Tuesday, March 31, 2009

ECW, WWE, RAW

Well Vica rec'd her TAKS test results for the reading portion and she missed it by two for a perfect score. So I treated her to a night of wrestling at American Airlines Center. We had awesome seats and perfect view of everything. She got to see Jeff Hardy who is one of her favorites, Big Show, John Cena, Mr. McMahon, Triple H. We had so much fun. I'm glad we were able to get tickets. All day yesterday I was searching and searching and nothing. So I said the hell with it, I'll just go to the box office and see if they have any left and Bingo! Got 4 tickets at what I consider the 50 yard line. :)

Monday, March 30, 2009

Whew what a weekend!

Friday night not much, Juanita, Jacque, John and myself headed out on a "run". We went to Albertson's to get our .45 sugar with our coupons, they each scored 8 bags and I scored 20! Can you imagine not having to buy sugar for months? Next we headed to Rockwall to check out Walgreens for some women's razors that with our coupon combined with the store coupon would have cost us $1.

From there, there was a CVS across the street and we decided to stop to see if this store had any of the Depends for Adults on clearance, since Daniela had told me she found some. Well talk about a shopping trip in this store. They were having a 90%, yes 90% sale!! John and Jacque scored 4 Wireless indoor/outdoor speakers regular price $79.99 on sale for only $4.99! Found lots of Rubber Maid containers for only .47!

Saturday morning I woke to bundles of coupons on my front door. All in all we had 398 books of coupons, so we, Juanita, John, Jacque, Maria and myself spent all and I mean ALL day separating coupons.

Headed to Casino Saturday night with a friend of mine who had never been, made it home by 4:45am and started to load my truck for the bazaar sale at St Edwards. Made it to St Edwards by 6:45am and started to set up.

John and Jacque made it about 7:30 or so and we set up everything and were ready by the 9am start. Let me tell you, anyone who has not had the pleasure of being around this couple, they are just too funny. I love to be around them, never a dull moment, never. They had me laughing all day.

I scored a $50 mountain bike almost brand new there at the bazaar from the lady set up next to us. Made it home by 4:30 headed to Juanita's at 8 to watch Celebrity Apprentice and next thing I know Juanita is waking me up. LOL

Got back to the house and headed straight for bed!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Frieday

yes I spelled it that way! I feel fried, tired and just pooped out. LOL Well, hope to get some beautiful weather this weekend. I hope everyone who stops by my blog has a wonderful weekend.

Monday, March 23, 2009

New Family Member

Boots has a new brother. I will post a pic asap. I went to Tere's little son b-day party downt the street and a cousin of theirs was there who unfortunately has been abused by her husband and dedcided to leave him. She is currently in a shelter and they had just gotten a baby chihuahua, 6mths old. Well, the shelter doesn't allow pets and so they had to find him a home. She asked if I could keep him and I said ok then she said but only til I find a place to live in about 3 or 4 mths. I said I'm sorry but if I take him it's for keeps but you can have pick of the litter if they have babies. Deal!

He is completely brown and very adorable. his name is Charro.

Bio Essentials by Kay

I did some web surfing for some info on this Bio Essentials by Kay that I'm going to sell at my booth next Sunday and here is what I found.

https://www.kaycasperson.com/cart.php

The bag I have put together is valued at $114 for only the Body Wash, Revitalizing Serum, Masque if you were to purchase it from the website. Seeing as I came across this at a very low cost to me i can pass it on with trendmendous savings to you.

A small gift bag with a Hair Gel included will only cost $15.00!!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

BAZAAR 3/29/2009

Ok everyone that knows me, mark your calendar. I am going to join my cousins, John & Jacque, at a bazaar on March 29th at St Edwards in East Dallas on Elm Street to sell stuff and have I got some good stuff.

Professional Steam Irons only $13 or 2 for $20
Mini Steam Irons only $5.00!!
Professional Portable Steam Cleaners $12 or 2 for $20
Beauty Bag - Bio by Kay for only $15 or 2 for $25.00
includes: 1 -Body wash, 1-mask, 1-revitalizing serum, 1 hair gel
I have name brand health and beauty aids, shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, alum foil, air freshners, candles. Hope you come out and see us!!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Other exciting news!!


My niece, Nathalie, made North Mesquite Pacesetters!!!! I am so proud of her and I know that her mom and other aunts are just as proud.

Rapping Flight Attendant



Southwest Airlines has been known to do some very weird things and fun at the same time and this video goes to prove that.

What an awesome way to make everyone feel comfortable and he hit everything that needed to be told to the passengers.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Big Difference

As I'm working today, I realize what a difference from each office I've ever worked at. When I first started working insurance back in '93, I began with a Farmers agency which was a Husband and Wife "partnership". That agency taught me alot about insurance and basic office skills. I had no experience at anything to do with an office much less insurance. All applications were processed via regular mail service, fax, speed memos. I took a leave when Vica was born and returned in '96 to the second agent working in that same office. He was a smaller agency and again I began to learn, however this time I learned to talk to people over the phone and expalin policies as well. In late '97 I began to look for new employment because he could no longer afford my salary, well I interviewed with one of my favorite agents that I could have worked for, Bernie Garcia. He interview me and doubled my salary and hired me on the spot. This was pretty much a husband/wife team as well. However, she wasn't in the office quite as much. At this point in my 'career' I had learned quite a bit. This is when Farmer's started using computers to complete apps, memos, underwriting issues, etc. At Bernie's I felt at home. I could talk openly with him, we treated each other like best friends, and we could joke with each other and not think about 'oh no i'm being harassed'. I left that agency due to differences between me and his wife who was not in agreement with my new pay. They switched me from salary to hourly and she wanted to do away with the bonuses that Bernie had been giving me for Life policies and the extra time I would put in early or late for clients to come in. So moving forward, I worked basically on a contract basis with other agents and during all this I learned that I like to be a very organized person in my office so that I can give people the time of day to explain their policies and make sure they understand exactly what they are signing.

So back in 2004, when mom had her leg amputated, I worked for my last Farmer's agent in Richardson. He was a great guy and tried to really give me the flexiblity I needed but then my situation changed and I had to leave that agency. I was unemployed from office work for 6 months however, I had a bit of income with Martin Masonry. Not much, went thru very hard times those few months. Then in May of 2005, I began my very first independent agency, this also was a husband/wife 'partnership' WOW! The difference of having to learn, retain info. I had to hold in underwriting guidelines for 40 companies vs 1 company. Forty different applications vs one, and so forth. Well, I did it! In the first two weeks, my boss made me the office manager. Now according to her, in her 17 years of having her agency, she had never had an office manager. Well, I guess I did good. :)

This office was no where near organized or running efficiently. The staff hardly knew the ins and outs of policies. So my venture began. I decided to change how things were done and my boss was in agreement with me. Everytime I showed her how I thought something should be done, she liked my ideas. So I ended up changing the filing system, the handling of clients payments, the way we process change requests, I made sure we didn't leave ourselves open for E&O exposures. I recently left that agency after 3 1/2 years. When you look at it today, according to several clients of theirs, you can hardly recognize it's the same agency. Now I start with another agency. This one too is an independent agency and it too can be called a husband/wife team, she is licensed, however, she is a full-time teacher and she doesn't deal with the agency unless it's an emergency. For the past two weeks that I have been here, I find that we are extremely busy quoting and selling. We have sold 15 policies just in two weeks for both auto and home with 90 of the auto on electronic funding. However, the agent is not stressed nor is our producer and I come to realize that none of the past employers were stress free and I believe that part of that may be from having the 'wife' or the 'husband' there too. I have reorganized this office as well with open arms from both the agent/owner and the producer and they really like it and see that things are running smoother for them and not so hectic as before. We moved the producer's office around so that she can work with less work, LOL. I don't have my own office as before with a window and my name on the door BUT I find that I missed working at the front of the office because I make sure everything gets done right and I get to greet each and every one of our policyholders. I still have a huge window to look out and every day I see the best view anyone coulde have, the American Flag.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Free to 50 cents!!

Ok Friday night not much, got home from work and watched a couple of movies. Saturday, got up, Sheila came by, hit a couple of Wags for some more of my favorite shampoo seeing as with my coupon it was free. :) At about 6pm headed to Juanita's, went with her, John and Jacque to hit some Wags for final day sale of the Garnier. Talk about jackpot. None of the stores we went to imposed the limit!!! Juanita was able to get enough for her and Maria! We made out like bandits, John was able to score his mousse, lol. Also, found earlier in the day the Boost Smoothies for Tia Ramona, priced at 3.29 coupon was for $2.00 off making them 1.29 BUT at the register it rang up the current sale of B1G1 1/2 off!! Juanita paid $3.15 for 5 6-pks of Boost Smoothies!!!

We also, hit the Kroger to use up our Catalinas, each of us had $7 worth. Well, I hadn't gotten the sale ad for the week and to my surprise what a sale. We got the following

$12.96 - 9 bottles Purex Laundry Detergent 32 Loads W/free fabric softner
$7.50 - about 15 4-pks of the Dannon yogurt drinks

Then on Sunday, me and Juanita hit Walgreen's again to get our gum. Trident came out to .25 cents and found the peppermint on sale for .65 so that was free. Headed to Kroger, got some more Dannon, Purex and found other things on the sale, so headed back home to search for Q's and then back out again.

This trip, final trip, got Chex Mix snacks for .50 each, Gorton's Fish $1.95 a box, what a steal, coffee filters .25 for the 40 ct., Quaker rice cake snacks Free, Country Crock spread Free. This next week we'll get Irish Spring bar soap 3 ct FREE!! And we love FREE!!

Summary:
Free - Quaker Rice Snacks
.50 4-pk Dannon Yogurt Drinks
1.95 Gorton's Fish (18 sticks, 5 fillets)
1.44 Purex Laundry Detergent (32 loads)
.25 Coffee Filters (40 ct)
.25 Gum
Free - Gum - Peppermint
Free - Country Crock Butter (15 oz)

Friday, March 13, 2009

Weekend

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Funny

People say that when you are in jail, hospital or pass away you find out who your friends are. Well, read this and you'll see that I was taken to jail around this time last year. http://beli-mydestiny.blogspot.com/2008/01/why-cant-people-think-of-anyone-but.html

Well, now that I no longer work there, it's funny how they tend to turn things around. A friend of mine came by my new office where I am now working and was surprised to see me working here. She was really happy to see me too. She said that she had tried to get my info from my prior employer but nothing. She was thinking that she needed to get a hold of me quick and put me with an agent that could use my skills because she thought very highly of me. That was so nice of her to tell me that too. She said she asked about what had happen and of course David made it look like I was the cause of the whole thing and I know Randa thinks the same way and as for Ana, well, I really thought she was my friend. Had I known any better I would have never covered her ass on the mistakes, which were several, that she made. Not that Randa would have fired her for any mistakes she made. Anyway, so the conversation that took place between my friend and David, well per David Randa had told me that I better be back in the office by a certain time and that I refused to show up to work. Now before I said anything to her, she told me "What kind of people are they?"

Now David is nice when he wants to be but, it's sad when he sits there and tries to tell me about the Alpha Male and that he is an Alpha Male, well I guess in his case it's only when he's with his Fantasy Football guys because in his family Randa wears the pants. Now for anyone who wants to leave a comment please do but I ask you, what employer do you know will call your family looking for you when they already know that you're at a funeral. What employer do you know will not allow you the day off to attend a funeral, unless of course you have time to get back to the office or it's a distant relative or friend that you feel just attending the church service is enough of paying respects. BUT this was my fiancee's "father". Like I said before I have forgiven them.

Oh and on the good side, I found out that this agency was #4 in her district last year from all her agencies that she has under her. WOOOOWOOOOOWOOOO!!!

Monday, March 9, 2009

What a weekend!!

I had such a great weekend! Saturday I had my little sale at Martin's house, he's in Mississippi so it was me and Ana, his wife. Then her friend came over and set up sale too. Made enough to pay a bill, woohoo. Then packed up about 1pm, headed home. Stopped and bought the early Sunday paper to check out coupons and sales for Sunday.

Headed to Juanita's when I got home to check out HCW (Hot coupon world), also reviewed sales for CVS and Wags. Well, found that Garnier shampoo and style products would be on sale for .99 at Wags, John and Jacque were at Juanitas and i suggested we do a Midnight run.

At midnight we, John, Jacque, Daniela and myself headed out, hit the Garland Wags first and scored about 6 or 7 bottles each of shampoo, conditioners, gel, mousse all for FREE!!! Also, got 5 boxes of the Perfect 10 haircolor, each one on clearance for $3.59 and my coupon was for $5 off of one = FREE, a few boxes of Ritz crackers, love them, also Colgate toothpast for 25 cents!!

In total we hit 5 Wags and a couple of CVS's. I'm not sure how many my sister got in the end but between me, Jacque, Maria, Juanita and Irene we divided everything and each made out with about 7 shampoos, 6 conditioners, 3 or 4 sytle garnier products they each got 6 colgates, 7 Ritz crackers all for $1.00!! I got 15 of the Perfect 10 haircolor, 18 Colgates, 6 Ritz, 9 bracelets, 9 small bottles of perfume, 8 shampoos, 8 conditioners, about 4 style products (mousse, gel, etc.) for $17.00!! On March 29th, me, John and Jacque are splitting a booth at the St Edwards bazaar. Everything we sell we get to keep the profits. So I have to stockpile and make it a good sale. Still have all week to get some more Garnier for free, it's a popular sale at my yard sales.

We made it back to the house about 6 a.m. slept for three hours and headed with a $5 bill to bingo for the first morning session on a Sunday, 32" TV giveaway, didn't win. I heard my sister say Sunday dinner would be at 6pm but she called and said it was at 1pm, and that then she had to go to meet with her loan officer for house she is trying to get at 3:30, well we didn't makt it to Sunday Lunch/Dinner, Vica was with dad and she didn't get home til about 2:30 so no sense in driving to Irving and turning right back around, especially since money is short for gas right now.

Watched a couple of movies, cleaned some, last week me and Juanita, maria started working out on Tues, Thurs and Sunday. So yesterday we worked out for 50 mins nonstop and I feel great. We do a 20 min warmup to music, then we do a set of 10 of each, jumping jacks, way backs, rocking chair, windmills, opp toe touch, picking grass, then one of us will do 50 on the ab lounger while the others just keeping moving, after that person completes her 50 then we do a second set of the above, then the 2nd person does ab lounger, then we do a third set and then the 3rd person does her ab lounger. It was a great workout! Well, I was the last one to do the ab lounger and this song came on and Juanita and Maria tell me keep going beli til the songs finishes. LOL I did a total of 130 on the ab lounger. can you say huff and puff?!?! Tia had rolled herself in the living room and she watched us work out, I think she got a laugh from it. LOL I'm so glad to see her move herself around.

afterwards we weighed ourselves, I think we should weigh ourselves each time before we work out but we forgot to so we did it after and my current weight is 230 lbs., my goal is at least 160 - 170. So I need to lose 60 lbs to start.

Afterwards, i went home to shower and headed back, Juanita invited me to watch Celebrity apprentice with her, Scott got fired :(, headed home and actually went to bed before midnight.

I woke up refreshed, full of energy. We agreed to change our workouts to Tues, Wed, Thurs., seeing as the weekends we usually have something come up. So tomorrow we start for three days straight, after work. So I figured if I can do 100 on the ab lounger each night I should have a small belly come new year's eve. LOL

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

1st Day

Well, taking a break. so far, GOOD! The owner is such an awesome guy. Wife is a teacher, the recpt is very nice. He basically gave me a pad of paper and told me to make a list of things that need to change as I go along. :) His son rec'd good news today......the cancer is about 90% cleared. Will still have to do chemo for another year. Please keep him in your prayers.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Wonderful Day!

I received two job offers yesterday and both were really great offers more than what I could ask for! So I accepted the one closer to home and no traffic. Can you believe that? No traffic! Hours will be great, I will be office manager and my duties pretty much include what I've been doing all these years for other agents. You know the agent told me, after I asked if he would like a list of references, that the only reason he would need a list of references is if he felt I didn't perform well in my other jobs prior to my quitting and that he could tell I was a dedicated employee.

Not to be conceited or anything, but I do know how to do my job and I believe, no, I know I do my job well and with great pride.