The Business

I've had a lot of people ask me how business is going since we went out on our own.  It's been great.   

So great as a matter of fact, that our X boss has turned on us and actually threatened to sue me for opening a hearing aid office just five minutes from Miracle Ear.  

Where did that come from?  

He says I signed a contract with him that prohibits me from opening a hearing aid business for one year>  

No ~ I didn't.  

He tried to get me to sign one (just last year), but I refused.  

There was a time when he intimidated me... but not no more.  

I guess he's upset because things aren't going well for him?  Many of the Miracle Ear customers are coming to us...  

But we cannot program the Miracle Ear hearing aids 

because the software is exclusively theirs.  

Miracle Ear has gone through 2 employees so far, a consultant and a receptionist - both of whom would tell customers...  'Gary and Bobbi?  I don't know what happened to them 

or 

I don't where they are' 

(after I'd been there for over 10 years.  Really!!)

 Miracle Ear is now without anyone again, and word has it customers are furious.  Many of them find us,   but there is only so much we can do for them.  I feel badly.  I really do care about what happens to them.

My X boss says that Miracle Ear customers were his because he paid to get them in the office.   We can't contact them.

I believe that my X boss thought I would fail, and that's why he was being so nice to me about opening my own business.  

Maybe if he would focus on helping the customers and being honest and upfront with them and his employees instead of manipulating and bullying...  maybe he would be more successful and he could leave me alone to run my business.  

Basically, I told him - I know what I know.   I am honest about what I do, and if you feel the need to sue me then go for it!  

I'm 100% sure he won't though.  

I know too much.  LOL.

Maria

Below is a picture of my daughter Lindsey when she was a little girl.  Lindsey loved her baby dolls...  but as with most little girls, she had her favorite.  

Maria sold for around $5 and I ordered her from the Family Weekly.  She was a girl doll.  There were boy dolls as well, and yes... you could tell the difference... if you know what I mean!

 Lindsey named her doll Maria because she loved the song from The Sound of Music, 'How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria'...  She  loved musicals!

One day Maria came missing.   She was nowhere to be found. After searching high and low, we finally concluded that a dingo the neighbors dog must have drug her off.  Try telling your three year old that her baby has been stolen by a wild animal and will never return!

So I did the only thing a mother in this situation could possibly do.  I lied...  just a little.

I told her Maria was misplaced, but we'd find her...

 I promised!

Then I made one of the best investments that I've ever made.  I ordered 3 more Maria's from Family Weekly.  

Something this tragic would not happen again!

The new Maria looked exactly like the old Maria.  

(The other 2 I put away until I was sure the dingo neighbors dog didn't run off with Maria #2, then I got them out and informed Lindsey that Maria was now triplets.)  

She was ecstatic!  

So now she had Maria, Maria, and Maria.  

Don't ask.  

Only one Maria lived to see Lindsey grow into adulthood and have a baby girl of her own.  That Maria was passed around at Lindsey's baby shower during a game of 'pass the Maria'.  

Maria went on to become Rissi's doll and was mostly a bathtub doll.  Maria drank a lot of bath water and peed in the tub.  Her insides became icky after a while.  A few months ago, after examining Maria closely I decided it was time to say goodbye...  and move on.  

It wasn't until I was visiting our local flea market last week that I thought again of Maria.  

There she was...  and she had a brother as well.

I thought of buying her...

But then decided...  maybe not.

Maria.  

Gone but not forgotten.

This is Where We are Right Now...

Gracie goes through phases.  

For months she'll be in her independent, leave me alone  

so I can look out of my window and

 bark at other dogs phase...  

Then suddenly, without warning, she's into the clingy 

 phase - where she has to be stuck to my side  every minute of every day...  hence her nickname... Velcro. 

 This is where we are right now.

  Now if Gary brings food into the room, she'll pull away from me for a moment to see if there's any chance of him sharing. Then it's back up beside of me in my chair.  If she could talk, I would guess she'd say, 'move the laptop, I'm coming up'.

Now that I'm working from home, I'm in and out of the house all day, and I always find her in the same position...

Curled up in my chair with my robe.    

You think I'm exaggerating... right?

Well wait a minute.  Let me grab my phone and get a picture.

I rest my case.

Dear Diary,

I want 

my mommy.

Gracie.