5/23/10

yaletown earls


Hey! So I got a job. Yeah... a real job. One where you show up at a certain time and leave 6 hours later and then you do the same thing for the next 4 days and then you get a thing called a pay cheque and it actually pays your bills. Not one of those pretend jobs where you get to sleep in a bunk bed, dress up, play games, and act silly all day, and eat your [really awesome] meals with 500 other people; and not one of those pretend jobs where you forget you're even working because your manager decided that he doesn't like white people and only gives you one shift a week.
I work as a server at Earls. Last week consisted of really intense training with 7 other people. This training was like... classroom learning and role-playing practice. On the first day, we had to actually know every food on the menu like the back of our hand. The rest of the week we spent actually tasting the food [cue mouth watering] and drinks and learned how to speak to the customers guests, make their experience memorable, and maximize profits as well as learned how to use the micros system.
It's a really great job. I went into it with preconceived idea about the people I would be working with (if you live on west coast, the term "earls girl" is something you're probably familiar with and for those of you who aren't... it is not a good thing).
I learned throughout the week that Earls actually really cares about the quality of the food and the quality of the guests experience. I could begin to tell you how but I guess I'll just sum it up by saying it does exceed my expectation and I'm happy to be working for a company like Earls. It's got a lot of fascinating history and ways of outshining other restaurants like it.
Training was hard and I realized how much of a baby I am! I haven't felt like such a small town naive girl clearly lacking street experience until this training week when I realized I didn't know the difference between a "well" and "premium" liquor. It blew me away though, how much my co-workers and trainer cared for me through it, encouraged me, and became my friend. It's weird to say but the people I went through training with have probably become the closest friends I have out here and I feel like I am where I'm meant to be.
Basically to sum up this scrammbled jumbled blog entry is to say that I went into this job looking for a pay check. I came out of it with a handful of friends and a heartful of love. I'm looking forward to all the experiences that will come with this job - knowing full well there will be both good and bad - and, I can truly say that as far as I know, for Yaletown Earls, the rumors are not entirely true. There are a lot of good people in the business.
INCLUDING ME!
<3>
Boycot "Earls-girl" and enjoy your Fresh, never frozen salmon cooked on a cedar plank!

5/16/10

the past 4 years

I wish I had done differently:

- I bought t-shirts too small
- I moved out before I was ready
- I made down payments for TWO trips I didn't end up going on
- I didn't perform (sing) enough
- I had too many crushes
- I didn't go on enough coffee dates
- I didn't show enough love to some people who deserved it
- I put too much pressure on myself
- I spent too much time on facebook
- I didn't spend any time in the snow... devastating
- I didn't try hard enough to find a job summer '09
- I became complacent, lazy, stopped running up the never-ending downward escalator, and only realized when it was already too late.

Things I'm glad I did
- I worked on my fitness
- I bought a MacBook
- I bought an external hard-drive
- I cut back on tanning
- I found myself a keeper
- I cried a lot
- I went to mom with life's problems
- I didn't take school too seriously
- I discovered avocados
- I found my soul mates
- I traveled to California for a summer
- I saw New Zealand
- I saw Vegas
- I traveled east coast USA
- I was a camp counselor... twice
- I got a job at a fast food joint
- I discovered my love for journaling, fashion, and blogs
- And my dislike for indoor Christmas lights, morning exercise and evening school-work
- I rediscovered the undeniable need for God in my life.

5/9/10

blog-Mode

Same blog. New era. I really didn't even want to try and write an opening entry to my life in B.C.. Firstly because I am still definitely in denial.

Second because I'm not just one emotion... I'm like a million... at least. So how do I write this blog? I guess I'll make it short and sweet and say, this feels so right.

I have no idea what the summer holds, in fact, the day I got here I found out I am not even going to Calgary (which, by the way, has been the plan for about 3 months now). I actually breathed a long sigh of relief when Riley told me his parents aren't even moving there until July. Since I'm already paying rent for July and August here in B.C., why no throw June in there, get a job, and make a summer out of it?

Oh, one thing I do not get is how all of Riley's friends say "mode" after everything. "Beer-Mode!" ... "Race-mode" etc. Not sure if I'll join the mode club but I guess I'll end my blog with a try:

I'm in Vancouver Modeeeeee.