Some things to note.

Given my current lack of employment I seem to have an excessive amount of time to ponder. Always healthy in the world of an overactive mind. I have noted a few things about myself and my surroundings - all fascinating of course. I shall now include a brief look into my world over the past couple of weeks.

Taking more than one dog on a walk at the same time is always comically awkward. A few mental images of hypothetical situations include:

- leashes do not deter from the excitement of wrestling

- squirrels. birds. people. trash. - all verrry exciting elements worthy of ambitions bolting

- the middle of the street is an excellent fighting spot

- if there is muddy water, it should be rolled in

- it is best to relieve one's pupself near heavily people-populated areas

- it is best to completely entangle the human whenever possible

- it's fun to "share" a stick/pine-cone while trying to race

- all actions that could potentially result in tripping the human or pulling their arms out of their sockets due to immense pulling should be done frequently

Career Fair

- If you can't find any specific information about which employers will be attending...bad

- However. If you wish to attend technical school, work at a call center, or join the armed forces, definitely attend the random Career Fair, there will be several options for you.

Random

- Sweet potato fries - homemade - my latest intrigue

- Enjoying the activity of baking and cooking homemade, healthy food is great...until you're poor

- I may need about a bajillion more candles to rid my room of the wet-dog smell that happens when you have 200lbs worth of dogs roaming around.

- I look forward to the day when my stomach stops trying to punch me in the face

- I am a saver. I save funds and gift cards, for extended periods of time, and allocate them with very thought out, specific intentions. Having to dip into those funds for things like rent...and bills...and the cheapest groceries one can find is immensely frustrating.

- I wish to move to downtown Denver with my pup. To do so I need a job. Arg.

- Milk is my favorite beverage. Skim.

So. There you have it. Hasta luego.

the endless joys of working in food service

So - to spice things up in my life, I got the brilliant idea to start working as a waitress the summer after my freshman year in college. Thus began the tales associated with working in the food industry - something everyone should experience during their lifetime. However, something I found to be most interesting, the joys of the food industry are not limited to the United States, they extend to a global level.

My personal experiences include work in country clubs, a tapas bar in Spain, a medium-scale restaurant in Manhattan, KS and an upscale restaurant in Lawrence, KS. Oh the joy and excitement of living table to table, hoping they tip you enough to make rent, bills, student loans, and pup costs.

Some hints for those of you that eat at restaurants:

• $2 or $2 and some change is not a good tip
• wait staff typically makes around $2.13/hr plus tips, so calculate that in to what you leave behind
• while waiting tables requires no significant training or education, it is one of the toughest jobs a person can have - what would you do if you had to wait on seven of your mothers-in-law, plus your nasty high school Science teacher, the bitter woman next door, and the cocky man that thinks snide comments to the waitress are ok?
• pick up after yourself and your kid - no one likes macaroni ground into the carpet, salt all over the table, or other icky things left behind - just because you thought "well, someone will clean that up"
• if you leave a huge mess - leave a huge tip - we'll care less about the mess
• winking is awkward
• ordering the fried chicken grilled with steamed veggies instead of fries and a small side of extra dressing, minimal ice in your drink - also, perhaps could you please have a couple of extra lemon slices? - all super...just realize if it doesn't come out right it's because you waiter has more than one table, the kitchen is slammed, and that many special requests just annoys people - just order the grilled chicken entree

Another perk of working in the food service industry is the boss is always crazy. They cut corners, they don't pay the employees enough, they demand - not ask - the wait staff to do nonsense, and the way the task is completed is never good enough. Some personal favorites of mine include:

• "The carpet cleaner isn't coming until Friday, I need you to hand wash the carpet on the stairs and in the basement?"
• "Go to the kitchen and get the salads!" *on way to kitchen* "Why did you not take their order? Why do they not have their salads?!"
• "You're not mopping correctly. Let me show you how it is done." "Try again, same area, not good enough." - literally 45min. later we were still mopping the same area.
• "You will show every table the dessert plate. If you do not you will be taken off the floor chart and will no longer wait on tables until we decide you are ready for that responsibility."
• "We like to get silverware from garage sales, it saves a lot of money."
• "You need to put more ice in people's drinks, we don't want to give soda away here."
• "Tonight, we are going to have a competition..."
• "Did I just see you carry out that basket of bread without a tray? That is not how we do it here."
• "You may not stand in the kitchen. You may not stand by the host stand. You may not stand by the bar. You may not stand in the lounge." - This leaves you to walk in circles around the restaurant...like a moron.
• "Don't talk about your tips in front of the kitchen staff, we have had cooks quit over the poor amount of money they are paid compared to the wait staff."

Really. It is all great stuff. Experiences of a lifetime. Soo many stories to share.

So. The next time you go out to eat, remember to tip and think about all the nonsense your server has/will deal with during their shift. Plus - when they go home, they smell like whatever the main ingredient is at the restaurant. It's never good, and it's always potent.

So it begins.

I never thought the day would come, but it seems I've caught the blogging bug.

For those of you that have spent any time with me, you've heard the random hiccups. They're awkward and quite bizarre, much like the happenings in my world. Thus begins the tales of nonsense I encounter...blog style.

College and your twenty-something's are often labeled, "the time of your life," or noted as the, "perfect moment to do anything," because you're young and the world is full of opportunities. However, what people forget to tell you is it is also the time in your life where everything becomes a question and you're constantly hoping you make rent, bills and student loan payments. Thus, with my first entry I leave you with a list of questions. What else would you expect? ;)

1. What do I want my direction to be?

2. How do I make a positive impact in the community and world in which I live?

3. How do I find fulfillment from my job?

4. How do I get a job - not working as a waitress, but an "actual" job?

5. Do I want to go abroad again for an extended meaningful experience, or was it a fun escape for 7months in Barcelona as a sophomore, and not so much for right now?

6. Why did anyone think high heels were a good idea?

7. What do I do if I don't want to grow up?

8. How will I reach the level of potential that I was once said to have?

9. Why must everything cost so much money?

10. When will I stop wanting to nap, regardless of what time I went to bed the night before?

11. How do I ensure that down the road I will have no regrets and have lived life to the fullest, while still maintaining a relatively high level of practicality in my life? (like...holding a job that allows me to pay for all of my living expenses without missing out on the living aspects of life)

etc. etc. etc. I'll keep the rest to myself for the time being. Until then - enjoy your day. =)