Ellinetha is a Greek word that means Greek Woman. That is only half of who I am, the other half is Finnish (but that Finnish phrase was way too long). This blog is about me as a Greek/Finnish/American Girl living my life day by day, trying to make sense of it all.
Zoe & Me
Sisters
About Me
Melina
I am a 32 year old half Greek half Finnish, 1st generation, cancer survivor and over dramatic, silly girl who is just trying to figure out which way is up. Please join me in living life to the fullest and trying not to let the small stuff bug you (oh wait I did mention I am OVER DRAMATIC so the small stuff might just bug me).
Today's Friday Picture Day comes from the restaurant I work at part time. Every Thursday night a group of volleyball players come in after their game to unwind, have some food, drink and just hang out. They are a great bunch of guys and gals. Over the last few months I've gotten to know them pretty well, and this past Thursday I sat with them for most of the night. I know isn't the hostess supposed to be standing up front? Well, I was being hospitable yeah yeah that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.
The picture is a bit dark because my work is dark but from left going clockwise, Doug, King, Jane, Mike & Jim.
The group can be from 5 players up to 10-12 players, it is always a good thing to see them, they are nice, fun and from what I hear they tip well too (and I know a few of you in this picture are probably reading this, so yeah that's a good thing HAHA!!). Ronnie one of the waitresses that usually closes on Thursday nights takes this group, she knows that they are going to be there for the long haul so usually the closer gets them, and if it was a slow night, Ronnie knows that at least she has the "regular volleyball team" come in.
We also have a promotional gimmick on Thursday nights called Coin Toss Appetizer, what that means is if you order an appetizer with your meal, I come over flip a coin the customer calls it (in the air) and if he/she gets it the appetizer is free. Well every week, the Volleyball team gets an appetizer and I swear they are jinxed cuz they hardly ever get it, I feel bad cuz I really want them to win but I'm also honest (see Teresa if you are reading this, I am honest). One of these weeks they will get it.
So last night we were sitting around the table and chatting and I found out some really interesting things about these folks, but I won't put it all out there for EVERYONE to read, but I will say that they are all very smart individuals, one is learning to be a pilot, one is looking for a girlfriend, one is a coach, one has been married for 26 years and one well didn't say much about themselves, I'll have to get more information about this one person, I'm intrigued now.
It's funny when you tell people about your blog, after you explain what a "blog" is and why you write it the very next question is, "Have you wrote about me?"
I always think that one is funny and I usually say, "no, not yet"
"Well why not?" they will ask.
"Um I don't know, I don't really write about work and I don't want anyone to feel weird about it."
Last night that was sort of a conversation topic so I said, "Okay I'm writing about you and I'm even going to take a picture." So here you are guys your very own post about the Volleyball team that comes into my restaurant every Thursday night. Thanks for being such a fun bunch of people and I enjoy when you come in, maybe next week you'll finally get that appetizer ((wink wink)).
Thursday is my long day, I leave my house by 8am and don't get home until almost midnight, so it is always a good thing to have something to look forward to and these customers are a favorite for not just me but the rest of the staff too. Last night Ronnie was on vacation so Erik had the table first but when he was cut they cashed out and Jenn picked it up. This was Jenn's last night so the group were trying to get her to sit and relax a bit, they even offered her a beer, but Jenn said no, I reply to that, "what are they going to do fire you? HAHA" but she wasn't going for that either (btw I didn't drink it wasn't my last day so I had to play by the rules). It was a good night and it made the night go by fast, last time I had looked it was about 9:30 next thing I know Michelle is coming over to tell me to lock the door we do that at 11:15pm, wow time really does fly when you have fun.
One of things that amused me was that Mike kept asking me what kind of guy do I like, I'm thinking he's trying to fix me up, well my type is definitely the Mediterranean look, I like my guys stocky, strong arms (not muscle crazy arms) nice butt, I don't mind a little belly I like my men with meat who wants a man skinnier then them. I love facial hair goatee or some sort of stubble, I like a man that is a manly man, I don't normally go for white collar I like a man that works with his hands, I think it is weird when a guy has softer hands then me. I want someone that can laugh at themselves and have a good time but is also someone who knows when to be serious. So Mike if you know someone like that let me know.
I hope they liked this post and if any of you (volleyballers) are reading this you better leave me a comment. See you next Thursday!
Today's TT comes to light because I am in the best mood ever!!! I have so much to be happy for but one thing in particular has made me absolutely ecstatic. I am going to do a countdown Thursday Thirteen saving the best for last.
I am happy because...
13) I have a great job and work with great people
12) I have lost 20lbs and am happy with the way I look
11) I have more confidence in myself then I have had in a long time.
10) I have had an awesome summer.
9) I have Labor Day off from my 2nd job at the restaurant I work at part time (I was worried about that, but I found out, I'm off from both jobs WOO HOO!!!)
8) I have taken the first steps in completing some of my goals I set out for myself.
7) I have met some new great people this past year that I hope will be around for a long time.
6) I have a review next week and from what I can tell, I think a raise might be coming (KNOCK ON WOOD!!!)
5) I have friends that don't judge me for my silly little quirks.
4) I have the best 2 brothers & sister a person can have. I'm so proud of you guys!!!
3) My mom though I love her immensely is gone for 5 weeks and I feel like I'm living on my own again.
2) I have the greatest, best friend a person can have, who is kind, thoughtful, caring and just damn FUNNY. Thanks MELISSA!!!
and the number one reason that I am so Happy today...
1) I got to meet my childhood idol Donnie Wahlberg last night.
I know DORK!! That's ME but you have to understand when I was 14 I was THE HUGEST NKOTB fan. You couldn't see my walls or ceiling in my room, and Donnie was my FAVORITE hell I had our wedding all planned out. I have followed his career and said no matter what I would always be a loyal fan and I still am, plus not many people get to say they got to meet their childhood idol well guess what I can (WOO HOO!!)
I will post the whole story, including the other pictures I have. Oh and I met Jordan Knight too but he was well not so nice.
Since I haven't posted in forever and it is Fun Filled Tuesday today, I thought I'd post a hilarious video of Miss Teen South Carolina Lauren Caitlin Upton trying to answer, "Why can't 1/5th of Americans locate America on a map?" You can see it here
I know I shouldn't make fun of anyone, but this is just too funny to pass up. Poor thing didn't win, and I guess now she's on the Today Show trying to explain. So to be fair I have linked that as well.
I have so much to tell you, but still working on the posts. I will try to get them up soon.
This past weekend my mom and I went on a trip up to Rockport, MA to have a mother/daughter day, see my mom is going to Finland today for 5 weeks because my grandmother is turning 90 and she needs some help and she refuses any. Needless to say mom needs to go there, to take care of some things, so I had suggested a couple of weeks ago, that we do something fun/special just the two of us on the Sunday before she leaves. We picked Rockport.
Rockport, is this quaint little town on the Northern Coast of MA on the Cape Ann peninsula. It was a perfect day too, not too hot no too cool, we get there late morning and walk around and check out all the stores. We buy some Pulla which is a wonderful yummy bread that comes from Finland. I usually make the rolls myself but haven't done so in a while, I think it might be time. We buy some elephant ears, (no not real elephant just a fried dough that is very delicious). There is this one gallery in Rockport that has some of the best landscape pictures I've ever seen, unfortunately I can't think of its name. The one thing I love about Rockport is it feels like a small Scandinavian village. The houses are small, and very close together.
I took a picture of a street that I just thought was so beautiful the way the houses lined up.
A fisherman's shack on Bradley Wharf in the harbor of Rockport has been duplicated in photos and art so many times that it is considered the most recognizable picture in the world.
This is a photo of it (I took this off the web because we didn't take a picture of it I know what was I thinking).
After touring and walking around Rockport we head over to the Halibut Point State Park, this is where my mom used to go when I was sick. She said that sometimes she just needed to be by herself, she found this place to come, to sit, to think and just be alone. I know my mom went through so much while I was going through treatment, it was not easy for her to watch her only child fight for her life. So I was very grateful and appreciative when she said she wanted to show me her favorite place.
The park was formerly the Babson Farm granite quarry, beginning in the 1840s, granite was quarried from this area, first on a small scale and primarily along the coast, and then on a much larger scale when the Rockport Granite Company acquired the Babson Farm quarry and expanded its operation. Shortly after the Cape Ann granite industry collapsed in 1929, 17 acres on the eastern side of the quarry were purchased and given to the Trustees of Reservations. The remainder of the area sat unused until late in World War II when a fire control tower (now the park's Visitors Center) was constructed to provide aiming information for the massive coastal defense guns that guarded Boston and Portsmouth Harbors.
This is of the quarry
This is the fire control tower
After walking around the quarry, we headed down the trail to the beach.
Mom turn around and say CHEESE!!
When we got down the trail we have to hike on all these rocks to get to where my mom would sit and think. It was so beautiful and peaceful.
Me in deep thoughts. (I'm shocked that I just hiked on all these rocks!)
These rocks are very high up from the beach, actually there isn't really a beach, its just rocks and ocean. In the picture you can't tell but they were at least 40 feet up. When we were sitting I was about to take a picture and dropped my mom's filter cap on her camera and it dropped WAAAYYYY down between the rocks. Again sorry about that mom.
Here are a couple more pictures of the surf and some fisherman.
Once we left the park we headed to Gloucester to go for lunch the food was great, the drinks were better but what was the best was us watching these two people try to dance to a Brazilian band, it was hysterical (I took a video of them, but I can't post it, cuz I'm just not that mean). After lunch we get into the car and head home we took a detour by the beach to check out if the festival was still going on. While we were driving on the road by the beach, this seagull decides that he wants to walk across the street. So he does, he actually is in the cross walk and all the cars stop to let him cross, he waddles across with this look of arrogance as if to say, "that's right I'm in the cross walk so you all have to stop." (If my camera hadn't been in the back I would have tried to get its picture). My mom and I just lost it, we laughed the rest of the way home. It was a perfect way to end a perfect day.
My father has the cutest cocker spaniel and his name is Oreos prounced Oh ray os in Greek which means handsome, we also call him Oreo (like the cookie) because he has black fur with a white stripe down the middle. So he looks like an Oreo cookie too, see it works both ways.
He has such a personality that you can't help but fall in love with him. He wags his tale every time I come to see him and he gets so excited when you play with him. My father takes him to work each day so luckily Oreos never has to stay home alone. He is pretty much the South End Flowers mascot and all the ladies from around the area just love him, which I'm POSITIVE my father doesn't mind one bit.
Here are some pictures of Oreos I thought I'd share with you. I'm hoping to be able to get my own dog too, but in the mean time I can play with Oreos., I don't actually go to my father's to see him, I go there to see Oreos (just kidding dad, but you have to admit he's got charisma).
Do you see that? This picture was taken yesterday from a window in my office. I know not the clearest but I've marked where you should look.
WHAT THE HELL!!!! It's AUGUST people fall does NOT start until September 23rd, why is that tree starting to change color ALREADY!!!
If I hear one more person tell me how happy they are that fall/autumn is around the corner I think I might just slap them silly (just kidding, well sort of). I know I know, "but Melina it is so pretty when the leaves change." WHATEVER!!!!!
I get very moody during the cold, dark times, again I know what you are thinking, "and you live in New England???" I get that, well the only answer I can give you, is that I love this city, enough to deal with the COLD, MISERABLE, LONG winters. That being said, can't I at least have one more month of SUMMER!!! Please???
I am not ready to give up on long days, and sun light, I am not ready for winter coats and wool hats. I want it to stay light out until 9pm and not be dark when I leave for work and then when I go home. I want to be able to wear sandals, and long flowy skirts, not boots and sweaters. ((BIG SIGH))!!! I want to be a snowbird, yes I do, I want to live 6 months up here and 6 months down south. Anyone know of a way for me to do that, and still be able to work?? Anyone, anyone.
I love this city and every spring I fall in love with it all over again, but come fall/winter, I hate it. Why do you torture me so much?
By the way, come check out this post on our other website devoted to all things New England. Melissa and I are trying to get other people from New England to join our new community so we can get to know other people from the area. It is in the very beginning stages and is a work in progress, but please feel free to drop by and say hi.
thursday thirteen
