I've recently started another grueling Saturday class. This time it's Wedding Planning, which should come in handy for my new job at Big Fancy Country Club- I will be planning a ridiculous amount of weddings, and so far have no idea how to do it! This course is proving minorly helpful, though I am starting to have dreams at night about getting engaged! I am turned into one of those wedding-fever girls who can't stop imagining the perfect dress or coming up with countless themes and color schemes . . . somebody help me!!




Breakfast: small cup of yogurt, glass of juice
Lunch: medium Quiznos sandwich, turkey and swiss
Snack: bag of baby carrots, two cinnamon sticks (mini pastries)
Dinner: grilled chicken breast, salad
Dessert: piece of apple pie with vanilla frozen yogurt

Haven't updated lately- why is it so hard to keep up with myself? Basically, I've been doing really good at my running schedule and not so hot at my eating- it's playoff's, afterall, and we are all scarfing down pizza while we cheer on our Canucks! So, I figure it at least balances out because I am running heaps and waving my arms around in constant cheering and/or "what are you doing?!?!" movements while simultaneously consuming large amounts of greasy bread and cheese slices.

Feb and I had an early morning phone date yesterday. It was about 7 30am for me and midnight for him, so we were both a little tired. It was so lovely, though- I could lay in bed with my laptop and webcam and phone-call software and see and talk to him- it was almost like we were cuddling together on a lazy Saturday morning.

I say almost because it was Monday morning, I had to go to work, he's 13,000km away, and there was no cuddling involved.

This is all getting really difficult. I mean, we finally feel like our relationship is in the right place and we are learning how to really understand each other, but we can't even hug or share a kiss. And forgive me for getting personal, but Feb is an amazing lover who is not only very thoughtful and persistent, but also the bearer of a very large and skillfully-used penis. It's only fair to say that I miss him terribly and am not sure how to deal with all this right now!

On a completely different note, I am starting the new job on Wednesday of next week! I am madly trying to get ahead in my schoolwork so that I can focus all of my attention and energy on really being prepared for the training and new work I will soon be in charge of!!! And on that note, it's back to the books for me . . . and maybe a bit of daydreaming about a certain sexy-accented foreigner . . .

PB called back and . . . agreed to my demand for more money! I am now officially the Event Planner at Big Fancy Golf and Country Club! I gave notice at the Restaurant yesterday, which was very sad- I really do like it there, regardless of how much I may complain about the ridiculous patrons and anal-retentive managers. I will miss it for the social connections with the staff, and even the regulars, and I will desperately miss the food!

But I am really excited for my new position- I think I will learn a lot and get to meet lots of new people, plus it will look great on my resume. And I suppose I will learn top time management skills as I juggle 40+ hours per week and my four-class schedule!

Wish me luck!



Breakfast: um. Coconut cake.
Lunch: half a sandwich at the Restaurant, two spicy chicken wings, a small piece of chocolate cake (no icing!)
Snack: Ok, this sounds bad, but . . . my manager bought me and a co-worker some cheesecake . . . so I had half. It's been a ckae kind of day, okay!? I'm going on a run right now, I promise!
Dinner: TBA. I promise it won't be cake again!
Update: I ended up having some carrots, green salad, and whole wheat crackers.

It's really illuminating to write down what you eat in a day and realize that 90% of your daily intake is cake!

Things got a little out of control today. I'm a little embarrassed, which is good- hopefully it will motivate me to be more careful in the coming days!

Breakfast: skipped it. This was the first mistake- it left me ravenous for the rest of the day.
Lunch: half a pizza with vegetarian pepperoni (at least it was a whole-wheat crust)
Snack: low-fat fruit bar from starbucks
Dinner: uhhh. The other half of the pizza.
Late night snack: corn chips with sour cream and bean dip.

Ouch. I had a stressful night and took it out on my food. I ate for the sake of it, not because I was hungry. Oh well, tomorrow's another day!

When I was eleven years old I decided to become a vegetarian. My parents said that it was okay if I could actually carry out a vegetarian lifestyle for two weeks straight. I promptly agreed and began to consume only things grown in the ground. On the third day, they took me out to Moxie's Family Grill (back when it was a casual family place) where they tempted me with my favorite food in the world- a clubhouse sandwich. With those layers of turkey, bacon, lettuce and tomato staring me in the face, my vegetarian-ism crumbled and I indulged in all of the double-decker delight.

A year later I tried again, and this time it took. I ate no meat, fish, or poultry for ten years and prided myself on my healthy lifestyle and ability to turn down fleshy, grease-laden treats like hamburgers and steaks. I worked hard to find great vegetarian meals and recipes, ventured into the world of cooking with tofu, and would often create gourmet delights in an attempt to trick my friends into thinking they were eating "real" meatballs, or chili, or pepperoni, etc.

But I have a confession to make, Readers. Feb has always felt passionately about my vegetarianism. I don't know if it was because his last girlfriend was a vege too, and he doesn't like the reminder of her, or whether he truly is just concerned about my health, but Feb is actively disapproving of my lifestyle choice and has always tried to encourage me to "branch out".

And Readers, after a year of well-meaning, concerned conversations, I finally told Feb that for his sake, I'd try to start eating a bit of chicken. Chicken has long been the only "meat" that is actually appetizing to me when I smell it, and I thought that perhaps it would be something palatable that would appease Feb's desire to see me eat meat. Plus, we were pretty confident that we were going to be living together relatively soon, and I was happily embracing the idea of cooking for him. I have no idea how to cook any meat whatsoever, and thought that this little foray into omnivorism would be a valuable learning experience.

So I tried it. And after the first tentative few bites, I loved it.

Now, Readers, I simply cannot get enough chicken. And I feel terribly guilty because, aside from my two closest friends, no one knows that I am eating any poultry. Why, you ask, would I keep it a secret? Because for as long as I've been a vegetarian, I have been mocked and singled out by my friends for it. I am known as LM, the vegetarian. It is almost a source of pride, and should people discover that I am straying from my self-prescribed path, it is as if I would lose a part of my character in their eyes. Plus, they are always offering to pay me enormous amounts of money to consume meat, and one of these days I plan on making a profit on just such an offer . . . with chicken!

So, here I am, sitting in my room, furtively scarfing down a piece of grilled chicken, smacking my lips and loving it! When we go out to eat, all I want to do is order the chicken salads on the menu. But I can't. I'm bound by my own sense of pride and status. So I will continue to enjoy chicken to its fullest degree in the confines of my home until one day, the time is right. And then they will know. . . then they will all know.


Breakfast: cup of yogurt
Lunch: grilled chicken salad
Snack: sauteed mushrooms and red peppers with grated mozza cheese
Dinner: handful of almonds, salad with viniagrette dressing, grilled chicken breast
Dessert: low-fat frozen yogurt (mango! mmm.)

Well, I did it. I called PB and told him that I really appreciate the offer, and I would love the opportunity to work with him, but I simply cannot do so for the amount that he is offering. He asked me what I wanted, and I told him. He seemed shocked. He said, "That much? Are you factoring in commission? Because commission will be another big chunk on top of that!" And I said, "Yes, that's before commission." Then he seemed a little mad and hung up pretty quickly, letting me know that he would talk to the president about it and let me know on Tuesday, when he's back in the office.

That's fine. I really don't mind anymore whether I take it or not. I mean, afterall, it's my choice now whether I do it, and I will only do so if I am comfortable with the job as a whole. It's not like I'm desperate for work! I like being in this position of power!

On another note, I've decided that I'm going to start recording what I eat on my blog. Now, this might seem weird to some readers, but really, this blog is meant to be a personal space for venting and expressing myself. Of course I know that other people can read it, and I don't mind that, but nobody has to read it. That means that I can use this space as I please, and I will! I have been working really hard lately to get back into really good shape. I am doing well on my running program- the overall goal is to run 5k (or 3miles) after the 8 weeks finishes. Today, as part of week five, I ran 3.2k (2miles) and it was totally fine. I felt very proud! Anyway, as an added incentive to keep myself accountable to my BB07 goals, I'm going to record my food for each day.

This will help me because, 1) I never remember what I eat! I can eat a whole bar of chocolate and not even remember it later that day, when I will eat more and then wonder why I feel sick! Writing things down will help me stick to my goals. And, 2) if I know that other people can see what I've eaten (because I'm going to be completely honest), even though you are all total strangers, maybe that will help me be more careful about what I put into my body!

So, you may find small notes at the end of posts about my food intake, or you may find that somedays that is the only post. Either way, I hope no one minds! Please, feel free to keep me accountable or remind me of my goal if you notice that I've gone ballistic one day and totally blown it.


Here we go!
Brunch: cranberry scone, piece of coffee cake, orange juice
Lunch: salad with greens, goat cheese, strawberries and pecans (yum!)
Snack: Latte and some leftover Easter Mini Eggs
Dinner: Barbequed chicken sandwich on brown bread with lettuce, carrots

So I met with Potential Boss yesterday and he officially offered me the job. He gave me a package with details about responsibilities and expectations, as well as compensation, benefits, etc. We went through it together, and everything was looking as I expected, until . . . we reached the compensation page. I was shocked at how little they were offering!

I mean, in all of our discussions, PB has been very upfront about the fact that I will be working long hours- all event planners do- often up to 60 hours a week. They would offer days off in lieu of overtime pay, but when I figured out the math, it ends up that I will only be making a bit over eleven dollars per hour, based on a forty hour week at $450/week. If you add 10 to 20 hours a week to that total, I could be getting paid seven dollars an hour!!! And our minimum wage here is eight!
(Note: PB adds that I will be paid a commission on all events, and says that this will increase my salaray by around 5K per year. I guess that is something I need to keep in consideration . . .)

Now, this job is a great way to get my foot in the door of the event planning world, and normally I would suck it up and take the job, knowing that I will likely get a raise relatively soon. However, at my current job at the restaurant, I make $450/week, easy, working only 20 or 25 hours!! It is very hard for me to imagine working twice as many hours or more, just to earn the same amount of money that I am earning now. Additionally, as I am still going to school, it just doesn't make sense to stress myself out by taking four classes AND working over forty hours per week, all for what would be a sub-standard wage for me!

I did contact one of my event planning teachers and ask her what an average salary is for a beginner. She told me that most positions start at $24-30,000 per year- a bit over what PB is offering me. I was expecting PB to offer 30K- afterall, I have a university degree in addition to my Event Marketing certification!

So now I don't know what to do- I would like the job, and think it would be a great opportunity for me. However, it is really difficult for me to justify working so very hard, while attending school full-time, and making not very much money in return.

Ahhh!! Once again, I turn to you, Readers . . . give me advice and solve all of my problems!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter celebrations! Or at least the time off work and school . . . I had a bit of a lonely Easter this year. My dad was out of town visiting my Grandpa, who was recently hospitalized because of a heart attack. My sister and brother in law went out of province to visit some family, and my mom was invited for dinner at her friend's house. So it was just me this year, and I spent the time working a lot and messing around on the internet.

Okay, I'm done feeling sorry for myself! There were good things that happened this weekend! One highlight would be that I got a call from the Country Club!! I got the job!

Officially, I don't have it yet. We have an appointment for tomorrow where I will meet with Potential Boss and he will present me with an offer for the position. I don't really know what this means, but I pretended I did over the phone. I am assuming that we will talk about salary and benefits and such, but I'm not sure and am hoping that it will all be simple! I'm not experienced in the field of negotiation!

I'm very excited because this is really exactly what I've been going to school for! Hopefully it will be a good experience- I'm nervous about taking four classes AND working a more-than-fulltime job, AND possibly staying on at the Restaurant for one shift a week. I'm also nervous about talking to management at the Restaurant . . . they love me there and really need experienced people right now! I hate the idea of leaving them shorthanded and not getting to see all my dear co-workers there!

I guess all this is normal new-job stress! I will keep you posted on how the negotiations go tomorrow!!

I had a job interview today!

This has all come about rather suddenly. I was perusing craigslist on Tuesday night and happened upon a listing for an Event Planner at a local country club. On a whim, I sent in my resume, thinking that while I am not yet certified in the field, I will be by summertime and I might as well get some practice writing cover letters and trying to impress potential employers. I went to bed that night without giving it another thought.

Yesterday, when I arrived home from the Restaurant, there was an email waiting for me, requesting that I call the Director of Special Events as soon as possible to "discuss my qualifications for the job"! He also mentioned that he was impressed by my resume and was looking forward to talking to me. I called him back that night and set up an interview for this morning before work!

It was . . . interesting. Potential Boss (PB) was very friendly and talkative . . . very, very talkative. When I first entered the office, I commented on its color- it is deep red and very vibrant. I thought that he would accept the compliment and we would move on into the interview. But PB had other ideas. Instead of talking about me and my suitability for the company, we talked about how he painted the office when it was his boss', without permission, and earned heaps of praise for his creativity. Then we talked about how color affects mood and the red keeps him alert throughout the day. Then he told me about some diet program where they sell you blue-tinged glasses because no one wants to eat blue food, and if it all looks blue you will lose your appetite. Then we discussed McDonalds and Subway and their particular color scheme choices and how they relate to the fast food industry and its needs.

Then, and only then, Readers, did we start the interview. Even at that point, it felt more like an orientation than an interview. PB explained all the facets of the job to me, even showed me the planning software that the company uses. He told me all about their busy and slow seasons, the pasts of the former employees, how much of a discount I would get on food were I to work there, and described what a regular day would be like. For interview, I spoke amazing little- maybe only ten percent of the time!

I think it went well, though. I mean, the very fact that PB wanted to tell me so much about the job must have been a good sign, right? He asked multiple times if it was something I could see myself doing and feeling comfortable with. He was delighted when he discovered that I am taking Event Planning and Marketing right now and am hoping to make a career of it (uh, did he even read the resume that he was so impressed by?!). He even went into detail about my potential salary, commissions, share of the gratuities pool, and how many staff parties I can expect per year!

I honestly felt like I was there for my first day. He did say that he has a couple of other people that he is meeting with, but he will call in a couple of days. I am getting nervous!

I think my biggest issue is that I feel like I'm not ready for a "real" job! I have been working in the Restaurant for three years now. Before that, I worked an office job, and was overjoyed to leave the confines of the desk for a place where I could walk around all day and work with young, like-minded people. The thought of spending my summer working long hours, indoors, often behind a computer, is daunting for me. I just don't feel ready to grow up! Plus, the Restaurant is such a social atmosphere; I love my coworkers and am so lucky to have an abundance of fun, smart, poeple around me who understand the trauma that can be a server's life, but can still laugh with me over a glass of wine and ridiculous amounts of food at the end of the night.

Another issue is that I am tentatively planning to move to Foreignland for an indefinite period of time in September. I really really really want to get some event experience before then as it is will be difficult enough finding work, not only as a foreigner, but as a foreigner without a landed immigrant status. Though I know that this is really important, I feel guilty agreeing to work somewhere when I know I will likely be leaving them high and dry come six months from now!

I guess I am getting a bit ahead of myself- after all, I only just had the interview this morning, and have no idea whether I will actually be getting a job out of it!!! Cross your fingers for me, Readers, and help me figure out what the best course of action is here!