My tiny fiery Italian mother in law taught me one good thing...when in doubt -- go to the top. Many years ago when she was working as a pension analyst in New York, one of her larger appliances went on the blink. Back then the only thing she would ever buy had to be Sears because in her estimation "they were the best." Of course trying to get a Sears repairman out is a little like pulling teeth from a pitbull -- not the easiest thing to do. She was assured that the repairman would be there between "9-3" and so she waited, and waited, and waited till 3:05. She had taken a day off of work to wait for this guy and he still had now showed up.

She called the office and the switchboard said the repairman was held up and wouldn't be able to make it and she hung up. Of course my minuscule mom in law was seething with rage at that moment. She called and asked for a supervisor. Supervisor told her the same thing. She still didn't give up. Nope that was not in her bulldog nature. She finally got the number of the President of Sears in Chicago. She called him and you know what? They patched her through.

She explained the situation to him saying that she was not going to lose money by taking another day off to wait for a repairman and that she had been a loyal Sears customer ... you know the drill. Within an hour the supervisor was there fixing her appliance, much to her satisfaction. I learned this from her and I got to use it this week.

A friend of mine who I work at my part time job with was demoted from his supervisor position for something so tiny that it seemed very unimportant in the scheme of things. Since I only work there very very part time, and I have a career, I decided to write to, no less the top. My letter must have worked along with some other commentaries by other employees, because my friend was reinstated. Just proof to me that "going to the top" actually might be a good thing.

So, thanks to my mom-in-law who is somewhere above. You taught me well at least two things, going to the top to get something done and how to make a great Italian sauce.