New Job

So I started my new job on Monday morning. I no longer go home with food particles stuck to me or my clothing. I sit at a desk with my own computer and phone, which I use nearly constantly.

I am a customer service person for a catering company. So I answer questions via phone or email, book events, prepare paper work for our catering book, the caterers and our clients.  Its not rocket science but there are lots of little details that I have yet to learn on top of the ones that I have already picked up.

Monday I spent looking through a lot of information to familiarize myself with the information that I would shortly need to put into action. I watched how the woman who would be training me did the job and picked up things here and there. She actually is only in the office to do the job I got hired for and train me in and then she goes back to her normal sales job, which is out of the office. I answered a few phone calls and tried my best not to botch anything and I think I did fairly well.

Tuesday and Wednesday my trainer had to be out of the office to do her job which was put on the back burner when the girl who previously held my position quit. I was in the office with the General Manager and a few of the cooks who were back in the kitchen. Answered more questions and got more information packets out in the mail. Chatted with the GM about whatever and had a nice relaxing days where I pushed myself to learn something else about my new position.

I really like the work thus far. The hours are the only thing that might take time getting used to. I am in no way complaining about a normal 9-5, but since I have never had one it is odd for me to work so late into the day. I no longer have time to do laundry, clean up the house, take a shower, or play just me and Eva before my hubby gets home. In fact on most days he will be picking Eva up from the sitter and still beat me home by 45 minutes to an hour. So I guess all of those things will be done before work, on lunch, in the evenings with him or weekends. Guess its something to get used to.

Last Day

So tomorrow is my last day of work at grocery store where I am a cake decorator, and tonight is my last night at the restaurant where I wait on tables. I have been working crazy shifts at both places for seven months. I have met some awesome people and learned some new things, but I am ready to move on to something that I can grow with. Though I have not had a weekend fully off since maybe Christmas there are some things that I will miss at each place.

At the restaurant I work nights usually its just me and the chef during the week, on weekends there is another waitress and a dishwasher. We have enjoyed some interesting conversations and insights with one another. The customers are generally really nice and laid back, most could be in the restaurant's frequent flier program if they had such a thing. On Thursday evenings they also had a guitar player or two in house providing a nice backdrop.  Besides that the food and tips were pretty good. But like a lot of restaurants these days there can be a lot of inconsistency as far as how much business is done in a week.

At the grocery I work morning until lunch, on weekdays and weekends. There are several other girls/women who work in the same general area but I do probably 95% of the cake decorating and product ordering for the bakery, while they man the deli.  I help the deli when they are swamped and I am slow, because they are my friends and why not help them if I can. I generally enjoy the work that I do because I can be creative, though I always leave covered in icing and coloring.  We have some fun conversations, but there are a lot of serious things said as well. We give advice and help to each other when we are able.

So while I am glad to be moving on to something that works better for me on the time management, stability and pay, I am going to miss aspects of my current positions. I am sure that I will continue to go to other stores and pass their cake display and think, "I can do better" or tip a waitress really well because I can tell she is working her A off. But those aren't necessarily bad things right?

Scouting

The trial run of an Eagle Scout cake... done freehand

So this past week I have had to decorate two cakes that are celebrating young men who were dedicated enough to receive their Eagle Scout awards. One of the ladies that I work with thought that the parents of these boys were crazy to make such a big deal over the accomplishment. That is until I told her how much time and hard work goes into earning the Eagle Scout award or the Gold Award (Girl Scout).

I was a registered Girl Scout for 10 years and occasionally still go to a week long day camp in the summer when I am able. Besides Girl Scouts I was also a Venture Crew member for 2 years. (Venture Crew is a co-ed branch of the Boy Scouts for 16-21 year olds, so technically I was a Boy Scout). 

While in scouting I did various service activities, went on trips I otherwise never would have gone on, had awesome experiences and a few painful ones too, and met a lot of great people. I still talk to many of the friends that I have made scouting. I earned my Silver Award (the 2nd highest award you can get as a Girl Scout) and finished my Gold Award (the highest award), unfortunately my council did not accept my project (though a friend in a different council did the same thing and received hers... so I nearly consider that I got it).

So to all those out there that are Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts I applaud the hard work that you do, envy the fun that you are having and buying the popcorn or cookies that you are selling (yum).

Being a mother/wife...

It's Wednesday, a day that my husband and I both have off, until I start my new job next week.  How have we spent the day so far?  We slept in until 8:30, a rare occurrence for us both, we loafed around in bed and watched a DVRed episode of Jeopardy while Eva and the dogs played.

Eva had a wellness visit with the doctor at 9:45. Though she is still considered underweight at this point (weighing 18 lbs at 15 months) she is getting closer to being in the average range every month. The dang girl eats everything and frequently, but she is very active and has good genes according to the doctor. Besides that she had to get 3 shots. The 2 minutes of screaming was like being in a horror movie, but the Looney Tunes band-aides and love from Mommy and Daddy helped.

Upon leaving the doctor's office we drove an hour to the nearest large city where we did some errands. Eva slept the whole way, exhausted from the excitement of the doctor's visit. While in town we ran to the baby store for loads of diapers and an Easter dress, to the mall to get my engagement ring checked and  updated for insurance, and to the grocery because we had a $50 gift card from my hubby's work.

Once again Eva was kind enough to sleep in the car on the trip home. Everything we bought gets put away, the 500th load of laundry gets put in the dryer, while the 501st goes in the washer.  Hubby is watching sports and napping on the couch. Currently taking a break off from cleaning Eva's room and putting the cloths that she has outgrown into the attic. Once Eva's room is finished got to load the dishwasher and start thinking of dinner. I have bowling league at 6:30, until around 8 (Eva usually goes with me). When I get back its time for Eva's bath and bedtime, quickly followed by my own.

Though the going out of town was abnormal, I am usually running errands, cleaning the house, sometimes taking time to myself or spending time with the hubby if he is home. I guess all that I am illustrating here is that being a mother/wife is a job where the work truly seems to never be done. I refuse to listen to my husband when he tells me to leave it until later, simply because I can't stand these things not being done. So unless I am on my death bed, or fear that I am, don't expect me to be lying down on the job. I might hate some of the work but I love the titles.

We're not in Kansas anymore...

A famous phrase taken from one of my favorite movies. For those of you who are not aware of what I am referring to let me catch you up. Dorthy a young girl living with her aunt and uncle in Kansas during the late 1890s, and her dog Toto finds herself in a strange land after a tornado picks up her house and carries it away. The same thing happened here in southern Indiana, Sunday evening. Well maybe not exactly, as far as I have heard nobody's house has ended up in Oz, though that might take a day or two to hit the news.

The important this is that my family and friends are alright. There was some damage, though for the most part the tornado or high winds skipped my town. It did hit my parents house though and a neighboring town where I have friends. Lacey has already informed the world via facebook that she and hubby are fine and for that I am glad.

My parents lost 12 trees out of their yard, will have to get a new roof and fix the walls to the garage, which are bowed out. Thankfully their electric returned within about 12 hours and there were no injuries. I hope that the people in the neighboring town can fix their houses and lives as easily as we will fix ours.

TGIF?

As a kid I looked forward to Fridays. We would go to my grandparents' house, order pizza and watch all the awesome programing on TGIF. (Thank Goodness Its Friday) The adults would play cards or talk while we kids played. The love of Friday as the beginning of the weekend continued throughout the years I was in school.

While in middle and high school Friday signaled sporting events, movie night, date night and slumber parties with friends. In college it meant a few days I could procrastinate on a paper, hang with my friends, party or see my boyfriend. However, now I am in the real world and there is no such thing as a weekend.

Currently I am working two part-time jobs.  First I work 20-25 hours a week as a cake decorator, usually 7am-noon or 1pm. This includes most Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. When I get off work I go and pick up my daughter for a few hours of hopefully happy quality time before I have to go to work again. If I am lucky I get to see my hubby before the second shift starts, if not then my daughter goes to my parents' house until hubby is off work.

My second shift is working at a restaurant where I wait on tables. The food is good and most of the time the people are great, but it's often inconsistent in the amount of business we do, and thus the amount of money I make.  I work here 4 nights a week, starting at 4pm and running until, well it just depends on the customers, often 10pm though sometimes earlier and sometimes later. This job always includes Friday and Saturday nights unless I have a good reason to ask off.

As you can guess, by the end of the weekends I have been dog tired and want to do nothing but sleep, but often I don't have the luxury. There is always another shift that has to be worked, a house to be cleaned, errands to run and a baby to take care of. I have to admit that my husband has taken on a lot by watching our daughter on those nights I am at the restaurant and I couldn't be happier that they have such a great relationship, I just wish that he and I got to spend more time together.

I have been running this schedule for 7 months, and I feel like I have aged 10 years in that time. I love the jobs and the people but the stress of not seeing my family, the hate of having inconsistent paychecks and the desire to live up to the education I have, won out in the end.  Finally a company has seen my potential and has offered me a position. I will be working in an office, so no more food particles stuck on my cloths at the end of the shift, a regular 9-5 job, M-F with 1 Saturday a month and better pay. OMG, what will I do with all that extra time? Spend it with my family and friends.

How convient?

In a world where everything is rushed and consumers want everything now how much time are we actually saving ourselves? An example, 8 minute abs. Now I know I am not one to judge since I never make it to the gym myself, but for those trying to lose weight and/or tone their abs is 8 minutes really sufficient? If someone spends all day sitting at a desk and eating greasy unhealthy food can they really expect to get a perfectly chiseled body in under an hour a week (providing that they work out the total 8 minutes, 7 days a week.)


Anyway moving on to what brings me to the subject in the first place. Today as I left my job as a cake decorator at the grocery store I passed by the bank. Its fairly normal to see a car at the ATM, usually taking a few dollars out for lunch or whatever, but this man was not. The man in question was out of his truck. Isn't the convenience suppose to be that you can stay in your vehicle to do your banking? Not only was he out of the truck but he had apparently locked himself out. After a few desperate attempts to open the door to no avail, he climbed into the bed of the truck where he was attempting to open the little window to the cab. It appeared to be locked. Not that it probably mattered as this was a large man and I doubt that the 8 minute abs had slimmed him down enough to fit through the child sized opening. I don't know if he ever got his truck unlocked or if he had to break down and get AAA over there, but I doubt that the quick trip to the bank was as quick as he had hoped.  So in his attempt to rush he actually cost himself more time and probably more money in the long run.  I guess the moral of today's blog is 1) don't rush it apparently doesn't help, and 2) don't be the idiot who locks himself out of the car at the ATM.