Questions! I Got Questions!

Thank you so much to everyone for the incredible outpouring of support you gave me in response to my post last night about my new job as the Alumni Relations & Events Manager at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Your good wishes and encouragement really mean a lot to me.

Along with all the wonderful support, I also received some very good questions and I thought I would just hold a "press conference" on LMS to answer them.

Now that you've got this new job, will you continue to do Mary Kay?

Great question! Thank you for asking. Yes, I will continue my Mary Kay business, much the way I do now. I will continue to offer Wacky Wednesday specials for my clients via email and deliver their products in a timely manner. Unfortunately, I will no longer be able to offer daytime appointments, but I will still be able to see my wonderful clients on evenings and weekends. I love my Mary Kay business and my clients and cannot imagine giving it up.

What about your involvement with the Chamber? Will you still be active on the Board and in the Professional Women's Council?

I will continue to be a member of the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce because I believe wholeheartedly in their mission of supporting local businesses and because as an entrepreneur, there is simply no better organization of which to be a member. Unfortunately, I did have to step down from the Board of Directors yesterday and, more than likely, I won't be able to attend PWC. Stepping down from the Board was a difficult decision, as I've thoroughly enjoyed being part of all that's been accomplished over the past two years, but stepping down was the only way I could pursue this opportunity. PWC is also a great group and I give lots of credit to for making my Mary Kay business so successful. The event planning experience I gained by chairing PWC was invaluable in helping me secure my new job.

What about Little Merry Sunshine? Will you continue to write Little Merry Sunshine and will you start posting more often?

Little Merry Sunshine isn't going anywhere. I love writing my blog and have missed writing it. I've been lazy about it the past few months for a number of reasons that are unimportant now. Truthfully, I have a number of posts that are about half finished. It's my hope that I'll feel more inspired to write.

How do Betsey & Ross feel about your new job?

Well, that's a good question. Frankly, I hadn't even considered it, but because you asked, I asked them and here's the transcript of their response:

"Betsey and Ross wish to express their sincere congratulations to their mom on her new job at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. We will remain happy for her as long as this job has no negative impact on our lives. As long as we still have constantly full food bowls and clean litter boxes, we'll be fine. Our only other concern is that her new early rising time will disrupt our beauty sleep, but we'll fix that by scratching her eyes out in her sleep. Ha! Ha! We jest!"

Well, that's not exactly the ringing selfless endorsement I suppose I was hoping for, but they are cats and it did mention me, so that's positive.

I know that Lake Forest Graduate School of Management isn't part of Lake Forest College, but aren't they located on the LFC campus? How will it feel to work on the campus of your alma mater?

It is true that LFGSM used to be located in what is now known as Buchanan Hall on the South Campus of Lake Forest College, but they moved to their "new" headquarters in West Lake Forest (off of Rte. 60, just east of I-94) some time in the last decade (I don't remember exactly when).

How much are you getting paid?

I'm sorry, but that's a very personal question and one I will not answer. Next question, please.

Will you continue to volunteer on the Alumni Board at Lake Forest College?

Yes. I will definitely remain on the Alumni Board at LFC. In fact, I'm participating in Speed Networking at the end of the month. By the way, you're a LFC alum...have you donated to the Annual Fund yet this year? Click here to donate (even if you're not an alum you can donate).

Is it true that you have officially declared that "Winter is dead to me"?

Yes, that's true. If you live anywhere near Chicago, you know that on top of the blizzard last week and more snow this winter than we typically have, we are now experiencing the coldest weather in years. It's something like -15 tonight. Seriously. That's cold. I'm done with Winter. It is dead to me. Spring can't arrive fast enough. Thank God that pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in 5 days and Cubs Opening Day is a mere 50 days away.

Okay folks, that's all the questions for today. We'll hold another press conference soon.

LMS Announcement: A New Chapter Begins

A little over three years ago I set out on a journey as a reunion volunteer for my alma mater, Lake Forest College. Because of my leadership and success in that capacity, I was quickly invited to join the Alumni Board, where I immediately proved my stripes as not only a reliable and talented volunteer, but as a leader on the Board and became the co-chair of the Alumni Relations Committee.

At about the same time, I got more involved in the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce when I joined the Board of Directors and became the chairperson of the Professional Women's Council. My active involvement in the Board and leadership in the PWC, led to a nomination for the 2010 Business Leader of the Year. (I didn't win, but it was a huge honor to be nominated. Honestly.)

Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with alumni relations and discovered I had a talent for it too. That's not to say I haven't continued to love my Mary Kay business, but the volunteer work I was doing allowed me to stretch my muscles in a different way. In fact, one of the things I have most enjoyed about my Mary Kay business is also what I most enjoy about volunteering in alumni relations: building relationships. In my opinion, alumni relations comes down to relationships. Alumni who have positive and satisfying relationships with faculty, staff, and other alumni, are more likely to be more involved in their alma mater by attending events, volunteering their time, and donating their money. Building the relationships is key too all success.

As I've continued to evolve as a volunteer, I began taking classes in non-profit and volunteer management. I even seriously considered getting a master's degree in it. Who knows, I might yet do it. In the fall, LFC offered members of the Alumni Board the opportunity to attend the alumni relations industry conference in Chicago, on their dime. Knowing a great opportunity when I see it, I jumped immediately.

The conference was an incredible experience. I picked up many tools and ideas that I would love to implement with volunteer programs at LFC, but the biggest thing I learned was that there is no "one way" of doing things. Yes, there are best practices, but many ideas, implemented well, can succeed.

Late in the afternoon of the second day, I was standing at the hospitality desk speaking with my friend Tim (the Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations at LFC) about alumni relations employment opportunities when a man I didn't know walked by and said "Hey Tim! I see LFC is hiring!" as he pointed to the message board about 10 feet away. Tim assured him and me that wasn't true, but I was already pulling the lone job description off the board and discovering a job called Alumni Relations & Events Manager at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management (not affiliated with Lake Forest College, although many people believe them to be one-in-the-same).

And that was the moment my world changed. Reading over the job description, I just kept thinking "These are the things I do now as a volunteer! This job was custom made for me!" I put my desire for a position in alumni relations out to the Universe and the Universe answered in record time, just as had happened many times before in my life.

I applied for the job (with the help of the incredible Lake Forest College Career Services Center because I'm embarrassed to tell you how long it had been since I looked at my resume), had a total of 10 interviews with 8 different people, and tonight, I am thrilled to announce that starting Monday, February 14th, I will be the new Alumni Relations and Events Manager at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management!

Once again, when I put something out to the Universe, the Universe answers with amazing speed. I hope the Universe is ready for what I'm about to ask for next.

Saturday Night Live Returns to Greatness

Last night, Dana Carvey hosted Saturday Night Live. For my readers who aren't old enough to remember Dana Carvey during his Saturday Night Live heyday, he was part of the greatest SNL cast to ever grace the stage from 1986-1993. He created such characters as Hanz & Franz (with Kevin Nealon), the Church Lady, Wayne & Garth (with Mike Meyer), and did the best George H.W. Bush impression I've ever seen.

Fortunately, SNL got it right last night when they let Dana Carvey do what he does best.

Miss it? Not to worry, I've got your back. Here's the best of last night's show.

Wayne's World
Wayne and Garth reunite to predict the Oscars and (not surprisingly) have great affection for Winter's Bone.


Opening Monologue
It's okay if you didn't believe me about the 1986-1993 cast being the greatest ever because Dana Carvey will tell you himself, along with his cast member Jon Lovitz.


Church Chat
Seriously, nothing is better than watching Dana Carvey do some improv as he becomes the self-righteous Church Lady interviewing the Kardashian sisters, Snooki, and Justin Bieber. Props to Justin Bieber for making a cameo.


As always, if you read LMS via email, click here to visit the blog itself and watch the videos.

Do You Know How to Remove Snow From Your Car?

I know that seems like a dumb question, but nothing frustrates me more after a snowfall than driving around seeing people who've barely made an attempt to get the snow off their cars. And for some reason, SUV drivers seem to be the worst.

I'm not sure why, but it seems that removing snow from windshields, windows, mirrors, the roof, hood & trunk, and all lights seems to be more than some drivers can do. Sure it takes an extra 5-10 minutes, but isn't possibly saving a life (maybe your own) worth that?

Fortunately, AAA has created a very helpful video to remind everyone how to properly remove snow for their vehicles.



To help with keeping her front and back windshield clean, Little Merry Sunshine highly recommends getting windshield covers. You can get super cheap ones ($5 or so) or spend some additional money. LMS probably spent $5 each and wouldn't say they're a perfect solution, but they do keep the windshield about 90% clean while the car is parked. Of course, snow still builds up on the cover, but LMS would rather shake off a cover than have ice on her windshield. Just tuck the sides into your doors and you're good to go. Little Merry Sunshine highly recommends them if you park outside.

Little Merry Sunshine's Blizzard Driving Tips

You may have heard that we're supposed to get a little snow in Chicago today/tonight/tomorrow. To help you survive Snowmageddon 2011, Little Merry Sunshine offers the following driving tips:

Don't.

That's right. Don't drive. Stay inside and keep warm.

Oh, and if you're coupled up inside, you may want to schedule an appointment with your OB-GYN for about 9 months from now and also reserve a room in your favorite maternity ward. Your doctor is likely to have a backlog of appointments with no rooms available in the inn (or hospital).

On a serious note, if you must leave the house to drive anywhere, keep these tips in mind:

1. It's illegal to drive with your wipers on and your headlights off. Even if you can see, your headlights make it easier for others to see you.

2. Have a full tank of gas and plenty of wiper fluid.

3. Drive slower and leave extra space between you and other cars. Better to arrive late than not at all.

4. Stay off your cell phone., but carry it with you and make sure it's fully charged. Actually, this is a good idea even in good weather.

5. Have an emergency kit in your car: cat litter or salt, a shovel, snow scraper, a warm blanket or two, extra gloves, hat and socks, jumper cables, snacks, bottled water and activities for the kids. My emergency kit is in my backseat.

The bottom line for blizzard driving is to drive defensively, have patience, and don't be a jerk.

Happy 25th Anniversary Chicago Bears!

Congratulations to the 1985-86 Chicago Bears on the 25th anniversary of the ass-whooping they gave to the New England Patriots in Superbowl XX (that's 20 for you non-Roman numeral types).

Without a doubt, that team, affectionately known as the Monsters of the Midway, and consisting of such players as Sweetness, the Fridge, the Punky QB, Samurai Mike, to name a few, is one of the all-time greatest football teams.

For proof, I offer up the Superbowl Shuffle. What other team could make fun of themselves like this? And, no, there's no need to thank me for sticking these lyrics in your head for the rest of the day.



Now, can we please get back to football like the Bears gave us in 1985-86? I'm a little tired of saying "wait til next year" in reference to the Bears. It's bad enough I have to keep saying it about the Cubs. Thanks.

Chicago Politics: A Paragon of Virtue

By now, you've heard about Rahm Emanuel being kicked off the ballot for Chicago mayor by the Appellate Court because of his lack of residency. While I understand that there has been quite a spirited debate about whether Rahm's service to President Obama since 2009 made him a non-resident, I think we can all agree, that in Chicago and throughout Illinois, it's imperative that politicians follow the rules and act in a virtuous manner at all times. And that's all the Appellate Court was doing yesterday. They're simply reminding everyone that it's the letter of the law that matters and politicians must be held to a higher standard. It's this reason that we have no corruption in Illinois.

As always, John Stewart explains it all perfectly. You'll see that a strict adherence to the residency rule truly is the Chicago Way™.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Chicago Snubs
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog</a> The Daily Show on Facebook

Of course, if you read LMS via email, it's worth a trip to the blog itself to watch the video.

Certain Songs Say What I Can't

I was having a conversation with a Lifetime Friend today about Little Merry Sunshine and I explained how sometimes I use it to say the things I cannot say out loud. For example, when Nana died, I couldn't say all I wanted to say about the grief I felt, but I could write about her and how much I missed her (and still do) and that helped me process my grief and come out of my depression.

Today is one of those days where I can't make the words that describe my feelings come out of my mouth, but I can sort of say them on Little Merry Sunshine. Well, Bruce Springsteen and Michael W. Smith can say them for me.

The Kindness of Strangers

Have you heard the story about the Southwest pilot who held a plane so a man running late thanks to TSA could see his dying grandson one more time?

It's true. We're 17 days into the new year and already the kindness of strangers has made me cry. Ya, I know I'm a wuss, but trust me, you're going to get misty-eyed too.

Actually, someone once did something similar for me. I never got to say thank you because the internet didn't exist and I didn't have a public forum like Little Merry Sunshine in which to shout my gratitude from the rooftops. I was flying from Washington National to O'Hare early on a Saturday morning for my Grandma Gardner's funeral. My original flight was canceled due to mechanical problems and when United got me on a later flight, they put me in the last row of an overcrowded flight. I hadn't slept more than a couple of hours most of the week because of a huge legal filing we were getting done, and once I got to my seat, I took my first deep breath and all of my emotion over the death of my grandmother came pouring out. To add to my grief and tears, if we landed on time, I had 30 minutes to make it to the funeral and no way to tell my dad, who was picking me up at O'Hare. A passing stewardess asked me what was wrong and upon hearing my story, walked away. She returned a few minutes later telling me to get my purse and follow her. Someone in first class gave me their seat so I could get off the plane as quickly as possible, run through the airport, and make it to the funeral. Wow. Even now, 15 years later, I'm still grateful for that random act of kindness by a stranger.

So maybe that's why I'm especially touched by the Southwest pilot who went above and beyond to make sure a man he didn't know got to see the person he needed to see without worrying about all the places the other passengers wanted to be.

Hero Pilot Pulls Out the Stops to Help Grandpa Reach Funeral: 2011's Most Heartwarming Travel Story?
by William Lee Adams, Time.com

The most important trips aren't about getting somewhere. They're about getting to someone. (via Elliott.org)

But in an age of mounting airline fees, reduced in-flight services, uncomfortable security pat-downs and multi-day delays caused by erupting volcanoes, it's easy to forget that.

Amid the cries of "I've already paid for my hotel!" and "You need to get me to Atlanta!" anger and inconvenience frequently blind us to the fact that travel is ultimately about people. We also forget that airline employees—bound by big company rules and regulations—get frustrated, too.

Enter Nancy, whose travel triumph, tempered by a great deal of sadness, has turned an unnamed Southwest Airlines pilot into an online hero.

Nancy reads a blog by Christopher Elliott, a consumer advocate and journalist, and wrote to him about her husband's recent ordeal traveling on flights from Los Angeles to Tucson to Denver. Their situation makes complaints about leg room look downright petty.

"Last night, my husband and I got the tragic news that our three-year-old grandson in Denver had been murdered by our daughter's live-in boyfriend," she wrote. "He is being taken off life support tonight at 9 o'clock and his parents have opted for organ donation, which will take place immediately. Over 25 people will receive his gift tonight and many lives will be saved."

So early in the morning, after what must have been a torturous night's sleep, Nancy and her husband arranged for him to fly from Los Angeles, where he was traveling for work, to Tuscon, where he would step off one plane and immediately onto another one headed to Denver. "The ticketing agent was holding back tears throughout the call," Nancy wrote. "I'm actually her step-mother and it's much more important for my husband to be there than for me to be there."

Mourning the loss of his child's child, and no doubt worrying about his grieving daughter, he was likely in no state to travel. Airport stress only compounded his despair. He arrived at LAX two hours before his scheduled flight time, but quickly realized that delays at baggage check and security would keep him from making the flight.

According to Nancy, he struggled to hold back tears as he pleaded with TSA and Southwest Airlines staff to fast-track him through the lines that were moving like molasses. Even though missing his flight could mean missing a final chance to see his grandson, no one seemed to care.

Too much was at stake to simply roll over and cry. When he finally cleared security—several minutes after his flight's planned departure—he grabbed his computer bag, shoes and belt, and ran to his terminal wearing only his socks. The pilot and the gate agent were waiting for him.

“Are you Mark? We held the plane for you and we're so sorry about the loss of your grandson,” the pilot reportedly said. “They can't go anywhere without me and I wasn't going anywhere without you. Now relax. We'll get you there. And again, I'm so sorry.”

It's hard to underestimate the courage of the pilot's decision. The flight, which ultimately departed 12 minutes late, likely had hundreds of passengers rolling their eyes in contempt. And given that any delay has knock-on effects for passengers at the destination airport, his decision placed Southwest at risk of facing the wrath of travelers, and more than a few demands for compensation.

Elliott, who brought the story to the blogosphere's attention, approached Southwest about the story, half expecting the airline to be outraged by a pilot's refusal to push the on-time departure.

Instead, they told him they were "proud" of their pilot, a man who clearly understands that taking a child off life support has consequences that run deeper than a flight taking off late. As Nancy wrote: "My husband was able to take his first deep breath of the day." Hopefully, over time, his daughter can do the same.

Happy National Rubber Ducky Day!

You probably call today Thursday, but I call it National Rubber Ducky Day!

The Rubber Duck was first manufactured in the late 1800s as a way, I'm assuming, to make bath time easier for parents everywhere by diverting kids' attention away from the soap and wash cloth and onto the floating duck. Obviously it worked because many years later, Ernie couldn't be pried from his bath on Sesame Street while playing with his Rubber Duckie. His love affair with his Rubber Duckie is well documented in the video below.



Here's a fun fact from Punchbowl.com:

During a Pacific storm on January 10, 1992, over 29,000 rubber ducky bath toys from a Chinese company were washed off of a cargo ship. Months after the storm, about two thirds of the rubber duckies had made [their] way to the shores of Indonesia, Australia, and South America. Some of the ducks also entered into the Bering Straight between Alaska and Russia where they became trapped in the Arctic ice. The ducks slowly made their way through the ice at one mile per day and in 2000, they were spotted in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Talk about some world traveled ducks!

So Happy National Rubber Ducky Day! I suggest you celebrate by taking an extra long bath with your favorite Rubber Ducky!

And on a personal note, Happy Birthday to a longtime LMS reader. :)