Month: May 2018

The Backdoor Compliment

/ theraisleyrundown / 1 Comment

This past week I received a “backdoor compliment” and began to ponder this strange use of words. Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a compliment and I will take one however I can get it! I don’t even care if there is a snide remark associated with it. A compliment is a compliment to me…bless my heart!

 

Here’s an example of a backdoor compliment that I hear all the time in people’s conversations.  “You look good…….for your age!” Why can’t a person just say, “you look good period?” Why must a person add “for your age?” Does that mean that on the old people scale you look good, but on a young person’s scale you would look hideous? I’m here to tell you that you should just ignore the last part of that compliment and bask in the glory of a compliment.

 

Here are other backdoor compliments that I heard while people-watching last week

What They Say: What They Mean:
You look good for your size. Fat people can be pretty like us skinnies!
You’re pretty smart in comparison. Between you and that door knob over there, I’d say you were smarter.
I’d never wear an outfit like that, but it looks good on you. That outfit is a travesty, but you wear it well.
Your kids seem very well adjusted for being in a blended family. Your blended family kids are not as good as my first-marriage-in-progress-kids.
You have a great voice considering your age! I thought old people would sound all crackly.
You cook very well for a novice. Beginners could never cook as well as I do.
You have a great job in spite of never finishing college. I think you’re a failure for not finishing college, but you make great money.
I’m so surprised that you did that well! I generally think of you as a loser, but you did well this time.

 

I’m going to give you all a challenge this week! Why not try to genuinely compliment at least one person each day without qualifying your statement with a negative edge!?! Just put it out there and let someone feel good about themselves without wondering if you were being a bit passive aggressive. I know that here in the south, we follow sentences with, “Bless your heart” when we want to add an obvious zinger, but let’s just try to be genuine and sweet with our compliments for an entire week! Feel free to start by complimenting me! (Hahahaha! I couldn’t resist!)

 

Listfully yours,

Vicki

In the Good Old Summertime!

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The end of the school year is quickly approaching and the excitement and exhaustion is taking its toll on everyone!  Teachers are feeling more and more exhausted and less and less patient and students are becoming more and more talkative and less and less focused. While viewing my “TimeHop App” for today, I saw my post from nine years ago that said, “You know it’s the end of the school year when you fantasize about how relaxing it would be to be in jail instead of at work.”  My non-teacher friends will never be able to understand the terrible end-of-the-year-tired that each of us has to get through, but those of us who teach or have taught completely understand. So, in honor of End-of-the-Year-Teacher-Tired, here is today’s  list!

What I will NOT be doing over summer break:

I am not getting up before sunrise! (unless I need to catch a plane to some wonderful location for a vacation!)  Let’s face it, we drag these children out of bed way too early to go to school. No one should be headed to school before the sun is up!

 I will not be setting out my clothes the night before so I can rush out the door to go anywhere. Oh, and most days I’ll just be choosing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt or blouse.

I will not give a second thought to writing any lesson plans. (I am retiring, but in past years I would set aside time to write lesson plans over the summer to get ahead of the game. The longer I taught, the less I actually did over the summer. If you are a teacher, give yourself a break from all school work! You’ve earned it!)

I will not be getting that nasty upset stomach on Sunday nights because I’m dreading any bad classes on the next day! Once May hits, you actually just dread getting out of bed at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. again…not just if you have a bad class.

I won’t be jumping through hoops to say everything that I have to say in positive terms so that I don’t hurt someone’s feelings! For the summer I can just trust my own sense of tactfulness and right vs. wrong.

I won’t be eating a gross, dry “extreme wellness wrap” for lunch every day since I won’t have to be up at 5:00 a.m. to create said lunch. It will be nice to relax and have more time to create a healthy and delicious lunch.

I will not be reading professionally themed books. I’ll take something funny, a bestseller, or a good murder mystery…but keep the Classrooms That Work type books for August-May.

I will not be attending any meetings that are completely unrelated to me…or could have been put in an email. I will be going to church meetings, lunch meetings, poolside meetings, beach meetings, and shopping trips, but no more staff meetings for the summer.

I will not have to go to bed while the sun is still up just to try to recharge my physical and emotional batteries. During the whole month of May I’m torn between having a life and doing fun things in the evening and going to be at 7:00 pm so I won’t feel tired and angry all day!  Oh, and just to make you feel better, please know that I choose the extra sleep so I can be as pleasant as possible.

I will not be continuing my countdown!  I’m mean really, who would count down the days of summer that are left before the return to work?!? I can understand counting down until summer break, Christmas break, spring break, etc, but I will have to draw the line and counting down to the return to work. It’s just not going to happen.

 

I’m sure my list will grow longer as the summer progresses, but for now, those are my 10 things that I won’t be doing on my summer break! I hope that all of my teacher friends can finish strong this year. Just know you are not alone in your physical, mental and emotional exhaustion! Let’s pull together and cheer each other on as we lunge towards the finish line!!!

 

Listfully yours,

Vicki

The Traffic Jam!

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     If you’ve read many of my posts, you already know that I love to people watch. It’s fun, funny and can even teach you a thing or two about yourself.  I’ve really been watching people in traffic the past couple of weeks, and once again, it’s been a real treat. Let me introduce you to the people I’ve met recently.

 

The happy driver.

Now, this particular species is definitely on the endangered list. These are the people who are smiling, singing with the radio, happily conversinging with their other passengers, and generally looking relaxed and pleasant. They aren’t yelling at other drivers or cutting in and out of lanes just trying to get ahead. They are just enjoying the ride. I just love these people. I wish there were more on the roads.

The oblivious drivers.

These folks scare me. The other day I was driving home and the lady in the car in front of me was texting and drifted out of her lane into the right lane beside her nearly running into the driver who was on her right. He was totally unaware of the car almost striking him because he was talking on his phone. As it turns out…I was the only one paying attention and I was the only one of us about to have a heart attack. There are way too many people driving who are paying NO ATTENTION at all to the road. Jesus take the wheel!

The obnoxious drivers.

You’ve all seen these guys and girls. They ride up on your bumper fully believing that if they get close enough to push you that you will be annoyed and go faster. Sometimes they honk, wave their arms, flash you a finger, or a dirty look. They change lanes without signals and squeeze in where there is truly not room for them. These people think that they are the only ones worthy to be on the road and will take dangerous chances to annoy you and get you out of the way. The scariest obnoxious drivers are the motorcyclists who ride between lands and squeeze in everywhere. I certainly hope that no one I know drives like this.

The overly cautious (aka the roadblock).

These drivers are always going a minimum of 5 mph UNDER the speed limit. They will stay in the left lane which is normally designated for faster drivers and they will start to annoy you because you will have to ride your brakes in order to stay back far enough.Then you have to deal with the obnoxious drivers that drive on your own bumper while staying a safe distance from this roadblock.  These drivers can make even the Happy Drivers scowl a little bit. I appreciate the fact that you are being cautious and think you’re being safe, but if you are the overly cautious driver, please take as many back roads as possible and please avoid coming out during rush hour!

The Textbook Driver.

I just love these people! They  are the teacher’s pet of drivers. These folks use their turn signals all the time. They look before they merge. They signal and scoot over a lane so that other cars can easily merge onto the interstate with them. These lovely people leave safe space between themselves and other drivers and they would never even dream of not waiting their turn at a 4-way stop. These people restore my faith in humanity. I hope everyone I know is this kind of driver!

 

    Now I know that riding around on the crazy streets of Charleston, SC can be a real trial for even the best drivers. I tend to be the Happy Textbook Driver, but if I’m not careful and intentional, I could become that angry, obnoxious driver. So, I’m not saying that I’m perfect or that I’m never tempted to cut someone off to better my position on the road. I am saying that, like so many other good habits in life, good and peaceful driving is a choice. When I feel frustration building up during my commute, I consciously take steps to keep myself in control. I’ll sing to the radio, pray, converse with the people in my car or even have a chat with myself about how getting angry or upset in traffic is not worth the energy that it would be zapping from my life. This summer, why not take the challenge to be the Happy Textbook Driver and make your time on the road even more enjoyable!

Listfully yours,

Vicki

Thrown Into The Future!

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My last car purchase was in 2009. Nine whole years ago. I bought a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer back then and drove it for 126,000 miles. My husband decided that it was time for me to get a newer used vehicle and so the hunt began. Last week, we found the vehicle we were looking for and now are awaiting its arrival from its current home. In the meantime, my awesome dealership gave me a 2018 Chevy Equinox to drive around until my vehicle arrives. I feel like I was tossed head first into the future and that my rental is now 10 times smarter than me. Here’s why!

 

  • There is no key!!!! So, I get into the car to drive off and there is no place for the key. The millenial salesman kindly tells me that my car is smart enough to sense when the little key fob thingy is in the car and all I have to do is push the button on the dash to start and stop the car. This is MAGIC, people! MAGIC!!!!

 

 

  • There is a back-up camera!!!! Do you mean to tell me that I’ve been turning my head around backwards in order to back up for 37 years and now all you have to do is look at a screen?!?!  It’s a modern miracle!!!!

 

 

  • This car knows how far I can go until I run out of gas! I used to keep track of my milage and how much gas I put in the car to figure out how far I could go on a tank of gas. Now….I have NO MATH to do….I just push a button and it tells me how far I can go on the gas I have.  No way!!!!!!

 

 

  • The engine stops at long lights and other times when I’m sitting still for longer stretches. Wait, what?! You just know when to stop the engine to save fuel when I’m sitting at a red light or railroad crossing?!?!  Just. Shut. Up!!!!

 

 

  • This car won’t let me run you off the road!! There are nifty little flashing lights that illuminate my mirrors when someone is in my blind spots. If I really pay attention to my car and my surroundings, I have no excuse to ever change lanes on you and run you off the road!!! (See….there’s even something for you!)

 

 

  • I don’t need my phone while driving…my car has all the gadgets! I’ve got Bluetooth Technology, Sirius Radio, Wi-fi,  OnStar, Auxilary input, USB ports, and so much more!!! I could take a lifetime to learn all the things that this rental can already do. Heck, even opening the gas tank cover was a new experience! Wowza to all the crazy extras.

 

 

So, now I know I sound like a really old fart, but you’ve got to admit that technology sure has changed our vehicles. I’m so amazed and thankful for all the smart engineers and technologists who came up with all these advances. I guess I’ll have to learn some new features when my own vehicle arrives at the dealership for pick up!  I’m excited to say that I have been thrown into the future and I LOVE it!

 

Listfully yours,

Vicki

That’s a Fortune!

/ theraisleyrundown / 2 Comments

I absolutely love Chinese food! I’m actually quite a fan of the spicy Szechuan dishes. But, if the truth be told, my favorite part of the meal is reading my fortune and eating the fortune cookie. When I started my love affair with Chinese food back in college my fortunes would say very wise and thought provoking things such as, “To achieve great dreams one must take great risks….or….When you plan ahead you are building success.”  These days, the fortunes seem a bit less wise. Here are a few of the ones I’ve recently encountered.

 

  • If would be best if you would lay low for a little while.  Wait. What? Did I do something illegal? Is someone hunting me? How is that even a fortune?

 

 

  • If at first you don’t succeed…try something harder. Okay….so if I fail at something easy then I should try something harder. That’s just dumb.

 

 

  • Great! You’re ready for a party. Well, I am always up for a party, but what does that have to do with the price of tea in China.  Hahahaha! See what I did there?! That’s hardly a wise fortune, folks. I feel like I just got a text from someone who meant to text somebody else.

 

  • Ignore Previous Cookie. No lie. I actually received this fortune in a cookie. But…by the way…how did they know I ate my husband’s cookie before eating my own? Maybe they aren’t as dumb as I thought.  

 

  • You will be hungry in one hour.  Yeah, you’re probably right, cookie, but tell me something I don’t know.

 

  • Time wounds all heels. Clever. Sad, but clever.

 

  • You are not illiterate. True, but disappointing when I’m looking for my cookie to tell me I will become very, very rich in just a few short days!

 

 

  • Do or do not. There is no try. So, I had to read it five times before it made any sense. I have a philosophical difference with this cookie. I can TRY and fail or I can TRY and succeed. In both cases….THERE IS A TRY!

 

 

  • I cannot help you. I am only a cookie. My cookie needs an antidepressant.

 

 

  • Want another fortune? Visit our website. Wow. This fortune is so awesome that I think I want to waste data and minutes of my life looking up another one. That was not even the least bit creative.  

 

Well now you can see why I have been so disappointed in my fortune cookies lately! I miss the good old days of thought provoking sayings and wise advice. I guess now I have to enjoy the slightly stale cookie for what it is….a plain old cookie.  On the bright side, now I can throw away all those little strips of paper that I’ve been collecting in my wallet. The blog is written. Their purpose in life has been fulfilled. Oh! I wonder if I can get a free-lance writing gig writing fortune cookie fortunes!

 

Listfully Yours,

Vicki