www.MyWeekend.com

I wrote about Friday in the previous post, so you can read that if you'd like... It was a pretty cool evening. Did I tell you that my radio station switched to ALL Christmas music already, and that I was drinking an Egg Nog milkshake from mcD's when it switched! Yeah!

There's Big-ish news at the bottom so don't skip out on reading.

Saturday, Nick had his last weekend class of the semester from 9:30-4:30 and I tried to make plans to go to the Pompeii Exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, but only 1 person wanted to go with me I didn't feel it was appropriate to go with a single guy! We planned to reschedule when we can get more people to go with us, because it's something we both still want to see!

So I set out doing Saturday morning things, laundry, (washed, folded, put away 2 loads) straightening up, dusting shelves etc. I had sent a facebook message to my choir director Rebecca who has been falling into the roll of my adopted mom, while my other mom's are far away. She had lots of errands to do that day, and didn't have time for coffee like I suggested but offered her 13 year old daughter to my lonely services. I accepted.

Mariah is a sweet girl, very popular, very stylish, and doesn't at all seem 13. We had made plans for her to be dropped off an hour+ before the movie Pitch Perfect played at the local theater. I hadn't been to the movies in FOREVER!! The last movie I can remember seeing was Bridesmaids and I hated it. Anyhoo, she ended up having "girl" pain and the plans changed to just meeting her at the movies. It was hilarious to me, because Rebecca (her mom) told me all the details on her dilemma, but as far as Mariah knew, I just knew plans changed.

The movie was great, I brought her my favourite, a Caramilk from my special stash of my Canadian Favourite! Good chocolate always helps "girl" pain! She loved it! We also shared a medium popcorn and a bag of Red Vines. I was supposed to drop her off at her dad's after the movies, but he wasn't going to be home for a few hours so I suggested we go somewhere! She made sure that was OK with her dad, and he wanted to make sure she was with a responsible "friend" (as she called me). I told her to tell him I was 26, he said some 26 year old's aren't responsible, I pointed at my ring, and she told him I was married. He seemed more OK with that!


So she suggested we go to a new store called Gordmans. It was a bad decision because now I want to spend all my money there! Wow that was fun! She was fun to shop with. We still had time, and I suggested we go somewhere for something to drink. She again suggested this place called In Tea a very cozy tea shop that "ha(s) over 100 loose-leaf teas to choose from as well as a knowledgeable staff that can help you find your perfect tea." I asked her to pick places I had not yet been, because being new it's hard to find all the cool local places! When I finally dropped her off at her dad's house, she had had so much fun and told me so! I also go a mostly "all caps" facebook message thanking me for the fun day!

I used the time we had in the car, shopping and sipping tea, talking with her, getting to know her better, and trying to instill the wonderful values I grew up with! I hope I inspired her in some ways! She already showed such maturity and strength as a young woman. We were admiring some beautifully, unique wine bottle holders, and she said she vowed to herself to NEVER drink any alcohol! I was very impressed!

I enjoyed hanging out with her and hope we get to do it again soon! We already talked about how fun it would be to go back to Gordmans and try on clothes!

So on the heel's of my previous post, I enjoyed spending time one on one with a teenage girl.......

Nick was home from class when I got home, but was heading out shortly to a boys game night, so I tried on all my clothes trying to pick out an outfit for church to showcase my new infinity scarf from Gordmans!
 
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My outfit was such a hit, the church offered me a job.


Well, the job offer had nothing to do with my outfit, but I was offered a very part time job, that they have been suggesting to me for months now.

Yes Nick is jealous that I got offered a job at a church first, and I reminded him this is my 2nd church job.

3 of the pastor's decided I was the person for the job, and checked with Rebecca to see if it would ok with her, considering the job would sometimes over lap with choir rehearsal on Sunday mornings.


I didn't accept right away, because every time it was suggested to me that I run the Starbucks Gathering Place Coffee Shop, I never even considered it as something I would like to do. The Gathering Place is a cozy fellowship section of our church, with a library, a room full of couches, a room of high tables and is always full of people before and after the service!

Anyways, I got cornered by Ryan, (this goofball will be my boss and I may even get my own "staff page"!) after choir rehearsal this week, and he officially offered me the job. I got Ryan's attention for the whole hour, which never happens! He's the busiest, ADD person I've ever met! Anyhoo he explained the whole job, tried to sell me on the benefits for my resume, tried to encourage me about my under-employment-ness. (He's in grad school completing a counseling degree, so he's taken career counseling classes). I told him I'd filled out applications for jobs at other churches but that we loved this church and didn't want to leave, and he said they don't want us to leave. It's been in the works for months for me to take this job.


He explained that the coffee bar is not breaking even right now, and that is their goal, or at least to get close to breaking even. The Gathering Place is 2 fold; there is the Starbucks area, where you can order the specialty coffee's, chai's, etc as well as grilled sandwiches, burritos, bagels and cream cheese etc. Then there is an area that is "suggested donations" of black coffee, donuts, pastries & banana bread.  So Ryan's thought is to get rid of the pastries, keep the donuts though from the donation area, because those cost more than "the suggested $1.00".

As we were talking, the head teaching pastor Todd walked by and Ryan told him, he was "doing the deed, making the offer, etc" in only a way that Ryan could without giving away details to other passer-byers..... While holding a pastry in his hand Pastor Todd said "I think we need more Pastries!" It was hilarious!


Then Ryan said he was trying to read/gauge my reaction to the offer. I didn't really know. Like I said, every time they talked about me running it, it never seemed like something I would want to do, but Ryan was persistent. To know that the 3 pastor's had chosen me was encouraging though.

Between Ryan, my mom and Nick this is what I've concluded:

1. I'll be able to say I've supervised/managed 15ish people
2. I'll get more business experience, learning more about health & safety regulations
3. I'll get to be creative with how I market it
4. I will be able to turn it into more of a ministry than it already is, having my volunteers be more welcoming
    and willing to go talk to people who are getting a coffee because they've had a bad week etc.
5. It's a job, that once I've mastered, and church Nick and I  end up at, I can transfer my skills, and my plan
    for the ministry
6. For my resume I'll be able to say "I took a business that was not breaking even to.... (insert results here)"
7. I'll still be able to participate in choir, I just might miss the odd Sunday morning practice/sound check
8. I can offer the coffee bar up to other groups that meet during the week, I can turn it into more than it is!
9. I'll be in with the staff, and can work my way into their hearts and create my own new position doing who 
    knows what! I'll get to know more of the congregation this way too!
10. It will also give me something to do/think about while Nick is out with friends/youth group!

Right after the church service, the congregation was invited down stairs to watch the Bronco's game and eat Chili. Ryan asked me to collect the $2/person. Once the crazy part slowed down, Pastor Dave came over and talked to me about my idea for starting a "Young Married/Engaged/No Kids" group! It was a productive day!

After the regular Sunday afternoon nap, and after talking things through with my parents which I always do, and am so grateful I have them for that, we got invited to Tara and Ryan's for a movie and Chinese food, but Nick was at youth group and we had just had Chinese, and I was craving Grilled Cheese, but I went anyways and watched Sherlock Holmes II and they made me a Ryan's Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich. I was excited to share job offer news with them, since Tara and I have compared job woe's all summer together!