love breakfast there, regardless of how white-trash it makes us. So, we enjoyed our "breakfast swammies" and then headed off to our massages.
Quick plug for those of you in town who like massages... go to Massage Retreat in Plymouth. Their website is: http://www.massageretreat.com/ Between us going there a couple times, and all of the other people I know who have gone there, I can definitely say this place is one of the best around. Their prices are REALLY good and their therapists are the best. Truly, no one that I know of has had a therapist they would not recommend.
So, we got to Massage Retreat and we are waiting for massages. Out walks this girl who used to work for me at the JCC. Sure enough... she was Chad's therapist. Thankfully she was not mine as that would have been awkward, but Chad said she was great. Her name is Julie. I had Jenn and she was fabulous. It was a great thing to do on our perfect day.
After that, we needed to kill a little time, so instead of lunch, we went and got hot chocolate at Caribou. They recently started using Guittard chocolate in their drinks... GREAT call. Their hot chocolate has always been the best, but now it is that much better. Oh... and don't forget the shot of mint.
Next up, we went to the Godiva store because one of Chad's favorite things is chocolate covered strawberries, and we knew they would go well with the wine we bought for later.
Finally, we checked into the hotel. We got a king room with a whirpool as we both love spending time in the tub. We took a bath and relaxed for a bit. Then it was time for dinner.
We went to one of our favorite restaurants, Fogo de Chao. Anyone who has ever been knows how amazing it is. Those who do not, let me explain... a vegetarian's worst nightmare. It is all the beef and meat you can eat. AMAZING!!!!!
After dinner it was back to the hotel for more tub time, wine, and chocolate covered strawberries. We also watched SNL and ordered a late night snack from room service... Nachos. After all that, our perfect day came to a close and we went to bed.
When we woke up, we wanted to be sure we got plenty of use out of the tub. So we did another round of that, then went downstairs for breakfast. Finally, it was back to the room for one final soak in the tub before showering and then leaving.
It was a perfect day, with the perfect man, to mark the perfect year. Chad is my heart and soul, the love of my life, and my b'sheret. I look forward to many more anniversaries and perfect days together.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Ozo Process
Over the last three days, I have been busy in the Herzl Camp office conducting Ozo interviews. Wow… how times have changed. For years, there have been rumors of people being chosen because of who their parents are, how much money they donate, and what side of the river they live on. What I can tell you now… that is about as far from the truth as possible.
When Anne Hope asked me to be part of the interview process, I did not realize how times have changed. I assumed we would hear everyone out in their interview, even though the board and Anne had already decided who we would be hiring. Again… I was wrong. Herzl Camp has changed their process, and for the better. For those of you, like me, who were skeptical all those years… allow me to tell you how it is done.
Each candidate submits an application along with an essay, a project, and contact information for references. All of those are done in a “blind” process. Names are removed, and a number is assigned to each candidate. Then there are three different panels consisting of Herzl’s full time staff as well as current and former people in the Herzl community who evaluate and score the documents. One group scores the application, one scores the project, and yet another scores the essay. Again, there are no names in these documents, giving everyone a fair chance. References are also submitted giving a fourth score to each candidate.
The fifth and final score is the interview. This is the only part of the process that is not blind, as each person comes in to meet with the interview panel, face to face. Those who are out of town have an equally fair interview via speakerphone. There are approximately 6 categories of questions, each which have 8-10 questions related to the topic. In the interview we ask different questions from the categories, although some obviously repeat. Each answer is then scored at the end of the interview.
Those five scores are then entered into a master spreadsheet and the top 14 boys and the top 14 girls are selected to be that year’s Ozrim.
As always, there will be people who think that the process is somehow unfair. I am here to tell you that it is EXTREMELY fair, and Herzl has done everything they possibly can to make this process fair and even. In fact, it is so fair, that there is no pre-screening. By that I mean that EVERYONE gets an interview. Each person who applies is given an equally fair chance to prove why they are the best candidate for the job.
Because of the amazing experience Herzl Camp gives its campers year after year, everyone wants to be an Ozo. Like with any job, not everyone will be selected, but I commend Herzl for creating this process, proving all those skeptics wrong. What I also know is that the 2010 Ozrim will be an amazing group and I cannot wait to see them in action!
When Anne Hope asked me to be part of the interview process, I did not realize how times have changed. I assumed we would hear everyone out in their interview, even though the board and Anne had already decided who we would be hiring. Again… I was wrong. Herzl Camp has changed their process, and for the better. For those of you, like me, who were skeptical all those years… allow me to tell you how it is done.
Each candidate submits an application along with an essay, a project, and contact information for references. All of those are done in a “blind” process. Names are removed, and a number is assigned to each candidate. Then there are three different panels consisting of Herzl’s full time staff as well as current and former people in the Herzl community who evaluate and score the documents. One group scores the application, one scores the project, and yet another scores the essay. Again, there are no names in these documents, giving everyone a fair chance. References are also submitted giving a fourth score to each candidate.
The fifth and final score is the interview. This is the only part of the process that is not blind, as each person comes in to meet with the interview panel, face to face. Those who are out of town have an equally fair interview via speakerphone. There are approximately 6 categories of questions, each which have 8-10 questions related to the topic. In the interview we ask different questions from the categories, although some obviously repeat. Each answer is then scored at the end of the interview.
Those five scores are then entered into a master spreadsheet and the top 14 boys and the top 14 girls are selected to be that year’s Ozrim.
As always, there will be people who think that the process is somehow unfair. I am here to tell you that it is EXTREMELY fair, and Herzl has done everything they possibly can to make this process fair and even. In fact, it is so fair, that there is no pre-screening. By that I mean that EVERYONE gets an interview. Each person who applies is given an equally fair chance to prove why they are the best candidate for the job.
Because of the amazing experience Herzl Camp gives its campers year after year, everyone wants to be an Ozo. Like with any job, not everyone will be selected, but I commend Herzl for creating this process, proving all those skeptics wrong. What I also know is that the 2010 Ozrim will be an amazing group and I cannot wait to see them in action!
Friday, January 8, 2010
What Age Would You Be?
Yesterday I asked my tenants at work the question... If you could be any age for the rest of your life, what age would you be? Surprisingly, all but one said the same age... approximately 20. The other person said 25. Still, this blew me away.
I am currently 32, and if I had to pick any age, I would go with right now. I love this age. I am old enough to know things, have real world experience, and enjoy life, but still young enough to enjoy things that older folks may not.
Being 20 surprised me. Granted, it has been a long time since any of them were 20, but I really thought they would say older. In my opinion... what does a 20 year old know? They cannot even legally drink. They have not graduated college. They have likely not been in the "real world" in terms of work. Many of them still live with their parents. Why would anyone choose 20?
For me, I am loving my 30's and truly think it is the best of both worlds. So... what age would be?
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
I am currently 32, and if I had to pick any age, I would go with right now. I love this age. I am old enough to know things, have real world experience, and enjoy life, but still young enough to enjoy things that older folks may not.
Being 20 surprised me. Granted, it has been a long time since any of them were 20, but I really thought they would say older. In my opinion... what does a 20 year old know? They cannot even legally drink. They have not graduated college. They have likely not been in the "real world" in terms of work. Many of them still live with their parents. Why would anyone choose 20?
For me, I am loving my 30's and truly think it is the best of both worlds. So... what age would be?
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Poor Communication
Listen up business owners... if you want clients, you need to communicate. I know there are flaky people out there, and unfortunately, there always will be. But guess what... they should not own businesses.
As you know, Chad and I have been planning our wedding. Our latest project is figuring out the linens for the reception. Tablecloths, seat covers, sashes, napkins, etc. We had asked for quotes from a few places. We got them in, and based on price, decided who we would likely use. We set up a time with her, and it has been downhill from there. Getting her to respond to me has been more than difficult. She also cancelled two different meeting times with us. I understand things come up, but please, communicate. After we met with her we thought she might be okay despite the issues we had. But true to form, she has been MIA again this past week. I sent her an e-mail December 28th to no avail. I sent a second on December 31st, and got nothing in response. Her website went down for "a new look" around Thanksgiving for, what she told me, would be 4 days. Today is January 5th and it is still not up.
So... now the process starts all over again with quotes. Unfortunately, someone like her gives small businesses a bad name. I understand she has 8 kids at home, and that is enough to drive any mother crazy. However, then you should not own your own business. Your kids are your business and they likely need you. So leave the linens to the professionals, and by all means, if you insist on owning a business, learn to communicate and get back to your clients, or your business will be in the pooper faster than you can say linens.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
As you know, Chad and I have been planning our wedding. Our latest project is figuring out the linens for the reception. Tablecloths, seat covers, sashes, napkins, etc. We had asked for quotes from a few places. We got them in, and based on price, decided who we would likely use. We set up a time with her, and it has been downhill from there. Getting her to respond to me has been more than difficult. She also cancelled two different meeting times with us. I understand things come up, but please, communicate. After we met with her we thought she might be okay despite the issues we had. But true to form, she has been MIA again this past week. I sent her an e-mail December 28th to no avail. I sent a second on December 31st, and got nothing in response. Her website went down for "a new look" around Thanksgiving for, what she told me, would be 4 days. Today is January 5th and it is still not up.
So... now the process starts all over again with quotes. Unfortunately, someone like her gives small businesses a bad name. I understand she has 8 kids at home, and that is enough to drive any mother crazy. However, then you should not own your own business. Your kids are your business and they likely need you. So leave the linens to the professionals, and by all means, if you insist on owning a business, learn to communicate and get back to your clients, or your business will be in the pooper faster than you can say linens.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
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