If anyone is still reading my blog, you may have noticed I have been absent for quite a while now. Part of this is due to my "summer vacation" which I will post a continues review of soon. Mostly it is due to my new job that I started a month ago, right when I got back from vacation.
This new job is exciting, and it's a step towards advancement. Already it's better pay and better hours, so there isn't really a downside. This job takes me from my front desk experience in the front of the "house" and puts me into an entirely new category in the back of "house", housekeeping. I am not actually a housekeeper, I am the "housekeeping coordinator" which is for all intensive purposes an admin position that fills the gap between the housekeepers (and laundry attendants and housemen) and the supervisor. Needless to say, I have learned a lot in the month I have been here.
My first day of training was in the laundry area. Everyday, the laundry attendants sort through the laundry the housekeepers send down, and wash the towels and rags and bathmats etc. The sheets get sent out with our laundry service, so at least they don't have to worry about that. I know what you're thinking, "So they do laundry all day, how hard is that?" Let me be the first to say, folding laundry all day is exhausting. You spend the whole day moving, and on your feet. I don't even like doing laundry in my own house, let alone a hotel full of dirty towels!
My second day of training focused on the housemen and their duties. The houseman split up the floors, and assist the housekeepers on those floors. This includes emptying their trash and linen bags, supplying them with fresh glasses for the rooms, and anything else they might need. Plus the housekeepers are responsible for keeping the hallways clean, so they vacuum them from end to end at least once a day. Let the record show, I also hate vacuuming.
The last three days of my first week consisted of learning what a housekeeper does. The first day I focused on the bedroom, the second day I focused on the bathroom, and the third day, I cleaned some rooms by myself. It wasn't the 15 rooms our housekeepers are in charge of each day, but I was successful in cleaning the three rooms I was assigned. I have worked in hotels for six years now, and I have always known that the housekeeping team is the backbone of the property. Without them, the rest of us are useless. They can make or break your stay in a hotel. And while I knew this on an intellectual level, being a housekeeper was still a whole new experience.
The most poignant experience so far was a guest interaction I had on my first day shadowing a housekeeper. There is a guest who is one of our regulars, and he has always been a bit... odd. That's putting it nicely. But he has always been very polite to me at the desk, knows my name, says hello etc. This day he was moving rooms and we were assigned his original room. We had seen him move his things to the next room, and were about to go in when the housekeeper realized she needed something from the main storage closet. I waited by the room with the cart. The guest started towards his original room and I said "Hi Mr. X, were you all set in your new room?" to which he replied "It's Captain X, and I am going to check this room one more time to make sure I didn't leave anything behind." Seriously. No pleasant greeting, no recognition, nothing nice about his attitude during this exchange. Everyone knows there is that cliche about people treating "the help" poorly, but even so, I was a little caught off guard, and a lot irritated, to find out it's so true! It really says a lot about people when they talk down to people they believe to be below them. Like I said, this man was already not one of my favorites, but this has made me see him in a whole new light.
So the next time you are on vacation, staying at a hotel, remember this: housekeepers make the bed you sleep in, clean the bathroom you shower in, pick up the towels you use, and restock your toilet paper (among many other things). A good housekeeper can easily make your stay wonderful. They work harder than probably anyone you know. Most people tip the people that valet their car, and the person that takes their bags to their room, but you would be surprised how many people forget about the people behind the scenes!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Our Summer Vacation~ Pt. 1
On Friday, May 13th, our family began our "summer" vacation!
We started this trip off at 5 am, heading to the airport to catch our 6:30 am flight to... San Antonio! I LOVE San Antonio. I love the food, the weather (usually), the shopping, the atmosphere. My sister has spent the past 4 years at Trinity University in San Antonio, and this leg of the trip was for her graduation. I can't believe she has actually graduated college! That means I am old, since my 5 year college reunion is this fall...
We have family in Texas that joined us for the ceremony and festivities, and some of my grandparents also made the trip, so we had a fun group to celebrate with. We stayed at a beautiful Embassy Suites downtown, right off the Riverwalk area. This hotel is pretty new, and it was very lovely. The happy hour each night included beer, wine, plus sangria, rum punch, margaritas etc. The breakfast was amazing, made to order omelets that were perfect, plus all the normal hot breakfast items, as well as pastries, oatmeal, cereal and fresh fruit. The pool area was also fantastic, but since Jack threw up next to it after our first swimming foray, we stuck with dangling our feet in the water for the rest of the trip. On the upside, I have learned I have excellent cat-like reflexes when it comes to vomit catching! After all, I did not want everyone to have to get out of the pool due to a bio hazard!
The ceremony itself was very nice, the student speaker was pretty good, and the commencement speaker was great. Very insightful, but still light and funny! Naturally it dragged on after a while, but that's pretty typical. We had our celebratory dinner at our favorite San Antonio restaurant, La Margarita! The food and drinks were amazing as usual, and while the service wasn't stellar, he got the job done, and wasn't rude or anything.
Sunday it was back to the airport for our second (mini) leg if the trip. We got on our afternoon flight to Fort Lauderdale right on time and made it here about half an hour early. We got our luggage and boarded our shuttle to the Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Airport- North.
I selected this hotel because I used to work at one, right as it began its renovations to become a "Hyatt Place". I knew it had decent amenities, and the rate was pretty cheap, so we were able to get 2 rooms. Upon arrival, it was obvious that this place has ahd some wear and tear, but the staff is friendly and it has everything we need. Jack had a chance to swim for a bit, and then we headed over to the Outback for dinner right nearby so we could walk. The food at dinner was great, and I got to try something I have heard about on Twitter and Facebook, but never seen in real life- A Red Stag Lemonade. I definitely get the hype, it was darn good. Unfortunately the same could not be said for our waiter, who was very busy, very forgetful, and very forgettable. After dinner we walked a bit farther to get some frozen yogurt for dessert. We finally made it back and into bed. Of course Jack had a bad dream so he ended up sleeping with me in a double bed, so while the bed was comfy and nice, it was crowded.
This morning we slept in a bit and got some pretty random (though free) breakfast. Now I am utilizing the free Wifi (which is a bit spotty) to check on things before we head off on our 3rd and final leg of our journey... our cruise! We have a shuttle picking us up and taking us to Miami where we will board the Carnival Destiny for 5 relaxing nights in the Bahamas! I haven't decided yet if I will pay the steep fee for internet on the ship, so everyone might just have to wait till we get back to hear more about our exciting summer adventure!
We started this trip off at 5 am, heading to the airport to catch our 6:30 am flight to... San Antonio! I LOVE San Antonio. I love the food, the weather (usually), the shopping, the atmosphere. My sister has spent the past 4 years at Trinity University in San Antonio, and this leg of the trip was for her graduation. I can't believe she has actually graduated college! That means I am old, since my 5 year college reunion is this fall...
We have family in Texas that joined us for the ceremony and festivities, and some of my grandparents also made the trip, so we had a fun group to celebrate with. We stayed at a beautiful Embassy Suites downtown, right off the Riverwalk area. This hotel is pretty new, and it was very lovely. The happy hour each night included beer, wine, plus sangria, rum punch, margaritas etc. The breakfast was amazing, made to order omelets that were perfect, plus all the normal hot breakfast items, as well as pastries, oatmeal, cereal and fresh fruit. The pool area was also fantastic, but since Jack threw up next to it after our first swimming foray, we stuck with dangling our feet in the water for the rest of the trip. On the upside, I have learned I have excellent cat-like reflexes when it comes to vomit catching! After all, I did not want everyone to have to get out of the pool due to a bio hazard!
The ceremony itself was very nice, the student speaker was pretty good, and the commencement speaker was great. Very insightful, but still light and funny! Naturally it dragged on after a while, but that's pretty typical. We had our celebratory dinner at our favorite San Antonio restaurant, La Margarita! The food and drinks were amazing as usual, and while the service wasn't stellar, he got the job done, and wasn't rude or anything.
Sunday it was back to the airport for our second (mini) leg if the trip. We got on our afternoon flight to Fort Lauderdale right on time and made it here about half an hour early. We got our luggage and boarded our shuttle to the Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Airport- North.
I selected this hotel because I used to work at one, right as it began its renovations to become a "Hyatt Place". I knew it had decent amenities, and the rate was pretty cheap, so we were able to get 2 rooms. Upon arrival, it was obvious that this place has ahd some wear and tear, but the staff is friendly and it has everything we need. Jack had a chance to swim for a bit, and then we headed over to the Outback for dinner right nearby so we could walk. The food at dinner was great, and I got to try something I have heard about on Twitter and Facebook, but never seen in real life- A Red Stag Lemonade. I definitely get the hype, it was darn good. Unfortunately the same could not be said for our waiter, who was very busy, very forgetful, and very forgettable. After dinner we walked a bit farther to get some frozen yogurt for dessert. We finally made it back and into bed. Of course Jack had a bad dream so he ended up sleeping with me in a double bed, so while the bed was comfy and nice, it was crowded.
This morning we slept in a bit and got some pretty random (though free) breakfast. Now I am utilizing the free Wifi (which is a bit spotty) to check on things before we head off on our 3rd and final leg of our journey... our cruise! We have a shuttle picking us up and taking us to Miami where we will board the Carnival Destiny for 5 relaxing nights in the Bahamas! I haven't decided yet if I will pay the steep fee for internet on the ship, so everyone might just have to wait till we get back to hear more about our exciting summer adventure!
Let The Good Times Roll!!
So for those of you not aware, I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding this past weekend! It was in a small town near New Orleans, the bride and groom are currently living in England, so most people had a bit of a commute to get to the event!
This was an early morning start! Luckily I was off the day before, so I actually got a few hours of sleep! My flight was at 7:05am and since I live near the airport and our airport is very travel friendly, I didn’t have to get up until 5:30! My dad dropped me off just after 6, I dropped my bag at curbside check in and breezed through security with just my dress and my purse! Once I located my gate, I located a Quiznos and ordered a "Hotzi" breakfast sandwich and an OJ. The sandwich wasn’t bad, but it was super greasy! I almost took a picture but I caught a guy giving me funny looks and chickened out!
Soon it was time to board! I had A33 as my boarding number. I headed towards the back of the plane hoping it wouldn’t be a full flight and I might score an extra seat for my dress, but unfortunately it was indeed full. I held the dress on my lap and read my book. I am not very social on flights, for fear I might be stuck talking to a crazy person, or someone with bad breath for the whole flight. I know, it probably seems rude, but I like my peace and quiet time on my flights.
We had a stop in Nashville, but no plane change, so I took that opportunity to move to the third row (easier exiting) and to find a safe place to put my dress in the above storage.
Ok, so some of you are going to roll your eyes when I admit this, but I seriously thought that Louisiana was on Eastern time… so an hour ahead of me. So naturally I set my watch ahead an hour, which led to a lot of confusion, but I just figured that I was just tired and didn’t think much of it. We landed in New Orleans right on time and I called my ride, who was the best man and his girlfriend. He said his girlfriend would come find me my baggage claim!
Of course, this is when my bag would take FOREVER to get unloaded… I seriously waited at least 15 minutes, which I am not used to. Finally it came and I found my ride and we piled into the car for the hour long ride to our rental house!
So this house was crazy. Evidently the owner ran a construction company, and when the weather was bad and his crew couldn’t work, they would come over to the house and just add on rooms. Seriously. Consequently there were bedrooms scattered all over the place, 3 kitchens, random living rooms etc. I was sharing a bedroom with a girl from California who was super sweet.
I was just grateful to have a bed, it was pretty crowded! The whole wedding party and some extra family was staying there, so it was a party atmosphere, but very fun. I had met most of these people in the past, so it was like a mini reunion!
Once we got settled we headed around the corner to the brides grandparents house. We chatted a bit, ate some lunch (red beans and rice) and then headed out to run errands!
The bride was basically doing all the wedding stuff herself. The decorations, the food, everything was planned and delegated, so it was super low cost, but still exactly what she wanted. Our first errand was to go to the grocery store to pay for the kegs for the wedding and pick up adult beverages for the game night we were having in lieu of a bachelor/bachelorette party that night.
Then we headed to Wal-Mart for some last minute decorations for the bridal shower the next day. Next was the Harley Davidson store to get something to use as a topper for the Groom’s cake. We also had to stop at the cake place to pay off the cake too.
Once we got back to the house we got to work making tissue paper flowers for the shower. I am not a creative person, luckily the girl from California knew exactly what she was doing. All this time more and more people are arriving. We finished the flowers just in time to start putting in the frozen pizzas!
The bride's little sister was the Maid of Honor (there was a maid, matron, and me). I have known her since she was a silly little girl, and now she is all grown up! She is only 19, but I had a great time hanging out with her and her friend despite the age difference.
The evening was a pretty big success, there was a lot of mingling and chatting (and drinking) as we learned how to play Bunco (I have NEVER played before). Everyone had a good time, and we all went to bed later than we should have!
Friday was an early morning. We had to leave for the Swamp Tour by 8 am or so, so I had taken a shower the night before. I figured with all of us only sharing 3 bathrooms, we needed to space out our showers as much as possible.
I woke up, rolled out of bed and threw on some clothes. I managed to get a cup of coffee before we all took off for the swamp!
I really enjoyed the swamp tour. I think I was worried it would be smelly, but it was a beautiful day, low 70's and sunny and not buggy or anything! The man running the swamp tour was really informative and funny. It was like a Jungle Cruise, but with fewer corny jokes (note, I said fewer, not none!) I had the chance to chat with some people I hadn't talked to much the night before, and we girls talked about our hair etc.
After the tour we went back to the house to get changed and then headed over to the grandparents house to get ready for the bridal shower.
The shower started right on time at 1 pm.
We played some classic shower games, and then the groom made a surprise visit in the middle to bring all of us ladies yellow roses.
He sat down and told everyone the story of how he met the bride, and then he left and we finished opening presents. We were on a tight schedule because we had to be back at the house for rehearsal. We cleaned up and rushed back. I decided to wear my actual shoes to the rehearsal, just to make sure I could walk etc in them. Everything went pretty quickly, but there were some last minute changes, which would be confusing later...
Then it was time to rush to the rehearsal dinner! It was a place called Big Al's, in which the Al is short for Alligator! For apps they had fried alligator and fried onion (whew) and then for entrees we had a choice of fried catfish, crawfish or shrimp, boiled crawfish, and chicken. I do not eat water dwelling creatures... I don't have any moral issues with it or anything, I just don't like seafood. So I had the chicken and french fries, as well as two peach daiquiris, which were delicious!
After dinner we all went to a place called the Jolly Inn for dancing, cajun style (and more drinks!) I got dragged onto the floor more than I anticipated, but it was fun.
We headed back the house and I actually managed to get to bed at a decent time, which was essential since the next day was... Wedding day!!!
We actually got to sleep in a bit later this morning! We had nail appointments for 9:40 am, which is before the place actually opened. On the way we stopped at Wal-Mart for a few last minute things. I decided to get silver flip flops for after the official wedding stuff was over. After all, I knew my 4 inch heels would only last for an hour or two!
Then we headed over to get our mani's/pedi's. I had gotten my nails done with a new gel thing called shellack (sp?) before I left, but I had messed up 2 of them, so I had them just fix those. We all did french pedicures, and my toes have held up surprisingly well!
The girl I was sharing the room with had brought these apples from the weekly market in California. They are dipped in chocolate and covered with heath bar pieces! They are delish! One was dark chocolate, one was milk, and we cut them into slices and ate them while we got our toes done.
Once I was done I went off insearch of a clip the bride needed for her veil, and picked up a few cheap silver bangle bracelets from Claires.
We all headed back to the big house to pick up our stuff and then we went to the grandparents house to get ready! There was a girl coming in to do hair and makeup, but we were obviously only going to get done one at a time, so the brides sister and I went to pick up some lunch from Sonic, double sided tape to hold down the table cloths, and some Daiquiris to pass the time
When we got back it was time for hair!! Even the brides brother got his hair styled!
After we all had our hair done, she did our makeup. We bridemaids were not thrilled, in fact we "lightened" it up a bit ourselves, it was way too dark. She only did our eyes, we did everything else thankfully!
After we were all beautiful (or more beautiful than usual) we had some pictures taken, then we headed over to the house for the ceremony!!
It was a bit of a rough start, since after the rehearsal the bride and groom decided to rearrange the chairs... with the music and everything, no one was sure exactly when to start processing down the aisle, so eventually we just went. We ended up out of order, but it all turned out ok.
The ceremony was short and sweet and beautiful. The flower girls ended up standing next to me the whole time and they were adorable.
After we went a little farther out into the trees for pictures. And naturally, I stepped in an ant hill. Thankfully they weren’t fire ants, but my feet started to feel weird and I looked down and sure enough, there were ants everywhere. We only had to do a few pictures and then I ran inside to change into my new flip flops. So my shoes only lasted about 40 minutes.
While the bride and groom finished up with pictures we mingled around a bit till it was time to be announced. All of a sudden, the groom's son, one of the groomsman, said "It really sucks we have to dance for this..." Umm what? Dance??
Now don't get me wrong, I am a pretty decent dancer. But I am NOT a waltzer. And I haven't been in any other weddings, so I didn't realize we would be dancing as a bridal party... and no one else did either. We quickly started to practice, and my escort and I decided on a box step (since that was all I could accomplish on such short notice). Then the wedding coordinator said he thought we would be dancing later, so we all breathed a sigh of relief. Then we were announced right after the bride and groom. My escort and I came out, and stood awkwardly in the corner till the bride whispered and asked us why we weren't dancing as well.We quickly got our act together and of course, he tried to make me waltz. I almost killed him. It probably wouldn't be so bad except he is like 6'5" and I am 5 feet tall, even. Finally he gave up and just started spinning me and "fun" dancing which was much better. From what I hear, none of the couples looked very good anyways
The dinner was great, buffet style with plenty of Cajun classics. The cake was one small cake on top and carrot cake cupcakes below.
We all danced and had a good time, and plenty to drink. It got pretty buggy so someone produced a can of Off for everyone to use which really came in handy. Later on in the evening someone also made a daiquiri run
I finally went to bed about 1 am, and got up at 4 to help drive people to the airport. Luckily there were plenty of other people going, so I took that quiet opportunity to take a cold shower (it was super hot and muggy) and take down my hair. Then I went back to bed for a couple more hours. I got up in time to say hi to everyone in the morning and scarf down some pancakes before heading off to the airport!
I got to my gate with about 10 minutes to spare. I was still tired, and I read the whole way back. Of course, due to weather, our flight was an hour and 25 minutes longer, so I was late getting in, and consequently late to work, but oh well.
All in all it was a fantastic weekend. It was so nice to see so many people I knew, but hadn't seen in a while, and I was super excited to share in my friend’s special day
This was an early morning start! Luckily I was off the day before, so I actually got a few hours of sleep! My flight was at 7:05am and since I live near the airport and our airport is very travel friendly, I didn’t have to get up until 5:30! My dad dropped me off just after 6, I dropped my bag at curbside check in and breezed through security with just my dress and my purse! Once I located my gate, I located a Quiznos and ordered a "Hotzi" breakfast sandwich and an OJ. The sandwich wasn’t bad, but it was super greasy! I almost took a picture but I caught a guy giving me funny looks and chickened out!
Soon it was time to board! I had A33 as my boarding number. I headed towards the back of the plane hoping it wouldn’t be a full flight and I might score an extra seat for my dress, but unfortunately it was indeed full. I held the dress on my lap and read my book. I am not very social on flights, for fear I might be stuck talking to a crazy person, or someone with bad breath for the whole flight. I know, it probably seems rude, but I like my peace and quiet time on my flights.
We had a stop in Nashville, but no plane change, so I took that opportunity to move to the third row (easier exiting) and to find a safe place to put my dress in the above storage.
Ok, so some of you are going to roll your eyes when I admit this, but I seriously thought that Louisiana was on Eastern time… so an hour ahead of me. So naturally I set my watch ahead an hour, which led to a lot of confusion, but I just figured that I was just tired and didn’t think much of it. We landed in New Orleans right on time and I called my ride, who was the best man and his girlfriend. He said his girlfriend would come find me my baggage claim!
Of course, this is when my bag would take FOREVER to get unloaded… I seriously waited at least 15 minutes, which I am not used to. Finally it came and I found my ride and we piled into the car for the hour long ride to our rental house!
So this house was crazy. Evidently the owner ran a construction company, and when the weather was bad and his crew couldn’t work, they would come over to the house and just add on rooms. Seriously. Consequently there were bedrooms scattered all over the place, 3 kitchens, random living rooms etc. I was sharing a bedroom with a girl from California who was super sweet.
I was just grateful to have a bed, it was pretty crowded! The whole wedding party and some extra family was staying there, so it was a party atmosphere, but very fun. I had met most of these people in the past, so it was like a mini reunion!
Once we got settled we headed around the corner to the brides grandparents house. We chatted a bit, ate some lunch (red beans and rice) and then headed out to run errands!
The bride was basically doing all the wedding stuff herself. The decorations, the food, everything was planned and delegated, so it was super low cost, but still exactly what she wanted. Our first errand was to go to the grocery store to pay for the kegs for the wedding and pick up adult beverages for the game night we were having in lieu of a bachelor/bachelorette party that night.
Then we headed to Wal-Mart for some last minute decorations for the bridal shower the next day. Next was the Harley Davidson store to get something to use as a topper for the Groom’s cake. We also had to stop at the cake place to pay off the cake too.
Once we got back to the house we got to work making tissue paper flowers for the shower. I am not a creative person, luckily the girl from California knew exactly what she was doing. All this time more and more people are arriving. We finished the flowers just in time to start putting in the frozen pizzas!
The bride's little sister was the Maid of Honor (there was a maid, matron, and me). I have known her since she was a silly little girl, and now she is all grown up! She is only 19, but I had a great time hanging out with her and her friend despite the age difference.
The evening was a pretty big success, there was a lot of mingling and chatting (and drinking) as we learned how to play Bunco (I have NEVER played before). Everyone had a good time, and we all went to bed later than we should have!
Friday was an early morning. We had to leave for the Swamp Tour by 8 am or so, so I had taken a shower the night before. I figured with all of us only sharing 3 bathrooms, we needed to space out our showers as much as possible.
I woke up, rolled out of bed and threw on some clothes. I managed to get a cup of coffee before we all took off for the swamp!
I really enjoyed the swamp tour. I think I was worried it would be smelly, but it was a beautiful day, low 70's and sunny and not buggy or anything! The man running the swamp tour was really informative and funny. It was like a Jungle Cruise, but with fewer corny jokes (note, I said fewer, not none!) I had the chance to chat with some people I hadn't talked to much the night before, and we girls talked about our hair etc.
After the tour we went back to the house to get changed and then headed over to the grandparents house to get ready for the bridal shower.
The shower started right on time at 1 pm.
We played some classic shower games, and then the groom made a surprise visit in the middle to bring all of us ladies yellow roses.
He sat down and told everyone the story of how he met the bride, and then he left and we finished opening presents. We were on a tight schedule because we had to be back at the house for rehearsal. We cleaned up and rushed back. I decided to wear my actual shoes to the rehearsal, just to make sure I could walk etc in them. Everything went pretty quickly, but there were some last minute changes, which would be confusing later...
Then it was time to rush to the rehearsal dinner! It was a place called Big Al's, in which the Al is short for Alligator! For apps they had fried alligator and fried onion (whew) and then for entrees we had a choice of fried catfish, crawfish or shrimp, boiled crawfish, and chicken. I do not eat water dwelling creatures... I don't have any moral issues with it or anything, I just don't like seafood. So I had the chicken and french fries, as well as two peach daiquiris, which were delicious!
After dinner we all went to a place called the Jolly Inn for dancing, cajun style (and more drinks!) I got dragged onto the floor more than I anticipated, but it was fun.
We headed back the house and I actually managed to get to bed at a decent time, which was essential since the next day was... Wedding day!!!
We actually got to sleep in a bit later this morning! We had nail appointments for 9:40 am, which is before the place actually opened. On the way we stopped at Wal-Mart for a few last minute things. I decided to get silver flip flops for after the official wedding stuff was over. After all, I knew my 4 inch heels would only last for an hour or two!
Then we headed over to get our mani's/pedi's. I had gotten my nails done with a new gel thing called shellack (sp?) before I left, but I had messed up 2 of them, so I had them just fix those. We all did french pedicures, and my toes have held up surprisingly well!
The girl I was sharing the room with had brought these apples from the weekly market in California. They are dipped in chocolate and covered with heath bar pieces! They are delish! One was dark chocolate, one was milk, and we cut them into slices and ate them while we got our toes done.
Once I was done I went off insearch of a clip the bride needed for her veil, and picked up a few cheap silver bangle bracelets from Claires.
We all headed back to the big house to pick up our stuff and then we went to the grandparents house to get ready! There was a girl coming in to do hair and makeup, but we were obviously only going to get done one at a time, so the brides sister and I went to pick up some lunch from Sonic, double sided tape to hold down the table cloths, and some Daiquiris to pass the time
When we got back it was time for hair!! Even the brides brother got his hair styled!
After we all had our hair done, she did our makeup. We bridemaids were not thrilled, in fact we "lightened" it up a bit ourselves, it was way too dark. She only did our eyes, we did everything else thankfully!
After we were all beautiful (or more beautiful than usual) we had some pictures taken, then we headed over to the house for the ceremony!!
It was a bit of a rough start, since after the rehearsal the bride and groom decided to rearrange the chairs... with the music and everything, no one was sure exactly when to start processing down the aisle, so eventually we just went. We ended up out of order, but it all turned out ok.
The ceremony was short and sweet and beautiful. The flower girls ended up standing next to me the whole time and they were adorable.
After we went a little farther out into the trees for pictures. And naturally, I stepped in an ant hill. Thankfully they weren’t fire ants, but my feet started to feel weird and I looked down and sure enough, there were ants everywhere. We only had to do a few pictures and then I ran inside to change into my new flip flops. So my shoes only lasted about 40 minutes.
While the bride and groom finished up with pictures we mingled around a bit till it was time to be announced. All of a sudden, the groom's son, one of the groomsman, said "It really sucks we have to dance for this..." Umm what? Dance??
Now don't get me wrong, I am a pretty decent dancer. But I am NOT a waltzer. And I haven't been in any other weddings, so I didn't realize we would be dancing as a bridal party... and no one else did either. We quickly started to practice, and my escort and I decided on a box step (since that was all I could accomplish on such short notice). Then the wedding coordinator said he thought we would be dancing later, so we all breathed a sigh of relief. Then we were announced right after the bride and groom. My escort and I came out, and stood awkwardly in the corner till the bride whispered and asked us why we weren't dancing as well.We quickly got our act together and of course, he tried to make me waltz. I almost killed him. It probably wouldn't be so bad except he is like 6'5" and I am 5 feet tall, even. Finally he gave up and just started spinning me and "fun" dancing which was much better. From what I hear, none of the couples looked very good anyways
The dinner was great, buffet style with plenty of Cajun classics. The cake was one small cake on top and carrot cake cupcakes below.
We all danced and had a good time, and plenty to drink. It got pretty buggy so someone produced a can of Off for everyone to use which really came in handy. Later on in the evening someone also made a daiquiri run
I finally went to bed about 1 am, and got up at 4 to help drive people to the airport. Luckily there were plenty of other people going, so I took that quiet opportunity to take a cold shower (it was super hot and muggy) and take down my hair. Then I went back to bed for a couple more hours. I got up in time to say hi to everyone in the morning and scarf down some pancakes before heading off to the airport!
I got to my gate with about 10 minutes to spare. I was still tired, and I read the whole way back. Of course, due to weather, our flight was an hour and 25 minutes longer, so I was late getting in, and consequently late to work, but oh well.
All in all it was a fantastic weekend. It was so nice to see so many people I knew, but hadn't seen in a while, and I was super excited to share in my friend’s special day
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
9/11 and 5/1: My thoughts...
With the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death plastered all over Facebook and Twitter, not to mention the news outlets, it’s no surprise I have been giving the announcement some thought. This “event” seems to have been pretty polarizing for a lot of people. Some are obviously overjoyed at the news that the mastermind of the 9-11 tragedy has been “dealt with”. Others think it is wrong to rejoice in anyone’s death, regardless of how evil he may have been. Many are breathing a sigh of relief. I know for many it has been an emotional time and brought back a lot of feelings associated with where they were on 9-11.
I personally have avoided talking about my 9-11 experience these past 10 years. I have obviously told my “tale” but not as frequently as I could have, and many times I just avoided the topic all together. With the death of Osama, I figure it’s as good a time as any to get my story out there.
I was a senior in high school in 2001. I was living in northern Virginia, in what was basically a commuter suburb of DC. We had barely started our school year; I think we were maybe a week into it. I was sitting in AP government that morning, and we had a substitute teacher, so we were naturally watching a movie. When it was over and the tape ejected (VHS nonetheless) and the screen switched to regular TV. That’s when we saw the towers. They were showing footage of the planes crashing, and everyone was shocked, but that was about it… until a few minutes later when the newscaster broke in with the announcement that the Pentagon had been hit. Then it became chaotic.
As a suburb of DC, there are plenty of military families, as well as other government employees and their families living in the area. My dad was currently stationed there, in the Army… working in the Pentagon. I know of at least 5 other kids in that class that had parents working in the Pentagon as well. Our poor sub was overwhelmed as we all basically grabbed our stuff and left the classroom. Most of us headed to the front office first for some reason. At that time (wow I sound old) cell phones were not allowed inside school buildings, so I guess we were hoping to use the office phones. The office ladies told us they were having trouble with the phones, so we all went out to our cars. The cell networks, and most phone networks I suppose were all flooded and consequently, none of us was able to get through to anyone. We went back in, but all classes were pretty much just tuned into the news, and no one was really doing anything. Thankfully I had my best friend with me, because I was a wreck.
For people who don’t know me well, I am NOT an emotional person. I rarely, if ever, cry in public. I did a pretty good job of holding it together, but even so, I was far more emotional than my friends were used to seeing. We wandered around the building for a bit, and were informed people were gathering in the auditorium for what was basically counseling. I took one look at all the people crying and immediately decided it was time to just go home, since I had no interest in hanging around there.
My best friend and I went to my house, where I again tried to contact anyone in my family who might have news. My mom worked just outside of DC for a nonprofit, but with all the phones down I wasn’t able to get a hold of her either. At some point it occurred to me that if she was able to get word to anyone, she would call my sisters school first, since she was younger. We drove to my sisters’ school, only to be informed that the students there weren’t being told anything. Any students who hadn’t been there before everything happened were not being allowed to come in, and anyone who left was pulled quietly from their classes. I asked if there had been any messages and was told no, and I obviously wasn’t allowed to talk to my sister.
The day proceeded pretty much like that, driving around, trying to get answers, not really wanting to sit still in any one place too long. I recall meeting up with some more friends, including my boyfriend at the time, but his nonchalant attitude made me so mad I just left him with his friends. It was a crazy feeling really, not knowing if either of my parents was ok, and not sure what to do. Finally I stopped by to see a friend of the families, and she said she had been in touch with my mom, who was on her way to pick up my dad, and they would meet us at home. I was obviously relieved, and we went right home.
Not being an outwardly emotional person, it was a bit weird when my parents finally got home. For one thing, all my friends had ended up at my house, and for another, my mom was acting pretty normal. She said we were going to order pizza for dinner. We all spent the rest of the evening watching the news. School was canceled the next day, so it was a little while before things returned to “normal”.
As far as my dad was concerned, he was in the building, in his office, in the wing that was hit. The plane basically came in right underneath his feet. He and his officemate managed to get out unharmed. As it turned out, the wing they hit was the newly remodeled one that was reinforced with steel, which is why it didn’t collapse as quickly. It was also the only section of the building that had been remodeled, so if the plane had hit any other “wedge” the destruction would have been much more extensive. So I guess I should be glad that Al-Qaeda’s intel wasn’t a bit better.
My dad has had to tell his story countless times, and each time people marvel at how lucky he was etc. The Smithsonian even asked him for his jet-fuel drenched mousepad that survived, but he decided to keep it. Every time the topic comes up, I try and leave the room. It makes me queasy to think about how close my life came to completely changing that day.
My family was extremely blessed. I don’t know a single person (personally) who died in the attack that day. There was a boy at our school whose mother died in the Pentagon, and lots of family friends had multiple funerals for coworkers to attend in the following weeks. I have had plenty of military friends who have been to Iraq and Afghanistan, most for 2 or more tours, and I am thankful to say that they have all come back safe, and for the most part, sound. (I knock on wood as I say this as I have friends there now!)
So when people ask me what I think about Osama, yes, I am without a doubt thrilled that he is dead. He deserves so much worse than the hell that is undoubtedly waiting for him. Part of me wishes they would have buried him in NYC so people could walk by and spit on him thousands of times a day. Obviously in our society that is not an option, but still. Is it wrong to rejoice over someone’s death, I don’t know. Part of me wishes I was a better person, that I could rise above, but the other part of me is damn happy that that particular nut job is gone. This is very similar to my feelings on Saddam and his psychotic offspring.
That being said, I unfortunately don’t think it will make that much of a difference. Some may call it pessimism, but if I learned anything from my incredibly expensive degree focusing on terrorism/counterterrorism, it’s that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, and there will always be people lining up to kill other people, and feel justified in doing so. I sincerely hope a day comes when we can relax a bit and not be so guarded, but I doubt very much that it will be in my lifetime.
So to the brave men and women serving in our Armed Forces, and those that have served, thank you. I do sleep better at night knowing you are out there. And to those who carried out this particular victory, good job. The world owes you a huge debt.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
MIA
Wow, I cannot believe how neglectful I have been of my blog this month. First, I offer my apologies for being missing in action! Next I will offer my excuses!
This month has been C-R-A-Z-Y! My son turned 3 almost 2 weeks ago an dwe are still recovering from the eight day extravaganza that was his birthday week. It started with a trip to Build-A-Bear on the 10th and ended with his Toy Story themed party on the 17th! In the week between, he had Mickey cupcakes at daycare and a mini Cars party at home for just me and my parents. Then it was my dad's birthday. Unfortunately it would seem 49 is not as prestigious as 3, so not as much fanfare for him, though we did do a home dinner and an out dinner. And of course tomorrow is Easter. Then Thursday I leave for my friend's wedding weekend. Then April will be over and whole new month of hecticness ensues!
This month has been C-R-A-Z-Y! My son turned 3 almost 2 weeks ago an dwe are still recovering from the eight day extravaganza that was his birthday week. It started with a trip to Build-A-Bear on the 10th and ended with his Toy Story themed party on the 17th! In the week between, he had Mickey cupcakes at daycare and a mini Cars party at home for just me and my parents. Then it was my dad's birthday. Unfortunately it would seem 49 is not as prestigious as 3, so not as much fanfare for him, though we did do a home dinner and an out dinner. And of course tomorrow is Easter. Then Thursday I leave for my friend's wedding weekend. Then April will be over and whole new month of hecticness ensues!
Friday, April 1, 2011
I'm always down for a good party!
This is my first year participating in the Ultimate Blog Party. As a matter of fact I am just beginning my 4th month of blogging, so forgive me (and my little baby blog) for not being more organized! This party is just too good to miss!
I am Stephanie, otherwise known as "Jack's mommy". My son Jack will be 3 this month, and I started this blog to share with others the adventures we have together. As a single mom, I find that my experiences are sometimes radically different, and yet at others absolutely identical to those two parent families I see around me, and it's interesting to compare. I wouldn't trade my life with my son for anything though, even if it sometimes seems a bit harder.
So far this blog has been relatively random, but that's the way my mind (and my life) works, so I doubt that will change much over time. The thing I like the most about blogging is that it gives me the chance to write (aka vent) about whatever is on my mind at the moment. I am also enjoying getting to know this giant mommy blogging community, and finding my place in it! I'm looking forward to partying with all of you!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Disney Magic in my Own Backyard!
I am one lucky mom! I got to spend the past two days treating my son to some Disney magic, and I didn't even have to pay for a flight!!!
Wednesday night was opening night for Toy Story 3 on Ice. When I first heard about it I knew we would have to go. I managed to get really good seats, though the tickets do not come cheap! It wouldn't be so bad if Ticketmaster didn't tack on all those extra fees, but there really is no other choice. So we had seats about 12 rows back, "center" ice. The awesome thing about a Disney presentation is about half of the audience is kids, so you don't have to worry as much about not being able to see over the person in front of you! (I am only five feet tall, so this is a serious concern...)
As soon as we walked into the building, I was like a little kid. I ended up buying a program (which came with an "ear hat" for $15 before we made it 100 steps past the turnstiles. We were running a bit late so we went to find our seats. I was very pleased with the view, but we were on the interior of the row, so there was no way we were getting up again. The show started a few minutes late, but when Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy came out, it was like being in the heart of the magic! Kids all around us were yelling and laughing, clearly excited to see their favorite people! Jack had the biggest grin on his face, it was definitely a magical moment!
The show itself was very entertaining, it didn't follow the actual storyline of Toy Story 3, but I was glad because it was so much more interesting! Even Barbie had a pretty decent act, with a workout routine and everything. Everytime a new character came out all the kids went wild!! Kids were yelling hello to Buzz and Woody and cheering them on. One of Jack's favorite characters is Mr. Potato Head, and he was jumping out of his seat when he and the Mrs. made it on stage.
About halfway through there was an intermission, which was great because the vendors came back around, so we managed to get Jack the popcorn we had promised him ($7, and delicious), as well as the Buzz Lightyear slushie mug I was DYING to get him (also $15, these events are NOT cheap). AS it turned out, no one really wanted the slushie part, but we had to eat it so it wouldn't melt all over us. Jack was really excited about the souvenir mug. One of the coolest things to me was the Little Green Alien slushie mug... when I was a kid I had one of those! It was so neat to see how this film franchise has actually managed to span a generation...
The second half of the show was far less dark than the movie, which was nice since this was a light-hearted ice show. I think everyone enjoyed it, and the show itself was right around two hours, which is longer than I expected, but appreciated given the money that was spent! After the show we hit up the souvenir stands, but all Jack wanted was a Little Green Alien stuffed animal ($15, again!) so we got him that as an early birthday present (his birthday is in two weeks). So while the show was cheaper than a trip to a Disney park, it wasn't what I would consider cheap, especially if you get carried away with souvenirs, which is pretty easy when you get caught up in the fun...
Another great event we had the opportunity to experience was a State Farm exhibit/show put on for free at a downtown shopping center. They brought three life sized replicas of vehicles from Disney Pixar's Cars 2, Lightning McQueen, Mater, and a new character Finn McMissle-British super spy, and kids had the chance to get their picture taken with each one. The lines were pretty long, but the pictures will be available online for free, and it meant I got to be in the picture with him, instead of trying to get him to pose and smile for me! Jack was excited because he got to wear his Cars shirt for the event. They had some cool "missions" youcould take part in as well, including an obstacle course, and if you completed all three missions you got some prizes, but they were a little old for Jack, and we were short on time so we didn't take advantage of those.
All in all it was a fantastic couple days. Sometimes when you can't get away for your dream Disney vacation, at least you can take advantage of events like these for your quick Disney fix!
Wednesday night was opening night for Toy Story 3 on Ice. When I first heard about it I knew we would have to go. I managed to get really good seats, though the tickets do not come cheap! It wouldn't be so bad if Ticketmaster didn't tack on all those extra fees, but there really is no other choice. So we had seats about 12 rows back, "center" ice. The awesome thing about a Disney presentation is about half of the audience is kids, so you don't have to worry as much about not being able to see over the person in front of you! (I am only five feet tall, so this is a serious concern...)
As soon as we walked into the building, I was like a little kid. I ended up buying a program (which came with an "ear hat" for $15 before we made it 100 steps past the turnstiles. We were running a bit late so we went to find our seats. I was very pleased with the view, but we were on the interior of the row, so there was no way we were getting up again. The show started a few minutes late, but when Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy came out, it was like being in the heart of the magic! Kids all around us were yelling and laughing, clearly excited to see their favorite people! Jack had the biggest grin on his face, it was definitely a magical moment!
The show itself was very entertaining, it didn't follow the actual storyline of Toy Story 3, but I was glad because it was so much more interesting! Even Barbie had a pretty decent act, with a workout routine and everything. Everytime a new character came out all the kids went wild!! Kids were yelling hello to Buzz and Woody and cheering them on. One of Jack's favorite characters is Mr. Potato Head, and he was jumping out of his seat when he and the Mrs. made it on stage.
About halfway through there was an intermission, which was great because the vendors came back around, so we managed to get Jack the popcorn we had promised him ($7, and delicious), as well as the Buzz Lightyear slushie mug I was DYING to get him (also $15, these events are NOT cheap). AS it turned out, no one really wanted the slushie part, but we had to eat it so it wouldn't melt all over us. Jack was really excited about the souvenir mug. One of the coolest things to me was the Little Green Alien slushie mug... when I was a kid I had one of those! It was so neat to see how this film franchise has actually managed to span a generation...
The second half of the show was far less dark than the movie, which was nice since this was a light-hearted ice show. I think everyone enjoyed it, and the show itself was right around two hours, which is longer than I expected, but appreciated given the money that was spent! After the show we hit up the souvenir stands, but all Jack wanted was a Little Green Alien stuffed animal ($15, again!) so we got him that as an early birthday present (his birthday is in two weeks). So while the show was cheaper than a trip to a Disney park, it wasn't what I would consider cheap, especially if you get carried away with souvenirs, which is pretty easy when you get caught up in the fun...
Another great event we had the opportunity to experience was a State Farm exhibit/show put on for free at a downtown shopping center. They brought three life sized replicas of vehicles from Disney Pixar's Cars 2, Lightning McQueen, Mater, and a new character Finn McMissle-British super spy, and kids had the chance to get their picture taken with each one. The lines were pretty long, but the pictures will be available online for free, and it meant I got to be in the picture with him, instead of trying to get him to pose and smile for me! Jack was excited because he got to wear his Cars shirt for the event. They had some cool "missions" youcould take part in as well, including an obstacle course, and if you completed all three missions you got some prizes, but they were a little old for Jack, and we were short on time so we didn't take advantage of those.
All in all it was a fantastic couple days. Sometimes when you can't get away for your dream Disney vacation, at least you can take advantage of events like these for your quick Disney fix!
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