Elite Phone Club

it has finally happened. 

I have joined the elite club of broken screens and I brought it upon myself.

Too many days I have let my phone slip out of my fingers, or pocket, or purse. I let it hit the ground with no movement to stop it. I just winced as I hear the phone hit sidewalk , asphalt,  carpet, wooden floor, tile, or linoleum. 

I have, for the last year, been lucky. Most of my corners are torn up and have small chunks of plastic missing, but now, I have a permanent spiderweb on my screen.

I brought this upon myself a few ways. 

The first and foremost, I never got a case or screen protector even as it repetitively escaped my grasp.

I had, with a speaker issue, gone to a store and asked when I would qualify for an upgrade. Tempting karma once.

I thought several times how it was lucky that after all the falls the screen was never hurt. Karma temptation 2.

 

The increase of phone drops in one day jumped from 0-1 up to 3+.

But my major downfall was when I said out loud to myself. Good thing it doesn't fall on the screen.

Karma was done being tempted.

Ba-mm. 

Phone hit the ground.

The spiderweb now creeps from the corner. 

So far everything is working. We'll see how long it lasts. The good news is now if one of the million little kids I interact with their parents have no worries of their kids hurting it, I've already done a fantastic job of it by myself.

Has anyone else joined this club? If so tell me what happened with a comment below.

Gum/Punch in the Face

This looks like a simple pack of gum. 

It is actually a simple pack of gum for most people.

To me, this is a punch in the face waiting to happen.

I don't chew gum or use mints very often. Now that I type that, should I? Am I being a bad breath person to all the people around me? I don't know, but now I'm worried. Eh, I think that would be a different post.

Anyway, because I don't chew gum that often, when I do get it I get super excited. I open my purse the smell of mint entices me to have a piece, then another piece, then another piece and another. The next thing I know I've had about 4-5 pieces. 

That by itself isn't a problem. The problem arises the next day. I wake up and my face hurts. Like actually hurts. I rub my jaw and ponder if my stuffed animals are real and punched me in the night.

As the sleepy fog clears from my head and I open my purse for who knows what the sweet smell of mint greets me. Then it hits me like a train. The gum. The gum that I never chew and then kind of binge on punched me in the face. 

It's pretty much every other pack of gum that does this to me. It is guaranteed to happen on a road trips.

Does this happen to anyone else? Or is this just a ShanShan thing? Let me know with a comment below. Thanks!

Salad

Lunch

For the last two weeks or so most of my lunches have been salads.

Part of the reason is that I've had veggies that need to go away. Another part is because salads are semi-healthy. It has been hot and salads sound like a good idea.

One of my biggest fears about eating salads for lunch is starving 2 hours later and having nothing else to eat. 

I've found to be the solution to this problem.

Make yourself a nice big salad and fill it with stuff. 

When I say stuff, I don't mean bacon and crackers, even though both of those are amazing. What I mean is the tomatoes, the cucumbers, the broccoli, other veggies and nuts and lots of lettuce. It can be iceberg or romain or a mix. Depending on the day and the diet depends on how much the medical community loves or hates any of those salad options.

I also found that you have to have a good amount of protein as well. I like eggs or ham or cheese or a combination of both. Chicken or shrimp or tuna also work great.

The point is fill up. Make sure when you put your fork down you are satisfied and full. That way you're still eating healthier yet still actually feeling full.

When people say salads the image is usually a thin women, picking at lettuce on a plate and looking sad, depressed and unsatisfied. With that image I wouldn't want to eat them either, so I don't. I eat big salads that fill me up taste good.

I encourage you to go and try and make a simple big salad and bring it to work. You might be happier with it than you thought. 

*Note: I am not a doctor, dietitian, or anything else. I'm just a hungry person who wants to actually feel full after eating a salad. Take this suggestions and really any of my posts with a grain of salt.*

Server Book Finds

Cards and such

So the other day, after I finished my last day as a server. I left my bag sitting in my kitchen floor for about 4 days before I moved it. 

I was trying to decide if I wanted to do anything fancy with the stuff in the bag. Did I want to just toss it in the trash? Did I want to set it on fire in the street? Did I want to try and give it all away to former servers? Did I want to hold on to any of it? What did I want to do with it?

Finally I decided to go through my server book. I found in it a few little treasures I had forgotten about. 

The top picture was a collection of cards. Some were from guests who were promoting their own skills and crafts. One of them was from a manager kind of trying to recruit me. That made me feel good that night for sure.

This note was from a very nice couple that witnessed someone just walking out and leaving. They ordered an appetizer, he said his wife wasn't feeling well. I guess I couldn't get to him fast enough and they just straight walked out without paying.  I was upset to say the least. The people who left this note also gave me a fat tip. However, what I remember most is just that someone else cared about me having a rough night that wasn't co-workers. They tried to make it better and with that simple act of kindness helped tons. I even thanked them the next time they came in.

This note is trying to get me to go to their church but still it was nice note of encouragement. It is was also nice to know that I made their night as well. The little moments when you treat people like people and both parties are better for it.

This is just a nice little note that New Dude put in my book one night. It was so sweet.I had to keep it.

They might not be much more then little pieces of paper, but they are little mementos of days now gone by and how I was able to make a difference in someone's life and how they could do the same for me.

Does anyone else have little things like this form work now or work in the past? If so let me know what it is with a comment below. Thanks!

End of an Era

By Iosphere from freedigitalphotos.net

It has happened. I have officially, after 6.5 years at one location and a combined experience of 10+ years in the restaurant world, left.

I had my last shift, served my last dish, clean up the last tray, and walked out of a kitchen with my slip resistant shoes for the last time. 

I cannot say never, but not anytime soon, I hope. 

There has been some highs and some lows. I have met some great people who will now be life long friends while left other not even knowing their name. 

I am okay leaving because I knew it was time. I was burnt out, I cared for my customers but couldn't give them what they deserved, not from me, but form the location. Where I worked caused me more anger and frustration and loss of sleep than the money or energy spent was worth.

I do miss my regulars and the cash but at this point that is the only thing that I miss. Again, if those are the only two things it is clear that it was a smart choice.

I went out without burning bridges or the place down, though both crossed my mind, more than once.

I might be gone for the it but the lessons I learned will stick with me for the rest of my life.

It wont just be things like that general public as a whole is dumb and cannot read, but things like people can still surprise you and how you can make and change someone's day with little things. Those lessons will always stick with me.

For those still in the trenches, good luck I wish you the best!

Curtins for You

I am awesome.

I am super duper excited to show off my handy work. See the the curtains in the above picture?

They use to touch the ground and collect some of my dust bunnies. The rest of the bunnies live safely under the couches and beds. No worries. 

I hemmed them! I cut off 14 inches and even gave it an 1.5 inch hem with double rows. I'd say that they are parallel but that's a lie. My straight stitching isn't as straight as I'd hope. Though I really shouldn't be surprised, I cannot draw straight lines, I cannot cut straight lies, why would I be able to sew them?

I am about to end working my second job at the restaurant. Now, I'll have some more free time, I guess now I get to work on all those little home projects that I always put off. Curtains today, soon to be room painting tomorrow. 

Anyone else have a recent crafting success? If you have let me know by leaving a message below!

Pasta!

I have an addiction. 

It's to carbohydrates. 

I really cannot say no to them.

The other day I was sitting around, working, probably cleaning, and who knows what else. 

It doesn't matter actually. 

The point is that it was time for dinner. I was craving pasta, and not even a little bit. I realized it had been a while since I've had any and wanted it bad. 

I went skipping over to my pantry to find out that I had None. 

Zero. Zip. Zelch. Nada. Not even ramen noodles! 

So I stopped whatever it was I doing, grabbed my keys and purse and headed over to Krogers and got some pasta.

I also called my mom on the way over and told her what I was missing. She was pretty much as shocked as I was. Traumatized really. 

But, my stock is now up. The craving have be satisfied, life is good again.

Has anyone else ever run out of one of their staples? The kind of staple that you just never run out of? If so, tell me how it went with a comment below. Thanks!