Thank You

I must be hormonal... nonetheless, it's been a long time since I've blogged and I feel a need to say...

I am thankful that everytime my son says "I want rice" there is rice is in the rice cooker to feed him. 

I am thankful that my father cooks a fresh pot of rice for my son every day (even though he's diabetic and I constantly scold him that he needs to cut back on eating rice himself). 

I am thankful that my father is still alive, healthy and strong so that he can cook said rice for my son. 

I am thankful that every time we need to make rice, there is rice in the rice dispenser. 

I am thankful that anytime we are running low on rice, anyone in our home can run to the store and buy more. 

I am thankful that we have Filipino markets close to our home to buy said rice. 

I am thankful that we have never had to worry about not having money to puchase food for our child. 

I am thankful for the child that we were blessed with, and for his healthy appetite, and everything about him.

I am thankful for my husband, who worked so hard with me to have our son and is a wonderful father. 

I am thankful for my parents, even though we still argue, fuss and fight - I am so glad they are able to play an active role in their grandchild's life. 

I am thankful for my health, my strength, my job, my life - and for all of my blessings. 

I don't say it enough - thank you, Lord. 

8/3/2011 - The "incident"

To the Management Executives of the La Costa Resort and Spa,


On Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 my husband, an associate of ours, and I attended the Mercury Insurance Open at your venue. To say that it was our pleasure to attend this event at your venue would be inaccurate and quite the opposite. In fact, it was very well one of the worst experiences that each of us has ever had due to the horrid treatment we received from your staff.

As a Human Resources and business professional, I am well versed on discrimination and the protected categories outlined by the law. I often advise my clients on best practices to ensure that they are not discriminatory towards their employees, customers or vendors. This is important not only because it helps mitigate risk and avoid law suits, but it is also the respectful and right thing to do.

I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to live in various parts of the United States and to have traveled to various places in the world. Until I had the opportunity to attend an event at your venue, I never personally experienced such obvious and blatant racial discrimination. On at least three separate occasions your employees ignored me, my husband and my associate, proceeded past us, and offered their services to the Caucasian individuals surrounding us.

Your company boasts of deluxe accommodations, world class amenities and premier services available at your resort. I am not privy to your company's marketing strategy, however I assume from my experience this is a white-only venue, and therefore you should clarify that accordingly in your communications to the public. If this is not the case, I strongly encourage you partner with a third-party vendor to conduct diversity training with every member of your staff immediately to help ensure that no one else experience the flagrant racial discrimination that we did.

We have shared our experience with many of our associates who are disgusted with your practices and they have insisted that I write this letter to you. Should you desire a conversation with me to discuss this experience further, please do not hesitate to call or email me. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Floremy San Mateo, SPHR

So true...

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered "Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."

Bye Bye - Love You!

I love the end of the day when it's bedtime for my son.  We read a couple of our favorite books, say our prayers, sing a few songs, exchange kisses and cuddle before I put him down.  Tonight was a very special night that I must remember, because for the first time he said "Bye Bye - Love You!" as I laid him down into his crib. 

I was so so shocked!  Normally when I put him down, he just rolls over, hugs his stuffed animal, and goes to sleep.  Tonight, while I was giving him his last three kisses (don't know why, but I always have to give him 3), he kissed me back, said "Bye-Bye" and when I said, "I love you" he responded with a very clear "Love you!" 

Oh my gosh, my heart melted and there were tears in my eyes.  The joys of motherhood!!! 

We're Going to London!

So excited - we just booked our trip to London - hooray!!! 

I can't remember exactly when, but more than 5 years ago we purchased time share with Marriott.  Originally we were just going to take advantage of the free night's stay at a Ritz Carlton hotel and say "no thank you" at the presentation... until they explained how the "points" program worked and how we could use these points for airfare and hotel stays.  SWEET!!! 

We only paid $509.10 (which was $169.70 per person) to the airline for taxes and other misc. airline fees for round-trip airfare for 3 and 7-nights at a Marriott hotel in the heart of London.  Again, SWEET!!!! 

Can't wait - whoo hooooooo!!!!!!!  (insert image of us dancing here!!!!)

After Christmas $ale

Through the years the hubby and I have become experts on taking advantage of after-Christmas sales.  So much so, that I already know what stores start their discount pricing before Christmas (World Market, for example, so I'm fully stocked up on Christmas wrapping paper and gift bags for the following year!).  It also helps that I worked in retail managment for 10+ years, so I'm aware of pricing strategies, trends, profit margins, etc. that retailers use to entice you to come into their stores (I always make a beeline for the clearance sections waaaaaay in the back of the store and do not allow myself to even look at the full priced items on my way in), price points to watch out for (usually a price ending in a 9 is a sale price, 8 is a further discounted price, and 7 is a final price). 

I digress, anyhoo, when it comes to after Christmas sales - particularly seasonal items - stores start to discount prices the week before Christmas about 25-30% (sometimes 50% if you're lucky, see World Market, above).  The day after Christmas discounts usually start at 50%, the week after Christmas it jumps to 75% (retailers really need the merchandising space for new goods in January), and if anything is left - up to 90% off at the end of January.  Of course, if you really want something, you should grab it when it's on sale, because when it's gone, it's gone.  (For example, Christmas lights go fast, and retailers don't have overstock nowadays like they used to.)  If it isn't on the top of your list, then wait (ribbons, for example). 

Now, one thing I'm an expert with is calculating a discount.  Back in highschool I was a volunteer at the University of Chicago Hospital.  After working in different departments, somehow or another I wound up becoming a volunteer at the hospital gift shop.  It was there that I learned a cool trick about calculating a 75% discount that I will never forget - simply take the original price in half, then half again.  Makes total sense, right?  I have other quick math tips, but that's another story...

Last Sunday we took our son to the mall to get him a new pair of shoes.  While we were there we decided to check out Sears to see if they had any Christmas lights left.  Sure enough, there were slim pickings, but we managed to find some good deals.  Part of the department had signage that said 75% off, while the other part said 50% off.  I got clarification from a sales associate that the entire department is 75% off, and from there the hubby and I proceeded to pick through what was left to see what would look nice in our front yard for Christmas 2011.  The boy entertained himself by talking to the various Lolas also shopping in the department, and by playing with gift boxes. 

When we went to pay, I noticed the prices were only 50% off.  I brought the discrepancy to the cashier's attention, and he explained that the system had not updated yet, so he would deduct another 25% at the end of the transaction.  I explained to him that an additional 25% deduction would not result in a 75% discount, and gave him an example so he would understand.  He looked at me like he didn't believe me, argued with me, and I calmly explained, again, what the items should cost at 75% off.  He then asked me, "So how much of a discount do you want me to give you, 28%?"  WTF??? I calmly replied, "No, whatever you need to do to make this item cost $9.99 - which as I explained would be 50% off."  Now mind you, I was doing all this math in my head, and he looked at me like I was pulling numbers out of my ass.  Without even saying "excuse me", or anything at all, he walked away from the register, talked to 2-3 other associates, grabbed a calculator, moved to another register, and didn't say a word to us or other customers.  THANK GOODNESS our child was entertaining himself with music on my cellphone.  The sales associate finally came back, didn't look at me, didn't apologize, got his manager to punch some code in the register for the price override, and just started ringing us up, again.  When the receipt popped out, I asked him, "Are we all good now?"  To which he just said, "Yeah" and handed me the receipt - $49.62 (that's like $200 worth of Christmas lights, full price - whoo hooo!!!!!). 

Now, normally I would have complained about this guy's attitiude, but since it was Sears, it wasn't worth my time (especially since my child had just dropped a deuce).  While the hubby went ahead to get the car for us, I looked back at the registers and noticed that a massive line had formed - apparently the people that were rung up before us overheard me explaining the discount thing with the sales associate, realized that they were charged the wrong prices, and were in line to get price adjustments.  They didn't look too happy about it.  Hehehe, sucked to be THAT guy...

Whatevas - we got a good deal and are excited for Christmas 2011!!!