This weekend was positively phenomenal! I drove to Chicago to visit my best friend, a recent grad of DePaul University in stage management. Her apartment is right off the Red Line train, so we had an easy time getting around town. We walked the length of the beach along Lake Michigan, took a river tour with a hilarious guide named Tim, attended a performance of her show, and ate delicious food! And that was just Saturday!
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| BFF's for life! |
On Sunday, a friend of hers came over and we cooked breakfast, then they both had to go to work, so I walked two blocks away from her apartment and BOOM! I came upon the 2015 Chicago Pride parade, just one day after the Supreme Court historically declared that marriage rights should not be limited by sexual orientation. Regardless of your views on the subject, it is impossible to deny the fervor and triumph expressed by all parade attendees, and the floats and performances were all high-energy and fun. I was glad to be part of such a historic celebration.
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| Pride 2015! |
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| That's amore! |
I stopped in downtown for some classic Chicago stuffed crust pizza before I headed back to Cedar Falls. SO DELICIOUS, even though it just had vegetables on it!
Monday and
Tuesday were both project days. I spent the time brainstorming for my event and finishing up on blogging and other projects.
Wednesday was audit day! I got to watch Rialto, the other dining center on campus that is closed for this summer, go through an audit by the state. A man came, we gave him a list of our inventory and the costs of said inventory, and he selected about ten items that we then had to show him and count out for him. This is to ensure that no one is stealing money or ordering fake product to cover up illicit activities. That afternoon, I met with the C-store manager and we discussed all the thought that goes into running a convenience store chain. Shelf stocking is a team effort if you contract with companies like Pepsi and Frito Lay because the same sales people that manage your inventory of their products are also responsible for introducing new products to your shelves. Of course, the store manager has the ultimate say and is also responsible for taking initiative to keep a relevant store. My biggest challenge within retail foodservice is marketing, my major Achilles heel. It is really hard for me to imagine what people want to buy because I do not share any of their buying patterns! I don't eat candy, don't drink caffeine, and don't buy many snacks. On the contrary, I make most of my own food. The store manager gave me a marketing project to work on that helped me get information on what customers would like to see in their stores.
Thursday was my day off, but I did not spend it idly. I gathered nature supplies for my event decorations and recruited some of my new friends to help me paint and craft! Of course, I made them dinner as thanks. I enjoyed another country line dancing night after that. I'm slowly getting better; my goal is to do some of the more intricate dances by the time I leave!
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| Supplies for my garlands. |
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| Tic tac toe boards made of log rounds |
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| Finished garlands all strung up! |
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| How am I going to keep these from getting tangled?! |
Friday was... a day off?! Yep, because this is 4th of July weekend!! I had a super fun plan for the weekend, too. Remember Natalie, the girl I met in catering? She invited me to come to her house and celebrate the 4th with a big group of her friends. I am very excited to see her house and meet her folks and friends--so excited, in fact, that I rented a two person kayak for the occasion! It'll be a blast, and I'll tell you all about it next week. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, everyone!
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