Happy Valentime's!

Last year, just before Valentine's Day, Einar and I watched an old 30 Rock episode which featured a character that kept saying, "Happy Valentime's!" thoughout the episode. It was hilarious! So now, we wish each other a happy Valentime's instead of happy Valentine's.

I had to wait tables all weekend, and even though I'd rather not have to spend my weekend nights working, it's actually kind of fun to waitress on Valentine's day. You get mostly couples who are in a good mood, ready for a nice night out. And because it's a special occasion for them, they are usually quite generous with their tips, which is nice when you've given up your night to be at work.

Speaking of tips, I've noticed a difference in tipping amounts over the past year. It used to be that I'd average 18% tips on a typical night, which I was quite happy with. I'd get some people that would tip exactly 15%, the magic don't-tip-less-than-this percentage. But I'd get quite a few customers that would tip 20% or more. In the past year, those groups have flip-flopped. Now, I get quite a few diners that tip exactly (and I mean exactly) 15% and only a few that tip 20% or more. I'm sure it has to do with the economy. Business at the restaurant where I work is definitely down, despite what the owner tells you - not only in volume, but in what people are ordering. It's been kind of interesting to watch.

I'm hoping the economy, especially the job market, turns around soon. From what I keep reading, it has already starting to improve, but then, why is unemployment predicted to stay above 10% for 2010 and still be above 9% in 2011?

Jogging through Snow

I got up this morning to go on my usual Wednesday morning 30-minute run, knowing that it was going to be cold and snowy. And I was right. It seemed like most of the people had cleared their sidewalks last night but hadn't gone out again yet this morning. The snow had stopped falling, but the wind had kicked up overnight, leaving the unshoveled sidewalks with about 6 inches of snow. Bella and I did pretty well, but I kept thinking, "This must be what it's like to run on a sandy beach." Too bad I wasn't someplace warm, sunny, and ocean-side! Someplace like San Diego. Or Hawaii. I only made it 2.6 miles in 30 minutes, which is about 0.4 miles less than I do in half an hour. Oh, well. I still thought that was pretty good, considering the condition of the sidewalks. When I was almost home, a guy ran past Bella and me. He was running in the street. That's probably what I should've done, but I was running on some busy roads. Safety first!

This jog was part of my training for the Lake Monona 20K. My training is going really well so far. My only complaint is that my schedule is so tight with work that it's hard to stay motivated to get up before 6 on during the week. I keep telling myself skipping a training session is not an option. So far, that's working. I really need to get a new pair of running shoes - I'm going to have to start saving so I can get a new pair well in advance of the run. Does anyone know if the Shoe Box has good deals on running shoes? I don't need anything too fancy - I just want the best price possible. And I'm partial to New Balance and Mazuno.

Forgotten Suitcase

Last Thursday, I rushed home from work so Einar and I could make the drive to the U.P. to visit my sister and her family. We had decided to make pb&j sandwiches to take with us for supper to eliminate a stop. I got home, finished putting a few things into the suitcase and went to the kitchen to make our sandwiches. Einar added a couple last minute things to the suitcase and then came and talked with me while I finished up the sammies. And we hit the road.

The drive was going along just fine - clear roads and an awake driver and passenger. After being on the road for 5 (of the 5 and 1/2) hours, Einar said that we didn't have the suitcase. I thought he was joking. No joke!!

I had assumed he had taken the suitcase out to the car and so hadn't asked about it. He had put his stuff in the suitcase and then left it, figuring I wasn't done yet.

Anyway, we ended up going to ShopKo to buy some underwear, socks, and toothbrushes, and Goodwill for a couple shirts. Kind of an adventure. And by Friday morning, it was even funny!

We managed to have a great weekend, even without all of stuff. We got to watch our nephew play basketball Friday night. That was fun, even though they ended up losing. My sister went for a 6.5 mile run with me on Saturday morning, and then we got to see all the amazing snow sculptures that were part of the Michigan Tech Winter Carnival. It's incredible what they are able to do with snow!

$40 per ticket?!?!

$40. That was the price for a ticket to the Isthmus's first Beer and Cheese Fest this past weekend. That amount, even when we were both fully employed, is out of our budget. But we went! That's the beauty of volunteering. We volunteered for a 2-hour shift and in return, we got free entry. The nice thing, too, was that our shift was vendor check-in, which had to take place before the Fest (obviously). We "worked" from 10-noon, and the Fest started at 1.

They had about 23 beer makers and about the same number of cheese makers. They had the vendors set up alternating beer and cheese, too, so you could sample some beer and some cheese without having to go too far. For their first fest, I thought everything was really well done!

The best part of the day, though, was the 45-minute session we attended about Beer and Chocolate Pairing. I'm sure some of you are disgusted by that prospect, but I'm telling you, it was great!! Gail Ambrosius (from Gail Ambrosius Chocolates) and Aran (from Furthermore Brewery) discussed the pairings, leading us through what to notice with the flavors and why they chose to pair what they did. In my mind, there are few things better than beer or chocolate, so what's better than enjoying them together?

Nothing has changed on the job front. Einar has taken his bartending certification class, and he's just waiting for the city to process his license. That will allow him to be more available for shifts at The Malt House, since he will be able to be the only bartender on duty. Unfortunately, as I've seen over the past several months, there are not a lot of jobs being posted. We both continue to look for options. I've decided to get my WI teaching license. I'm still not sure I'm ready to give up on video, but at least I'll have my license if I decide I want to move in that direction.

If you're looking for a good video to see, I'd highly recommend Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's a sweet little movie. And we watched Roxanne the other night for the first time in a long time, and that's well worth a re-viewing. Steve Martin is fantastic!

Job Loss

On Friday, Einar sent me a text message telling me that he had been laid off. We're extremely grateful that I have (seemingly) stable employment at my 3 jobs, but I am still trying to come to terms with how this is going to impact our finances. I continue to look for a full-time job, but there aren't many openings. And I haven't heard anything from any of the places I've applied, except for the one offer that I declined.

Three people on three consecutive days last week asked me if I've considered returning to teaching. Perhaps God is nudging me? I do not have my Wisconsin license, and I haven't yet looked into what would be necessary to obtain it. There is some appeal to being back in a classroom, but I know Madison is an extremely tough district to get into because of an overabundance of licenses teachers. I might look into it, though. I've got to think about it a bit more before I make a decision.

It's Restaurant Week in Madison, which means I'm working a bit more than usual. Hopefully the restaurant will be busy, and I'll make a lot of money!! I hope people are generous.

UPDATE! (Inspiration)

I was cleaning at the church this morning, and I saw the youth director. She asked if I'd heard yet how much money the middle school bake sale made. I told her I hadn't heard but was anxiously awaiting an email with the total. She told me: $1,150!! Can you believe it?! A spur-of-the-moment bake sale, suggested by a sixth grader, raised $1,150 to be donated to an organization directly involved in Haiti. Again, I say, AMAZING!

Inspiration!

Last Friday, after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, I received an email from one of the middle school students at church. It was sent to all the middle school students and parents, and in it, she proposed having a bake sale on Sunday morning and donating all the money to Haiti Partners MCC, a non-profit organization started in our church. Within a few hours of her email request, I had 10 emails from parents and students expressing their willingness to help and commending the girl for her idea and initiative. This girl is in 6th grade, and according to her mom, she really wanted to DO something to help.

So, yesterday morning, before and during Sunday school, baked goods starting coming. I'm sure there were more than 10 families that brought something to sell. There was quiet an assortment - banana bread, cinnamon rolls, chocolate croissants, brownies, cookies, peanut butter fudge, cupcakes, lemon bars, and even full loaves of bread that could be pre-ordered for pick-up on February 7. The kids took care of everything: signs, accepting payments, decorations, bagging up items, counting money. It was amazing!! I don't know how much they made, but I heard that before worship started (with about half the items sold), they had raised over $600. Amazing. Inspiring. And such a good experience for them, especially for the girl whose idea it was.

Training

I got out of sync with my 20K training this week. I'm scheduled to do my training runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, but I didn't go on Monday. But I went yesterday, and I'll go tomorrow. I still plan to do my "long" run (4 miles) on Saturday in order to get back on track, although I am considering switching my training run days to Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday for an easier-to-manage schedule. I guess I will just play it by ear at this point.

I had Bella with me again last night for my 30-minute run. She is a pretty good running partner, although she would prefer to go faster! Sometimes she will stop suddenly, and she only seems to do this when she is only a pace in front of me. It can make for a challenging experience. . . And since it was warm-ish yesterday, the sidewalks were a little more treacherous than they were last week when it was so cold. I headed out about 4:45, just when the sun was setting and the temperatures were dropping. All of the melting that happened during the day was beginning to refreeze, and I was having a hard time telling if the sidewalks were wet or icy. I'm hoping I don't run (pun intended) into the same problem when I go out at 6am.

One of the things I'm supposed to be doing during this training is getting used to a long run pace. I haven't been focused on this, but I know I should be. I believe an investment in a digital watch would help with this. I'll keep you posted.

There are a couple women from church who are considering doing the 20K, too. I think it'd be really fun for us to do this together! When the long runs get longer, it would be nice to have a couple running buddies. One of them has started training, but I don't think she has registered for the run yet; the other is seriously considering it. And if you are in the area on May 1, please plan to come cheer us on!

Happy New Year Wedding!!

Two friends of ours from Mount Horeb got married on New Year's Day. It was a nice wedding, and a great opportunity to reconnect with some former Grumpy Troll co-workers. One of them said she checks this blog every so often and has been disappointed that I haven't updated it in so long. So, in the spirit of a new year, I will resolve to keep this blog updated at least once a week.

I have also registered for the Lake Monona 20K (12.4 mile) run. That happens Saturday, May 1, so I have plenty of time to train!
I did my first training run last night - a relatively easy 30 minute jog. I took Bella with me, and I was a little worried about encountering unshoveled sidewalks in the dark with an exuberant dog. I think I jogged a little slower than I could have, but I managed to make it home without injury! I did fall once, though, when I had stopped to wait for a car before crossing the street and then took a step to get started. Fell right down. And Bella was looking at me like this was something I had planned. Kinda funny. I got back up, and we were on our way.

In case you haven't heard, in December, Einar and I bought a new-to-us car. We got a 2008 Civic Hybrid to replace my 1999 Saturn SL1. So far, it's been a good purchase! The rear driver side tire seems to be losing pressure, so I'm taking it to the dealer on Thursday to have them check it out. Thankfully, the sales guy (a friend of ours) had had to fill that same tire before we took delivery of the vehicle. I hope it's just a leaky stem or seal. I also had a minor incident with our neighbor's house one morning last week. I hit the passenger side mirror on his cable box, and a chunk of the mirror casing was broken off. When I took it to Zimbrick Honda to get an estimate on fixing (which means replacement in this case because it's remote controlled and has a reflector/blinker on it), I was told $305 for the part plus about $45 for labor!! Yikes. We've decided to hold off on that for the time being.

I continue to look for a full-time job. I was basically offered a position at Huntington Learning Center, but I turned it down because I couldn't deal with the schedule it required. I have applied at a couple other places, too, but so far, nothing has come of them.

Looking for Work

On October 26, my bosses called me into the conference room and told me that they needed to cut my hours. In half. Effective November 1. While I wasn't totally surprised that they were cutting my hours, I was surprised by the size of the cut and by the short notice. I had been reading about the crummy job market for months, and now it's my turn to see for myself. I've applied for a few full-time jobs, but so far nothing has come of them. Luckily, my church was in need of a part-time custodian. That means I'm now working 3 part-time jobs. Not fun. At all. But it's what needs to happen for now. Please keep your eyes and ears open for any opportunities you think would be good for me.

I put together a video slideshow for my father-in-law, and he wanted his kids to see it. So I'm posting it here for them and for you. I hope you enjoy it!