From My Perspective…

The countdown has officially started.  Actually, who am I kidding??  The countdown has been happening ever since I got that wonderful phone call from Courtney at the Ellen DeGeneres Show saying that I had tickets.  The day is fast approaching tho, and I am beyond excited.

We are leaving in the morning.

My good friend Jenn (learn about her HERE) was supposed to come with me.  That was the plan.  However, as it sometimes does, life has gotten in the way of her Ellen trip.  Her little girl is pretty sick.  She has opted to stay home and be the great amazing Mom that she is.  We are sad that it didn’t work out, but I do firmly believe that everything happens just the way it is supposed to.

I am sure I could have asked just about anyone to come with me, and they would have jumped at the chance.  I didn’t ask just anyone tho.  I asked my Mom.  To some, this may not seem unusual.  For me, it kinda was.  My Mom and I haven’t always been that close.  I know it bugs both of us that we aren’t.  This trip, I think, it going to be the end to that.  I think it is going to be the catalyst of bringing our relationship forward.  I am happy about that.  Very Happy.  I am so excited to be taking both my Mom and My Daughter (you remember her, right?? If you have your tissues handy, you can read about her HERE).  It’s 3 generations of girls, heading off to see one of the most amazing women in the world.

Speaking of Ellen – and why wouldn’t we?   After all, who doesn’t love Ellen??  - I am so thrilled and grateful to have these tickets.  I am not a huge celebrity watcher.  I can’t tell you who is marrying, who is divorcing or what is happening on the Reality Shows.  It’s not that I don’t think these people are interesting, I just don’t care about the nitty gritty of their personal life.  Not the negative stuff, anyway.  I like hearing the positive stuff.  That’s Ellen.  Positive.  Always upbeat, always smiling – that’s what makes her so popular. I’m not saying that negative stuff doesn’t happen to her.  Of course it does!  She’s a human being muddling through this thing called life just the same as you or me.  It’s how she handles that stuff.  It really doesn’t seem to bring her down.  It doesn’t get smeared across the tabloids.  She chooses to keep her life fairly quiet.  She shows the world the positive stuff.  The stuff that is IMPORTANT.

Love.

Joy.

Doing the Right Thing.

It’s not about  having a lot of money.  Money helps you to do bigger things, but helping the world is not dependant on money.  So for all of you out there who think you need a lot of money, stop it!  You just need a good heart, and good ideas.

I could write forever on how amazing I think Ellen Degeneres is.  If you don’t know much about her, and all of the amazing things she has done, do a Wikepedia search.  There is a pretty good article there.  Her wife, Portia deRossi (I guess legally, it’s DeGeneres now!!!) is also amazing, and a huge inspiration to women everywhere.  Again, if you don’t know – look it up.

I could also gush all day about how excited I am.  I think you all know that already tho!  I will say this.  I can not WAIT to be at the show on Wednesday.  I keep getting asked “who’s on the show?”  and I have no idea.  I’m not sure it matters.  The experience is going to be amazing!

Ellen or Bust.

It had better be Ellen!

I snapped this photo while walking along the Inner Harbour of Victoria, British Columbia.  We were walking along, and this was stenciled on the sidewalk.  It’s a strong message, and one that spoke to me.  I don’t know who put it there, but I am grateful to them for doing so.  I often look at this picture and am reminded of its truth.

I am not a hugely confident person.  I act the part, and sometimes I can even fool myself into believing it – but in reality, I can be fairly shaky in the self-esteem department.  It’s not an easy thing for me to admit.  I have worked very hard to hide my lack of self confidence.  I have learned to seem brave when I am not.  I have learned to walk with confidence in situations where I am shaking on the inside.  I know logically that it doesn’t matter what other people think, it only matters what I think.

What I think.

Sometimes?  I think I am pretty great.  I am not hard on the eyes, even if I am not conventionally beautiful.  I’m pretty funny.  I’m a good friend.  I genuinely enjoy people, and care about them no matter who they are.  I have some artistic talents.  I am smart.  I am fun.  I am a good person.

Other times?

I think that I am mean.  I am not worth a whole lot to anyone.  I worry about making everyone around me angry, or sad.  I worry that I am screwing up my kids so bad they are going to hate me when they are older.  I think I am stupid.  I think I am ugly and chubby.  I can’t do anything right.

Of course, none of that is true – at least not all of the time.  Yet, why is it easier to believe that stuff, than the good stuff I talked about first?

In years past, the second description was the one I lived by.  I let it shape who I was, how I interacted with people, decisions I made.  I have overcome a lot of self doubt in the past few years, learning about and accepting myself along the way.  I have started letting go of events that occurred in my past.  I am no longer allowing myself to be defined by them.  This is a work in progress, a journey.  I am working on remembering that I am not my past.  I am also not my future.  I am NOW.

NOW

TODAY

Today?  I am a mother.  I am a wife.  I am a friend.  I am a sister, a daughter, a cousin, a niece.  I am a Flight Attendant.  I am a Karate Student.  I am an artist.  I am a musician.  I am a writer.  Also?  I am happy.  I am sad.  I am scared.  I am angry.  I am excited.  I am hopeful.

I AM ME.

I am a loving human being, with much to offer the world.  I am open to the lessons being offered to me, and agreeing to be open to those lessons is what has enabled me to let go of the negative things in my past.  I have learned what I needed from them, taken the lesson and left the rest behind.  I am working on bringing that forward into how I deal with the world now.

A few things have happened for me lately that have me thinking and rethinking these ideas.  Questioning myself, and how far I have truly come.

I have written recently about the loss of my Mentor.  I am taking my career another step further this month, and am fearful of doing so without her.  I am about to find out if I have what it takes to do this alone.  Without someone to hold my hand through the process, am I going to continue to be successful?  Can I make it happen without her guidance?

Yes.

I am also about to grade for my Blue Belt in Karate.  It’s a huge step in the process, and also the most physically demanding grading I will do.  I have doubts about my body.  I have a cold.  I have a back injury.  I have hip issues.  Not excuses, just realities.  Also?  I find it easier to just give up.  I will have to show my Katas (forms).  I will have to push myself physically beyond my own limits.  I will be doing 600 kicks on Saturday.  300 per leg.  I have held pads for others doing this task.  I know it can be done.  But can it be done by ME?

It can.

Do you know why?

Because Self Confidence comes from the Soul.

It doesn’t come from your friends.  It doesn’t come from your spouse.  It doesn’t come from outside of you.  It’s something you find inside, when you let your true self shine through.

My Sensei recently asked me what is the one thing I would change about myself.  My answered “My Confidence”.  Her response nearly made me cry.  She pointed out that since she’s known me, my confidence has increased immensely.  I am able to hold my head high when I am in the Dojo.  I am able to hold my head high when I am with my peers.  I can teach my co-workers, and be the change at work I want to see there.

I still have to fight my old way of thinking, but I’m on my way.  I can laugh at myself, instead of thinking the world is laughing at me.  I can move my life forward, even when I am scared to do so.  I can let hurts of the past go, and work on friendships of today and tomorrow.

Self Confidence Comes From The Soul.

My Soul?  It’s joyful and full of love and hope.

I can take on the world.

And Win.

Customer Service - an ongoing series of posts regarding the best and worst of my  Customer Service experiences at home and on the road.

Aura:  Inn at Laurel Point,  YYJ – Victoria, British Columbia

We were supposed to go to Vegas.  That was the plan.  It was also my gift to my husband for his birthday.  Neither of us have been there for “fun” in our adult lives, so I figured it would be perfect!  Until the flights all sold out.  Then we had to start coming up with Plans B, C, D and E…  we had a place for our kids to go for the week, so we did NOT want to let that opportunity get away from us!!  We ended up deciding on one of our favourite spots.  Victoria.  It’s not new to us, but it is dear to us.  We have also never been there alone without kids.  I enlisted the help of Avril Matthews, from the Inn at Laurel Point, and we started plotting how to make our “family favourite” destination a “romantic” destination.

We stayed at the Fairmont Empress.  You all know that I am definitely a “Fairmont Girl”.  Nothing here would disappoint.  We stayed on the Gold Level, and I did enjoy reconnecting with everyone there.  I have to say, however, that the Empress may have to share my love – with the Inn at Laurel Point.

We decided to try Aura for our big romantic dinner.  I knew they could make Poutine (See here for the Poutine Off post) – but could they make dinner?

We walked in and were immediately greeted with a huge smile and were shown to our table by our lovely hostess.  I am pretty sure it was the best table in the house!  Beautiful view of the Inner Harbour, all lit up!  We chatted and ordered sparkling water, and just enjoyed the view.  There was a small mix up with our server – but we ended up with a GREAT server, whose name was Jay.  Jay was very knowledgable, and super friendly.  We ordered our dinner, and I ordered wine pairings.  I love restaurants who offer pairings with your meals.  I love wine, but am not great at knowing which goes with what food.  I must say – the pairings at Aura were BANG on with the food I had ordered!!

Our food was delicious.  (I guess they CAN make more than Poutine!!)  We decided to order from the Dine Around Victoria menu.  Dine Around Victoria is a great offering from local restaurants.  They offer three-course menus at different price points.  You get an appetizer, main course and a dessert.  I ordered a Salad, Risotto and an Ice-Cream/Sorbet combination for dessert.  Joel ordered Prawns, Ravioli and a Triple-Chocolate Dessert.  I’d like to take a moment to say that his Prawns were AMAZING.  And GORGEOUS!  Everything else was also Delicious and beautifully presented.

Chris Jones, the Food and Beverage Manager, came over and introduced himself to us.  He wanted to make sure we were enjoying our meals, and also – as Avril had told him I was a Fairmont Girl – wanted to arrange a room tour of the hotel.  A very nice touch!  We did take a quick tour after dinner, and the rooms are stunning!

We were very impressed with the service at Aura.  Not only was the food delicious, and affordable, but everyone was incredibly friendly and helped to create a very warm and inviting atmosphere.  Even the server who was dealing with the very loud, and somewhat rude, table beside us was extremely professional.  What they did, folks, was simple.  Simple things like ensuring our water was always full, smiling at us when eye contact was made and knowing their menu.

We tried very hard to find everyone’s names – as you all know I like to call people by their names – but the lighting was such that we couldn’t get a good look at everyone’s name tags.  If you were working the night that we were in (February 22, 2011) and felt uncomfortable at our constant staring at your chests – we apologize.  Please take it as the compliment it is!!!  Not THAT compliment people…  the compliment that I wanted to thank you all personally for your wonderful service and tried hard to read your name tags!!!

I would recommend Aura to anyone in Victoria who wants an upscale yet relaxed dinner.  From the moment you walk in to the moment you leave, you will be glad you chose to be there.

Might I recommend the Risotto.

ps:  Aura has recently welcomed Chef Ito (formerly from the Fairmont Empress) as their new Executive Chef.  I am already plotting my return to Aura to see what this amazing Chef does with the menu!  Welcome, Chef!

You have all heard me say it a hundred times.

I am a lucky, lucky girl.

I am surrounded by love all of the time.

I try my best to ensure everyone around me knows that I love them, every day.  Not just on a special day set aside by the Card-Making Industry.  However, it is sometimes nice to make a big deal about the people who touch your life.  With that in mind, here is my Valentine for my amazing husband.

Our "first" Wedding

Joel and I have known each other for 16 years.  We have been together for 12.  Married for 7.  We have had many ups, and many downs.  We have almost not made it.  Almost become part of that divorce statistic.  We worked hard tho, and have moved ourselves forward to a place that many people find envious.  Our secret?  We talk, (not always well, but we always talk) we laugh, we love – most importantly tho?  We allow each other to be ourselves.  Some of the things that make Joel tick, confuse the hell out of me.  I am sure my absolute passion for my job and my industry leave him wondering who this crazy lady he married is.  It’s ok tho!  We don’t have to be so intertwined in each other’s lives that we are one being. We are two separate humans, with two separate lives.  We choose to weave our lives together, in a way that holds and supports our family.  I am so grateful that I don’t have to hide myself from him.  I am so happy that he knows I love him enough that who he truly is, is perfectly ok.

Our Vow Renewal

I am constantly amazed how lucky we are, and how simple it is to truly be happy living with someone.

Happy Valentines Day Joel.  I love you more and more every day.  Thank you for allowing me to run with who I am, to run with my dreams and my passions.  I know it’s not always easy to live in my world, and I am so very thankful that you choose every day to be here.

Love,  ME

Another year has gone by since my Dad passed away.  The anniversary of the day my brother and I found him was yesterday.  Tomorrow would be his 61st birthday.  This week is always tough for me.

I worked yesterday.  It’s the first time I have worked on the anniversary or his birthday.  I thought about him as I got ready.  I almost lost it as I filled out my customs form, as I wrote the date.  I managed to hold it together tho, and kept it together really for the entire day.   The sad and the tears started to hit me as we waited for the shuttle to take us to our hotel.  I shed some tears in private, chatted with my husband and the Monsters, and went to sleep.

I had some tears again today.

In reality, tho?  This year hasn’t been as hard.  I miss my Dad like crazy.  That won’t ever change.  The overwhelming sadness tho, seems to be fading.  I can listen to his favourite songs.  I can look at his picture.  I can work on the anniversary of his death.  Life keeps going, I keep going.  When I think of him? I feel lonely.  I feel sad.  I also feel love and joy.  I am sure it’s the love and joy that I am able to remember and bring forward that is making the sadness easier to bear.

Again, as I do every year, I invite you to hoist a beverage of your choice this week, and toast my Dad.  He would have liked that.  He was a good man, a great Dad and an amazing Grandfather.  He made mistakes, and learned from them.  He didn’t hide from them or let them destroy him.  A great life lesson for everyone.

Cheers Dad!

I Love You.

Boarding a Plane

My Wedding Day

I go back to work in the morning.

I love my job.  I don’t mind being away, although I do miss my family like crazy.  The reason I don’t mind leaving?  I know I’m home so much more than the average working Mom.  And let’s be honest – the quiet of being alone in a hotel room?  Unrivaled in a house with 1 husband, 2 (sometimes 3) children, 3 cats and 1 dog.

The day before I leave tho?  Always feels chaotic.  After 3 years, one might think I have a great routine down, and I guess that I do..  it’s just that the chaos?  It’s part of the routine.

Today I have to accomplish the following:  Laundry.  Iron my Uniform.  Pack.  Plan and Prepare food.  Read my Company Communications.  Read my Company Emails.  Ensure my Manual is up to date.  Decide what time to leave in the morning.  Fix my nails.  Polish my shoes.

That’s just the work-related stuff.  I also have to:  Feed my Children.  Referee my Children.  Make sure everyone has clean clothes for when I am gone.  Referee my Children.  Pick up my husband’s birthday present.  Referee my Children.  Attend a Birthday Dinner for my husband.  Write this Blog Post.  Referee my Children.

Do you see how the day-to-day stuff (did I mention Refereeing my Children??) gets in the way of the routine?  Sometimes?  on those Amazing, Glorious, Wonderful, Fabulous days??  I don’t actually have to referee them.  Also, their laundry is done so I don’t have to worry about that.  We don’t always have birthday dinners.  However – we do always have SOMETHING.  Such is the life of a busy family raising two active little hellions boys.

So what does the actual routine look like?

I prepare food when I can during the day.  This is sometimes no more than putting veggies in baggies.  Today? I prepared the most easy (and my new favourite) salad.  I will post the recipe below.  I will put those veggies in bags.  I will also set aside some fresh fruit, as I don’t have to worry about clearing customs until Day3 – so I will have time to eat it before that.  I will make sure I have some yogurt.  Packages of Oatmeal.  Granola bars.  Peanut Butter (it goes with fruit, crackers, a spoon – it’s perfect!)  I usually have some cheese in there as well…  Sometimes some deli meat and wraps are tossed in as well.  Also?  Always a wee bit of candy of some sort…  it’s just delicious and a great pick me up!

In my suitcase?  I always have extra uniform pieces (obviously) and clean undies.  I pack a pair of jeans (these would be capri-style in the summer) a T-shirt, a sweater and a nicer top.  I used to pack extra shoes, but now, I just have my runners and my work shoes.  I also keep a bathing suit in my bag at all times, along with my work-out clothes.  Toss in my PJs and toiletries and I’m good to go.

I also carry a flight bag.  In here you will find my FAM (Manual), my Passport, my apron, a small touch-up makeup kit, my wallet, (I tend to not bring my purse on pairings – although I do occasionally throw it in) books (I carry some kids books, to entertain those little rugrats on longer flights) my laptop, temporary tattoos (also for those rugrats), pens, extra customs forms, and miscellaneous stuff that always finds its way in there.

Along with the above mentioned food in my lunch bag, I also have cutlery, a huge selection of teas, mints, a small pharmacy, room-freshening spray, and a fine selection of pens can be found here as well.

Well, the dryer just beeped, which means my uniform shirts are clean.  Time to iron everything, and start organizing my suitcase!!

Happy Flying!!!

As promised:

Mexican Black Bean Salad

1 can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Niblet-Style Corn

2 green onions, chopped

1cup Cucumber, chopped

1cup Salsa of your choice

Mix everything together in a bowl, and refrigerate.  The ways to serve this are countless.  I eat it on the road with shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled tortilla chips.  You could put it over lettuce.  Use it with eggs in a breakfast wrap.  My husband added fresh avacado to his.  It’s awesome and gets better the longer it sits.

I have always thought I would be the world’s greatest Mom if I could serve my kids cookies for breakfast!  I am fairly certain that my children would agree – that would make me Worlds Greatest Mom FOR SURE!!!

However….  we all know that the sugar content of cookies is pretty high, and while I personally advocate for chocolate at every meal, I also understand that a chocolate chip cookie is not a healthy alternative for starting your day.  (Please don’t tell my kids OR my own Mother that I have been known to DO this while on my own)

I found a recipe online today tho, that qualifies as a fairly healthy snack.  The stuff in it – natural.  The taste?  Pretty Darned Good.  Am I advocating cookies for breakfast?  Not really – but if you don’t have time for a true sit-down meal – these would certainly do in a pinch.  Even my oldest boy, who is very very picky – thought they were delicious!!!

I am going to post this recipe twice.  First, how I made it.  Second, how the recipe was written.  I followed some of the tips previous commenters to the website had left, and also made a few substitutions of my own, based on the ingredients I had on hand.

Breakfast Cookie ala Flygirl

2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of honey (I used buckwheat honey)
1/2 cup of peanut butter (I had chunky)
1 cup grated carrots
3/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried pineapple, chopped PLUS 1/2 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour PLUS 1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 and 1/2 cups Cheerios (we only had the new Banana Nut cheerios)

Combine egg, honey, and peanut butter.
Add carrots, raisins, sunflower seeds and dried fruit.
Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl combine flour, wheat germ, oats, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Add this to wet mixture and stir until everything is wet. Fold in Cheerios.

Drop mixture onto cookie sheets about 2.5 cm apart and bake at 350 for 16 minutes or until cookie is firm.

The mixture is going to look different than a normal drop cookie.  I didn’t think it would bake together, there was SO much good stuff in there.  It did tho, and they are AWESOME!!

*the original recipe said I would get 30 cookies.  I got about 15 – I made ‘em big.  I figured if you were going to use them as a “breakfast” you should make ‘em big*

I think this is definitely one of those recipes you could create a hundred different ways depending on the flavours you like and the ingredients you have on hand.  Experiment and Enjoy!!!

Here is the link to the original recipe:  http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=5713

Here is the recipe as it was originally written.

2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of honey
1/4 cup of butter
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 and 1/2 cups Cheerios

Combine egg, honey, and butter.
Add raisins, walnuts and apricots.
Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl combine flour, oats, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Add this to wet mixture and stir until everything is wet. Fold in Cheerios.

Drop mixture onto cookie sheets about 2.5 cm apart and bake at 350 for 15 minuts or until cookie is firm.

A REASON, A SEASON OR A LIFETIME – Author Unknown

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or
a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you
will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON . . . It is
usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have
come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you
with guidance and support, to aid you physically,
emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a
godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason
you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an
inconvenient time, this person will say or do something
to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.
Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things
you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional
foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the
person, and put what you have learned to use in all
other relationships and areas of your life. It is said
that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

This ’saying’ popped into my head this morning.

I have been silently (well, ok, for some of you NOT so silently – and I thank you for listening) dealing with the apparent loss of a friendship that meant a great deal to me.  I have been wondering what I did to cause the divide, trying to figure out what I could have done differently.  I realized this morning that it doesn’t matter if I could have done anything differently, because it’s already happened.  All I can do is take the lessons offered to me, and move forward.

This experience has also had me thinking of other friendships I have now and have had in the past.  Why it is that there are so many different types of friendships.

Why do I have friends that I connect so intensely with for a short time, and then without any real obvious reasons, they are gone?

Why do I have some friends that I can not talk to for years, and when I sit in a room with them or get on the phone with them, it’s like it’s only been a couple of days since our last visit?

Why do I have friendships that can recover from disagreements, and others that just never will?

Why do I have some friends that I have yet to meet in real life, yet these people provide such a huge amount of support to me?

The answer?

It’s written above, by someone with a great deal of wisdom.  The Universe brings you the people that you need at any given time, and it’s up to each of us to realize whether those people are here for a reason, a season or a lifetime.  Also?  We have to realize that we are a reason, season or lifetime for others, and that can be a difficult thing to accept.

In my adult life, I have had many reasons, lots of seasons, and a handful of lifetimes.  None are more important or less precious to me than the others.  Each of these people have touched my life in ways I will always be grateful for.  Even the ones who seemed to provide a negative experience at the time have taught me so much, I can’t honestly say I’d want a different experience.

My hope is that I have been just right for the people whose lives I have touched.  I hope people look back at their relationships with me and smile, and I hope my current friends know I am here for them, even if it’s for a small reason.

My friend that I have been sad about?  She was with me for a season.  She was my teacher.  My mentor.  My confidante.  My Friend.  She showed me the confidence I had lost inside myself and helped me to realize my own potential.  Taught me that the right thing to do isn’t always the easy path, but it’s still the right thing to do.  Also?  She’s the most absolutely beautiful person I have ever known.  Inside and out.  She deserve happiness, and I wish her nothing but.  I hope she knows how much she did for me, just by being there when I needed her.

Love and Light to you all.

Customer Service - an ongoing series of posts regarding the best and worst of my  Customer Service experiences at home and on the road.

Mahogany’s Grill Restaurant:  Sheraton Gateway Hotel,  YYZ Toronto Pearson Airport

We have three crew hotels in Toronto.  We get to stay at the Sheraton when we don’t have a lot of time.  It’s one of my “luxury” hotels – I am not a fan of waiting for shuttles, so getting to walk straight to my bed, without ever setting foot in the rain and/or snow??  AWESOME.  The beds here are great and again – did I mention not having to go outside in the snow?

While the location may be awesome, generally food options are not that great.  There is a lounge (Mahogany Bar) and a restaurant (Mahogany’s Grill) attached to the hotel.  The food is good, but as ALL airport-located hotels, the prices are outrageous for the actual quality that you get.  That being said…  sometimes?  it’s the only option that you have for a warm meal.

I have always opted to sit in the lounge.  I have never had anything really to say about it.  If you have read anything else I have written, if it’s not super-bad or amazingly, well, AMAZING – it’s not worth it to me to blog about.  The service in the lounge is really just average.  Not a lot of cheer, not a lot of friendly, not a lot of quick.  Just polite, semi-efficient service.  It’s what I think of as “hoity-toity”.  Have you ever noticed that uber-rich people like to be treated poorly??  Snobby!!  Anyway… this blog isn’t titled “semi-ok service at Mahogany Bar”, so on with the topic at hand!!

On Monday night, we decided that ever with our super-quick layover that we would like a warm meal and a quick glass of wine.  We changed super quick, and met in the Restaurant.  I have never sat on that side.  I didn’t expect it to be any different, to be honest.  Wow – was I in for a surprise!!  Our server’s name was Craig.  I think he was from the Maritimes – I did detect a bit of that heart-warming accent….  and he certainly had that lovely personality that most from out East have.

Let me start right now by saying that what Craig did wasn’t nearly as important as how he acted.  He was professional.  He was happy.  He clearly was enjoying his job.  He knew how to read his guests.  He was having fun.

How simple is that?

He turned our quick “necessity” dinner into a lovely experience.  He made our time comfortable and relaxed.  He gave us the opportunity to relax and enjoy the company we had – which isn’t always easy when sharing a meal with people who were strangers at the beginning of the day.   He made sure we splurged on ourselves by “insisting” on dessert.  It was just the perfect end to our day, and our meal.

This story just makes me realize that my mantra of Guest Service being completely simple is SO COMPLETELY true.

• Treat people how you want to be treated.  That goes for whichever side of the table you are on.
• Smile.  It’s contagious.
• If you don’t like your job…  find a new one.
• Eat Dessert.

Ok.. that last one isn’t a Guest Service / Guest Experience mantra – it’s a life mantra.  It’s still a sound piece of advice tho – Dessert makes you smile.  Smiling is good.  Therefore? Dessert is GOOD.

As always everyone – I remind you to appreciate and acknowledge good service when you see it.  Feedback is the only way people in the service industry know what sort of job they are doing – and if you can take the time to complain about bad, you can certainly take the time to acknowledge the good.

And you, Craig from Mahogany’s Grill??  You aren’t just GOOD at your job… you are AMAZING!  Thank you for such a wonderful dinner experience!!

Customer Service – an ongoing series of posts regarding the best and worst of my  Customer Service experiences at home and on the road.

Canadian Tire:  Strathmore, Alberta location

I had two reasons to go to a Canadian Tire store last week.  First, the wheels on my work suitcase click when I roll it.  This is annoying to me.  I have been told that putting rollerblade wheels on my bag would make a huge difference, so I went on a search for rollerblade wheels.  After a lot of dead-ends, the Canadian Tire website informed me that they DID have some wheels in stock at the Strathmore store.  SUPER!!  Secondly, my kids needed skates.  Neither one of them has ever skated.  I know, I know… we live in Canada and my kids are 6 and 9…  but neither has an interest in playing hockey and have never asked about skating until this year.  ANYWAY… I decided to buy them both some skates.  I have heard Canadian Tire is a great place to buy skates.  With these two missions in mind, we drove to Strathmore on Saturday morning.

*****

After a quick and yummy breakfast at Tim Hortons, we went over to the Canadian Tire.  Bee-lining to the sports section, my kids start their search for rollerblade wheels.  I tell them then that I would also buy them skates.  We quickly locate skates, and 3 red-shirted employees.  As we approach them, I make eye contact with one and smile.  Nothing in return.  Not great, but not unexpected these days in the retail world.  However, just when I start to ask about skates, all three of them push past us and leave us standing there.  Bewildered, we poke around abit more, still looking for rollerblade wheels.  At this time, we had to also take a bathroom break.  This is what happens when you are a) little and/or b) drink an extra large coffee, two-milk-one-sugar, at breakfast.  At least the dude at the automotive counter was funny and nice!  Back in the sports section, there are now absolutely NO red-shirted people to be found.  Also?  No rollerblade wheels.  We wander around for another 5 minutes, and finally spot an employee over in Housewares.  I ask if she can find us someone to help in the Sports Section.  She sighs, rolls her eyes, and wanders off without saying anything to us.  Moments later, we hear a page for assistance to Sporting Goods.  YAY!  We are pretty sure this will send someone to our aid.  We are wrong.  Another 10 minutes go by, and there is still no one there to help us.  We find another employee, this time in the lighting section, and approach her.  Again, we receive no real acknowledgement, and after she wanders off, we didn’t hear another page.  Finally, I am getting pretty fed up.  I would have walked out by now normally, but I really need those bloody rollerblade wheels!!  So, I do what any frustrated Mom with an iPhone would do – I look up the store phone number, and call them.  That’s right.  I am on the phone with the customer service desk, and am explaining to them that I am currently standing IN their Sporting Goods Department, that I have asked for help more than once and have received no acknowledgement and no help has come.  I ask that a manager be sent to the Sporting Goods Section immediately.  The girl, who sounds very pleasant when she first answers the phone, pulls some nasty attitude on me, and says “fine” before hanging up.  Three minutes later, we hear someone being paged to Sporting Goods.  Another 5 minutes after that, some young guy shows up, looking pretty annoyed.  Excuse me?!?!  YOU are annoyed at ME!??!  For asking you and your co-workers to do your jobs?!  Not good.  Really NOT good.  I explain to him that I was going to purchase skates and safety equipment from them, but that I would no longer be doing that today;  However, I do know they are one of the only places I can buy rollerblade wheels in the winter, so can he please show me where to find them.  This guy has still not acknowledged or apologized for the fact that I have had to resort to phoning them from inside their store to get any help.  He has not apologized for their lack of staffing, or for any inconvenience at all.  In fact, he still has an air like I should be apologizing to him.  He informs me that the wheels are in the back.  I ask him to get me some.  He looks at me as if I have asked him to give me the world on a platter.  He goes and finds me the wheels, and hands them to me.  The boys and I pay, and leave the store.

Almost a week later, and I am still upset about this experience.  My kids did get their skates (Thank You Walmart) and I did get the wheels – so the end result is exactly what we wanted.  That’s not the point tho.  I am absolutely disgusted and disturbed at how we were treated at this Canadian Tire store.  As a corporation, I know that Canadian Tire doesn’t represent this type of Customer Service.  They have done many great things for Canadians and our Guests alike (think the donation of supplies during the events after 9-11).  I would love to continue to support them and give them my hard-earned money when I require products they sell.  Plus, my kids really like Canadian Tire Money.

However, I will no longer EVER set foot in the Canadian Tire store in Strathmore, Alberta.  And to be honest, the other stores are abit far for me to go, when I can get the same products at Walmart or Home Hardware or Totem in Strathmore.  The tiny town of Strathmore is now a big town. There are choices.

My choice?

I am no longer a loyal Canadian Tire customer.

In fact?   I am no longer a Canadian Tire customer at all.