Job huntin' and puppy raisin'.

Well, summer has officially begun. I'm back home now, all moved in to my new room, and should be ecstatic, right? Wrong. This time two weeks ago, I thought that I was going to be starting my summer out working right out of the gate, like I had planned on. NOT what happened.

I was hired at Hooters back in March to work for the summer. I filled out my paperwork, called to check up on when I could start training, everything. So imagine how irritated I get when, not only I've been given the run-around, but am being shorted hours too. Yeah, not a pretty picture. Apparently, what has happened was that there were 4-5 girls that normally leave for the summer, so they hire 4-5 more to cover the open slots. But this summer, the girls decided to stay, meaning 4-5 more girls than they can handle. So that means that this summer, instead of working full time as planned, I'll be getting about one day a week there. That is, if they'll ever start training me. UGH.

Rant part 2. Saturday, the GM told me to come in Monday at 10:30, to start training. So I wake up early to get all dolled up, and get there early, anxious but ready to finally start making some money. A different manager was there that day, so he didn't recognize me. When he came out with my paper work, "... bad news." God, what else could go wrong? Don't tell me you're out of uniforms AGAIN?! I guess for some girls, it takes over a month to do a little bit of paperwork (insert sarcasm here.) So because my paperwork hadn't been "verified", I couldn't start training because I would be an "insurance risk." First off, I filled out those papers back at the beginning of April, and they've known that I wanted to start working as soon as school let out. Second, why the hell did the GM tell me to start training on Monday if the paperwork wasn't even "verified"?! Okay.. done ranting. For now.

So as of right now, I'm looking for a second job for the summer, and it is proving fruitless. Wish me luck.

On the bright side, I've got some great news. :)

That is my new puppy, Apollo. He was the very first red cavachon we've had. And since I'll be moving into an apartment in the fall (that allows pets), my mom said that I could take him. :]

- Chelsea.

Five Guys Little Cheeseburger Review

Behold... the Five Guys Little Cheeseburger. I've always been a HUGE FG fan, and since I hadn't been able to have one of these beauties since sometime before I headed off to college, I ended up having a huge craving when my mom, sister, and her friend were driving to Greenville and we were discussing where to go grab lunch.

We showed up around 3, so it was luckily not slam packed. Our cashier/cook greeted us and took our order immediately. Each of us ordered a Little Burger/Cheeseburger (or in my sister's case.. a normal Burger), and we all split a large fry. Our food was ready quickly, but was freshly made too, a signature of FG.

My order: Little Cheeseburger with mayo, lettuce, pickles, grilled onions, ketchup, and hot sauce.

Now, for some this burger probably looks kind of tiny, but it is a "Little" cheeseburger, so cut it some slack. From my first bite to my last, Five Guys once again proved to me why they are my number one favorite burger restaurant. The meat was fresh, juicy, and charred from the grill, but had a slight tenderness to it as well. Unlike some places (yes, I'm looking at you, Burger King), you could really tell it was fresh beef, not a mystery meat kinda-like-beef rubber puck. All of my condiments were fresh as well, a huge plus. The pickles were thick cut and very crunchy Claussen-esque, which are my favorites. A huge highlight were the onions. I'm still wary of raw onions, except when they're chopped into my mom's homemade potato salad. But cooked onions, I'm a huge fan of. I was a little unsure of ordering them at first, because a lot of time I've ordered my burger with grilled other places, they ended up being raw with just a little char. But was this another burger place? No, it was Five Guys! And I am very glad I did order them. They were just on the edge of being soft, but still retained some crunch, and had the sweetness of soft, but a slight bite. Kind of like the texture and flavor of a Bloomin' Onion, minus the breading. They added great contrast with the juicy, meaty beef patty and soft bun.

I would say my only complaints here would be a little too little of the saucy condiments for my taste (I like a lot of ketchup and mayo on my burger, and they only add a little of each), but that can be easily fixed. Price would be the only other downside. They are quite a bit more expensive (about $23 for 3 Little burgers, one Burger, 2 drinks, and a large fry), but for the quality of the food, it's an amazing place to splurge every now and again.

Five Guys Little Cheeseburger: 9.5/10 - If you want one of the best burger experiences around, head to Five Guys.

- Chelsea.

Double the breasts, double the deliciousness.

Okay, I'm sure I kinda confused anyone who normally reads my blog with the title. After falling in love with many food blogs recently (GrubGrade, Brand Eating, Would I Buy it Again?...), I've decided that I'd like to join the ranks. Now, I won't be anywhere near as hardcore as them, like testing out every new food that comes out and updating daily, but I would like to share my food experiences with the world. :]

So this brings us to the first review... the new KFC Double Down sandwich.

I first heard about this sammich via GrubGrade and was hoping that it was true, and not just a cruel joke. Then the window clings went up in the KFC near my college and I was ecstatic. I gathered up a bit of my "broke college kid" funds, and anxiously waited for my boyfriend to get off of work. After reading over every review I could find, I was ready to get a taste of it myself.

The Double Down is made up of 2 chicken breasts (grilled or fried), 2 pieces of cheese (pepperjack, I believe), 2 strips of bacon, and Colonel's sauce. In my opinion, the ones responsible for inventing this delicious concoction are genius.

Thomas and I waited for our food while practically drooling on the table. He ordered his usual chicken bowl (also a favorite of mine), while I awaited the taste of something new. Our food came up and I thoroughly inspected my prize. My 2 chickens were a little uneven in sizing (no chicken is perfect), so it made it a little harder to pick up and contain everything. The cheese slices were cool and perky outside, melty and gooey on the inside of the sandwich. The bacon was surprisingly crispy and thicker than most paper thin fast food bacon, which was a huge plus for me, because my family ONLY eats crispy bacon. I'd asked for extra Colonel's sauce, because I like most of my sandwiches wet and sloppy, but unfortunately there was only a small amount smeared on. It tasted pretty much like the sauce that accompanies a Bloomin' Onion at Outback, so I was kind of sad that I didn't get more of it.

The first bite was heaven. There was something so right and wrong about eating a sandwich with so much grease I felt like I needed a shower afterward, but I couldn't help but enjoy my moment of gluttony. Everything worked so well with each other, between flavors and textures. The chicken was crispy and moist, while the cheese was smooth and the bacon salty and crunchy. Now, I will have to agree with the other reviews in saying it was pretty salty, but it didn't really bother me. After 4 or 5 bites though, the food high kind of wore off. It still tasted good, just wasn't... great. I ended up finishing it off rather quickly and was still hungry. And for a girl that's 5'5" and 125 lbs., that's saying something.

I would say my only problem with this would have been the lack of extra sauce, and amount of gristle, but those are both easily fixed. The price is probably going to be the thing that will keep me from getting it again, because for that much, I could go to Zaxby's and get a Kickin' Chicken Sandwich meal and leave completely full.

KFC Double Down: 5/10 - KFC's way of trying to show off their creativity proves to be tasty, but falls flat in the end.

- Chelsea.

I did one of my first big "adult" things today... apartment hunting. It actually turned out being a lot easier than I thought. I went and visited University Suites and Catamount Peaks. Both are within 3 minutes of Western and are really, really nice. They boast most of the same perks... a pool, tanning, gym, bundled rent/utilities. There are a few things that I prefer about Peaks over Suites.

Peaks Pros:

- pets are allowed.

- nicer, newer apartments and facilities.

- safer and kinder feel.

- 1 bedroom apartment, not a studio.

- security system.

- shuttle to campus and back.

Peaks Cons:

- $100 more than suites. ($650 per month)

-$200 "residence fee" (like a down payment?)

- only comes with a twin bed.

- $50 application fee.

Suites Pros:

- cheaper than peaks ($550 per month)

- fully furnished with a full bed.

- brand new apartments to be opened in august.

- only a $20 application fee and i could secure my apartment with $100.

Suites Cons:

- no pets allowed. :\

- smaller (studio apartment)

My mom is going to be coming up on Tuesday and we're going to talk to both places and see what we can come up with. Fingers crossed!

So I'm not even going to try and come up with a reason as to why I was on hiatus for over a year.

But to make up for my lack of posts, here is a generalized list of what has gone on:

- New tattoo.

- High school graduation.

- Summer spent volunteering at Camp Chatuga.

- Becoming a brunette.

- Another new tattoo. (that's right, there's 3 now.)

- First semester of college at WESTERN CAROLINA!

- Boyfriend. :]

- Lip pierced... and then having to take it out due to family disliking it. :P

- Second semester at Western.

- Going back to red & blonde.

Okay, the rest can be spilled from here.

Topic one: summer plans.

Because of some drama that went on last summer at cam

p, I was told that it would be a better idea for me to "take a summer off." Yeah, thanks for that one, Angela. Because some things that I did were SO much worse than what some other people did and they get nothing from it. Thanks so much. /rant.

So because of this, I was faced with the frightening idea of finding a different summer job. Seeing as I was pretty much relying on it, I didn't apply to be an orientation counselor for Western. And seeing as it was February, I figured that most summer camps would already have hired their staff. But I decided to try my luck anyway. I sent out applications to both Camp Blue Ridge and Camp Pinewood, because they were both relatively close to home. They're rich kid camps, both completely different from Chatuga, and the staff aren't treated like nuns in a convent. Heard back from Pinewood the day after I se

nt in the application. They said that they had gotten it, but was curious as to why I wasn't going to be returning to Chatuga for the summer. Ugh. Of course they had to ask that. So I sent off and email explaining that there were some "conflicting values" and that I wasn't very happy with some of the ways I was treated last year (both true.). Haven't heard back from them.

I also applied to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, because my psychology professor suggested it. I've always liked NOC and thought it was be a decen

tly fun place to work, with my background with OB and all, plus they have staff housing. So I put him down as a reference (he's worked every summer for like.. 15 years.) and sent it off.

I figured I should also have a backup plan in case any of those didn't come through and I would have to move back home. Is it weird that my first choice was Hooters? I applied there when I was 17, and was told that I would be hired, but couldn't at the time because of my age. So I thought that I at least had a decent shot at getting a job. The girls there have much less actual work (rolling silver wear, sweeping, cleaning bathrooms...) than most waitresses, and make much better money. Plus, it's a fun, relaxed environment. Not like Olive Garden, having to wear a white shirt and tie. So Friday, I drove home and went out to see 'Valentine's Day' with my mom and Heather. Afterwards, I had her stop at the Ho

oters closest to us (about 15 minutes away from home, right across from the mall and movie theater) and I ran in to fill out the application. The hostess was super sweet. She was a tiny little thing that looked like she was my sister's age, but was very talkative and friendly. Props to her. :] Filled out the app and waiting about 15 min

utes for the manager to come and do the first interview. He was very nice as well, and asked me if I would be able to come in for a second interview with the GM sometime soon. I, of course, said yes. He smiled and shook my hand and said he'd be calling in tomorrow to set it up, before running off to take care of some of the chaos.

Saturday came and I got the call. He asked if I could come in at 3 on Sunday. Of course I could. So Sunday came around and I strolled in, completely calm about the interview. The GM was extremely nice as well and went through the interview like I'm sure he's done hundreds of times. He asked about Western, and what kind of hours I could work during the summer, what attracted me to Hooters, and why I would make a good Hooters Girl. After everything was done, he smiled and told me to give him a call abou

t a week before school was out so he could set me up with my training. I GOT THE JOB! SCORE! Needless to say, it made my weekend. Following in the footsteps of the extremely talented K.H. (also known as The Hooters Girl), I'm hoping to keep up my blogging through the summer and talking about all my experiences there.

The rest of this week hasn't been very exciting. Class on Monday (with a call from NOC, offering me a job at the outfitter store. when it rains, it pours, eh?), and yesterday was advising day, so no classes, just my department meeting. Spent the rest of the day running around town picking up some things that I needed, and met my mom in Asheville for dinner at the Stone Ridge Tavern. Mm, I'm drooling just thinking about it.

I'm planning to use my blogging as a time to not only inform about my life in general, but also to vent about things that irritate me to the extremes. So in the future days, be sure to keep an eye out for posts about "the Roommate", as she is the main cause of those irritations.

Til then,

- Chelsea.