Hey, Happy Halloween, from Colleen

Yeah, I love Halloween because of all the decorations everywhere. I have a few, but nothing to brag about. That doesn't stop me from taking pictures of and driving around admiring others great talents. Usually I decide to snap a photo after its too late, then ask myself, "Is it worth it to go back?"

The orange lights on this horse statue at my neighbor's that sells hay, also has a Christmas wreath. It is great to see at dark. The skeleton rider is a great addition. I spotted this house with ghosts all over the windows and a big spider at the front door.

I actually had a black widow spider in my garage. I kept an eye on him for a few weeks. He liked to come out during the day to get warm. At night he was tucked inside the boxes. One day I smashed him with a 2x4. Goodbye, to you spider.

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Washington Irving's home in Sleepy Hollow, New York was a stop we took at a recent trip. He wrote the Legend of Sleepy Hollow here and the graveyard is a pretty happenin' place, too. Happy Halloween to you, from Colleen.

A Fancy For Flying

Aren't Groupon's absolutely the best? You can eat, play and take a vacation rest. I flew a plane! What an adventurous test, Over the valley & along a mountain crest! Life is great and we are blessed.

Why not, I said while contemplating a plane ride. I signed up and paid the price to fly a plane at Bountiful Flight. Arriving at the airport I was given some instructions in the flight room, then I met the plane. After going over the flight safety list, more instructions and putting on head phones, we buckled up and started to taxi out to the runway. Pushing the left rudder turns the plane left and so on with the right rudder. Pressing forward applies the brakes. Turning to face the runway, we were ready to take off. My instructor radioed our location and intention and we took off.

He was in charge until we were air borne, at which time he turned it over to me to pull the joystick/wheel back until the horizon was even with the cockpit window. Up, Up we went and down below the earth dropped away as we sailed into the sky. A few times I felt like a detached autumn leaf in the wind as we rocked a bit and flitted about. Flying at 130 mph we were at Lagoon in minutes then along the mountains to see the wondrous fall colors. All too soon, it was time to land and my flying experience was over. Roger that!!

Poetry Pounding in My Peritoneum

Lately I have been on a rhyming kick. Every thing I look at immediately my mind starts composing a poem. Usually when I do this, it means a happy time of life. Here are a few of them: YOUR SHIN SPLINTS ARE AT THE DOOR It feels like my leg’s been hit by a two by four. How much it hurts when I step upon the floor. My inflamed right shin is injured and extremely sore. All because I went running, good exercise for the core. After two miles with old shoes, I couldn’t stop and wanted more. Web MD says Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), it’s pretty sure. I should have used my new shoes, bought recently at the running store.

In The Way The neighbor’s branch was in the way, When I passed by the other day. I’ll help him out, trim it away Won’t take a second in the early dawn gray. But what of my own branches, you say. Oh, yes, much more in the path are they! With loppers in hand, it felt like play. Now no more sprigs have gone astray. Next check my own or come what may Cast out my beam and think to pray.

The Six C's of My Job

C - Customers - The customer always comes first. Greet each one with a smile and make them feel like they are valued (which they are!) Learn their names. We need them. This is my favorite task, being front and center when someone walks through the door.

C - Collections - Collections will always be there. Someone is always going to owe a bill. These jobs are what keep us calling and reminding for tomorrow's payment. Ten years of experience came in handy when the need arrived. Now I am doing it again.

C - Cash (Petty) - Unexpected small expenses for batteries, ice, supplies, flowers and so on is a Petty Cash Box must. Making change for employees and keeping everyone happy with small expenses is enjoyable. C - Copy Paper - Ordering and keeping plenty of copy paper in stock for our many machines is not too difficult. So I get bids, order, email the warehouse and have paper shipped when needed. Although most of our work is with online invoices, there has to be a paper back-up. Paper will always be important in business.

C - Calendar - Birthday and break calendars have to be kept current, so everyone knows who has what coverage and birthday when. Making up the calendars with lots of pictures and color doesn't seem like a job. Missing someone's birthday isn't fun and neither is missing coverage for a break.

C - Coke/Candy/Cookie Machine - Even though I never use vending machines (too frugal), many people do. It is a big industry. Many cravings are met with the pop/candy and goodie machines. I keep our vendor informed if we need more or there is a jammed machine.

These are the six C's of my position. There may be more down the road and some jobs that I have missed. They keep me employed and I like it.

The Purple Turtle Tempted Me

There are some places you just want to visit. It may be their name, building, food, popularity, or many other reasons. The Purple Turtle is a Pleasant Grove tradition and one more place I can check off my list of 'must visits'.

After a disappointing night at the Storytelling Festival, we stopped for a hot fudge sundae at the newly restored eatery. I expected it to be more purple and turtle infested. It did have purple benches and walls. Thanks Purple Turtle for making me feel better. I'll be baaacck!!!

The A E I O & U of Office Managing

When our great and efficient office manager left six months ago, some of her jobs came to me. Many of them immediately and other just recently. My new job duties consist of A, E, I, O and U tasks. A - Answer the phone. The goal is to get it on the first ring and not make our customer wait. I have a console of three phones with sixty lines, but this blackie seemed appropriate to post.

E - E-pays. These are companies we do work for that want us to submit our invoices through their online payment system. They've been piling up for six months (100+ now) until we're sending collection letters, even though an invoice was never submitted. Enter - ME! My boss told me two weeks ago, it was 'my baby'. What seemed like a monumental job of 'cracking the code' to each company, and many phone calls/emails later has now been tamed to a few.

I - Itemizing. Scrutinizing the freight, uniforms & office supplies bills to make sure all items are correctly priced. also, I keep track, of the paper supply and the vending machine man, not too hard.

O - Office Supplies. The workroom always was stocked magically, until I was in charge, now many of the cubicles are nearly empty. The product seems to disappear overnight. My keener eye takes notice to add a few pens, sticky notes and such whenever there's a need. It's not a good idea to empty the whole box at once on the shelf but to let them think, we are low and maybe they won't take as many.

U - Uniforms. We changed vendors in July. What a challenge to keep everyone happy. First they brought 40 of the X, XX, XXX sizes and no XS & S. We had chemists without coats and others with five each. Today our supplier finally dropped of some new anti-fatigue mats, after six weeks of going the rounds with them. They blamed it on their shipper. I am learning to count the product myself and not trust the other guy with all his promises. Change is always a challenge.

Now I know more of what it's like to manage an office. What an eye opener! And those are just a few things that make me think I'm going crazy.

Soaking Up in Sunflowers

I love, love, love sunflowers, all kinds especially the hybrid hand-sized blossom ones you can plant for show. My favorite is the brownish to gold petaled ones. I like to get the seed packet that has several kinds, then they all grow. I feel like a green-thumb gardener.

I get jealous of the early bird planters that have a happy row of them bobbing their big heads over the fence smiling at passers-by before the end of June. Their bright color and round faces warm me up. We can't forget about the wild yellow ones popping up wherever they can get a root hold. Also the big, sunflower seed producing giants with heads bent low from their nearly plump full fruit.

It's time to pull out my sunflower arrangements, tins and door wreath to enjoy looking at every day. Before we know it, fall will be here and our great warm weather gone along with the sunflowers. No more soaking up in sun and sunflowers. Boohoo.