Hurricane Coverage

I know that another huge and devestaing hurricane is bearing down on the Gulf Coast again, but I have to tell you about the hurricane coverage we got here as Rita came "close" the Key West. I was listening to my morning radio show on the way to work this morning and I was laughing hysterically. People always make fun of how reporters over-dramatize things and try to make the storm seem worst than it is. So this morning, they were playing the Top 5 news clips from local reporters as they were reporting on Rita as it hit South Florida. We were very fortunate that no major damage was done and Rita was bearly a hurricane when it hit, but the reporters have to do there jobs and "cover" whats going on, even when nothing really is.

One reporter was in Key West and the clip went something like this: "I'm here now on Carolina Street and the wind is just howling and I can see the street sign spinning in the wind and the top screw is loose and the sign is hanging on for dear life!" I had no idea signs hung on for dear life.

Another reporter was at Haulover Beach (just south of where I live, and trust me, we did not get a whole lot of weather) and this guy reported: "The wind is really picking up now, the sand is stinging my flesh. No one should be out here in this, the wind gusts are in the 30s!"

My favorite was a reporter on US 1, somewhere in the Keys: " As you can see, this part of US 1 is flooded as waters pour in from The Atlantic. The water is knee deep in some places and...wait...whats that? A cooler, A COOLER, is floating over what is normally US 1. That could be tretcherous should someone not see that." I've never had any problems with my cooler and had no idea of the potential danger.

I also watched an interview with the mayor of Key West Tuesday afternoon, and I swear to God, the man was drunk. He was being interviewed at a bar and his speech as slurred! The reporter even commented on the fact that he did not seem overly concerned about the storm and the dude was like, "We have people who take care of all that emergency stuff!"

Anyway, I am very happy that Rita was not yet what it has grown to be, and I don't mean to make light of what will be a serious situation for Texas and potentially Louisiana again, but sometimes the coverage can be ridiculously stupid...

Still On Track

I have still been doing well on the diet. I am just shy of losing 25 lbs. and, even though it has been slow but steady, I have been noticing some good changes. Today at the gym, I actually stepped up my cardio and jogged for 30 minutes (almost 3 miles!) and walked an addition 20 minutes. I haven't been able to do that since high school. I can finally fit into some of my old shorts and skirts that I have been saving (and hubby thought I was crazy for saving them!) and I have way more energy.

I think being on my feet all day at work has increased my energy (if that makes any sense). I am doing alot of running around and its more exciting than wasting away behind a desk. I think I am finally doing what I really enjoy doing even though it is fustrating at times (sometimes I feel like I am babysitting). I continue to go to the gym in the evenings too, especially when I open the restaurant because I am able to get to the gym early and still be home before hubby. It is getting harder keeping up with my mini meals, so I have to come up with an easier, more portable way, to consume them. The staff is used to seeing my "shakes", containers of mystery food and protein bars in the room service refrigerator and have learned not to throw them away (yeah, they did that a couple of times last week, I was not happy).

I am a little worried about seeing my parents next week. They will be in Orlando visiting my brother, and hubby and I are going up there for a couple of days. I love my parents to death, but they are the most "eatinous" people you will ever meet and they have a way of making you eat and drink right along with them. I hope I have the will power to keep my composure. My mom has already promised to make a huge pot of caggabe and kelbasa, stuffed cabbage (I'm a Polack and those are my favorite dishes) and I know my dad will make huge ribeyes for dinner one night. That is not even taking into consideration of the mass amounts of beer we will potentially drink (my brother has a great pool and patio very condusive to chilling out and just drinking). I think I will continue to step up my workouts this week in hopes of some damage control. Luckily, we will only be there for a couple of days and not a week.

This is always what happens. I will be on a roll and doing great on a diet and/or exercise program and then I go away or go home to the folks and can't get back on track. I am determined not to yo-yo this time. So if you don't hear from me in the next week or so, its because I have collapsed at a gym having been thrown from the treadmill and crashed against a wall...

Here We Go Again

Yet another storm. Luckily, it looks like it will pass to the south of us, possibly hitting or coming close to Key West. South Florida has the whole evacuation thing down and started evacuating the Keys yesterday. It looks like we will see some strong winds and rain, but thats about it. Today, I was off and went to do my weekly grocery shopping and it was chaos. You see, alot of really old and crabby people live around here and they get panicked very easily and they all seemed to be in Publix this afternoon. I witnessed two old ladies arguing over what they thought was the last gallon of water until I pointed out, #1 that they were fighting over a gallon of distilled water and #2 there was a huge display in the front of the store with plenty of water. I should have just let them fight, I think the old Jewish lady would have kicked the little hispanic ladies ass...
I was also worried all day that they might call me into work and have me stay at the hotel to open the restuarant tomorrow morning. But, thankfully, they didn't. We will probably see the worst of the storm late tomorrow morning, early afternoon and there really shouldn't be much anyway. I would have been pretty pissed to have to go in on my day off and work a super long shift at that!

The New Job

So far so good with the new position. The biggest thing is getting used to the hours. About 3 days a week, I have to be in by 6am to open the restaurant. So its been a little hard getting up at 4:30am, thank God for Tylenol PM.
Its going to be a challenge working for my new boss. He doesn't really know what he is doing and I haven't been getting much in the way of training. Luckily, having been at the hotel for a while, most of the staff knows me and I know who I can go to and ask questions and I am not afraid to ask even the stupidest of questions. Most of the staff is excited about me being down there and know I will make some changes for the better. I just hope they are ready for me as a disciplinarian. Most of them see me as so nice and friendly, getting along with everyone. I can see some of them having a hard time with me getting on their ass about payroll (clocking in and out), following service procedures and schedules. Today I got to experience doing the schedules and posting them. Immediately, about 10 employees came up to me with what days they can and can't work and how this won't work and yada yada yada. I was able to make some changes but basically told most of them to deal with it. AHHHHH, LET THE FUN BEGIN.

Why do I do this?

Once again, I have managed to severely burn myself this week in the sun. I should have learned by now, having had fair skin all my life, that I should absolutely NOT go out in the sun for any long amount of time, especially in South Florida. By have I? NO. Now that I have a new position at the Hotel, I have 2 weekdays off. I figured on Tuesday, "Awesome! I can go sit out by the pool with no neighbors kids' running around and study my training manual, its so beautiful out!" Yeah, well I was out there for only about an hour and I am in so much pain. It hurts to move, its difficult to sleep and everybody, I mean EVERYBODY, suddenly feels the need to pat me on the back or squeeze my arm or rub my shoulders at work. You can't tell how bad I'm burned with my suit on, so they have no idea until I scream out in pain.

All I want is a little color, its not fun looking like Casper...

Diet Success So Far

For the past 7 weeks, I have been doing this diet, ironically called, "The Six Week Body Makeover". It focuses on eating 5-6 meals a day of small portions. The food is all natural food (i.e. lean chicken breast and fish, potato and rice, lots of vegetables and fruit). basically the diet says that if the food did not come from nature that way (of course chicken and other meats will not be consumed as whoel animals), don't eat. I have almost completely omitted sodium and refined sugar and have stepped up my cardio exercise a bit (I worked out alot before anyway).

So far, I have lost 22lbs and I plan to stay on the diet until I lose an additional 30 lbs. What I like about the diet is it speeds up your metabolism in a natural way (no pills or energy drinks) so that if you do fall off the wagon to enjoy a party or have an Italian dinner (like I did tonight), it doesn't effect your weight loss because your body will continue to burn it off. You just need to go right back to the diet the next day.

Hubby has been on his own diet too. He has lost almost 20lbs as well, doing the 'ole calorie counting/restriction diet. It seems to be working for him. I have been trying to get him to eat more vegetables and fruit, but he is a carb freak.

I think us both being on a diet has also helped with my success. My will power can be non-existant at times, especially if hubby orders Dominoes pizza. Or just know that there is a Cold Stone Creamery within walking distance to home.

At work, I have been doing well, even as my skinny little boss waved freshly baked cookies from the kitchen in front of me and ate about three of them. I told her to piss off and never even looked at the plate of cookies. What has been helpful is that fact that I am eating all these little mini-meals and I am not hungry when the Bitch waves cookies in my face. Also, when I have client lunch meetings, the guys in the kitchen make me a special salad with no dressing but still somehow make it delicious.

Lets hope I can stick with it. I feel good about it right now. I just know how I tend to yo-yo in weight. I will do good for several months and then everything just goes to shit.

Never Again

Sometimes taking time off is just pointless. I had a great time, don't get me wrong, but coming back to work was just insane.

I am changing positions and moving out of Sales and into the Food & Beverage operation. So on Tuesday, when I returned to the office, the girl that will be replacing me had arrived. I had assumed that my boss would spend some time with her the first day or two, giving me the opportunity to catch up on a weeks worth of work, voicemails and emails, but NO. She had the girl sitting with me the entire day and I had to tour her through the hotel and my day to day duties....BLAH BLAH BLAH. She is a very sweet girl and I think she will be great, but I just did not have the time to train her. While I'm spending all this time with her, I am watching my inbox fill up and missing phone calls and not making the calls that I was supposed to be making to close business. This entire week was completely stressful. Not only was I busy closing as much business as possible (hoping for my last chance at a Sales Bonus), I was also trying to pack up my personal belongiings out of my office (because it was to be hers), prepare myself for my new position, and just get through the damn week.

To stress me out even more, fellow managers and associates keep approaching me to give me "a heads up" on the problem areas that I will be overseeing. The GM and the EC Committee have built me up to be this awesome "problem solver" and keep saying "Oh, Kris, we can't wait to see you in the restaurant. There is so much that needs to be done." My God, I hope I didn't make a mistake. My biggest fear is not meeting everyone's expectations. Sales can be stressful, but it is pretty much a 8-6 Mon - Fri job (except when I had to oversee a wedding or function in the evenings or weekends). So long Mon - Fri. I was told to report to work on Monday at 6am to learn how to open the restuarant and I was told I was expected to work weekends (our busiest times).

I took the position because I think it will be a good move for me in the long run. If I do well and make a good name for myself as a Food & Beverage Manager at THE luxury hotel in Fort Lauderdale, it will open doors for me in the future. I would like to be a Food & Beverage Director within the next couple of years and then ultimately a GM of a hotel. ALSO, I just couldn't go though another high season being a Sales Manager that also oversees Catering and Banquets. I must have worn three or four titles through last season and it just wore me out and I wound up missing out on booking more business and increasing my bonus potention because I was always away from my desk overseeing food & beverage staff and the execution of service for the groups I had previously booked.

Keep your fingers crossed for my and if you see me banging my head against the wall, gingerly make me step away from the wall and give me a beer or something...