Happy winter and Merry Christmas!

On this first day of winter, I would like to wish you all a happy winter and a merry Christmas! May you stay warm and happy =D

By the way, did you know I earned my black belt in October?! Here's a video from a previous test, when I was testing for my Pre-Black Belt (Cho Dan Bo rank). 

Here's another video of my black belt test (which was 4 hours long!). This was a speed break, which is extra hard to do. I also performed a sequence of breaks, like the previous video, but it was too long to upload :(. Enjoy!

Update on my life

Here's a quick update on what's going on with me right now...

Since my last post, I have survived my coffee strike =D LiNK was able to raise more than $40,000 by this past Tuesday, which will fund the rescue of 16 more North Korean refugees, so it's back to coffee for me. There are way more NK refugees out there that need our help, though. To keep donating to this great cause, go to my fundraising page at http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise/link?fcid=129849.

I'm still working hard as a banquet server. Yesterday, I worked as a hostess at our Thanksgiving Buffet, which was a blast. It was nice to be a hostess for a change, but I still really enjoy serving. I look forward to going to work each week...schoolwork seems to fill up my life, and going to work is a break from all the math, chemistry, and reading assignments. Plus, I enjoy the social side of it too. It's nice to hang out with my coworkers; they are all really nice.

The fall semester of school will be over soon! I'll miss my awesome lunch period with 12 of my best friends, but it will be nice to have a break from the stress of homework.

Although I haven't had time to read any fun books lately, I've been listening to lots of music in my spare time, especially when I'm driving to school or work. Some favorites right now are "Stereo Hearts" by Gym Class Heroes ft. Adam Levine, songs by Christina Perri, and the Misfit album from Youth Explosion.

Recently, a friend of mine told me about 180movie.com. I watched this 33 minute movie with my mom and sister, and we were astounded at how awesome, powerful, and bold this movie by Ray Comfort is. Please check it out and let me know what you think.

I'm looking forward to volunteering at the Processing Center for Operation Christmas Child (a project of Samaritan's Purse) with some of my friends! It's not to late to sponsor a shoebox for a child in need - check out samaritanspurse.org.

Now, back to my physics project....have a great day!

On coffee strike...

As of yesterday, I am officially on coffee strike. You ask, "why would a college kid be okay with giving up coffee?!" Well, because I know that there are a ton of North Korean refugees in need of rescuing right now, and this is something I can do to help. Along with other supporters of Liberty in North Korea, a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing NK refugees, I am giving up coffee until the funds are secured to rescue the 16th refugee. It takes $2500 to rescue each refugee, and LiNK has raised enough money to rescue 14 refugees on the next mission. They need $4062 more to make that 16. If you want to help a refugee have a new life of freedom (and help me get my coffee back), check out my LiNK page at http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise/link?fcid=129849. Read my story, watch the videos, and consider giving a few bucks to change someone's life.

Thanks!

Help me win a scholarship!

Hello,

 I've recently applied for a $5,000 scholarship, and I can't win it without your help! Please vote for my essay by clicking here. Thanks! Please spread the word.

Bonus Job #8: Character at Birthday Party!

Job Title: Angelina Ballerina

Job description: I have a wonderful friend who asked me to be Angelina Ballerina at her daughter's 6th birthday party. I danced for 9 years when I was younger, so I still remember a lot of ballet. Thankfully, I haven't grown too much since my last recital, so I was able to wear my old costume and pointe shoes. I did a dance for the children at the party, stretched out with them, and taught them some fun dance moves. I also took a pair of pre-pointe shoes I still have and let the girls try them on and get pictures in pointe shoes. I know that would have fascinated me when I was that age!

Advantages of job: I got to play with children and get paid to do it! 

Job Salary: $20/hour

How to get this kind of job: There are several agencies that hire out characters for birthday parties. I got this job from my friends knowing my background in dance, and that I love working with children. 

Thanks for reading my blog!

The End of Summer :)

This Wednesday, my summer officially is ended and I will be back to classes, homework, reading assignments, and lab sessions. In the past 13 weeks, I have applied for over 20 jobs, been interviewed, and worked 7 different jobs! I didn't reach my goal of 10 jobs, but 7 seems pretty close to me. My odd job summer adventure was a blast, and I have met so many new people and had so many exciting experiences. I'm so glad I made the decision to pursue a working summer.
Some of my jobs will continue during the school year, while others are officially over. It was so much fun teaching violin lessons this summer to 2 very special students, and I hope that is something I can do in the future too. I will continue banquet serving on weekends, and I will also keep posting ads on craigslist for Job #7.

Thanks for following my blog this summer! I hope you had fun reading about my experiences and maybe were inspired to try a new job or experience.

P.S. Keep a look-out for a bonus Job #8 in the coming weeks!!! 


~Kaelin Priger

A Day to be Lazy...

Besides doing my daily posting for my Job #7, I have had a fun-filled, lazy, work-free day. Went bowling with my coworkers at the Marriott for our 2nd Quarter Bowling Outing today and won a 1-night stay with breakfast for 2 at a hotel in Atlanta!!! Can't wait to go sleep like royalty sometime with the family just for fun :) 

Also, raked in about $2,000 in cash and assets this afternoon...............................in Monopoly with my friends :P Good times. Which leads to the official 'answer-back' for this post: What's your favorite board game to play with your family? Make sure you comment with your answer!

 

As always, thanks for reading :) Keep checking back for more posts.

A follower in India!

So, I was just looking at my blog stats, and it says I have one person who has viewed my blog from India! Is that cool, or what?! Please comment if it's you!!! I never imagined my blog posts would attract a following from overseas :)

Profile of Job #7 - Advertising Aide for Real Estate Agent

Job Title: Advertising Aide for Real Estate Agent (I sort of came up with this job title, 'cause I wasn't sure what you would call what I'm doing. Sounds pretty cool, though, huh?!)

Job Description: A family friend of ours is a real estate agent and the real estate firm he works for advertises one of their house-searching sites via Craigslist. So, he asked if I would be interested in posting their Craigslist advertisements, 10 each morning and 10 each evening, 5 days a week. The ads are already made, I just have to copy and paste. This must be the easiest, work from home, odd job I've had!

Job Salary: $100/month

How I got this job: Letting people know that you are open to work and that you are responsible and good at a lot of things really helps when looking for jobs. I've said it before, but repetition is everything, right? :P - The majority of jobs you get will be because you know someone involved with the company. Networking isn't just for professionals - you can do it too!

3 more jobs to go before I reach my summer goal!!! Post on this blog if you have any ideas for my future jobs :) 

An Afghan Wedding!

So, after working many Indian weddings, this Saturday was a day of change - an Afghan wedding! The wedding party was experiencing their second wedding celebration; they got married and celebrated in Afghanistan, and were celebrating with their American friends this weekend. These people have quite a sweet tooth compared to the Indians! The tables had almonds, sugar-coated almonds, and chocolates on them. The desserts included wedding cake (white with strawberries), baklava, and jalabi. Jalabi is something new to me. The Indians eat it as well, and it is like a honey-filled funnel cake. Here's a picture:

It's really sweet!!!

I've recently started my 7th job, and the profile will be up ASAP. Keep checking back for more about my adventure :) 

What's up?

Actually, a day off of work is what's up for me! After this past weekend, I think I deserve a day with absolutely nothing to do. This past Saturday, I worked 14 hours at the hotel as a banquet server!!! I didn't get home until 2am on Sunday morning. It was another wonderful Indian wedding. For this wedding dinner, they hired a photo booth for the guests, which stayed busy for the entire night. The decorations were modern and very lovely, and the DJ did an amazing job.

 I finally got to see the Indians dance with sticks (I'm not sure what they are called), and it was pretty cool. The sticks are about a foot long, and everyone gets two of them. They get in two lines, and hit sticks with the person in front of them. Then, they step to their left to change partners. It may not sound like a lot, but they love it, and danced like this for a very long time :)

TTYL :)

What keeps me going!

Ephesians 6:7 ~

     "Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."

It's verses like this that keep me going on a daily basis. The Bible encourages us to not just work, and not just do the bare minimum, but to 'work with enthusiasm'. AND, not just that. We are supposed to work and do every task of our lives as though we are doing it for the LORD. He is watching us and wants us to put our 100% effort into everything we do, whether it is working at your job, helping your parents around the house, babysitting your younger sibling, doing your homework, or training for a race.

This verse in Ephesians is definitely not the only verse from the Bible that encourages us to work hard and for the LORD. What verse encourages you?

BINGO!

Ok, here's the inside scoop. At my hotel job as a banquet server, the whole hotel staff plays Safety Bingo. Everyone is issued a bingo card, and on every day that we do not have any accidents (excluding weekends), a bingo number is posted in the Loyalty Packet (our daily newsletter). I received my bingo card with my first paycheck, and every day I would check to see if I had the daily bingo number. Well, after a month of working at the hotel, I won!!! I got 5 in a diagonal :) My winnings = $56!!! I love winning stuff, especially cash. Now, the pot goes back to $25 (it goes up $1 every day until someone wins), and I've got my new card. Let the games begin!

Keep checking back for more of my summer fun and adventures! Have a blessed day :)

Update on working 6 jobs :]

I'm having such a blast this summer! Here's the update:

Job #1: Violin Teacher--- I now have 2 students in my little violin studio! They are both beginners, and I'm having a great experience working with them and figuring out the best way to teach both of them. For the older student, I'm so excited because SHAR (a music company) just sent out free patriotic song downloads this week, and the version of Yankee Doodle is right at her level! I think she'll have fun learning a new song for this weekend. My music teacher when I was a young teen always gave me fun, new music, and I hope to do the same with my students. She knew I loved River Dance and would teach me some of their fiddle songs, as well as other fiddle music (even to the point where I played in a fiddle competition one year!). By following her example, I hope to be a wonderful violin teacher as well!

Job #2: Banquet Server---- I've now worked 3 weddings at the hotel, as well as several meals for a business conference. In the next few days, I'll be going in for my official "orientation" for the job, which will include touring the hotel and learning more about the standards of the hotel. While at home, I've started lifting weights on a daily basis in hopes that lifting all those trays will come easier by and by.

Job #3: Violin Player----Haven't played any more events lately. I'm practicing currently for my instructor's concert in August, when I hopefully will be playing Concerto No. 1 by Bach from Suzuki 7. It's a fast song, though!

Job #4: Babysitter-----Just finished 4 weeks of babysitting the cutest little boy in the world!!! We had so much fun taking him places like the zoo, park, pool, library, etc.  Looking forward to more babysitting throughout the summer.

Job #5: Student Assistant at Tech Camp----This is the last week of  Tech Camp! I'm going to miss these kids. They are so smart and creative! I've had fun building balloon vehicles with them during the Amazing Race (one of our team-building activities), taking them on campus tours, and making sure that camp is running smoothly.

Job #6: Petsitting----This job is always a treat :) I get to cuddle cute animals for a job, how cool is that?!

Job #7-#10 are in the works, but I still need some ideas and help from you! As always, thanks for reading :)

Profile of Job #6 - Caregiver of little creatures (AKA Petsitter)

Job Title: Petsitter


Job description: Sit on pets. Haha, just kidding!!! Take care of pets while their humans are out on vac. Clean up after them, give them their daily food, and play with them!


Job salary: $5/day for cats (includes 1 visit per day) and $15/day for dogs (includes 3-4 visits per day). Rates vary for other unusual animals, but they are usually priced according to how many visits per day are required.


How to get this job: Word of mouth works great. Just let your neighbors with pets know that you petsit, and maybe make up a few fliers and give them out. People love having nice petsitters who will visit their home and do a great job, because many animals don't enjoy getting boarded. Click here to make your own cute business cards and fliers in a flash!


Other tips: I only petsit for people who live within 5 minutes of my house, or the drive makes the job not worth it. Make sure you know where people live before you commit to a job! And, it is usually a good idea to ask to meet the animals before you say "yes" to the job, so that you can see if you really want to petsit for them, and to change your rates according to how much work the pets will be. Don't give in to a neighbor who is a Scrooge - your time is valuable!!! Think about how many hours you will spend taking care of the pets each day, and use minimum wage as a guideline for rates if need be.

Thanks for reading my blog! If you want to know more about the inspiration behind this summer blog, go down the right side of this page and click on April's posts for more info. Don't forget to leave your comments and reaction at the bottom of this post, and "follow" the blog if you aren't already :)

....

Ok, so I'm really tired. Not just sort of tired, but REALLY tired. Working non-stop is taking it's toll on me. Yesterday, I worked 3 different jobs - tech camp, babysitting, and teaching 2 violin lessons. Some people think I'm crazy to work 10 different jobs this summer. Sometimes I think I'm crazy. What do you think? I've still got 5 jobs to go, and over a month left of summer vacation. But right now, I'm going to catch up on some reading. Bye, bye!

Another day in the life of a Student Assistant!

Setting up the classroom for the Lego Mindstorms session.

Rachael  (my fellow student assistant) is setting up up the robots for Lego Mindstorms.

Today is Day 2 at our Tech Camp. The kids are going to be learning more about Scratch and programming their robots using Lego Mindstorms. My job as 'floater' is to download pictures onto their flash drives, run errands, pick up copies, and everything else needed to make the day a blast for the students!

Looking for a great Middle School girls' camp?

Spots are still available at GGC's Tech Camp for middle school girls next week! Click here to learn more. This is a 9-4pm 5 day camp for girls who are interested in making robots, creating their own computer games, and being on a college campus. They will also have a tour of the campus, play fun team-building games, make new friends, and have a summer blast!

What has been your favorite job???

Hello friends,

So, I've been writing a whole lot about me lately, but I would absolutely love to hear more about you! Please comment below with your favorite job of all time :)

Looking forward to reading your posts!!!

Thanks,
Kaelin

Profile of Job #5: Student Assistant at Teen Tech Camp

Job Title: Student Assistant at Teen Tech Camp

How I got this job: My mentor at college sent me the link to apply for this position. I've heard that many colleges have these summer camps, including GA Tech. Sometime in  mid-spring semester, check at your college to see if they have something like this. You will have a personal connection and better chance of getting the position, compared to applying to other camps.

Job duties: Make sure the teens are having fun and behaving. Give campus tours and plan fun team-building activities. Make sure that the teens are picked up by the authorized picker-uppers. Take pictures of students with an awesome iPad-like device called a Galaxy Tab (this is super fun!).

Job Salary: $8.25/hour

Advantages of job: This is a pretty easy job, especially if you are used to working with younger children. I pretty much just spent the day making sure the kids were having fun, that they were in the right locations at the right time, that they didn't hit too many random buttons and make the world blow up, and that they learned something and listened to the professors.

I'm halfway there!!!!! 5 more jobs, and I'll meet my goal. I have 1 more job lined up, but I need your help to land the other 4! Here's some ideas I have:

1) Birthday party planner. I've helped plan TONS of birthday parties for all ages. I'm creative, organized, and can stick to a budget.
2) Character at a birthday party. I'm a great fairy, princess (or fairy princess), ballerina, Rapunzel, mermaid, etc.

Thanks for reading, and please let me know that you did by either following my blog, commenting, or adding your reaction at the bottom of this post.

As Always,
Kaelin

Rates for Babysitting

I was flipping through the May issue of Parents magazine today and found a small article about babysitting rates. It listed a website that lets you calculate how much to pay your babysitter (or better yet, for the babysitter to calculate how much to charge per hour). It takes into consideration your location, the babysitter's age range, how many years of experience the babysitter has, and how many children the household has. Rates are actually a little higher than I thought! This is a great resource to use to make sure you are charging enough. Click here to see how much you should charge! When I calculated how much I should get per hour for 1 child, it is $10.75! Now, I don't charge that much, but at least it makes me feel good because I'm worth that much per hour :)

Please comment, follow, or add your reaction at the bottom of this post :) Profile of Job #5 to come very soon!

Update: My life is crazy!

So far this week, I have worked as a violin teacher, babysitter, and banquet server. Job #5's profile to be posted next week!!!

For the past two days, I worked all day at the Marriott. From serving so many meals, I have come up with a few pointers for being a wonderful guest at a large banquet. Here goes:

1) When you are finished with your meal, do not place your napkin over your plate. Just put all of your used utensils square in the middle of your dish and sit back. Your dish will be picked up from your RIGHT side.

2) Keep your cups close to where they originally were placed. This helps the server not have to lean over you to reach your cup.

3) Make sure you are using the correct set of cups. Your cups and coffee mug are the ones by your right hand. If you are left handed, feel free to move these cups to your left side.

4) If you have lots of utensils, you use the outer ones first. Your fork above your plate is the dessert fork.

Thanks for reading my blog!

*~ Kaelin ~*

Another day on Job #2

Had an amazing, but very tiring, time yesterday working at the hotel. We had a very beautiful wedding to set-up, serve at, and clean up. There were a gazillion fresh flowers everywhere, and the colors were white and red. They danced the night away to a DJ and 2 bands. It lasted until 1AM!

I learned something new last night - When you break something, everyone starts singing "Happy Birthday" to you.......................................guess how I found this out...............................................yeah, you've got it :(

TTYL, 

Kaelin

Saw this today, and it had Mom and me laughing so hard, we were crying! What NOT to do if you are working at a coffee shop :P

What I've learned so far

So, the toddler is still sleeping, and I've got a minute to blog. Just thinking about the jobs I've had so far, and what I've learned. This adventure has caused me to get out in the world so much more than before, and I've met so many cool people in the process! I know that that will be one of the big 'take-aways' from this adventure - the friendships that come along with it. When the money is spent and school starts back, I will still have all of these amazing friendships that will last a lifetime.

I've also had to challenge myself a lot since I started this blog. I'm a very social person, but sometimes I would much rather stay in my comfort zone rather than go out and do something new. Getting ready to go to interviews made me a little nervous, but surprisingly enough, having to call people on the phone was even more nerve-wrecking!!! Most of you don't know this, but I absolutely hate calling people on the phone, especially if it's a stranger and I've never spoken with them before. I procrastinate, get myself all worked up, get nervous about what I'm going to say...and in the end, sometimes I don't make the call. I find a way out. But with this adventure, I had to make the call a lot of times. I knew that it was going to give me big opportunities, right at the punch of a few buttons. And I did it! I still hate making phone calls and would rather walk across town and ring their doorbell any day, but I'm making myself get over it. Hopefully by the end of this adventure, my strange phobia will have subsided, and I'll be a changed person :)

Now, got to go check on my little sweetie pie! TTYL, friends :)

Profile of Job #4: Babysitter/Nanny

Job Title: Babysitter

Job Salary: $7-$10/hour

Job requirements: Be willing to care for children for long lengths of time, read the same book over and over again, fight with toy knights 'unto death', and count to "fifty fifty twenty and a half" (actually, I lie. I couldn't do it. Please call me if you can!).

Advantages of job: Work from home on some occasions. Have a blast playing like a kid! Plus, if they are little, you get paid breaks during nap time :)

I absolutely love babysitting and have been doing it as a job since I was 12 years old. Little sister was first job. I've babysat too many kids to count since then!

Thanks for reading my blog - Please comment and add your reaction at the bottom, plus "follow" my blog so I can see how many people are reading :)

My violin studio is growing!

Just scheduled the first lesson for my 2nd violin student! So excited :) This student has never taken violin before, so I'm going to get the full experience of teaching the Suzuki method.

Meanwhile, my 1st student is doing so well. God has really blessed me :) Student #1 is excelling, curious about new techniques, and open to learning tons of new stuff.

Profile of Job #3: Violin Player

I feel greatly honored to be able to present to you this analysis of a most prestigious

job I have been endowed with.

Oh...sorry. It's just that my last job included sitting through a graduation, and all those big words and eloquent phrases are going to my head. Well, as I was saying, here's the scoop on Job #3:

Job Title: Violin Player

How I received this job: Through people at my church who know that I play violin.

Job salary: Varies for different gigs - this one paid $150 for 1 hr of music.

Prerequisite for job: Must know how to play instrument.

Getting ready for the gig includes: Meeting with client, arranging the selection of music, practicing, and rehearsing with other players. Keeping a selection of nice, easy, classical music on hand, and keeping it up with regular practice, comes in handy. Also, I have gone through and timed how long certain pieces are at regular speeds. This helps when figuring out how many songs I'll need to play for the length of the event.

I had a wonderful time tonight at HCA's graduation! All 70-something of their graduates are awesome, and I'm sure they are glad to be done with highschool. Their valedictorian was right when she said that their class is energetic! They even had one graduate who be-jeweled her cap!!! That is evidently one thing they forgot to put on the dress code.

By the way, my current violin favorite is David Garrett. Check out this video.

Job #3 and #4...

Within the next week, I'll be starting Jobs #3 and #4. So excited! Will keep you posted with the job profiles soon.

Just a reminder -

If you would like to read the story behind this blog, go to the right side column and click on "April". Then, click on the "Story Behind" link, and you will find the background of this blog.

I don't know if I mentioned this, but one of the reasons I'm writing this blog is to give other students ideas about odd summer jobs that they should try out. Many people apply to grocery stores, jobs at the mall, etc. and these are all great jobs, but there are many more out there that aren't the generic summer job. If I've inspired you to seek an unusual summer job, let me know! I'd love to hear that my goal is being reached :)

Also, if you would like to comment on my blog, click the "Sign in" link at the top right corner of this page. You can sign in using gmail, yahoo, or your twitter account. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Guess what I did today???

I'm $35 poorer, and one liquor permit richer. Evidently, for any job at the Marriott that includes serving, pouring, or selling alcoholic beverages, you have to have a Liquor Permit. You would think that for $35, this permit would last a while, but it has to be renewed every year. Yippee (not). I love this job, though, so if I have to dish out some cash to keep the job, it's worth it.

Day 3 of Job #2

Yesterday I worked for 13 hours at the hotel!!! We had two Indian weddings, and I was given my own tables to take care of. The weddings were both absolutely gorgeous. I love my job, although it tires me out! Got to eat lots of cake (had wedding cake for dinner...probably not the best idea, but it was fun).

More things I have learned:

1) Salt on right, pepper on left

2) Most Indians do not like ice in their water.

3) I have now learned 3 different napkin folds, and I'm quite good at them too!

:D

2nd day on the job...

I worked 7 hours today as a banquet server, for a total of 15 hours in the past two days. My feet hurt. I carried two full trays today by myself!!! It's fun to work as a team with my awesome co-workers! They are all so helpful and patient as I learn.

*Night, night*

Profile of Job #2: Banquet Server

Job Title: On-Call Banquet Server at the Marriott

Job salary: $10/hour

Job description: We set up tables, clear tables, refill drinks, keep banquet materials well stocked, and serve plated dinners if needed.

10 Things I didn't know before today:

#1 - It is possible to carry 6 full glasses by yourself....just not possible for me. I've gotten up to 3!!! (hey, don't be mean, that is a ton for my first day)

#2 - Serving trays weight 3 lb each with nothing on them.

#3 - Standing on your feet for 8 hours hurts...quite a bit.

#4 - The dessert fork is the one they place above your plate.

#5 - You serve from the left, and clear and fill drinks from the right.

#6 - You have to have a liquor license to be a banquet server (getting a liquor license is on my 'to do' list for this week).

#7 - More guests use Equal sweetener than regular sugar or Sweet and Low.

#8 - That wearing slip-resistant shoes is required for a reason - it is very slippery 'back stage'.

#9 - That banquet servers get to sometimes eat the extra food not served at meals!!! (Free lunch = happiness)

#10 - That I really need to load up on the calories in the morning, because lunch break doesn't happen until 1 or 2pm.

Today, I worked 9-6pm for training, and everyone was so nice and helpful! I served at a buffet-style lunch and an hors d'oeuvre reception in the restaurant. :D

If you like reading my blog, show me by "following" it -------------> Thanks!

Profile of Job #1 : Violin Teacher

Job Title: Violin Teacher

Job Schedule: Teach 30 min. lessons to students each week

Pay: $15/lesson

Perks of the job: Getting to do something I love as a job! I love being able to use my knowledge of violin to help other children excel in the art. Also, knowing that I will be teaching each week gives me an incentive to practice the violin myself. I know they are practicing each day, and I need to practice too.

Challenges of the job: Making sure I'm not going too fast! I want to teach them proper position, scales, vibrato, and bowing techniques in the first lesson. They need to go slower than that, one step at a time.

Wish me luck as I continue this job this summer!

Buying clothes...

So, I didn't know until today that most women buy men's tuxedo shirts. I went to the store to get clothes for my banquet server job, since I'm starting training bright and early tomorrow morning (woot, woot!!!). I had to get black, long pants; a white, long-sleeve, button-down shirt; black, slip-resistant shoes; and black socks. Well, I ended up getting two white shirts, but now I know that shopping in the men's department is not weird - it's quite normal. Well, I'll know next time.

In about 4 minutes, I'll be starting my Job #1. Tomorrow, Job #2 starts. Job #3 in the next few weeks.

My prayers have changed from, "God, give me more jobs" to "God, give me the wisdom to know how much is too much." Yeah, He's blessing me. Profile of Job #1 to come later today.

Thanks for following my blog!!!

Job as Violin Player

Playing the violin has so many benefits, one of which is getting paid to play at events. That's what I'll be doing at the end of this month! I will be playing, along with one of my violin friends, at a graduation. We'll be playing until our arms feel like they're going to fall off, but it'll be worth it!!!

Just to let you know, after I start a specific job, I'll be posting a 'profile' about it with all the specifics. Job #1 profile to come tomorrow as I start my first job!!! Wish me luck :)

(BTW, I took this picture myself. You like?)

I have a job!

This morning, I went to an interview at the Marriott for the position of On-Call Banquet Server. It was so nice, especially since I've known many people there for most of my life! So, to cut to the chase, I got the job!!!!! Filled out paperwork, did the whole drug test thing (that stick tasted pretty salty!), and will be going back in next week to fix the starting date. I'm so excited about this. Please pray for me - one of the parts of the job is carrying a tray over my shoulder with at least 8 plates on it! It's supposed to be really hard, so this will be my challenge to overcome during training.

Thanks for all the encouragement, and keep reading! ---> You can also "follow" my blog to stay updated :D

It's the big day!

Today, Odd Job Summer Adventure officially kicks off! As of today, I have 13 weeks left of summer, and 10 jobs to complete. What fun!!!

Just to recap, here's the jobs I have lined up so far.

1. Violin Teacher

2. Petsitter

Possibilities:

1. Student Camp Assistant (will know by next week!)

2. Babysitter

3. Sales Representative at AmericasMart

4. On-Call Server at Marriott

As you can tell, if all these work out, that is 6 jobs total. I need 4 more!

Ideas:

1) Character for birthday parties (ballerina, princess, fairy, etc)

2) Birthday Party Planner (I plan awesome birthday parties for kids)

3) Organization helper (It's been proven that if you don't help organize your house, it won't stay organized. So, I wouldn't do it all for you, but I would help you organize your closets, etc. Two sets of hands are better than one!!)

Let me know if you want to hire me, or if you have an opportunity I might be interested in. Thanks for reading my blog, and please "follow" it and share it with your friends!

Interview for Job #2 is complete!

Had a great interview today for a student assistant position at a local tech camp. Met with some of the directors of the camp to talk about the position, my availability, and my qualifications for the job. They also asked me what I would do in certain situations, like if a student is calling someone else names, or if they are bored and texting during a class. I think it went well! I'm very excited about learning new computer technology, like LEGO Mindstorm! Robots are cool :D

So, I should know if I got the job by next week. Will keep you posted!

To keep up with my 10 summer jobs -----------> follow my blog!

Interview later today

Hello all,

So, I've got an interview later today for the student tech camp. Pretty excited about it. Tomorrow is my last final of the semester, so wish me luck and pray for me! I'm trying to study, but it's so hard to study a semester's worth of material! Hopefully God will come through and help me remember everything I've learned over the semester.

So, I've got at least 3 jobs lined up for the summer. 1) Violin teacher, 2) petsitter, and 3) babysitter. If you're looking for any of these, let me know :D I'm looking forward to working this summer. Rates are below if you are interested.

1) Violin teacher - $15/30 minute lesson + mileage if I am traveling to your home (I usually give lessons out of my home).

2) Petsitting rates vary b/c of distance to home, number of visits, etc but they usually are $5/day for cats and other small animals (1 visit a day) and $15/day for dogs (3 visits a day).

3) For babysitting, $7/hour for 1-3 children, $10/hour for 4-5 children.

Please comment if you have any questions, and don't forget to sign in and follow my blog :D Hoping to have 30 followers by Wednesday! I'm about halfway there :)

The adventure is about to begin!

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Odd Job Summer Adventure officially kicks off on May 11th, 'cause I'll finally be done with my spring semester of college!

My goal is to have over 30 followers as of May 11th, so here's what you need to do:

------> See that "follow" button? Click it, sign in, and follow my blog! It's easy to do, and it will help you know when my blog is updated.

Thanks, and have a great week!!!

Free Business Cards and free S&H too :D

Just took advantage of this great offer to get 10 freakin' awesome business cards for free! Click here to visit moo.com, and get a free sample pack (lower right side of page). The cards are awesome, and I have already received mine in the mail. Looking into ordering more from moo.com in the future, since they are so cool!

Job #2 interview scheduled!

I now have a job interview scheduled for the student tech camp position! This job would work so perfectly with my summer schedule, plus be fun and a good experience, so please pray for me to get it. I'll let you know how the interview goes.

Job #1 is set!

On May 17th, I'll be starting my first job of the summer.

I've been playing the violin since I was 5 years old, and although I've often thought it wasn't going to pay off, it has this year! Earlier this spring, I was able to play my violin at a vow-renewal ceremony, which was my first gig. It was pretty special, since it was the first time I was paid for playing my violin.

Violin is paying off over the summer because now I have my first violin student!!! I will be teaching her beginning violin over the summer, and I'm so excited. I'll be teaching her once a week, and I'll let you know how it goes.

Also, might have a gig lined up for playing at a graduation on May 27th. This is still up in the air, but I hope it works out!

I'm so glad all those hours of practice are finally paying off. God is so good!!!

Please keep following my blog :D Summer hasn't even started yet, and I know when it does, it's going to be quite a fun ride for me! Keep up with all my various jobs, and please feel free to give me advice along the way. Make sure you log-in and follow my blog ---->

Only...

20 more days until "Odd Job Summer Adventure" officially kicks off!!! My last final is on May 10th, and after that, I'm free to work! I'm so excited for what this summer will bring.

I've got about 7 job ideas/opportunities lined up, but I need at least 3 more! Have any ideas for me? Let me know :D Can't wait to hear your suggestions and advice.

Make sure you click the "follow" button --->

Thanks!

Jobs applied to so far

1) On-Call Banquet Server at Marriott.

2) Sales Representative at AmericasMart in Atlanta.

3) Student Assistant at local tech camp.

My Inspiration

Someday, I would like to be able to tell my grandkids cool stories about my past jobs and experiences. I would like to make them laugh at all the funny situations I got myself into. In short, I would like to be like my grandpa.

You'll hear me refer to him as Boopapa - where that name came from is another story altogether :P I absolutely love listening to my Boopapa's stories about all the fun jobs he has done. Like being a Good Humor man, and how he kept scoundrels from stealing the icecream from the back of the truck. Or how he was Batman at a movie theater, and would run across the stage, to the extreme delight of all the kids. Or how he was a ballerina in the Olympics (okay, I was disappointed when I found out he was just kidding about that one). My grandpa is one of the funniest people I know, and these stories have cracked me up since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. And I want to have funny stories like that too. That's why I'm looking for the ordinary and the extraordinary in summer jobs. I want to get real experience, but I also want to have a blast and get some funny stories out of it! Hopefully, I'll get to share some with you this summer :)

The adventure hasn't even begun...

but I'm already enjoying it! In the last 24 hours, I have found out about 3 more jobs that I might be able to do this summer.

Thank you to everyone who has read my blog and contacted me about a job!!! You're the best :D

Here's my progress:

1) I would love to have experience in serving! I've already found out about a possible position at a senior living residence where I would be a server at meal-times in their dining room. I love meeting new people, making new friends, and being able to give someone a great experience. Will keep you updated on this.

2) Playing a character at children's b'day parties! Already have a request for August to be Angelina Ballerina :D Keep me in mind if you need a fun princess, faery, ballerina, etc.

3) Working at The Mart in Atlanta. Will continue to look into working the July shows, but I have lots of contacts and opportunities.

More to come soon! Keep the comments, advice, opportunities coming :)

If you are like me and would like to do some fun odd jobs for experience and $ this summer, let me know. I'll let you know if I find something perfect for you :D

The Story Behind "Odd Job Summer Adventure"

*tap, tap, tap....* That's me typing away on my computer, trying to find a job for the summer. For a college kid with little experience, finding a steady summer job is almost impossible! With the economy the way it is now, a lot of adults are applying and getting the jobs that we would normally have. Now, don't take me wrong - I would rather an adult have the job to help support their family. But what do I do, then? Well, I don't know about other college kids, but this dilemma has inspired me to do more with my summer. To try and get experience in the job world, but in a different way. That's where my "Odd Job Summer Adventure" comes into play. This summer, I will be challenging myself to get work experience through 'odd jobs'. Now what is an odd job?

Kaelin's Dictionary:

Odd Job - Any type of job contrary to a regular job. Not a "9-5" employment opportunity. Something outside of the box.

So, in the 13 weeks of summer that I have, I will be trying to reach a goal of doing 10 different odd jobs. This is where you come in! I need you to:

1) Follow my blog! The more followers I have, the more cool stuff (like photos, crazy stories, etc) that I'll post.

2) Comment on this posting and give me some ideas for odd jobs. I'll be posting information about how I get the job, my job experiences, pay, and other stuff, so this is a good opportunity to find out about a job you might like to try.

Keep checking back! This is going to be one fun adventure :)