College Kids

I have a wretchedly sore throat today, so I’m skipping school and catching up on some things. Here’s what’s been going on since I last posted:

I started my senior year a couple weeks ago and I love this semester. I’m taking four French classes and one linguistics class. Two of my French classes are super challenging literature classes and the other two are grammar/translation classes. The grammar/translation ones are sooo fun! I always do the homework for those classes first because I’m so excited. The literature classes vary on enjoyment, depending on what we’re reading. I really don’t like reading epics from the 1500s!! I hated reading those in English and its even harder in old French. But a lot of the later stuff I really enjoy, even if it’s hard to understand. I think by the time I get my degree I will be better read in French classics than in English classics. Formidable!

I’m going to start observing/helping in an ESL class at SLCC later this week, so I’m excited about that. I did a similar project last semester at an elementary school and loved it. I love my majors!

After over a month of babysitting and half-heartedly looking for a job, I landed a position as a waitress at a sushi restaurant! Giuseppe wanted to make a boxed cake we had, but we didn’t have any frosting, so we went to the grocery store. Near the grocery store is a little sushi restaurant with a “looking for servers” sign, so I walked in and 24 hours later I was starting my first shift!

This is actually a dream come true for me haha. I’ve always wanted to be a waitress. Is that lame? I figured I might as well fulfill that dream before I get my college degree! I work weekends and nights, so that isn’t idea but so far it’s the only drawback of the job! The best part? I get fed FREE sushi every Friday and Saturday between my lunch and dinner shift!! They could just pay me in sushi and I’d still work there. Waitressing is kind of hard and stressful, and the kitchen menu is pretty complicated to memorize, but I know I’ll get the hang of it. The other day a man I wasn’t serving asked me to come over to his table. He pointed to his chicken plate and told me, “I didn’t order this.” I called over the waitress who was serving him and he said, “I thought I ordered the (soup)?” but he said the Japanese name for this specific soup. She said, “Yeah that’s what this,” and she repeated the name of the dish he had just said. “Oh. I thought I was ordering ramen.” “Oh, you may have meant the —-,” and she said the name of a type of Japanese Ramen, which was pronounced exactly like the chicken dish but with a slight variation. She just looked at him kind of like, “Yeah, well, this is what you said.” Haha I guess that’s how we do things here?

The poor man was so embarrassed over his “grand pronunciation error” and agreed to eat the meal he had ordered. But then the waitress took the plate and said, “no, no, we’ll bring your ramen right out.”

Giuseppe started school yesterday. He just has two classes until he finishes his business associates at LDSBC in December! He’s not sure how he feels about his IT class yet but his business strategy class sounds interesting. He’s still working full time at Tumi, which I love because he always looks so nice and he manages to get me discounts at Anthropologie and Sephora! Giuseppe likes it too, though of course retail hours are not ideal. He’s started doing some financial advising training, and he’s looking into possible career options in that field. Go G!

We went to California right before I started school. We had so much fun! We stayed with my cousin Carly for a night in St. George, and then ended up in Orange County early Friday afternoon. 

We visited Giuseppe’s grandpa, Les, in the house G spent most of his childhood in. Les asked us if we wanted to go to Disneyland for FREE that afternoon and I was all for it. Giuseppe was kind of on the fence but after I convinced him to stop being boring, we drove over there and had SO MUCH FUN! We had delicious food, went on our favorite rides (Pirates, Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, California Screaming) and more, watched World of Color, and just had a blast. Thanks Les! 

This banana salted carmel Ghirardelli shake is haunting me. 

On Saturday morning we went to brunch with Giuseppe’s friend Brendon and his wife Amanda and their adorable one-year-old baby Macy. Amanda works as a head waitress at a yummy diner, so we ate for free! Maybe I’ll be cool like her one day and be a head waitress. Unfortunately she had to work, but the four of us headed to Newport Beach! For the first time in my life I tried boogie boarding and it was so fun! I wasn’t very good at it at first, but Giuseppe taught me how to do it and I followed his lead. I caught one wave (haha) and you better believe I talked about my “sick wave” for weeks afterwards. 

After the beach we headed over to the Simco’s (Giuseppe’s older sister and her husband. They have four kids) production of The Little Mermaid. It was so cute! I also got to meet Addison and Michael too, Vinny’s (another of Giuseppe’s brothers) kids. They were so cute. All of the Hess kids turn out stunning. The play was cute, Baily played the lobster, John was the prince, Autumn was the seagull, and baby Liam wasn’t in the play and wanted nothing to do with me haha. After the play we went to a park and met some more of Sarah’s family. We stayed over at their home that night where Baily made a delicious dessert and we played games and chatted. I wish we could have stayed longer, it’s weird to me that I have a brother-in-law and sister-in-law and nieces and nephews in California that I hardly know. On Sunday morning we met up with some more of Giuseppe’s friends, went to church, and then had dinner with the Madsen’s, a good family of Giuseppe’s. I got to meet Brigham, one of Giuseppe’s friends whom he hasn’t seen in years and get to know their really cool family. Then we headed home, arriving back in Salt Lake around 3 am. Such a fun trip!

Something weird happened on the first day of school for me, which also happened to be the same day as the eclipse. My class started at 11:50, about 15 minutes after the eclipse reached its peak in Salt Lake. I walked into class just 10 minutes late and nobody was there! I thought that was weird, especially because none of my other classes that day were cancelled. I checked online and there was no announcement or email that class was cancelled. I sat around for a bit, assuming people would trickle in later and that we would all be late because of the eclipse. As I sat in the classroom, I realized a lone word was written on the chalk board: l’ombre. This means shadow. I got even more confused. Did that mean class was cancelled because of the shadow of the eclipse? Haha I’ll never know. I eventually left. When I went to class on Wednesday, everyone jumped right into a discussion of a book they had all started reading. Still, nothing was posted online. I caught up after that, but it was a really weird way to start that class. The mystery of the shadow. 

We started working out again, it’s been almost a year since we gave this any team effort. I am kind of disgusted by how long I went without exercising. My body felt so weak and tired for so long but ever since starting up again I feel amazing! Exercise is not a natural habit for either of us, which is a shame, but I am dedicated to making it a habit. So far we’ve just been doing at-home Beachbody workout videos which are so fun! I’m sure we’ll branch out later, but for right now we are really enjoying the Beachbody videos. I prefer strength training over cardio. Although occasionally I’ll go on a little “run” if I discover an upbeat song that I really like. I usually only like slow, sad songs though haha. The other night I was really wanting to do an upper body workout because my arms are PATHETIC, but we don’t have any weights. I knew the upper body video had at least a few moves that required weights, so I gathered our two bluetooth speakers which are roughly the same weight for Giuseppe, and a hand held mirror and candle that were roughly the same weight for me. Giuseppe thought this was the most ridiculous idea and refused to do it :( So my limp noodle arms are his fault. We will be buying weights later this week for sure though.

We went to a cute outdoor market one evening and bought local snacks and treats. We found a cool booth selling ties and we made friends with the creators. They are a young married couple and we just thought they were the coolest! You can look up their company on instagram @kasnkels. Giuseppe bought this tie as well as a leather key clip that is waaaaay better looking than the ratty lanyard he used when we were dating haha. He wore his cool bolo tie to church the next day.

I convinced Giuseppe to buy us a marked down Harry Potter puzzle we found at Barnes and Noble. I LOVE doing puzzles, and Giuseppe was nice enough to agree to do one with me. It was so fun! We talked, watched/listened to our latest Netflix obsession “Paranormal Survivor”, and ate delicious snacks. Now we’re on our second puzzle: a panorama of Times Square!

I should probably mention that we moved into a new apartment when I came home from France. We live in family student housing next to the U campus, and it’s pretty good. It’s cheap, so that’s nice. But the linoleum floor and lack of A/C is killing me! I’m really looking forward to being a homeowner one day. Student life is a sacrifice.

I spent one evening with my friends Jodie and Alissa in Midway. We drove Jodie’s jeep up to one of my favorite places in the world, Guardsman Pass, and had a little picnic. Jodie just got engaged to a really great guy and Alissa just headed off to spend the semester in Jerusalem! I have such cool friends.

My bff Mailm (Brooke, long story) came back from her mission in the Philippines while I was in France, but her family moved to Texas while she was gone so I didn’t get to see her until a couple weeks ago! We sat at Cubby’s for like five hours and did the usual Mailm & Mose: eating fries and desserts while talking about everything under the sun. Haha it was so great!

On Memorial Day G and I were have a lazy morning, cuddling and snacking and shirking responsibility. Then Giuseppe started to get ready for work and his mom called to announce she was on her way to Salt Lake! We met her at the train station, she bought Giuseppe some lunch, and then she and I headed on the train to Provo to meet up with my family. We went to Vivian park with my dad’s side of the family for a picnic. Laura is so funny! An ice cream truck drove by and she yelled, “kids! kids! who wants some ice cream?!” and then she ran towards the truck waving a ten-dollar bill in the air. The little cousins followed her and they came back with a bag full of popsicles. It was such a fun day! I love spending time with my mother-in-law, she is a ray of sunshine, full of funny stories and life lessons.

Last week we got the opportunity to watch Vin and it was SO fun! I was so excited to see him. I was wondering if he would remember me after our almost three month break. He was so funny when he saw me, he acted totally nonchalant, like he didn’t even see me. I tried saying hi but he would just look away, and then I’d catch him glancing at me. He allowed me to hold him and he warmed up to me really fast. We had such a fun night together singing and throwing balls around! I love that little boy.

I got together with my roommates again and it was perfect! I predict we'll be having these girls nights until we all die. Stephanie is pregnant with a baby boy! So maybe this isn't technically a girls night?? Chew on that.

Also, the sun was super rad the night we got together because of all the fires in Utah. 

I am realizing I have titled this blog:

NOTHING LIKE US
Giuseppe & Katrina

yet all of the posts are all pretty much about my life. I mean I write about G’s life to the best of my ability, but I can’t just project his opinions and feelings for him, can I? Maybe I’ll see if I can get him to write a blog post. I don’t think he even reads this thing though.

And to finish this post up, here's a selfie because after all this blog is all about me ;)

Au revoir!

Where Are They Now?

It's been a while and plans have changed. It's about time for an update on the Hess'!

In February I moved into the basement studio apartment of the house I nanny in. I love it here! The neighborhood is adorable, nestled on Capitol Hill. It's a 20-minute walk to downtown, which I make a lot when I visit G at work! It is tiiiiiiny though. Giuseppe and I shared a twin-sized bed for the longest time, though we finally upgraded to a queen-sized air mattress. Haha.

Giuseppe got a new job as an assistant manager at Tumi. He looks so cute dressed in his nice black clothes every day. He works full time AND he's taking 12 credits at LDSBC. Go G! 

I finished the semester in April and I am already missing school. After school ended, I started working at the airport part-time in addition to my part-time nanny job. Working at the airport is.... The worst? Hilarious? Not a reality? Character building?

Haha I don't know what to choose. I clean toilets. I wear hideous shoes. I wake up at 4:45 am to get to work on time. 

My thoughts on my job usually go something like this:

4:45 am waking up: Oh my gosh I'm going to DIE, this is the WORST, why on EARTH did I take this job?

5:40 am sitting in the car in front of the airport with G: (close to tears) I can't go in! I can't face another day here! Pep, can I just sit here and cry on your shoulder?

6:10 am cleaning my first of many, many toilets: (Vivint bro "beast mode" kicks in) I'm Grant freaking Cardone. I'm a hustler. These toilets don't know what's coming for them.

9:50 am approaching my lunch break, cleaning up something particularly nasty: Okay this is just hilarious. What is my life? WHO am I??

12:50 pm: The day is almost over. I. Will. Finish. 

2:00 pm: DONE. I DID IT. I cleaned toilets for eight hours. I am a magnificent human being. 

You may be wondering, "WHY would you ever work there?" The thing is, I just needed something temporary that I could do after school got out and before I go to France. I needed something I could start ASAP, that would work with my nanny schedule, and that I wouldn't feel bad quitting after a short amount of time. And this was the only job that fit that criteria.

Interestingly, the pay is HORRIBLE. I get NINE dollars an hour. Isn't that pathetic?! A job that awful should pay a lot more. And the "raises" are pathetic. After working there for an entire year, you get a thirteen cent raise. And it really doesn't get much better than that.

Not all of my coworkers have the same mindset as me, unfortunately. Many of them have been there for years, putting up with the low pay. I spoke to one yesterday about how unfair the wages are. She completely agreed with me. "I know! I mean they should start us out at $10 an hour!" Where is her vision?! I told her she deserved to have a job she loved and that paid her well. Ten dollars an hour is still not fair. 

Another coworker of mine didn't even seem to mind the low pay! He said, "Nah, I'm not out looking to make a whole lot of money." Prior to this odd statement, this man shared with me his life story. We'll call him Pete. After graduating high school, Pete applied to a promising company with his friends but was the only one who didn't get hired on. He applied and applied, but was never hired. His friends went off to work for this company and found success, and Pete began cashiering at a 7-Eleven. As the years went by, Pete transferred from one 7-Eleven to the next. He also cashiered at Target, K-Mart, various grocery stores, and even more gas stations. He is now in his sixties. A whole lifetime of cashiering! Looking for a change, Pete began working at the airport a few months ago. I asked him if he had a family. He told me that when he was younger, the doctor told him he'd never be able to have children. "Women want babies, so I never even tried to date. And I knew I'd never make enough money to adopt." SAD. This man has no self-worth. I told him he deserved to find happiness, and then he went on and on about Star Trek. I told him I had never seen it, but he carried on the conversation as if I were familiar with the characters and plot. He told me how much happiness Star Trek brought to his life. You do you, Pete. 

I put in my two-weeks yesterday, and I told my manager the reason I was quitting was because the pay was so low. When I filled out my resignation form, he said, "please make sure to put the reason you're quitting! If we get enough people complaining, that's the only way to make real change." So basically, I performed a great service by working at the airport and quitting. You're welcome. 

I LOVE my other job, however. I started watching little Vin Saint in November, and it has been the best. He is almost one now, and he is just the absolute sweetest thing in my life. I love this little boy with all my heart! 

In December I took him to a meeting with the IRS. He totally charmed them.

What's next:

I am going to FRANCE in 2 weeks. I'll be there for a little over a month and man oh MAN I'm excited. French is my passion. I want to be able to speak it fluently sooo bad. So I'm off to the Alpes to study in Grenoble and immerse myself in the language and culture. 

Giuseppe is going to stay with his friend Ethan while I'm gone. 

When I get back, we're moving into family student housing on the U campus! 

Au revoir!

Updates: summer lovin'

We are spending our summer in Greenville, South Carolina while Giuseppe works as a sales representative for Vivint. I did it too, for about a month, and… quit. I could go on and on about WHY I quit, but for heaven's sake, Giuseppe might read this and we need to keep his spirits up!

Things are pretty chill for me now. I work as the office assistant but I also spend my days studying French! Besides just reading from my textbooks (which gets OLD after a while), I am reading general conference addresses in French while learning vocabulary and trying to follow grammar patterns. It’s been a thrilling summer. ;)

Haha no but really, I love being here in this beautiful city. And the best part is, I get to spend lots of time (well, sort of) with my babe! I am so proud of his hard work and motivation. He’s the greatest.

The apartment we are in is fantastic! There’s a cute little “cupboard under the stairs” that we say Harry lives in. Whenever we hear fishy noises, or if the milk was left out, or whenever we are out of food, we always blame it on Harry. He’s always under his invisibility cloak, duh. That’s why we can’t see him. But we know he’s there. Doing tomfoolery. That ungrateful prat!

There are a billion and ten bugs here, something that we are not necessarily a fan of. BUT we do like the gutsy little frogs that sit outside our apartment door trying to get inside.

Also, everyone and their mom has a dog. Our apartment complex is dotted with dog parks, and there are ALWAYS people outside walking their dogs. The weird thing is, they are actually very classy dogs. They rarely bark, and I don’t think I’ve seen a single dog dropping here. They’re not defensive either. If I get too close to the apartment door, they don’t even care. I swear sometimes they even smile at me. Much unlike the mangy mutts who tried to kill me in the neighborhoods I used to knock. Yes, I definitely belong here instead of there.

Sundays are DEFINITELY the best day of the week. We have the greatest little ward. The people are awesome. Whenever our car won’t start after church (which is often), a small crowd is there to help us out. And we’ve been invited over for dinner several times too! We also have a new calling! Nursery leaders. I will definitely do a post on our experiences.

So that's us!

New Orleans

Here are some shots of our most recent preseason sales trip to New Orleans!

From the pictures it may just look like this trip was fun and games but it was actually 75% knocking doors, 10% spending time in a 2 bathroom house with 30 people, 5% choking down fast food, and 5% in rental cars with ridiculously speedy drivers blasting rap music. The other 5% is documented below:

Driving to Las Vegas:

A random business outside of my neighborhood. A hair salon, snow cone shack, and car wash all in one. Odd, right? :

G and I on a morning stroll in the Bayou:

Eating oysters from the shell:

At the restaurant: (we ordered the most DIVINE crème brûlée)

Sales is hard work, but we are getting better and better every day! It really is a fun job.

One of my sales was to an older couple. The husband did not want the system at all, but unfortunately he didn't wear the pants in the relationship. He sat on the porch angrily in the rain while the system was being installed as the wife and I chatted. Haha.

Another of my sales was to the funniest sassy black lady I've ever met. She told me all the neighborhood gossip and talked lovingly about her baby (her maniac pitbull).

Last trip we were separated into different hotel rooms, G with the guys and me with the girls. This trip we did get a bed to ourselves, and we got to share the room with Braun, one of the coolest guys you'll ever meet.