About Blogging

Funny that this should be a topic. I am having the HARDEST time figuring out what I want to do with my life. I was originally going to be a dietician, but I'm not entirely sure I'd actually like the job itself. So I did what my best friend suggested; I thought about what I'd do with my life if I didn't have to worry about money. Well, I would do the two things I love most-I'd work out and I'd write.

I would love to be a full-time blogger. I've been writing my health and fitness blog, Getting Healthy in 2012, since...well, 2012. In retrospect, I should have picked a different title, as it's now 2013. But that's where the journey started, so I guess it'll do. Unfortunately, that blog only gets about 10 pageviews a day. That's not enough to make that a career. I really wish I could get it there, though. I used to post every Friday, after my weigh in at Jenny Craig. This year, as my diet and exercise has been badly stalled out, I only wrote about once a month. I've started updating every day; if it was my job, I could keep it up, too! But since I have school, work, a family (my boyfriend, roommate, and dog count as a family, right?), housework, and 2381209312 other things to do, I probably can't keep it up. BUT IF IT WAS MY JOB, I could totally do it every day.

So if you have time (and aren't offended by swearing), show me some love and check it out :)

I hope to keep up this blog as well, for just other personal things. I really love to write.

Sense

I think the best sense of all is taste. I love to eat, which is apparent. I recently lost my sense of taste when I was sick last week and it was miserable not being to taste anything. I love cooking so I can combine different flavors-salty and sweet, savory and sweet, spicy and sweet, etc. I love discovering new flavors and combinations. I'm also not currently enjoying the disgusting chemical-like taste of the tap water. Damn you, flood season!

Story Sketch

I read an add in the classifieds about a young 20-something woman seeking a rich man who was out of town a lot...WHAT?! Who would actually respond to that?!! But if I were going to write a story about that scenario, I would try to spin it and make her some kind of good-hearted person who wanted his money to help the poor, and wanted him out of town so she could do volunteer work or something. I'd want to make it a twist. She SOUNDS like a gold-digger, but really, she's a wonderful person. Unlikely, yep. But that would be so much more interesting, wouldn't it?

Aw crap. Now I actually want to write this story. I think I'll work on it over the summer. I don't want to stop writing just because I'm no longer in class. I did write a new poem, The Apology, even though it wasn't required for anything. It's actually pretty good, too (I think). I wrote a really great story scene, but I don't have any other background for the story, so it's kind of useless at this point.

Itchy Feet

Oh. My. Gosh.

I am so excited.

My boyfriend, Ethan, and I decided to go on a trip. A REAL one; we're taking a trip to London, England!! We were originally going to go next March, but I convinced him we should go in August of this year!!!  To be completely honest, I'd have tried to convince Ethan to go next week for spring break if we'd had the money.

The last "vacation" I took was going to Fargo and that ended horribly; there was a storm and we had to stay the night AND I missed class.

I traveled to Paris, France in 2010 with my best friend, Mari. It was such a great experience, and my passport has just been collecting dust ever since. That was my last REAL vacation, I guess.

I sat down today to book my trip. I found a GREAT deal online, $200 cheaper than the travel agency. I was literally vibrating with excitement, only to have my dreams crushed; apparently my debit card has a limit that I didn't know about, so the booking wouldn't go through. The bank was already closed, so I couldn't do anything about it tonight.

I'm so disappointed, there aren't even words to adequately describe how upset I am.

I emailed my "banker," and I hope she calls me first thing tomorrow morning. I'm praying the price doesn't go up dramatically, but who knows, with my luck?

Regardless, I'm still super excited to go to London. I love British television shows, like "Sherlock" and "Doctor Who." I'm already planning what I'll pack...is that weird?

You know what IS weird? They apparently don't offer free internet at hotels in London. I just assumed that was a standard amenity in hotels. Guess not.

Oh well. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

Love (79) and Hate (23)

Here is a list of a hundred things I love, and a hundred things I hate. It's currently incomplete, but I plan to add things as I go along, with it finished at the end of the semester. So without further ado, in no particular order, here you go.

THINGS I LOVE
1. Running.  I eat 5k's for breakfast, yo.
2. Animals, specifically dogs. Though I also love penguins, polar bears, and bunnies.
3. Swimming.
4. Jazz music. Miles Davis and Frank Sinatra send tingles down my spine.
5. Mari Elizabeth Golden, my best friend in the entire world.
6. Rain in the summertime.
7. Getting fancy. Most days, I dress like a bum, sweatpants and t-shirts. But every once in awhile, I like to spend a few hours listening to jazz, getting dressed up, doing my hair and makeup.
8. "Doctor Who." David Tennant, the tenth Doctor, was the best in my opinion.
9. Horror movies.
10. Zombies.
11. My job as a server (most of the time). For the most part, I like my co-workers and the regulars that come in to eat.
12. My big, gingery, nerdy boyfriend.
13. Weight lifting. Nothing makes me feel more badass than putting on my lifting gloves, turning on some metal or rap, and pushing myself until my entire body is shaking.
14. Driving/road trips.
15. Wine.
16. Singing. I love to sing, occasionally performing with my dad's gospel group. It's not my favorite venue, but at least it's somewhere to perform.
17. Hugs!!!
18. Writing poetry, songs, my blog, and papers, oddly enough.  I even enjoy editing papers (sometimes).
19. Sarcasm.
20. Traveling.  I love to fly, although I know most people hate dealing with airports!
21. School. God, how I missed it the last two years!
22. Coffee.
23. Cooking and baking.
24. The British series "Sherlock."
25. Games!! Everything from Killing Floor (a zombie game) on pc, to Call of Duty on the Xbox, to Monopoly (my very favorite board game!!) to Mario Kart on the old school Nintendo 64. But I think I enjoy pc gaming most, because my roommates are more likely to play with me.
26. Jenna Marbles. Personally, I find her gorgeous and hilarious. I've watched most of her videos at least twenty times each.
27. The show "Dexter."
28. Holidays. All major holidays. Anytime I can get together with family and eat delicious food.
29. Neil Patrick Harris.
30. Reading. I really love to read. Harry Potter is one of my favorite series. I also enjoy books by James Patterson and Lisa Gardner.
31. Grapefruit. It's my new favorite food; I eat it pretty much every morning. It's weird, because for the last twenty three years, I thought I hated grapefruit.
31. "The Help."
32. Sleeping. I don't like actually going to sleep, but once I am asleep, DON'T WAKE ME UP.
33. Sweatpants.
34. Taylor Swift.
35. Dancing.
36. Midnight walks in the summertime.
37. Playing the piano, particularly Beethoven.
38. Fighting Sioux hockey.
39. Weddings. They're so fun!!
40. Laughing so hard I can't breathe.
41. Backrubs/head rubs.
42. The smell of a wet dog.
43. Good night kisses
44. Paris, France. I went there for spring break in 2010, and it was amazing.
45. Carrots. I can go through a two pound bag in one shift at work. I dip them in salsa or peanut butter. Yum!
46. A man in a suit. Yes.
47. Pinterest. So much fun! I get a lot of good recipes, too.
48. Buying clothes in the next size down!!
49. Jewelry. My work uniform is incredibly ugly, so I try to jazz it up with fun accessories.
50. When people ask about my diet and exercise.
51. Chocolate. I'm a girl, what do you expect?
52. Water. Tis my favorite beverage.
53. Christmas. I love everything. The music, the food, crazy shoppers, wrapping gifts, snow storms, winter attire, ugly sweaters, the whole nine yards.
54. My house. Long story short, the house was a "gift." But I love having as place to call my own. I can decide how to decorate, when people come over, what groceries are in the house...ahhh I love it.
55. "The Walking Dead"
56. Clothes fresh out of the dryer. There's no better feeling in the universe than putting on warm pants out of the dryer. On particularly cold mornings, I throw my clothes in the dryer for a minute so they're warm when I put them on.
57. Jennifer Lawrence. I'm straight, but I'd leave my boyfriend for JLaw in a heartbeat because DAMN, girl.
58. Pictures. I love taking them, and I love being in them now that I'm thinner. Memories captured in time...
59. Piggy banks. I collect them!
60. Ice Breakers spearmints. They help curb my appetite.
61. Sex. Yep, I said it; at least I'm honest.
62. Christina Aguilera.
63. Sudoku.
64. The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
65. Pizza (although I can only have it once or twice a month).
66. Beer.
67. My dog, Balto.
68. Bacon.
69. "How I Met Your Mother."
70.  My roommates. I live with my boyfriend and his best friend. His best friend looks like Jesus.
71. Magic: the Gathering (don't judge me!)
72. Madden for xBox
73. Giant, fat, wet snowflakes in early December.
74. Shopping! When clothes are fitting, definitely fun. But I also like buying shoes and electronic gadgets.
75. Northland. I like it so much more than I liked UND. But unfortunately, I can't get the degree from NCTC, so I'll have to go back to UND next spring.
76. My tablet. Every once in awhile, I like to buy myself nice things. My tablet is one of my favorite things. It's just so awesome!
77. Iron Man and Batman. They're my favorite super heroes (they have the best superpower of all-money).

78. EXCLAMATION POINTS!!! I'm always excited!!
79. Benedict Cumberbatch. He plays "Sherlock" and he is just the most beautiful creature I've ever seen.

THINGS I HATE
1.  Cats. I'm allergic to them and I think they are terrible pets.
2. Nicki Minaj.
3. Tomatoes. They're one of the only foods I can't stand.
4. The elliptical. I can't stand doing it for more than ten minutes.
5. Autotune. I like my vocals like I like my food; unprocessed.
6. False modesty.
7. Liars.
8. Laziness. I can't even begin to tell you how much it irritates me when people can't do even the smallest tasks, like using the last of the something and just leaving the empty container instead of throwing it away or replacing it.
9. Incorrect grammar. Yep, I'm one of THOSE people. I just want to scream every time I see "your" instead of "you're," or "definitely" spelled wrong. If you're a grown up, you should be able to spell properly!!!
10. Facing the scale. It's been fighting me lately, and it's not fun anymore.
11. Kanye West.
12. Crossword puzzles.
13. Kim Kardashian. I actually used to kind of like her, but she just grows more and more annoying and stupid as time goes on.
14. Children. I like my nephew, and I'm sure I'll like my own, but other peoples' kids drive me nuts.
15. Cleaning. I wish I was rich enough to hire a maid. Especially since I live with two boys.
16. Math. I HATE MATH SO MUCH.
17. Strep throat.
18. Snow after February.
19. Hardcore Republicans. Just stop.
20. Spiders. Anything creepy crawly, actually.
21. Making decisions. For example, I'm buying a new car. After a week, I STILL can't decide if I want an automatic or a manual transmission.

22. Baseball. My boyfriend loves it, but I find it to be the most boring sport ever.

23. Teachers who test on ONLY material from the book. I'm paying you to teach me, not assign me reading. I could read this at home for free and save on tuition.

I'm not surprised my things I love list is so much easier to write than my things I hate list. I'm too happy of a person to hate things :)

Tiffany's Guide to Dining Out

I work as a server and there are just some people who seem to not understand the proper way to behave when dining out in a restaurant. No worries, I'm here to help!

1. If you can't afford to leave a tip, you can't afford a sit down restaurant.
Seriously. Go get fast food if you can't afford a tip (looking at you, high school kids!). I make less than five dollars an hour. Unless you legitimately received bad service, you need to leave a good tip! I will remember you, if you ever come in again.

2. Don't blame the servers for things out of their control.
I can't control prices of items, how long your food takes to cook, or rules about substitutions. I don't make up rules just to be mean. If I tell you we can't do a substitution, please don't argue.

3. PLEASE treat your server with respect.
-I am not beneath you because I work in food service, nor am I your slave; please don't treat me as such.
-Please don't condescend to me. I know how to do my job. I don't need you to tell me how over medium eggs are cooked.
-It's extremely disrespectful to just completely ignore me by talking or being on your phone; I only need two minutes of your time to take your order. Please pay attention so you hear any information you need (what kind of soup we have, etc.) and answer any questions I ask you.
-Please don't shout at me from across the restaurant.
-Speak up! I can't hear you if you whisper and/or speak with your head down.

4. Tell me if there's a problem and allow me to fix it.
If something is wrong with your food, anything at all, please tell me right away and let me fix it. If you choose not to say anything, fine, but please don't complain to a manager after the fact when you didn't provide me the opportunity to fix it.

5. Pay attention.
When I bring your food and ask you "Is there anything else I can bring for you?" pause, look at your plate, and think about what you need. Please don't send me on seven trips for things that can be brought in one trip (i.e. ketchup, napkins, refills).

6. You are NOT my only customer (most likely).
-If you come into a restaurant and see it's completely full, have some patience (especially if you see I am the only server on!!). If there are people that were there before you, their orders are going to be taken first.
-Cut your server some slack. Sometimes we get all of our tables sat at once or have a table that sends us running eight times. I promise I'm doing my best!

7. Pay attention to the hours of operation.
I can't leave until you do, so please don't come in at five minutes to close. How would you like it if I came to your job right before closing and made you stay an extra hour?
-If you really can't go to a different restaurant that is open 24/7 (there are at least four in town), then at least get your food to go.

8. Keep your hands to yourself.
Unless you personally know your server, do not touch them. It makes me so uncomfortable when a customer grabs my arm or even my hand. It's inappropriate, no matter how innocent the intent. A pat on the shoulder, sure, but don't grab my arm.

9. Be courteous to other customers as well.
-If you send me running eight times for things that could have been brought in one trip, you're preventing me from tending to my other customers.
-Please don't interrupt me when I'm taking another table's order. It's rude to them and to me.
-Watch your volume and your language. Please don't be loud or swear, especially when there are children around.

10. If you're coming in to eat with a large party (more than 8), please call ahead.
-We can be better prepared if we know ahead of time.
-All rules stated above need to be followed double. You need to be patient, and you definitely need to be quiet. It's impossible to take an order of 20 with everyone talking and laughing very loudly.

I also have a few tips for other servers, from a customer's perspective.

1. Don't treat me like I'm an inconvenience.
I pay your wages with your tip, angel face. You don't have to be Energizer-Bunny-on-crack friendly, but don't be rude to me. If you give me bad service, I will NOT leave you a tip.

2. Listen when I order.
I don't talk just to hear the sound of my own voice. If I ask for a lot of ice and get one cube, I'm not happy.  I'll tell you everything I need right from the get go; extra napkins, ketchup, ranch, etc.

3. Check back on me.
Don't come back just to bring my check. I usually don't need much, but refills are big with me. Your tip will go up if you bring me more water without me having to ask. I understand if you're busy, but you can make at least one trip back to check on me.

4. Don't judge.
Don't treat me like I'm inferior because I'm in my twenties. I went out for Valentine's Day and there were three other couples (in their 30s or 40s) who also had reservations at 7pm. My boyfriend and I were there first but all of the other couples were sat before us; they were also sat at better tables. NOT COOL, rude hostess at Giuseppe's.

Obviously, these are just my opinions; you're entitled to disagree. I just think maybe some people just don't know the proper way to behave when out to eat (if you've never worked in food service, YOU DON'T KNOW THE HORRORS!), and I just wanted to give you some advice in a more friendly manner than my roommates suggest; their rule of thumb is for all aspects of life, which is simply "Don't be a dick." But that wouldn't make for much of a blog post, would it?

So if you feel you can abide by these guidelines, come visit me some time. You'll get the best service in town! :D

p.s. can you tell I had a great time at work this weekend?

Paula Marie Hayertz

This week, Jen read us a memoir about losing her grandmother. My own grandmother passed away about a month and a half ago; Monday would have been her 91st birthday.

The last few years of my grandma's life were not pleasant, for her or for us. She suffered severely from Alzheimer's, which worsened significantly after my Grandpa's passing in August of 2011. She rarely knew who we were-she often thought my brother was my uncle-and argued if we tried to tell her otherwise. She was also frequently frightened and confused, thinking she was back in Germany during World War II. Due to her severe disease, her passing was more of a blessing. The loving, fun, wonderful woman my Grandma was died years ago with her mind; this was only her body.

But things weren't always like that, as my brother reminded us all at her funeral. Years ago, my grandparents` house was the greatest place ever. Going to Grandma's was the greatest of treats. There were books to color, games to play, and freshly baked goods.

Looking back now, I can pinpoint when we started to lose her. About six years ago, my brother brought his girlfriend (now his wife), Sarah, to Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa's for the first time. Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa's was a huge tradition in our family. Sarah had bought a sweater for my Grandma. When a she opened it, she smiled and said "This is such a lovely sweater. I think I'll wear it next time I go out with my German friends." Sarah told her she was welcome, and we continued to open our gifts.

A few minutes later, she repeated, "This is such a lovely sweater. I think I'll wear it next time I go out with my German friends." We looked at her, smiled, and continued on. Again, she repeated a few minutes later, "This is such a lovely sweater. I think I'll wear it next time I go out with my German friends." We all laughed, and she smiled. The fourth time she repeated it, it started to become a joke. We'd ask her what Sarah had given her, if she liked it, and where she'd wear it. I remember we were all in tears laughing, her and my grandpa included. She laughed because we were laughing, and she was so happy to have family there.

It became apparent soon after that it was no longer funny. But we'd all forgotten how wonderful my Grandma used to be, before she succumbed to that terrible disease. I miss my Grandma, who she used to be. But I'm glad she's no longer frightened or in pain; she's at peace.

This is a picture of my Grandma and me at my third birthday party.