It seems like it has been ages since I last wrote...
The job search is over. It ended January 28th, 2006. I am now working as an assistant manager for Domino's Pizza. I am an MIT -- manager in training. I hope to be done training by June when my semester is over and the schoolwork is done for a while.
The house has been painted, cleaned, the floors prepped, and everything is ready to go for moving. Actually, with the help of several of my friends I have managed to move the majority of our stuff from the apartment that we are leaving to our new home. Joy does not know this yet. I hope she is suprised tomorrow night when she comes home.
Joy has been out of town for the past two weeks now. She is finishing Phase 4 training for her job. She called me a few hours ago and told me that she has successfully completed her training and is ready to come home tomorrow. She'll spend most of her day in route to her new home. She still thinks that I'll arrive at the airport ready to take her back to our apartment. She'll be pleasantly suprised.
Tomorrow I open the store on a Friday morning for the first time. This is a big deal. At my Domino's, Friday morning is busy because there is a standing order for 80 orders of breadsticks with 20 pizzas and a second order for 30 pizzas. I have to make all of this, and it has to be on-time.
Last Thursday, I shadowed the owner of this Domino's store. It was a whirlwind day starting early in the morning and ending at 9PM when I left a charity banquet to change into my Domino's uniform and close the store. It was my second time closing the store as a manger on my own. I would find out the next day that I had a lot to learn about cleaning.
When I was shadowing the owner, I was able to ask him dozens of questions. So I did. I also told him about my blog, and asked him how he'd feel about me writing about my Domino's experience. He said it was cool with him. He even thought it would be good for other people to know what goes on behind the scenes at Domino's and what he is able to accomplish for the community since his success from managing and owning a Domino's. I had waited to write anything, because I wanted to get his opinion.
Tonight I watched Domino with Mickey Rourke and Keira Knightley. I liked it a lot.
Today we had our Pizza, Poker, and Painting party. It wasn't all that much of a party, if you ask me. Also, the party morphed into pizza, pastries, and painting pretty quickly. Almost everyone (including me) left before we could get into a game of poker. However, Lana did end up going to a poker tournament later that night. She place 6th in her very first poker tourney. I am super proud of her.
Oh, we also finished painting our entire house.
Today was a very eventful and meaningful day for me. I was busy from the moment I woke up until the end of the day when I finally went to sleep.
Today Joy and I closed on our very first home!!
We started our day early; got dressed up; and drove to the house that would soon be ours. We met our Real Estate Broker at the house, and then we drove together to the lawyer's office to go through the paperwork for the closing.
All the paperwork took over an hour, but it was interesting and even fun. Our lawyer had a fun personality and cracked jokes that he had probably shared for years with every new home owner that walked through his doors.
After we closed on the house, I called the bank to check on my balance and to change the address on my account. You would think that they would know that I had a change of address considering that they are handling my mortgage, but they don't make that assumption.
After doing some office-type work at our apartment, Joy's dad arrived from our home town. He wanted to go out and celebrate, but I had a meeting with the owner of the Domino's that I am managing. So, we decided to go to Moe's because it is usually quick and is right next to the place where I had my meeting.
My meeting went really well and lasted quite a long time. I am still in training to become a general manager so I need to meet with the owner on a weekly or bi weekly basis. When the meeting was over I had received a $0.25/hour raise and an invitation to an incredible leadership conference in Tampa on Wednesday. I accepted the invitation later on that day, but told my Franchisee that I would need to check to see if I could get the day off.
After that three-hour meeting I went home and got ready to go to work. I had to be at work at 5PM that afternoon. It was just for a short dinner-rush shift. So, when I got home Joy, Joy's dad, and I talked for a while, and then Joy and I went to Blockbuster to get a movie. We ended up watching Cinderella Man. Then it was off to sleep for everyone.