Five Things I've learned About Providence, RI

1. Not one person (rich or poor) knows how to drive. They give a license to everyone as long as they can push the gas and hit the break. Signaling is not necessary.

2. People here think and believe honestly that they are the most cultured/intelligent people in the area and live in the most cultured area in the U.S. Know why? Because THEY WENT TO SCHOOL AND LEARNED. OMG. Bull Shit.

3. Sundays are the best days to party!

4. It is a city that is becoming a metropolis and will be a metropolis in maybe five years more. It's definitely growing. Fast.

5. I have met a bunch of people here that are young and interesting. It is a great place for young people to party and meet other crazy young people. Either artistic and emo or ghetto and rough around the edges. But believe me. Cultured Rhode Island may seem, but cultured it is NOT.

Because Marian Did One....Things That I'm Grateful For

+cats galloping through the house in the middle of the night chasing abosolutely nothing
+Good Morning Kisses
+Pumpkin Spice Lattes in the fall from Starbucks
+Starbucks in general
+my boyfriend's new nickname at work: "Brinkito" which mean "Little Jumper" (because he walks funny)
+Long hot showers when you're tired and cold
+Late night talks
+Waking up your Mother at 10PM on a weeknight just so you can call to "say hi"
+Coconut Shrimp!!!
+Glasses of expensive Malebec Wine after work...for free!
+Friends (even if they live far away)
+Buying a brand new Roca Wear coat that should've cost $158.00 and only paid $59.99 (and it's damn sexy!)
+LIFE
+Learning that you're boyfriend is absolutely in love with you ...... and leanring he has no shame to tell other men that

He Who Walks Between the Rows...

These are our Jack O'Lanterns. Mine is the one on the left and Rodolfo's is the smaller. (Sorry about he quality....my camera is not working now. Used the cell phone.)

We went through this corn maze. Rodolfo was SO excited. Can't you tell? Oh Corn.

Yes, I had two days off this week. I had Sunday and Monday (paid) off to spend time with Rodolfo. Sunday we went to this farm and went on a hay ride, went though a corn maze, picked fresh veggies for dinner, and then we came home and Rodolfo cooked an awesome chicken dinner for me.

Monday we slept late and carved our pumpkins then went to the Columbus Day Italian Festival on Federal Hill (Italian section of town) with Kaytee and Albania. Wine. Sausage and Peppers. Fried Dough. Italian accents.

I may despise the cold weather that is approaching, but I love the month of October. I especially love the warm weather we are having. I hope it sticks around for at least another month or two. Is that asking too much?

Oh yeah...and back to work today....

Amelie's Return

My cat Amelie has returned from a hiatus. fter spending some time in New York with my family where she learned to be more social, living with three other cats and younger kids, she has returned to Providence and is crazier than ever. Does anyone know how awesome cats are? Rodolfo and I spent about 25 minutes laughing at her last night because she is completely ridiculous. Whenever we would stop laughing and go back to normal one of us would start to giggle and we would laugh again for five minutes straight. Oh, Amelie.

So work has been completely insane since we've opened back up after a $2.2 million renovation. More drama, more business, new managers, and never a dull moment. Most ridiculous part of the renovation? These metal, strange looking banisters that go down three steps in the new bar area. The cost? $54,000....for four banisters that go down three steps. Yet, they couldn't give us more money? Just $1.00 more? Nope. Even though we're working twice as hard and twice as much.

Over at Ledgemont Country Club (where Rodolfo is a cook) things have gotten slow and things are not good over there. Rodolfo got a letter of recomendation from his Chef and I talked to the chef at my club and now Rodolfo is going to leave Ledgemont and work at The University Club. He's incredibly talented at cooking and not only that, he is reading tickets, working on the line, and almost never speaks Spanish. The chef over there really likes him...and that's saying something coming from him. I call him "my little chef." Slightly reminiscent of Ratatouille, but very very true. He definitely is going to get lots more experience here and also more money.

So I visited my sister up at Sterling College in northern Vermont with Rodolfo last weekend. It was a very long drive, but we had a nice time (other than me having a tummy ache). Rodolfo was incredibly sweet to my sister and I love him for that. My sister has been very lonely up there, being an outsider. She's the only one that is not a crazy hippie and doesn't smoke marijuanna or drink. Literally. Also, my Mom and brother have moved to Virginia so now they are not in visiting distance anymore.

Possibly going up to Salem for some Halloween festivities this Monday. Should be fun!

I usually have something interesting going on so I really need to be up on using this blog more often as I read everyone elses everyday. I promise at least once a week I will try to update.

"We pass the time of day to forget how time passes." ~Amelie

I have officially started back at The University Club. The first week we decorated, cleaned, and moved furniture around. This week we opened to the members and it has been crazy. Tonight is our first Saturday night and we are packed. The new bar manager is incredibly arrogant and has gotten to everyone. How do you start a new job and not be humble and act as if you know everything? Especially if some of the staff has been there a long time (longer than all the managers). The new Dining Room/Assistant Manger is nice, but a little shy. They two of them need to get their hands dirty. The rest of the staff? They have not changed. They are the same annoying and lazy staff as before (save a few good workers).

This time there is no more shy and nice Kristin. I've already been speaking up about things and not being the usual quite me. I went up to the two new managers and told them blatantly that most of the staff do not do the side work that they need to do and I'm not going to be doing all of it. One of the chefs said yesterday, "Wow, Kristin...you're a beast this year...." Yes, that's right. I AM.

Oh, and the executive chef hit my car on the first day back to work. $1,000 worth of damage he's paying. NICE.

I am reading The Historian finally. LOVE IT.

Today my Mother signed a lease on a house in Chincoteague Island, VA. It's a three story house on the island that used to be a farm. All for her and my little brother. I am really happy for that.

I feel so weird lately. I can't explain it. Also, about two nights ago my sister and I both had dreams about my Grandma and she gave us advice in the dreams. I miss her so much. She comes into my dreams ALL the time though. I don't think it's a coincidence.

Another Year Older, Hopefully a Little Bit Wiser

So, my birthday celebration was interesting.  I decided to have a get together for drinks at The Hot Club on the water.  A bunch of people were there including some people from Ledgemont, mainly Rui & Sandra, two of my most favorite people ever.  People kept on buying me drinks....it was a fun time.  

The day before my birthday I celebrated a bit more intimately with my boyfriend & his sister & her boyfriend by getting on a boat & heading to Block Island for the day.  This day consisted of seafood & renting bikes & biking around the island.  While biking we discovered the most wonderful little beach with cliffs & everything (after a fifteen minute hike from the road).  We then road back to the towns & found a public beach & sat around there until the last boat to the mainland departed.  On the ride back we saw the most gorgeous sunset.  Also, this was Rodolfo's first time on a boat.  Shocking, I know, being that he grew up in the Dominican Republic, but very true.  

In other news, my Mother & my little brother are moving in less than a month to Virginia's Eastern Shore & my sister is going up to Sterling Vermont for college.  My grandparents are most likely moving to Rhode Island & will be close to me.  Some serious changes going on here.  

Allie has also moved to Florida.  I miss her!  At least we started talking again before she moved.  Now I have a reason to visit both Virginia and Florida, which I have promised to do.  It'll be a great opportunity for Rodolfo to get to see more parts of the U.S as well.  We are already planning to go to Virginia for Christmas.  

Anyway, I'm hoping that more posts that are interesting will come.  For example, things that I am interested in lately and what I've been up to this summer since I haven't worked.  

Ay...I start work again tomorrow.  This should bring some interesting things to talk about....

Viva La Vida

Here is my new blog...or rather my first blog. I had my livejournal for a long time. Part of me wants to keep up with that, but another part of me feels that that part of me is long gone. So here we go. Blogs.

I live in Providence, RI. I live with my boyfriend (some might say fiance), Rodolfo. He's Spanish. I never thought I would say this, but I love him. I hang out with my friends and Rodolfo's family. I know I hate Rhode Island, but I am still here. I like a lot about it (minus the people and the way they drive and the politics). It's a love-hate relationship. I work at The University Club. The job search after graduating the university of my dreams has been 100 times harder than I had expected. The interviews....slightly less than disappointing. Professional self esteem? Laughable. I need to work on this.

My family lives in New York, but my Mom and brother are most likely moving to Virginia shortly. My sister is going to go to school in Vermont come September.

LIFE.