My first Thanksgiving away from family turned out to be pretty great. I got a little sad at one point in the day because I really missed everyone and wished I could have been in Texas, but after I got to my friend's house, I had a great time.
I was surprised by how traditional my Thanksgiving was, actually. There were about 20 of us (some people I knew and some I didn't), gathered at my friend's apartment with potluck food spread out over the counters. We had baked turkey, green bean casserole, stuffing, corn casserole, mac and cheese, as well as an assortment of desserts (I had made coffee cake). We ate until we couldn't eat anymore and then drank wine and watched the Macy's Parade, which had been DVR'd earlier in the day. After everyone started to get restless we went out to the bar that most of my friends work at, turning it into a true Chicago Thanksgiving.
The best part about Thanksgiving (and the days surrounding it) was that I had the apartment to myself. I pretty much lived on this couch in the living room the past few days, and before this I had probably only sat on this couch twice. There's no TV up here, so there's really nothing to come up here for. So yesterday, I brought my TV up here and watched Home Alone 1 and 2 to get in the Christmas spirit. I'm really excited for Christmas, and having mama and brudders come up!
I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving! From what I heard (and saw, virtually), everyone did. I wish I could have been there to spend it in Canyon Lake and San Antonio, but there will be many more to come, and I'll be there soon!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
The Busiest Guy in All of Chicago
Well, maybe that title's a little exaggerated, but I really do feel like I've been the busiest guy in this city. I don't know if anyone realizes this, but working two jobs is tough! It's hard enough just trying to set up the schedule, because they're made for both jobs on the same day. I'm trying my hardest to be lenient though, which has gotten me into working both jobs each day. This past Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I worked 10-6 at Sports Authority, followed by 8-? at Marriott. Tuesday it was 8-2 (yes, 2 A.M.) and Wednesday was 8-2:30. Let's just say I'm glad this past week is finally over. Fourteen hour days do not suit me well.
These double shifts have definitely been a character builder though. I feel like, if I were living at home in San Antonio, or even living in Dallas, days like that would have me wanting to quit one of the jobs. Up here in Chicago though, I'm willing to do absolutely anything to make it, and if that means I have a few hard days, I can deal with that. Whether I sink or swim in this city is completely on me, and I'm definitely not about to give up. One day soon I'll be working at my dream job and living comfortably, but right now I'll take what I can get. Plus, the money has been good, and not only can I build up my savings, I can also afford to do the fun things I want to when I'm not working.
I wish I had something fun and exciting to report, like an adventure or some cool place I've been to, but I've been too busy to do anything like that. On my day off, however, I had a surprisingly good time talking to a banker at Chase. I went to their building downtown just to deposit a check and was directed to a banker to find out about direct deposit (which isn't really what I had wanted to do). I ended up spending about an hour there, talking about savings accounts, CDs, direct deposit, how to pay my Wells Fargo credit card from my Chase account, how to get an Illinois driver's license (not sure about that one), and, of course, the weather. She was so nice, and something about the whole experience gave me some sort of holiday cheer. I guess I'm not sure how to explain that one, but it was the best trip to the bank I've ever had, haha. Then I went to pick up Stephen King's new novel, 11/22/63. It's really good so far!
One last note: I'd really like to Skype with everyone on Thanksgiving (like y'all have done with Mark in the past), so if anyone can help set that up, that would be great. I'm not sure where Jake will be, but I'm sure he can bring his laptop wherever and I'll get to see all of y'all's beautiful faces! If not that, I'll definitely be on the phone and I want to talk to each and everyone one of you!
Ok, well I'm all typed-out, but I will talk to everyone on Thursday! Hope everyone is doing well!
These double shifts have definitely been a character builder though. I feel like, if I were living at home in San Antonio, or even living in Dallas, days like that would have me wanting to quit one of the jobs. Up here in Chicago though, I'm willing to do absolutely anything to make it, and if that means I have a few hard days, I can deal with that. Whether I sink or swim in this city is completely on me, and I'm definitely not about to give up. One day soon I'll be working at my dream job and living comfortably, but right now I'll take what I can get. Plus, the money has been good, and not only can I build up my savings, I can also afford to do the fun things I want to when I'm not working.
I wish I had something fun and exciting to report, like an adventure or some cool place I've been to, but I've been too busy to do anything like that. On my day off, however, I had a surprisingly good time talking to a banker at Chase. I went to their building downtown just to deposit a check and was directed to a banker to find out about direct deposit (which isn't really what I had wanted to do). I ended up spending about an hour there, talking about savings accounts, CDs, direct deposit, how to pay my Wells Fargo credit card from my Chase account, how to get an Illinois driver's license (not sure about that one), and, of course, the weather. She was so nice, and something about the whole experience gave me some sort of holiday cheer. I guess I'm not sure how to explain that one, but it was the best trip to the bank I've ever had, haha. Then I went to pick up Stephen King's new novel, 11/22/63. It's really good so far!
One last note: I'd really like to Skype with everyone on Thanksgiving (like y'all have done with Mark in the past), so if anyone can help set that up, that would be great. I'm not sure where Jake will be, but I'm sure he can bring his laptop wherever and I'll get to see all of y'all's beautiful faces! If not that, I'll definitely be on the phone and I want to talk to each and everyone one of you!
Ok, well I'm all typed-out, but I will talk to everyone on Thursday! Hope everyone is doing well!
Friday, November 18, 2011
A Story
About one week ago today, I was walking to work per usual and was about halfway to the train stop when it started to rain.
Oh great, I thought. Just what I need, rain. I don't even have my umbrella!
As I was just beginning to think about the side effects of cold rain drenching me from head to toe, I looked down and saw tiny white dots speckled amongst the black of my jacket. I took my gloveless hand out of my pocket to brush off whatever lint had attached itself when I realized that maybe it wasn't lint at all.
What is this?
The lint seemed not to brush off, but to become absorbed into my jacket. I pulled my hand away, cold and wet, and looked up into the sky.
No way... could it be?, I speculated.
It was. Somewhere high about the stratosphere, the freezing temperatures and precipitation (most likely from the lake) had given way to small ice particles, which came down to Chicago as snow. It was now sifting it's way down onto my jacket and the pavement of the street around me. I opened my mouth to the sky to get my first taste of Chicago snow, and could feel the tiny flakes on my face and hands. I noticed people began to look at me funny, so I stopped abruptly and kept walking.
The miniature flurry lasted until I got onto the train and, looking out of the window, I could tell it was over as quickly as it had started. It was only my first taste of what this winter was going to be like, but it put a smile on my face as I sat on the train, considering what this Chicago winter had in store for me.
(I've been reading a lot lately so I thought I would right this like a story. Sure, it's a little exaggerated, but it really did snow, if only a little. It hasn't snowed since, but it's gotten to be very cold. The days are still beautiful, though, and the sun has been out, even if the wind has too. I think I'm definitely going to need a heavier jacket!)
Oh great, I thought. Just what I need, rain. I don't even have my umbrella!
As I was just beginning to think about the side effects of cold rain drenching me from head to toe, I looked down and saw tiny white dots speckled amongst the black of my jacket. I took my gloveless hand out of my pocket to brush off whatever lint had attached itself when I realized that maybe it wasn't lint at all.
What is this?
The lint seemed not to brush off, but to become absorbed into my jacket. I pulled my hand away, cold and wet, and looked up into the sky.
No way... could it be?, I speculated.
It was. Somewhere high about the stratosphere, the freezing temperatures and precipitation (most likely from the lake) had given way to small ice particles, which came down to Chicago as snow. It was now sifting it's way down onto my jacket and the pavement of the street around me. I opened my mouth to the sky to get my first taste of Chicago snow, and could feel the tiny flakes on my face and hands. I noticed people began to look at me funny, so I stopped abruptly and kept walking.
The miniature flurry lasted until I got onto the train and, looking out of the window, I could tell it was over as quickly as it had started. It was only my first taste of what this winter was going to be like, but it put a smile on my face as I sat on the train, considering what this Chicago winter had in store for me.
(I've been reading a lot lately so I thought I would right this like a story. Sure, it's a little exaggerated, but it really did snow, if only a little. It hasn't snowed since, but it's gotten to be very cold. The days are still beautiful, though, and the sun has been out, even if the wind has too. I think I'm definitely going to need a heavier jacket!)
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Actual, Real Update
Okay, so here I am for real about to update everyone on things going on. Let's see how much I can type in 20 minutes! I think I'm going to separate this post into sections, so you can read what you like a pass through the rest, or just read it all. It's like one of those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books!
Jobs and work: So I began work yesterday at Sports Authority and it went really well. I just learned about the register and checking people out, which is like riding a bike and even though this bike is different from my last, cashiering is mostly about customer interaction rather than how well you manage the actual register. Something that I didn't expect at all (although I probably should have) is that there are so many foreign customers. I worked from 9-3 and I would say that 75% of the customers I checked out were foreign. I helped customers from the UK, France and Australia. It's so interesting, and I think it's because we're right downtown, where they are generally staying. This makes asking for zip codes kind of awkward though, just because there's usually already a language barrier, and they just say that they're from overseas and have no zip code. I usually just tell them that's quite alright as I enter 99999 on the register. It's just for marketing purposes anyway, so it doesn't affect anything too much. The people at this job seem really nice, and I'm sure we'll be good friends soon! It's so relaxing to be back in a customer-based atmosphere with people my own age who are in good moods and ready to joke around but also do their work. I think I'm going to really like it there.
We have about two weeks left of real, solid business at the JW, after which I probably won't be working very much. That's alright, though, as I'm excited to get more into my new position at Sports Authority. Also, I have today, Friday and Saturday off, so I'm pretty happy about that.
Weather: I was happy to report that the weather was excellent and it felt amazing outside... and then I woke up this morning. You couldn't have asked for a better day yesterday, it was 70 degrees, there was a slight wind and the sun was out with not a cloud in the sky! Today was cold, rainy and, worst of all, extremely windy. Apparently it's called the Windy City for a reason. My friend was telling me that there's a saying here: "If you don't like the weather in Chicago, wait an hour", which is funny because that's exactly the same saying that they have in Texas. The lake is the main cause for that here, whereas Texas is just crazy by itself. I think we're seeing an end to the nice, springtime weather, and finally getting into fall. That's okay though, I'll be ready!
Holidays: It's official that I will be spending Thanksgiving with friends here! I'm really excited for that, as I have never spent a holiday with just friends. Of course I'll miss everyone, but I'm gonna try and set up a Skype date so that I can see what everyone is up to on Thanksgiving, and talk to y'all. Christmas will mean mom and brothers in Chicago, and I'm still working on what I want to show them while they're here. Hopefully there will be a few surprises!
Random notes: I've had a craving for chips and salsa for some reason and so I went to the store to get some the other day. I bought some salsa I had never heard of and it was alright, but I think I can do better. I like my salsa to have cilantro, like the one our family makes. Anyway, the point is, if you know of a good salsa brand, let me know and I'll see if I can find it. I know that Anna's Salsa tastes almost exactly like ours but they didn't have it at my friendly neighborhood Jewel-Osco. Oh well! Also, the cold (inside me) went away, just as the cold (outside) picked up. I'm so glad I fought that cold with fruits and vegetables and Nyquil and Dayquil and was only left with a cough. My double shift yesterday would have been really awful if I had been feeling bad. Also, here are some pictures:
Okay, I think that's all I have to say today. I'm sorry it took me so long to come up with another post, but I will be more vigilant in the future. Keep checking, too, because I am definitely not going to stop writing in this altogether. Thanks for reading, y'all!
Jobs and work: So I began work yesterday at Sports Authority and it went really well. I just learned about the register and checking people out, which is like riding a bike and even though this bike is different from my last, cashiering is mostly about customer interaction rather than how well you manage the actual register. Something that I didn't expect at all (although I probably should have) is that there are so many foreign customers. I worked from 9-3 and I would say that 75% of the customers I checked out were foreign. I helped customers from the UK, France and Australia. It's so interesting, and I think it's because we're right downtown, where they are generally staying. This makes asking for zip codes kind of awkward though, just because there's usually already a language barrier, and they just say that they're from overseas and have no zip code. I usually just tell them that's quite alright as I enter 99999 on the register. It's just for marketing purposes anyway, so it doesn't affect anything too much. The people at this job seem really nice, and I'm sure we'll be good friends soon! It's so relaxing to be back in a customer-based atmosphere with people my own age who are in good moods and ready to joke around but also do their work. I think I'm going to really like it there.
We have about two weeks left of real, solid business at the JW, after which I probably won't be working very much. That's alright, though, as I'm excited to get more into my new position at Sports Authority. Also, I have today, Friday and Saturday off, so I'm pretty happy about that.
Weather: I was happy to report that the weather was excellent and it felt amazing outside... and then I woke up this morning. You couldn't have asked for a better day yesterday, it was 70 degrees, there was a slight wind and the sun was out with not a cloud in the sky! Today was cold, rainy and, worst of all, extremely windy. Apparently it's called the Windy City for a reason. My friend was telling me that there's a saying here: "If you don't like the weather in Chicago, wait an hour", which is funny because that's exactly the same saying that they have in Texas. The lake is the main cause for that here, whereas Texas is just crazy by itself. I think we're seeing an end to the nice, springtime weather, and finally getting into fall. That's okay though, I'll be ready!
Holidays: It's official that I will be spending Thanksgiving with friends here! I'm really excited for that, as I have never spent a holiday with just friends. Of course I'll miss everyone, but I'm gonna try and set up a Skype date so that I can see what everyone is up to on Thanksgiving, and talk to y'all. Christmas will mean mom and brothers in Chicago, and I'm still working on what I want to show them while they're here. Hopefully there will be a few surprises!
Random notes: I've had a craving for chips and salsa for some reason and so I went to the store to get some the other day. I bought some salsa I had never heard of and it was alright, but I think I can do better. I like my salsa to have cilantro, like the one our family makes. Anyway, the point is, if you know of a good salsa brand, let me know and I'll see if I can find it. I know that Anna's Salsa tastes almost exactly like ours but they didn't have it at my friendly neighborhood Jewel-Osco. Oh well! Also, the cold (inside me) went away, just as the cold (outside) picked up. I'm so glad I fought that cold with fruits and vegetables and Nyquil and Dayquil and was only left with a cough. My double shift yesterday would have been really awful if I had been feeling bad. Also, here are some pictures:
This is me, my roommate Sophia and her friend Derek, about three weeks ago. We were at Sophia's friend's house for her birthday party. Derek's from Ozona, Texas, which I've never heard of, but he graduated from UT Austin. Sophia is a teacher and she's from New York. This was fun.
This is one of my other roommates, Hannah, who's from New Jersey. We were at dinner like two weeks after I got here. I've only been in like 10 pictures since arriving, but that's okay.
Okay, I think that's all I have to say today. I'm sorry it took me so long to come up with another post, but I will be more vigilant in the future. Keep checking, too, because I am definitely not going to stop writing in this altogether. Thanks for reading, y'all!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Delays
I'm soooo sorry I haven't written anything in a while, I've been pretty busy with work and everything. Quick update though: I got the job at Sports Authority and had orientation on Monday and then Marriott after, and tomorrow I start actually working, so I'll be doing 9-3 at S.A. and 4-12 or so at Marriott which is why I've been so busy with other things and which is also why I'm about to go to bed. Thankfully, I have the next three days off and I'll be using them to catch up on social things and such. I need to write a true update on here, respond to a few emails that some of y'all have sent me (thanks so much, I really enjoy getting emails from everyone) and make a few phone calls. Anyway, I'm about to down some Nyquil (I feel a cold coming on and I'm trying so hard to beat it before it fully hits me) and get in bed. Hope everyone is doing well! More in-depth update in the next few days! Stay tuned!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)