Long Overdue Post with New Life Adventures

Last Tuesday I spent a great day at in Sioux City spending most of my day on the campus of Morningside College, where I earned my Bachelor's Degree. I walked around campus, popping in many many offices. I got to know many faculty and staff while I was studying and growing there, building many friendships; I had a lot of people I wanted to stop in and chat with for a bit. Found everyone I was looking for, too, except perhaps one. I had a great day of thinking about maybe where I see myself 5 years from now, reflecting on my experience this past year, hearing about new things going on in the area, and genuinely enjoying sitting in the same room with these awesome people sharing some smiles, laughs, and information.

Toward the end of the week a new opportunity came up for me in Omaha. I am so thankful for my Omaha family, the Eagens, helping me out these past few months and allowing me to live with them in the mean time. I am glad I was able to move up to Omaha, and I enjoyed picking up my job at the Egg and I, where I work with some great people and enjoy my work. Yet, for a few weeks I was starting to feel like it was about time. September was a bit of a deadline in my head I had for having something else figured out. Whether that meant having more work to do, being more self-sufficient, or I don't know... just something different. I kept thinking on Tuesday how I was itching for a little change it seemed, but I wasn't quite sure why. Guess my instincts were telling me something was coming. Perhaps an opportunity to do something different.

Through the Egg and I, I have begun getting to know this fine lady Mary. Mary has been living in Omaha for about 4 years now, and she eats breakfast at our restaurant almost every day of the week. She brings in her newspaper, flips through it, reads some articles, brings a smile, enjoys her meal, and is always chatting us up.

Well, Saturday morning she offered for me to come and live with her. She really wants someone around the house to help her out and simply just have someone else around. She is 72 years old, energetic, but has been trying to convince some of the other girls to move in with her for quite some time. When my manager heard this, she said this would be so great for Mary if I was willing to do it. I found myself thinking about it all day at work on Saturday. I called Mary up after I was off work and paid her a visit. Her house is just 3 or 4 blocks from the Egg and I. She gave me a tour of the house, and we discussed some things I could help out with if I were to move in. Pretty much had my decision made before I even called my mom. This felt like the right thing to do. A great way for me to help someone out.

Saturday night I went out to dinner with some of my great friends after a movie. Nice to see some of them, as I hadn't in what seemed like several weeks. We also played a board game, which kept me up later than I normally would like with work the next morning, but it was worth it to spend some more time with my friends while they were in town.

My mom came up Sunday afternoon to meet me at the Eagens, help me move my stuff to Mary's house, and meet Mary. My mom loved her and was excited for our adventure together. She made us take a picture together so my dad and brother could see my new roommate. Mary is not quite this short, she is just quite the character. :-)

I have my own bedroom down in the basement, where I have added a few of my personal touches.

I rode home with my mom to Newman Grove Sunday night after we hung out in Omaha for a little while. I spent the night there and was able to bring a vehicle back with me to Omaha. I had been borrowing the Eagens' extra vehicle these past few months for heading to work and a few other trips.

It was great to spend a little time at home in this quick transition. Came back to Omaha late Monday afternoon. On my way, I received a message from my manager that my friend Becca (manager Jodi's daughter) had her baby boy that afternoon. Asa Dale Davidson. She told me I should show Mary the photo on Facebook. I pulled into the driveway, walked in, and asked Mary if she had seen the photo yet. "No," she said," but as soon as you drop your stuff off we are going to go visit." Off to the hospital we went. Cute little guy. Becca also looked really happy. We both had a chance to hold Asa, and then we went back home for the night to share a few slices of Mary's homemade peach pie. Really good homemade peach pie, by the way. Fun little first night with my new roommate.

So, I decided I wanted to start wearing my National Park of American Samoa pin I was gifted by my ranger friends at the end of the school year. Sits quite well above the logo on my Egg and I polo. Might as well, and it helps remind me of some of my other passions in life. Two big things - sharing a love and appreciation for nature and helping others in many different ways.

Almost every single one of my coworkers asked me what my cool pin was for. Mary also noticed it when she came in for breakfast, commenting how nice of a pin it was. :-)

I had the opportunity to wait on a group of 11 ladies, who were discussing a feminist book together. Apparently this group comes in once a month, varying in size each month. Rumor had it many of our severs never really enjoyed waiting on these ladies, so of course I volunteered to take it. It went really well. No order mess-ups, they were friendly to me, I shared my smiles, a few fun comments, and the Jessica Boschen service and hospitality. They tipped me pretty well, which the supervisor noticed that day. The lady in charge of the group told me before she left that I really did a great job, thanked me, and said she was going to request me for next month. Haha cool. Doing well with this table made up for a slow day, so my tips balanced out.

Mary and I worked in the basement for a while after I came home from work on Tuesday. She has a row of weaving looms and spinning wheels that have been moved around. We are reorganizing and cleaning up a bit down there. I also have a little living room with a couch, chairs, and a TV, once we clear out some of the yarn and such.

Had the 6am shift at work Wednesday morning, and I have been walking to and from work now that I am living with Mary. It only takes me 7 minutes one-way. I love that! Nice and convenient for now. Another slow day at the restaurant. I had a decent amount of customers between 6am and 7am, but then it died down. Mary came in, and I sat with her for a while on my little break. I noticed a different ring on her finger that morning. Right away my brain remembered that Mary had commented on my rings a few days ago - my Black Hills gold rings. I took a double-take at her ring, and I realized we are wearing the exact same one. How cool is that? Perhaps we really were meant to be. Destined roommates. :-)

Mary explained her ring was gifted from her husband when they had visited the Black Hills. I explained how this was my mom's promise ring from my dad that I have recently begun wearing after my return from American Samoa. I also talked about my other Black Hills gold ring I wear on my other hand that was a gift from my parents when our family revisited the Black Hills when my brother and I were in high school.

I had to take a picture of our matching rings. I wear this one on my left middle finger.

I ended up being let go at 10am. Mary was just on her way out, and she took me with her. We ventured out to a Farm Market up near Cherry Hills Plaza. Mary said this was the best one she has found in town. Fun little stop, where we found some great fruits and veggies.

I cleaened up the kitchen counter that afternoon. One of my big projects for the day. Then, I was trying to help Mary with some computer stuff. We were struggling to get her Android phone to sync with her MacBook. I finally gave up after trying many things, and we made a trip to the Apple store. Took that guy quite a while too, and I was just one extra step away from finishing the problem.

Mary is energetic, friendly, loves being with people, loves chatting, is an eccentric driver, tells many stories, and loves to throw in jokes. We are getting along really well so far. I get to help her out, she helps me out, and we get to have some adventures together. Pretty nice deal. Mary even told me when we were driving back from the farm market how she is so happy that I have moved in with her. Here's to a new life adventure. Living with Mary, helping her out, continuing to work at The Egg and I in the meantime, and seeing what else life has in store for me.

I almost forgot to mention the recipe that Mary found in the morning newspaper and showed me right away; we decide we would try it out. She had an eggplant in her fridge the first night I moved in, and she said it's not very often she finds someone that likes eggplant as much as her. We were very excited about our little meal for the night - eggplant and mozzarella melt. Boy did it turn out good! A beautiful little entree with some farm fresh watermelon for dessert. We had a lot of fun cooking it up. Often you will hear people say it is so much easier to cook for two people than it is for only one. I suppose that is pretty true. Another adventure with Mary for the week.

Hope everyone has a great rest of the week! I hope to not fall so far behind on my blog again for a while. Just had a lot going on these past few days, and then I am beat when I finally make it to my bedroom for the night. Understandable, right? ;-) Toodles!

Little Vacation in the Ozarks

Headed south to Eureka Springs, Arkansas with Sarah and Cassie Thursday afternoon. New territory for Cassie and me, but a place Sarah has been going for years with her family. Some great family friends of the Eagens actually purchased some land down there after many a camping trips and retired in a home they built down there 10 years ago. After seeing it for myself, I definitely can't blame them for choosing the area.

It is almost 11pm on Sunday evening as I sit here now typing, so my post may not be very lengthy. I'll try to give a quick summary of our little vacation in the Ozarks - yep the mountains.

We drove the straight 7 hours to Rick and Darlene's house in the Eureka Springs area after I got off work on Thursday. I read my book during most of the daylight on the way down. We were looping around and through some mountains the last little stretch. I had met Rick and Darlene once before, and I have heard lots about this lake they live on. I was looking forward to seeing a new area, exploring a bit, and relaxing.

Sarah knows I like to run these days, so as we were pulling in she pointed out a trail I might want to go on in the morning if I woke up and decided to go on a run. That I did. First thing Friday morning, I laced up my running shoes, headed up the driveway, down to the main road, across the one-lane bridge, and down the town of Beaver walking trail along the lake. Beautiful 2-mile loop. This was the first time I used the MapMyRun application on my phone, so it GPS tracked my route as I ran it and timed me. You can see the little map of my run in the following collage.

I even stopped halfway and sat and enjoyed the beautiful scenery for a while. I still can't get over some of the awesome nature that our world has to offer.

We had pancakes for breakfast Friday morning, loaded up our stuff, headed to the marina, hopped in Rick's boat, and onto the lake we went. First thing they asked if anyone was interested in jumping from the famous spot today. "Uh, yes please. I'll do it." That's the first place Rick drove us, too. I hopped out of the boat, climbed up the side, came out the cave, and away I went. Video proof right here. Felt pretty alive.

I actually went off twice. The first time, I sorta forgot til it was too late to put my feet first, and my butt was a bit sore (well more so my hamstring) haha. Jump number two from the 45-foot ledge you see in the video. Nice adrenaline rush to make you feel alive on a late Friday morning. I don't let opportunities like this pass me by anymore. Especially when it is a spot the family knows really well, so I have nothing to fear. Just fun to be had and life to be lived. Sarah has done it numerous times, and I was the only one who did it Friday.

Then we spent some time floating near a bridge. Spent some time sitting on the boat, some floating on some noodles in the lake, and some wishing the clouds would go away. haha

Had lunch at the "Dock 'n Eat" along the lake. Parked the boat, and in we went to the little restaurant. Fun experience. I love little things like that. I enjoyed a kids sized grilled cheese sandwich with some fried mushrooms.

Didn't have as much sun as some were hoping for on Friday, but it was still a good day on the lake. Rick explained how this lake is actually part of a stretch of lakes that spans across 60 miles, including Branson, Missouri. We headed back to their humble abode, and I went on run number two for the day. Loooped a little farther this time, exploring the little campground and heading out past the town of Beaver a bit. Ended up running 3 miles that evening before dinner. Had a few too many snacks on the boat, plus I have simply been enjoying running lately, and I had a beautiful place to run around.

Patties (veggie, salmon, and hamburger were all available), sweet corn, and watermelon was on the menu Friday night. All things we had brought with us from Omaha. Darlene actually did pick up the sweet corn at her local store, as we had forgotten it. Delicious meal though, including a little veggie salad Darlene had made.

Saturday morning all of us girls slept in. Cassie and I woke up about 8:45am, and Sarah about 9:30am. haha I decided Saturday could be my day off of running this time. Felt too comfortable in my cute little bed.

Darlene had told us she had plans to run to the store Saturday morning to pick up some of the giant cinnamon rolls from the bakery. She wasn't kidding when she said giant. Each one was about the size of a dinner plate. She cut them into quarters. They were yummy, too. Also had some grapes and cantaloupe. Some leftover for Sunday breakfast after that.

Back to the marina we went for day number two on the lake. More sun on Saturday, with some clouds from time to time. I did pretty good with my sunscreen over the weekend. Just a little pink in a few spots I must have missed when I re-applied at lunch, but no pain. Tanned a bit, and even the red areas I had have tanned over already. 

We freshened up and headed to a little steakhouse outside of Eagle Rock (another tradition that has become of the Nebraskans heading to Arkansas) for some pizza. Here is a group shot we took before heading to the Office Pub. Was some good pizza. The girl in me is not liking my pink shirt so much at this moment and the photographer in me is not enjoying the upward angle so much for this photo. Oh well, made the best with the table we had and the mini tripod I had available at the time. Don't always have the time to set up the perfect make shift surface. haha Had to post the one group photo we took. Wouldn't be my blog if I didn't.

I'll admit I like my pink shirt a bit better in this photo taken outside the Office Pub. Angles angles angles. haha

Was rather tired, and I put some time into my book before hitting the hay. Woke up Sunday mornin and enjoyed a bit more of the gigantic cinnamon rolls. Then, all the ladies went on a nice walk around the campground and down the trail I had mentioned before. Darlene told some cool stories and historical info along the way. After we crossed back over the bridge heading back to their house, I decided to get a couple miles in running before lunch. I looped back around the campground, ran up the trail, sat on the rocks and enjoyed the lake, trees, and mountains, and meditated and thought for a while. The bottom right corner of this photo represents that, and the top left shows you the rock face I was sitting atop.

Showered up, sat on the deck for a while, and then it was time for the little fish fry. Rick had some bluegill in the freezer he had caught, and Darlene had some onion rings she talked about making. Homemade. Yum yum.

I did eat a few pieces of the fresh bluegill. Not everyday I would have this opportunity anymore, and I make exceptions every now and then. Sure, I'm not really eating much meat these days, but when in Rome :-) The onion rings were quite yummy, as well. Nice last little meal before packing up and heading back North to Nebraska.

Nice little mini vacation weekend in a new area with beautiful area, relaxing atmospheres, lovely sounds of nature, fun with some old friends and new, and new life experiences. Living life. Thank you to my friend Sarah for bringing me along after years of hearing her and Kyle talk so much about it. Also, a big thank you to Rick and Darlene for having us. It was great getting to know them better, see a new area, enjoy the beautiful land, and share some good times together.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and has a good week!

Work to Tired to Speed to Lazy

Saturday was a great day at work! Good busy, lots of friendly faces, and made a decent payout for the day. Nancy's boss and co-worker came back in this last Saturday, and I had the pleasure of serving their table this time. Also, my dad, uncle, and cousin stopped in for breakfast in the morning as they had come to town for man shopping trip. Was nice to see the three of them, even though I was working.

Sunday became very hectic in the kitchen, and hosting was a bit messed up. Not as good as of a day, and I was sure tired when I came home. However, fun part of Sunday someone else I happened to know came into the restaurant - Joe, a former high school science competitor of mine. I remembered him as he did magic on the side at the time. Now he does it full time. Was cool to chat with him a bit, and he was very curious about my experience teaching in American Samoa.

Monday - day 6 in a row working at the Egg and I. Monday's generally aren't too busy from what I had heard, but we sure did catch a late rush Monday. I was able to help out a group of 10 red hat ladies. I remember my days helping serve their little meetings back in Newman Grove at the City Cafe. We close at 2pm, but we didn't leave the building until 2:45 that afternoon as we were busy so late on Monday. My manager was even helping back in the kitchen, so we were in charge out front all day on our own.

Came home with some really tired leg muscles and feet finally on Monday. Did not take the bike out, decided it was time I just rest up. Especially since I had felt some signs of a sinus infection coming along. Did not let myself succumb to a nap though, and ended up falling asleep around 9pm.
I had watched a few Nickelodeon movies over the weekend, as well. Watched "The Rugrats Go Wild", one I remember watching when it first came out on Nickelodeon. I had watched "The Wild Thornberry's Movie" a few weeks ago. Then, I found myself watching "Hey Arnold: The Movie" Sunday evening. I decided to take a break and read for a while before I did pass out at 9pm that night.

Slept really well Monday night and woke up a little after 7am. First thing started up my computer checking some things online. I noticed a post from a professor I know from Morningside who had gone on another good run last night - setting a new personal best pace, and it was giving me some motivation to push myself a bit more on my next run.

I had intentions of finishing "Hey Arnold" before actually crawling out of bed, but I kept thinking I better get up and go on a run now. "I may not muster up any motivation later and it could warm up outside," I told myself. Suited up, and outside I went. "Alright," I told myself, "let's shoot for 8:40 mile pace. You can do it." That means making it back home by 8am. The first mile was feeling really good, and I was under pace. Kept trudging up those hills through mile two, and I could notice I was slowing down. The last hill really kicked my butt, but I kept my head down and pushed on. Pulled back into the driveway after 2.25 jogging around the hilly neighborhood 19 minutes and 15 seconds later, "That a way," I told myself. "You did it." Drank up some water, cooled down a bit, and then plugged in my route and time on MapMyRun. "Boo yaaaaa! 8:30 pace." That means I ran each mile in about 8 minute sand 30 seconds. So much for the 10-minute mile I started with about a month ago. =)

Spent the rest of my Monday being pretty lazy. I mean lazy. Laying on the couch watching movies including " Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life", "Atlantis: The Lost Empire", "Atlantis: Milo's Return", and "Treasure Planet." Not to mention a 1.5 hour nap I took in the middle of the third one. Forgot how run down my body can get. Guess it needed a lazy day. Also got a little reading in for the day.

Last thing I have to mention. I was up in my bed watching "Treasure Planet", decided to head downstairs around 8:45pm for a glass of water. I notice an orange shirt out front. Go look, and I see it is Joe. "What is he doing out there?" Then, I see the little black bundle of fur that is Macy, and I realize she got out and he's trying to catch her. I watch him struggle for about a minute, as she would come sometiems when he said, would sit a bit, but then would bolt off again when he tried to snag her. Then, I decided I better go help. Walked out, and Joe was around the corner. Couldn't see me yet. I started saying "Here, Macy." She started coming toward me, I reached out, she started backing, but I caught her foot. Snatched her up and yelled "I got her!" Joe was relieved. haha Lucky I walked downstairs when I did, leaving my lazy setting for a few minutes.

Hope everyone's week is off to a good start so far. Tuesday and Wednesday are sort of my weekend this week since I worked Saturday and Sunday. That's how the cookie crumbles. Until next time. =)

Spanish, Salsa, and Compliments

Have had two good days at work so far this week. Had Monday and Tuesday off. Wednesday, I had the opportunity to use some of my Spanish skills. An interview was being given to a guy who spoke some English for a cook position. I had mentioned to my manager before how I'm pretty decent with my Spanish. "How good?" Well, it was good enough for this interview. That was fun to help out one of our head cooks, Matt. The last time I remember truly translating for someone was probably May of 2009, when I was helping relay some information to our bus driver in Ecuador.

Went on a bike ride after work, my usual 10-mile trip around the lake and back. Past one family who was just entering from the opposite end of where I start, so of course I passed them again. Some little boys with a lady. As i come by again, I pass the one boy who was struggling more first. I said, "these hills are tough, huh?" "Yeah," he says as he's walking his bike. He did say "have a good day" back with a smile on his face. "Didn't you pass us once already," the lady asks. Yes, ma'am. I loop all the way back around. "Wow, " was all she had to say. haha

Came home, showered up, and then I decided to experiment with a little fresh veggie chunky salsa. Found a little inspiration online based on some ingredients I had laying around. Diced tomato, zucchini, green pepper, banana pepper, cucumber, little lime juice, little lemon juice, and a little brown sugar. Turned out well. Yu! Fresh salsa! Enjoyed some for dinner again on Thursday night, and I saved some for Friday. I made a very small container this first time, as it was an experiment.

Didn't get my buns out of bed for a morning run Thursday. Didn't get the greatest night sleep, but no worries. I've been doing really well, and a day off is good. :-) Plus, I remembered to wear my pedometer to work on Thursday (new pedometer compliments of my birthday present from Karena), and I logged in about 1.3 miles just walking around all day serving tables. That was actually about my guess. Could be more, actually. It was off a bit on my run the other day, so I'm still tweaking it.

Thursday was a slower day than Wednesday at work, and I had a bunch of single party tables and some interesting orders. I did have the pleasure of serving a young couple, who happened to be vegetarians. They told me this was their first time ever at an Egg and I. They were really friendly, and after they left my lead server asked if I saw the note I got. He said he hung it up on the bulletin board in the kitchen. Headed back to find this, compliments of my young vegetarian couple. Nice little compliment that brought a giant smile to my face.

I also helped one other lady that morning who seemed to be in a bit of a rush, and as I handed her the check just before she was going to ask for it, she told me she was very impressed with the service today and thankful for it. She explained how she had waitressed for a time in her life, and on this particular day the great service was very much appreciated. That was also cool to hear.

Oh, and I walked out and noticed two guys in bright yellow button up shirts. Upon paying closer attention I realized they were wearing "Stock Auction Co. / Big Iron" shirts. I recognized the guy on the left, remembering working with him the summer of 2009 when I was employed by Stock Auction Co. I popped over, and he remembered working with me after reminding him of who I was. His name donned on me about 5 minutes after that, Mr. Lonnie Korus. One of those small world occurrences. Told Uncle Ron and Aunt Kristin about it. Was cool to see Lonnie, and he gave me a nice farewell on his way out.

I worked til close, headed to Hy-Vee for some fruit I saw on sale, came home, ate some of my fresh fruit for my late lunch, laid down, and sorta dozed for a bit. Sluggish afternoon. Did a 10-minute ab workout and now I sit. Hope to finish a book I am working on within the next few days, so I can reread "City of Bones" before the movie comes out. On to day 3 of 6 in a row at work in the morning. Have a few days off after that.

Also caught one of my friends from church down in American Samoa on instant messaging today, and I had a good chat with him. Many of them received the cards I had sent in the mail, which was good to hear. I had also had a little e-mail conversation with my good friend Lilian the other day.

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you have a nice weekend. If anyone happens to be in Omaha, come see me at the Egg and I if you want Friday 8-1ish or Saturday or Sunday 8:30-2:30. haha Toodles!

The Weekend Comes

Began writing this post Saturday night, and I had the "Happy Days" theme song running through my head. Fitting, so I have pasted a link below if you'd like to go hear it. Rocking the whole week long :-) You know my life philosophy that every day is an adventure, and every day is a good day.

www.youtube.com/embed/VijD3WjREgw

So, the weekend comes. Friday 5am alarm sounded. Yep, I set my alarm for 5am. I wanted to wake up and get a morning run in before my shift at The Egg and I. By golly, I did it. Just like my days waking up at 5:30 and 6 for some Insanity before a day of teaching. Logged a 2.56 mile run Friday morning, showered, enjoyed some good breakfast, and made it to work before 7am. Shadowing a lead server, and the day was going well.

Found out that my co-worker Becca, who also is the daughter of our manager Jodi, was going to be having her birthday on Saturday. That's one day before mine. All of a sudden Jodi says, "You should have said something. You don't need to work on your birthday." I said it wasn't a big deal, and I really didn't mind. After a while, Jodi comes back and asks if I've been studying my menu any. "Yes, I have." Jodi replies, "Alright I'm going to give you some time to study out of the expo book today, and if you pass your test tomorrow, I will give you some tables on Sunday." Sounds like a deal to me.

This is not the simplest of menu tests, I had heard compared to some other restaurants. No worries, I can do this. She was going to let me try the test two shifts earlier than scheduled. Headed home after some studying and got my bike ride in for the day. Spent a little time that night flipping through my notes (just like in college haha) and a little reading for fun.

Into work for my 8:30am shift. Originally scheduled to follow another server, help take some orders, and ring them in. 10 minutes in, Jodi asks me to run to the bank and grab some change. On it. Come back, and she decides to throw me in the expo window. Serving as the expediter helps transition plates from the cooks to the servers, ensuring everything is correct and ready to go. More or less got to do this solo, with a little help here and there. It was fun, and it was cool to be able to just jump in and take the responsibility. The cooks were fun to work with from this angle, specifically Matt, Angel, and Mark. Fun people.

Lunch time rolls around, and Jodi has me sit down and start my menu test. Feeling good about most if, a little iffy on some ingredient specifics, but I was told you only need an 80% to pass. Not too long after that in comes Becca with this big brown box. Inside, a birthday cake her mom had ordered for Becca's birthday to share with the staff. They kept saying it was for my birthday, too. Ah geez. Turns out Becca and I both really enjoy confetti cake. Can't get much better than that. Fancy confetti cake. Yum yum.

Finished my test, turned it in, and worked on restocking some things back in the kitchen and helping with a few more orders while Becca graded my test. 89%. Boom. High fives. Jodi had actually given me multiple high fives throughout the day for handling the expo. She's a great manager. I like working for her. Then, she lets me head home around 1:15pm. Good shift, and hey at this point I had earned myself regular server status - a few days early. :-)

As I was beginning to walk out, Jodi calls me back again. She asks if I'd like to join them for dinner that night - Becca's birthday dinner. "Sure." Genji Japanese Steakhouse on 144th and Center at 5:30pm it was. Was cool of her to invite me. Showered up, and took a dozy nap. Off to the steakhouse I went. Becca said it was nice to have a friend from work there. She had invited a few others, but most were busy. Their family and me. Something I came to enjoy in Samoa was how welcoming people were and you were treated more or less like family. That's what it felt like Saturday night. Some great people from my new Egg and I family brought me along, and I fell right into it. It was fun to hear some stories of travel from Jodi (from Air Force days) and her dad, including talks of Mexico and Thailand. They liked hearing some stories from Samoa, as well.

Our waitress conducted the Banzai, by bringing out a pineapple that was cut into the shape of a Japanese ship, ringing the gong, and singing Happy Birthday to the two of us. Becca says, "You are doing this with me," when our waitress handed over the umbrella for the song and a photo. Haha

Fun times. Glad I went. A great cap to a great day. Rocked the expo position to the best of my ability, passed my menu test, and enjoyed a little Banzai fun with some members of The Egg and I family. I am fortunate to have this awesome manager, and a great lead server like Becca who taught me the tricks of the menu. Becca is due to give birth to a son anytime between now and the end of August.

Up and ready for work and there by 8:15am. Put a little gift box sticker on my polo, loaded up my ticket book and pens in my apron, and stuck my sei behind my ear. I also had a little fun with my breakfast for the morning. Wasn't going to eat again until after 3pm, so might as well make it fun. Maybe a week working at breakfast and lunch restaurant threw a little influence on me. That is where I got the idea to lay some apple slices in my pancake. Then, I proceeded to decorate a face on it. Yum yum.

Work went well. I was on the floor and had 3 main tables I was in charge of, but we help out all around. Non-stop going somewhere, doing something, on my feet for 6.75 hours. Wooo doggie. I didn't even have a chance to think about being tired until I made it home. Made some decent tips, and I had a good day. Had some computer problems at the beginning as I was still ringing in as trainer, so had to finagle around that the rest of the day. Still, I feel really good about it.

Oh.... and.... I was just in the back taking care of some things as we began to slow down, and one of the girls comes back and says some of your friends are up at table 1 and have asked for you. "Who on Earth is here?" I wonder. Walk out there to find my good friend Karena and some of the guys - Andy, Tyler, and Josh. What a fun surprise. Someone I actually know at work. I told them I didn't even know what time it was as I didn't have a chance to even look at the clock (which is a good thing). Andy told me it was a little after 1, which would explain why business had slowed down. haha Wow. So, I got to serve them some brunch, my last table of the day. :-)

Finished up closing, and clocked out at 3pm. Showered when I made it home, relaxed a bit, and was then joined by some friends for a little dinner outing. We started at Red Lounge, where we simply shared a few sushi appetizers.

Then, we decided to head over to Buffalo Wild Wings for the main course. We spent many a Thursdsay nights at B'dubs in Sioux City while we were all Morningsiders. I tried the fried pickles with a side of buffalo chips.

We came back to the house and played a few games of Clue. Yes, five girls in their 20s played a couple games of Clue together. :-) Karena won the first game and Cassie the second.

Finally, a few birthday gifts did make their presence during the day. My mom had actually sent up a gift bag with her plant manager, who happens to live 3 minutes from me. His wife dropped the package off a few days ago, but I saved opening it until after work on Sunday. She sent me a stack of books. I had told her about this author I was getting into and had found a few of her books at a thrift store. Now I have five more to read! Woo. That hits one of my hobbies - reading :-) Cassie made a funfetti cake, which we all enjoyed a piece of after Clue despite still feeling a little full from dinner.  Cassie and Sarah found this photo hanging decor piece. I have looked into similar things before, but this one has a different vibe to it with the photos hanging on different level. That hits another one of my hobbies - photography. Finally, Karena says to me, "you are really hard to buy for." Haha, that just means you shouldn't get me anything," I replied. I open up this little exercise bag to find a whole running kit. What a cool idea. She said it is one of your interests these days. Hobby #3 - fitness. Very thoughtful. All things I can use, too. Also received a handful of birthday texts, a phone call from my brother, and numerous posts on my Facebook wall. Thanks again, everyone!

Monday morning came again. After a little breakfast and working on a few things, I laced up my shoes and decided it was time for my morning run. I've generally been logging about 2.25 miles on my morning runs, with one exception of 2.6. This morning, the run was feeling so great I pushed onto 3 miles. :-)

Took a little break after that and decided I should get my bike ride in before any of the chances of rain may hit. It looked like some may be hitting, and the forecasts were saying chance later in the afternoon. Strapped on my helmet, and off I went. A little over halfway through, and here comes some rain. Hahaha Found myself thinking about Samoa. No turning around and kept pedaling on. Wasn't too bad. Also brought a refreshing smile to my face. Circled back around the lake, crossed over 144th,  coming around the corner, and then here comes some more. Ooo more of a downpour this time as I'm coasting down the last downhill before making it home. Only 2 or 3 minutes away, and it's down-pouring. I just started smiling and laughing. Samoa, do you miss me?

Food, Business, and Exercise Miles

Food

Seeing as how I am going to be a server at a restaurant for now, I am studying up the menu so I know what questions to ask, have a general idea of what is on everything, and I have a little test on Wednesday of next week (my last day of "training") at The Egg and I. 

It is one large menu. Working at The Egg and I so far feels a lot like working at the City Cafe back in Newman Grove, just on a bigger scale. Bigger menu, bigger restaurant size, and more staff. Friendly small feel, though, which I enjoy. I'm also pretty easy to train, since I've served before, and I learn quickly most of the time. 

Food is also on the brain as you all know I have goals to maintain my healthy form. Coming back to Nebraska early June, I was in the best shape of my life. I'm working on keeping it that way. Healthy living is just part of my lifestyle, including the food choices I make and exercising. Jessica is still slightly crazy. :-)

More times than not, I choose more healthy options. I love food, I love food that tastes good, I love food that is simple, and I love food that is good for me. I try to keep the other indulgences to small portions from time to time.

A few of my favorite eats from this week. Seeing beautiful Belgian style waffles go through at the restaurant made me want some waffles, and lucky me I found the waffle iron all by myself at the house. One day I whipped up some wheat waffles (not Belgian style) infused with sliced almonds topped with a sliced banana, strawberries, a few full raw almonds, and drizzled with a little honey. The day after that I made wheat waffles infused with granola, topped with the same fruit, and a sprinkling of granola. Yum yum.

All pancakes and waffles at The Egg and I are made from whole wheat batter. Whole wheat tastes the same as white waffles mix, and people don't really know any different. Mindset makes you think it tastes different.

Monday night, I cooked us up a little alfredo pasta (small portion for me). I also cooked up some yellow squash and mushrooms to put on top, boiled some broccoli for a side, and warmed up some leftover bread from the night before. Chef Jessica. :-)

Joe made us some stuffed mushrooms Wednesday night. He sauteed up some veggies including yellow squash, red pepper, spinach, and red onion. Stuffed those in some mushrooms and sprinkled with some mozzarella cheese. They were yummy. An experiment that he just put together, like the cottage cheese stuffed mushrooms I made a few weeks ago.

Thursday morning Sarah made some french toast from some bread we needed to finish. I topped mine a sprinkling of powdered sugar, and ate some sliced banana on the side. Lunch, I enjoyed a watermelon, spinach, and feta cheese salad. Brought home some slices of watermelon from work on Wednesday. Our manager had a bowl and said we should take some home. Mmmmm. I enjoyed a little snack Thursday afternoon of some vanilla frozen yogurt with fruit. One of my favorite things! For supper, Joe whipped up a scrambler of just about everything we had sitting around - some sweet potatoes, white potatoes, spinach leaves, tomatoes, eggplant (a little weird in there), and cheese.

Business

Been going through some interviews this week. Was sort of looking for another potential part-time job I could do late afternoon/early evening in addition to my waitressing at the restaurant. I am also in contact with a few other leads with future job potential. I'm not gonna say too much. I will let you know what I learn as more things happen, but I am learning that there are some really cool things out there! Whether or not I land a full-time job with some of the things I have been looking into right now or not, something I could also keep on my list of things to check back on in the future. I'm always learning more about the world each day. One thing I love about life.

I also decided I could make a cute businesswoman. Also, one who looks good on a small budget. Black blazer - $8 thrift shop purchase from a week ago. Purple-pinkish dress a $10 clearance purchase from Kohl's before Seth and Kathryn's wedding, and black styling close-toed heels I paid less than 20 for, I believe. Bought those a few years ago, and I forgot how much I liked them.

Exercise Miles

For the past two weeks and two days, I have been using this online mile tracker MapMyRun I had heard about. I've been doing so much more cardio exercise outside lately, changing up my routine from all the videos I had been doing for a while. It's been nice to do some exercise outside in nature and enjoy the beautiful weather (as I'm sure you've noticed in some of my mentions of riding the bike).  Anyways, I can map my route after doing it using street names, clock my time, and the program calculates my pace and calories burned. Pretty cool. As of today (16 days after I began logging my bike rides, runs, and evening walks), I have logged 125 miles. Wowza. About 90 on the bicycling, 20 running, and 10 walking.

I have also officially written down my current personal exercise plan. Writing things down keeps me more focussed. Reminds myself to stretch each morning and night, get a run in four days a week, bike five days a week, and at least one good walk. This little calendar marks my minimum goals for now. Not sure how long I will stay on this track before I change gears again, but I'm enjoying it so far. Been good for me. I strategically placed the schedule between my "beach body" photo (haha yep) and my running shoes. I'm a goof, remember :-)

Writing things down also helps me remember. As I study my menu for The Egg and I, I decided to write some things down in a notebook, organizing some reminders. Picking it up more quickly now.

One more thing. I took a little 5-minute break on my bike ride Thursday. I aleays want to stop and just enjoy te lake. I finally did it today. Stopped a little after my halfway point. I enjoyed the five-minute meditaion I gave myself with the nice view, sounds of nature, and mid-day calm. 

Random random. Anyways, hope everyone has a great weekend! I have two training shifts on busy days at work ahead of me and who knows what else fun. Toodles!