Archive for April 2010
Sigh
Posted on: April 16, 2010
My very romantic mother-in-law (I call her momsie) is here for finals week helping us with stuff around the house so we can focus on getting good grades. Yep, we are a very lucky bunch of college students.
Last night, DadZ texted to tell us he was here in Salt Lake a day earlier than we expected him. I watched momsie light up just the way you would expect if they were newly engaged, not adults that had been married for a couple of decades.
When we heard him outside, Grant, Hannah, and I all ran to the door to greet him. I noticed as we were smothering him in a group hug, that momsie stood a little back and their eyes were fixed on each other and I just can’t forget that look.
Check out her musings on romance and love at MonasMusings.com
Moving up the Food Chain
Posted on: April 14, 2010
My little sister was applying for her first fastfood job at a bunch of restaurants this week. Having far too much experience in this area (begging for employment at the bottom of the food chain that is), I lent her my 12 step program. It has gotten me many jobs before. We’ll see if it works this time.
I’ve noticed in my short time on this planet, that people often give jobs to those whom they feel like they know – no matter how qualified they are. Employers will often give jobs to their friend’s son or daughter. But do not be discouraged at this unfair process. You don’t have to just get lucky.
First, you file the application. That’s the easy part even though it takes forever. You can draw up a resume if you like, but it’s not really necessary for fast food and may feel a little over the top to them.
Second, you call the establishment you want to work at and authoritatively ask when the manager will be in. Beware of this step; if your voice wavers, they’ll question your authority, so make sure you sound a little bossy (but not angry). If you have younger siblings, you’ll probably understand. It’s like when you want them to do something for you, so you tell them mom told you to tell them to do it, even though she did nothing of the sort.
For the next two steps keep in mind the importance of visual appearance – yes, they will be judging you on how you look.
Third, go to the establishment when the manager will be there and ask for the them (friendly this time). Introduce yourself and tell them you filled out an application online. Let them see enthusiasm oozing out from between your teeth. Talk about how much you love the place and most importantly – ask questions! Ask them questions they’d be interested in answering such as: How much business do you get? What’s your busiest time of day? Then thank them for talking to you and just leave it at that. No expectations, no bothering. The whole conversation shouldn’t last more than 5-10 minutes.
Finally, about a week later, go back (again, when you know the manager will be there) and order some of their product and casually ask if they have “had a chance” to look at your application yet. Then, if they don’t offer you the job on the spot, you’ll probably get a call later that week offering an interview if they have positions available.
The point is to stay visual and to appear friendly, curious, and enthusiastic.
So, now I’m curious. . . What has your experience been with obtaining employment? Have you done any of these things? What tricks have worked for you? What hasn’t? Any horror stories?!
Spoonful of Soap
Posted on: April 8, 2010
In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and – snap– the job’s a game!
It still needs a little “cleaning up”, but here’s the unedited title and first paragraph of my essay. I figure when you really have no desire to be in a class and are forced to write a paper you care very little about, why not have some fun with it? 🙂 I’m not even sure this teacher reads what we write before he slaps a grade on it anyways, and this way, I don’t dread writing it so much. Enjoy!
Bubble Bursting History:
An Examination of the Environmental Impact of Laundry Soap Through the Ages
It has been said that cleanliness is next to godliness. Thus by extending this analogy we find that in today’s world, the means by which we clean are our idols. We bring them into our home and daily worship our unblemished god by purging, sanitizing, refining, and filling our own dwellings with fragrance. But what is this idol that we bring into our homes, so near to us and our loved ones? What exactly is the substance with which we wash the clothes that lie to near so our skin, the very sheets we sleep on, and even the curtains that shutter out the rest of the fallen world? What are its “unintended” or unknown effects on us or our environment? What are the dirty secrets of its dark past? What do its manufactures not want you to know? Continue reading and together we will discover the elusive history and environmental impacts of laundry detergent.
Blowing Bubbles?
Posted on: April 7, 2010
So I’m stressed out finishing up classes and preparing for finals but I have a million and a half post ideas in the works. Two weeks from now I will reveal the inner-workings of my warped mind; be ready for a thrilling ride.
In the meantime, maybe you can help me with a project due this Friday. I’m writing a history of soap (seriously) and I’m slightly (…okay, ridiculously) tempted to make it a wee bit more interesting than it truly is. Titles I’m considering: “The Ivory Ghost: The Elusive History of Household Detergents” or “Bubble Bursting History”. Clever suggestions are welcome.
Sensational Reading
Posted on: April 1, 2010
I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.
When my sisters and I were young, we made up fantastical adventures and acted them out in wild melodramas. Later on, when first contemplating an occupation and after having seen Harry Potter hit the big screen, I was convinced that I was destined to write science fiction and fantasy novels which would of course become blockbuster films and rake in the millions. However, as teenage and young adulthood worked their transformations, I pulled my nose out of the fiction novels and decided that if I wanted to write about adventure than I had better have one myself. Somewhere along the line this resulted in my keeping a regular journal.
Now as I look back on the collection of writings I have from my youth, I find that the joy from reading this far exceeds my pleasure in any fantasy or romance story. But it is not because my life is particularly fascinating either (though my husband does a swell job at making it plenty magical). I look at old letters, emails, journals, poetry, doodles, ticket stubs, awards, rejection letters, photographs – all of this allows me to reflect upon my own development and understand what I was really feeling. It is simple, but there’s something about the simplicity. What is it?
We read some correspondence and journal entries written by famous writers during Europe’s Restoration for an English class of mine. I enjoyed this reading almost more than anything else we’ve read this unit. I realized that it’s comparable to popular media today: Facebook, Twitter, Scrapbooking, Blogging and even “reality” TV. They all put forth ordinary people’s everyday thoughts, ideas, and experiences for our perusal (ok, we can question that point with reality TV) and we love it. What is it in us that searches out and appreciates the authentic?
Bri Colorful 