Why I love Chick-fil-A (It’s not about the food)

The last several years of my dad’s life, he and my stepmother went to their local Chick-fil-A for lunch every day. There they were treated as treasured family members by the staff and other regular customers. It literally made their day.
Everybody there was their friend. Even the young, teenaged counter workers came to chat with them. They took the time to listen to my parents’ stories about the old days and shared their own lives, too.
As Dad grew frailer, somebody was always there to help him to and from the car. If he was too sick to make the trip, someone would deliver their order to the house. Once when he was in the hospital, a CFA manager took him a chicken sandwich and brought his wife and baby to visit.
His doctors were convinced that having Chick-fil-A to look forward to extended his life by several months. As Dad’s health failed, he was unable to do much of anything, but he always made it to CFA until the last week of his life, when he could no longer even leave his bed.
The young couple who managed CFA had their first baby while Dad was bedridden and no longer always aware of his surroundings. They brought their 3-day old son to meet Dad the night before he died.
CFA staff not only came to his funeral, the owner-manager insisted on supplying the food for the after-funeral gathering. When my stepmother had to start going to lunch by herself, a staff member always came to sit and talk to her so she wouldn’t have to be alone.
CFA President Dan Cathay says their goal is to create raving fans. Because of their kindness and care for my parents, they made me a raving fan for life. In fact, they are a beloved member of my family.
I also like the food.

American Holiday 2011

I received this recently from my niece Kristin. I’m not sure where she found it (or if she wrote it herself), but it’s definitely worth passing on. Of course, I will need to rethink what I’m getting her for Christmas, but that’s probably a good thing.
As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods — merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

It’s time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone — yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn’t appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down the Benjamin’s on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants — all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn’t the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this isn’t about big National chains — this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn’t use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn’t imagine. THIS is the new American Christmas tradition. This is a revolution of caring about each other, and isn’t that what Christmas is about?

Something Better Came Along

Just as I was getting ready to make an offer on the place I told you about in the last past, something better came along.
This is another one-bedroom condo two miles from Olde Town Arvada. It has several things the other one didn’t have. For example, it has a front porch and a garage, a separate laundry room, air conditioning and a fireplace. It’s almost twenty years newer than the last one and in much better shape.
It still needs hardwood floors in the living room/dining room/kitchen, plus a new sink and countertops. I’d need to buy a refrigerator, washer and dryer. The bathroom floor has some damage, but that’s it. Best of all is that it doesn’t stink of smoke.
Now for the downside. The location is not especially “walkable”–no shops or restaurants to walk to. Well, there is a Super Target about six blocks away, but the streets aren’t pedestrian friendly.
Back on the plus side is a wilderness trail along a creek only two blocks from the unit and a great view of the mountains. I could watch the sunset every night from my porch.
Alas, it looks as if this one isn’t meant to be. I’ve run into some snags with getting my house on the market.
So, maybe the right place for me is still out there somewhere. If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that I can find what I want in my price range. Someday all the angst, frustration, dashed hopes and confusion will be behind me. If it doesn’t kill me first.

Future Recovering Lawyers of America

When I learned that my best friend’s daughter, Andy, wants to go to law school, I had my usual kneejerk reaction: skepticism and dread.  My eyes rolled and I thought, ”just what the world needs—another lawyer.”

Huge Debts, No Jobs

It didn’t help that that I had just read a New York Times article about law school graduates facing huge debts but no jobs. I’m guessing they didn’t expect that. Basing your career on predictions of future openings is always risky because, not surprisingly, those predictions are usually wrong. When it is someone from the law school itself foretelling a rosy future, consider that he or she has a vested interest in getting you to enroll.

Of course, I seriously doubt that these future recovering lawyers picked law as their career because someone told them we need more lawyers. Chances are better that they were influenced by the glamour of TV lawyers and the belief that a law degree would guarantee a high-paying job.

The field of law is littered with people who chose it for these reasons only to find out that it was neither glamorous nor necessarily lucrative and that they were spectacularly unsuited for the job.

I once met a woman who was cleaning my neighbor’s house. She was also a lawyer. While trying to establish her own practice, she worked as a housecleaner to pay the bills. “It’s all cleaning up dirt,” she said. Another neighbor was astonished when I told her this story. “I thought lawyers made a lot of money,” she said, clearly confused. Some do, I agreed. Some don’t.

Know What You’re Getting Into

I suggested that Andy find an internship in a law office or maybe work as a paralegal or legal assistant while she’s finishing her undergraduate degree. That way, she would at least know what she was getting into.

The Times article points out that “the glut of diplomas, the dearth of jobs and those candy-coated employment statistics have now yielded a crop of furious young lawyers who say they mortgaged their future under false pretenses. You can sample their rage, and their admonitions, on what are known as law school scam blogs, with names like Shilling Me Softly, Subprime JD and Rose Colored Glasses.”

Anyone who’s thinking about law school would be wise to give the field a clear-eyed inspection.

Confessions of a Bookaholic

One of my goals this year should be to read less. Last year, I read 139 books, including audio books, but not including ebooks. I know this because I have kept a book diary since I read years ago that Louis L’Amour kept one all his life. Also, I read so many books that I don’t always remember what I’ve read. Occasionally, I will pick up a book that sounds familiar and I can check my book diary to see if and when I read it.

Like many bookaholics, I read more than one book at a time—usually three or four. Today, I finished a novel, Just Breathe by Susan Wiggs. I am also reading Un-Marketing by Scott Stratten and Creative is a Verb by Patti Digh.

In the car, I always listen to a CD book, currently The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver.

Inside, I listen to audio books that I download from the library. Last night, I finished listening to Ape House by Sara Gruen and tonight I will start either Room by Emma Donoghue or The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson.

In addition, I have 19 books checked out from the library and 16 requested on hold, three of which will be ready for pickup tomorrow. I’ve ordered Making Handmade Books by Alisa Golden from Amazon because I not only like to read books, I also like to make them. It’s a sickness. Somebody stop me.

Why I’m Finally Reading Un-Marketing and Why it Took Me So Long

I just started reading Scott Stratten’s Un-Marketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging and I’m enjoying it very much. I think it may turn out to be one of my favorite books of the year, and it’s only the second week in January. So why, when I ordered it last September, am I just now reading it?

First, I need to explain that I am a bookaholic. Several years ago, after running out of shelf space, I resolved to stop buying books and instead check them out of the library. That decision has worked pretty well—not that I completely stopped buying books (let’s be honest: that will never happen). But I did start using the library and quickly became what most people would consider a heavy user.

Now, when I hear about an interesting book, my first instinct is to go to the library website and request that it be delivered to my local library branch. I don’t think I quite understood at the time how well this would work. It turns out that the library almost always has whatever book I might want. The only drawback is that sometimes I have to wait a few weeks to get it.

With some books, however, I don’t want to wait, and so I buy those books. That was what happened last fall with Un-Marketing. I’d heard good things about it and didn’t want to wait until it was available from the library, so I bought it. Unfortunately, when it arrived, I had all these books from the library and they had a DUE date when I would have to return them. Obviously, I had to read them first.

Every week, more requested books would appear on the hold shelf at the library, and I had to read them first, too. As the weeks passed, Un-Marketing got buried. I almost forgot I had it. Consider the irony here. I bought it so I wouldn’t have to wait for the library and then didn’t read it because I had to read library books first. I may have to reconsider my book buying strategy.

Then a funny thing happened. I read a tweet from Barbara Winter @joblessmuse pointing me to Scott Stratten’s blog. I learned that many people consider his book not only wildly useful, but also funny. As it happened, I had just finished a book and was looking for the next one to read. Funny as well as useful sounded good to me.

So far, I’ve only sampled a few chapters and have found much to love about this book. The ideas are outstanding, it is funny, and the chapters are short (that may be another post). It gave me several ideas for future posts, so expect to read more about it over the next several days.

Meanwhile, you might want to find a copy. No matter what your business, this book can probably help. Now, I’m going to stop writing and get back to reading.

A College Degree is NOT Job Training

My teaching career has consisted of teaching general studies classes to business, nursing, and criminal justice students. As adults, my students were always in a hurry to finish their degrees and tended to view my classes as “that other crap we have to take.” They were not interested in things like writing, art, or humanities and concluded that the university only required those classes to make more money from tuition. “I don’t need film studies to be a good  (fill in the blank).”

I would patiently (sometimes) explain to them that a bachelor’s degree is supposed to create well-rounded citizens. A college degree is not job training. Since most of them were there very specifically for job-related reasons, this made no sense to them.

Once on the job, many college graduates complain that they didn’t learn anything in college that would help them with their jobs. The degree did, however, help them get the job in the first place. After that, they were on their own.

Many graduation speakers acknowledge this and tell the graduates what they really need to know. From Steven Jobs exclaiming they need to do what they love to JK Rowling extolling the value of failure, graduation speeches are some of the most inspiring videos around. It might be helpful to bookmark this site and watch one of these videos when you need a boost.

Links to Learning

Patti Digh, author of Life is a Verb, suggests committing to a new practice for 37 days to develop a habit intentionally. Lots of other great stuff here, too. Check out her blog, 37 Days and her latest book, Creative is a Verb. I’m reading this one now, so you’ll be hearing more about it soon.

Neil Pasricha’s presentation, The Three A’s of Awesome, on TED.com is a favorite. His blog, 1000 Awesome Things celebrates the blessings of everyday life.

Think superstars got there overnight? Watch the CBS News Sunday Morning story of amazing ventriloquist Terry Fator, 2007 winner of America’s Got Talent after decades of learning, practice and mastery.

I listened to several interviews with up-and-coming bloggers on Blogcastfm, a perennial favorite. Take your pick from the archives.

Law school grads face huge debts, not jobs, but the schools won’t tell you that. Read the New York Times article, Is Law School a Losing Game.

Learn How to Become More Intelligent on Dumb Little Man.

Newsweek offers 21 Ways to be Smarter in 2011.

The Auntie Flat Rises Again

My dream home is an open, smallish, loft-like space with just enough room for the things I really love and use. Since my brother (B) and sister in law (S) have long wanted to live in my North Denver neighborhood, earlier this year we started talking about how we could fit houses for both of us on my lot. B, an architect, designed a beautiful traditional house for them, which would sit on the front of the lot. My loft would be above the garage in back. These structures are typically called “granny flats,” but since I’m nobody’s granny, I dubbed mine the Auntie Flat.
We spent hours deciding exactly what we wanted in our homes, and B spent many more hours designing them. We met with contractors, engineers, and city officials. The biggest obstacle seemed to be my location in a national historic district, but my house (built in 1890) isn’t unique and isn’t in very good shape, so we thought (mistakenly, as it turned out) that problem could be overcome.
Mentally, I was practically moved in. I had chosen paint and tile colors and arranged my furniture. You can read my blog about it here: The Auntie Flat.
Alas, I guess it wasn’t meant to be. After months of planning and high hopes, B determined that he couldn’t make the numbers work. There would be no auntie flat. I was crushed. And that was when I got sick. I don’t think the two events were unrelated.
For the record, I haven’t given up on the auntie flat. I have no idea how to make it happen, but I remain determined to try and open to all possibilities.
After reading the latest entry in my favorite blog, Notes from the Voodoo Café, I decided that I, too would put it out into the universe. I want a small, open living space, 500-600 square feet, location negotiable. It could be a modular home, an apartment, loft, converted industrial space. Whatever works. It would be nice if it were walking distance to shops, restaurants, and a park. I’d like a place to sit outside and read or write, but I’m pretty much over the gardening thing.
Any ideas? As I said before, I have no idea how to make this happen, except to ask for help. Help!

I’m not a minimalist, but

I am not a minimalist. Anyone who has ever seen my house will attest to that. I have a lot of stuff and I like to fill all shelves, corners, tabletops, and walls with my stuff. So when I read about people who limit themselves to 50 possessions, I am astounded and, yes, a bit horrified. That isn’t for me. I have more than 50 things in my purse and another 50 in the basket on my bedside table and another 50 in my top desk drawer. I could go on. Anyway, they all seem to be in their early 20s and they never have any furniture or dishes. What’s that about?
However.
When I was sick last month and thought I might die, my biggest fear was that my perfect, tidy, sister-in-law would have to go through my house and discover the kind of squalor I really live in. So, as I began to heal, I also became determined that I would clear out the excess stuff and organize what was left.
It isn’t as if I hadn’t tried this before. I have a shelf full of books on decluttering. Interesting reading, but they never inspired me to actually do anything. Maybe this time.
My friend Pat claims that “We measure success in our home by how many boxes leave the premises: weeded books, donated clothing and household goods, papers to shred, gifts, mail, jars of raspberries. This is a seven-box night, plus a plump bag of mail.”
I’ve been to her house and she’s no minimalist either, so maybe I, too, can find some sort of middle ground. I’m determined to give it a try.