I love Pirates of the Caribbean.

There. I said it. 

And I've said it a thousand times before. I love Jack Sparrow. I love Will Turner. I love the soundtrack, and if you play me a clip of a Pirates song, I can most likely identify the movie and specific scene it from which it originated. I love "The Curse of the Black Pearl" (the most of course), I love "Dead Man's Chest", I love "At World's End", and I can now confidently say that I love "On Stranger Tides."

I am now even more tempted to fake a terrible head cold just so that I can be justified in curling up on my couch with some gluten free snacks and watching all four pirates movies in a row. Over and over and over again. Call me a nerd, if you'd like. I can take it. But just realize that if you and I were for some reason put against each other in a duel involving Pirates of the Caribbean Trivia - I. WOULD. WIN. Just something to consider. 

I am so good at being stressed out. Something bad happens and I shoot straight into panic mode. There is always something to be worried about, whether it's school, work, a friend...I even worry for people in books I'm reading and movies I'm watching. Not worth the energy, I tell you.

Yesterday something happened that I personally think was a legitimately stressful situation. Folks, I locked my keys in my car. I know this has happened to everyone before, so what's the big deal? I've locked my keys in the car before, once with them in the ignition. Ahem.  Unfortunately this time I needed to be in Salt Lake in a half hour.

Naturally, my first reaction upon discovering my inaccessible vehicle was tears. They came quick and they came strong. In complete annoyance with myself, I had a Dobby-the-house-elf-moment and banged my head on my car window. Bad Olivia. Then I cried some more. It eventually occurred to me that as long as I was shedding tears and banging my head in self punishment, I wasn't getting any closer to the inside of my car. So I started pacing. And pacing. And pacing. After a few very kind onlookers let me borrow their phones, I did not get a hold of Emily, but did get a hold of a locksmith who could be there in 25 minutes. Better than nothing...So I waited and paced and waited and cried and waited and paced and paced and paced. And cried. I was parked right next to a construction site, and 4 of the workers came to me with concerns that I'd broken down, hoping they could help. Such nice people.

I don't know how long it took, but eventually the locksmith showed up. He blew a little whoopee cushion up to wedge my door open, and badabing badaboom my car was unlocked in less than a minute! "That'll be $40.00 miss."

You've got to be kidding me.  

Why am I in school to be an elementary school teacher? I should really take 2 minutes to learn how to use the magic whoopee cushion and reaching stick, and then I'll be set making a golden $40.00/minute. Grrrrr. Oh well...lesson learned. Next time you get out of the car, don't throw your keys in the cupholder. I know, it seems obvious. But throw me into a situation that requires multitasking and you've immediately and inevitably got a scatterbrained little person. 

The end of the world...and clever little people

Today at work, everyone was suggesting what they would do if this really was their last 24 hours to live. "I'd spend the entire day in just my underwear." "I'd quit my job." "I'd max out all my credit cards."

I didn't realize until later that this question was being asked because a pastor somewhere out there has decided that, according to the bible, there will be an earthquake tomorrow morning at 6am Eastern time that will end the world. Hm.

After I discovered this, I went back to work for the dinner shift. My first table was an absolute joy! It was a Mom, Dad, and son (who was probably around 9 years old). The son kept going on and on about the end of the world, and I was cracking up. He said that they came to Olive Garden because it's their favorite and they wanted to go big for their last meal of their lives. At one point in the meal, I told them I was in training, and we had the following conversation:

Me: "This is actually my first dinner shift. Ever."
Woman: "You're brand new? Well you're doing pretty well considering it's your first day!"
Son: "And your last..."

HAHA!

It was so funny. And I told them I would blog about it, so here I am...blogging about it. At the end of the meal they decided to let me know that they actually wouldn't be paying, what with it being the end of the world and such. They were just such a great table. It's people like that who make being a waitress bearable. I hope they come back sometime and request me, because I would enjoy serving them again. I love the tables that turn into wonderful friendships after such a short period of time. I feel like I've really effected someone for the better, rather than just politely insisting that they empty their wallets and fill their stomachs with the same amount of food portioned to feed a rhinoceros. I promise, folks. Feeling that kind of guilt is noooo fun.

Inspiration.

Yesterday I went to Yogurtland with BJ and his 2 younger sisters (quick plug for Yogurtland...AWESOME. Although give me any Fro-Yo place and as long as they have those little bursting balls of passionfruit joy I'm happy). As I was slowly turning into an ice cube with each bite of frozen yogurt, Bryn excitedly pointed out a girl sitting behind me. People, I am NOT SMOOTH. EVER. I turned around and blatantly stared her down. She was beautiful, in workout clothes, with a few girlfriends...and was wearing 3 sweatshirts. I was jealous because she still looked darling, a feat I could never accomplish.

So who was this chick? Apparently her name is Janae. Janae blogs. 1601 people follow Janae's blog. Please, allow me to rephrase: Janae's blog has 1601 followers! And I was sitting next to her at Yogurtland. The day my blog reaches 30 followers, I will have a stroke.

If you have not already stumbled upon her blog and consequently had your life changed, please do it right now by clicking HERE. I just spent an hour reading, and I feel like she's my good friend. Bryn and I are going to attend her cycling class soon, and we're excited. Seriously guys, read her blog. NOW. It's inspiring. It's encouraging. It's happy. It's spastic. It's honest. On top of all of that, it's completely splendid.

Life at the OG

What is the OG, you may ask? A great question. It stands for the Olive Garden, which happens to be my latest restaurant of employment. Goodbye Brazilian food, hello amazing Italian (cough...GLUTEN FILLED....cough cough) food. I was recently informed that people who work there call it The OG. It makes sense, and I really want them to think I'm cool so that's what I'm going to call it, even though it sounds like a wannabe Orange County abbreviation. 

I'm smack in the middle of training week at the moment, and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything we have to learn. Please take into account the fact that the menu at Tucanos is 1 page, back and front. We're not dealing with all of this tri-fold stuff that Olive Garden seems to think is convenient. There's a lot to learn, but all things considered I think I'm catching on quickly. 

Bragging moment: today we had a contest of table numbers. I won first place with a prize of a Toblerone and two airheads. Could life get any better? I submit it can not!

So here's my uniform....sigh....

I look like a boy, luckily a handsome one. 

I've had a lot of people tell me that they're going to come in to the OG and request me to be their server. Well guys, you don't even need to do that, because I took pictures and wrote some nice little captions to go with them. So please, join me, as we travel through the wonderful world of the Olive Garden via my blog.

"Welcome to the Olive Garden!"

"My name is Olivia (as you can see by my nametag)
and I am SO HAPPY to be taking care of you today!" 

"This morning while I got dressed, I got really sad when I had to put this tie on.
Believe it or not, we did not borrow these from a Las Vegas casino."

But please don't worry because....

"...even though I'm sad and embarrassed about the tie, I will keep this smile PLASTERED on my face.
What can I get for you to drink today?!?"

"Hold on just a moment while I thoughtfully write down your order with accuracy and speed." 

"Would you like to order a glass of wine from our overly comprehensive wine selection?
If you have any questions about body, taste, or how to open a wine bottle, I will gladly inform you."

 

Well guys, I hope you liked that. I changed my mind though...if you want to come in The OG and visit me I would be so incredibly happy to see you. For reals. Come enjoy a really great Italian dining experience with the Olive Garden, because when you're here, you're family!

Hair Cut

Cut off 8 inches.
Added some blonde.
You like?
I like. 

Book Club

I like to read. Surprise surprise, a Zippi family member likes to read. Nerd alert! It's alright though, nerds have WAY more fun. My summer reading this year has already been fabulous, and I'm trying to cram in as much as I can before work gets too busy - tomorrow. Sigh...it's been so nice, reading whatever I want to at the speed I want to.

A few months ago, a couple of other Tucanos girls and I were talking about starting a book club. Oh my goodness I was really excited. Unfortunately it never happened, but don't worry because another option has come my way! The 26th Ward is starting a book club people. Hallelujah! Our Relief Society President was just throwing the idea out to see if it would be popular, and it turns out I'm not the only one who wants to read good books and discuss them while eating yummy desserts. Fancy that. Believe it or not this gets better - as a member of the Literacy Committee they want me to help run the book club! Wow...it's all a dream come true. Our first book is Tuesdays with Morrie, which I've never read so I'm excited. You should comment on this post with some of your favorite books, and we'll read them next for book club.

Here are some pictures of things I've been up to lately!

Me, Syd, Bryn

BJ & I...nice day at the park

Bryn & Me
We were kidding....but I think this pic turned out cute.

I found my senior pictures...I look super young!

Ballet pic

Sock Curse

Why is it so hard for me to keep socks in my possession?


Rephrasing that question...Why is it so hard to keep both socks in a pair? I swear the washer eats them.  I wanted to know if this myth was true, so naturally I googled it. These were the responses that came up:


-"Yes they do. Have you ever seen your lint trap after just one load? No WAY that much lint is created. The machine is programmed to grab a sock and reduce it to lint." 
-"Yes. In the washer they go over the top and down behind the drum and in the dryer they go down the exhaust, which could cause a fire." This may be a totally smart alecky comment, but it still worries me. 
-"I’m sure there must be a scientific explanation, but for now I simply conclude that washing machines don’t really eat socks…they merely borrow them for a while."
-"Sock heaven."
-"There's a Bermuda Triangle for socks."
-"Socks are made specifically to disappear, or there’s a conspiracy between the weavers of socks and appliance manufacturers."

All valid answers, but I actually think that there is a monster inside the washer that only comes alive while it's on (that also explains the loud noises). This monster loves socks, especially really cute ones that are super comfy and warm. He eats them, simple as that. I don't know why people are inventing these ridiculous theories about disappearing socks, because the answer is clear, and it's right under our noses. 

My unmatched socks from this week. 

While we're on the subject I want to take a moment and brag about the fact that I managed to keep every single sock matched with its partner during the entire 4 months I spent in Ecuador. I came home with all matched pairs of socks and no odd socks. Conclusion: the sock monster is American. Either that or Ecuadorian sock monsters don't like my socks. 

Thinking of Grandpa

Yesterday I gave my Mother's Day gift to my Mama: I was her assistant in cleaning out the upstairs office. I don't know if this room has ever had a real purpose since we moved here 6 years ago. It kind of became the place where we all dumped expired paperwork and broken printers when we didn't have anywhere else to put them. When Grandpa Richardson passed away it became the home to boxes upon boxes of books, photos, more paperwork, and other little tidbits of G'pa & G'ma Richardson's lives.

When Mama asked me to help her with the organization I was ecstatic. I love love LOVE organizing.  I wish BYU would create a major called Organization Principles, because I would be all over that. There is something so rewarding about starting with a disaster and ending with nicely labeled shelves, sorted cupboards, and a knowledge of where everything is. Some people look at a messy room and just close the door so they don't have to think about it. I look at a messy room and get really excited about the possibilities.

Anyway, I was very happy to help Mama organize the office. We planned to start at 7:30am after scriptures, but I refused to wake up for scriptures so we started at 10:00am. I made a sign with each family member's name, then put them on the wall to sort everyone's things. Mama sneezed about 50 times in the first hour because of the dust. My drill sergeant side came out each time Mom wanted to take a lunch break. "Uh-uh missy, we're working for another hour, THEN you can take a break. Next box."

Each time we opened a box I felt a tiny bit of anticipation of what we'd find. You must know that my Grandpa and Grandma Richardson were incredible people. My Grandma passed away when I was six so I don't remember anything about her, although I've heard so many wonderful stories that I feel like I know her quite well. My Grandpa passed away two years ago this month. When my Mom cleaned out his condo with her siblings, she ended up with all the genealogy of the Richardson family. Let me tell you...there is a LOT of genealogy.

It was so fun to look through all the pictures with Mom.  I loved seeing her as a little girl, with Grandma and Grandpa so young and full of energy. Grandma was stunning, and Grandpa was so handsome. We came across Grandpa's diploma from Standford. Um....cool. He was so so smart! We went through his books and found multiple collections of Shakespeare works, The Odyssey, Homer...you get the picture. Really difficult reads. I hadn't heard of most of the titles, but I could tell they weren't easy.

In one of the boxes we found Grandpa's bird journal. Grandpa loved bird-watching. I'll never forget the clock he had in his kitchen that chirped the sound of a different bird depending on the hour. It drove me nuts when I was a kid, but now I miss it. We found a file labeled "Hermana Zippi" where he'd kept of all the letters he and Elizabeth had sent to each other when she was on her mission. Every single one. There was a cook book exploding with little post it notes, a sure sign that Grandpa had been there. Mom showed me a picture of Grandpa with his third grade class. He was easy to find as he was the only one wearing a tie. I loved looking at Grandpa's scriptures. They were all highlighted with red pen, with neatly written notes placed in the margins. Grandpa loved the Gospel and the Lord so much.

I miss Grandma and Grandpa, and I am grateful that they left such a wonderful legacy. I've never heard a bad thing spoken about either one of them. They were both good people who could not have been more perfect for each other. They loved the Gospel and they loved the Lord. They were kind and thoughtful, and always trying to be better. They showed so much love to me and the rest of our family. I hope to be like them someday...I'm crossing my fingers.

A Few Thoughts:

I first and foremost need to address The Royal Wedding. Because school was over and I was still unemployed, I was able to watch all of the documentaries and such in the week preceding the wedding about everything involving British royalty. I learned all about Diana & Charles, Kate & Will, Harry (who has actually captured my interest a little bit), the Queen, the ring, the dress...everything. I think I watched a few documentaries twice. I highly considered waking up at 3:00am to watch the ceremony, but then correctly assumed that they would replay the wedding multiple times throughout the day. Realistically I just wanted to see Kate's oh-so-talked-about dress, which by the way was GORGEOUS. Is it wrong of me to want to be a princess? I would just love to be Kate, or I guess I should now say Princess Katherine.

Cinco de Mayo was muy bien this year. I don't think I've ever consciously celebrated it before, so this was fun for me. BJ and I tripled with BJ's cousin, Brandon, and friends. Brandon is going to culinary school in the fall, and is a very very very VERY good cook. He had marinated three different kinds of meat in something that I'm sure came from heaven. We made tacos, rice, and grilled pineapple, and for drinks had a fruit smoothie creation that topped every smoothie I've ever had. It was that good.

I was also acquainted with my outdoorsy self last night when we went to Utah Lake to do a bonfire with burgers, chips, a lot of candy, and pretty great beef jerky (I know I already posted about beef jerky, but seriously...that stuff is fabulous). Confession: I may have lied just now. I really felt like I was being a nature girl, you know with all that smelling like smoke and sitting on dirt kind of stuff. But apparently you're not an outdoorsy person until you're willing to use nature as your restroom. That was absolutely not going to happen, so I made BJ drive me over to the nearest bathroom. No big deal. Lucky for me, I don't really care if people think I'm not a nature person. I'm not, so deal with it.

One last thing - I apologize that I'm terrible at taking pictures. I'll work on it. Also, I hope that you have a GREAT day.