Obviously, it’s been a while since I last posted. October was a pretty crazy month for me with a bunch of traveling and then not having access to my computer due to it needing repairs. So, I thought I’d update you all on what's been going on with me.
At the beginning of the month, my dad and I went back down to Western for Homecoming once again, and were fortunate enough to stay with the Bell’s, the pastor of the church I attended while going to school there. We were supposed to leave Friday evening once my dad got off work, but then he got caught at work, so I headed down by myself late Friday afternoon. The amazing dad that he is, my dad got up super early in order to get down there in time for the Alumni 5k run Saturday morning. This was my first time running the race, since I did the walk last year, and I was ecstatic that I got 2nd place in my age group. I had similar time to the 5k I ran back in May, but there were some hills this time and it was pretty cold at the start (low 40's). I was actually only a couple seconds behind the girl who got first, and could probably have gotten first if I’d really tried, but this was more of a fun thing for me and getting a medal was just a bonus. After cleaning up, we went over to the church to watch the parade. It’s always so much fun to catch up with people and I loved seeing all of the kids again. On Sunday we went back for Sunday school and morning service. I went to the college class, and it was so much fun. During the morning service, the pastor commented that he could hear us laughing for at least half of the class.
A few weeks later was my week as a nomad, going between Springfield and Macomb. I had my interview with the Springfield police Monday morning, so I headed down to my aunt and uncle’s house Sunday afternoon. I arrived just in time for dinner, and was happy to see the my cousin Grace and her family were also there. I had a lot of fun playing with my cousins and catching up with everyone else. The next morning I headed out with plenty of time and got there on time. Even though the interview only lasted about eight minutes, it was extremely stressful. They only asked five questions, which I had a copy of in front of me, and they asked everyone the same questions - a time when I had to work with someone I didn’t get along with, an important decision I had to make and how I went about making that decision, how I would handle the stress of the job, and what experience/training/diversity I would bring to the department. Yeah, it was just one big ball of stress. As I was taking the elevator back down, there was another girl who had just interviewed, and we were both like, “Yeah, that was ridiculous.”
Later that afternoon I headed over to Macomb, since Western was having their law enforcement career fair the next day. I was able to stay with the Bell’s again, and had some a-maze-ing meatloaf for dinner. At the career fair the next day, I took my time and talked to just about everyone there. A lot of it was signing up for notifications from police departments when they are ready to test and picking up information on the towns, but I also talked to places about security jobs. Trump Tower (Chicago) wasn’t hiring at the moment, but I gave the guy my resume. The guy from Macy’s said that they were actually hiring, and he gave me a number to call when I got back into town (more on this later). When I left, I was surprised to see that I had been in there for about two hours But hopefully it was a productive two hours and I will be able to get something from these towns if I don’t have anything by then (hopefully not!!).
After hanging out for a few hours, I headed back to the Springfield area and my third home for the rest of the week - with my cousin Paul, his wife Bridget, and their kids. The next few days were pretty mellow. I didn’t have the physical test until Saturday, so I had a lot of free time. My uncle had some eye appointments on Wednesday and Friday, so I was able to take him to those and he was nice enough to buy me lunch afterward, as well as give me some (very generous) gas money. The weather on Thursday was pretty chilly, so I just used their elliptical and worked out inside, but Friday was really nice and I went on a nice long run on the running trail nearby. I had a lot of fun playing with my cousins after they got home from school, and really liked that I got to spend time talking with Bridget. Whenever we come down to visit everyone is all together, and it can definitely get a little crazy. Before we went out to dinner Friday night, I was checking my e-mail and saw that my time for the test had been moved back from 8am to 11am. That was fine by me - I never particularly like getting up at 6!
Fortunately, they weren’t counting this towards whether or not we proceeded farther into the process; they were just doing it so that we knew if we needed to improve on anything. I’m still not sure why, but I really felt like I wasn’t on top of my game at the physical test. Maybe it’s because they had such exacting ways that you had to do everything. I swear that I passed the sit and reach and the sit ups, but apparently I didn’t by-that-much. I passed the run with more than plenty of time to spare, but I was about 15 seconds slower than my previous time running the mile and a half. I know that running a 13 minute 1.5 mile would be an accomplishment for a lot of people, but it frustrates me when I don’t do as well as I know I’m capable of. Once I was done, I ran back to the house and cleaned up/ate lunch quickly so that I could get on the road since our church was having it’s 10th anniversary that evening. I made it just in time, and even beat my parents by a minute or two. The dinner and ceremonies were really nice, but about halfway through I kind of hit the wall and just wanted to sleep. I was able to make it the rest of the way through, though, but split not long after it was over. Man, was I beat. It had definitely been a long, tiring, and stressful week, and I was glad to be home.
At the end of the month I went to see the Plain White T’s at the House of Blues in Chicago. Since I was starting to feel a crunch on money and was feeling a little guilty since I had just seen them back in February, I had tried to see if anyone wanted my ticket, but was unsuccessful so I went anyways. Apart from the *ahem* opening acts, I really enjoyed the show. Now I didn’t see the first act, and it was mostly the last act that I had the problem with, but this really should not be happening at what is supposed to be an all-ages show. Downtown Fiction was the first opening act that I saw and kind of liked them. They were dressed up as Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Kanye, and the guy with the Afro from LMFAO. Then came The Summer Set, the group that I had the most issues with. First of all, their “costumes” (and I use that term extremely loosely) were extremely inappropriate, even the guys. The female drummer wore nothing more than a white dress shirt and really short shorts. Secondly there was the majority of the songs that they performed, which had their share of language and were about inappropriate topics. Finally, they were done and Plain White T’s came on. They were dressed in skeleton suits, and the stage was decorated with lots of lots of little Halloween-y touches. They acknowledged that a lot of the people there had probably been there back in February, so they changed the show up as much as they could. They did do a number of different songs including the Halloween song that was free to download, in addition to many of their most popular songs. Towards the end, Tom (the lead singer) was out on the stage alone and did “Hey There Delilah”. Even though I had felt guilty about buying the ticket, I really enjoyed myself at the concert and was glad that I went.
So..... this Macy’s job thing. When I talked to the guy at the career fair, he was saying that it would be at the State Street store in the city and gave me a number to call once I got back home. I have called him multiple times and left more than one message, but I have yet to have him call me back. At this point it has been almost a month since I called him and I’m about ready to give up. If he doesn’t want to call me back, then they must not want me that badly. I don’t know; any opinions?
That pretty much sums up what’s been going on in my life recently. Sorry about the long gap between my last post and this one, but sometimes it can be hard to find the motivation to write. It would probably help if you let me know that you appreciate reading this or at least find it somewhat entertaining.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
A Day of Remembrance
I was 13 years old on September 11, 2001, just a little-bitty eighth grader at Jackson Middle School. Just about all of us remember where we were that morning when we heard about the attacks in New York and Washington D.C., but for me that doesn’t exist. I was up early that morning because I had orchestra practice before school, and went about my day pretty much as usual. After school, I went home and watched my afternoon shows on ABC Family. I distinctly remember some sort of crawl going across the bottom of the screen during one of them, but paid no attention to it. I didn’t care about the news then - that was adult stuff.
I really had no idea about what had happened until my parents got home and I saw the special edition of the Chicago Tribune that had been delivered. Over the next couple days I started to understand just what had happened. I also remember specifically that my mom went to donate blood that very day. A couple years later when my school orchestra visited Washington D.C. my sophomore year, we saw the flag that had been hanging on the side of the Pentagon in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. I distinctly remember that being a very powerful moment.
In addition to this being the 10th anniversary, this is the first year that we can say that the man credited with the attacks has been caught. Four months ago, a Navy SEAL team raided Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan and shot him. It may have taken ten years, but we finally got the last major player in the attacks. Even if we can’t bring back the people who died that day, I can only hope that his death was able to bring a little comfort to their families, knowing that all the men responsible for this have finally been brought to justice.
In the last couple years 9-11 has come to be a day that pretty reflective for me, especially since I decided to go into law enforcement. I never tire of hearing about the heroics of that day by the first responders and rescue workers, no matter how much it makes me tear up. They ran towards danger when everyone else around them was running away, and put their own lives on the line so that they could save even one more life. While I certainly hope that nothing like that day ever happens again, I think that is part of the reason why I want to be a police officer. I want to be able to say that I’ve made an impact in someone’s life and did something important, protected the people and helped catch the bad guys. I totally understand why firefighters/police officers/everyday people went to those cities afterward to help in any way that they could. If I had been old enough, I probably would have done the same.
A lot has changed in the past ten years; not just here, but all over the world. The happenings of that day have impacted just about everyone in ways both large and small. The long security lines at the airport have become almost routine by now, and a lot of times we find them annoying. But for the people of the current generations, it will be our Pearl Harbor - a day that will live in infamy. Someday, there will be a day - a generation- when September 11th will be just another day, much like December 7th is for many of us. I hope that we never forget the lessons we learned that day or the way we learned to come together as one nation, one people, one world. Always remember. Never forget. 9.11.01.
I really had no idea about what had happened until my parents got home and I saw the special edition of the Chicago Tribune that had been delivered. Over the next couple days I started to understand just what had happened. I also remember specifically that my mom went to donate blood that very day. A couple years later when my school orchestra visited Washington D.C. my sophomore year, we saw the flag that had been hanging on the side of the Pentagon in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. I distinctly remember that being a very powerful moment.
In addition to this being the 10th anniversary, this is the first year that we can say that the man credited with the attacks has been caught. Four months ago, a Navy SEAL team raided Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan and shot him. It may have taken ten years, but we finally got the last major player in the attacks. Even if we can’t bring back the people who died that day, I can only hope that his death was able to bring a little comfort to their families, knowing that all the men responsible for this have finally been brought to justice.
In the last couple years 9-11 has come to be a day that pretty reflective for me, especially since I decided to go into law enforcement. I never tire of hearing about the heroics of that day by the first responders and rescue workers, no matter how much it makes me tear up. They ran towards danger when everyone else around them was running away, and put their own lives on the line so that they could save even one more life. While I certainly hope that nothing like that day ever happens again, I think that is part of the reason why I want to be a police officer. I want to be able to say that I’ve made an impact in someone’s life and did something important, protected the people and helped catch the bad guys. I totally understand why firefighters/police officers/everyday people went to those cities afterward to help in any way that they could. If I had been old enough, I probably would have done the same.
A lot has changed in the past ten years; not just here, but all over the world. The happenings of that day have impacted just about everyone in ways both large and small. The long security lines at the airport have become almost routine by now, and a lot of times we find them annoying. But for the people of the current generations, it will be our Pearl Harbor - a day that will live in infamy. Someday, there will be a day - a generation- when September 11th will be just another day, much like December 7th is for many of us. I hope that we never forget the lessons we learned that day or the way we learned to come together as one nation, one people, one world. Always remember. Never forget. 9.11.01.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Old At 23???
This past week, I had the opportunity to go to Six Flags Great America and attend the Mike Posner concert there later in the day all for free with my sister and friend. I won the tickets through the Insider page of my favorite radio station. We went a little later in the day, around lunchtime, in order to beat the initial crowds when it first opens. We were pleasantly surprised that the crowds were not that bad at all, since it seems like the majority of people decided to go to the water park instead. Because of this, we were easily able to hit all of the rides we wanted without too much of a wait at all. In fact, the line for American Eagle was hardly existent, so after we went on the blue side, we literally walked right on to the red side, and probably could have stayed on after that ride if we’d wanted to. I am proud to say that I went on all of the major roller coasters, with the exceptions of Demon and Iron Wolf. V2 and Deja Vu held no appeal for any of us, so we also passed on those. The Demon wasn’t working when we got there, so we passed on it, and no one else wanted to go on the Iron Wolf so I passed on that. I even went on Raging Bull and Superman, which I was a little afraid of the last time I had been there my senior year of high school. The first drop on Raging Bull was the real doozy, but after that I really enjoyed it. Superman was a little unnerving with the whole parallel to the ground thing, but I also really enjoyed it. We went on the Batman Begins ride, which was a fun little ride. Those tight corners and sudden drops really get you
Because there was some bad weather in the forecast, they decided to move the concert indoors and split it into two shows. We decided to go to the first show, so we put on our VIP bracelets and were seated in the section close to the stage. This is where the day got interesting.
While we were waiting for it to start, I saw that the concert was being put on by MTV. I hadn’t known this, since only the Mike Posner part had been advertised when I signed up to win the tickets, but thought, “Okay, whatever, this should still be fun.” Some DJs started out, which was pretty good and had some good dance music. The only exception was when they played Cee-Lo Green’s expletive-laden song with the expletives left in and the audience singing along. Yuck. Then came the opening act. Oh. My. Goodness. It was some guy named Miguel or whatever that I had never heard of, but figured that it might still be okay. Yeah...... No. A couple songs in, he did one that was WILDLY inappropriate for the audience. Now, keep in mind that my sister, my friend, and I were most likely among the oldest people there not with children. Most of these girls (yes, it was a heavily girl-populated event) were most likely in middle school or early high school. Anyway, as he did this song, the three of us could only stand in shock and abject horror as he performed this song, enticing the crowd to repeat the chorus and then they did. It was not until he finished the song that he commented that maybe it was not appropriate and perhaps he should not have done it. We could only look at each other and say, “Duh ”
Thankfully, Mike Posner came on shortly after that. I really liked him and thought that he did a great job and really enjoyed his performance. He did a few of his own songs, such as “Please Don’t Go” and “Cooler Than Me”, and did this really awesome cover of Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep”. During part of the song, he came out onto the part of the stage that jutted out into the audience (a brave, brave man with all those squealing teens) and played a drum. What was cool about this was that when he hit it, glitter came shooting up into the air.
Overall the concert was enjoyable, except for those few, glaring exceptions. However, I definitely felt an age gap in relation to the rest of the audience. I never thought that I would feel old at 23, but maybe that’s because I just couldn’t believe some of the music they were playing for a predominately teen crowd. Maybe I just don’t remember it, or because I had parents who cared enough to monitor the music I listened to, but I never listened to anything like that when I was in middle school. Then there was the screaming. Oh, the pre-teen/teen girl screams and squeals. I honestly hope that my sister and I never put our aunt through that when she took us to those N’SYNC concerts, though I cannot say for sure. The one girl directly in front of me was quite inconsiderate of her fellow concert-goes at times. She did not sit down the entire time, even when just about everyone else had. Also, she stood up on her chair a few times. Besides the fact that she could have hurt herself if the chair hadn’t been anchored to the floor, this was wholly unnecessary because of the stadium-style seating of the theater. She also had this really annoying habit of waving her arms about a lot, which made it hard to get a decent picture without her arm/hand in it. Never mind the other girls who recorded essentially every song Mike Posner did on their cell phone cameras. I do have to say that I find this whole everyone-has-to-record-everything-on-their-cell-phone thing quite annoying. Why do you have to record the show to later share when everyone you’ve ever met when you can just watch the performer and enjoy the moment? Goodness, maybe I really am getting old. ;-D
But, hey, at the very least I got a free day at Six Flags with my sister and friend. That was fun.
Because there was some bad weather in the forecast, they decided to move the concert indoors and split it into two shows. We decided to go to the first show, so we put on our VIP bracelets and were seated in the section close to the stage. This is where the day got interesting.
While we were waiting for it to start, I saw that the concert was being put on by MTV. I hadn’t known this, since only the Mike Posner part had been advertised when I signed up to win the tickets, but thought, “Okay, whatever, this should still be fun.” Some DJs started out, which was pretty good and had some good dance music. The only exception was when they played Cee-Lo Green’s expletive-laden song with the expletives left in and the audience singing along. Yuck. Then came the opening act. Oh. My. Goodness. It was some guy named Miguel or whatever that I had never heard of, but figured that it might still be okay. Yeah...... No. A couple songs in, he did one that was WILDLY inappropriate for the audience. Now, keep in mind that my sister, my friend, and I were most likely among the oldest people there not with children. Most of these girls (yes, it was a heavily girl-populated event) were most likely in middle school or early high school. Anyway, as he did this song, the three of us could only stand in shock and abject horror as he performed this song, enticing the crowd to repeat the chorus and then they did. It was not until he finished the song that he commented that maybe it was not appropriate and perhaps he should not have done it. We could only look at each other and say, “Duh ”
Thankfully, Mike Posner came on shortly after that. I really liked him and thought that he did a great job and really enjoyed his performance. He did a few of his own songs, such as “Please Don’t Go” and “Cooler Than Me”, and did this really awesome cover of Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep”. During part of the song, he came out onto the part of the stage that jutted out into the audience (a brave, brave man with all those squealing teens) and played a drum. What was cool about this was that when he hit it, glitter came shooting up into the air.
Overall the concert was enjoyable, except for those few, glaring exceptions. However, I definitely felt an age gap in relation to the rest of the audience. I never thought that I would feel old at 23, but maybe that’s because I just couldn’t believe some of the music they were playing for a predominately teen crowd. Maybe I just don’t remember it, or because I had parents who cared enough to monitor the music I listened to, but I never listened to anything like that when I was in middle school. Then there was the screaming. Oh, the pre-teen/teen girl screams and squeals. I honestly hope that my sister and I never put our aunt through that when she took us to those N’SYNC concerts, though I cannot say for sure. The one girl directly in front of me was quite inconsiderate of her fellow concert-goes at times. She did not sit down the entire time, even when just about everyone else had. Also, she stood up on her chair a few times. Besides the fact that she could have hurt herself if the chair hadn’t been anchored to the floor, this was wholly unnecessary because of the stadium-style seating of the theater. She also had this really annoying habit of waving her arms about a lot, which made it hard to get a decent picture without her arm/hand in it. Never mind the other girls who recorded essentially every song Mike Posner did on their cell phone cameras. I do have to say that I find this whole everyone-has-to-record-everything-on-their-cell-phone thing quite annoying. Why do you have to record the show to later share when everyone you’ve ever met when you can just watch the performer and enjoy the moment? Goodness, maybe I really am getting old. ;-D
But, hey, at the very least I got a free day at Six Flags with my sister and friend. That was fun.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Where Fantsy Rules!
This past month or so has been pretty much the same without much going on, and I wasn’t feeling a lot of motivation to write anything, hence the radio silence. I’ve fully entered summer testing season, so there are a lot of towns to apply and test for, wait for results, and continue waiting waiting waiting.
But last Saturday was a nice break in that; I went off the Bristol Renaissance Fair with my friend and her boyfriend. He had never been before, so we spent a lot of time just walking around, enjoying the atmosphere, and seeing the best of the shows. At least for me, half of the fun is dressing up. Since I’m no longer regularly bellydancing, I jump at any chance that I get to wear my costume. I’ve worked dang hard to get in such good shape and I think I darn well deserve to wear something that shows it off. ;-D The fact alone that I can pull off a choli (midriff-baring bellydance top) and am confident enough to wear it all day in a huge feat.
Another fun part of the fair is interacting with the characters. After the joust, the three of us went over to get a picture with the Queen. My friend and I were sitting with her and talking a bit, and friend mentioned how that the guy taking the picture was her knight (boyfriend), so the Queen had him kiss her hand. Since I was by myself, she had of the lords with her (I’m not sure which one) kiss my hand. So sweet. Then when we were leaving, she had my friend’s boyfriend help her up, and then the same lord help me up. I know that women today are supposed to be all self-reliant and “I don’t need a man for anything”, but just that kind of chivalry is nice every once in a while. Also, my friend’s boyfriend bought her a carnation from one of the people walking around, and then was really nice and bought one for me too.
This sort of brings up the fact that I occasionally felt like a bit of a third-wheel during the day. This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy my time, because I did, and it was my friend who had originally invited me along. We don’t really live that close, so we don’t get to see each other that often. However, my friend and her boyfriend did walk around a lot holding hands, and there would be moments when we were sitting around waiting for a show when they would just be all “couple-y” and I would feel slightly awkward. I am immensely happy that my friend has found someone so nice, but it kind serves as just another reminder that I don’t have a boyfriend. So many of my friends have a boyfriend or are engaged/married that a lot of times I feel like everyone else’s lives are moving forward while I’m standing completely still. I’ve talked some of this over with my mom, and she sympathizes because she went through some similar stuff when she was my age. Obviously, this is something that can only be resolved with time and meeting someone myself. It can sometimes be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, but knowing that it’s there certainly helps.
But last Saturday was a nice break in that; I went off the Bristol Renaissance Fair with my friend and her boyfriend. He had never been before, so we spent a lot of time just walking around, enjoying the atmosphere, and seeing the best of the shows. At least for me, half of the fun is dressing up. Since I’m no longer regularly bellydancing, I jump at any chance that I get to wear my costume. I’ve worked dang hard to get in such good shape and I think I darn well deserve to wear something that shows it off. ;-D The fact alone that I can pull off a choli (midriff-baring bellydance top) and am confident enough to wear it all day in a huge feat.
Another fun part of the fair is interacting with the characters. After the joust, the three of us went over to get a picture with the Queen. My friend and I were sitting with her and talking a bit, and friend mentioned how that the guy taking the picture was her knight (boyfriend), so the Queen had him kiss her hand. Since I was by myself, she had of the lords with her (I’m not sure which one) kiss my hand. So sweet. Then when we were leaving, she had my friend’s boyfriend help her up, and then the same lord help me up. I know that women today are supposed to be all self-reliant and “I don’t need a man for anything”, but just that kind of chivalry is nice every once in a while. Also, my friend’s boyfriend bought her a carnation from one of the people walking around, and then was really nice and bought one for me too.
This sort of brings up the fact that I occasionally felt like a bit of a third-wheel during the day. This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy my time, because I did, and it was my friend who had originally invited me along. We don’t really live that close, so we don’t get to see each other that often. However, my friend and her boyfriend did walk around a lot holding hands, and there would be moments when we were sitting around waiting for a show when they would just be all “couple-y” and I would feel slightly awkward. I am immensely happy that my friend has found someone so nice, but it kind serves as just another reminder that I don’t have a boyfriend. So many of my friends have a boyfriend or are engaged/married that a lot of times I feel like everyone else’s lives are moving forward while I’m standing completely still. I’ve talked some of this over with my mom, and she sympathizes because she went through some similar stuff when she was my age. Obviously, this is something that can only be resolved with time and meeting someone myself. It can sometimes be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, but knowing that it’s there certainly helps.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Price Tag
There is a new song by Jessie J and B.O.B. (yeah I don’t really know who they are either) by this title that comes up often on the radio. I was driving in the car one day when it came on and had the thought that it seemed pretty apropos to my current situation. Here is the chorus:
It's not about the money, money, money
We don't need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world dance,
Forget about the price tag
Ain't about the (ha) Cha-Ching Cha-Ching.
Ain't about the (yeah) Ba-Bling Ba-Bling
Wanna make the world dance,
Forget about the price tag.
You see, since I have no job, I obviously have no steady source of income. I pick up the odd babysitting job now and then, but it’s nothing that can really sustain me. When I got my last bank statement, I visibly cringed when I saw the balance. It’s not that I am technically out of money, just that the number is a lot lower than it was last year, and a lot lower than I would like it to be.
With all this free time that I have, there is all kinds of things that I would love to do, yet they all cost money. And with my bank account being what it is, I have to really think about any “unnecessary” purchases, especially since I just had to spend over $600 getting my car fixed. With gas prices being what they are I am so incredibly grateful that I have a Prius that gets great mileage, even though filling up the tank still feels like highway robbery. Some people in my position (no job, lots of time on their hands) would take this opportunity to go on a trip somewhere. It is my dream to go on a trip to India, but that would take money I simply don’t have. I guess that’ll have to go on my long-term wish list.
However, to be fair I also have to say that my parents have been very supportive of me. When I was needing a lot of new clothes (because my others were too big *yay*), my mom helped pay for some of them. In addition, she just bought me a whole bunch of stuff at the Wilton tent sale for when I (eventually) move out. Also, they are very kind in paying for my gym membership so that I can keep up with my fitness and enjoy my yoga classes. Best of all, they mercifully allow me to keep living in the house without paying rent. ;-D
But getting back to what I started this post with, the song is pretty much trying to say that people shouldn’t be so worried about money and getting things, just enjoy what’s around you. And I try to. There are plenty of free things that I enjoy. I am thankful that I live in a wonderful neighborhood with some great running routes and the Prairie Path very close by which I can run for free. I have a nice big backyard that’s great for sunbathing when it’s sunny out and I don’t feel like going to the pool. Also, I am grateful for my library card, which allows me to feed my reading habit without draining my savings. Best of all, I have a family that loves and supports me for no reason other than because that’s what family does.
I know that there are a lot of people who are a lot worse off than me and in more serious financial situations, but this is where I am right now. I’m kind of stuck in this limbo where I don’t have a job, and no real source of income, but still need to spend money on things. Just about everyone wishes that they had more money for various reasons, but maybe what we really need to do is take a step back, look at all that we have, and be grateful for it.
It's not about the money, money, money
We don't need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world dance,
Forget about the price tag
Ain't about the (ha) Cha-Ching Cha-Ching.
Ain't about the (yeah) Ba-Bling Ba-Bling
Wanna make the world dance,
Forget about the price tag.
You see, since I have no job, I obviously have no steady source of income. I pick up the odd babysitting job now and then, but it’s nothing that can really sustain me. When I got my last bank statement, I visibly cringed when I saw the balance. It’s not that I am technically out of money, just that the number is a lot lower than it was last year, and a lot lower than I would like it to be.
With all this free time that I have, there is all kinds of things that I would love to do, yet they all cost money. And with my bank account being what it is, I have to really think about any “unnecessary” purchases, especially since I just had to spend over $600 getting my car fixed. With gas prices being what they are I am so incredibly grateful that I have a Prius that gets great mileage, even though filling up the tank still feels like highway robbery. Some people in my position (no job, lots of time on their hands) would take this opportunity to go on a trip somewhere. It is my dream to go on a trip to India, but that would take money I simply don’t have. I guess that’ll have to go on my long-term wish list.
However, to be fair I also have to say that my parents have been very supportive of me. When I was needing a lot of new clothes (because my others were too big *yay*), my mom helped pay for some of them. In addition, she just bought me a whole bunch of stuff at the Wilton tent sale for when I (eventually) move out. Also, they are very kind in paying for my gym membership so that I can keep up with my fitness and enjoy my yoga classes. Best of all, they mercifully allow me to keep living in the house without paying rent. ;-D
But getting back to what I started this post with, the song is pretty much trying to say that people shouldn’t be so worried about money and getting things, just enjoy what’s around you. And I try to. There are plenty of free things that I enjoy. I am thankful that I live in a wonderful neighborhood with some great running routes and the Prairie Path very close by which I can run for free. I have a nice big backyard that’s great for sunbathing when it’s sunny out and I don’t feel like going to the pool. Also, I am grateful for my library card, which allows me to feed my reading habit without draining my savings. Best of all, I have a family that loves and supports me for no reason other than because that’s what family does.
I know that there are a lot of people who are a lot worse off than me and in more serious financial situations, but this is where I am right now. I’m kind of stuck in this limbo where I don’t have a job, and no real source of income, but still need to spend money on things. Just about everyone wishes that they had more money for various reasons, but maybe what we really need to do is take a step back, look at all that we have, and be grateful for it.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
How Do You Like Them Apples?
So..... I was originally going to write a post about something else, but right now I need to get some stuff off my chest.
I have a complicated relationship with food. I will admit that I used to have some pretty terrible eating habits - some I picked up from others and some that just sort of happened - but I have been working really hard to correct those. I’ve struggled with my weight the better part of my life, but am finally in a place where I am happy with how in shape I am and how I look. I am able to actually enjoy clothes shopping and get that spark of happiness when I realize that clothes I’ve had forever are actually getting to big on me. It has definitely not been easy, and I’ll admit that I’ve been short with my family because of it. It took me physically writing down what I was eating to realize how unhealthy a lot of it was, especially for all the working out I was doing. I have made some major changes in how and what I eat, but I’m still not perfect.
It’s been pretty easy for me to give up things like potato chips, fries, fried/breaded foods, et cetera, but I still have issues with dessert. Now most of the time I don’t need it, and am generally fine to pass or find a healthier option, but it’s really hard when it’s sitting in the fridge at home. One of my sister’s co-workers at the restaurant where she works makes cakes on the side, and will often make cakes for us for things like birthdays, Mother’s Day, and my sister’s recent graduation. I’ll generally have a small slice when we cut it for everyone, and will be fine for a few days. But then every time I open the fridge, I’ll see it sitting there, screaming “Eat me You know you want to ” I have gotten pretty good at resisting, but will give myself a few nights a week when I can have dessert a while after dinner if I really really want it. But by the time I actually get to this point, it has often already been eaten by other people. I know it’s stupid, but this makes me really frustrated because I was ready to indulge, and then have it taken away from me. It just makes me feel like I have to eat like the rest of my family in order to be able to eat anything that I consider an indulgence, and then I end up not enjoying it as much as I would have if I were able to eat it at my own pace.
In changing my eating habits, I’ve also had to really get away from the emotional/stress eating or eating because I am bored. This past year has definitely been full of its share of stressful and emotionally challenging days, and most of the time I would like nothing better than to just eat ice cream/chocolate/anything not good for me. I have been trying to replace those with healthier things like fruit, veggies, yogurt, etc. So if I can’t resist munching, at least I’m eating something good for me. It has also helped that I often go grocery shopping with my mom, so I can choose healthier snacks and whole grain/wheat/multi-grain products. But something that just annoys me it that we will still buy things that are breaded/fried, and then my family doesn’t understand why I get upset or don’t want to eat them. Now I will admit that every once in a while, I feel like having some popcorn shrimp, but I really have no desire for fried and battered fish. I mean, I get that they’re not as into this healthy eating thing as I am, but I kind of wish that they were. I guess it will be easier when I’m on my own and am just grocery shopping for myself.
Okay, so I have a little side rant that I want to get out. If the government is wanting everyone to get healthier, why is it that just about anything healthy/fresh is more expensive all of the junk food out there? The fact that junk food is so cheap is one of the reasons that we have a weight problem in this country. You can buy package of fried fish/chicken for a lot less than fresh/unfried fish or chicken. I get why fruit and vegetables are more expensive at certain times of the year because they have set seasons for when they grow and such. I would love to be able to eat Greek yogurt (instead of just regular) because it's supposed to be really healthy and possibly better than regular yogurt, but it’s just too expensive for me to rationalize buying it when regular yogurt it is so much cheaper.
So, what are your thoughts? Because I have no clue why fresh/healthy things are more expensive than unhealthy, processed foods, and it annoys the heck out of me.
I have a complicated relationship with food. I will admit that I used to have some pretty terrible eating habits - some I picked up from others and some that just sort of happened - but I have been working really hard to correct those. I’ve struggled with my weight the better part of my life, but am finally in a place where I am happy with how in shape I am and how I look. I am able to actually enjoy clothes shopping and get that spark of happiness when I realize that clothes I’ve had forever are actually getting to big on me. It has definitely not been easy, and I’ll admit that I’ve been short with my family because of it. It took me physically writing down what I was eating to realize how unhealthy a lot of it was, especially for all the working out I was doing. I have made some major changes in how and what I eat, but I’m still not perfect.
It’s been pretty easy for me to give up things like potato chips, fries, fried/breaded foods, et cetera, but I still have issues with dessert. Now most of the time I don’t need it, and am generally fine to pass or find a healthier option, but it’s really hard when it’s sitting in the fridge at home. One of my sister’s co-workers at the restaurant where she works makes cakes on the side, and will often make cakes for us for things like birthdays, Mother’s Day, and my sister’s recent graduation. I’ll generally have a small slice when we cut it for everyone, and will be fine for a few days. But then every time I open the fridge, I’ll see it sitting there, screaming “Eat me You know you want to ” I have gotten pretty good at resisting, but will give myself a few nights a week when I can have dessert a while after dinner if I really really want it. But by the time I actually get to this point, it has often already been eaten by other people. I know it’s stupid, but this makes me really frustrated because I was ready to indulge, and then have it taken away from me. It just makes me feel like I have to eat like the rest of my family in order to be able to eat anything that I consider an indulgence, and then I end up not enjoying it as much as I would have if I were able to eat it at my own pace.
In changing my eating habits, I’ve also had to really get away from the emotional/stress eating or eating because I am bored. This past year has definitely been full of its share of stressful and emotionally challenging days, and most of the time I would like nothing better than to just eat ice cream/chocolate/anything not good for me. I have been trying to replace those with healthier things like fruit, veggies, yogurt, etc. So if I can’t resist munching, at least I’m eating something good for me. It has also helped that I often go grocery shopping with my mom, so I can choose healthier snacks and whole grain/wheat/multi-grain products. But something that just annoys me it that we will still buy things that are breaded/fried, and then my family doesn’t understand why I get upset or don’t want to eat them. Now I will admit that every once in a while, I feel like having some popcorn shrimp, but I really have no desire for fried and battered fish. I mean, I get that they’re not as into this healthy eating thing as I am, but I kind of wish that they were. I guess it will be easier when I’m on my own and am just grocery shopping for myself.
Okay, so I have a little side rant that I want to get out. If the government is wanting everyone to get healthier, why is it that just about anything healthy/fresh is more expensive all of the junk food out there? The fact that junk food is so cheap is one of the reasons that we have a weight problem in this country. You can buy package of fried fish/chicken for a lot less than fresh/unfried fish or chicken. I get why fruit and vegetables are more expensive at certain times of the year because they have set seasons for when they grow and such. I would love to be able to eat Greek yogurt (instead of just regular) because it's supposed to be really healthy and possibly better than regular yogurt, but it’s just too expensive for me to rationalize buying it when regular yogurt it is so much cheaper.
So, what are your thoughts? Because I have no clue why fresh/healthy things are more expensive than unhealthy, processed foods, and it annoys the heck out of me.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
One Year Later...
As I talked about last time, it has been a year since I graduated from college. This was something that also occurred to me when I had my birthday last month. Having survived a year out of college, a lot of people of would be celebrating and saying, “Woohoo I’m still alive” but not necessarily me.
On my birthday, I started reflecting on what I had accomplished in the year since I had graduated. Job-wise, not a whole lot. I mean, I am on a few eligibility lists for police departments, but nothing has progressed any farther in the testing process than interviews. This is frustrating for a number of reasons. Firstly, there’s the fact that I have to go through the same process with every department. Now, this isn’t so bad in regard to the physical test because it motivates me to stay in shape and pushes me to best my time on the 1.5 mile run. But with the written test, it can make me a little stir crazy. I start thinking, “Is this the answer I had last time? Or is it that?” Luckily, some towns will test together with other towns, meaning that you can test for a bunch of towns and only have to go through it once. I plan on doing that later this summer for some north suburbs. Secondly, this can be very frustrating because it is such a long process, with a written test, physical test, interview (group, you with a panel, or both) polygraph, psychological evaluation, drug test, and physical exam. While I understand that all these tests are designed to weed out those who should not be police officers, the length of time that these take place over is not fixed. Usually the first two or three are within a few weeks of the application deadline, but then the towns wait until they are actually ready to hire someone before proceeding any farther. Since the eligibility lists are good for two years, this can take place at any time over the next two years. It’s frustrating because I feel like I’m putting my life on hold for something that’s not even certain right now.
Now I know what you’re going to say next. You’re going to say, “Well, have you looked for a job, at least part-time, anywhere else?” Yes, I have. I’ve applied at a security company, and several local places. For the local places, I’m way over-qualified (or at least that’s what I’m assuming since I’ve never had any follow-up from them), and the security company said that they would keep me in mind (Is that just a nice way of saying that they don’t want me?) for part-time positions as they open.
Health-wise, I would say that I have accomplished a lot in the past year. (Isn’t that right, Donna? ;-D) Not only did I run my first 5k race on Thanksgiving, but I ran the Home Team Charity Run 10k back at the beginning of April, and another 5k two Saturdays ago. I spend a good hour and a half to two hours at the gym six times a week, working on my cardiovascular endurance and strength training. I’ve lost about 15 pounds in the past year, and while I wish that it would be more I also realize that I have also gained a fair amount of muscle, which we all know weighs more than fat. When I was working with a trainer, I was on a pretty strict diet that often drove me (and my family by extension) crazy. I’ve kind of adapted that to make it more livable for me, so that now it is more of a lifestyle change/healthier eating habits than an outright diet. I don’t deny myself sweets/treats, but then again I don’t eat them every day. Looking back at where I was health-wise when I first joined my gym a little less than two years ago, I have definitely come a long way. Back then, I was working on run 1/1.5 miles. Now, I can run 6+ miles, and will often go for an afternoon/early evening run if it is nice outside (in addition to what I have done that morning at the gym - somewhere between 3.5 and 6 miles).
Now, all that being said, I do fell pretty purposeless at times. I mean, I have my little schedule, (get up, listen to WTMX’s morning show, workout, shower, and lunch) but it seems pretty lame even to me, and other than that stuff I don’t do much most days.
This past fall, when all of my friends still in college were going back, I definitely started to get frustrated. At that point, I had thought that I would at least have something, if only some kind of part-time job. This winter was pretty rough on me. I might have even gone through a bit of depression (depression-lite?) where, if it had been for the fact that I wasn’t getting out of the house for my daily workouts, I would have had some problems. I’m not sure if the cruddy weather contributed to or caused it, but it seemed to mostly go away once it started to get warmer.
And now that it is graduation time, things are feeling odd all over again. Most of my friends from college graduated a week and a half ago, as is my sister this weekend. It’s a bit like “They’ve all been in classes this past year, accomplishing things, and what have I done?” I doubt that I’ll completely get over these feelings until I get farther in the testing process with a department and actually get hired, or get a part-time job.
I read a number of websites geared toward college-age women, and all of them have articles with advice about interviewing/job hunting fairly regularly. I find it hard to read these a little hard to read because 95% of the things they are saying don’t apply to me. I mean, a lot of the interviewing tips help, but other than that nothing else really does. It’s probably because the hiring process for police departments is so structured and regulated, but most of these things like creating an online presence, using Twitter and other social media, etc. apply to just about any career other than law enforcement.
I realize that I’ve sort of gone in a circle with this post, but that’s kind of how it is with me. I definitely have days when I’m feeling good and others when feel like I’m accomplishing nothing. I’m sure that this is something that a lot of new grads go through, but I don’t really consider myself a “new” grad anymore. I also find it pretty hard when a lot of my friends who graduated last year, or even this year, already have jobs. But it is what it is, and I’m just trying to do the best I can.
On my birthday, I started reflecting on what I had accomplished in the year since I had graduated. Job-wise, not a whole lot. I mean, I am on a few eligibility lists for police departments, but nothing has progressed any farther in the testing process than interviews. This is frustrating for a number of reasons. Firstly, there’s the fact that I have to go through the same process with every department. Now, this isn’t so bad in regard to the physical test because it motivates me to stay in shape and pushes me to best my time on the 1.5 mile run. But with the written test, it can make me a little stir crazy. I start thinking, “Is this the answer I had last time? Or is it that?” Luckily, some towns will test together with other towns, meaning that you can test for a bunch of towns and only have to go through it once. I plan on doing that later this summer for some north suburbs. Secondly, this can be very frustrating because it is such a long process, with a written test, physical test, interview (group, you with a panel, or both) polygraph, psychological evaluation, drug test, and physical exam. While I understand that all these tests are designed to weed out those who should not be police officers, the length of time that these take place over is not fixed. Usually the first two or three are within a few weeks of the application deadline, but then the towns wait until they are actually ready to hire someone before proceeding any farther. Since the eligibility lists are good for two years, this can take place at any time over the next two years. It’s frustrating because I feel like I’m putting my life on hold for something that’s not even certain right now.
Now I know what you’re going to say next. You’re going to say, “Well, have you looked for a job, at least part-time, anywhere else?” Yes, I have. I’ve applied at a security company, and several local places. For the local places, I’m way over-qualified (or at least that’s what I’m assuming since I’ve never had any follow-up from them), and the security company said that they would keep me in mind (Is that just a nice way of saying that they don’t want me?) for part-time positions as they open.
Health-wise, I would say that I have accomplished a lot in the past year. (Isn’t that right, Donna? ;-D) Not only did I run my first 5k race on Thanksgiving, but I ran the Home Team Charity Run 10k back at the beginning of April, and another 5k two Saturdays ago. I spend a good hour and a half to two hours at the gym six times a week, working on my cardiovascular endurance and strength training. I’ve lost about 15 pounds in the past year, and while I wish that it would be more I also realize that I have also gained a fair amount of muscle, which we all know weighs more than fat. When I was working with a trainer, I was on a pretty strict diet that often drove me (and my family by extension) crazy. I’ve kind of adapted that to make it more livable for me, so that now it is more of a lifestyle change/healthier eating habits than an outright diet. I don’t deny myself sweets/treats, but then again I don’t eat them every day. Looking back at where I was health-wise when I first joined my gym a little less than two years ago, I have definitely come a long way. Back then, I was working on run 1/1.5 miles. Now, I can run 6+ miles, and will often go for an afternoon/early evening run if it is nice outside (in addition to what I have done that morning at the gym - somewhere between 3.5 and 6 miles).
Now, all that being said, I do fell pretty purposeless at times. I mean, I have my little schedule, (get up, listen to WTMX’s morning show, workout, shower, and lunch) but it seems pretty lame even to me, and other than that stuff I don’t do much most days.
This past fall, when all of my friends still in college were going back, I definitely started to get frustrated. At that point, I had thought that I would at least have something, if only some kind of part-time job. This winter was pretty rough on me. I might have even gone through a bit of depression (depression-lite?) where, if it had been for the fact that I wasn’t getting out of the house for my daily workouts, I would have had some problems. I’m not sure if the cruddy weather contributed to or caused it, but it seemed to mostly go away once it started to get warmer.
And now that it is graduation time, things are feeling odd all over again. Most of my friends from college graduated a week and a half ago, as is my sister this weekend. It’s a bit like “They’ve all been in classes this past year, accomplishing things, and what have I done?” I doubt that I’ll completely get over these feelings until I get farther in the testing process with a department and actually get hired, or get a part-time job.
I read a number of websites geared toward college-age women, and all of them have articles with advice about interviewing/job hunting fairly regularly. I find it hard to read these a little hard to read because 95% of the things they are saying don’t apply to me. I mean, a lot of the interviewing tips help, but other than that nothing else really does. It’s probably because the hiring process for police departments is so structured and regulated, but most of these things like creating an online presence, using Twitter and other social media, etc. apply to just about any career other than law enforcement.
I realize that I’ve sort of gone in a circle with this post, but that’s kind of how it is with me. I definitely have days when I’m feeling good and others when feel like I’m accomplishing nothing. I’m sure that this is something that a lot of new grads go through, but I don’t really consider myself a “new” grad anymore. I also find it pretty hard when a lot of my friends who graduated last year, or even this year, already have jobs. But it is what it is, and I’m just trying to do the best I can.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Jumping In
Hello all! Welcome to my little corner of the blogging world. I thought that, with this being my first post and all, I would take the opportunity to explain what you can expect from me here and the like.
My main motivation behind creating this blog is so that I have a space to vent and get out my thoughts. This is about the journey that I am on right now, which is my transition into adulthood. I’m not exactly sure when I’ll consider myself an adult or when that will happen, but I promise to bring you along with me. This is a work in progress, as is my life, and haven’t completely decided if I’ll keep the same blog title, but the address will still be the same. I’m not exactly a computer expert, so I will most likely be learning to do more things with this as I go.
I don’t know exactly how often I will be posting, but I am going to strive for at least once a week. It might be a little more often at the beginning since I’ve got all sorts of things bouncing around in my head right now.
An anniversary of sorts passed for me this last week. As of Sunday, it has been one year since I graduated from Western. It’s certainly been an interesting year, but to hear more, you’ll have to stay tuned!
I hope that this was a good introductory post. Since this is a work in progress, I both welcome and encourage your feedback.
My main motivation behind creating this blog is so that I have a space to vent and get out my thoughts. This is about the journey that I am on right now, which is my transition into adulthood. I’m not exactly sure when I’ll consider myself an adult or when that will happen, but I promise to bring you along with me. This is a work in progress, as is my life, and haven’t completely decided if I’ll keep the same blog title, but the address will still be the same. I’m not exactly a computer expert, so I will most likely be learning to do more things with this as I go.
I don’t know exactly how often I will be posting, but I am going to strive for at least once a week. It might be a little more often at the beginning since I’ve got all sorts of things bouncing around in my head right now.
An anniversary of sorts passed for me this last week. As of Sunday, it has been one year since I graduated from Western. It’s certainly been an interesting year, but to hear more, you’ll have to stay tuned!
I hope that this was a good introductory post. Since this is a work in progress, I both welcome and encourage your feedback.
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