Merry Christmas

I was posed a question that if I were the CEO of a big company, how would I handle office parties, the phrase "Merry Christmas" (directives to my employees about Happy Holidays), etc. I have given a lot of thought to this holiday question and if I were CEO, this is how it would be.

We would be open year round. I would give out a set number of "holiday" days on top of their vacation package that an employee could use whenever they want. It is not fair that everyone gets off for Christmas, especially those who bitch about how it is crammed down their throat if they aren't Christian. So, those people can work while the Christians have their time off. When those non-Christians have their religious days, pagan days, whatever, then they can take time off then.

In store greetings will be left to the individual person. If I am accepting of everyone's beliefs, then we will not have a tree, menorah, or other religious symbolism displayed at the office or at parties. To have those up would be to "side" with that religion. I feel that having a tree, lights, greenery, Christmas songs playing on the speakers, but not allowing my employees to say Merry Christmas is hypocritical. You can't half-ass it. Either commit to Christmas or not at all.

I am a business woman, so I would have the holiday sales on T-giving weekend, but I will not push my beliefs onto my employees or my business, because that is emotionally running the business, and that is good business sense. Now, I am keeping in mind if I were Sears or Wal-Mart this is what I would do.

I know that some people may think that I am not "being Christian" enough by encompassing everyone and not promoting my own beliefs. I do show my faith by my actions in my personal life. I don't expect them to cram Hanukkah down my throat or chastise me for eating during Ramadan. That is insensitive and un Christ like to expect those culturally different from me to follow my schedule, but me not make room for theirs in mine. I can witness to them by my actions of acceptance and other Christ like behaviors.

So back to the Merry Christmas. I will say Merry Christmas (when I am in a mood to talk to people) to everyone. If they say, they are not celebrating that holiday, I say oh, then Happy Holidays. I am not being insensitive to their culture, I am merely expressing mine and truly wishing them well. If I were to wished a Happy Hanukkah, I would say thank you, Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas. By saying that I am responding to them that I acknowledge they are Jewish and telling them Merry Christmas I am telling them I am Christian. I don't see what the big stink is over.

I would like your thoughts and your input as to what you would do if you were a CEO.

My Second Letter to Obama

Good AFternoon,
I do appreciate the auto response letter from your team members. And I do understand that you cannot possibly answer each and every email that comes though, hence the auto response letter.

Part of your letter states "First, we adopted the strictest ethics guidelines ever applied to any transition team. President-elect Obama pledged to change the way Washington works, and that begins with shifting influence away from special interests and restoring it to the everyday Americans who are passionate about fixing the problems facing our country." Do you not feel that electing Hillary Clinton is opposite from what you "stand" for?

If you want to make a difference and be the leader we all hope you are, please do not bring in any more of the Clinton administration, especially them. I am sure the DNC is pressuring you to, but you know what? You are the president and cannot lose your office because of a party committee. Please do the right thing and hire someone who has our interest at heart, not her own.

Thank you,

Laura

Dear Obama

Good Morning,

I did not vote for you. I don't believe you will bring governmental change. I didn't think McCain (McSame) would either. That is why I voted Independent. I think our government should be more in line with what the people want, not big government. It is the people that make this country great, not the government. You start talking about how great the government is, and we will be a socialist republic instead of a democreatic republic before too long.

But I truly am outraged that you would be considering HRC for your Secretary of State. You have said change, change, change until I can't stomach the word and now you are bringing the whole clan back? That isn't change. Please walk the walk...that is what you as a President are expected to do. I want to believe you, but your actions have proved my first impression of you.
I don't think you have enough experience yet. I think you have a great attitude and the ability, I just think you haven't acquired the skills as of yet. 27 weeks of work in the senate is not enough time to prove you are the man for the job. Although, I think I would have moved out of the country if HRC was elected. I would rather choose to live under someone's thumb, rather than have my rights be taken away little by little.

Please reconsider moving her back into the White House. It will change for the bad if you do.

Sincerely (and optimistically hopeful)

Laura Kirby

Making Spirits Bright

Bells on bobtail ring.... What is a bobtail anyway?
I have been listening to Christmas music already. I know, I know, it is REALLY early to be doing so. But you see, I look forward to this time of year all. year. long. It starts for me october 1st. I love Halloween, next to Christmas, it is my favorite.

I used to dress up every year. I have been a clown, a princess (on many occasions), a clown, a witch for several years....I think i was a pumpkin once; or maybe it was Pooh. I am not sure, but I loved it. Getting candy and seeing all the decorations people put up. I would stock pile my candy and make it last as long as possible....we are talking 6 months at least!

My brother used to do the same thing. We used to hide our candy in toy boxes, my plastic kitchen oven, jewelry boxes, and my all time favorite spot; the LEGO box. I think we bartered candy to each other like money. He was a candy fiend. I think he lived off of candy, ice cream and cereal....he still kind of does, but his wife does make him eat other healthier things.

In a side note, he has a three year old. She has been staying up till after midnight every night with no naps and they could not figure out how. They heard her talking to herself one night and went into her room to see what she was up to. She had brown gunk all over her mouth. Ryan said he thought to himself it could be one of two things and I hope it is the sugary stuff. When he asked her where she got the chocolate, she had this indignant expression on her face and said "my caw" (that is "car" to those of you not around children)! When he went to get the little model car he built with our dad years ago, he opened the trunk and hocolate kisses exploded out of it. She had been hoarding candy just like him!!!

Anyway, so back to Halloween. I have always been attracted to the scary and gruesome stuff for Halloween. It was not until years ago that my man introduced me to scary movies. Now, it isn't so much the scary beccoming reality as to why I don't like them, it is the snxiety I feel watching them that I don't like. I get into the movie and start having heart palpatations. I don't like it. But then again I love pumpkins, skeletans, bats, etc.

November and Thanksgiving are next. Boring and brown. So, I skip over that and move onto the Christmas season. I start listening to Christmas music November 1st as a rule. It was hard to get into it this year. I don't know why, maybe my situation makes me feel that way, but I forced it and now, the music is what makes me feel.....happy. It makes my spirit bright. All of them are happy or about the birth of Jesus, which is good because he came to save my soul...and yours, by the way. Decorations, pine smells, snow, presents, music. All of it makes my spririt bright. Nothing else during the year compares to this for me.

I wonder if it is like this for anyone else. Thoughts?

I am Jennifer.....

Do you ever stop to wonder about why we care about Jennifer Aniston so much? Friends has been off the air since, 2002 right? She's been in a couple movies, but nothing really major, so why is she all over the news. Not really her, per se, but her love life. Relationships...front page of every tabloid magazine.

I think she epitomizes the girl next door. We all relate to her (or Rachel) and want her to find happiness. I mean, we all thought she had it all, money, fame and the hottest guy. No really, he was voted in the top 50. Then he cheated on her, broke her heart and dumped her for that Jolie floozy. We all felt crushed and betrayed. We all have been her or know someone who has been her. I know I am not the only one who wants to sit down with her, pat her knee and say "John Mayer proved he was an ass on more than one occasion with other women. He is making you an ass...DROP HIM"

None of us want to end up alone. I dread 30. It is my scary age. My friends are married; some have babies now. I look at them and think they have it together, either a great career a family or both. I am stuck in a rut. I think if she can't make it, then I am doomed! No one wants to be the old lady with the cats.

But is she as lonely or sad as the media, and in turn me think she is? Maybe she is done with marriage and does not want that road again. She is well enough off to have a baby on her own if that is what she wants. She has had a string a boyfriends and really didn't appear to be heartbroken but the one time. What do you think?

Signs

Alrighty, so I used to believe in signs. I was always searching for a sign that a boy liked me, a sign that I was still in the "in" crowd, a sign that would tell me what my life was going to be. Astrological signs, numerology, you name it, I looked for it.

In the back of my mind I was searching for answers, but I really never found any. So I quit. I don't read the paper astrologies, I don't look for signs anymore. I tell myself that signs are just the Devil messing with me. They make me more confused and keep me guessing. I don't like to guess, nor do I like to give my life over to something I don't really believe in. I tell everyone who will listen I don't believe in that crap.

There are things in my life that seem like red flags. If it were someone else in my position, I would be telling her "Get the hell out of there!". But that is just it, I would be on the outside looking in, comparing this life to someone elses'. I am the first to tell anyone that your life is your life and no one has the right to tell you what to do in it. You only get one chance, so make the best of it. Live it, love it and make it what you want. Do not play the "What if" game. That will make you crazy.

So why am I? Why am I taking what I learned from past relationships and applying them to this one? Why do I assume that all boys cheat, all boys are selfish. I am looking for signs that I am right about him and need to dump him before he dumps me. It is like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop; the rug to be pulled out from underneath me. When did I get so cynical? I could blame it on my parents for shattering my childhood with divorces. I could blame it on my low self esteem. I could blame it on any number of things. What I haven't learned yet is what the real deal is.

I am still waiting on sunshine and roses 100% of the time. Reality is, my feelings get hurt. I get mad and angry, I get confused and sad. I want to run away because it would be easier. Are these signs that things are bad, or is this reality? I am a pendulam swinging from questions to happiness. I look for signs that this isn't right and then I roll my eyes and tell myself I am stupid. I get my feelings hurt and I want to end it, then I dream about the future. Is this normal cold feet or a sign?

That Bitch

"Introducement" is not a word. Yelling across the store to put your supervisor on the spot about a job is not welcome. Talking on the phone to your significant other or texting them throughout the entire day is not acceptable.

You were let go. You lost us money by not using the system correctly. You know why you lost money? Because you would not listen to my advice on how to fill in correct information. No, I am not being superior. I took the time to learn the program and trained myself. I was there three weeks to your two months and I knew more. You never listened. You always cut me off when I was speaking to you because "you know". If you knew, you wouldn't have been such a loser.

Now, you are jobless, not because there isn't anything for you, but because you are a terrible worker. You lie your way out of work. You are lazy, manipulative and you steal. We used to buy supplies almost twice a month. Since you left in June we have only needed to go once. You are pathetic. Another reason you are jobless is because of your big, fat, obnoxious mouth. You couldn't shut your mouth long enough whilst bad mouthing us to learn that the position had been filled. You talked all kinds of shit about me and my family to another employer in the same company. Did it not EVER occur to you that two people in the same company talk? You talked smack and now you don't have a job. Hmmm...maybe you ought to rethink your position.

Grammar

I am not so uppity that I look down my nose at every person's grammatical errors. In fact, yes I know it is hard to believe, but I make them myself. I end sentences with prepositions, I confuse verb usage sometimes and I have even used punctuation incorrectly. These, to me, are every day issues that can happen to anyone when tired, multi-tasking, etc. My issues are with the English language and where we have gone wrong.

The thing that irks me the most is "On tomorrow" or "On yesterday". It is like nails on a chalkboard for me. I have even corrected grammar to people I don't know...even customers!!! That is how much it aggravates me. If someone said "on Tuesday", or "on Sunday", that would be fine. Those are proper nouns and can be used in a prepositional phrase. It doesn't even sound correct. Like a hiccup in a sentence or a bump in the flow of speech. I cannot understand how children have gone to school for at LEAST 12 years and NOT ever been corrected.

This brings me to my next point about the decline in the English language. Have you ever used or heard the phrase "gotta give him props"? How about saying your words that end in -er and make them sound like -ah? It is the uneducated masses that have issues with enunciating or pronouncing words correctly. Maybe they misunderstood someone at one time and really think that is how you say the words. I doubt it, but I will not count it out. But then, these ill used phrases, turn into everyday language. Intelligent and educated people start speaking this way. It is crazy! How is it that we take our slang from the uneducated masses and not from well respected professors, doctors or lawyers? Why do we have to dumb down America?