So Monday night, I be chillin at Justins with Ember, Justin, later to be joined by Braylin and I tell them that I had a dilemma I needed their help with. My roommate had some bananas that she wanted me to use because she is at Lake Powell and doesn't want them going bad; so I posed the question to them...should I make banana bread OR chocolate chip banana bread? (it was a very difficult decision for me) When Ember says "I've never made banana bread" I decided this must change.
So Tuesday was the decided day for banana bread, Justin is in my institute class and Ember was upstairs at Institute choir when I met up with them asking for a slightly more solid plan. I end up on a picture taking adventure with them (although I would like to submit that I managed to stay out of almost all the pictures. I was only in one that they took when i wasn't looking) On the way back to the car from picture taking Justin asks if we are hungry (we are all kinda stupid and we don't eat dinner until like...10 at night.) So we are trying to figure out what we have to eat when it is decided Chicken and rice something. Because Ember had chicken and I have rice and cream of chicken. So we go back to my place and get rice and banana bread ingredients and head back to Justins. We make a chicken rice thing and mis up banana bread. Eat and chat and look at Justins pictures of Ember while the banana bread cooks. Then the banana bread finishes and comes out of the oven and we start eating it (and its wonderful) and people have started coming over/home in the last hour and a half of life. So in the apartment eating banana bread is Me, Justin, Ember, Braylin, Mike, and Ryan. (needless to say the banana bread didn't last long. But it was so good:]) then we are sitting around chatting and Ember wants to go to bed so she is saying we need to get going when Mike chimes in with "you don't all have to leave as a group, its not like your going to the bathroom" ;)
I however didn't have my car with me and Ember was going to give me a ride home, but Braylin had her car and said she could give me a ride home, so ember goes to her apartment and Justin goes to bed. So sitting around chatting is me, Mike, Ryan and Braylin. Chatting about everything, like explaining all the hidden spring break drama or inside jokes because people keep saying things that are followed up perfectly with things that were on our quote wall last year (like "why am i on your lap?) so then one o f us would say it and we would have to explain why it was so funny. Around 1:40 we realize what time it is and decided "Oh, maybe we should go home." (novel thought don't you think?) So we head out, on the car ride home is when i realize that all my ingredients for banana bread is on Mike and Justins table...sad part i meant to grab the, last night and I forgot again...oops...i'm a horrible friend. Well, I think we're making stir fry tonight so i'll get them then.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Fathers Day
"I'm so glad when Daddy comes home, glad as I can be!
Clap my hands and shout for joy,
and climb up on his knee.
Put my arms around his neck,
hug him tight like this...
Pat his cheeks and give him what?...
A GREAT BIG KISS!!!!! MWAH!!"
As I'm sure everyone has realized today is fathers day, so I thought I would blog about my Daddy.
I've learned a lot of things from my both my parents, but I want to mention things my dad has taught me. (my mom has also taught me some of the same lessons.) One of the biggest things my dad has taught me is a love of music. I grew up in a house of music, (which not very many would believe considering the lack of piano skills that I present to the world. But I would like to submit to the world that piano is NOT the only musical skill in this world. thank you)
When I was younger my dad would use the bathroom across from my bedroom to shower in in the morning after he went running (it was known as Dads bathroom and me and my siblings pretty much never used it...to this day i still am not sure why...it was right there.) I would wake up in the morning and hear dad singing in the shower. (and now anyone who knows me knows where I got it from) Although it was usually something classical so i didn't ever recognize what he was singing.
But my dad also taught me an appreciation of classical music. When we lived in Minnesota, he organized a "Messiah Sing-in" the last four or five years we lived there. (if you don't know what a Messiah Sing-in is, you are slightly deprived in my eyes and you should ask me about it.) For a few weeks and months before the sing-in (dad was the conductor) he use to turn on his recording of the messiah and practice conducting to it. I use to lie on the couch and laugh as he did it. (If you've ever seen my dad conduct you know why, he would exaggerate even more when we started laughing.)
My dad taught me how to ride a bike without training wheels on it. Out on the street in front of our house. I was wearing my blue helmet when I was learning Officer Kyper (he lived on our street) came out and gave me a ticket (for a free ice cream from DQ)
But Dad would hole on to my bike seat as i started going and then he would let go as I got going.
My dad taught me that he loves my mom. He doesn't realize how much he has taught me that. Anytime mom would go out of town, the day before she came back dad had us attack the house so mom could come back to a clean house. On mothers day mom gets breakfast in bed and is grounded from the kitchen. Lately he has been traveling a lot for work, and a lot out of the country. Every new country he goes to he brings us all back something, but the few times I was home when he was giving out the presents(I moved out a year after he started traveling) he always had a different tone when he gave mom her gift, subtly different, but I could tell he took care in picking out her gift and wanted to get her something that she would love. My dad loves my mom, and no one will ever be able to convince me otherwise. Because I've seen that I won't settle for anything less when I get married someday.
My dad taught me that he loves me and my siblings. (some of the ways he showed me that i didn't learn till i was older) My parents made us do chores growing up. I had friends whose parents would never make them do chores, I use to be so jealous. But now, I know how to clean. I can clean a bedroom, a toilet, a kitchen. I can wash dishes. These seem like simple things, but I know people who don't know how to do these simple things because they never had to do them. My dad taught me how to accept "no" as an answer. There were a lot of times in my growing up life that we were given chores and if we didn't do said chores we couldn't go out and play. My dad always held up his end of the deal. We didn't do chores, we didn't play. Sometimes we wanted things and dad would say no. I didn't like it growing up all the time. But now I can take the answer no when it comes, which also makes me appreciate what I do get even more. These are the lessons that I don't know if dad knows he taught me, but he did. And I'm glad I've learned them.
There were other ways my dad showed us he loved us. I remember when i was younger and we would go on daddy/daughter dates. Dad also was more likely to say yes at the store if we wanted a candy bar, we discovered. I can't speak for all my siblings, but some ways that dad showed he loved me. Me and my dad have a musical that is our musical...Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of fleet street. (No, I'm not kidding. Come to our house for dinner sometime...me and my dad will start singing it at the dinner table.) The Broadway revival cast was touring in Dallas around my 17 birthday. My dad took me to see it, it was the first daddy/daughter date we'd had in a long time. But it was awesome. He taught me how to change the tire on a car. He let me drive his car up and down the driveway before I had a permit. (trust me, you would be surprised at how long i can go up and down a driveway without getting bored) He taught me how to light the grill. He does my taxes and FAFSA for me. And every new country he goes to he buys me a new pair of ear rings. Dad was the one who took me to get my ears pierced.
One more major thing my dad taught me was that he loves the Gospel, and the temple. We went to church every week growing up, and I can't tell you how many times my dad has been the choir director, which was always wonderful. We would go to ward choir, and music is one of the ways I feel the spirit stronger than anything else. Every year before school (as i'm sure many peoples dads did) Dad would give us a fathers blessing. When I was on a pioneer trek, they had one of our parents write us a note that would be delivered to us on trek. Dad wrote mine, and he bore his testimony to me in it. I still have that letter. But the thing that really sticks out to me most about my dads faith, his dad isn't a member of the church. Never has been. It would have been very easy for my dad to not be active in the church, to not grow up with a testimony. But he did. I also know that he loves the temple. He's been a temple worker many times, in fact I think he is one in Dallas right now. But every time he goes to a country that has a temple (time permitting) he'll go do at least one session. If time doesn't permit he'll at least go to he grounds and take a picture. It makes me want to go to the temple.
My daddy has taught me a lot of things in life, and I'm still learning from him, even if he doesn't know it.
Happy Fathers day.
I LOVE YOU DADDY!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Carter
Ok, it is really really sad when a 2 1/2 hours shift seems to long to be at work...especially when you have a five hours shift the next day. So I worked the lovely shift of 7:30-10:00 this morning. I have discovered I prefer the morning shifts way more than the day and night shifts. I like the people who work in the morning better...and I think I'm beginning to understand some of the cattiness and gossiping by the employees at night. Although I still think it is immature and unprofessional, but whatever, not my place.
Anyway, so I'm working breakfast and again, group of old guys come in and there is one guy for some reason I just think is the cutest and coolest old guy. I learned today his name is Carter. He is one of the most wrinkly people I have ever seen, and has smoked for years so has that raspy-ness sounds behind his voice. But he'll walk in in the morning, leaning on his walking stick, and say "Hi there ba-doo ba-doo ba" Then order his senior coffee; today saying that I'm just the "bestest worker". Than goes and joins the other old guys. Right before he leaves he'll come order sausage biscuit and a egg biscuit with some jam, doesn't care if its grape or jelly; which ever one I like. So we ring it up for him, refill his coffee as he leaves he looks over and goes "thank you little darlin"
He's always calling me (and probably other female workers) 'little darlin'. For some reason he has become my favorite old guy out of the ones that come in. Although I like pretty much the whole group...and eventually I'll get all their orders straight. Right now I'm still working on names. Every other one is called "Don" and sometimes they'll switch names on you.
Anyway, so I'm working breakfast and again, group of old guys come in and there is one guy for some reason I just think is the cutest and coolest old guy. I learned today his name is Carter. He is one of the most wrinkly people I have ever seen, and has smoked for years so has that raspy-ness sounds behind his voice. But he'll walk in in the morning, leaning on his walking stick, and say "Hi there ba-doo ba-doo ba" Then order his senior coffee; today saying that I'm just the "bestest worker". Than goes and joins the other old guys. Right before he leaves he'll come order sausage biscuit and a egg biscuit with some jam, doesn't care if its grape or jelly; which ever one I like. So we ring it up for him, refill his coffee as he leaves he looks over and goes "thank you little darlin"
He's always calling me (and probably other female workers) 'little darlin'. For some reason he has become my favorite old guy out of the ones that come in. Although I like pretty much the whole group...and eventually I'll get all their orders straight. Right now I'm still working on names. Every other one is called "Don" and sometimes they'll switch names on you.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Oil Changing Adventures.
So yes, I can change my own oil. But please do not make the mistake of thinking that I actually know that much about cars. I had been planning on changing my oil for a little under a week, but it had been rainy and fixing cars in the rain is just miserable. So Yesterday was the first sunny day in far to long AND i didn't have work. It was awesome. So after a morning of laundry and tidying the room i make a run to the tech shop to see if they have some scraps of 2x4 they didn't know what to do with, because the jack I bought last year was a very very nice jack however it doesn't jack up my car high enough to get the jack stands under. 2X4's make my jack high enough I can get the jack under but low enough I can still fit the jack under the car. I first attempted this feat of changing my oil by myself...quickly realizing that this was an incredibly stupid idea. (working on cars alone is dumb on many levels, just so everyone knows) I decided that I needed a spotter to come make sure that a car didn't fall on me, and no offense to any girls I know I didn't know any girls i trusted enough to hold the jack while I am under the car trying to get a jack stand under it. Thus I decided that it had to be a boy.
Now, all the boys I know pretty much don't live in Logan anymore. And of the boys i do know that still live in Logan, I only have about four of their numbers. Chris was in star valley, Justin was at work. That left Mike and James. I text both of them as i'm walking back inside. Neither of them answer but i get on facebook and Mike is on. So I ask him if he is busy. He's in class (in other words yes he was busy) but it was going to be over at around 3 and he didn't have another one until 4:30. So the incredibly kind person he is walks over to my place after class and spots for me.
So we start trying to jack up the car but the 2X4's I have aren't quite long enough to set under the jack (the jack starts to roll forward when the car gets up higher) and at one point the jack slips off the wood crushing my fingers between the jack and the wood. (which really really hurt) so after mumbling some gibberish so avoid swearing i re-evaluate the way I've been jacking the car. After re-positioning the wood to a much safer way of jacking up the car i finally get the jack stands under the car. And using the same tools I used last time I get under the car to change the oil...and I can't get the nut or the filter off, which is making me angry cause i can't figure out why its not working. And my largest socket on my ratchet is just barely to small. So after much deliberation and feeling horrible that Mike walked all the way over from campus and I didn't even get my task accomplished I let my car down, drive Mike back to campus and make an Autozone run. (yes, it was probably a little cheaper to buy tools at wal-mart or Lowes, but at Autozone no one judges you when you walked in covered in grease and wearing what I loving call "grease monkey" clothes.
So after purchasing my new sockets and filter wrench and calling to mom and venting a little bit I head back to my place and text Justin because Mike said that Justin should be getting off work soon. Justin says that he'll help me (i just basically have great guy friends, I don't know how I've gotten so lucky) I drive over to his place, we again jack up the car, i get under and this time the oil dripping everywhere is hot because I've been driving and I go to put the socket on and...its still just barely to small, i guessed the wrong size. (don't judge me. and just so everyone knows, the correct size for the nut on the oil pan in a '98 mazda prtog`e is 11/16)
At this point I was NOT making another Autozone runs, for a few different reasons, biggest one being that i didn't want to spend more money. I call my cousin Michael who lives in North Logan to see if maybe they have a wrench I could borrow (wishing I had thought of that before I bought my new tools) and no one answers at their house. So I'm sitting their in the gravel wishing I knew someone else who may have tools when my friend Jessica pulls into the parking lot with her friend Bill.
She sees me and asks me how I'm doing (as I'm covered in grease) I look at her and say "I've got a random question for you, do you have a wrench?" She doesn't but guess who just happens to have a ratchet set in his truck? Her friend Bill. He pulls it out and we get the right size socket and i get under the car excited that i finally get to change my oil and...I couldn't get the stupid socket to move. At this point i figure out why nothing had been working. I wasn't the last one to change my oil. I almost killed my car back in January (don't judge me) and when they fixed it they changed my oil. And they had the nice air pressure tools that put things on ridiculously tight. So Bill actually has to get the nut off and he helps me get the filter off...I have been sufficiently humbled. And guess what else Bill has? FAST ORANGE!!!! For those of you who don't know what that is (and thats probably a lot of you) It's this amazing soap that take grease off. So he lets me use some and then I decide I need to go home and shower before FHE. So Justin asks me to look at his tires really quick, (again, please don't make the mistake of thinking I actually know anything about cars. I just make educated guesses, but I don't exactly have a great education..yet...someday I will)So I look at his tires, give him my opinion and then I head home, thinking about how i need to go find out what battery I need for my car because I need another one of those too. (it was covered with erosion when Mike came over, but I cleaned it off before I went to Justins, because I was thinking about it. But basically my car wants to die...and I keep nursing it back to life somehow.
So i get home and shower, and the shower after working on a car is one of the best showers in the world. Just so you know. It is absolutely wonderful the feeling after you get out and back into clean clothes. AHH! Wonderful! Anyway, so now I have a car with changed oil, some sore and swollen fingers and a couple of cuts up the arm, but otherwise no worse for the wear. And now I've re-learned a couple things about changing oil. So despite being sufficiently humbled and a little sore, i love working on cars still and I can't wait till the day I'm actually an auto-mechanic.
Now, all the boys I know pretty much don't live in Logan anymore. And of the boys i do know that still live in Logan, I only have about four of their numbers. Chris was in star valley, Justin was at work. That left Mike and James. I text both of them as i'm walking back inside. Neither of them answer but i get on facebook and Mike is on. So I ask him if he is busy. He's in class (in other words yes he was busy) but it was going to be over at around 3 and he didn't have another one until 4:30. So the incredibly kind person he is walks over to my place after class and spots for me.
So we start trying to jack up the car but the 2X4's I have aren't quite long enough to set under the jack (the jack starts to roll forward when the car gets up higher) and at one point the jack slips off the wood crushing my fingers between the jack and the wood. (which really really hurt) so after mumbling some gibberish so avoid swearing i re-evaluate the way I've been jacking the car. After re-positioning the wood to a much safer way of jacking up the car i finally get the jack stands under the car. And using the same tools I used last time I get under the car to change the oil...and I can't get the nut or the filter off, which is making me angry cause i can't figure out why its not working. And my largest socket on my ratchet is just barely to small. So after much deliberation and feeling horrible that Mike walked all the way over from campus and I didn't even get my task accomplished I let my car down, drive Mike back to campus and make an Autozone run. (yes, it was probably a little cheaper to buy tools at wal-mart or Lowes, but at Autozone no one judges you when you walked in covered in grease and wearing what I loving call "grease monkey" clothes.
So after purchasing my new sockets and filter wrench and calling to mom and venting a little bit I head back to my place and text Justin because Mike said that Justin should be getting off work soon. Justin says that he'll help me (i just basically have great guy friends, I don't know how I've gotten so lucky) I drive over to his place, we again jack up the car, i get under and this time the oil dripping everywhere is hot because I've been driving and I go to put the socket on and...its still just barely to small, i guessed the wrong size. (don't judge me. and just so everyone knows, the correct size for the nut on the oil pan in a '98 mazda prtog`e is 11/16)
At this point I was NOT making another Autozone runs, for a few different reasons, biggest one being that i didn't want to spend more money. I call my cousin Michael who lives in North Logan to see if maybe they have a wrench I could borrow (wishing I had thought of that before I bought my new tools) and no one answers at their house. So I'm sitting their in the gravel wishing I knew someone else who may have tools when my friend Jessica pulls into the parking lot with her friend Bill.
She sees me and asks me how I'm doing (as I'm covered in grease) I look at her and say "I've got a random question for you, do you have a wrench?" She doesn't but guess who just happens to have a ratchet set in his truck? Her friend Bill. He pulls it out and we get the right size socket and i get under the car excited that i finally get to change my oil and...I couldn't get the stupid socket to move. At this point i figure out why nothing had been working. I wasn't the last one to change my oil. I almost killed my car back in January (don't judge me) and when they fixed it they changed my oil. And they had the nice air pressure tools that put things on ridiculously tight. So Bill actually has to get the nut off and he helps me get the filter off...I have been sufficiently humbled. And guess what else Bill has? FAST ORANGE!!!! For those of you who don't know what that is (and thats probably a lot of you) It's this amazing soap that take grease off. So he lets me use some and then I decide I need to go home and shower before FHE. So Justin asks me to look at his tires really quick, (again, please don't make the mistake of thinking I actually know anything about cars. I just make educated guesses, but I don't exactly have a great education..yet...someday I will)So I look at his tires, give him my opinion and then I head home, thinking about how i need to go find out what battery I need for my car because I need another one of those too. (it was covered with erosion when Mike came over, but I cleaned it off before I went to Justins, because I was thinking about it. But basically my car wants to die...and I keep nursing it back to life somehow.
So i get home and shower, and the shower after working on a car is one of the best showers in the world. Just so you know. It is absolutely wonderful the feeling after you get out and back into clean clothes. AHH! Wonderful! Anyway, so now I have a car with changed oil, some sore and swollen fingers and a couple of cuts up the arm, but otherwise no worse for the wear. And now I've re-learned a couple things about changing oil. So despite being sufficiently humbled and a little sore, i love working on cars still and I can't wait till the day I'm actually an auto-mechanic.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Unexpected life.
Tuesday, i was expecting it to be a kinda bad day, i'm not gonna lie. I had a seven hour shift at work... OK its bad that that is what i thought was going to make my day bad. But i had a surprisingly great day. I woke up not feeling tired at all (and i woke up before my alarm clock) And i had been praying to learn how to love my job. So i get to work, run front counter (as usual) don't mess up very many orders. And the thing of it is i hate standing around right? if i'm at work i want to be working for a number of reasons one, i'm earning money i don't want to be paid for standing. second time goes faster when your doing something. But I've also been trying to learn how to play to the managers, cause some of them don't want me to leave front counter. However yesterday the store manager said "when your not taking orders you need to run for yourself or work on lobby or something" In other words i got the OK from the head honcho. Which was wonderful cause first i attacked the lobby. Tables, chairs, trays, garbages and sweep. Plus soda fountain. I would like to submit that i got the lobby looking very nice. And then i started finding things to do behind the counter. I wiped down the counter, then i cleaned the outside of the shake machine, and some coffee spills. Swept in back. In other words i found ways to keep myself busy. And i honestly like hard work, or just working hard. Its much more rewarding.
In addition, while i was at work i got about three calls in about five minutes (obviously i didn't answer) so when i get a chance i sneak a look at my phone lightning fast )three calls i was afraid someone had died or something) they were from two or three different people. Then i look at the texts I've gotten. one of them made me very happy. But i can't say more than that at the current moment. :)
So right before i get off work my store manager looks at me and says "hey thanks for doing lobby, it looks really good." (i have been trying to get my managers to like me. and this is the first positive feedback I've gotten from her) So it made me extremely happy and then i got to go home and take a wonderful wonderful shower. (after seven hours i felt like i had nothing on my face but grease) then i got to hang out with Justin and Ember and me and Ember made Macaroons. They were WONDERFUL AND AMAZING!!! At least i thought so.
SO then we decided randomly last minute to go hike the wind caves. also much fun and i was extremely happy because thats the fastest I've ever hiked up them and i didn't really get that tired on the way up. :) all in all, yesterday was a good day.
In addition, while i was at work i got about three calls in about five minutes (obviously i didn't answer) so when i get a chance i sneak a look at my phone lightning fast )three calls i was afraid someone had died or something) they were from two or three different people. Then i look at the texts I've gotten. one of them made me very happy. But i can't say more than that at the current moment. :)
So right before i get off work my store manager looks at me and says "hey thanks for doing lobby, it looks really good." (i have been trying to get my managers to like me. and this is the first positive feedback I've gotten from her) So it made me extremely happy and then i got to go home and take a wonderful wonderful shower. (after seven hours i felt like i had nothing on my face but grease) then i got to hang out with Justin and Ember and me and Ember made Macaroons. They were WONDERFUL AND AMAZING!!! At least i thought so.
SO then we decided randomly last minute to go hike the wind caves. also much fun and i was extremely happy because thats the fastest I've ever hiked up them and i didn't really get that tired on the way up. :) all in all, yesterday was a good day.
Lil Diamonds
So, Monday I got to see my Grandpa Fred and Grandma Joy for the first time in a year (almost to the date) They were on their yearly RV trip and were stopping in Salt Lake, so I went down to see them. I got there and we chatted for a while. Right after Grandma says hi she goes "you've lost weight". (that made me feel good about myself.) SO we chatted for awhile, they asked about school and jobs and stuff like that. I asked them about their road trip and stuff. Then Grandpa asks what i would like for dinner. My reply. Food. Grandpa-what kind of food? me- good food....my pickyness level has gone way down in the last year. (am i still kinda a picky eater, yeah. But not nearly as bad as i use to be.) Then grandma says "i know what Manda likes. she likes steak" which is a true statement. But steak is also expensive, so i wasn't going to ask. But then they start looking for a steak house in the area. We end up going to Diamond Lil's.
Diamond Lil's. Oh my goodness. I got a humongous slice of prime rib for dinner (and i might add i got the smallest size) IT WAS SOOOO GOOD!!!!! if i had died on the wya home i wouldn't have complained about my last meal. But the best part of diamond Lil's is the Bathrooms...Whoever came up with the idea is slightly brilliant.
So after we ate we went and drove around Salt Lake city a little bit (grandma and Grandpa use to live there) then back to the RV, chat a little bit more and then i head out just as the sun starts to go down.
I wish i could see grandma and grandpa more often. But my car doesn't like to keep working and i don't have the gas money to drive to Arizona anyway. Someday i'll have the means, but until then i jsut enjoy the brief visits we get to have with each other.
Diamond Lil's. Oh my goodness. I got a humongous slice of prime rib for dinner (and i might add i got the smallest size) IT WAS SOOOO GOOD!!!!! if i had died on the wya home i wouldn't have complained about my last meal. But the best part of diamond Lil's is the Bathrooms...Whoever came up with the idea is slightly brilliant.
So after we ate we went and drove around Salt Lake city a little bit (grandma and Grandpa use to live there) then back to the RV, chat a little bit more and then i head out just as the sun starts to go down.
I wish i could see grandma and grandpa more often. But my car doesn't like to keep working and i don't have the gas money to drive to Arizona anyway. Someday i'll have the means, but until then i jsut enjoy the brief visits we get to have with each other.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
The potentially lonely and boring weekend...
So as i begin to settle down for the night Friday (by settle down i mean try and come up with something to do seeing how it wasn't even 9 yet.) i receive a phone call. I had been looking forward (and by looking forward i mean looking forward because it was in the future, not because i was actually excited) to a night of striving to find something to do. two of my roommates went home, and some other friends were going on a camping trip. So i figured i would probably end up getting stuck in front of a television out of sheer boredom. When * i'm blue, da ba di da bi die, bi dab a di dob i die bod a dee dob ih die* starts playing. (this would also be known as my ring tone) I answer it, supressing the urge to go "Jack's mortuary. You whack 'em we pack 'em." (the only way i really answer the phone when my mom calls.) And my good friend Mike is on the other end of the phone. "Hey Mandy, i can't remember, did you want to go camping with us?" Me "i didn't know i was invited." Story behind that real quick, he had mentioned it the day before to Chris as we were going to Wing Wednesday. (yes Wing Wednesday is on Thursday. I'll explain some other time.) Again, he had mentioned it while i was there but had really only extended the invitation to Chris, thus I didn't know that i was also invited. So after this had been established via phone between us he goes "Can you be ready in five minutes?" me "i can try" Him "well we're on our way right now."
This is Mandy's cue to run into her bedroom and get ready for camping probably faster than she ever has in the history of her life. And i would like to submit not only was i packed by the time they got there, i had also changed into an entirely new outfit that was more camping appropriate. (in other words, clothes i didn't care if ended up a little dirty and smelling like smoke. ) I am honestly a little proud of the fact i was able to do that in five minutes. I think i kept them waiting maybe a minute...possibly two. So Mike comes and i meet his two friends Tessa (who i actually met the day before) and Amanda. (probably a good thing i go by Mandy) We pile back into Mikes car and head up the Canyon.
I LOVE Logan canyon, i just would like the world to know that.
So we get to the campsite, i sort of help mike park so he doesn't run into a big rock. And i go over and meet everyone else. And the Chris and Sayler emerge from a tent (yes, Sayler is his real name. No i don't know if i spelled it right) them i knew. And then we sit by a campfire. We roast marshmallows, i hear a lot of people talk about their missions and other things. Mike goes off and flirts with three girls. We attempt to start playing yatzee later except the whole time we've been out by the fire it has been raining off and on. so we start trying to play and lo and behold it starts raining. So we set up another tent because we know we'll probably be up talking for a while and we don't want to wake up Chris and Sayler. Also, i have now seen someone bake cookies over a fire. How cool is that?
So now we all start going into the tent to sleep. Mike goes back over to the tent with Chris and Sayler, because he kinda wants to go to sleep. So four of us start settling into the tent, close quarters a little, but thats sometimes half the fun.
Around 6:30am i hear a voice going "mandy" but is it processing in my head that i'm hearing my name? of course not. finally Amanda next to me goes, "i think Mike is trying to talk to you." then it clicks 'oh, i should probably answer' so i go "what?" still lying down in my sleeping bag. He doesn't hear. So i sit up and unzip the window of the tent still trying to remember my own name. He goes "do you remember how to get to the Wind Caves?" (where we were planning on going on a hike to after breakfast." You can't ask me a question like that when i've just woken up. So i have to think on that for a second and i go "kinda" i actually do know basically how to get there. I just couldn't remember if we had past them the night before or not. It gets established between us in some for or coherent-ness that i could get people to the wind cave. And mike was leaving with Chris and Sayler. Someone behind me asks "what time is it?" mike goes "about 6:30" three groans come from behind me. Mike wasn't giving any sympathy, he had been pup since five. Not out fault your a morning person Mike. ;)
So naturally after this knowledge of the time what do all of us do?...we go right back to sleep for another hour or two. I don't even remember how long. eventually we get up, they are all very nice and shared food with me. ( in the five minutes that i had to get ready food slipped my mind a little bit.) then we pack up camp and head out. We get out of the Canyon and I have a voicemail and a text message. My grandpa had tried to call me (I'm meeting him in Salt Lake on Monday) And my mom had sent me a text that basically said she likes my blog. Thanks mom. :)
So i get home, get changed. And head to Mickey D's to pick up my pay check so i can go buy food. Because i haven't been grocery shopping for about two weeks. I needed bread and milk and i wanted produce. I've been looking forward to having a salad for lunch for at least a week. So I go, get the pay check, head to Lee's, where inside is located a Chase branch. I put my money in the account and go grocery shopping. Where i am so excited to have so much produce in my cart. I get to the check out line, make casual conversation with the cashier and go to swipe my card...declined...try it again...declined...try it on credit...declined. I go over to the bank to see what is wrong with my card. Because it was a check it won't appear in my account for at least one buisness day...LAME AND DUMB!!!!! just so everyone knows how i feel about that. In other words I can't buy food or gas until Tuesday. I call my mom to tell her about it (mostly just to vent a little bit) and the kind loving mother she is puts money on my Bank of Texas card for a fan and my seminary graduation present (yes...it's a little late...) a brand new CTR ring. And she says, "go buy some food and other things you need with that and when your money shows up in your account go buy a fan and your ring." However, there were other things i needed that money for, so instead of just food. So I don't get to buy all the food i wanted (and now i'm missing some of the sales. :( oh well.) So instead of a wonderful salad i am now currently eating my lunch of a bagle and a peach. Which is still wonderful i would like to add, just not the wonderful i originally planned. And now i think i will bid you adue. i still haven't showered and smell like campfire and i would like to get a hold of a guitar playing friend and get some new strings for mine. ( i need someone to point me in the right direction. I don't know where to get guitar strings or what kind to get.) So until later, that is the story of what was my potentially lonely and boring weekend.
This is Mandy's cue to run into her bedroom and get ready for camping probably faster than she ever has in the history of her life. And i would like to submit not only was i packed by the time they got there, i had also changed into an entirely new outfit that was more camping appropriate. (in other words, clothes i didn't care if ended up a little dirty and smelling like smoke. ) I am honestly a little proud of the fact i was able to do that in five minutes. I think i kept them waiting maybe a minute...possibly two. So Mike comes and i meet his two friends Tessa (who i actually met the day before) and Amanda. (probably a good thing i go by Mandy) We pile back into Mikes car and head up the Canyon.
I LOVE Logan canyon, i just would like the world to know that.
So we get to the campsite, i sort of help mike park so he doesn't run into a big rock. And i go over and meet everyone else. And the Chris and Sayler emerge from a tent (yes, Sayler is his real name. No i don't know if i spelled it right) them i knew. And then we sit by a campfire. We roast marshmallows, i hear a lot of people talk about their missions and other things. Mike goes off and flirts with three girls. We attempt to start playing yatzee later except the whole time we've been out by the fire it has been raining off and on. so we start trying to play and lo and behold it starts raining. So we set up another tent because we know we'll probably be up talking for a while and we don't want to wake up Chris and Sayler. Also, i have now seen someone bake cookies over a fire. How cool is that?
So now we all start going into the tent to sleep. Mike goes back over to the tent with Chris and Sayler, because he kinda wants to go to sleep. So four of us start settling into the tent, close quarters a little, but thats sometimes half the fun.
Around 6:30am i hear a voice going "mandy" but is it processing in my head that i'm hearing my name? of course not. finally Amanda next to me goes, "i think Mike is trying to talk to you." then it clicks 'oh, i should probably answer' so i go "what?" still lying down in my sleeping bag. He doesn't hear. So i sit up and unzip the window of the tent still trying to remember my own name. He goes "do you remember how to get to the Wind Caves?" (where we were planning on going on a hike to after breakfast." You can't ask me a question like that when i've just woken up. So i have to think on that for a second and i go "kinda" i actually do know basically how to get there. I just couldn't remember if we had past them the night before or not. It gets established between us in some for or coherent-ness that i could get people to the wind cave. And mike was leaving with Chris and Sayler. Someone behind me asks "what time is it?" mike goes "about 6:30" three groans come from behind me. Mike wasn't giving any sympathy, he had been pup since five. Not out fault your a morning person Mike. ;)
So naturally after this knowledge of the time what do all of us do?...we go right back to sleep for another hour or two. I don't even remember how long. eventually we get up, they are all very nice and shared food with me. ( in the five minutes that i had to get ready food slipped my mind a little bit.) then we pack up camp and head out. We get out of the Canyon and I have a voicemail and a text message. My grandpa had tried to call me (I'm meeting him in Salt Lake on Monday) And my mom had sent me a text that basically said she likes my blog. Thanks mom. :)
So i get home, get changed. And head to Mickey D's to pick up my pay check so i can go buy food. Because i haven't been grocery shopping for about two weeks. I needed bread and milk and i wanted produce. I've been looking forward to having a salad for lunch for at least a week. So I go, get the pay check, head to Lee's, where inside is located a Chase branch. I put my money in the account and go grocery shopping. Where i am so excited to have so much produce in my cart. I get to the check out line, make casual conversation with the cashier and go to swipe my card...declined...try it again...declined...try it on credit...declined. I go over to the bank to see what is wrong with my card. Because it was a check it won't appear in my account for at least one buisness day...LAME AND DUMB!!!!! just so everyone knows how i feel about that. In other words I can't buy food or gas until Tuesday. I call my mom to tell her about it (mostly just to vent a little bit) and the kind loving mother she is puts money on my Bank of Texas card for a fan and my seminary graduation present (yes...it's a little late...) a brand new CTR ring. And she says, "go buy some food and other things you need with that and when your money shows up in your account go buy a fan and your ring." However, there were other things i needed that money for, so instead of just food. So I don't get to buy all the food i wanted (and now i'm missing some of the sales. :( oh well.) So instead of a wonderful salad i am now currently eating my lunch of a bagle and a peach. Which is still wonderful i would like to add, just not the wonderful i originally planned. And now i think i will bid you adue. i still haven't showered and smell like campfire and i would like to get a hold of a guitar playing friend and get some new strings for mine. ( i need someone to point me in the right direction. I don't know where to get guitar strings or what kind to get.) So until later, that is the story of what was my potentially lonely and boring weekend.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Mickey D's
So as many of you know, I currently have the glorious occupation of a McDonalds team member. As of two weeks ago i have started working at the local Mickey D's. It's a very interesting place, and yet i can't wait to find a new job. One that pays more and isn't fast food. But until that day i will continue to go into that place full of grease and loud and customers and i don't know what else.
Although its not all bad, i actually like most of the customers that come in, except when its the last day of school and we are located right by an middle school and so as soon as school is out about 100 middle schoolers come through our doors at the exact same time as our usual lunch rush, someone shoot me in the face next time that happens...please. Anyway, but there are actually many customers that make me happy. We have two or three groups of old guys that come in everyday and order their senior cokes and senior coffees and will sit around chatting for hours. They are all really nice and because they are there everyday they know who is new and are more forgiving while we try to figure out how to work the POS system. (also known as the cash register) I'm getting to the point where i'm remembering names and orders...a little...not much.
But then there are the random customers who just make you feel good about yourself. I currently have pretty much worked front counter and lobby. So every now and then i really don't know what i'm doing or whats going wrong or what mistake i made or whatever. One time i'm busy messing up an order (that this really nice old guy was placing) and i screwed something up with the drinks. So as my store manager (ya know, the head hancho of the place) comes up to correct me and i already feel like and idiot and just wish i could get the stupid thing right this sweet old guy looks up at my manger and says "she is a good worker, it's fine. She has been smiling the whole time. She's a good worker." Thanks to cute old guy i felt a little better about myself.
Another time, we're in the middle of our morning rush and i'm getting distracted trying to keep up with the 15 things happening at once. (only this time it was actually mostly working. I wasn't screwing very many things up.) and then rush finishes so i go out to lobby to pick up the trays and wipe tables and chairs. As i'm wiping a table down this nice gentleman who's order i had taken about ten minutes early just kinda leans over and says "you are just so nice". It made me feel good. i'm not sure what i did that made him think that i'm such a nice person. I just have been trying to do my job without screwing up to badly. But it made me feel good.
Its little things like that that honestly make work bareable for me. I don't really like the fast paced and largely employed feel of McDonalds. I've worked there almost two weeks and I don't even know all my managers. Today some girl came into work that i had never seen before. Most of the people i do know i don't know there names. That was one thing i liked about my first job at the Legacy Center. I knew everyone i worked with within about a week. I wish i could work somewhere like that again. Where you know everyone pretty fast and you can get the feel of people fast. Maybe its just because i care more about people than i do about making a profit. Thats another reason i think i wasn't meant to work in fast food, i hate upselling with a passion. i already think people are spending way to much money, especially on breakfast. Seriously, i would probably end up on somebody's bad list for saying this, But don't go to Mcdonalds to eat. At least don't go very often. Its really not that good a deal. I mean really, $2 for larger fries? you know they don't cost anywhere near that much to make. And the parfaits, however tasty they are are just to small to possibly be worth a dollar. Maybe it's because i'm watching every penny i make (poor starving college student, you learn that pennys run away if you don't watch them) But i just can't believe how much people will spend on fast food. Seriously, for the price of a Big Mac Meal (without employee discount) I could go buy a carton of eggs and a gallon of milk. (potentially the same with the employee discount if there is a sale going on)
Anyway, where i'm going with this, I'm not sure. I am grateful i have a job, and it's not as bad as i was afraid it was going to be. But...i still really want a different job.
Although its not all bad, i actually like most of the customers that come in, except when its the last day of school and we are located right by an middle school and so as soon as school is out about 100 middle schoolers come through our doors at the exact same time as our usual lunch rush, someone shoot me in the face next time that happens...please. Anyway, but there are actually many customers that make me happy. We have two or three groups of old guys that come in everyday and order their senior cokes and senior coffees and will sit around chatting for hours. They are all really nice and because they are there everyday they know who is new and are more forgiving while we try to figure out how to work the POS system. (also known as the cash register) I'm getting to the point where i'm remembering names and orders...a little...not much.
But then there are the random customers who just make you feel good about yourself. I currently have pretty much worked front counter and lobby. So every now and then i really don't know what i'm doing or whats going wrong or what mistake i made or whatever. One time i'm busy messing up an order (that this really nice old guy was placing) and i screwed something up with the drinks. So as my store manager (ya know, the head hancho of the place) comes up to correct me and i already feel like and idiot and just wish i could get the stupid thing right this sweet old guy looks up at my manger and says "she is a good worker, it's fine. She has been smiling the whole time. She's a good worker." Thanks to cute old guy i felt a little better about myself.
Another time, we're in the middle of our morning rush and i'm getting distracted trying to keep up with the 15 things happening at once. (only this time it was actually mostly working. I wasn't screwing very many things up.) and then rush finishes so i go out to lobby to pick up the trays and wipe tables and chairs. As i'm wiping a table down this nice gentleman who's order i had taken about ten minutes early just kinda leans over and says "you are just so nice". It made me feel good. i'm not sure what i did that made him think that i'm such a nice person. I just have been trying to do my job without screwing up to badly. But it made me feel good.
Its little things like that that honestly make work bareable for me. I don't really like the fast paced and largely employed feel of McDonalds. I've worked there almost two weeks and I don't even know all my managers. Today some girl came into work that i had never seen before. Most of the people i do know i don't know there names. That was one thing i liked about my first job at the Legacy Center. I knew everyone i worked with within about a week. I wish i could work somewhere like that again. Where you know everyone pretty fast and you can get the feel of people fast. Maybe its just because i care more about people than i do about making a profit. Thats another reason i think i wasn't meant to work in fast food, i hate upselling with a passion. i already think people are spending way to much money, especially on breakfast. Seriously, i would probably end up on somebody's bad list for saying this, But don't go to Mcdonalds to eat. At least don't go very often. Its really not that good a deal. I mean really, $2 for larger fries? you know they don't cost anywhere near that much to make. And the parfaits, however tasty they are are just to small to possibly be worth a dollar. Maybe it's because i'm watching every penny i make (poor starving college student, you learn that pennys run away if you don't watch them) But i just can't believe how much people will spend on fast food. Seriously, for the price of a Big Mac Meal (without employee discount) I could go buy a carton of eggs and a gallon of milk. (potentially the same with the employee discount if there is a sale going on)
Anyway, where i'm going with this, I'm not sure. I am grateful i have a job, and it's not as bad as i was afraid it was going to be. But...i still really want a different job.
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