The Freakin’ Weekend

When I see someone that I know downtown:

If one of us suggests going for Chinese buffet:

When I meet new people and they find out that I don’t have a job and they ask what I do all day:

Anytime that someone suggests doing something that sounds lame and says, “It’ll be fun!”:

If we go to a party:

If I see people from my volunteer job outside of work:

If we go out for brunch and I order a plate of fruit:

When someone arrives to a party and they bring booze:

When Paul asks me if I ate all the chips:

When I make a weekend to-do list:

If I go shopping, find a cute outfit, and someone tells me to have a nice day:

After we realize that we’ve been playing a Facebook game all day:

Left Over Resolutions 2012

Doesn’t 2013 sound like an unlucky year? Is no one bringing up the fact that thirteen is unluckiest number of them all? Hotels don’t even make a thirteenth floor, that’s how bad it is. But it’s okay, let’s just all keep pretending that 2013 will be a great year.

I was looking at my resolutions last year and I was actually very surprised. Usually resolutions depress me because I’ve never really set a goal for myself and accomplished it. At least, not on purpose. But I completed a lot of the things on my list with flying colors!

For example, one of my goals was to start volunteering and I estimated that it would only last four months once if I started. Well, not only did I get a volunteering job, I stayed there for 10 months. Technically I’m still there, but they’ve been slow for a while so they haven’t needed me much.

Another resolution of mine from last year was to be more spontaneous in Victoria–do things I haven’t done, make more friends, and put myself out there. Well, now I’ve made lots of friends and did many adventurous things. And by that, I mean that I went camping twice.

Something else I had on my list was to read more. I projected that I would probably read one book this year and I ended up reading five! My little library is growing. I didn’t even realize I was completing a goal I set out for myself. Maybe that’s the key to setting goals, they have to be something you like to do so that you’ll end up accomplishing them no matter what.

Something else I wanted to do was to “make our apartment cozy and perfect”. I am so proud of myself with this one. Around the time that I wrote last year’s post, I had saved up a little over $1000 with my babysitting money and I wanted to buy a couch with it. Since then, I’d saved up enough to buy that couch, a chair and ottoman, a rug, a TV credenza/mini entertainment center, a trunk, and a mirror. I have definitely accomplished that goal. It makes me proud to have “feathered the nest” and I think it makes Paul proud too.

I still had other things on my list that I didn’t really accomplish like going to church more, stop hatin’ on people, and to complain less. And I think those will be my resolutions for this year. The year of the left-over resolutions.

But really, like I said last year, I’m basically perfect and I’m just writing this list out to feel more human.

Last Weekend

Waiting to be done volunteering:

Finding out that I had to volunteer Saturday morning:

Subbing in for my friend’s volleyball team and actually scoring a point:

Watching the Euro Cup:

Going on a double date to an amazing Italian restaurant:

Getting fro-yo after that:

After making a joke about “wheelchair people” and realizing that no one laughed:

Watching Harold and Maude at this cool University theater:

Headed to the gym:

Watching Rock of Ages:

When Paul asked if I was too tired to watch Jeopardy:

Realizing next weekend is CANADA DAY Long Weekend:

Customer Service

Why do employees have to be nice to customers? It’s so fake. Customers obviously don’t want to be talked to because whenever they enter a store, their eyes dart around the room to avoid the burning gaze of the employees.

I realized today that I’m the worst at pretending I’m interested when I’m really not. I think the people I work with have taken note of this because I get comments like, “So have you worked in merchandise before?” or “Do you want to organize those t-shirts?”

I think my supervisors try to give me jobs where I don’t have to talk to people. Which is fine by me. I got to Windex some shelves today and it was definitely a highlight.

I love talking to my co-workers or should I say my co-volunteer-ers. I actually talk to them for most of my shift. Ignoring customers is a gift that I have. It’s just that whenever I ask someone if they need help finding anything, they say “nope” or “just browsing” or give me an intense death stare. So then I just leave and wander around some more. I don’t understand why no one needs my help, but then they’ll strike up a conversation with one of the other employees.

The thing is though, whenever people do have questions for me, I never know the answer. Unless it’s “How much does this cost?” I’m the champion of finding prices. People are always scared to pick up delicate things. Hell, I’ll juggle it if that’s how you find the price.

Could I force people to buy things if I break them trying to find a price for them?

I have a lot of good conversations with the people that I work with, but I don’t have anyone to make fun of customers with. I noticed this today actually. A guy with a really gross long beard came in the store and I needed to comment on it desperately, but everyone I work with is too nice. So I had to make fun of old long-beard in my head. It turns out that he didn’t speak English so I could have just said how gross his beard was to his face and smiled. But that’s just too mean. I would be like the Vietnamese women who give me pedicures. They say nice things to your face–“Ohh you so tall, you should be model” but then all of a sudden they start laughing and speaking Vietnamese. Borderline abusive behavior.

No one ever warns you about your feet and legs hurting from all that standing. Mine always hurt after I work. I feel like a modern day Cinderella but instead of an evil step-mother and step-sisters I have a supervisor and co-workers. And instead of being forced to clean, I’m forced to talk to random people about Native American art. My life is basically a Disney movie. Actually one of my co-workers told me that I reminded her of Cinderella. Not my top choice of Disney princesses, but I’ll take it.

The resemblance is uncanny. Especially when she's making that face.

Volunteering

Saint Looney Toons

Volunteering has to be the worst idea that man kind has come up with. No sane mortal would’ve thought work without pay was a good concept. There must have been a saint of volunteering. Saint Lunatic, perhaps.

Since I’m not a Canadian citizen I can’t actually get a “real” job. Which is fine by me. I’m one of those rare people that doesn’t mind being jobless. I totally didn’t understand why the 99% at Occupy Everywhere weren’t celebrating their awesome luck. No jobs = no worries. Right?

In order to improve my resume, I’ve decided to do some volunteering work. Being an experienced volunteer, I know one or two things about working for absolutely no money.

Never get your hopes up. Unless you’re volunteering at a soup kitchen, no one actually knows that you’re a volunteer. Most people will assume that you’re a paid employee. So basically everyone will treat you like crap.

You won’t get a sense of pride or accomplishment. I’ve never been proud of myself whilst volunteering. If anything, I’m counting down the minutes before I get to go home. Let me tell you, its a challenge for me to smile, pretend like I had a great time and walk nonchalantly to the door. My first reaction would be to grab my stuff, sprint to the door and say “peace out mutha…” Well, you get it.

However, volunteering looks amazing on your resume. Maybe “amazing” isn’t the right word. Some people wonder why I’ve ONLY done volunteer work and childcare. Sorry I’m so Christ-like.

I’m going to volunteer at a museum. Since I have a history degree it kind of works. I’ve volunteered at a tiny art gallery and also at an Archaeological Trust. At the art gallery I literally stood around for 4 hours every Tuesday afternoon. At the Archaeological Trust I cleaned artifacts and learned how to properly spell Archaeology. Jk I used spell check.