Cheesecake and Chocolate Hair

I am officially a student! Yes, I had already paid my bill, spent $166 on books for one class, and gotten a school student ID... but tonight, I was orientated. If that is even a word.

DePaul held an orientation for the graduate school of communication tonight, which kicked off with a meet and greet, complete with a fun ice breaker which encouraged the students to talk to each other and allowed me to win a prize-- a fancy thumb drive! These events are supposed to pump students up and get them excited about the coming year, however, after three hours of sitting and listening, I was more deflated than ecstatic. It's been over four years since I've been in a classroom, so maybe I just have to get reacquainted with lectures and listening. Let's hope so.

Or perhaps my lack of enthusiasm is a direct result of a long and strange afternoon at The Cheesecake Factory. After reading an ad that the restaurant would be taking applications and conducting interviews between 2- 4 p.m. today, I headed down to the Hancock Tower location just before 2 p.m. in an attempt to beat the rush. It was a nice idea, but upon arrival and within minutes, about 100 people filled the room, all flocking to try to land a job in cheesecake heaven. After handing in the application and my resume, I sat down at a table to wait. It felt like we were all stuffed in a room at an American Idol audition, waiting to get a coveted golden ticket to Hollywood from Simon, Randy and Paula. I have never experienced anything like this, and could only laugh to get through the craziness. I also befriended Victor, the gay college student sitting across from me, and our fun conversation also helped pass the time. The wait was like sitting in the lobby of the doctor's office. Every time they come out with a clipboard, you hope it's your name they are about to call. I waited until 4:07 p.m., when I finally sat down with a manager and answered a quick pre-created set of interview questions. Hopefully I dazzled him with my answers, especially when he asked me why I wanted to work there and I told him I loved the food and the cheesecake.

On a more exciting note, I am once again a true brunette! I am lucky enough to live down the road from the Aveda Institute, which offers cheap services as long as you are willing to have your work done by a student. This morning I took a chance and wound up with a great student who gave me a great cut and color. and it only cost me $44!! The subsequent events of the day may have been less fruitful and not so entertaining, but when I got home from school and looked in the mirror, I saw my great hair and it put a smile on my face. It's amazing what a good haircut and evened out color can do to one's attitude and confidence! Although it can be very challenging at times, I am sticking to my commitment to finding the sweet silver lining in every day... and today it just so happened to be chocolate brown :)