changes

I made a decision that this life I live is pretty darn good, but like most people

I feel there are many things I could change.

I have always said that if you don't like something....then change it.

So, on that note I am going to make an effort to improve the areas in which I feel I could use it. I love my friends and where I live, but the dating pool here is more like a wading pool. I also have a long list of house & garden projects that I had lots of time for with my semi unemployed state, but very little money. Thanks to my new job this is changing, happily I look forward to doing some of this grunt work as it is fun for me.

The next big thing is my health. I need to place more of a priority on my eating & exercise habits. I have a goal of being in better a financial & physical place by the time I am 40.

(this gives me 2 years to reach my final goals)

My short term health goal is to be eating more fruits & veggies, less processed foods and to lose 10% of my body weight. I am so not going to be posting my #'s on this blog.

(you guys can feel free to cheer me on, but you don't need to actually know my weight,lol)

so, here is to starting to better the rest of my life...

um, yeah

So, I kinda suck at this updating of the blog action. I have been super busy of late with the new job and now a fabulous out of state vacay. I do have things to say, but there really has been a major lack of free time. Promise to be a bit better and get on at least once a week....maybe?
haha

no comment

AAAGGGGHHHH

Seriously bothers me when you get an apology that has hints of accusation in it. I am no longer going to apologize for how and what I feel. I think we are all entitled to our feelings. You are only responsible for yourself. You can't help how you feel and should never feel bad for them. The thing I have learned in this past year is that people can share how they feel, but you can do nothing about how other people receive it. So, I can't control what is being sent my way, but only my thoughts & feelings I get from them.

I will say along with this that I have learned to swallow back lots of things I would love to say. I feel like some of them would be good for me to say, but have either no effect or a negative effect upon the other person so what is the point. I might feel better, but would it help the situation...no.

if you haven't lived it...

I find that most people who go out to eat have never worked in a restaurant, but have very high expectations for how those employees should work. I got involved in a couple of discussions on tipping policies with friends over the past few days. Most people feel that a tip is something to be earned. I am OK with that idea for the most part. We should be providing you with the chance to get food and drinks brought to you in a timely manner and be what you wanted. However, we are not slaves or servants. Ask us, do not tell us, and you will find you get faster & happier service. After all we are people too.
As for what percent you tip...well all I can say is the "norm" these days is 15% at least. Our fabulous government taxes us on 10% of our sales, thus if you decide we were not up to your standards and leave less than that 10% we are actually losing money on your table.
I will say I find most people to be fair in their tipping. I have only a couple of times in my 20+ years within the industry not gotten a tip at all (being stiffed as we call it) and rarely get 10% there are times though.
There are those who say get a "real" job. I honestly can not tell you how much that bothers me. Being a server is a real job. It has both good and bad sides to it. Great flexibility, people and money. The people and money can be negatives at times too.
I left serving for a while, did back of the house and management duties only to find I worked harder for less money. I got more respect from people in saying I was a floor manager, but got more stress, hours and no more money. I will take the negative of being a server as for me the positive completely out ways it.

feast or famine

really it is one or the other.
I have been treading along of late with my 2 part time jobs (20 or so hours per week between them) that still didn't pay me enough to be able to go off of my supplemental unemployment of the past 7 months. Now, I got a serving job that is 3 shifts (yippee!) and thus gave notice at my bookkeeping gig. So, now at the moment I have 3 jobs, though it will be down to 2 in about 2 weeks. Having said this I also got a call back from another restaurant I applied to last week looking for a server. If the hours were for the ones I have open I might be interested. It would be like working one full time job, just divided by 3 jobs...haha. The cool thing is that as of 2 weekends from now I will have Sundays as my one full day off from all jobs! Just in time for football...woot woot! yeah, I am that girl.
So, I will keep you updated but for now I am back in the world of waiting tables and smiling for tips : )

twice in one day?

Social networking is good and bad. Sites like Facebook & twitter can keep you updated on the dramas and celebrations of those you know. It can also make you feel like you are back in high school all over again. I logged on this weekend to FB only to find that I couldn't access a couple of friends profiles. One did not show up at all, the other just didn't show up to me. I guess I got dropped! Now, I wonder, did this person decide to not have me as their friend due to events going on that they didn't want me to know about? Or did they just clean their page and thought, we never talk...bye bye. Who knows. The other profile is back today, so maybe FB was being crazy or perhaps the person did some adjusting of their page. Not quite sure. All I do know is that this site is currently the only contact I have with some people and that is a bit sad to me. While I applaud the being able to get in contact with people from hs, old coworkers and family that lives all over the world I wish that some of those I am closer to would make more effort to pick up the phone rather than sending me a flower, drink or tacky 80's gift on FB. Maybe I want too much from people. I also prefer to talk on the phone rather than text. I think texting should be for small things like I'll be there in 20 or do you need something from the store? Not hearing about the death of someone you know. (oh yeah got news this way in the past year)
Maybe I am not embracing the digital age as well as others, but I think we are losing a bit of the personal touch with all of this technology. I miss hour long phone talks with my friends and emails that contained more than jokes. Don't even get me started on the seemingly lost concept of letter writing.

been a while

I have had many a thought to write about on here, but a severe lack of time or desire to actually write them. It has been a long couple of weeks of fighting a lovely summer cold, helping friends to celebrate the anniversaries of their birth and working in order to be able to keep the roof over my head for another month.
The weather turned in the last couple of days also from glorious warm weather to grey gloomy fog which drags my mood further south. I like most people on this earth intensely dislike being sick. I love that I can sit at home in my sweats today and wallow in my not feeling 100%
I woke up this am with my eyes quite red and puffy due to the smoke in the air & allergies, not the best look for anyone. I feel better than I have for the last couple of days, but in my typical pattern I am sounding & looking even worse!
On the positive side of things I got a unexpected windfall from my neighbor for keeping an eye out on their house and cat this past month. Then on top of that I found $20 while walking to the post office. I just might treat myself to sushi today or tomorrow to celebrate, as I was good and paid 2 bills first so I feel like a little splurge is allowed.
For now I am off to watch season 2 of Pushing Daisies and relax.