It Pays To Be Nice
You hear about road rage and people doing awful things out of anger.  I get angry myself.   Didn't I just do an entry a few days ago about wanting to scream?    But....for the most part, my nature is to be laid back, be considerate of others, and above all be patient.  Which, in itself has its own rewards.  But on occasion, I am reward materially for my patience.  For my "niceness".  I have gotten a coupon for a free pizza -- because when we ordered, they didn't have what we wanted.  Ok. No big deal.  We ordered something else.  But when we went to pick it up, the manager gave me a coupon for a free pizza the next time we came in -- apparently everyone else had been rude, angry, and just downright "no nice" when they were told they couldn't get what they wanted.   She said it was nice to have someone who was "OK" with it.  

Granted, there are time when you can't be a doormat, and you need to stand up for what is right.  But -- not being able to get the kind of pizza you want ....   don't take it out on the people who work there.   Choose your battles, and use your anger somwhere else.

The pizza incident was a couple years ago.   Every morning, just about, I stop at this one convience store to .....  either get a cup of ice or a cup of ice and Diet Pepsi.m    Its not cubed ice.  Its crushed ice, kinda.   I don't know, but I am just really hooked on it.   And if you take in your own cup, or reuse one of theirs, the ice doesn't cost anything -- and I've do that periodically as well.   But, the fact is -- I'm in there most every day.   Its usually the same girl behind the counter, and she is always friendly, and so am I.  

Yesterday morning, I walked in, went over to to the fountain, and it said "Ice machine - Out of order" - or something to that effect.    They have two fountains, so I turned to the other one, settling on the cubed ice.   Same sign.   Ok.  Now what do I do?   I hesitated for a minute, and then decided I'd go get a cold bottle of water or Diet Pepsi, and get ice at the church for the morning.   The girl behind the counter saw my hesistation, and before I had taken no more than a step or two, she told me try the ice machine.   That it might have frozen enough to get me a cup of it.  

I smiled, and told her thank you -- and sure enough ....  like manna from heaven, the ice flowed out (the GOOD ice, not the cubed ice) and I got my morning cup of ice.    As I turned around to go pay for it -- the guy comes out of the bathroom.  There had been a cup on the counter there, filled to the brim with pop.  No ice.   Apparently, it was his.    He looks at me and says, "oh man, where did  you get the ice???"  I felt really bad.  I told him and I heard him mutter "well, thats nice to know AFTER I get my pop".   I felt bad because the girl behind the counter had done something nice for me .... and then it started the chain reaction of sorts.    If she had wanted to guy to know about trying the ice machine, she would have told him.    I just think she was nice to me because we frequent there so much (both David and I), and it wasn't something she would have told all her customers.    But.  He got his ice.  I got mine, and there wasn't anyone else in the store, so maybe that gave it a little more time to freeze -- and the sign kept everyone else away.  

And today, its back in ordre:)  Yeah!   I like my ice!


Not As It Seems
Don't let me fool ya though.  I'm not all "nice-nice".    I have a couple of protected entrys I need to do.  Emotions are lying just below the surface that I need to figure out. 

Talent Show
We attended a FCCLA Talent Show last night.   The kids in Middle School that belong to FCCLA got together and put on a talent show.   We have some real talent in these kids.   Ethan didn't do a solo -- I think mostly because to do one, you need a background CD, and we've just never gone that route with him yet.   For the most part, he sings Accapello (spelling?) (i.e. without any kind of music to accompany him).   The solo he did at the vocal contest, his music teacher played the piano.  So, he is "branching out".  This talent show was just for fun -- to share with the parents.   On May 7th, we have a "celebration" of sorts downtown, with craft booths and a car show, and lots of other activities.  And there is a talent show part there, and there is MONEY involved:)   So, we need to see what Ethan can work up.   Either that, or he's thinking they could do the duet they did at the talent show.  That was pretty good.      Several people commented to us as we walked in, or were mingling afterwards, at how well Ethan did at the vocal contest.   Very confident.  Very much on key.   You just see on the judge's face they like it.     I wasn't the only parent not there -- matter of fact, on a few went.  But I kinda wish now we would have worked it out and gone.   His picture was in last night's paper.   I will post that in a seperate entry. 

I also am going to make a new page at my web page called "In The News".  Find a scrapbook type layout/graphics, and then the only things that will go there is when Ethan is in the newspaper...which seems to be fairly often.   He said he'll be in the paper again this Tuesday -- for getting Exzemplary on the State tests (50 out of the 300 kids in Middle School achieved this).    Our newspaper is "on line", so its not too hard to get it put on line.  I've called them and asked permission to use their stuff on my web page, as long as I give them credit for it, and they didn't have a problem with it.  

Other Notes
I have several other notes I wanted to write about -- but it is now Sunday and I still dont' have a whole lot of time.  So, I'm going to "publish" this now and save those other notes for later.