Reasons I like my jobs

The dress code at Wells Fargo is a lot more lax than most other places I've worked. I can wear open-toed shoes, and skirts above the knee as long as they are appropriate, any color shirt. As long as I look nice, it's okay. No jeans or unprofessional sandals, but that's doable. Ragstock has by far the most easy-going dress code: clothing. As long as I am wearing clothes, I am following policy. I can wear shorts, jeans, t-shirts with logos on them, sandals, tank tops, etc. It's pretty cool.

Ragstock has a good employee discount. I get 50% off used clothing and 25% off new clothing. Wells Fargo team members get services and products for no or lower fees. Bill Pay, for example, normally costs money, but I get it free. It's really handy to have (because the companies that take out twice the amount and then put it back it, causing you to overdraft, now just get a check instead). Plus, insurance, a 401(k) and other benefits are nice to have.

The people at Wells Fargo are all really nice and fun. I enjoy coming to work to spend time with them. I don't know the Ragstock people as well yet, but they're all kind of hipster/indie kind of folk. They seem cool. I'm kind of square compared to all of them, but then again, I am kind of square.

The Great MN Get Together

Strawberry scone and a bite of grilled cheese, a frappe from the farmers union, falafel on a stick, a bite of deep fried apple pie, vegetarian platter of middle eastern food (hummus, tabbouleh, falafel, pita chips, samosas and something in grape leaves), and chocolate covered fruit. That is my kind of fair food.

No corn dogs, cheese curds, deep fried bacon, dippin' dots or cookies were consumed.

Apparently the Girl Scouts were not at the fair yet, and I am seriously regretting the lack of Sweet Martha's.... I am such a granola.

Recipe: Quinoa Fruit Salad

Yum yum! Another recipe score!

Ingredients:

1 c rinsed, uncooked quinoa (or ~2.5-3 c cooked)

1 c vanilla yogurt

1/4 c honey

1 T fresh mint, chopped

1 pineapple, cut into bite-size pieces

1 pint strawberries, cut into bite-size pieces

4 peaches, cut into bite-size pieces

1) Cook the quinoa

2) While it's cooking, mix together yogurt, honey and mint for the dressing.

3) Mix the quinoa into the yogurt. Add in fruits and toss.

4) Chill, then serve.

Simple, fast delicious! I made up this recipe because I imagined it would taste good. I looked for other recipes like it, but I couldn't find any. Now I just need a name for it. Quinoa reminds me of fish eggs, but that's a disgusting name for a fruit salad. Any suggestions?

Tofu Pineapple Fried Rice

It's been a while since I posted a recipe, but this one turned out so goshdarn well I had to share it. It's my first successful fried rice, so I'm pretty happy.

Ingredients:

~1 cup pineapple chunks, preferably fresh, but you could use canned for convenience. I just ask that you reserve the juice to make a smoothie or something.

~3 T cooking oil

~3-4 c leftover rice. If making new rice, be sure to put it in the fridge for an hour or so first.

~1 package of firm tofu, cubed into 1-inch pieces

~1/4 c chopped onion (the original recipe called for 3 spring onions, but I used what onion I had)

~3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

~1 chili, finely chopped

~1 T cilantro, finely chopped

~1 egg

~1/4 c vegetable/chicken stock

~1/2 c frozen peas (can add more for healthier fried rice. I used about a cup)

~1/2 c raisins (or craisins in my case, because I didn't have raisins in the house)

~1/2 c cashews (I finally used some of those cashews, mom!)

Sauce:

~3 T soy sauce

~2 t curry powder

~1 T lime juice

~1/2 t sugar

Directions:

~Fry the tofu in 1 T oil at some point. I multi-tasked and made the tofu while making the fried rice.

~Mix the sauce together.

1) Mix 1 T oil in with the rice, making sure it's all coated and the clumps of rice are separated.

2) Stir-fry the Onion, garlic and chili in 1 T oil for about a minute in a large frying pan/wok.

3) Push everything to the side, and scramble the egg in the empty space. Mix with the rest after it's cooked.

4) Add the peas, and add the veggie stock bit by bit as needed-may not need it all. Just when it starts to dry out, add some more.

5) Stir in the rest of the ingredients, and drizzle the sauce over everything. Do not add any more stock after this. Stir-fry everything together for 5-10 minutes, until it's reached a consistency you think you will enjoy. :)

6) Put the tofu in with it, and serve/eat!

I should have taken a picture.... Then it'd be like a real blog. Maybe I should make a video of myself cooking.

I do have nutrition facts for you, though. That's above and beyond! I'm doing B-level work, here, folks! (FYI, not the healthiest, but better than most restaurants, probably.) Disclaimer: This is with the ingredients I used. The ingredients you use will make a difference.

Calories: 400

Fat: 16g

Cholesterol: 43mg

Sodium: 756mg (could replace with low-sodium soy sauce)

Potassium: 170 mg

Carbs: 50g

Dietary Fiber: 6g

Sugar: 9g

Protein: 16.5g

Vitamin A: 10.5%

Vitamin C: 21.2%

Calcium: 8%

Iron: 15%

Day at the Mall

MOA on a Saturday. Never again.

I endured a packed train, crowds and screaming kids for a day of job searching and buying some tops for work.

I guess it wasn't that bad. I never had to wait in very many lines. I got a few good deals and had a delicious dinner of a falafel pita (Go to the Pita Pit next time you're at the Mall! So good!) and taro bubble tea.

I applied for jobs at Pita Pit, Ragstock and H&M. I probably won't get the job at H&M because they require complete availability on Saturdays and Sundays (as the manager I spoke to told me several times) and I work every other Saturday morning at Wells Fargo. Ragstock is hiring a lot of people right now, though, so hopefully they hire me!

I also found an awesome vest at Ragstock. I love their "vintage" (used) section.

Happiness is

Not a warm gun, despite what the Beatles may tell you. Although, that is relative. Some people probably really enjoy warm guns.

In any case, I think I am a very happy person. At my lowest, I am weary, but more that 90% of the time, I am content. Someone can be ruder than a toot, and I might feel a little flustered, but I am still generally happy. I am comfortable in almost every situation.

I don't really know why, though. I never try to be happy. I don't look for ways to make my life more enjoyable. But at the same time, I don't think I'm settling for something that could be better. Life is life. Some things you can control. Other things, you can't.

Not to say I don't wish things could be better. I could always use more money, for example. But I am not miserably poor, and I am really grateful for that. The only control I have over my income is how much I work, and I'm applying for a second job, and trying to glean as many hours as I can from the bank.

I really don't have any other problems in my life. I'm sure I could find some, if I looked. I should probably be lonely, but if I were lonely, I'd probably do something about it. I should want to find a significant other, but if I really wanted one, I'd try and find one.

Although I'm not sure how successful I would be. Life happens to us. We react to our situations. There's only so much we can do to make a life. I can't find an elderly rich relative out of nowhere to find more money (plus, that'd be elder abuse), and I am not so poor that I would even consider a sugar daddy (which could also be elder abuse!).

Maybe more ambition and discomfort would do me good. Might get me further towards my goals than where I am now. Or it might make me unhappy because I am not reaching them fast enough.

Hmm... awkward!

So, I am not one to closet myself. I am always willing to talk the truth with whoever I am with. But today at work, it just made things awkward between a customer and I.

Trying to flirt with me, he asked me how my boyfriend feels about me working all weekend. I tell him that I don't have one. "What? What's a beautiful girl like you doing without a boyfriend?"

"Nah, I don't need one."

"You could have a lot of boyfriends!"

"Yeah, I'm sure I could. If it happens, it happens. I don't need anyone right now." I was trying to be nonchalant, trying not to flirt back, but not shutting him out, because he is a customer.

"As long as you don't want a girlfriend."

At this, I just felt awkward. "If it happens, it happens," I replied. Honest, right?

"No... Why a beautiful girl like you would want a girlfriend..." He trailed off muttering, as I finished his transaction and quickly changed the subject to something like his work.

How do I react to this? I am unsure. I am an out and proud bisexual, but this man was obviously uncomfortable by the idea, and here I am, trying to make him into a loyal customer. I hope I handled it ok.