More of an Update Than Anything Else

It seems hard to believe that the last time I posted was over two months ago...my goodness how time flies! Life has been very busy in the past two months.

November: I started my new job as the Events and Visit Coordinator at Trinity. Our first major event was November 9-10, the Taste of Trinity. I got a small glimpse of what I am going to be planning--I say "small" because I was a little too overwhelmed to understand what minute details had to be worked out.

Then came Thanksgiving. Jeremy and I stayed here in the Chicagoland area and had dinner with our friends Eric & Abbey Toohey (our former upstairs neighbors). The turkey was the best I'd ever had (perhaps it had something to do with all the butter?).

December: Before we knew it, December was upon us. My finals week was the week before Jeremy's finals week, so we had two weeks of end-of-the-semester craziness. It actually worked out really well because we didn't both need the computer at the same time. We both passed our classes and I am looking forward to next semester. Because Jeremy is a full-time student, I can audit a class for free at Trinity. I am going to take "American Church History" with Jeremy on Tuesday nights through Trinity. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I am taking "The Academic Library" and the intro. course into my degree. I'm excited about all the classes. :)

For Christmas, I had an entire week off of work (paid!), so we drove back to Nebraska. We spent time with a lot of people, including both our families. It was great to be back to Nebraska, but we were glad to get home, too. It was a nice realization that our apartment really feels like home.

New Year's Eve was great--we hosted a small party for some of our friends. We played many board games and had plenty to eat. Apparently my chocolate chip cookie recipe is also good with a mix of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. :) It was an experiment suggested by Jeremy and seemed to go over well--in our party AND in the office. :)

So we are about caught up with life now. We have enjoyed relaxing before the semester starts. Things are starting to gear up for the two Spring Tastes of Trinity. I am really excited about being able to take the reins for this.

Anyway, overall, life is great! We still really enjoy our apartment and campus life.

Happy New Year!

The Iseminger Family Cookbook

One thing that is really neat about the Iseminger family is their interest in geneaology and preserving memories and traditions for future generations. Some years ago, Grandma Iseminger (Mary Platt Iseminger) wrote a couple of books to that effect. It is pretty cool to think that in her later stages of life, my grandma became a writer. Anyway, one of the projects that came about through this geneaology stuff is a family cookbook. All factions of the family were contacted and their recipes compiled. It was published in 1990. A copy was given to every family member who wanted one. Occasionally I will consult the Iseminger Family Cookbook to get new ideas (or to resurrect old ideas). This past Thursday evening was one of one of those times.

Our neighbors from upstairs, Eric and Abbey Toohey, came down to hang out, watch The Office, and try the new Thanksgiving Blend of Starbucks coffee. I wanted something to serve with the coffee and, upon consulting with my husband, decided on gingerbread something-or-other. I went to the Iseminger Family Cookbook for suggestions and came upon the following recipe:

Gingerbread: From Edith Iseminger's Recipe File

4 T. butter or lard
1/4 C. molasses
1/4 C. sugar
1 egg
2 C. flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tps. ginger
1 C. boiling water

It was at this point that I realized I had all the ingredients and it would be a doable recipe. Then, I read the "instructions" (and I quote):

"That was all there was to that recipe. I know it turned out good every time. I can remember the smell of gingerbread baking on a cold day, that was heavenly! We cut it in good-sized pieces and heaped real whipped cream on it. That was good."

What in the world?! How is that supposed to help me make gingerbread? I called my dad, who shared a laugh with me about how I'm just supposed to know what to do with all the ingredients. He looked up a similar gingerbread recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook to see how to prepare it and gave those directions to me. The gingerbread actually turned out well (and for those of you wanting to give it a try, I'll include the real instructions at the end of the blog). It turns out that this is not the only recipe in the cookbook from Edith Iseminger's file that contains ambiguous instructions...I guess when I want to use them I will consult other recipe books to find out how to combine ingredients.

Anyway, I am thankful that my family has cared enough to preserve traditions and pass them on to the next generation. I know that not every family has that luxury and I am appreciative that mine does. Perhaps my siblings and I will compile something similar in the future? Hard to tell.

Directions: Beat butter/lard and sugar until creamy. Add molasses and egg, beat well. Mix dry ingredients together and add alternately with the boiling water. Bake in a 9x9 pan at 350 degrees for about 1/2 hour. Serve warm. (Goes well with Thanksgiving Blend coffee!)

Midwestern Folk

Isn't it funny how the smallest occurrances or most off-handed comments make us stop to think? For instance, today (my 2nd-to-last day at Starbucks) I was requesting a plain bagel toasted for a customer in the drive-thru. Granted, it was early in the morning, but the person who retrieved it for me returned and asked me if I was from Wisconsin. It took me by surprise, and I answered, "No, I'm from Iowa." She then requested that I repeat my request. I, again, asked for a bagel (with a long "a"--sounds like ba-gel). She said, "Oh, it's a bagel." (with a short "a" sound--sounds like bag-el) Then, my assistant manager turned around and offered his two cents: "No, its a bagel". (with an "ah"--sounds like boggle). The 10-second conversation left me wondering--what's the real pronunciation?

I had a momentary mental crisis (Really?! Did she just correct me on word pronunciation?! Am I wrong? Is she wrong? Is he wrong?) and filed the conversation away in my brain. When I got home, I called my sister (okay, so I took a nap first, checked my email, and then called her). Being the resourceful and curious person that she is, she looked up the word "bagel" in the dictionary. Though it turns out that the correct pronunciation is "ba-gel" (with a long "a" sound), the thing that made me take note is how annoyed I was that someone had the audacity to think that I pronounced a word wrong...and then I practiced self-talk. I thought: 'Janelle, you need to get a grip on yourself. Its just a word pronunciation...yeah, you were right, but that's not the point--its not something to get all up in arms about and, really, as long as we all know the item in question, who cares whether we say it with a long "a" sound, a short "a" sound, or an "ah" sound?' I realized that I really just need to accept the difference, and stop being so prideful about growing up in the Midwest--the land of no accents (or so I thought!). And for tomorrow...well, I think I'll just start requesting "bread shaped like a donut". :)

God's Provision

It's so unbeknownst to me why God works the way He does, and that's okay with me. About a week and a half ago, I interviewed for the Taste of Trinity coordinator position on-campus. I heard about this last available job through a friend in my Trinity Wives' Small Group and thought I'd give it a shot. Jeremy and I both went into the situation feeling that if God closed the door on this opportunity, I would stay at Starbucks a little longer and start looking for alternative opportunities after the holidays. I hadn't heard back from them after a few days (even though my contact had said that I would hear sooner than that even) and began to suspect that I didn't get the job. I'll be honest--it was a very discouraging couple of days for me. But, at the end, I decided that Starbucks was definitely where God had me and He would continue to meet our needs throught it. I was contented with my situation and Jeremy was too--disappointed, for sure, but contented.

And that was where we were at until yesterday afternoon when I got home from work. I had a message both on my cell phone and on my home phone (and an email in my inbox) from the Human Resources department asking me to please contact them about the position I had applied for. I was thankful that they were letting me know "in person" that I hadn't gotten the job...as opposed to sending out a letter or something like that. After playing phone tag, I finally caught up with the woman who was trying to get a hold of me. It turns out that she was calling to offer me the Taste of Trinity coordinator position! It was such a strange feeling, though, when I found out wha tshe was calling about. I had been so sure that I hadn't gotten the job and so sure that Starbucks was where God had me for awhile that I was kind of shocked. (Incidentally, Jeremy had much the same reaction when I told him.)

I'm super excited to be working on-campus. There are so many benefits! Jeremy gets one free class per semester, I get one free class per semester (if I choose to take it), I get 18 personal/vacation/sick days per fiscal year. Oh yeah! And did I mention that not only do I get Thanksgiving and the day after off (paid and I was going to have to work on them if I stayed at Starbucks), Trinity is shutting down all campus offices for a week (paid!) over the Christmas holidays. What's so cool about this is that we had already planned a trip (that very week!) to Nebraska to visit both of our families and we would have had to take it completely unpaid before. Jeremy and I were just talking about how we were going to make ends meet that month and God has already provided a way! I will get a 1 hour lunch break every day (yeah!) which I will get to go home for!!! Oh yeah, and for those of you concerned that I'll have to give up Starbucks coffee, be concerned no longer. There is actually a Starbucks coffee machine right outside the Admissions office! I can still get Starbucks coffee every morning for free!!!

I met with a couple of people from the department today about pinpointing a starting date and found out that circumstances beyond anyone's control prevented them from calling me before yesterday. Isn't it strange how God works things out? I'm still a little in awe over how God changed my attitude and then BOOM!: He gave me another job opportunity. It still seems surreal.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about why things happened the way they have. I don't know for sure the whole reason why, but I've come up with some positives:

*The salary for the job on-campus is a little lower than I probably would have accepted in July. However, since that time, God has shown me that we can be frugal when we have to be. I probably wouldn't have accepted this position had it been offered to me in July, but now, I'm thankful for the opportunity and appreciative for God's provision of money to meet our financial obligations (and a little extra!...but not much). :)

*Jeremy and I have had to become better communicators when dealing with our finances. We are more on the same page now than we ever have been. We have started good habits that we plan to continue into this new job situation.

*I have learned to be content in a job that I don't necessarily like.

*I have trusted God more.

*I stand amazed at how God works out details.

Praise God for His provision!

"Do You Think It Will Last?"

It seems that most of the posts I write anymore have to do, in some shape or form, with Starbucks. Maybe someday I'll have something to say that doesn't have to do with it, but that day is not today. Be forewarned: the following post contains information related to Starbucks.

When I had only worked at Starbucks for a couple of weeks, someone asked me if I was married, I said yes. She asked how long, I said 2 years. Then she asked me a question I wasn't expecting: "Do you think it will last?". This stopped me for a moment. I was so surprised, I didn't give a very good answer. It was more of a, "yeah, I think it will" rather than the "We love each other. We are committed to making it work. We knew it wouldn't be perfect when we signed on, but divorce isn't an option for us" response it should have been. But the more I get to know this girl, the more I am understanding where that question came from.

This particular girl is a Middle Eastern native. She came to the United States two years ago, and lived in another large metropolitan area before moving to Chicagoland. She is a 22-year-old flirt, self-described as someone who gets bored easily with relationships. Her work clothes, although they meet dress code, cover only as much skin as needs to be covered. She wears her short shirt unbuttoned as far as she can make it go without exposing herself and doesn't tuck in her shirt, so that it shows just a little bit of skin in the back.

On the other hand, she is very good at being a barista (when she shows up, which is a story told in a previous blog). She knows the customers and their drinks and can make them fastly and efficiently. However, working with her has proven to be somewhat of a challenge. She comes off as helpful and "nice" at first, but becomes demanding and abrasive to the point of rudeness the more she works with people. Oh, its said in a sweet tone of voice: "Janelle, will you........for me?" or "Janelle, don't do......, do it this way.", but the intent is that I am there to answer to her. Other times, she will call drinks when I'm not ready (and I've said I'm not ready) or say them so fast that I can't get them written down. Its almost like she's trying to prove to me that she is better than me. Ok, I give up--she is! I really could do without the point being driven home every time we work together.

I became so frustrated with the situation this week that I asked my managers to put me in a different part of the store than she was because I just needed a break from her. I felt awful that I couldn't get along with someone until I talked with a friend and fellow co-worker who helped me see the situation in a different light. This friend told me that everyone in the store has had to have some sort of confrontation with this girl to get her to back off. She thrives on ordering people around and making them feel incompetant while showing herself to be better than them. My friend reminded me that this girl is lost and she needs Jesus. Really, I should be pitying her because she is trying everything and anything to get attention from co-workers and customers. She has self-image issues just like the rest of us and just wants to be loved. No wonder she asked me if I thought my marriage would last. She doesn't even know what real love is. Once I started seeing the situation in this light, my attitude toward her is changing.

I haven't worked closely with her for a couple of days now, and I'm sure that her micro-managing isn't over. I have decided, however, to not let her decide how my day is going to go. I have also decided to pray for her regularly and for our interactions. I'm sure that one day soon there will be a confrontation of sorts in which I will have to assert myself. I'm not looking forward to that moment, but I'm not afraid of it anymore. If nothing else, Starbucks has certainly been a world of new experiences and growing opportunities. I can't wait to see what is coming down the "Pike". (Ok, only Starbucks customers or partners would get that that's a reference to Starbucks' Pike's Place Roast, which is a coffee brewed daily and that is named after the first Starbucks store in Seattle .)

Apparently Parents DO Have Wisdom...

My dad has a theory that children don't start seeing their parents' logic until after age 25. While I don't think I had to reach that magical milestone in my life before I started seeing the wisdom in their advice, I do continue to see it in various areas as my life progresses.

Take, for instance, a job. I started at Starbucks about 6 weeks ago. (Its going much better, by the way, thanks for asking.) When I was interviewed, I was asked questions such as, "What would you do (and what have you done in the past) when you are sick or unable to make it to work?" and "How many times were you late in your previous job?" I thought they were kind of weird questions to be asking--I just take it for granted that if I can't work, I need to find a replacement and if I'm scheduled at a certain time, I'm needed and counted upon to be there. I'm finding out that not everyone has those foundational understandings when it comes to a job. After responding to these questions, my interviewer mentioned that I would make an excellent candidate for shift manager (Really? Is it that hard to find a reliable person?)

My dad always said that all you have to do is show up on time and do your job and people will like you. I used to think it was bogus, but its becoming more clear to me that this is so true! I work the 4a.m. shift most mornings. When I started working at this hour, the management (both the Manager and the Assistant Manager) made the comment to me that they enjoyed opening the store with me...it took me awhile to find out that they didn't like opening with the other person available at that hour because she (direct quote) "lacks a sense of urgency". Basically, all I had to do was show up and they were happy! :) It was an interesting situation because at first, it wasn't even that they liked me all that much--I just wasn't the other person.

The other thing about this person is that she talks. A lot. Most of the time, working takes the back burner to talking. So again, all I have to do is show up and work and the management likes me. Now, this is not to say that this one person in particular is the only person with issues at Starbucks. One of our employees relies solely on public transportation, but often misses the bus. Again, it goes back to the principle that the reason a person is scheduled at a certain time is because they're needed at that time. She is now viewed as an unreliable employee--last week, of the four days I was to work with her, she was late 2 and didn't show up for 1 (quick mental math reveals that she only put in 1 full day of work at her scheduled time). Again, she's not the only one, but, wow! I can't imagine myself doing that...

I was discussing this with my sister Joy and I came to the conclusion that I am going to become unreliable and unresponsible. She doesn't think I can do it. She's right, you know, because it would go against everything my parents taught me. So, I guess I'm saying thank you to my dad, who cared enough to instill occupational responsibility in me at a young age.

One of Those Days....

Have you ever had "one of those days"? You know the ones...nothing seems to go right and instead of thinking of each incident as isolated, you start to wonder what else is going to happen. Today is one of those days for me.

Last year, I started to develop a kind of dislike toward Mondays. My student library assistant helped me out during 1st period and Mondays became a running joke between us, in that I seem more disoriented than other days (if you can believe it!). I had hoped that I was going to leave that trend behind in Nebraska, but it seems to have followed me to Illinois.

This morning I started working at 5am, which wasn't the problem--I was awake, or so I thought. I tripped over something on the floor and landed square on my behind, catching myself with my left hand. I was okay at the time, but am now starting to feel the effects in full...achy back, neck, wrist...ugh.

I am kind of still training, as well. I have the register pretty much down, but today I kept hearing orders that weren't really orders. It was really frustrating because I am actually a lot better at my job than I exhibited today. In my defense, though, that one lady told two of us that she wanted her maple scone warmed...how was I supposed to know she wanted it cold?

It also seemed that anything liquid lept out of its respective container to make a mess on the counter, the floor, or the wall.

At this point in the day, I thought that the incidents were isolated, but I was soon to change my mind. Starbucks makes their own whipped cream. (I'd tell you the recipe, but then I'd have to kill you.) The special recipe is put in a metal container and then pressurized (charged) to mix the ingredients together when it comes out. I found out what happens when one opens a pressurized container of whipped cream that isn't quite empty....it got ALL over the place. It was a good thing it happened in the back room and the managers weren't there, but, my goodness! The sink, the walls, the purses, me...it was a good thing I was standing there, or the computer would have been splattered too. That happened around 10am and I wasn't scheduled to be off until 11am. My goal after that: be cognizent that its Monday--be EXTRA careful! Of course, I still dripped hot coffee on my foot and spilled it on my hand, but at least I got out of there without doing anything else that falls in the major catastrophe category.

So Mondays aren't really my thing, I guess. One thing's for sure...I have developed a rueful sense of humor about it....too bad my managers don't see the same humor that I do. One of my co-workers does, though....she said that she was going to request to work every Monday with me because they're so entertaining! :)