Luce happiness... Just the beginning!

I love my job. I already love it. We haven't even opened the store yet, but I LOVE it. I am so, so thrilled to be working for such a great company. Seriously. We're local, fresh, welcoming, accepting, fun, and just awesome! I don't want to sound like a walking advertisement (but I'm sure I do sound like one :P), but I'm so excited!!!

(source: Google images)

I have had two days of training so far. In these two days we've greatly gone over the importance of food allergens and respecting people who have them and fulfilling their every dietary need; played with our POS systems/ computers and practiced ringing things up; tried all the appetizers, salads, and some gluten free and vegan foods (!!); learned about the general guidelines to being a server/ host/ and cashier; and most importantly: learned where all our goodies come from and how we prepare them! We get local ingredients as much as possible; all our veggies are freshly cut each day; our breads/ crusts (besides the GF ones) are homemade (focaccia bread will be made every day IN store! How awesome is that?!) as well as our sauces and such... When you look at the menu at first, you think it's pretty expensive for a pizza place. But you can tell why- it's because of all those things I just listed! When you get a $5 pizza, it's gonna taste and look like a $5 pizza. If you get a $20 pizza, it's gonna taste like one! It's worth it if you wand good quality! ;)

(Heh, this is all the garlic we threw our at the Richfield 4th of July parade! source)

So not only is this just a job, it will/ can totally be a career as well! I want to work here foreverrr. Haha, but really. It's great. I can move up in the chain, move up on the ladder- whatever you want to say. I could be a waitress, supervisor, anything! I'm gonna work so hard at it. I'll be starting off as a cashier and a host(ess) and the two most important things to do those jobs are to be friendly and patient. HA, I am great at both those things! And I can be myself while doing it, I don't need any of that fake BS. My customers at Chartwells loved me; I remembered people's orders even after knowing them for 3+ years! I could see them in a non-food service setting and be like, "Hey! You get the cheddar burger combo with no pickle!" and I could tell I totally just made their day because I made them feel special! That's why I love this industry: because you can make people FEEL GOOD. Who doesn't like knowing they could make someone's day with a simple gesture or greeting?

I know a lot of people hate food service and could never work in it. Which is fine; it's not for everyone. I'm just lucky I love it and am pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. ;) I'm just so happy and excited to have a job I know I'm going to love. Not many people can say that about their current jobs! It's my passion though... so I'm lucky to have gotten where I am!

(source: Google image)

Our store's grand opening is July 31st... So if you're in the Minnesota/ Twin Cities area- come on out and support this awesome business and my new job! You won't regret it. :)

source

Judge Me

Hi all, this is Jessica. She's my amazing, beautiful, hilarious, smart, crazy cousin. 

She has a talent: writing. Her words are so lyrical, it's ridiculous! 

I'm jealous of her talent, and I want you all to give her blog some love and views! 

She's blogging over at The Music of My Soul Reveals Itself in Words. :)

"Sometimes I just have this feeling etched onto my heart that I want to share with the world. So I write. I LOVE to write. Whether or not it has ANYTHING to do with what's happening in my life, I love the feeling of the words falling on to the page. Such a peace envelops me when I know that another work is completed. So, here I am. These are my works. These are my words. Experience what you can, feel the words roll off your tongue, and never live to regret the things you've done. Enjoy!"

She kindly offered to guest post for me, and so I can give her some more followers/ viewers! This is a poem she wrote while away on a vacation when anger struck her. Enjoy. :)

Judge Me

Tryn’ tell me who you think I should be
Tryn’ make me the girl you dreamed you’d see.
Push me away if you’d like, you wouldn’t even know
You’re blind in your judgment and you put on a great show
Let me be me or I’m sure this won’t go through
You’re gonna lose me completely cause you hate all that I do.
Oh, but you don’t “hate”—you’re only tryn’ to “love”
But every time you judge me, you push me away with a shove.
I HATE being judged for being myself
I HATE to put the things I love up on the hidden shelf.
I’m so sick of all the righteous ones, the high and mighty kings
The ones who feel they’re perfect and look down on everyone and everything. 
I’m sick of all you people who think that you are better 
Who make us sinners walk around with the brightly stitched scarlet letter. 
You don’t know me, so who are you to judge?
You don’t know my past, present, or future—
so don’t you sit there hatin’ like that cause I ain’t gonna budge!
So don’t look at my piercings like it’s too much for you
You didn’t make the decision—I did—and I’m proud of it too.
Don’t question my sexuality, I’m born to be this way
And there is only ONE to judge me on the very last of my days
Don’t persecute me for my body art I put on in the form of tattoos,
I chose each of them carefully, each has a meaning ,a purpose that only I could choose
Who are you to look at me cause I got a little bit of fat on me,
Who are you to stare cause bones are all ya see?
We are all shapes and sizes, each has a different body, direction, and morals
But shove down what YOU think’s right or wrong and you’re not solvin’ all these quarrels.
You’re tryin to “Love” but you’re doin just the opposite
You’re tryin’ to make “peace” but all you’re doin is makin us sick.
You can close the curtains, no one’s buyin your act
You can cut the shit cause we all think you’re a little whacked.
Let me be me and you can be you
Stay outta my business and get yourself a clue.
So don’t judge the things that you really don’t know, 
And don’t judge the things that you do,
Just let us run our own lives in this already crazy world and you can just run you.

Reflecting and thinking lately...

I've been thinking lately.
A lot.

I've been reflecting on my life thus far, the events that have taken place, the events that will eventually be taking place, reevaluating certain situations. I'm going to be 23 Monday, July 2nd. I'm not really sure when that happened. Time has been flying by me so quickly.

I've been reading this book lately: Quarterlife Crisis.

It's great. I'm only on page 30 something and I love it. I've been marking pages up and bookmarking things I like and enjoy. It's basically about how twentysomething year olds feel pressure of needing to know what they're going to do in life; pressure of needing to have everything figured and planned out. When in reality, none of us have that. Yea, everyone knows about the midlife crisis. But what about the quarterlife crisis? We're all going through it in some way or another. My sister Emilie actually bought this book for herself and then figured I'd like it. Man, was she right. I couldn't have started reading this at a better time! Seriously, everyone my age should read this. It will make you feel a lot better about feeling lost and confused about your life. Well, it made me feel better at least. :)

We all just need to remember that it's OKAY to not have your life completely planned and figured out! It's okay to be confused and lost once in a while. Nothing is set in stone besides the fact we will all eventually die. Other than that, nothing is certain. So take some risks and leaps. Explore your likes and dislikes. Leave your comfort zone. Try new things. Meet new people. Stay true to yourself and make sure you're happy. (Obviously these things are a lot easier said than done, but hey- it's a good inspiration to at least remember and think about these things!) 

Anyway... Yea. I'm trying to figure out who I am, who I want to be, who belongs in my life, who shouldn't, etc. It's quite the clusterf*ck of thoughts and wonders. I had my orientation for Pizza Luce the other day: I am SO excited to start working there!!! Seriously. Pumped. Ecstatic. I already feel so at home and comfortable with it. It's chill, welcoming, fun, and I'm sure the people I'll be working with are gonna be just as awesome. They're gluten free, vegan friendly. Oh, and we're going to be in the 4th of July parade in Richfield (which is where our location will be opening). Guess what we're throwing out in it? GARLIC. Yep. Garlic and artichokes are our signature items of the restaurant, so it's a fun way for us to get our names out and be different! I'm so excited.

I'll also be a PCA and a nanny for my two little cousins starting in fall, so I got to hang out with them and my aunt today to kinda get to know the ropes of the house and such. That'll be great. Until then, I'm working at the concessions stands in the SSP pools. It sucks, but it's money.

And I just... Yea. Keep thinking. Pondering. A lot. It's been a very contemplative time in my heart and my mind lately. I apologize for my lack of posts. 

Stay tuned for a guest post from my fantastically talented cousin soon! :)

xoxo

"The smart thing is to prepare for the unexpected." - Fortune cookie truth

So ready for this new start

Well... I got hired at Pizza Luce! As a cashier for the new location out in Richfield, MN. Words cannot describe my happiness!!!! Ever since I first stepped foot in that restaurant, I had dreamt of working there. Everyone's covered in tattoos and piercings, super friendly and crazy...it's just perfect. It is going to be great. I'm so excited! Not only because it's a job and I will have income now (finally), but because I know I'll love it. I'll fit in there. I love working with people. Food service is something I enjoy doing. It's just gonna be great! I know it!

Being unemployed, even though it was only for a month, has been killing me. Seriously. I've felt so worthless, helpless, just...yea. Not good. I mean come on, I had been employed since I was 16 years old, with the exception of the five months I was Spain. So having no job and $70,000 of debt is kind of a scary thing. The dent just lingers over me constantly. It scares me. It makes me anxious. It worries and stresses me out. I shouldn't be worrying, and I should think it'll all work out fine and I'll pay it off. But $70,000?! COME ON. That's way too much money. Ahh... Sometimes I feel like it won't even get paid off til I'm dead. That's just what I say anyway. :P

HHHHanyway. I am employed now. I have orientation on the 20th, training the next week, and the grand opening is in July! Eeeep! So exciting! And I can just throw all my money at my loans, a car, and groceries, and loans, loans, loans!

Also, we're nearing the end of our house for sale! Eeeek! It's just working out the kinks and details for now! And the house my parents want to move into is literally right across the street from our house now. Which yea, is kind of convenient for moving purposes. But it'll be depressing seeing the old house every day...and remembering how freakin perfect and awesome this house is... *sigh*. Oh well. Gotta try and think positively. It's what's best for mama and papa bear and our family. :)

Family

My little sister Lexi is graduating from high school! I can't even believe it. She's so old! She actually looks the oldest out of all three of us, which is kinda funny. We had her grad party yesterday; almost all of our family came up for the weekend for it. It was a blast! It was kind of stressful trying to prepare the house and such, then clean up immediately today for a showing we had at 2pm. But we did it. And it was allll worth it! I love my family so, so much! I am extremely lucky to have them, and even though most of us are polar opposite people, we get along super well! We're loud. We're crazy. We love coffee. (I got everyone to fall in love with the Sumatra blend...I made SO many pots of it yesterday. Let's just say my aunt and I were overly caffeinated for the majority of the day. ;) Hehe, it was grand) We love food. We love laughing. We love yard games. We love beer (and wine!). We love in depth talks. We love each other. It's wonderful. 


In two weeks we have our annual Scott family reunion where we go to Wisconsin Dells for a couple days. It's basically the best and most epic weekend of the entire year because all of us are there: all 23? of us. (I haven't counted in a while but I think that's the grand total) My cousins and I are all pretty close in age too which makes it a million times better because we're all really closely knit. I'm just very lucky and thankful to have such a great family that I know will be here for me, or I should say we'll all be here for each other- forever. I can't imagine it any other way. :)

"When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching -- they are your family." - Jim Butcher

"What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." - Mother Teresa

"I sustain myself with the love of family." - Maya Angelou

"A dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it." - Mary Karr

Graduated-ish/ Lately

Well, that's done and over now. That is, my undergraduate career. Okay technically I'm not quite done? I have an internship/ volunteering thing for 120 hours of experience this summer, THEN I will be done and graduated. But I've moved back home now, and I have no more classes. It's kinda...weird. I'm still adjusting. My parents are trying to sell their house, so moving all my stuff (that I have accumulated over the past two years) and attempting to store it in places that won't be seen during showings of the house- yea it's been hell. I am super OCD about where all my things are. And right now, everything's in random boxes spread throughout the shed, garage, attic, my room, my sisters' rooms, closets, and the laundry room. So that's driving me CRAZY. Ack, I hate not knowing exactly where everything is...especially when it's something I need right that moment. I'll get over it. Or hopefully we can just sell the house; that'd make things SO much easier!!! So please everyone keep your fingers crossed for that!

Other than that, I'm just trying to find a dang job. Ugh. I have only been unemployed while I was in Spain, and that's it- since I was 16 years old. So being unemployed right now is killing me. I feel so... worthless, I guess would be the word. I know I'm not, but I mean, it just sucks. I'm living with my parents with no job, no car, and $70,000 of debt. Gee, so proud. I graduated college, and that's a huge accomplishment. But to me it just doesn't feel good enough, at least not yet. Once I actually get income and can start throwing money at my loans I'll feel a lot better.

Also, now that I re-read that last paragraph I realize I sound really negative. :P That's another thing I'm working on! Haha. Working on being happy with myself and who I am. I can make sure EVERYone else is happy, and fix everyone else's problems; but when it comes to mine, nope. But Lexi's my personal trainer now so I will get healthier physically, and hopefully psychologically along with it. I think that once I get a job, have income, and can get my life on track I'll be a lot better off and will be a lot happier with myself. So that's a work in progress.

Lastly, I love my sisters. I love being home with them now. Whenever Emilie and I are home usually we're jam packed nights and weekends with family and such, so it's hard for just us three to bond. But when we're home, we bond. And laugh- A LOT. Actually that's basically all we do together. Ha, it's amazing. I honestly don't know how I could survive without them! We are all so completely different people, yet we end up connecting perfectly and getting along so well. Of course we have random times where we just scream at each other from different levels of the house, or freak out because our shoes were stolen by a sister, but really- no one's perfect, right? ;) We usually just end up laughing about how crazy we seemed later on. It's great. Lex and Emilie are my life. I'm excited for all the wild, random memories and laughing fits we're all going to have together in the next few months.

So that's where I'm at thus far. Truckin' along, trying to find a job, etc. Now that I'm back in the cities though I'd love to catch up with old friends and new friends. There are so many people though, so I'm just kinda waiting to see who all messages or contacts me first. :P

PS-- The dentist called today to schedule an appointment, and the earliest date available is July 2nd. Which is my birthday. Ha! But I love the dentist. My dental hygienist is AMAZINGGGGG. I refuse refuse to have anyone else besides her. She knows all my sensitive teeth, and my life story! Haha! So yea...happy birthday to me? :/

You'll Be Bright

You'll Be Bright by: Cloud Cult

All the things you'll love,

All the things that may hurt you,

All the things you shouldn't do,

And all the things you want to...

They're calling your name...travel safely.

Every first kiss, every crisis, every heartbreak and every act of kindness...

They're calling your name...travel safely.

Every empire, every monument, every masterpiece and every invention,

They're calling your name...travel safely.

I found stars on the tip of your tongue.

You speak Poltergeist, so do I. So do I.

What comes will come.
What goes will go.

The wind will blow where the wind is blowing.
Let go of where you think you're going.

We'll never know why it flows where it's flowing.

We've always been what we will always be.

I'm so convinced we have to get there, we can part the sea.

So bring the dead to life, turn your blood to wine.

All your life you have waited for this moment to arrive.

And you'll be bright.