Happy New Year!!!

Wow, it's been quite awhile since I've even attempted to write anything in this blog. Let's see if this time around goes any better.

Being that it's January 1st, New Year's Resolutions are going to be my focus. In this post, I will discuss what resolutions I've made. In subsequent posts, I hope to discuss any progress I've made with them. I won't have the resolution updates more than once a week, but I may post about other things in between.

Now for the resolutions.....

1. My first resolution is to update this blog at least once a week. I figure I should put that in writing. It's an easy resolution to keep track of and potentially easier to do than updating everyday.
2. Getting a new job. This has actually been my goal for awhile but hopefully by Dec. 31, 2011, I will in fact have a new job. I don't just want another fast food or retail job though. Every week, I will try to post about the job hunting progress I have made so far.
3. Cleaning my room and keeping it clean. Bwahahahahaha. This should be interesting. I hope to at least be able to see 85% of my floor at all times. Hopefully with this in writing, I will have the motivation to keep cleaning and maintaining the cleanliness. First step, unpacking from Christmas.
   
4. Lose some weight. I am putting this here without an actual number because I know how hard it is. I mostly want to lose some weight and keep it off. I am not going to post how much I weigh here but I am keeping track of it.
5. Related to the previous resolution, I want to go to the gym at least twice a week. Especially in the last two months, I have been really bad about going to the gym. Ideally I want to go to the gym up to three times a week but some weeks that doesn't work out.
6. Go through my clothes and books, and donate the ones I no longer need. I started going through my clothes in July and, not only did I not finish that part of it, they are still sitting where I left them. I just started going through my books before Christmas. I just have to donate those now.
7. Swear less. Even two years ago, this would not have been an issue. I just need to be aware of the language and words that I use.
8. Practice dance everyday. Oy. Considering I only tend to practice when I have a show to prepare for, this should be interesting. But I think get back to the basics should really help me improve.

I think that's a good start. Some of them may take more work than other but I think I can do it. I probably should have one there about watching less TV or being on the internet less but that might be a result of some of the other resolutions. Hopefully.

Fingers crossed. Here's to a great 2011!!!

Earlier than usual....

Last night, in what I am presuming was a fit of insanity, I agreed to work from 8am -4pm even though I had worked until 4:30 am when I was there to clean Monday night. I was worried I wouldn't wake up on time but luckily I woke up and was there earlier than I had been anywhere in months. It was interesting doing an 8 to 4 shift because it's very busy with both the breakfast and lunch rushes. I was also working with people I don't normally work with. It was definitely a nice change of pace. I also liked being home at 4 pm and having the rest of the night to myself. So today's favourite thing was working the day shift for a change.

It's all about convenience right now....

Today, I went to a BodyPump class at noon at the gym that's most convenient for me to get to. They had just added this class when this current schedule for group exercise classes came into effect so I didn't really have the option before. Previously, the most convenient gym to me didn't have any BodyPump classes on Fridays so that was rather annoying. I would have to go to various other gyms if I wanted to work out on Fridays which while doable was rather annoying; particularly since I started having a dance class on Friday nights as well so it would be BodyPump at 5;15, dance from 7-9 and then I would have to be at work at 10. I still have those last to things but at least I had time beforehand to....eat.

Finally....

When we clean dishes at work, we have a sprayer that pulls down to spray the dishes off. For the past few weeks, it has been leaking; so when you pull the sprayer down to spray off the dish, you are actually dripped on from the top as well with, usually, scalding hot water. When I got into work tonight, I found that the sprayer had been fixed which made doing dishes not quite the ordeal it had been previously. So today's favourite thing is things getting fixed so you are no longer sprayed with scalding water.

And the pieces fall into place....

For the past four days, I have been participating in a workshop series that's supposed to help me figure out what I want to do with my life. It mostly consisted of working on a book that examines different parts of your life to determine what you like to do, how you want your life to go and what skills you have demonstrated. I also took a personality test to help me determine which careers I am most suited for. I found it really helpful and I have kind of figured out why my Speech Pathology plan didn't work out so well for me. I have a clearer plan for the direction I want to go in with my life and I just have to pick the direction to work towards it. I am no longer wandering aimlessly so it's a good feeling. So today's favourite thing is knowing which direction to take with your life.

"Come to the dark side. We have cookies!!"

I did something not at all smart before leaving for work today. I started listening to the musical commentary on the Dr. Horrible DVD and ended up with two songs from it in my head. They lasted the entire night at work. When I got to work, one of my coworkers talked to my about the Sookie Stackhouse books I told her about and how her sister is getting them. Later on, I mentioned to different coworker that I had a song from a commentary in my head (which is admittedly rather odd) and I ended up explaining the entire Dr. Horrible phenomenon. He seemed rather interested in it once I mentioned Joss Whedon. So over the course of one shift, I may have gotten two different people into stuff that I like. Not bad for a night's work. So today's favourite thing is getting people (other than my sister- she's too easy!) interested in stuff I like.

Happy Canada Day!!!

I had a pretty relaxing Canada Day, this year. Last year, I was in Boston for Canada Day and Ottawa for the fourth of July so I really didn't celebrate either. The year before, I was in Ottawa for Canada Day and my sister had a get together. Then I went back to Boston and saw the fireworks for the fourth of July, so I celebrated both that year.
I didn't go downtown for any of the festivities this year. I had planned to go down for noon but I was pretty tired so we didn't end up going. We ended up going to see a movie instead which I enjoyed. My sister and I then played a couple games of cribbage which I hadn't played in a long time. She won both times which wasn't quite as enjoyable. Both games were pretty close so it wasn't too bad. Other than that, I really didn't do much other than...oh yeah, work! I had the overnight shift last night. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. It was pretty steadily busy but it was no worse than a typical weekend overnight. Somehow, it seemed like there were less drunk people than usual, which seems odd. But anyway, today's favourite thing is having a better night than expected.

What did they say about whistling while you work.

As I may have mentioned before, I tend to work overnight shifts on the weekend. I really don't mind them, mostly because depending on your coworkers, the manager and the customers, they tend to be generally more laid back than regular shifts. People visit, I sing along to the radio and I just feel less uptight (usually) than during some really crazy day shifts. Occasionally, you get annoying drunk people but they're usually pretty good. It helps when I get along with the otehr peolpe I work the shift with because when I don't, it makes for a long night. So today's favourite thing is the overnight shift. Another bonus is getting an extra dollar an hour and more of an employee discount.

I knew that..

I had an interesting day at work. Not so much in terms of customers, but more to do with my hours. I got a call last night asking if I could work today from 2-10. I didn't mind doing that and got to work at a few minutes to two. Then I found out that I wasn't actually supposed to work today. That was rather annoying because I wasn't about to go home and come back for three, but I managed to occupy myself for an hour. So the end of the shift finally came and I was ready to go home, when one of the managers put me on somewhere else because she thought I was on until 11. I was pretty sure I was off at ten, I was ready to be off at 10 but I figured that they knew what they were talking about because they had the schedule. It sucks having to stay later when you get your mind set on leaving at a certain time, especially when you only find out when you thought you were able to go home. I got the manager to check the schedule again and lo and behold, I was right. I was off at 10. So I was able to leave and it was only fifteen minutes later and not one hour. So today's favourite thing is being right (especially when it means you get to go home earlier).

Back to work...

At work, as I have mentioned previously, they are doing all sorts of renovations. This means that they are massively cutting the hours that people are getting. For the past couple of weeks the onkly hours I have been getting are weekend overnight shifts, so not a lot. Yester day Iwas able to pick up a shift, which was nice because it wasn't overnight and it was a bit of a shorter shift. For some reason, it just seemed less stressful. I was also luck that I was able to pick up that shift yesterday because the restaurant will be closed completely from Tuesday to Thursday, so unless I get hours at a different location, I don't have the option of picking up shifts on those days.So today's favourite thing is being able to pick up shifts.

"This is the smallest amount of power to go to someone's head."

At work, they are doing some major renovations. It's crazy. So while they renovate, not only to I get practically zero hours, we also only have Drive-Thru open (which pretty much explains why I get zero hours). I don't know if they allow this during the day, but on my overnight shift, customers were allowed to walk through. Not quite so enjoyable, in fact it made my time as the person to hand out the orders h-e-double hockey sticks. Because not only were orders being inserted into random places in the queue, people seemed to less inhibited or something when there was just a window as opposed to a counter or a car. Now, normally, they would be the people to come into the store to order, so I would have to put up with them or get the security guards to do their thing. With the walk through, I could just close the window and lock it. It was pretty awesome. Especially for one guy (*shudder*). So todays favourite thing is being able to to just close and lock the window when people were being inappropriate or rude.

Got there just in time.....

Tonight when I got to work (20 or so minutes early), one of the cashiers had just taken an order for literally a busload of people (they were a team). I started to work five minutes later, so I actually didn't have to serve them. Their order turned out to be nearly $200. I am so glad I got there when I did (and not any sooner) because I liked having as little to do with the order as I did (I just made the fries). So today's favourite thing is arriving in the nick of time to miss hellish orders.

Sorry we're out...

In a previous job, we always ran out of various items and telling the customers we were out of that thing got old fast. the new job hasn't been too bad but we do occasionally run out of various essentials. Like meat. Or various types of pop. Last night, when I got to work, we were out of a bunch of things or so close to being out that it was only a matter of time. Today, when I got to work, we had received the order for the week so we actually had every thing. It was great. So today's favourite thing is working right after after a supply shipment comes. I say right after because who knows how long the supplies will last.

I'd love to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was a bit of a slow day at work. Because of that, they kept sending people home early. I was hoping to be one of the lucky few and I was in fact lucky. When they asked me if I wanted to go home at 6 instead of 7, I replied quite enthusiastically that I would love to and then basically skipped (skipped!!!) through the last 10 minutes (it would have been fifteen but they let me go at 5 to 6, so bonus yay!). So today's favourite thing is going home early. Now I just have to be able to wake up at 4:30 am so I can get to work for 6. Fun fun fun..........(blech!)

Gimme a break!

Today, I had to work. It wasn't too bad but it was pretty busy. I only got one of the two breaks I was supposed to get and that was when I was there for nearly 5 hours. But seeing as how we aren't actually payed for breaks, I am not actually heartbroken if I don't get both of them. I have had jobs in the past where sometimes I got breaks and sometimes I didn't. I worked alone there for the most part so I really only got breaks if someone else was on with me, in which case, I kinda took my time with my break unless it got really busy. In the job that I had between that job and the job I had now, it was a completely different story: I got breaks every 40 minutes to an hour and they were not optional. I quite enjoyed that part of it but the breaks weren't super long so you had to budget your time wisely. What was nice was that there were a number of different people having the same break you were so if you went back to the floor the same time they did, odds were you didn't have to worry about being late.
So even though I didn't get my second break today, my favourite thing today is getting a break at all.

It pays the bills...

I can't really, honestly with 100% sincerity say that I love my new job. I enjoy the fact that I am now doing more than taking up space in my sister's house (actually, I was doing more than that - -I ate her food and drove her car and made a mess, etc,etc), but at the end of the day, it's not like I really accomplish anything other than making my feet hurt so much I can barely stand.
I am making progress with learning the job and I think I am getting quite good at it. I still have some things to learn but I know I am improving. But what is keeping me going is the fact that I am actually making money, not just spending it. Today was the first payday and while it wasn't a ginormous amount of money (and realistically, it wouldn't be) it still helped relieve the stress of my previously very broke life. Seriously, I had like $6 in the bank. Now I just hope that I remember to buy some sort of support to put in my shoes so that my shoes don't end up completely mangling and permanently damaging my feet, because oy! They hurt so much, for hours and hours after I get home.

Short but sweet.

Tonight, I worked until 11ish, so the buses weren't running as frequently. I really didn't have to wait long for the first bus to come-maybe a couple of minutes. What was really nice thought, was thatI didn't have to wait for the second bus at all. It came right away. That makes a long night seem less long because you aren't standing around waiting for your bus. So today's favourite thing is when you don't have to wait long for public transportation.

Yaawwwwnnnn!

As I have previously mentioned, I actually (finally) got a job. My first two shifts were yesterday and today starting at 8am. This meant that I had to be up not long after 6am. That was, sadly, 6 hours earlier than I had been waking up for the last little while. Because my sleeping pattern wasn't suitable for waking up that early, I have been really tired the past few days. Both last night and tonight I have been dozing in front of the TV. Tonight, I was watching my normal reruns of shows on this one channel called Omni. It has Family Guy, Friends, Two and a Half Men and the Simpsons in a block from 6 - 8. I was able to keep away for Friends and Two and a Half Men but couldn't keep awake during the Simpsons. I was awake enough to know what episode it was but other than that it slipped right past me. My dozing didn't last long though because at 8 the Italian news came on and for some reason I am able to filter out English while foreign languages wake me up. That little bit of a nap got me through "Dollhouse" but left me tired enough that I may actually be able to get to sleep at a decent hour tonight (as in before midnight). So today's favourite things are booster naps that get you through what you need to get through but leave you tired enough that you can actually sleep at the appropriate time.

Do you want fries with that?

As I briefly mentioned in a post a while ago, I got a McJob. So yay! Money! I haven't actually started yet but my orientation was today so I can pretty much start right away. While working at a fast food place was never my intention, at this point I will pretty much take whatever I can get, and whatever I can get is fast food at this moment in time. I plan to continue to look for work in different areas but this job means that I am not quite as terribly broke as I was getting to be. I am hoping that works out well for me. I have never worked in a fast food place before so this will be something new for me. I also enjoy that I will be paid for the three hour orientation I was at tonight so I having money coming in soon even if that is the only thing I am paid for on that pay cheque. So today's favourite thing is actually having money coming in.

Wow....um, just wow!

So, for the last few weeks now, I've been watching the new Joss Whedon show, Dollhouse. While it hasn't been spectacular, it also hasn't been absolutely awful. I just wasn't exactly into the show without reservations. After tonight's episode, I am definitely much more intrigued by the show and interested in seeing what happens next. It had a rather shocking development, which I won't reveal here because shocking developments aren't quite the same without the shock. Tonight's episode definitely gave me much more excitement for the show and where it's going. While I still have some minor problems with the premise, I am more interested in sticking with it than I was previously. So today's favourite things are gasp-worthy moments on TV (or movies or books).

In other news, today I found out I was hired for a McJob so that's good. Yay, potential money!