There are many things you can do in an hour. For example, you can watch an entire episode of 24. You can also have some photos developed or have your prescription eye glasses made. Another thing that takes an hour is the wait between the time you order your food and the time it is brought out to you at the Whispering Winds Restaurant at the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, MN.

We got to test this theory twice on a recent trip and overnight stay at the casino. The night of my birthday, the buffet at Shooting Star Casino was serving seafood, a meal I didn’t want to put Jason through, even though it was my day. So we instead selected the sit down restaurant, Whispering Winds. Quite frankly, I wish it would have whispered to us to eat elsewhere.

Upon entering the restaurant, one could certainly tell it was busy. Finally though, we were seated and water was brought to us almost immediately. And then we waited. And we waited some more. And yet some more... After about 10 minutes and watching another couple leave, our server arrived to take our order. Jason inquired about the soups, which should have been our cue that dinner was likely going to go drastically wrong as one of the soup choices given to us was "cheesy." Cheesy what? We both settled on the sirloin steak, I selected the salad option, and Jason chose chili from the soup list, as it seemed the only safe choice.

While we didn't time it, supper did take a while to reach us. We watched another table leave without ever being waited on in this time frame while I enjoyed her quaint little salad. Our steaks were then served up, mineappearing plump and juicy, like an eight ounce sirloin, Jason's maybe five ounces and taken from the ass end of the cow. Or maybe a cow had sat on it? Hard to say. Jason’s displeasure with the steak was evident throughout the course of the meal.

And yes, we would have complained or at least I would have. Too bad we never saw our server during the entire dining experience. No refills, no check to see if the steaks were properly prepared, and no offer of a to-go box, which may have been intentional if the servers have ever tasted the food they serve. Needless to say we ended up in the deli at the hotel around midnight to provide our stomachs with some substance since $40+ didn't do much for us at supper.

Perhaps we are gluttons for punishment or simply cannot learn our lesson the first time around, but we ended up at Whispering Winds the next morning. At a casino, there aren't many choices for dining. It was the Winds again or a lunch buffet. We should have run for the buffet when the hostess sat us in the same exact table we had been at the evening before...

We choose to sit in opposite spots in hopes that our service would improve. While the server did seem less inept on this visit, the cook seemed to have progressed backwards since his/her last shift. On this particular morning, we watched couples leave again and three other tables become quite upset with the wait. After waiting an hour for our own breakfast, we understood why. And yes, it was a complete hour. We weren’t quite sure as to why since the breakfast menu only has about 10 options, almost all involving toast, pancakes and/or eggs.

As for the food? Well, I am still unsure as to how someone can screw up toast, but the cook at Whispering Winds managed to do so. It was like eating cardboard. Actually, cardboard may have tasted better. Perhaps it was in the toaster the entire hour we waited for our food. The hash browns, too, had likely been on the grill since the restaurant had opened at 6am. Ketchup couldn't even kill the bland taste of those. While our server did check on us and kept my cup filled with coffee (for the second half of our hour long wait at least), we were beyond the desire to even complain. After all, we did consciously choose to eat here twice. On an end note, if you'd like to leave the casino winning what feels like the stomach flu, be sure to make a stop at Whispering Winds. Please allow at least two hours for the complete experience.

30 Days and Counting

I am a bit late in getting this written, but it is my intent to check in every 30 days even if I am a little late in getting it posted. I think Jason and I are both surprised in ourselves with the dedication we've put into working out. I've personally only missed four days out of the 30, so I have gone well above my goal of 3-5 times per week. YEA! I am proud to say too that I am up to 40 minutes of cardio after 30 days and loving the elliptical, a nemesis when I first started this fitness program. Jason and I also alternate days of lifting weights. He is progressing much further than me on that; however, he lifts almost every day, while my goal is 2-3 times per week. I feel cardio is more important at this time. And I am pretty sure I could kick his butt when it came to time and level on the elliptical.

Overall, we are also truly enjoying Snap Fitness, the club we joined. It is a lot smaller than your typical club like the Y or Courts Plus, however, I know I feel a lot less intimidated there and also feel the people who workout there are friendlier. I will admit, I was never fond of the Y and made it about two months there. Another plus of Snap Fitness is that we usually never have to wait to use any of the machines/weights. We have found that around 5:30-6pm during the week is not a good time, but even then, our wait to use a machine was 5-10 minutes. When possible, we now go later in the evening, around 9. If Jason has bowling or another obligation, I tend to go right after work, also a quiet time. Weekends, we think, everyone takes off, as we have went at various times and never seen more than three people working out. We did learn that the church near the Snap Fitness we go to lets out around 12 noon on Sundays, so we do avoid that time on Sundays. Traffic is insane. Traffic and parking seem to be our only major gripe about the place so far. That, and I wasn't too happy about the Boot Camp they decide to hold Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:45-8p. We are working around that though too.

Finally, I'll admit, my weight loss hasn't been anything to exactly blog about; however, I feel healthier, have more energy and know I am eating a lot healthier. The inches prove more than the scale anyways as do the muscles I can feel again in my legs. For now though, this is my 30 day check-in. Hopefully we'll have some bigger results to post in a few weeks!

You Live Here!

I'll admit, I don't think I ever planned to actually spend my entire life living in North Dakota. I married the most wonderful man though, and well, you know how love will change what you are willing to do in life for it. I am happily married and content with spending most of my life in North Dakota. And every now and then, you'll hear a mutter from me about the weather, likely when it's well below zero. But seriously people, you live in North Dakota. Sure, you've been spoiled over the last few years with mild winters, but you still live in North Dakota. And, with a few exceptions, most of you choose to live here. So quit complaining about it!

I know, it has been one of the snowiest winters of all time, including the record breaking month of December. And I know, it's been colder than usual. However, until you have lived in practically the middle of no where and have gone without power and heat for a week, I don't want to hear about it. Especially not repeatedly. I watch the same weather reports and hear the same radio station carrying on about how cold it is outside or when the next storm is coming. This does not have to be the subject of conversation for days on end. Spring will come and then summer and I suppose then they'll be complaining about hot it is... people are never happy.

Best Buy Bites

Don't worry Best Buy, you haven't lost my business; however, your customer service is something to be desired per my latest visit. First, I've never had to use Best Buy's customer service so that is a positive for them. I do realize as well, being in customer care, that my standards are pretty high. But if I offer excellent service for every customer, shouldn't other companies hire the same kind of employee?

Granted, this whole issue started with me not keeping a receipt for what I had purchased. I've never had an issue though, and the receipt was for a DVD and an iTunes card, neither of which I had any intention of returning. Another error was that I didn't open the DVD immediately. I was finishing up my last semester of classes and was quite occupied with that. With my New Year's resolutions set, it was time to bust out the DVD. Upon opening it, I noticed a spot on the DVD. Great... I had a feeling, but I held on to a glimmer of hope that I wouldn't have any issues. Wrong. About 21 minutes in the DVD it froze up and nothing would get it to advance.

Remembering that we used a credit card to pay for the DVD as well as being Rewards Zone members, I decided I was going to try to simply exchange the DVD. I wouldn't have any issue with Best Buy if that wasn't acceptable, as afterall, I am the one that didn't save the receipt. So this past Monday, with the winds howling in Fargo at around 40 mph, I ventured off to Best Buy.

Once I was at the service counter, I immediately apologized stating I hadn't saved my receipt and that I didn't expect my money back but that maybe instead I could simply exchange it as it would not play the entire disc due to the spot. I felt I was being really nice, but the woman who was helping didn't seem to feel the need to return the favor. She sighed deeply as if I had just inconvenienced her greatly. I added that I was a Rewards Zone member and perhaps she could use that to pull up the purchase for the DVD. You could see her hesitate and then she reluctantly asked for my phone number. She found nothing under that and asked rather unpleasantly how I paid for the merchandise. I apologized and stated that I wasn't 100% sure but that it was likely by credit card. She was even less impressed by me and huffed a fine followed by a request for my Rewards Zone card. Why she didn't ask for this immediately still remains a question in my mind. Of course, she located the purchase easily with it and printed the receipt off within seconds. Again, a look of dismay seemed to cross over her face. I felt almost as if she wasn't happy about locating the receipt as she now had to help me.

After scanning the DVD she instructed me, like a child I might add, to go grab a new one off the shelves. OK. Easy enough, though I thought again, why was I doing this? Why didn't she simply page someone to bring a copy to the counter? So I ventured through the store to the aisle I knew it was located. After searching for about five minutes, I was either in the wrong aisle or my pleasant customer service agent had sent me to find something that wasn't in the store. So back to the counter I went. Thank goodness, she was helping someone else!

A gentleman then took over. After explaining my whole situation again, he decided to check the computer to see if the DVD was even in stock. Nope. Now why the first agent didn't do this is beyond me. Obviously it was too much work for her, and I think we've determined previously that she simply wasn't into helping me. I then asked the man if they had stopped carrying it or simply did not have it in stock. He stated it wasn't in stock, so like any normal customer, I asked if he by chance knew when it would be. Of course not. We're living in the 21st century surrounded by technology but certainly that can't assist in knowing when the next shipment for the product is expected...

After determining that I really wasn't going to get any more assistance, I asked if I could have store credit or if I had to bring the DVD back another day. Well, this baffled him, and he stared at me with a puzzled look on his face. Are these people not trained? He then asks the lady that helped me initially how she would like to handle it. She snapped that she supposed a store credit would have to do, once again, vibes of her discontent with me and my spotted DVD. Finally though, I was handed a gift card of $11.98 after about 15 minutes at the counter and tour around the store. The conversation was capped off about some Reward Zone dollars that I am not sure I gained or lost since the clerk couldn't explain himself, but at least I didn't return home with a DVD that didn't play. And I found it on Amazon for $8.49. Thanks Best Buy for making my decision to purchase it elsewhere easier.

Wanting to Scream

I am frustrated and at my complete wits end with the internship I am doing in designing a website for a client. We have been working on this since August and do you think I have one sentence of content for the site the client HAD to have?!? I could cry. I could scream. I just don't get why people want websites and then it is like suddenly too much work and that's just that. Hello!?! WTF do you think goes into designing and programming the site? Do you really think that writing a few paragraphs for a few pages is hard? You are the one that wanted this site - I would hope you had the content in mind months ago. The worst part is I am trying to stay professional in this matter. I sent the client a time line WEEKS ago. Has anything on that time line been met deadline wise? Heck no, at least not in the client's world. The due date is December 15. I just sent the most friendly, professional email I could muster asking for EVERYTHING by December 13. Why do I have this sickening feeling that I'll be up late late Sunday night putting this all together. I am sure then she'll have a nit pick or two in the design as well. Too bad. My "professional" email included that there will be NO design changes. And that will be absolute.

I love designing sites. I love figuring out the code and putting it together and playing with the CSS to make the page come alive. I've been working on my own professional portfolio one for about two days now and its almost done... content and all...

Smiling at Myself

Funny that the last post on here was about sick people. Lo and behold it is when I am practically on my death bed with an illness that I would finally have time to write for a bit on here. OK. I'm not dying... That was perhaps too harsh. Really though, for how I have felt the last few days, I can't help but relate it to death. Somehow over the wonderful relaxing stress free Thanksgiving holiday at my dad's, I caught some nasty bacterial infection. I have no idea why, but for once, I didn't wait too long to go to a doctor. I knew something wasn't right. Of course, that landed me at home for almost the entire week.

And no, it's not the greatest thing to have almost a week straight off, especially when you can't even go out the front door. I've run my poor husband to the store about four times and made him take me to the clinic that was thick with germs. Seriously people, do not breathe out of your mouth if you are sick! And if you can't breathe any other way, ask for a mask!

After almost an hour in the waiting room, I got to see a doctor and I guess I was too sick to even be in the sequestered sick patient waiting room. After they took the labs they needed (which were also marked STAT), out the door I went. Other than that trip though and the three hours I HAD to work Monday to get my holiday pay, I did keep myself from the world as best as I could. It hasn't been fun at all. Or at all like having time off. I've slept in about 12 hour spurts, waking between sleep sessions for about 4 hours at a time. I actually said to Jason late Tuesday night that I'd much rather be at work - and that is saying a lot if you know how much I "love" my job...

I am smiling at myself for other reasons too - like how staying at home for this long period of time is driving me crazy. I love being at home. It is easily my favorite place to be. Now I can't wait to go out. Too bad the meds I am on are taking their sweet time to work. I am dreaming of the highest calorie dinner out I can think of, complete with dessert, along with seeing my coworkers as they can always make me laugh. While I know it is damn cold out, I look forward to bundling up tomorrow and feeling the harsh North Dakota wind on my face. And the walk to class. Oh, do I miss class! Two weeks left and I have to miss almost all of one. I can't even think about how far behind this put me either. I know I will prevail. And yes, I've tried to do homework on this little hiatus of mine. The brain is too foggy and any amount of time over an hour in front of PC or TV screen makes my eyes and head throb to the point that they may explode.

Yet through it all, I'm smiling at myself. I am taking that as a good sign as I certainly wouldn't have done that 24 hours ago. With two weeks of school remaining before I am once again a "graduate" maybe I'll find some time to actively write on here. I have, as usual, so much I want to rant about - most recently my love and fascination with the Twilight Sage... let's hope this misery leaves me soon.

People Who Are Sick

Should stay home... I know, I go to work as well when I am under the weather, but I don't sit there coughing like I am going to hack up a lung in any instant. This is what I have heard the last two days now at work. Unfortunately, I work at a place that if you aren't on your death bed, you better be at work. They do not care or even acknowledge that people get sick. And when these people are sick, they should stay at home. I admit, I am a germ freak and I don't like people who are sick to be around me. Actually, I prefer they keep their distance. A very long distance. When I get sick, I get really sick. Yeah, some people say that, but really, I do. The last time I had a bacterial form of bronchitis - something that is very rare. So, I admit, I am a bitch when people who are sick come near me. There is no need for it. If you need to expose every one to your germs, well, at least have the courtesy to stay away from people. But no, not Rachel. I could write pages of blogs about this woman, but then she'd get the best of me. Something I always try to stay away from. Really, I tend to avoid her as best as I can. Since I work with her, I try to be as professional with her as I can muster, but some days... I was thinking the other night how sometimes I don't rant on here per the name. I think I just made up for that. Sick people, stay home.