Infinite Valentine

For God
so loVed the world, that
he gAve
his onLy begotten Son, that whosoever
beliEveth
iN him should
noT
perIsh, but have ever-
lastiNg
lifE. John 3:16

What's been happening at your nearest Quizno's? You Don't Want to Know...

• Something which disturbs me greatly: the fact that the dumpster always smells like a dead body and today two cop cars were over there. Oh dear…

• Something inevitable: The fact that I always work with Dee/McKay and I always end up laughing while eating pickles simultaneously for my entire shift.

• The fact that when I’m running the register we always seem to run out of stuff, a.k.a. paper, staples, and sanity.

• People make me laugh. Seriously. This guy once added bacon to his prime rib sandwich. I wanted to ask, “Would you like a heart attack on the side?” Also, don’t ask me what comes on the Turkey Ranch and Swiss. You know. And when I say “Is this for here or to go?” don’t answer “Yes.” Because that confuses both of us and turns the ordering process into yet another awkward moment. Mostly for me. Because I didn’t ask you a yes or no question.

• On Saturdays, you can do a few things when the bidnez gets slow: dip the bread ends in the oil and see how soon they will catch on fire in the oven, play Frisbee with the flatbreads, catch stuff with the knives, and/or sit up front and wait for a customer to come in. When someone does approach the door, we play “not it.” Slackers!

• We think that the sink up front is possessed. Every time you turn the hot water up, the faucet rattles and shakes and roars and then with a final gasp, the water stops running. Some of us think it’s the ghosts of employees past.

• The “muzak” player has two choices of songs: 1, “the-I’m-too-old-to-be-hearing-this-nonsense-and-will-you-please-get-me-an-aspirin,” and 2, “Should’ve had a V8!” (that’s how bad it is. It will make you feel like you’re eating junk food.
  
• Funny: how 75% of all customers run straight into the door that says "Please Use Other Door" and then continue trying to open it even though it's locked. Some people even shake it until they think it will break off the hinges. You know what? You could always take a mili-step to the left and use the door that's unlocked. Just to make things easier. And less humiliating.
• Funnier: The person who every once in a while walks in and says, "Why'd you get rid of your orange chicken?" Then I have to make sure I'm wearing my Quizno's shirt and that all of our Quizno's logos are in full view before I point out the (even more) obvious. "Uhhhh, Panda Express is next door." Then they give me another puzzled look and (you guessed it), try to exit out the door that is locked. Strike two!
• Funniest: When we run out of stuff at the pepper bar, people usually tell us that we need to restock and we take care of it. Others, however, take matters into their own hands. There are three big jars of the peppers on display above the actual pepper bar. Who knows how long they've been there. Well, once this lady decided she was going to try and crack one of 'em open. She huffed and puffed and still couldn't unscrew the darn thing! Finally we told her that those jars were display only...and that she probably shouldn't open them for the sake of her nose.
  

Hope You Don't Have a Weak Bladder...

Get ready for this.

Belated....But Sincere

For Ellie
oh well, I like getting up with
the sun
and your bright-glowing-beautiful
madness
which I have come to miss when
silence
finds its way into our door after 9
you were the last bloom
before autumn arrives
the first snowflake in December
and sweet rain falling in
summer
I have not yet discovered a smile
quite like yours
it seems to put hope into
places where hope does not belong
For once and forever
(from now on)
there's good news every morning

This is for you, Liz (New Year's Eve)

Having large muscles requires scowling at all times.

The threesome strikes again!

When nobody's stopping you, just do it! Haha...

Laughing, always laughing

Shorter than the rest...

Nobody else would dance with us. Wonder why?

Single enough for the singles ward!

So...you know that movie where singles wards are just outright mocked? Well I have news: they aren't really like that! I mean yeah, some of them are solely for getting hitched, but the one I have recently begun to attend is just a place to make friends. And boy is that something I need right now! I was pretty afraid to go to a singles ward when I first moved back for the winter, so I stayed away from it for a few weeks. Then finally I got some guts and dived headfirst. I'm usually good with names, but every time I go to church now I forget who people are and if I've met them already. That's how many times I have introduced myself! What the junk?! When I told my bishop that I'd be staying until April, he said, "Right on!" and slapped me five. I was also called to the activities committee on my second sunday. Wahoodles! The truth is, the church is the same wherever you go. The only difference is the people--or should I say, the new friends you make.

And then the snow came down...

My favorite present today arrived at a little after 8am--that's when the phone rang. Ikey! Yeah, the holidays are crazy (so is working on Christmas Eve, dear golly!), but it all turns out to be worth it when you watch your little brother and sister rip open present after present on Christmas morning. The bonus was talking to Elder Livingston on the phone for a while and hearing about Hamilton, Ohio. Yay for missionaries! Ellie sure was eager to get her hands on some goods, though. Mom and dad had to tell her more than once to slow down or she'd be out of presents soon, and we all know what that means. Her reaction: "But I don't wanna be done! I'm not done! I have more presents! I want more!" By that time her "tower of greed" was leaning a bit... I don't remember being quite like that but I know that I have learned to slow things down on Christmas morning so I can soak it all in. It's been snowing all day and since it's Christmas I'm trying to think about how pretty it is and not how I'm going to have to dig my car out of it tomorrow. :-) MERRY CHRISTMAS!