Five Truths And A Lie - the college years

Absolutely loved this post from Confessions from an Impulsive Addict. Made my own version.

How it works.

5 of these things are true and one is not. Leave me a comment telling me which you think is false. Easy enough?

1. I tried this coastal thing once before. Packed up and headed east with my college BFF in hopes of meeting another friend out there to share a trailer on the beach and wait tables. I had $50 total in my possession. We made it to Athens, turned around and re-enrolled at LSU.

2. I waited tables at a very popular "dive" near the LSU campus called Louie's Cafe. It was rare to see someone working there without tattoos, piercings, or unusually dyed hair. I wore my Greek t-shirts and even a bow occasionally.

3. My Freshmen year included a stay at the very popular Miller Hall. My male "guest" stayed past his curfew one evening, so we figured out a way for him to basically scale the exterior wall to freedom. I changed the sign-in books and never get caught.

4. I received a ticket (misdemeanor) one very late night for being in a public park after dark, missed my court date, and then spent 2 years "running from the law" under an arrest warrant.

5. I hitched a ride from a friend, with previously mentioned BFF, to see the Grateful Dead play in St. Louis. We had no tickets and very little money. Camped outdoors, ate very little, but saw both shows and even gave away a "miracle" ticket.

6. I ended up swimming in the LSU lakes after a friend took a corner too fast and drove her car into the water. Her father was less-than-pleased and she returned to Monroe that next semester due to our indiscretion.

I'll tell you the "lie" on my scoop post coming soon!

Two random notes:

***I missed my Eat. Live. Be. post this Monday. Nothing too exciting to report. May have lost another pound. Still not trusting the mystery scale. Walked on the beach and ate well.

***Don't forget my giveaway. Pass it on!

Giveaway a la Mod

Aren't they gorgeous? I'm in love!

And, in addition to being a cute accessory to your wardrobe, they're super comfortable. The minky backing makes such a difference on your neck. And, they're made here in the United States! Love that.

Not too long ago, the owner of this company was a wee blogger like you and me. Now, she's a busy mom of 2, juggling work.....home.....kids......husband......and life! No doubt, she does it beautifully.

While I miss her in the blogging world, I commend her on her success and am delighted to host a giveaway for Mod. The lucky winner will receive a camera strap of his or her choice!

The deets:

1. Earn one entry by visiting Mod and telling me which strap you like best.

2. Earn another by "liking" Mod on Facebook and then leaving a separate comment telling me you did.

3. Another by following them on Twitter and returning here to tell me you did via separate comment.

4. Want 3 in addition to these? Re-post this giveaway. Let me know! Let me know!

5. And, just for fun, I'll give you another entry if you can guess which strap I own. :)


Giveaway ends at the end of day on Sunday, February 20.

Good luck, bloggies!

Happy Valentine's Day, Lovers

I love my husband. I love my kids. Love my friends and family.

Yada yada yada.

This one is for you, my darlings.

The Benefits of Blogland

(Happy to have each of one you crazies in my life!)

I get that some people don't "get it". I understand people's confusion in regards to complex online relationships. Chris Hansen scares me, too.

But, when I think of all the good that comes from our lives online, it makes me smile.

Some reasons.......

1. Now that I have a blog, a situation that might seem dreadful or tragic to others now feels like new material. For example: Two flat tires, two wrecks and an $800 oil pan repair in one month? That's funny!

2. Support. Some of the best peeps I've ever met reside in blogland.

3. Positivity. Let's face it. Blog relationships work because we see people's best side. Usually.

4. New friends. I love when I make a bloggie friend I would have otherwise never met in life. Coco, KS, Brown Eyed Girls Mom, Clare, Brittny, Heather, Froggity, and many more.....I'm talking to you!

5. Giveaways. We all like free stuff.

6. Networking. My job today came from a connection I made with our photographer nearly 2 years ago on vacation in La Jolla. We stayed in touch via Facebook and blogs. After failing at convincing her that everyone was outsourcing to Kansas for admin work, she finally hired me when I moved here. Without these social networks, this would not have happened.

7. Bragging about my funny/smart/witty/athletic/beautiful children. Of course!

8. Spin. Sometimes a healthy spin on a rough patch in life can be good for you. When Blake and I are struggling or when my kids are driving me nuts, going to the blog to paint a pretty picture reminds me of the good things in life.

9. Fresh ideas from an unlimited number of sources. People often apologize for "copying" or "borrowing" an idea from me. Umh.....where do you think I got it? Probably from another blogger. Design, recipes, travel destinations, etc. I really enjoy not having to think sometimes.

10. Humor. Lawd have mercy, I love a funny blog.

That's just 10, peeps. I could go on and on.

Hugs and kisses from Casey in California!

Oh, and stick around........I'll be posting a fabulous giveaway next. You won't want to miss it.

Someone Sent Me Flowers And a Headache For Valentine's Day

Aren't they darling? There are many more than you can see here. They arrived in great condition and I'll enjoy seeing them open up over the next week or so.



So, who were they from?

These beauties came with a bit of a challenge. Or mystery. You can decide.

Behold the correspondence. Names have been hidden to protect the guilty.

Pro Flowers = blue
Casey = red
My commentary = green


1.

Most disturbing:
A. My (now deceased) grandmother was named Nonnie.
B. This card points to me having one girl already and maybe another next year?!

Hi. I received tulips today, addressed to me with my correct information, however the card enclosed makes no sense. Could I have received the wrong one?

It read:

To my 2 special gals, next year maybe
3 special gals.....
Love, kisses and hugs

Love ya, Mom (Nonnie)

Thanks!


2.

Thank you for contacting us and giving us the opportunity to explain our privacy policy. All sender information is kept completely confidential. Because we value our customers' privacy, we will only share with a recipient the information that a sender provided on the card message.

If a recipient requests to know who sent the gift, we advise the recipient that we will contact the sender and any follow-up will be done by the sender at their discretion.

If we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Best Regards,

OSST $$$$$$$$$
Customer Care
ProFlowers

3.

I completely understand, but is there is a chance that the card was incorrectly placed in my box? I think it must have been.

The order number on the card reads: -------------
The order number on the box reads: +++++++++++++

Thanks, Casey

4.

Dear Casey,

Thank you for contacting us regarding your order you received. We do apologize for any inconvenience but with 2 different order number it looks like a mistake because the order number should match. You can contact the sender if you know who they are to receive message.

If there is anything further that we can assist with, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week and we look forward to serving you.

Best Regards,

OSST %%%%%%%%%%%
Customer Care
ProFlowers

5.

Please read my email from start to finish and advise me on who sent the flowers to me. I have NO idea.

Thanks,

Casey

6.

Privacy policy again.

Thank you for contacting us and giving us the opportunity to explain our privacy policy. All sender information is kept completely confidential. Because we value our customers' privacy, we will only share with a recipient the information that a sender provided on the card message.

If a recipient requests to know who sent the gift, we advise the recipient that we will contact the sender and any follow-up will be done by the sender at their discretion.

If we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Best Regards,

OSST %%%%%%%%%
Customer Care
ProFlowers

7.

Getting annoyed.

Pro Flowers mistakenly included the WRONG card with my flowers. So, I cannot use the card to identify the sender.

Please do not send me another form letter explaining your privacy policy. Would you please use the order #s I provided to you, send me the text that should have been included on mine and then also send the person who received MY card, the appropriate information.

Thanks,

Casey

8.

Resending the message was my first request!

Dear Casey

Thank you for contacting us. Please accept our most sincere apologies for our error with the card message.

We understand that the card message is a very important part of your gift and would like to either refund $5.00 or resend your missing card message.

Again, please accept our most sincere apologies. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best Regards,

OSST ^^^^^^^^^
Customer Care
ProFlowers

9.

Please re-send the correct message. I would like to know who sent them to me! Can you do this via email?

Thx, Casey

10.

Privacy policy!!!!!

Dear Casey,

Thank you for contacting us and giving us the opportunity to explain our privacy policy. All sender information is kept completely confidential. Because we value our customers' privacy, we will only share with a recipient the information that a sender provided on the card message.

If a recipient requests to know who sent the gift, we advise the recipient that we will contact the sender and any follow-up will be done by the sender at their discretion. We cannot send this info via e-mail unfortunately.

If we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Best Regards,

OSST !!!!!!!!!!
Customer Care
ProFlowers

11.
Please read the entire email and advise.

12.

Lord, give me patience.

Dear Casey,

Thank you for contacting us. We apologize about the confusion regarding the card. Our records indicate that your issue was addressed per an earlier communication with another customer service associate.

If this isn't correct, please contact us so that we may assist you further. We are available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week and we look forward to serving you.

Best Regards,

OSST &&&&&&&&&
Customer Care
ProFlowers

13.

When in doubt, choose sarcasm over frustration.

This has to be a joke.

I was given the WRONG card. It had a different order number on it. Please email me the right one.

14.

Lord have mercy! It's revealed!

Dear Casey,

The correct message for your order reads as follows:

Thanks you for everything you do!
Heart you, Melissa

We can go ahead and resend the order to you correctly or refund the sender of this gift 5.00 for the confusion with the card message. Please contact us with your choice.

Again, please accept our most sincere apologies.

Best Regards,

CS @@@@@@@@@
Customer Care
ProFlowers




15.
Thank you so much. Please re-send. I am grateful for your help! Would you ensure the other recipient (who likely received mine) receives the correct card?

Thanks!
Casey


16.
Dear Casey,

You're very welcome! Thank you for shopping at . We look forward to assisting you on your next gift-giving occasion!

Best Regards,

CS ***********
Customer Care
ProFlowers

Some observations:

*If anyone wants to know Pro Flowers Privacy Policy, I can recite it on cue.

*Even in the final email, they failed to ensure they'd let the other person know. Somewhere out there, someone is as confused as I was. And, someone thinks Melissa hearts them.

*And, they failed to include their own company name. (This is a conglomerate of many......Pro Flowers, Red Envelope, Cherry Moon Farms, etc.)

*I only spoke to the same person once. What is this? They throw darts to decide who goes next?

*I don't even think I can bill my boss for the time spent on this. Since it was a gift. Right? Or, can I? (Yes, she reads my blog. Yes, I'm joking.)

Going, Going, Gone

Have I mentioned lately that we love it here?

I could list about 4,581 reasons.........but that would be boring.

Instead, here's one.

Random Friday afternoon.....pick up kids from school......with picnic packed.....we head to the beach to watch the sunset. Nothing fancy. Just a simple night by the sea.

The progression......







When the sun looks like it's melting into the water, without fail, more people arrive. Just in time to see a little bit of magic here on earth.









Heavenly, isn't it?


Come visit soon! We'll be here a while.

*