The Laundry Lode

I've never minded doing the laundry.  In truth, laundry has actually been one of the chores I enjoy the most.  I love folding (and smelling) nice clean, warm clothes.   

Unfortunately, doing laundry at my last apartment was more of a nightmare. First, I always had to be sure to have quarters available which required visits to the bank a couple times a month.  Then, there was only one washing machine available so that meant running the risk of the machine being already in use.  Finally, and most frustrating, the dryer sucked!!!!  It took two dry cycles just to semi dry the clothes. After that, I refused to plug another $1.50 in the machine so I would take the clothes up to the apartment and fold what was completely dry while laying out various clothing items all over the table, counters, chairs, etc to air dry overnight.  

Thankfully, doing the laundry here is a dream compared to that.  The machines don't take quarters.  Rather you buy a laundry card and load it with money using a machine on the property.

There are seven laundry facilities on property and each facility consists of several washing machines and dryers.

And the dryers actually work!!!  

Doing laundry is fun again.  

Why Giving Russell Wilson a Multi-million Dollar Contract Would be a Mistake

Apparently Russell Wilson wants to use the fact that the Seahawks have appeared in two straight Super Bowls as leverage to become the highest paid quarterback in the NFL.

What I think he is failing to recognize here is that Seattle's success depends mainly on the defense and the run.  Their passing offense is in the basement of the NFL rankings.

I'm not saying that he won't be an elite quarterback someday --- I really don't know.  But what I do know is that signing him to mega multi million dollar contract right now would be a huge mistake.  

Apparently, Seattle management has done their homework and have valued his worth at 1.5 million this year (which evidently isn't enough for him.)  

Here are stats to back up my point:

Seattle's Rushing Rankings (out of 32 teams)

• Rushing yards per attempt - 1st
• Rushing play percentage - 2nd
• Rushing first down percentage - 1st
• Rushing yards percentage - 1st
• Overall rushing rank - 1st

Seattle's Defense Rankings (also out of 32 teams)

• Opponents yards per play - 1st
• Rushing yards per game - 3rd
• Passing yards per game - 1st
• Opponents rushing first down - 1st
• Opponents rushing touchdown - 4th
• Opponents yards per rushing attempts - 3rd
• Rushing first down percentage - 3rd
• Overall defense rank - 1st

Seattle's Passing Offense (out of 32 teams)

• Passing attempts per game -32nd
• Completions per game - 31st
• Incompletions per game - 2nd
• Completion percentage - 18th
• Passing yards per game - 28th
• Passing TD's per game - 28th
• Passing first downs per game - 29th
• Passing first down percentage - 32nd
• Overall passing offense rank - 28th

Hmmm...

The Brazil Effect

I had to do my weekly grocery shopping today so Zack and I headed over to the Target off of Conroy Road.  As long as we were going over that way we also made our first visit to the Millenia Mall  and ate at the food court and picked up a new pair of shoes for Zack.  He has been wearing his shoes to the pool (even though he has a perfectly good pair of flip flops) and so his shoes were in pretty rough shape.  

As we were walking into Target I noticed a tour bus pull up to the entrance - how lovely.   I was having a silent discussion with myself about getting the shopping done in a hurry and getting the heck out of there as I was standing in produce, when the front doors opened and a horde of people rushed in, grabbed carts, and took off in a hundred different directions.   And they were loud!   I mean loud! Very LOUD!  And obnoxious!  

They all had on matching shirts...different colors but the same design and the same words.  And, of course, there on the sleeve of their shirts was the Brazilian Flag.



There were people of all ages on this tour bus. Some were families with children but most of them were teenagers.  While shopping I came upon  10 aisles where their carts were blocking me from moving.  

Another visual:

And of those 10 aisles...exactly 1 of those people moved for me so that I could get through!  A couple of them seemed oblivious to me standing there but most of them looked me right in the eye and just kept standing there blocking my way until the felt good and ready to move.

And this is a first for me --- teenagers playing tag in a Target store!  Yep.  Darting in and out of aisles...running between racks of clothes...dodging, weaving, swerving, and bumping into people without a single thought of apologizing.  

I couldn't get out of there fast enough. 

Orientation - Done!!!!

Day Three of orientation was nice.  Mostly because when we arrived the instructor told us that they accidentally doubled booked the room so we would be done 2.5 hours earlier than scheduled!  Of course, that also meant 2.5 hours less pay but whatever.  

For some reason we had to put our uniforms on today.  We didn't do anything in them except sit and listen to lectures on compressed gas, food handling, and rules on serving alcohol but it was fun to look around and see all the different uniforms.  

Now I have a week off before I start training on July 2.  

Another great surprise today was that food and beverage employees get a $3.00 food voucher every day they work.  It doesn't sound like much but when you consider we also get a substantial discount on the food, it should be more than enough to cover the price of a meal.  Universal really takes care of their employees!   

I also met my manager today and she was so nice!  I am excited!  Let's get this party started!

Finally, just a photo I edited in Lightroom

Orientation Day Two- Check!

Today was a pretty long day...9:00-5:00.  

It's been a long time since I've worked a 9 - 5 job and, thankfully, these will not be my regular hours.  I will probably work 20-22 hours a week but have no idea how that will look (a couple long days or several short days).  

Most of this 2 day orientation has been pretty helpful and probably needed for the younger team members. But I have worked in a professional field for 20+ years so I know how to be respectful to even the most ornery of customers and am mature enough to keep negative comments off social media sites.  

We had a little fun this morning and were sent (by table assignments) out to the park in groups of 8-10 to go on a scavenger hunt and ride a ride. 

Our group was given ET.  

As we walked to the ride I couldn't help but feel as if I was chaperoning a group of kids on a field trip.  Not that they acted immaturely - they were very kind and helpful.  More because every other person in the group was either in their late teens or early twenties.  I'm sure  many of those who saw us walking around the park thought that I was there to provide adult supervision.  Ha!

Another fun thing today is that we got to get our uniform and try it on.  They have all the uniforms on hangers in a warehouse so after locating the specific uniform you need, you have to take it to a checkout and your employee ID is scanned, along with the the parts of your uniform, linking you to those items.

Once your uniform is checked out you proceed to the locker room to change and are assigned a locker to keep your things in.  After your shift you simply change back to your street clothes and put the uniform in laundry chutes.  

You can opt to take the uniform home which I did because I was looking for a way to increase my laundry load...ahem... No thanks.

After I got home C.J. came over and we had pizza and watched Dexter - the end of season 3.Cannot wait to start season 4!  

  

A Full On 38333 - Crisis Averted

I think of myself as a pretty organized person.  When a task is put before me I may procrastinate like crazy, but when it comes down to the wire, I like to be prepared and have all my t's crossed and my i's dotted.  

Orientation for my Universal job began today so last night (procrastination) I grabbed my "welcome folder" and looked through it pretty thoroughly to ensure that I had everything in order.

So when I showed up this morning for the orientation in shorts and a nice shirt I was immediately addressed by a security guard informing me that dress was to be business casual and I would not be allowed to stay wearing the outfit I had on...SUGAR!!! I was told this at my interview - why didn't I remember this???

I was so mad at myself!  This was a 38333 (code for emergency if you're "in the know"). 

 I had given myself plenty of time this morning and had gotten there early but not early enough that I could go all the way home, change, and make it back by the 9:30 cut off (it was 9:15).  Several others were in the same predicament as me - some claiming they were never informed about the dress code - and they were at the desk rescheduling orientation...but I wasn't about to give up so easily.

I was bold and asked for a time cutoff - the absolute latest I could get back and still take part in the orientation and I was told 9:59.  Yep, not 10:00 but 9:59.   There was hope.

I ran out the door, ran to my car, and took off for Target to buy myself a pair of pants.  By and large the traffic lights worked in my favor and I was able to run into Target, locate some pants that would work, grab a pair that were on a hanger labeled size 8, check out, and get back by 9:45!  

Things were going great...I was shown where the bathroom was so that I could make a quick change and that is when I noticed that the pants, which had been on a size 8 hanger, were actually a size 4.

"Oh heck no," I thought..."these are not going to fit."  

"I don't care" I thought again..."I do not want to reschedule this orientation so I am going to squeeeeeeze myself into these pants and if I can't button them I'll hide it with my shirt."  

So I slipped on the pants and I was amazed when they fit!  And they fit perfectly.  

Please don't ruin my blossoming ego by telling me "Target sizes run big."  Let me think I have lost an amazing amount of weight and dropped 2 pant sizes!  Actually 6's usually fit me too so maybe only 1 pant size.  But still.  

Orientation was pretty fun and now I am an official team member.

This is gonna be fuuuuuuuun!

Why I'm Glad My Kids Are Older

Parties!

Yep, parties.

I will confess that I have about 5% creativity and this amount worked well when planning parties for my kids.

Some paper plates, napkins, a cake, a few decorations and BAM...a party.

However, now days, "themed" parties are the way to go. Everything including the party games, treat bags, and even food revolve around the theme of the party.

Creative names accompany trays of every day food.  Treat bags have some kind of creative saying to go along with the theme of the party.  Even the decorations are elaborate.

For example:

I came across this Frozen themed birthday party

Melted snow for water...blizzard bags, frozen hearts, warm hugs, and let it go wands

Check out those popcorn holders. 

who has the time to decorate jars for milk complete with a scarf?? And those straws?

How about this Christmas party

Complete with creative signs

Love the flying powder...also that Dancer gained 7 pounds last Christmas

Even the sign placards are adorable

Not just milk but snow chilled milk -  complete with candy cane straws

Treat bags for a cowboy themed party

Food for a Hawaiian themed party 

I'm pretty sure if I had to throw a party for my kids in this day and age the attendees would be yawning with boredom and underwhelmed by the food and decorations.  

I'm glad my party planning days are over. 

Living in a Vacation Destination

Orlando is really a beautiful city.  Most places are well kept and inviting because they want to attract the tourists to their business.  

I love palm trees and think they are so beautiful  and there are an abundance of them here.  

Most times the traffic doesn't bother me - but - I discovered that I need to avoid Central Florida Parkway and International Drive between 5:00-7:00.

Here is what I DON'T like...

The tourist holding up a whole lane of traffic just because they are in the wrong lane!!!!

Traffic lights at busy intersections last forever and it has happened to me twice in the past three days where I have sat behind a car attempting to change lanes at the last second and have missed green lights because of it.

I made a nice diagram for a visual

As you can see, I am behind a tourist preventing any cars behind him/her from getting through the green light because he needs to be in the left turn lane (which currently has a red light because that's the way they do things here).  And it is not as easy as changing lanes to go around the car because cars are speeding by you in the other lane one after another. 

My question is - why can't this person go straight through the light and then turn around?  Makes more sense to me than holding up a line of traffic.  

The Newest Team Member

I knew before I moved down here that Universal Studios was the place I wanted to work while I took this year to regroup myself and work towards getting a teaching certificate for Florida.  

Both of my older boys work there and love it (as much as you can love a job).  I have to say, Universal treats their "team members" very well!  I love being around people and showing kindness and smiling and hoping that by being friendly and pleasant that maybe someone's day was a little brighter and better.  

Unfortunately, things did not work out as I had hoped.  I filled out an application at the end of April and awaited a response but did not get one.  I had C.J. check with his superior who advised me to go to a job fair that was being held on June 5 but when I showed up for it I was told it was only for those who had received invitations. 

So after that let down, I went home and sent an e-mail inquiring about the status of my application.  I received a reply with a link to a site where I could set up an interview so I made an appointment for yesterday afternoon.  

The man (boy - he was a lot younger than me) interviewing me asked me a few questions and obviously liked how I responded to them because he said immediately, "I want to hire you - I love your personality."  

He had to search the computer for 15 minutes before he finally found a fit for me because of my supposed "limited hours".  Even though the only limitations I had were no availability on Sunday and prefer to be done by 10:00 pm because of a teenage son at home.  

I have orientation a couple days next week but then will not start working for a couple more weeks.  I am technically a seasonal part-time employee which means that after August my job could end but he said not to worry because most seasonal employees who are good workers get regular employment after the summer ends. 

After the interview, as long as I was on "that side of town," I did some grocery shopping at Target.

This gal refuses to go to Wal-Mart.

Oh, and it was a hot one yesterday!!!

Please Take Me Swimming

The All Encompassing Movie Experience

You could see Jurassic World...or you could experience it!

Tonight, we experienced it!

C.J., Zack, and I went to the IMAX at Pointe Orlando to see Jurassic World in 3D.

At $21.00 a ticket we won't be doing this a lot but we thought this was the perfect movie to see on the IMAX screen.

We got there early (more on that little nugget later) and I was a bit in awe at how big the screen was.



I couldn't find information on the size of the screen but the website said there were 450 seats in the auditorium and more that 3/4 of them were full.  

As a side note: I could not believe that small children were brought to this movie. I'm talking children no older than 3 -5 years old.  This was a violent movie people!  Not for children!

Anyway...time for a little rant...little known fact about me is that I have a form of claustrophobia.  When attending events like this or indoor sporting events, I feel trapped if there are people in front of me, in back of me, and on either side of me.  If just one of those places is empty, then I am fine... 

So, we arrived at 6:15 - 45 minutes before the movie started. We strategically placed ourselves so to leave three seats on the left of me thinking a party of 2 could sit there and still leave an empty seat between them and me. I put my sweatshirt and purse on the seat next to me as if to "save" it.  I was pretty surprised when the movie started and no one had attempted to occupy those seats. 

BUT

OF COURSE...15 minutes AFTER the movie starts...cue the couple barging their way through the line of people who were watching the movie to get to those two seats.  AND THEN...they have the gall to say to me, "that (empty) seat has a stain on it, can you move your stuff so she sit in that one?"  

What I felt like saying:"Um...a stain is not going to kill her!" 

What I ended up saying:
"I guess so."

I had no choice but to say yes and endure being occasionally uncomfortable.  Luckily the movie kept my mind off this situation for most of the time.  But I was not happy. I know I expect a lot and it would be easier to just sit on the end of the row (I usually do) but, in this instance, we arrived early and claimed that seat for US!

End rant!

The movie was great...but violent. I, of course, did not like the scene where the brontosaurus was dying and whining in pain while being comforted by one of the workers.  Yeah, could have done without that scene.  Otherwise...good...and did I mention violent?  

Around My Neighborhood

I thought I would give a little picture description of my neighborhood.  

Our apartment complex is between International Drive and Central Florida Parkway.  Central Florida Parkway is closer and I try to avoid International Drive as much as possible because it is crazy busy with tourists.

We are literally one block away from one of the entrances to Sea World.  We may end up getting season tickets because it actually would be nothing to walk there.

Of course there are a fair share of motels around too

When driving East down Central Florida Parkway, Sea World is on the left and Discovery Cove is on the right.

Another Sea World Entrance

I love this new Walgreens and it is where I will have all my prescriptions filled. It is on the corner of International Drive and Central Florida Parkway.

The area I live in is called the Williamsburg area.  

And I also love this Publix

But, overall, it is very expensive so I only go there if I need one item or if something is on sale. I do not do my big grocery shopping here.  For that I trek all the way to the Target off Conroy Road. 

What I don't love about this Publix is that you can only take a right from the parking lot and I need to go the other way. That means going up to the next stoplight and making a (il)legal U turn.  

I, of course, always seem to just miss the green arrow and it is foooreeever before it turns green again.  I get nervous when traffic in the lane next to me is speeding by at 45+ mph and it literally makes my car shake.

Another Sea World entrance

I love that my complex, while right in the middle of so many tourist attractions, is off a quiet road that is not normally used by tourists.

And the other thing I love is that behind it is the Orange County Sheriff's Office.  Somehow it makes me feel safer.  

Welcome Home