Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Quote of the day

Don't worry about failures.  Worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try.

                                                                            Jack Canfield

Thought for the day - Tuesdays at work

For the past few weeks, Tuesdays have been really rough at work for me.  And, frankly, it's starting to get on my nerves.  I know that I will eventually be able to work through it, I just have to find the paths that will allow me to do that.

The first reason that Tuesdays are frustrating for me is the second half of my work day.  On Tuesdays, I work in the dining room down at Verra Springs - our assisted living community.  Now, when you work down there, you are pretty much by yourself except for the chef.  If we have enough staff, someone from HG will come down for awhile and run food....that's if we have enough people, which is not always the case right now.  That's just how it is, fine.  I love the residents down there, I just have not found my rhythm yet and it frustrates me.  We get hit hard as soon as we open....as in everyone who's going to be eating is waiting at the door.  So, trying to wait on 30 people at the same time can be daunting.  Most of them are quite patient but some are not....that's just how they are.

Anyway, once dinner ends, there is a lot of work to get done to reset everything for the next morning.  It is basically all of the same things that we do in the main dining room at HG, only it's just one person doing it.  I don't mind the extra responsibilities, but, at least for me, it takes longer than if I was back in HG.  I am scheduled to end my shift at a certain time and that has not happened yet.  I am always there almost a half hour beyond schedule and it frustrates me.  Other people who work VS don't seem to have this issue.  Granted, they have been doing it a lot longer than I have, but still I just can't seem to make it work yet in the time allotted.  So, I end up leaving work with a lot of pent up frustration and I hate that.  It makes me doubt myself in a big way!

The other reason I get so frustrated is a coworker.  Mondays are peaceful for me because it is her day off.  Tuesdays are a whole nother ball game.  Now, I do like this person but not as a coworker lately.  She is no longer a team player.  Shortly after I began working at HG, she got a second job.  I understand that...many of us have to do that in order to survive, which sucks right there.  But, now she's always tired and complaining.  She whines a lot.  She is always asking people to help her out yet she does not lift a finger to help anyone else out.  That really gets under my skin.  I hate the fact that I do not want to help her now because I know she won't return the favor.  I don't like being that way, but frankly she makes me tired.

Oh well.  Today's a new day, so hopefully things will go better.

That is all.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Song of the day

For some reason, I woke up with this song in my head. No clue why but it's been stuck there for awhile, so I felt like sharing.  We tried to do this show in high school....it didn't work and we literally almost killed our director.  He had a heart episode...no doubt brought on by frustration.  Anyway, it's still a wonderful show and the film version is a lot of fun to watch.

Enjoy!

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Song of the day - It Was A Very Good Year

This is my all time favorite Sinatra song.  I have this on vinyl and listened to the entire record several times this week.  I find this song both beautiful and haunting.  It makes me look back at earlier years and wonderful memories.  Enjoy!

Thought of the day - the week at work

What an interesting week this has been at work.  I have had an opportunity made available to me at HG, so I have had to do a lot of thinking.  I still have not made up my mind yet.  It's as though there is a tennis match going on in my brain.  The game changes quickly in my mind and just can't seem to make a decision.  Tomorrow, Monday, I will go and talk to a few people and get some more needed clarification and hopefully things will work out.  I did get pretty emotional about it on FB, but now  I realize that this can be a win/win situation.  It's just all in how I look at things.  That being said, I love where I am working.  I am in constant contact with my residents.  I love them and they love me.  If I had to make a decision, I would stay where I am for awhile just because of that.  Well, not just because of that, but it does play a big part.

I have never really been one of those people who sits down and makes a pros and cons list, but I think this may be an exception to the rule.  You see, I have only been with HG for 6 weeks, so this promotion is really out of the blue for me.  It is nice, however, to be noticed.  To me, that means that people are pleased with the job that I am doing.  And, I have since found out that this move was put into place by the big boss who I didn't know even knew who I was.  That is pretty flattering.  On the other hand, though, I love my job right now.  It's been a long, long time since I could say that I love my job.  I'm not perfect at it, but I do think I have more than met my supervisors' expectations of me and I go above and beyond the call of duty to give my residents a good experience.

Also, and this is one of the most important struggles I have right now, loyalty is important.  I realize that taking this other position would not be disloyal to the company but I do feel loyal to those that hired me.  After my graduation in May, I applied for over 40 jobs.  Social work, customer service, hospitality, retail, etc...you name it, I applied for it.  I just wanted to work.  I needed to get out of the house and do something.  Of course, bringing in some income was a priority as well.  Anyway, out of all of those jobs, I got only 1 interview.  Only 1!!!  And that was from Dining Services at HG.  Now, I come from a catering background but had not really waited tables before.  I have done plated dinner service, but this is a different animal all together.  My point being, these people took a chance on me when they didn't have to.  I am very grateful for that and a big part of me wants to fulfill my obligation to them for their risk taking actions.

So, after work tomorrow, I am hoping to make an informed position about my work situation.  The new position would come with an increase in money, so that's a positive as well.  Just lots of thinking to do, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

That is all.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Recipe of the day - Lo-carb Shepherd's Pie

Michael has been trying to do a lo-carb diet lately.  He's been pretty successful at it, but my only problem is finding recipes that work for his diet that aren't either A) boring or B) have strange ingredients that I don't keep in the pantry.  So, I decided to adapt one of our favorite dishes to lo-carb.  Granted it was a risk.  I didn't know how it would turn out.  Fortunately, it ended up being pretty good and we will do it again definitely.


2 lbs ground turkey
2 bags of frozen cauliflower
1/2 cup milk
1/2 bag of frozen peas
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped red onion
salt
pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Brown ground turkey in a saute' pan until cooked through.  Drain on a papertowel lined plate, reserving a small amount of oil in the pan.  Saute the onions and mushrooms until the onions start to soften.  Combine turkey, onions, mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

Cook cauliflower according to package directions.  Don't worry about over cooking them because you want them nice and soft.  Drain and then mash them in a bowl, adding milk as needed.  You want these to be as close to the consistency of mashed potatoes.  They will not look like mashed potatoes, but will come close.

Spread the turkey mixture on the bottom of your pyrex.  Use a large spoon to even the mixture out.  Then spread all of the mashed cauliflower on top of that.  There should be enough to cover the entire pan.  Sprinkle that with the grated Parmesan and finally top with shredded Parmesan.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, uncovered.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Quote of the day

Great things never came from comfort zones.

                                                                           Unknown (to me lol)

Thursday, September 14, 2017

song of the day

I have loved this soundtrack for years.  Brilliant music and lyrics.  I have had this song going through my head almost daily for the past few weeks.  Something about it cries out to me.  I'm tired of being afraid and this has helped me tremendously.  Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Thought of the day

In settling in to the routine of my new job, I am now seeking to find more balance in life.  I know, i know, it's something everyone seeks, so this is really nothing new.  The challenge for me is actively seeking it instead of just talking/writing about it.  I tend to have the best of intentions, but do not exactly always follow through with everything.  This time, I will at least try.

I have my vices.  We all do, let's be honest.  I have to be careful with mine because I tend to rely on my vices to decompress.  And, admittedly, my vices are not the most healthy things in the world.  Nothing illegal or anything, just unhealthy when over done.  So, I need to change things up, switch my daily routine, find new things to vary life.  I really need to start working out daily.  That would be a wonderful way to burn off energy after work.  I feel like I have been doing that "exercise imagery" where I just imagine myself working out instead of actually doing it.

I tend to get set in my ways because it is comfortable.  And, although there is something wonderful in comfortability, it can be detrimental as well.  At least, that is my opinion.  If I make small changes here and there, they will add up to something larger and better for me.  Like today, I normally make my coffee first thing, then sit down at the computer.  This morning, I did make my coffee per usual, but I sat down and read the paper instead.  I made myself do that for half an hour before checking my email.  It may sound like something small to you all, but to me it was a nice step in the direction I want to go in.

Anyway, that's my thought for the day today.  We shall see how I progress!

Cheers

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Quote of the day

A good half of the art of living is resilience.

                                                                            Alain de Botton

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Quote of the day

In life it takes personal courage and inner strength to ask for help.

                                                                            Donavan Nelson Butler

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Thought for the day - letter writing

And here it is, the Tuesday after Labor Day.  Since I worked all weekend, this is pretty much like any other Tuesday and that is fine.  Right now, I work most every day at one job or the other, so days off are few and far between.  But that keeps me busy and brings in some money, which is always a good thing.  Anyway, I am back on my letter writing kick.  I know that it's old fashioned but, then again, so I am so this seems like a natural fit for me.

I enjoy doing it for several reasons.  Even though technology is very convenient, to me it cannot replace the thrill of getting a letter in the mail.  How nice it is to go to the mailbox and find something that is neither a bill nor junk mail.  Someone took the time to sit down and put pen to paper, all the while thinking of me.  That's a nice feeling.  I am trying to write several letters each week.  Most go unanswered, but that is ok.  That is not why I do it, as I have already stated.  I am not always successful in my letter writing quota, but some weeks I am.  And I have actually gotten a few responses, which is awesome!

I like to write letters early in the morning.  I get up several hours before Michael and Squirt do, so it's the perfect time to get it accomplished.  I put on some classical music, pour myself a cup of coffee (in a cup and saucer no doubt) and sit back at the chair by the living room window to write my correspondence.  I have a mahogany lap desk that John Ramsey gave me years ago which I still use.  I keep my stationary and address labels in there.  It's the perfect writing surface and I always use it.  I keep my stamps in a small brass turtle box on my desk, so they're pretty near by.

I just enjoy taking the time to sit down and write.  Granted, my handwriting is horrible.  I tend to print more than anything so that people might actually be able to read what I write LOL.  And sometimes I pick people at random to write to.  I find that to be fun as well because no one really expects letters anymore.  And, thanks to technology, addresses are pretty easy to find on the internet.  And I keep them all in a big address book I got one year for Christmas from Melanie Ashley who, by the way, did write me back.  Woohoo!

I have already written my letter for today and it is out in the mailbox ready to be sent.  But, who knows, you might just come home one day and find a letter from me in your mailbox!  And there's never any expectation of a response, I just enjoy doing it.

That is all for this morning...so far.

Cheers