So, I promised to tell you the story of what happened last Thursday when I went searching for jobs in the food industry. I need to explain to you why I have not been searching for restaurant/mall jobs since Pottery Barn Kids closed. The reason is, I hate them, and I was really hoping that something would come along that was 9-5 with a steady salary, regardless of how low. The problem was, as many resumes as I sent out for paralegal, legal secretary or contract legal work, I received nothing in return. I even interviewed for a social work position but was not called back. (I think the reasoning was because the lady looked at me like I had one eye when I stated my optimal salary.) Sorry people, some of us have a LOT of school loans to pay off!!
So Tuesday, I trekked across the street to the pizza place where Mike and I order from at least twice a month. I thought I should get points just for that.I was given an application and told to come back Thursday for an interview. Last Thursday I spoke to a lovely girl/lady (who knows how old she was) and she set me up with a second interview with the "higher" manager today (Thursday). I felt positive about the meeting, and was looking forward to my meeting this afternoon.
Last week I came home to tell Mike that I had a second interview with the pizza place, but he still made me go to another restaurant with that whole, "You can't put all your eggs in one basket" deal. So I headed over to Cheesecake Factory. I picked up an application from them and was told to come back Thursday when the managers would be interviewing. So my Thursday was full, and I was hoping that something positive would come from one of these two place.
After I met with the pizza lady, I headed to Cheesecake Factory. No one warned me that this was a mass interview with multiple people milling around waiting to talk with the powers that be in the managerial world. When my name was finally called 30 minutes later, I was already miffed. I thought the entire system was very unorganized and some kid kept hitting on me, telling me "Good Luck" and "You will love it here!" I wanted to tell him that at that point if I didn't get some cheese cake, someone was going to be in trouble!
The manager called my name (like we were at the doctor's office) and showed me to a table. We both sat and stared at each other after introductions had been made. Who is supposed to be leading this interview anyway? Boorish man in his yellow button down finally speaks.
BMIYBD: Soooo....what brings you in today?
Me: I tried not to make a face, I really did, but what the heck do you think I am doing there? Getting dinner??
"Well, I just wanted to speak with you about the potential for employment in a hostess or waitress position.
BMIYBD: Ok, so why Cheesecake Factory?
Me: Totally made some BS up
BMIYBD: Well, it doesn't look like you have any restaurant experience whatsoever.
Me: Hey Dumbass. If you would look at my resume you would see that I have been a hostess. In addition, how smart do you need me to be to take people to their seats?
Of course the guy acted like he had never heard about the place where I hostessed, probably because it is DIRECTLY up the street.
Finally, boorish man in a yellow button down asks me to tell him about myself. I hate these sorts of questions. They are almost as bad as the "Tell me one weakness about yourself." Who knows how to answer those? You either give a positive attribute and twist it around to make it negative, or are dumb and tell them one of your negative attributes.
Back to talking about me: "I'm nice....organized.....lot of positive adjectives."
BMIYBD: Ok, well we will call you in 24-48 hours. If you do not hear from us, please consider another employment opportunity. PS - They never called.
I was so turned off by this guy. The entire interview took me less time than it did for me to drive down the street. So much for putting your eggs in one basket.
The positive part is that I went back to the pizza place this afternoon and spoke with another nice lady. She offered me a position, pending I make 100% on the menu test!! Don't worry, I get a week to study, but wow...that is stressful for a hostess! And what if they scramble the pizzas or something while I am taking the test? While the interviewer was making copies I noticed a hot pink sticky note attached to my file. I did NOT move a thing so I was not snooping. I simply used my powerful senses to read upside down what the prior interviewer had said about me. I was shocked. "This girl is a little OLDER (30's!!), but I still liked her." I am not embellishing how it read. In fact, the "30's" was underlined! I wanted to point out that I was only 29, but let's be honest, what good would that have done.
So, I will be the oldest pizza hostess around, until something a little more stable comes up. Wish me luck on that test!!!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Training is a Four Letter Word
When I signed up for this marathon, I am not sure what I expected. I just kept hearing about what an adrenaline rush it is to finish running after such a long period of time. It seemed like a great idea and has been on my "Bucket List" for awhile. Here's the thing. The training, getting ready to run for approximately 4.5 hours is hard. It is not fun. In fact, there is nothing fun about it. I know, I can't complain because I signed up for it, but my gosh!
Sunday I was supposed to run 14 miles. I looked up a "beginner's marathon training schedule" awhile ago and have been following that. The problem is, I haven't exactly been following it perfectly. I went out of town a few weekends, and sometimes I just didn't want to get up at 6:30 in the morning. It is true, getting out of the bed is the hardest part, but it is super hard! Especially when I don't have anything to do the rest of the day! That is just adding more hours to my day for me to fill!
So, my longest run thus far has been 11 miles. I felt good about that one, but it has been almost a month since I completed that. When I woke up Sunday, I tried to mentally prepare myself that I would be running for a long time and just to enjoy it. The self talk did not work. Before I tell you about the run, I have to tell you about all the gadgets that you should have (and I have bought into) in order to run a marathon. They have this stuff called Gu, that is the consistency of pudding and comes in a variety of flavors. You are supposed to squeeze this packet into your mouth after you have been running for about an hour. The Gu has sugar and carbs that are supposed to help replenish what your body has burned.
I also bought a belt (stop laughing) that has four 8 oz bottles attached to it. You fill them with water and are able to whip then out and pour them into your mouth without breaking your stride.I kind of feel like I am in the Wild West when I pull out one of my bottles. So Sunday morning, I took off with my IPOD, belt and Gu (nicely tucked into the pocket in the belt.) After about 45 minutes I realized this was going to be a bad run. My legs were already hurting and I still had about 10 miles to go. At that point, I decided I would lower my expectations to 12 miles that week. After running about an hour, I whipped out my vanilla bean flavored Gu. I don't know what I was expecting, but it tasted horrible. Plus, I also expected to suddenly get a boost of energy, kind of like a cartoon character. I felt nothing. A poor side effect of the Gu is that it can upset some people's stomachs. The powers that be of running suggest taking half the pack if you have a weak tummy. Even though I do, I went ahead and took the whole thing. I needed the energy!! Bad idea. Now my leg were feeling like puddy while my stomach was feeling like I was going to vomit.
Moral of the story, I walked a lot of the way. I was gone for two hours and five minutes, but don't know how far I actually got. I need to map it out, but haven't gotten around to it. I talked to my dad afterward and asked him if it was normal for my entire body to be aching and my feet to be killing me. He informed me that my legs were not strong enough yet and I needed to increase my mileage during the week. Awesome. Additionally his wise words, "Jenny, this is not going to be fun" were somewhat disappointing. He has run 3 marathons and I remember looking at his bloody toes during one while he changed socks. Yet people continue this crazy behavior. My alarm is set for 7 am and I am going to jump back on track. (Ha - no pun intended!) Wish me luck!!
Sunday I was supposed to run 14 miles. I looked up a "beginner's marathon training schedule" awhile ago and have been following that. The problem is, I haven't exactly been following it perfectly. I went out of town a few weekends, and sometimes I just didn't want to get up at 6:30 in the morning. It is true, getting out of the bed is the hardest part, but it is super hard! Especially when I don't have anything to do the rest of the day! That is just adding more hours to my day for me to fill!
So, my longest run thus far has been 11 miles. I felt good about that one, but it has been almost a month since I completed that. When I woke up Sunday, I tried to mentally prepare myself that I would be running for a long time and just to enjoy it. The self talk did not work. Before I tell you about the run, I have to tell you about all the gadgets that you should have (and I have bought into) in order to run a marathon. They have this stuff called Gu, that is the consistency of pudding and comes in a variety of flavors. You are supposed to squeeze this packet into your mouth after you have been running for about an hour. The Gu has sugar and carbs that are supposed to help replenish what your body has burned.
I also bought a belt (stop laughing) that has four 8 oz bottles attached to it. You fill them with water and are able to whip then out and pour them into your mouth without breaking your stride.I kind of feel like I am in the Wild West when I pull out one of my bottles. So Sunday morning, I took off with my IPOD, belt and Gu (nicely tucked into the pocket in the belt.) After about 45 minutes I realized this was going to be a bad run. My legs were already hurting and I still had about 10 miles to go. At that point, I decided I would lower my expectations to 12 miles that week. After running about an hour, I whipped out my vanilla bean flavored Gu. I don't know what I was expecting, but it tasted horrible. Plus, I also expected to suddenly get a boost of energy, kind of like a cartoon character. I felt nothing. A poor side effect of the Gu is that it can upset some people's stomachs. The powers that be of running suggest taking half the pack if you have a weak tummy. Even though I do, I went ahead and took the whole thing. I needed the energy!! Bad idea. Now my leg were feeling like puddy while my stomach was feeling like I was going to vomit.
Moral of the story, I walked a lot of the way. I was gone for two hours and five minutes, but don't know how far I actually got. I need to map it out, but haven't gotten around to it. I talked to my dad afterward and asked him if it was normal for my entire body to be aching and my feet to be killing me. He informed me that my legs were not strong enough yet and I needed to increase my mileage during the week. Awesome. Additionally his wise words, "Jenny, this is not going to be fun" were somewhat disappointing. He has run 3 marathons and I remember looking at his bloody toes during one while he changed socks. Yet people continue this crazy behavior. My alarm is set for 7 am and I am going to jump back on track. (Ha - no pun intended!) Wish me luck!!
Wallet Update
Well, Mike never found his wallet. Apparently he did go to the school at 4 am, and the lady who he suspected of stealing his possessions was not working that shift. (He didn't think THAT point through!) Regardless, he talked with the other ladies that were working that evening.
Mike explained that he thought their "friend" may have accidentally picked up his wallet and did they know anything about it. What kind of person would have thrown their co-worker under the bus like that? Both ladies stated they had not seen any sort of wallet wandering around. Then Mike decides to pull out the big guns and tell them that he is aware of the marijuana smoking that has been going on, and if the wallet is returned to him, there will be no questions asked. "So, you threatened two ladies that had no idea what was going on?" I asked. "I mean, I wasn't threatening them, I was just trying to tell them that I wouldn't turn her in if she returned the wallet." Apparently this wasn't as thought out as he was trying to convince me the other night.
So, no wallet. All credit cards and everything else have been cancelled and Mike borrowed my credit card until he could get some cash from the bank. Now, basically the only thing that we do not do, as far as being considered a married couple, is share a bank account. So, he still has some money coming in, while I am completely broke. So when I started seeing Wendy's bags and Quick-Trip cups in the trash in the morning, we had to have a little chat. "When you are poor, you don't get to buy the Big Gulp just because you are thirsty at 3:00 am." Mike informed me that he did not like being poor. Welcome to my life!
Mike explained that he thought their "friend" may have accidentally picked up his wallet and did they know anything about it. What kind of person would have thrown their co-worker under the bus like that? Both ladies stated they had not seen any sort of wallet wandering around. Then Mike decides to pull out the big guns and tell them that he is aware of the marijuana smoking that has been going on, and if the wallet is returned to him, there will be no questions asked. "So, you threatened two ladies that had no idea what was going on?" I asked. "I mean, I wasn't threatening them, I was just trying to tell them that I wouldn't turn her in if she returned the wallet." Apparently this wasn't as thought out as he was trying to convince me the other night.
So, no wallet. All credit cards and everything else have been cancelled and Mike borrowed my credit card until he could get some cash from the bank. Now, basically the only thing that we do not do, as far as being considered a married couple, is share a bank account. So, he still has some money coming in, while I am completely broke. So when I started seeing Wendy's bags and Quick-Trip cups in the trash in the morning, we had to have a little chat. "When you are poor, you don't get to buy the Big Gulp just because you are thirsty at 3:00 am." Mike informed me that he did not like being poor. Welcome to my life!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Dumb
May I ask what you were doing this morning at 3:15? With my insomnia finally under control, I was fast asleep. Now, if you recall, Mike is working on these comp papers which are due in 10 days. I have gotten used to going to bed by myself because Mike has declared himself a night owl who does his best work from 3 pm to 3 am.
Because of this, I was not surprised when light from the bathroom streamed into my face, waking me up at 3:15.
Me: "Michael - what are you doing?"
Mike: "Don't worry babe. I'm just washing my face."
Me: "Ok, and then you are coming to bed?"
Mike: Silence
Me: "AND THEN YOU ARE COMING TO BED?"
No. Mike had an entirely different idea. Just as an FYI, his wallet disappeared sometime yesterday. Lost, stolen - who knows, but it is gone. We have searched the condo over and over again to no avail. Mike is convinced that the cleaning lady at his school stole the wallet. Apparently this lady has some questionable behavior (Mike claims he smells marijuana when they are both working late, and supposedly, the worker was given the password to all the computers in the department and logs on regularly.)
So instead of coming to bed, Mike informs me that he is going to confront the cleaning lady and get his wallet back. Now I am trying to shake the sleepy haze from my mind, but I am pretty sure this is the one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard.
Me: "What if she has a gun?"
Mike: "The cleaning lady?"
Me: "I don't know...you know the school is not in the best area."
Mike: "Don't worry babe. It's fine. I've totally thought this out."
Great. He kept saying "I love you" because he knew how dumb of an idea I thought this was. So now I am wide awake thinking about the cleaning lady pulling out her gun or her posse of other cleaning ladies beating Mike up. On his way out the door, I told him, "this reminds me of a _______ idea," naming one of his college friends. This friend recently bought a turquoise golf cart and refused to walk down the aisle on the day of his wedding to anything other than the soundtrack to "Last of the Mohicans." My idea backfired and Mike seemed to think that my comparison made the idea even better.
Well, I fell back asleep and was awakened to Mike's snoring a few hours ago. I got up and let me tell you - there is no wallet to be found in this house. I am anxious for him to wake up just to see how this confrontation went!
Because of this, I was not surprised when light from the bathroom streamed into my face, waking me up at 3:15.
Me: "Michael - what are you doing?"
Mike: "Don't worry babe. I'm just washing my face."
Me: "Ok, and then you are coming to bed?"
Mike: Silence
Me: "AND THEN YOU ARE COMING TO BED?"
No. Mike had an entirely different idea. Just as an FYI, his wallet disappeared sometime yesterday. Lost, stolen - who knows, but it is gone. We have searched the condo over and over again to no avail. Mike is convinced that the cleaning lady at his school stole the wallet. Apparently this lady has some questionable behavior (Mike claims he smells marijuana when they are both working late, and supposedly, the worker was given the password to all the computers in the department and logs on regularly.)
So instead of coming to bed, Mike informs me that he is going to confront the cleaning lady and get his wallet back. Now I am trying to shake the sleepy haze from my mind, but I am pretty sure this is the one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard.
Me: "What if she has a gun?"
Mike: "The cleaning lady?"
Me: "I don't know...you know the school is not in the best area."
Mike: "Don't worry babe. It's fine. I've totally thought this out."
Great. He kept saying "I love you" because he knew how dumb of an idea I thought this was. So now I am wide awake thinking about the cleaning lady pulling out her gun or her posse of other cleaning ladies beating Mike up. On his way out the door, I told him, "this reminds me of a _______ idea," naming one of his college friends. This friend recently bought a turquoise golf cart and refused to walk down the aisle on the day of his wedding to anything other than the soundtrack to "Last of the Mohicans." My idea backfired and Mike seemed to think that my comparison made the idea even better.
Well, I fell back asleep and was awakened to Mike's snoring a few hours ago. I got up and let me tell you - there is no wallet to be found in this house. I am anxious for him to wake up just to see how this confrontation went!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Happy Birthday to Me!
So yesterday I turned the big 2-9. I was thrilled when Mike's brother in law text messaged me to remind me that I only had one year left until I was "officially old." Yikes!
I have to preface this post by saying that I absolutely love birthdays. I think it is the one time every year that you are able to do whatever you want and the excuse "But it's my birthday" always works. Yesterday was weird though. It was the first time that I have ever celebrated a birthday away from a large group, be it friends or family. I was trying to remember where I was last year because I had already moved to St. Louis when I turned 28. I realized that we took a trip down south, so I was able to celebrate with my family, friends, and then Mike's family. I had everything but a parade. This year, not so much. Mike and I went to a nice sushi dinner, but that was about it for the festivities. I got some great presents, but I think I always have such high expectations they can never be met. I am still waiting for Mike to wake me up doing cartwheels while he holds a cake and balloons.
I kept crying yesterday when people would call or email "Happy Birthday." And then my close friends from Birmingham sent me a package of cookies that sent me into hysterics. My mom said, "I think you are crying because you are so touched that everyone is thinking about you." Nope, I did not agree. I think I was just feeling sorry for myself. My mom also took the opportunity to remind me every time that I talked with her that 29 years before she was still in labor. I was a stubborn little baby and it took me awhile to decide to let the world take a look at me. Additionally, I was breach, and my mom made the decision to have a natural birth. Lots of things she could still be holding grudges about - good thing she let those slide!
Today I woke up and felt much better. Another great thing about birthdays is how many people you get to talk to and catch up with no matter how long it has been. I don't know why girls are so weird about birthdays, but I actually do keep track of who communicates in some way to wish me "Happy Birthday." A few years ago it would have made me upset if someone forgot my big day, but since then, I have missed some birthdays myself and realized these things happen. Other people's lives do not center around you, even on your day of birth.
So I started laughing when a friend of mine called twice today apologizing for not wishing me a happy birthday. The funny thing is, she called me yesterday and left a message just to catch up. I actually laughed when I heard the message because I thought, "She is going to feel so badly about this tomorrow." But what can you do? You can't call someone and say, "I'm so glad you called. You know it's my birthday, right?"
Yesterday I spoke with my Grandma (who I call Grandma - that is important). She asked if I had received her card (which I knew had a little spending money in it.) She started getting very nervous that it had not arrived, even though she had only mailed it two days prior. I made sure to check the mail today, and of course, there it was. The thing is, she had written, "Hope you have a wonderful day. Love, Nana." What in the world? I have never called her Nana. I showed Mike and informed him that I was pretty sure my grandma was losing it.
I called her tonight and asked her if she remembered how she signed the card. She said, "Oh Jenny, I knew you were going to get onto me for that!" Grandma has three surviving children, who each have a "set" of children. Each set of grandchildren call her by a different name. Our "regular" household calls her Grandma, while she is called Nana and Garbie by the other two. She explained that she was signing a card to my cousin, whose birthday is also in August, and just wasn't thinking. When I am a Grandma I am picking only one name and will not be answering to anything else. That is confusing!
So that is pretty much it. I went to get Mexican with a wonderful friend this evening and got some fun and very generous presents from her. I guess I am just growing up and birthdays aren't as fun as when you were five and didn't really have to plan anything or worry about money. The best part was knowing that I am loved and thought about by all the people that I talked to yesterday. Maybe mom was right.
I am exhausted and going to bed now, but I will have to write tomorrow about the restaurant interviews I attended today. Restauranteurs take their jobs very seriously! Good night!
I have to preface this post by saying that I absolutely love birthdays. I think it is the one time every year that you are able to do whatever you want and the excuse "But it's my birthday" always works. Yesterday was weird though. It was the first time that I have ever celebrated a birthday away from a large group, be it friends or family. I was trying to remember where I was last year because I had already moved to St. Louis when I turned 28. I realized that we took a trip down south, so I was able to celebrate with my family, friends, and then Mike's family. I had everything but a parade. This year, not so much. Mike and I went to a nice sushi dinner, but that was about it for the festivities. I got some great presents, but I think I always have such high expectations they can never be met. I am still waiting for Mike to wake me up doing cartwheels while he holds a cake and balloons.
I kept crying yesterday when people would call or email "Happy Birthday." And then my close friends from Birmingham sent me a package of cookies that sent me into hysterics. My mom said, "I think you are crying because you are so touched that everyone is thinking about you." Nope, I did not agree. I think I was just feeling sorry for myself. My mom also took the opportunity to remind me every time that I talked with her that 29 years before she was still in labor. I was a stubborn little baby and it took me awhile to decide to let the world take a look at me. Additionally, I was breach, and my mom made the decision to have a natural birth. Lots of things she could still be holding grudges about - good thing she let those slide!
Today I woke up and felt much better. Another great thing about birthdays is how many people you get to talk to and catch up with no matter how long it has been. I don't know why girls are so weird about birthdays, but I actually do keep track of who communicates in some way to wish me "Happy Birthday." A few years ago it would have made me upset if someone forgot my big day, but since then, I have missed some birthdays myself and realized these things happen. Other people's lives do not center around you, even on your day of birth.
So I started laughing when a friend of mine called twice today apologizing for not wishing me a happy birthday. The funny thing is, she called me yesterday and left a message just to catch up. I actually laughed when I heard the message because I thought, "She is going to feel so badly about this tomorrow." But what can you do? You can't call someone and say, "I'm so glad you called. You know it's my birthday, right?"
Yesterday I spoke with my Grandma (who I call Grandma - that is important). She asked if I had received her card (which I knew had a little spending money in it.) She started getting very nervous that it had not arrived, even though she had only mailed it two days prior. I made sure to check the mail today, and of course, there it was. The thing is, she had written, "Hope you have a wonderful day. Love, Nana." What in the world? I have never called her Nana. I showed Mike and informed him that I was pretty sure my grandma was losing it.
I called her tonight and asked her if she remembered how she signed the card. She said, "Oh Jenny, I knew you were going to get onto me for that!" Grandma has three surviving children, who each have a "set" of children. Each set of grandchildren call her by a different name. Our "regular" household calls her Grandma, while she is called Nana and Garbie by the other two. She explained that she was signing a card to my cousin, whose birthday is also in August, and just wasn't thinking. When I am a Grandma I am picking only one name and will not be answering to anything else. That is confusing!
So that is pretty much it. I went to get Mexican with a wonderful friend this evening and got some fun and very generous presents from her. I guess I am just growing up and birthdays aren't as fun as when you were five and didn't really have to plan anything or worry about money. The best part was knowing that I am loved and thought about by all the people that I talked to yesterday. Maybe mom was right.
I am exhausted and going to bed now, but I will have to write tomorrow about the restaurant interviews I attended today. Restauranteurs take their jobs very seriously! Good night!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Deep Thoughts and Potential Babysitting Job
When do you have your best thoughts? The kind where you invent something the world would be useless without, or you solve global warming? Some people do it in the shower. I like to do it while I am running. Yesterday I went for a run around 3 pm, which was just dumb because it was 90 degrees. (Yes, I know it is worse in Birmingham.) Regardless, as I was running I realized I wasn't thinking about anything. "Oh no," I thought, "has my life gotten so boring that I don't even have anything to think about while I am by myself?"
I get distracted easily and noticed a guy running ahead of me. I decided to race him (without his knowledge) and as soon as I picked up the pace, the thoughts began to flow. Apparently the speedier I am, the more problems I am able to solve and the more blog ideas I am able to come up with!
I started thinking about an "interview" (if you can even call it that) I attended this weekend in order for me to qualify to babysit these people's kids. They parents are friends with the kids I already babysit, and in most places, I would think that connection would be enough. I get it - you don't want to leave your kids with some stranger, but is it necessary that I come by on a Saturday afternoon so the parents can grill me and observe how I interact with their children? I was late because I got lost (of course) and started apologizing profusely. I just couldn't read this lady. I know she is a business women in event planning and apparently she does not put up with peons being late.
She took me into the den where her three year old daughter was coloring and her 6 month old daughter was just hanging out. They seem to be super nice kids and easy to get along with. The mom then went to get the dad and we all sat around the living room while everyone stared at me. AWKWARD. They began asking about my babysitting history (really?) and how I would handle different situations. I felt compelled to start babbling about all the interactions I have had with kids and almost wished I had brought my resume! I even threw out there that I took a Babysitting Class sponsored by the Red Cross when I was 11. What?? How long until they were done with me?
They asked how much I charged, and seemed to mull over this amount. In the end, it was agreed upon to be a reasonable price. Then they stared at me while I drew on a chalkboard with their three year old. I told my mother I would have preferred for them to get a nanny cam or something instead of watching me like I was going to run off with their child if they left us alone! Finally it was decided that I would be an appropriate person to babysit the children. At first this was supposed to be once a week for several hours, but apparently they found someone else to take that position. So I went on a faux interview just to keep these kids a few nights a month when the parents want to go out. I did not like this, but it will hopefully lead to a little extra money.
I went for a run today but was more focused on making myself finish than pondering the mysteries of life. I will try to think of something more exciting tomorrow! Have a great Tuesday!
I get distracted easily and noticed a guy running ahead of me. I decided to race him (without his knowledge) and as soon as I picked up the pace, the thoughts began to flow. Apparently the speedier I am, the more problems I am able to solve and the more blog ideas I am able to come up with!
I started thinking about an "interview" (if you can even call it that) I attended this weekend in order for me to qualify to babysit these people's kids. They parents are friends with the kids I already babysit, and in most places, I would think that connection would be enough. I get it - you don't want to leave your kids with some stranger, but is it necessary that I come by on a Saturday afternoon so the parents can grill me and observe how I interact with their children? I was late because I got lost (of course) and started apologizing profusely. I just couldn't read this lady. I know she is a business women in event planning and apparently she does not put up with peons being late.
She took me into the den where her three year old daughter was coloring and her 6 month old daughter was just hanging out. They seem to be super nice kids and easy to get along with. The mom then went to get the dad and we all sat around the living room while everyone stared at me. AWKWARD. They began asking about my babysitting history (really?) and how I would handle different situations. I felt compelled to start babbling about all the interactions I have had with kids and almost wished I had brought my resume! I even threw out there that I took a Babysitting Class sponsored by the Red Cross when I was 11. What?? How long until they were done with me?
They asked how much I charged, and seemed to mull over this amount. In the end, it was agreed upon to be a reasonable price. Then they stared at me while I drew on a chalkboard with their three year old. I told my mother I would have preferred for them to get a nanny cam or something instead of watching me like I was going to run off with their child if they left us alone! Finally it was decided that I would be an appropriate person to babysit the children. At first this was supposed to be once a week for several hours, but apparently they found someone else to take that position. So I went on a faux interview just to keep these kids a few nights a month when the parents want to go out. I did not like this, but it will hopefully lead to a little extra money.
I went for a run today but was more focused on making myself finish than pondering the mysteries of life. I will try to think of something more exciting tomorrow! Have a great Tuesday!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
It's Wedding Season!
Sorry it has been a little while since I wrote. We actually had things to do this weekend, which was a change, and always fun and exciting. Friday night we went to a wedding for one of Mike's cohorts. We had a good time, but it got me thinking about the differences that I have experienced so far between Southern and Northern weddings. When I say "Northern" I mean the 5 I recently have most recently attended; 2 in New Jersey, 2 in St. Louis and 1 in Baltimore. Here are my findings:
1. Band or D.J.? I had never really heard of having a D.J. at a wedding. The majority of the weddings I have been to have bands that sing the classics: "Brown Eyed Girl," "My Girl" and "Shout." Personally, I am not a fan of the chicken dance or the hokey pokey, which may be played by either. The good point of a D.J. is that they usually have more up to date music, but I'm also not sure how I feel to my Grandma dancing to "Back That Ass Up."
2. The Invitation: In the South, you can tell how expensive the invitations were based on how thick the paper is. These invites are very formal, usually with someone contributing their calligraphy as a gift, or having them printed in formal cursive. You can pay additional costs by throwing in a border or a monogram on the top. Additionally there are several sheets of tissue paper and envelopes inside of envelopes to notify you that this is a wedding invitation. Now not all, but some of the weddings that I have been to up here are much less formal in their invitations. They are more like a regular invitation to a engagement party or shower.
3. The Food: This is very important for your guests. I do have a preference to the choices I am going to offer, but I will not reveal it. However, I believe that it is important that you do have enough food to feed your guests, especially if you plan to serve them alcohol. (To be discussed in #4.) The buffet is very southern, with heavy hors d'oeuvres ranging from stuffed mushrooms, cheese plates and chicken fingers. Sometimes there are stations that you can make your way around. This is always fun. You hit the pasta station, then the carving station, etc. The grits station is my favorite - I am so having one of those. Stations are a good way to make sure that everyone is filled up - you just can't consume the champagne when you have only had a few pieces of cheese.
The other option is the sit down dinner. This seems to be more popular in the North, where you check on the return, pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelope: chicken, steak or fish. (By the way, it drives me crazy when people don't send those back. How hard is it to make a little "X" by your name and put it in the mail? Do you know how hard these brides have worked to make this easy on you? They just want an idea of how many people are coming so they can feed you!) But I digress. The only problem I have with the sit down dinner is that sometimes people are so busy, the mingling and dancing starts a little later.
Finally, at both the New Jersey weddings I attended, they had a cocktail hour, that led into the sit down dinner. This thing was amazing. Anything you could imagine at a southern buffet was at the cocktail hour, with a full bar. (Including my favorite, the pasta station.) Then, after an hour or so of visiting, everyone moves into the banquet hall where dinner is served. It is quite a feast and I would suggest fasting the entire day if you plan to attend one of these.
4. The Alcohol - This seems to be pretty universally agreed upon. Everyone seems to want alcohol at the wedding. Whether it is needed for some liquid courage to give a speech or ask the cute bridesmaid to dance, it is always welcomed. You have several options here. Full open bar, open bar with beer and wine, cash bar, or a simple champagne toast. I prefer the full open bar (of course - it is the most expensive) but it can also lead to trouble. The best bet may be to stick with the wine and beer.
5. The Parties - Although this is pre-wedding, this is a big deal in the South. You can have the Engagement party, the Stock the Bar party, the Around the House shower, the Tool and Gadget Party, The Couples Party, The Bridal Tea...the list goes on and on. I love this, but the idea either did not make it up here, or they nixed it. Although it is a lot of events, they are always fun and you generally get to see a different set of people at each event. (PS - You don't have to buy a present for each event either.)
That is pretty much all I can think of in terms of differences. The wedding we attended Friday night was a lot of fun. We were late, as usual, but I have gotten to the point where if it is not an event for my friend, I try not to make a fuss about it. If Mike feels comfortable sneaking into the last pew at his friend's wedding, I will go along with it. The only problem was, this wedding was in a banquet hall and there was no back entrance. Everyone sat at round tables while the ten minute ceremony was performed. Guess how late we were. Yes, ten minutes. We totally missed the ceremony. Then we had to walk through the front doors as the wedding party was taking pictures. I was horrified. "Hi guys! Congrats on that marriage. We are just here for the food and alcohol!"
It ended up being fine. They did have a D.J., and a disco ball at that. At some point I looked over and there was dry ice covering the dance floor. I think I lost the bride for a minute because the smoke was so thick, but hey. That was a new investment I had never thought of...always something new!
1. Band or D.J.? I had never really heard of having a D.J. at a wedding. The majority of the weddings I have been to have bands that sing the classics: "Brown Eyed Girl," "My Girl" and "Shout." Personally, I am not a fan of the chicken dance or the hokey pokey, which may be played by either. The good point of a D.J. is that they usually have more up to date music, but I'm also not sure how I feel to my Grandma dancing to "Back That Ass Up."
2. The Invitation: In the South, you can tell how expensive the invitations were based on how thick the paper is. These invites are very formal, usually with someone contributing their calligraphy as a gift, or having them printed in formal cursive. You can pay additional costs by throwing in a border or a monogram on the top. Additionally there are several sheets of tissue paper and envelopes inside of envelopes to notify you that this is a wedding invitation. Now not all, but some of the weddings that I have been to up here are much less formal in their invitations. They are more like a regular invitation to a engagement party or shower.
3. The Food: This is very important for your guests. I do have a preference to the choices I am going to offer, but I will not reveal it. However, I believe that it is important that you do have enough food to feed your guests, especially if you plan to serve them alcohol. (To be discussed in #4.) The buffet is very southern, with heavy hors d'oeuvres ranging from stuffed mushrooms, cheese plates and chicken fingers. Sometimes there are stations that you can make your way around. This is always fun. You hit the pasta station, then the carving station, etc. The grits station is my favorite - I am so having one of those. Stations are a good way to make sure that everyone is filled up - you just can't consume the champagne when you have only had a few pieces of cheese.
The other option is the sit down dinner. This seems to be more popular in the North, where you check on the return, pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelope: chicken, steak or fish. (By the way, it drives me crazy when people don't send those back. How hard is it to make a little "X" by your name and put it in the mail? Do you know how hard these brides have worked to make this easy on you? They just want an idea of how many people are coming so they can feed you!) But I digress. The only problem I have with the sit down dinner is that sometimes people are so busy, the mingling and dancing starts a little later.
Finally, at both the New Jersey weddings I attended, they had a cocktail hour, that led into the sit down dinner. This thing was amazing. Anything you could imagine at a southern buffet was at the cocktail hour, with a full bar. (Including my favorite, the pasta station.) Then, after an hour or so of visiting, everyone moves into the banquet hall where dinner is served. It is quite a feast and I would suggest fasting the entire day if you plan to attend one of these.
4. The Alcohol - This seems to be pretty universally agreed upon. Everyone seems to want alcohol at the wedding. Whether it is needed for some liquid courage to give a speech or ask the cute bridesmaid to dance, it is always welcomed. You have several options here. Full open bar, open bar with beer and wine, cash bar, or a simple champagne toast. I prefer the full open bar (of course - it is the most expensive) but it can also lead to trouble. The best bet may be to stick with the wine and beer.
5. The Parties - Although this is pre-wedding, this is a big deal in the South. You can have the Engagement party, the Stock the Bar party, the Around the House shower, the Tool and Gadget Party, The Couples Party, The Bridal Tea...the list goes on and on. I love this, but the idea either did not make it up here, or they nixed it. Although it is a lot of events, they are always fun and you generally get to see a different set of people at each event. (PS - You don't have to buy a present for each event either.)
That is pretty much all I can think of in terms of differences. The wedding we attended Friday night was a lot of fun. We were late, as usual, but I have gotten to the point where if it is not an event for my friend, I try not to make a fuss about it. If Mike feels comfortable sneaking into the last pew at his friend's wedding, I will go along with it. The only problem was, this wedding was in a banquet hall and there was no back entrance. Everyone sat at round tables while the ten minute ceremony was performed. Guess how late we were. Yes, ten minutes. We totally missed the ceremony. Then we had to walk through the front doors as the wedding party was taking pictures. I was horrified. "Hi guys! Congrats on that marriage. We are just here for the food and alcohol!"
It ended up being fine. They did have a D.J., and a disco ball at that. At some point I looked over and there was dry ice covering the dance floor. I think I lost the bride for a minute because the smoke was so thick, but hey. That was a new investment I had never thought of...always something new!
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