I find myself here....

F: Fiona C: Customer

C: Do you have an accent?
F: I do! :)
C: We thought you did!!! After you left the table we all looked at each other and said "did you hear an accent?" Where are you from?
F: Recently I'm from Florida, but originally I'm from Australia!
C: Oh we knew it!! He thought you were from England but I knew you had to be from Australia.
F: Yep :) You guessed right!
C: Oh hahaha and you work at Outback?!? How ironic! I bet you walked through the door and they hired you on the spot!
F: haha yep! Pretty much!
C: What brought you over here?
F: I'm married to an American
C: Ooooh :) Did you meet in Australia?
F: No actually, in Germany
C: Military?
F: No, both of our parents were missionaries overseas as we grew up, so we met each other at a boarding school
C: Oh wow! How interesting! So what brings you to Colo Sprgs?
F: My husband is getting his masters in the fall in Denver and I'm getting my undergrad here in the Springs.
C: Oh! What are you and your husband studying?
F: Well I'm heading towards becoming an RN and my husband is going to Seminary
C: So he can become a preacher?
F: Um, yeah I guess...something like that :)
C: Oh Bill (speaking to the spouse), well you can't cuss around this one then.....

This conversation has occurred 3 to 4 times a night, every time I've worked for the past 3 years. Well obviously the last part of the conversation was a little different when we lived in Tampa, FL. But back then when they asked what my husband did, I told them he was an intern at a church, so I guess it was kinda similar.

It's pretty assuming having the same conversation over and over and over. Most times I really love sharing my story, because I think it's interesting and unique and I'm reminded constantly of God's love and provision, but some nights when I'm really busy and just need to get back to the kitchen to put in orders, it can get tough! I don't want to seem impatient or rude, but I find it hard cutting the conversation short. If I really am not in the mood for talking long at a table, I try really hard to hide my Aussie accent, which I can do. But I've never found that when a table has found out I'm Australian it's ruined their eating experience, quite the opposite really, most exclaim "Wow! We're getting a real Aussie experience then tonight, how cool?!"

I enjoy serving A LOT! Is it hard and tiring? Yes! But it's the perfect job right now for my personality. I love people, I love to talk, I love to make people happy and I love making people food (and when I say making, I mean punching an order into a computer and bam! there's food on a plate ;)). Although there's nothing more that I love about serving, when a customer walks in the door starving, they ask me what's good, I give them my opinion, they order it, and then the look on their face of PURE DELIGHT while they are eating!! it brings me SUCH JOY!!!! Seeing customers that satisfied with their purchase, brings me almost to tears!

I worked in retail for a year before switching to serving. That was a hard year!! I worked at overpriced clothing stores and my objective was to always ADD ON! Meaning, if they are trying on jeans, pass them in a belt and a cute shirt that go well together! I was to convince the customer that this was such a great deal and they must! buy it all! And if I wasn't hitting the sales target, I'd get punished (less shifts, things like that). Personally, I dreaded going to work back then! These people really didn't need to be paying all this money for one piece of clothing. Really, all they were paying for was a name (and an expensive name at that!). A name that would tell others while they wore it, that I'm cool or sexy or rich!

But for me, selling people food is so different. I believe we have GREAT food (I know you all agree. When I say Outback bread, Bloomin Onion and Victoria's Fillet, you begin to salivate!, but don't worry, I do too!) and I think our prices are VERY reasonable! You can get a delicious Outback dinner for two for only $20! I guess that's the main difference from selling clothes to food...I believe in my product! and I think if you have some extra money and are looking for a yummy date night, head to Outback!

Hmmmm fyi I wasn't paid to write this blog :P I honestly wasn't even intending to write about how much I love Outback food :P I was kinda wanting to blog about how I am and how we are doing here in Colorado. But I guess this blog had other plans.

Well since I'm here I'll let you know :)

Honestly, right now I'm not nearly as happy as I was in Tampa. It's been a pretty tough transition for me. I do have good days where I enjoy looking at the mountains, but still for the most part I'd rather be in Tampa. God has a lot of work to do in my heart. I wish it was different, I wish I was excited to be here and meet all the people and experiences that are coming our way, but I just can't say that yet. It's hard to think we are going to be here the next 4 years or so. That's a longer time period than what we spent in Tampa. So when I think about all of the amazing relationships and times we had in Tampa in 3 short years, I should be so pumped for the next 4 years of my life. I should be....and I'm sure one day I will be...but for right now, I would really just love my neighbors back, my church back, my beach back and most of all my dear dear friends back.

We haven't settled on a church here yet, and I know that is making things harder. Without a church family, for me, it's hard to plug in. We are going to a new church this Sunday, Front Range Alliance Church. Scott has already met with and talked to the Pastor for a couple hours and they get along REALLY well. We drove by the church yesterday, and Scott has a sense that this is the church God is calling us too. This is one thing I guess I'm excited about :) I'm excited to go to church and I pray this is the one. Church 'shopping' is tiring. I pray that God heals my heart soon. Because it's not very fun living with myself.

And for everyone wondering how it is going living with the in laws? It's going GREAT! And I'm not just saying that because I know they'll read this blog ;) (Hi Mom and Dad!) We love Dougg and LeAnn, they are more like friends than parents. They make living with family quite easy! and sadly they are leaving for overseas the beginning of Feb and will be gone through the middle of June! Side note, my parents have booked their tickets and are visiting in June for Livvi's 1st birthday :D Can't wait for them to get here!

Quickly I want to list a few amazing things that have happened in my life in the last month, just so you don't think I'm completely depressed and hate life ;)

- We were able to spend a month in Australia over Christmas. We LOVED showing Olivia off to anyone and everyone who would look :) We had a great time catching up with my family and a lot of our friends.
- Olivia became an Australian Citizen!! I'm so proud!
- We became an Aunt and Uncle for the first time to the most precious little doll named Eleanor Lee Custer (Andi [Scott's brother] and Jen's daughter), we couldn't love her more! Now all we need to do is meet her!
- I'm starting college in 3 days
- I have a husband who is so patient, loving and caring, and who puts up with all of my rubbish day after day!
- I have an adorable, healthy 7 month old who puts a smile on my face every time I look at her!



OK, well that's all for now from your binge blogging friend.
Love to you all, and thank you for letting me unload....