Everybody's Workin' For The Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions, add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger before you, or all the bloggers if you have the time. Here we go- 

1. Something you're working on currently? 

Cleaning out my closet and getting myself organized for our hop across the pond. I've needed new luggage for a while now and finally ordered myself a two piece set from Travelpro. Hubs has traveled round the world with his and it's held up well so I went with them again.  

I rarely use an extra large suitcase, but for longer trips it's nice to have that option. I'm bringing birthday gifts for two of my grandchildren and a few Christmas items I've picked up as well so I think I'll need the space. 

2. Tell us something about your first job? Was it a positive or negative experience for you? Did your parents insist you work while in school (either high school or college) or did you work because you wanted to? 

I guess technically my first job would be babysitter. I started babysitting after school for our across the street neighbor's nine month old daughter when I was in Jr. High. I was a responsible young teenager, and my mom was right across the road. My neighbor was a nurse and worked the second shift, so I'd sit for a couple of hours after school until the dad got home. They overpaid me all the time and I loved that little girl so much. They were true New Yorkers and would go out to dinner at something like 9 PM and come home in the wee hours of the morning and occasionally they'd find me sound asleep. 

Babysitting was a positive for me. I've always loved children and enjoy spending time with them. I always wanted to be a mother and I think babysitting only made me more certain of that. 

The family moved my senior year in high school and I got a job in a nursing home, working in the dining room. I liked the work and the people so would say this was also a positive experience. 

I don't think my parents insisted I work. I guess they probably expected us to work and we all did. That's just what teenagers/college students on summer break did. I'm not sure any of us saw not working as an option, but we didn't complain about it either. There were far fewer activities on the calendar when I was a teenager, so that probably helped. I enjoyed having spending money and liked the sense of responsibility a job gave me. I think those early jobs were confidence boosters too. 

3. Have you ever had a job that required overnight travel? How did you feel about that? Have you ever had a job that required you to wear a uniform? Do you work better in the morning or at night? 

I've never had a job that required overnight travel, but my hubs always had a job that required a lot of overnight travel, so I've experienced that side of it. When you have a hubs who travels a lot you learn to manage things you might not manage otherwise, you get on with things, and take care of the business of running a home.  I would say those are all positives. 

Here we are back in the mid-90's at BWI Airport, picking up hubs from an out of town work trip. How sweet it was to step off a plane and have your girls run right into your arms. Remember when you could greet your family right at the airport gate? Remember Continental Airlines-ha! 

Re: uniforms...the nursing home position I mentioned above required me to wear a white uniform, apron, white hose!, and white work shoes that were truly ugly. I didn't love the uniform, but it was part of the job. 

No question about it, I work better in the morning. I have never been a night owl. 

4. What's something you bake or cook that is labor intensive? Is it worth it? 

Eggplant parmesan would be one. I make Alex Guarnaschelli's recipe and it's definitely labor intensive and definitely worth it. I usually make one a year with eggplant my daughter's mother-in-law grows and shares. 

My mama's enchilada recipe is an all day affair too, also totally worth it. My mom used to make them every year for hub's birthday because he could eat a whole pan himself. I haven't made them in a long while, but this post has me thinking about how good they are so maybe that will happen soon. Or at least before year's end. 

5. One thing you're looking forward to in the month of September? 

The list is long, but first things first...it's my birthday month. On top of that I'll be seeing both of my girls and all of my grands in person (not at the same time but we take what we can get) and, best of all, we're making a trip back to a place I lived and loved and have tucked into my heart for always (England). 

Out of all the months on the calendar I think September might just be my favorite.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

There were no less than a dozen people here Tuesday working on 'the great backyard reset' as I've taken to calling it. As a result lots of progress has been made and I can finally see what it is we're doing lol.

Of course we still have a ways to go...

Enjoy your Wednesday everyone! 

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...