Careers Advice

OK, as we get into the last couple weeks of the year, some exciting stuff has happened, and interesting stuff will be happening as we move into 2011 (wow, 2011.)

So let's start it off with what has happened. It's been 2 weeks since i blogged, and I don't even remember why i didn't last week (probably because i updated at the end of previous, and thought it would have been repetitive to do it again at the beginning of the following week.) Last week i just worked mostly, made some decent money, and got some interesting news that will affect my future, but we'll go into that later. The end of the week was the fun stuff. Saturday was a big day at the orphanage. It was the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A very religious day in Mexico.. Basically, it's a day celebrating one of the apparitions of the virgin Mary, to Juan Diego, back a long time ago. So at the orfa, we had a mass, complete with Brother Fernando doing his customary one man performance, re-enacting the story of Juan Diego and Mary, and dances from the kids, etc. After that was the meal, which was very good, as always, and then presents for the kids, and an open house for the people who came (benefactors, people from the kids school, etc.) It was a pretty awesome day overall, and it wasn't over. So we hung out with the kids, and had a blast as always, then headed back north. At the border we saw a couple get their car searched by a few border patrol officers, and a drug-sniffing dog. That scene ended with the couple being taken away in handcuffs, so that was cool.. When we crossed, and got back home Tom, one of the AV's asked what I had planned for my birthday (the following day) and when i said that i was working all night the following night, he decided we were hanging out that night..

So i went over there a little later, we drank some beers, along with Ali and Allison, and watched a couple movies and talked for a bit. As it was getting later, we (Tom and I) decided to head out downtown. We were gonna meet a friend of his at sidebar, but decided it would be better to meet some other friends over at Maloney's instead. We grab some drinks and find the girls (JVC's and one of their friends).. we spend the rest of the night drinking and shooting the shit with the girls, then decide, after the bar closes, to head back to the Volunteer house. We have a drink or two and decide to put on a movie, next thing i know i'm awoken at 7am by Tom telling me that our ride is there. Definitely a good birthday (day before) all around, and nothing was really exciting on the actual day of my birthday, except that the Pats rolled, and it was in the 80's.

Another thing that happened this past week, was rumors starting to fly around that in the next 2 to 3 weeks, our restaurant will be closing down. Honestly, we've kinda felt like this was going to happen for a while, but that doesn't make it suck any less now that it seems almost inevitable. I was starting to not hate it there, to be honest. I was getting good shifts, good sections, and this month the restaurant has really picked up, and i've been making decent cash. It sucks because now i'm gonna have to go somewhere where i will once again be the new guy, and be making shit money. Considering maybe a career change? who knows. I have an application in at Harrah's for a restaurant manager position, but i'm not really confident about that.. we'll see. So if anyone who reads this (that's right, both of you) have any advice on what i can do with my career, i'm all ears.

As for the weight loss thing. I haven't been doing TOO great with eating healthy (had a couple burritos over the past couple weeks, french fries, soda a few times) but i've been doing well with going to the gym, have made some progress on eating, and right now i'm feeling, and hopefully looking better than before (even though the numbers aren't as low as i would like, yet.)

Week 6: 213 lbs

P.S- skipped the weigh in on week 5. Down 12 pounds in 6 weeks. 2 pounds a week is steady, but i'd have liked to have been down more at this point. Still, 213 isn't bad, 24 pounds from my original goal.. so at this rate, i'd be looking at another 3 months or so until i hit that 189 mark. If I can fix my eating habits a bit more, I can do it quicker, and be even lower than 189 by March. Ok, this was long.. Peace
-Roddy