What makes me happy

I have been thinking about what makes me happy and I can honestly say it depends on the day. For me a lot of the things are very simple, and I guess I could say obvious but now to try and write some of them down.

Spending time with family – being able to spend time with my husband and my sister and her family makes me happy. It is nice when my husband and I can just do-little simple things like going for a drive in the country just to escape the routine of everyday. Even sitting after dinner and just chatting about nothing in general is also what makes me happy.

Sitting on a patio – when the weather is nice, I enjoy being able to sit on a patio and either people watch or watch airplanes if the patio is near an airport. Being able to just enjoy the warm weather while sitting outside is so nice and something we try and do. I love watching airplanes so being able to watch them land or take off is a nice thing for me to do. The patio doesn’t have to be near an airport for me to be happy because there have been times we have just decided to go out and have a coffee and sit on a patio and that has been nice.

Crafting – my crafting makes me happy because I can lose myself in doing something that I enjoy doing. I can do this alone or sitting with others, but my crafting is a means for me to escape and recharge my personal battery. I do enjoy seeing things finished but I enjoy just working on the various projects and when they are close to being done, I am trying to figure out what the next project will be. My happiest place is the actual working on the projects and seeing a finish is secondary to the progress.

Writing – yes this might sound a little different but yes, my writing makes me happy when I can see that I have achieved something, be it a blog, a story or just some fun notes. My writing is what brings me joy a lot of the time.

There are so many little things that make me happy and I know that it depends on each person what makes them happy. For some people it is being among a group of friends and spending time with them and other’s it is just spending time at home and relaxing. It doesn’t matter what you do to make you happy if you realize that some of the simple things may be part of what makes you happy as well.

Parcel delivery in an apartment building

Getting parcels delivered in an apartment building can be a challenge especially from businesses that do not use the local postal system. In our building we get our mail delivered to our unit and parcels are given to us if we are home as the postal worker knocks on the door. If we aren’t home, we have a postal box in our lobby and a key is left and we can go downstairs to collect the parcel. 

When it comes to some other businesses that delivery is done so differently. Normally the parcel is simply dropped off at your door and it doesn’t matter if you are home or not. Now when it comes to apartment buildings at least in Toronto, there is an issue having parcels just dropped off at your door. See, it is against fire regulations to have anything outside an apartment unit.

So here are some suggestions that I have regarding delivery of those types of parcels:

• There needs to be a location within the building where these parcels can be dropped.
• If you are ordering from these businesses make sure that you are going to be home the day that the parcel is scheduled to be delivered so you can collect, it when it’s dropped off.
• Track the item if possible as that is one way to know that there is something sitting outside your door. This is a good idea even if you live in a house.
• If you cannot be home when the delivery is going to arrive have it send to another location, example the local postal station or to someone else who will be home.
• Tracking may not be real-time, and your parcel may have arrived before it shows it has been delivered (if possible, listen for something being dropped off).

I understand that not everyone can be home all the time but what is important is to try and know when a parcel is going to arrive and make the necessary arrangements do that a parcel is not left outside your door for too long.

Something that these businesses also need to do is at least knock on the door so that if someone is home, they can quickly collect the item. The simple knock will help quite a bit otherwise unless you keep checking the door you won’t know the parcel has arrived. Another thing that type of business need to improve on is the picture they take when they drop the parcel off. Make sure that the unit number of street number shows in the picture because too often you have no idea where that parcel has been delivered.

So, if you are getting parcels delivered try your best to be around to collect your parcel from outside your door to ensure that it’s not sitting there for too long, so that someone else doesn’t walk off with it.

 

Being a Canadian Team in a mainly US dominate competition

Here we are sitting at 3 games to 2 games lead during a baseball competition that means that the winner will be names the World Series Champion. There have been times when I have been sitting here and thinking why are we considered the Canadian Team versus why we are just not another one of the teams competing for the World Series. It is so hard to be sitting and thinking that we are the only non-American team and why are we always referred to as the “Canadian Team”.

For someone that has been born and raised in Canada it can be extremely frustrating when we heard that baseball was founded in the US and no other team should be allowed to win the world series (I was told this by someone that I know). If the “World Series” was only allowed to be won by an American Team, it should be names the “United Stated Series” because that is entirely different than the “World Series”. We also must remember how many players are not American that are participating in the World Series because we have players both in Canada, United States and a lot of the other international countries so we have to respect that.

I have even heard people say that because baseball originated in the United States (it’s an American game), but I must correct the person because baseball evolved from the older bat-and-ball games already being played in England in the 18^th century. Baseball wasn’t founded in the United States it was imported into the United States, and we have to accept that.

This year we are seeing that the first NLB game was played in Japan, and the final game is going to be played in Canada. Sure, it might be the Los Angles Dodgers that was the team involved both of these games, but we have to respect that the first and final games were played outside of the United States, so the World Series is really a World Series this year.

I am not writing this after game 6 or 7 because I want to be totally neutral because right now we don’t know who is going to win the World Series, but I want to ensure that we are getting credit for being part of the final series of the season and yes we are a Canadian Team, and the only Canadian Team. We are going see what happens in the next couple of days and I am going to be happy to say that the Toronto Blue Jays, win or lose, have really shown we are as good as any American team.

I must say that I am extremely proud to say that I am cheering for the Canadian Team (the Toronto Blue Jays) and I would really welcome the World Series Title and Trophy back here in Canada after 32 years.

 

 

 

Sharing thoughts/idea

How often have we decided to share an idea or a thought with a colleague only to find out that they have run with the idea and now what you thought was your idea suddenly appears to be their idea. This can happen far too often, and we all need to understand that just making simple comments to a colleague can change who owns the idea.

So often in a work environment people are bouncing around the various thoughts and ideas as they are trying to figure out if it is a good idea or not, but little do they know that the sharing of an idea could result in an idea being “stolen” as used as someone else’s idea. There are a lot of times when someone has an idea, and they aren’t certain if it is a good idea or not, but they will start to talk to over to with colleagues and a colleague may shoot it down saying they don’t think it will work. Well, the idea is such a good idea that the colleague decided to take that idea and decided to suggest it to management. All a sudden your idea has become an idea from a colleague and management likes it, who really gets the great for the idea, well it is gong to be the person that when to management with it not the person that originally came up with the idea.

So often there are times where an idea might not seem that great of idea, but it is just the seed that starts others to do some thinking and your small idea because a bigger idea and you don’t get any credit for it because your colleague has taken it as their idea and moved it forward. When we have even a basic idea, we all need to ensure that we keep the thoughts to yourself until we can at least find a way to let a bunch of colleagues know the idea not just one person.

Sharing a thought or idea might seem like such a simple thing to do but we need to ensure that we aren’t giving away too much detail because that idea might suddenly become an idea of someone else. Yes, it is nice to be able to share thoughts and ideas with others, but you have to be careful the amount to detail your share because your idea might become their idea.

A collaborate team is so much better as now one know where the original idea comes and everyone is given create for the work. No one can say they were the main contributor to an idea.

 

Eating out with food allergies - one issue I have

Something that really bothers me when eating out is when I am charged 100% of the upgrade your side option when it isn’t my choice.

I understand that there is a cost for upgrading a side option but when I have already told you that I have a severe food allergy to an ingredient that can be in that item why can’t the cost of the upgrade be reduced by a bit. What I am talking about is when I go into a restaurant and they serve calamari which is considered shellfish, and I am severely allergic to shellfish (both types).

Shellfish allergy - There are two groups of shellfish: crustaceans (such as shrimp, prawns, crab and lobster) and mollusks/bivalves (such as clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, octopus, squid, abalone, snail). Allergy to crustaceans is more common than allergy to mollusks, with shrimp being the most common shellfish allergen for both children and adults.

One side that is available most often is French fries and they are quite often cooked in the same fryer as both the calamari and shrimp. This can cause a cross-contamination issue so it is something that I must be extremely careful of. It has been interesting talking to some servers, and I ask if the calamari is fried in the same oil as the French fries or chicken fingers. Some servers are aware and can answer that yesterday and others will go back to the kitchen to confirm. 

So, my challenge when the French fries are cooked in the same oil as the calamari is always the cross-contamination risk, so therefore I cannot have French fries and must select an upgrade as my side. The restaurants that I like are the ones that have a couple of options for a standard side (soup, French fries, salad) and then you pay an addition cost for other sides. If someone says they are allergic to something and it can be in the basic side option, it would be nice to have the cost of the upgraded side reduced a bit to let the customer know that restaurant understands the challenge.

I posted my comment "but..."

How often have been seen a post and after the first couple of words there has been the word “but”. When you start to make a post and then you add the word, “but” you might be telling a lot of people that what you originally said isn’t fact however what you are now saying might be facts. 

What you are communicating is for everyone is to ignore what you originally said as you have information that might make the original comment, null and void. When you are posting comments make sure you have the facts because when you add the word, “but” you have just told everyone to ignore what you just said because what you are saying now is more of the facts.

If you are trying to prove something as a fact do not post a comment and add the word “but” because what you have told everyone is to ignore what you said before the word “but”. That is going to make it rather difficult for anyone to believe what you are saying as you have just put part of your comment into questionable facts.

I understand that I should believe you, but I think you are not stating the facts.

This simple statement basically says that you are not stating the factors and all the words before the “but” are not worth anything. Being able to understand that when someone says the word, “but” they are basically telling you to ignore anything that they have said before the word “but”.

It is amazing how may people will have an entire conversation with you and then part way through it will add the word “but” and then you have to question whatever they said before that as fast. I love you “but” I don’t trust you. So why have you said “I love you” when you are saying I can’t trust you.

Adding the word but to any sentence can make a big difference to what you are you saying. Make sure that you are saying are the facts and do not use the word “but” because you are putting off of your comment into question.

“The bus went down the street where I thought it might go but it didn’t go where I thought I was going to go.” So therefore, what are you trying to say? You are probably trying to stay “the bus that I was on didn’t go on the route I thought it was supposed to go on.”

So when you are posting comment in groups, please make sure that you have facts and don’t add the word “but” to your comment otherwise people aren’t going to understand or trust anything you have said.

Customer service does matter

Recently we were in a hotel for a mini vacation and the breakfast experience left a lot to be desired. The hotel offers a buffet style breakfast each day of your stay. Of course, breakfast hours are different between weekday and weekend so you have to be aware of that. 

We went down for breakfast about an hour after breakfast started and found it busy but we have seen this same breakfast area busier than today and had a good experience. This time was so different as our first encounter was there was no coffee available and that quite a while for it to be refilled. We then headed to where to where the food was an that was even worse. Of course, there was a couple of ruby teams staying at the hotel so they were all down trying to get some food. Well by the time we could get to possibly have some food it looked like a tornado had gone through as there wasn't much left of anything at all. We were able to grab an egg patty each and I got a few hash browns and my husband got a few baked beans but that was it. There were not pork patties at all so that was a very frustrated situation.

We had a very small breakfast and finally after about 15 minutes they started to refill the eggs, hash browns and pork patties. This was after we figured we would make do with the small amount that we had and grab something later on in the day to make up for the lack of breakfast. We were not the only ones upset with the lack of food available as an option for breakfast. The breads and bagels had been wiped out along with any available fruit so the choices were extremely limited.

We did go and speak with a manager only to be told that what can we expect when everyone comes down at once. Her comment was “They are doing their best because everything needs to be microwaved". The staff should be monitoring the food levels to ensure that things don't run out when it is busy. We hadn't been anyone even checking the levels of the various food items so if that was their best I wouldn't want to see a bad day.

Customer service is very important especially in both hospitality and retail as customers are where the business can either win or lose. I hope that the next couple of days were going to be a better experience otherwise I know that I will be doing a review about my experience.

Edit: we spoke to the manager again the next day after the breakfast experience was much better and she let us know that the General Manager and herself (Operations Manager) went into the kitchen the previous day after we spoke to them and got things moving a bit better. She also recommended that they get an additional microwave. So, this shows that if there is an issue, it's important to make someone aware of it because if you don't say anything they won't know there is an issue.