So, this may not be the most perfect way to stay fit... However, I think it has a little potential.
For every chapter you read of a book, do 30 sit-ups. You can alternate from sit-ups to leg lifts to planks. Not only will you be exercising your body, but your mind as well.
Right now I'm reading a book on the teachings of Buddha. It's almost as though, for every lesson I learn, the fitter I get.
BE WARNED: This diet does not restrict your diet. That's the best part!
I can still eat a cheeseburger at work now and then, or even some chocolate chips in my room.
So, today I ran Mama's car into a whole on the side of the road. There was a major gash on the tire and I had to pull over quickly to change it. Luck was on my side, fortunately. The nearest parking lot was Broadmoor United Methodist Church. A youth group was walking by and the leader thought it would be a good idea to show the group how to change a tire. He practically did the entire job, only requesting a high five as payment when he'd finished.
I'm just happy I have off work tomorrow. I can sleep in until the afternoon, make a few phone calls, and work on my Book Diet.
The reason I've been less attentive towards the blog, is because I've just started keeping a sort of journal. One of my old sketchbooks from Digital Media was in my gym bag and I started taking notes in it (work schedule, to-do lists, sketches, etc.). It had never occurred to me to make my own dayplanner. I'm hoping to get into a habit so I won't need a agenda next year.
Well, I'll try to write again tomorrow... between sit-ups.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
3 Bud Lights, 1 Double Jack and Water, a Corona, a Margarita, and maybe a Pink Flamingo??
I recieved my first official tip today. Seventeen dollars in cash for a bill of 28 bucks. That's more than 50% and I just can't believe it! Of course, they were my first and only customers for about half an hour. The two men are contractors who work for the funeral homes and dig the graves. A strange, but interesting, topic.
I find it easy to communicate with the regulars and new people from around the Louisiana and Texas area. For the most part, they all enjoy asking questions, and I just love to give them answers. Most of my conversations strike up either because of my accent or because they ask a question that I don't know how to answer because I'm not from around here. As the two gentlemen said today, "We talk like a bunch of loonies!" I strongly disagree.
The most regular people at the restaurant are Galen (A forty-something bachelor who's friends with the family I live with, knows how to hold his booze, and over-tips me) and Joey (A real southern man who always orders at least a dozen shrimp per visit, and is always good in conversation). All of the men who come in for happy hour seem to drink the same thing; Bud Light. They come on draft in our large goblet beer mugs. Uncle David likes to call them fish bowls.
I find myself lost in all the different kinds of beer we offer as people ask me repeatedly what we have on tap or what we have in the bottle. For those people who are still a little curious... We have Coors Light, Miller Light, Bud Light, Budweiser, and Amber Bock on tap. In the coolers we carry Coors Light, Miller Light, Bud Light, Budweiser, Bud Select 55, Bud Light Lime, Michelob Ultra, Corona, Heineken, Blue Moon, Shiner Bock, Abita Amber, Abita Purple Haze, Abita Fall Fest, and that's all I can think of, but I'm definitely missing a couple. Woo! But sometimes the beer isn't the only thing that gives you trouble.
Over the past several nights some of Joey's friends have been getting a little fresh. One is Jim and he always orders a double Jack and water while his friend Mark orders and Miller Light Draft. The more these men drink, the more courageous they get in pulling me aside to ask me about my yankee heritage and heavily discuss the confederacy. I just ignore their stupid remarks and sometimes comeback with a few snide comments. Jan has told me that I don't need to put up with these dirty old men, but I certainly don't intend to. Joey's been watching my back, and no one has yet to lay a finger on me.
Mostly, all of the people who walk into the bar are there for the same reason; a good, cold beer and some fun company. And that's just what they get! Plus a few extra pounds...
Last night, me, Tiffany, and Misty decided to celebrate the end of yet another hectic Friday night by going to the movies to see Inception. After we all said goodnight to Jan and hopped in our cars, I rode to the house to change quickly while Misty dropped off Tonio, the cook. About half way to the theater, Misty bailed because she wasn't feeling well and Tiffany and I went by ourselves. I have to say, Inception was probably the best film this year in its category. There wasn't a minute that I wasn't enthralled in the plot, but there were times where I was confused. It was entirely complex and definitely worth the near 10 bucks to see it.
I have yet to make plans for tomorrow but we may have to see what I can find around the area. Or maybe I'll just kick back and hang with the fam.
By the way, for those of you with skype, I'm almost always on when I'm not working. My username is ray.chel.kay or you can just find my under my full name.
Love you much!
I find it easy to communicate with the regulars and new people from around the Louisiana and Texas area. For the most part, they all enjoy asking questions, and I just love to give them answers. Most of my conversations strike up either because of my accent or because they ask a question that I don't know how to answer because I'm not from around here. As the two gentlemen said today, "We talk like a bunch of loonies!" I strongly disagree.
The most regular people at the restaurant are Galen (A forty-something bachelor who's friends with the family I live with, knows how to hold his booze, and over-tips me) and Joey (A real southern man who always orders at least a dozen shrimp per visit, and is always good in conversation). All of the men who come in for happy hour seem to drink the same thing; Bud Light. They come on draft in our large goblet beer mugs. Uncle David likes to call them fish bowls.
I find myself lost in all the different kinds of beer we offer as people ask me repeatedly what we have on tap or what we have in the bottle. For those people who are still a little curious... We have Coors Light, Miller Light, Bud Light, Budweiser, and Amber Bock on tap. In the coolers we carry Coors Light, Miller Light, Bud Light, Budweiser, Bud Select 55, Bud Light Lime, Michelob Ultra, Corona, Heineken, Blue Moon, Shiner Bock, Abita Amber, Abita Purple Haze, Abita Fall Fest, and that's all I can think of, but I'm definitely missing a couple. Woo! But sometimes the beer isn't the only thing that gives you trouble.
Over the past several nights some of Joey's friends have been getting a little fresh. One is Jim and he always orders a double Jack and water while his friend Mark orders and Miller Light Draft. The more these men drink, the more courageous they get in pulling me aside to ask me about my yankee heritage and heavily discuss the confederacy. I just ignore their stupid remarks and sometimes comeback with a few snide comments. Jan has told me that I don't need to put up with these dirty old men, but I certainly don't intend to. Joey's been watching my back, and no one has yet to lay a finger on me.
Mostly, all of the people who walk into the bar are there for the same reason; a good, cold beer and some fun company. And that's just what they get! Plus a few extra pounds...
Last night, me, Tiffany, and Misty decided to celebrate the end of yet another hectic Friday night by going to the movies to see Inception. After we all said goodnight to Jan and hopped in our cars, I rode to the house to change quickly while Misty dropped off Tonio, the cook. About half way to the theater, Misty bailed because she wasn't feeling well and Tiffany and I went by ourselves. I have to say, Inception was probably the best film this year in its category. There wasn't a minute that I wasn't enthralled in the plot, but there were times where I was confused. It was entirely complex and definitely worth the near 10 bucks to see it.
I have yet to make plans for tomorrow but we may have to see what I can find around the area. Or maybe I'll just kick back and hang with the fam.
By the way, for those of you with skype, I'm almost always on when I'm not working. My username is ray.chel.kay or you can just find my under my full name.
Love you much!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The Things I Learn About Food....
1. I am capable of eating two pineapples throughout the course of two days.
My eating habits have become habitually boring. Every morning I wake up and eat either a bowl of Smart Start or a Yoplait Light. I chase this all down with a Propel on the way out the door. Usually I skip lunch and then manage something simple for dinner as I snack on the computer.
At the beginning of the week, I bought two pineapples figuring that I could eat a little more spontaneously with my favorite fruit. There was a great deal at Krogers were you could get two for three dollars. That night, I cut up one of the pineapples and stored in a zipbloc bag in my fridge. The next afternoon, I ate the entire bag with a fork while watching Dreamland in bed. As I was hanging out with Denver that night, he asked me if I had any dishes to do so I brought in my assortment of plastic dinnerware and scrubbed it real fast. It only made sense to cut up the second pineapple while I was working in the kitchen.
For breakfast I ate a pineapple.
2. I never get sick of peanut butter and jelly.
I have eaten a PB&J every night this week. I just had one about five minutes ago and could definitely polish off another one within the hour. Peanut Butter being my favorite food, and the ingredients being so easy to access, it is a simple delicacy. Perhaps throughout the course of the summer I will get more free, greasy burgers from the restaurant and eat them instead. But for now, I'm pretty happy with my elementary palette.
3. Fried Catfish only costs two dollars a person when splitting it with a coworker (and it's super delicious).
For lunch, Misty asked if I'd like to split a catfish appetizer with her. She said it was two filets of catfish chopped into bitesize peices with a side of fries. Being a little hungry, I agreed. Safe to say, it was the best meal I've had all week, even next to my midnight sandwich.
4. Diet Pepsi is nowhere near as good as Diet Coke.
I started off only drinking water at work. Not only was it the healthy choice but it kept me hydrated and satisfied. By the end of the week I had switched to Diet Pepsi. The main difference, that changed my strong opinion on choice of beverage, was caffeine.
This magical ingredient keeps me on my toes. However, I would rather have had a Diet Coke any day.
An odd thing about me is that I would much prefer a Diet Coke to a Diet Pepsi when I would much prefer a Pepsi to a Coke. There is something in having a sugary, less carbonated drink, and a more carbonated artificially sweetened drink.
If only I could have a root beer float every day. My problems would be solved.
5. Root Beer floats make the entire room smell like creamsicles.
Three boys walked into Herby K's today. They all looked like brothers and their father appeared to be on a business dinner with a coworker. The boys sat at the bar at the exact same time and put their heads on their fists in the exact same way and they each ordered a root beer float.
It's the little things in life that make you smile.
6. You will lose your food if either a) you don't watch your feet, or b) you follow it with more than six beers.
As the night was coming to an end, I was refilling a few sweet teas before the customers departed. I've learned that one should be very careful when walking and refilling at the same time. In one step I had moved from being firmly placed on the brick flooring, to on my ass in wet and soil filled garden. It had escaped my attention that there was not only a large tree growing into the building, but that there was a obstructive barrier intruding onto my pathway.
I looked across the room to see Eric, the security officer, laughing at me.
A few nights earlier, there was a large group of men eating and having beers. One of them, who had ordered Herby K's famous shrimp buster, insisted on having round after round of Amber Bock beer in the large fishbowl mugs. As I was walking to my car I realized that those shrimp weren't the only things that were busted, and they were making a comeback.
My eating habits have become habitually boring. Every morning I wake up and eat either a bowl of Smart Start or a Yoplait Light. I chase this all down with a Propel on the way out the door. Usually I skip lunch and then manage something simple for dinner as I snack on the computer.
At the beginning of the week, I bought two pineapples figuring that I could eat a little more spontaneously with my favorite fruit. There was a great deal at Krogers were you could get two for three dollars. That night, I cut up one of the pineapples and stored in a zipbloc bag in my fridge. The next afternoon, I ate the entire bag with a fork while watching Dreamland in bed. As I was hanging out with Denver that night, he asked me if I had any dishes to do so I brought in my assortment of plastic dinnerware and scrubbed it real fast. It only made sense to cut up the second pineapple while I was working in the kitchen.
For breakfast I ate a pineapple.
2. I never get sick of peanut butter and jelly.
I have eaten a PB&J every night this week. I just had one about five minutes ago and could definitely polish off another one within the hour. Peanut Butter being my favorite food, and the ingredients being so easy to access, it is a simple delicacy. Perhaps throughout the course of the summer I will get more free, greasy burgers from the restaurant and eat them instead. But for now, I'm pretty happy with my elementary palette.
3. Fried Catfish only costs two dollars a person when splitting it with a coworker (and it's super delicious).
For lunch, Misty asked if I'd like to split a catfish appetizer with her. She said it was two filets of catfish chopped into bitesize peices with a side of fries. Being a little hungry, I agreed. Safe to say, it was the best meal I've had all week, even next to my midnight sandwich.
4. Diet Pepsi is nowhere near as good as Diet Coke.
I started off only drinking water at work. Not only was it the healthy choice but it kept me hydrated and satisfied. By the end of the week I had switched to Diet Pepsi. The main difference, that changed my strong opinion on choice of beverage, was caffeine.
This magical ingredient keeps me on my toes. However, I would rather have had a Diet Coke any day.
An odd thing about me is that I would much prefer a Diet Coke to a Diet Pepsi when I would much prefer a Pepsi to a Coke. There is something in having a sugary, less carbonated drink, and a more carbonated artificially sweetened drink.
If only I could have a root beer float every day. My problems would be solved.
5. Root Beer floats make the entire room smell like creamsicles.
Three boys walked into Herby K's today. They all looked like brothers and their father appeared to be on a business dinner with a coworker. The boys sat at the bar at the exact same time and put their heads on their fists in the exact same way and they each ordered a root beer float.
It's the little things in life that make you smile.
6. You will lose your food if either a) you don't watch your feet, or b) you follow it with more than six beers.
As the night was coming to an end, I was refilling a few sweet teas before the customers departed. I've learned that one should be very careful when walking and refilling at the same time. In one step I had moved from being firmly placed on the brick flooring, to on my ass in wet and soil filled garden. It had escaped my attention that there was not only a large tree growing into the building, but that there was a obstructive barrier intruding onto my pathway.
I looked across the room to see Eric, the security officer, laughing at me.
A few nights earlier, there was a large group of men eating and having beers. One of them, who had ordered Herby K's famous shrimp buster, insisted on having round after round of Amber Bock beer in the large fishbowl mugs. As I was walking to my car I realized that those shrimp weren't the only things that were busted, and they were making a comeback.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Where dat?
Sometimes your expectations are right on target. Mine were pretty darn close. I'm having a hard time believing that this will remain the case.
Working as a waitress has its ups and downs. If you're good at it, you do well on tip. And if you're bad at it, enjoy making three bucks an hour. But these aren't the things that you consider when you're just in training like me. At Herby K's, you're trained for an entire week. That means no tips and working your butt off. Fill the ketchup bottles, get another beer, fold the silverware, make more tea, fill the napkin dispensers, get more ice, 3 waters, bud on draft, 2 shiner bocks, and a couple of sweet teas, sweep the floor, bus the table, fill the condiment cups, cut the lemons, refill drinks, the list goes on and on.... and on.
There is a lot of tradition to Herby K's. Nearly everyone who goes have been going since they were kids or are considered regulars. Everyone loves a good shrimp buster or cup of gumbo. But I learned from my new friend Galyn that some of the people are rejecting the changes to Herby K's. Prices and technology are good changes in my opinion. It was nice to have someone to talk to when the tables were slow. He is a regular who comes in for drinks pretty frequently and gets takeout. Everyone knows him and he's sweet to the servers. I should know, because he insisted on giving me a 10 dollar tip for no reason but for the fact that I conversed with him when I wasn't busy; just the same as every other employee in the place.
My coworkers have all been very sweet. The cook, Charles, always says good morning with a smile and makes sure I'm doing well as I work. JT jokes with me and makes my day more light-hearted, The other kitchen staff sing and dance to hip hop music in the back and joke with me about how I know the lyrics. They may get a little flirty but I have no problem ignoring them. The other waitresses are real sweet. Misty and Hailey are best friends who both have children about the same age. Tiffany, who used to live where I live now, is Kim's cousin and she is just very easy to talk to and helpful. She never seems bothered by my questions and offers every now and then to show me how to do something. Safe to say, I'm already starting to feel at home here.
Today was a good day. For the most part, I bus and serve her tables a little while doing the more tedious tasks. For example, today Uncle David had me rolling t-shirts in the old house. Not exactly an enthralling task. But it got better after I'd finished that.
A party reserved a space out on the patio and the man hosting had driven his old sports car named the general. Uncle David insisted on a picture. It's sideways but it's on facebook. Rayray got in on it and a little girl who was playing in it with her friend.
When I'm off work, I am not as tired as I thought that I would be. There is just enough time to hit the library, read a little in bed, and catch up with friends on the computer before passing out. Luckily, the family I live with is okay with me being a sort of loner apart from me taking at least 10 minutes to say hello and hang out before I'm off doing something else.
As I was getting out of my car, Denver walks out of the house and tells me that the water was turned off because of a leak. After I clean my face with a wipe and mouth wash, I walk in to see what I can do to help. In the living room, Kim and Denver are staring at what appears to be a small crack from which there is water dripping. They didn't know what caused it or where the pipe led to or from. Fortunately, after I got back to my room, they texted me to let me know that the water was back on. It must have been the air conditioner.
They will figure it out tomorrow. I'm just glad I'll get to take a shower and wash my Herby K's t-shirt.
Working as a waitress has its ups and downs. If you're good at it, you do well on tip. And if you're bad at it, enjoy making three bucks an hour. But these aren't the things that you consider when you're just in training like me. At Herby K's, you're trained for an entire week. That means no tips and working your butt off. Fill the ketchup bottles, get another beer, fold the silverware, make more tea, fill the napkin dispensers, get more ice, 3 waters, bud on draft, 2 shiner bocks, and a couple of sweet teas, sweep the floor, bus the table, fill the condiment cups, cut the lemons, refill drinks, the list goes on and on.... and on.
There is a lot of tradition to Herby K's. Nearly everyone who goes have been going since they were kids or are considered regulars. Everyone loves a good shrimp buster or cup of gumbo. But I learned from my new friend Galyn that some of the people are rejecting the changes to Herby K's. Prices and technology are good changes in my opinion. It was nice to have someone to talk to when the tables were slow. He is a regular who comes in for drinks pretty frequently and gets takeout. Everyone knows him and he's sweet to the servers. I should know, because he insisted on giving me a 10 dollar tip for no reason but for the fact that I conversed with him when I wasn't busy; just the same as every other employee in the place.
My coworkers have all been very sweet. The cook, Charles, always says good morning with a smile and makes sure I'm doing well as I work. JT jokes with me and makes my day more light-hearted, The other kitchen staff sing and dance to hip hop music in the back and joke with me about how I know the lyrics. They may get a little flirty but I have no problem ignoring them. The other waitresses are real sweet. Misty and Hailey are best friends who both have children about the same age. Tiffany, who used to live where I live now, is Kim's cousin and she is just very easy to talk to and helpful. She never seems bothered by my questions and offers every now and then to show me how to do something. Safe to say, I'm already starting to feel at home here.
Today was a good day. For the most part, I bus and serve her tables a little while doing the more tedious tasks. For example, today Uncle David had me rolling t-shirts in the old house. Not exactly an enthralling task. But it got better after I'd finished that.
A party reserved a space out on the patio and the man hosting had driven his old sports car named the general. Uncle David insisted on a picture. It's sideways but it's on facebook. Rayray got in on it and a little girl who was playing in it with her friend.
When I'm off work, I am not as tired as I thought that I would be. There is just enough time to hit the library, read a little in bed, and catch up with friends on the computer before passing out. Luckily, the family I live with is okay with me being a sort of loner apart from me taking at least 10 minutes to say hello and hang out before I'm off doing something else.
As I was getting out of my car, Denver walks out of the house and tells me that the water was turned off because of a leak. After I clean my face with a wipe and mouth wash, I walk in to see what I can do to help. In the living room, Kim and Denver are staring at what appears to be a small crack from which there is water dripping. They didn't know what caused it or where the pipe led to or from. Fortunately, after I got back to my room, they texted me to let me know that the water was back on. It must have been the air conditioner.
They will figure it out tomorrow. I'm just glad I'll get to take a shower and wash my Herby K's t-shirt.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy Dependent's Day
You know you're in the south when you hear gunshots in the middle of the night and they turn out to be fireworks in the middle of the street. I lock my door just to be sure.
My fourth of July started out like any other day. I filled my car up with gas, went to see a movie, did a little grocery shopping, and then baked an American apple pie.
I'm not the best baker in the world, but I truly love to do it. Something about the sequence of events and the aroma. However, today was a new baking experience for me. I have baked in other people's homes, I have baked on a boat, and I have baked in a dorm room kitchen, but this kitchen was very different. I couldn't gain internet access from the house so I was stuck scouring the rooms looking for cook books. Low and behold, the family I am staying with does not use the kitchen very much, and therefore does not have any recipes. I looked in the kitchen, I checked the laundry room, and I even searched the near empty pantry. So today I baked an apple pie completely from scratch, without a pie plate, and completely without any recipes to go from. Not my best, but getting there.
As the pie was cooling, I was lying in bed watching V for Vendetta on my computer when Uncle David texted me to say that he and Angela were having a cookout and that everyone in the family was coming. On the way, I picked up some Romaine for the burgers as requested, and drove the ten minutes to their farmhouse further out in the country.
It was a wonderful meal laden with cheeseburgers, french fries, guacamole, and of course, apple pie. I was in charge of the french fries. I had never made them before, but I will definitely make them again in the future mmmm...
Angela made this excellent soup and I can tell you how to make it right now. Boil broccoli and carrots in water, pour it into a blender, and push the start button, add a little salt and pepper, and voila! I couldn't believe it but even their daughter Madeline was eating away. Of course that little one will eat guacamole and hummus with a spoon. No transportation device required to get the food from her bowl to her mouth.
After the meal, we said good night to everyone and Uncle David and I went to see the Shreveport fireworks in downtown. Although they were not as good as the Bay fireworks, I was still wholly impressed. It was a good time. We talked about an idea that him and Angela had had about holding a fundraiser through Herby K's to raise money for animals in the area.
Shreveport has stray cats and dogs roaming the streets in an area where it is not uncommon to kill a sick dog. The shelter can only care for so many at a time and so they end up killing off some of them. Their plan is so well thought out and great that I can only hope to contribute in some way even though I will no longer be here when the time comes.
It was a great day! Starting out a little slow is always a good idea. As the day progressed it just got better and better. However, now, I am about to pass out. Hopefully tomorrow I will think of something wonderful to do with the day. Maybe check out a cool art museum or something? Then I plan on babysitting little Madeline and hanging out with the pups. Until then...
My fourth of July started out like any other day. I filled my car up with gas, went to see a movie, did a little grocery shopping, and then baked an American apple pie.
I'm not the best baker in the world, but I truly love to do it. Something about the sequence of events and the aroma. However, today was a new baking experience for me. I have baked in other people's homes, I have baked on a boat, and I have baked in a dorm room kitchen, but this kitchen was very different. I couldn't gain internet access from the house so I was stuck scouring the rooms looking for cook books. Low and behold, the family I am staying with does not use the kitchen very much, and therefore does not have any recipes. I looked in the kitchen, I checked the laundry room, and I even searched the near empty pantry. So today I baked an apple pie completely from scratch, without a pie plate, and completely without any recipes to go from. Not my best, but getting there.
As the pie was cooling, I was lying in bed watching V for Vendetta on my computer when Uncle David texted me to say that he and Angela were having a cookout and that everyone in the family was coming. On the way, I picked up some Romaine for the burgers as requested, and drove the ten minutes to their farmhouse further out in the country.
It was a wonderful meal laden with cheeseburgers, french fries, guacamole, and of course, apple pie. I was in charge of the french fries. I had never made them before, but I will definitely make them again in the future mmmm...
Angela made this excellent soup and I can tell you how to make it right now. Boil broccoli and carrots in water, pour it into a blender, and push the start button, add a little salt and pepper, and voila! I couldn't believe it but even their daughter Madeline was eating away. Of course that little one will eat guacamole and hummus with a spoon. No transportation device required to get the food from her bowl to her mouth.
After the meal, we said good night to everyone and Uncle David and I went to see the Shreveport fireworks in downtown. Although they were not as good as the Bay fireworks, I was still wholly impressed. It was a good time. We talked about an idea that him and Angela had had about holding a fundraiser through Herby K's to raise money for animals in the area.
Shreveport has stray cats and dogs roaming the streets in an area where it is not uncommon to kill a sick dog. The shelter can only care for so many at a time and so they end up killing off some of them. Their plan is so well thought out and great that I can only hope to contribute in some way even though I will no longer be here when the time comes.
It was a great day! Starting out a little slow is always a good idea. As the day progressed it just got better and better. However, now, I am about to pass out. Hopefully tomorrow I will think of something wonderful to do with the day. Maybe check out a cool art museum or something? Then I plan on babysitting little Madeline and hanging out with the pups. Until then...
Saturday, July 3, 2010
1 Hour of Dishes = 1 Bowl of Gumbo
You know you're in the south when you use the bathroom in the morning and there's a cockroach on the toilet paper. It fell on my foot and remains MIA. This was just the beginning of my morning in Shreveport, Louisiana. I originally moved to the South to get experience in the restaurant business. I feel that I've already gained a lot more.
A week ago I drove the 17 hours from my hometown in Jefferson, MD to the more cajun styled Shreveport. My aunt and uncle own a famous restaurant called Herby K's. It's well known for it's seafood gumbo and killer shrimp busters.
When they offered me the chance to come work in the establishment and learn, I was more than happy to accept. Now, after a week of getting aquainted with the area, I said goodbye to my Mama and Aunt Cindy, and said hello to solitude... or almost.
My room sits behind a beautiful family home, in a sweet residential area, just minutes from town. The family living in the house are friends of my family, and they too are a family. I have everything I need from a bathroom, with shower, to a mini-fridge and microwave. It wasn't until the cockroach incident this morning that I realized where I was. The changes from North to South are hard to describe, so I'll do my best through the following weeks.
Today was my first day of unintentional work. I only seem to wonder how many more will continue to be unintentional. I walked into the building wearing a bright pink sundress, fringe sandals, and a cardigan. Safe to say, I was a little unprepared. However, when offered the opportunity to work, how could I refuse?
The minute I walked through the swinging wooden door to the back room, I knew I had entered a new world. There were at least eight people working in an area no bigger than my kitchen at home. I had expected a lot of noise and yelling, but the only thing I could make out were the mutters of, "Excuse me," or "Pardon me," as employees moved throughout the kitchen.
The first person I met was a boy, whose name will go unmentioned (not for safety reasons but simply because I cannot remember). He taught me what I needed to know about cleaning dishes. For those of you who have never done dishes, here is a crash course...
1. Move fast.
2. Stay out the way.
3. There is always more work to be done.
Every moment when I thought there was a lull, I was wrong. More trays of dishes would come swooping through that swinging door. There was rarely time to talk and hardly any time to realize how prune-like your hands could get. For the most part, a monkey can do dishes, it's the finesse one has to worry about.
After only an hour and a half of work, the lunch shift was over and I was given a bowl of gumbo, with a side of bread, and a couple shrimp busters that they claimed looked too funny to serve to the customers. It was the best gumbo I have ever had, and probably ever will. The hour and a half of work and learning that I put in this afternoon in no way paid for the amazing lunch I ate afterward.
Tomorrow is the fourth of July and I don't work again until Tuesday. We'll see what the weekend has to bring me...
A week ago I drove the 17 hours from my hometown in Jefferson, MD to the more cajun styled Shreveport. My aunt and uncle own a famous restaurant called Herby K's. It's well known for it's seafood gumbo and killer shrimp busters.
When they offered me the chance to come work in the establishment and learn, I was more than happy to accept. Now, after a week of getting aquainted with the area, I said goodbye to my Mama and Aunt Cindy, and said hello to solitude... or almost.
My room sits behind a beautiful family home, in a sweet residential area, just minutes from town. The family living in the house are friends of my family, and they too are a family. I have everything I need from a bathroom, with shower, to a mini-fridge and microwave. It wasn't until the cockroach incident this morning that I realized where I was. The changes from North to South are hard to describe, so I'll do my best through the following weeks.
Today was my first day of unintentional work. I only seem to wonder how many more will continue to be unintentional. I walked into the building wearing a bright pink sundress, fringe sandals, and a cardigan. Safe to say, I was a little unprepared. However, when offered the opportunity to work, how could I refuse?
The minute I walked through the swinging wooden door to the back room, I knew I had entered a new world. There were at least eight people working in an area no bigger than my kitchen at home. I had expected a lot of noise and yelling, but the only thing I could make out were the mutters of, "Excuse me," or "Pardon me," as employees moved throughout the kitchen.
The first person I met was a boy, whose name will go unmentioned (not for safety reasons but simply because I cannot remember). He taught me what I needed to know about cleaning dishes. For those of you who have never done dishes, here is a crash course...
1. Move fast.
2. Stay out the way.
3. There is always more work to be done.
Every moment when I thought there was a lull, I was wrong. More trays of dishes would come swooping through that swinging door. There was rarely time to talk and hardly any time to realize how prune-like your hands could get. For the most part, a monkey can do dishes, it's the finesse one has to worry about.
After only an hour and a half of work, the lunch shift was over and I was given a bowl of gumbo, with a side of bread, and a couple shrimp busters that they claimed looked too funny to serve to the customers. It was the best gumbo I have ever had, and probably ever will. The hour and a half of work and learning that I put in this afternoon in no way paid for the amazing lunch I ate afterward.
Tomorrow is the fourth of July and I don't work again until Tuesday. We'll see what the weekend has to bring me...
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