About 3 or 4 weeks ago, I noticed that I was running rather low on toothpaste. Normally I wait until my brand is on sale to buy more, but I didn't think my remaining toothpaste would last more than a few days. I had already put the purchase off for a week, so I figured I would be pushing my luck if I waited any longer. So, I jumped the gun, went to CVS, and bought a two-pack of toothpaste at full price. I was so proud of myself that I had actually found the motivation to be prepared. I could rest easy knowing that I had a full supply of toothpaste and wouldn't have to run out to get more in the middle of the week when I was tired after work. Whew!
A week later, I was still using the same tube of toothpaste that had triggered my nerves and forced me to rush to the store. It was this same week that I noticed that my brand of toothpaste had just gone on sale. "Damn," I thought, "I could have held off a week and I would have been fine." Oh well, better safe than sorry. At least I didn't have to fight the stores in the middle of the week if I had run out.
As time went on, I was still using the same toothpaste. Day after day, I thought I was getting the last little bit out of the top of the tube, and yet there was always more. Oddly, rather than being happy that I still had toothpaste and wasn't wasting anything, I started getting frustrated - would it ever run out?! Well, a few nights ago, the anticipation of the end of my toothpaste finally got to me. I had to put a bit of effort into getting that night's portion out and thought, "Ha! It's finally finished!" But just to check, I gave it one more squeeze - and there was more! It just couldn't be! It wasn't possible!
I had officially snapped. Suddenly all of these possibilities of why the toothpaste didn't run out started buzzing through my mind. While these possibilities may have been partially fueled by exaustion and may make you feel the need to send me for a brain scan, maybe they'll at least be somewhat entertaining:
1. The gnomes did it! When I was at school, various items, particularly kitchen accessories, kept disappearing. My crazy roommates and I decided that there must be mischeivous gnomes that kept stealing everything. Well, I've decided that the toothpaste gnomes are just as mischeivous, but in a different way. Instead of stealing my toothpaste, they slowly just keep adding a little bit more when my tube is actually empty, just to mess with my head. *Nervous twitch*
2. It must be magic. I clearly was the lucky purchaser of a magical tube of toothpaste. Every time the user thinks that it is about to run out, it magically refills itself to provide just enough toothpaste for that particular cleaning. How thoughtful.
3. A diabolical plot by the toothpaste marketing people. Marketing people wanted to trick consumers into thinking they were running low on toothpaste all the time to get them to buy more. The toothpaste people realized that a tube was the best dispenser for their product, so it was a win-win for them...but a headache for consumers. Joy.
It's now a few days after I snapped from bewilderment, and I am still on the same tube of toothpaste. I think that I'm finally nearing the end, but at the rate I'm going, the gnomes are probably adding more toothpaste right this moment.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Problems with Technology
Now that I regularly commute in and out of DC, I've sadly become much like my fellow metro riders. Everyone else is always going too slow for my own pace, escalefters are the bane of my existence, and while I'm on the train, I don't talk to ANYONE. Not only that, I'm always attached to some sort of fun tech gadget, whether it's my phone or my newly acquired Kindle, burying myself in my own little world to ease the boredom of the long ride home (although even before the Kindle I will say I would bury myself in an actual BOOK). I often hear out-of-towners mention how strange it is that no one talks to each other on the metro during rush hour, but hey, that's just the way it is. In fact, I recently read an article in a local publication that joked about being stuck next to that person that just rambles on about random crap and won't shut up - no matter how many technological gadgets you pull out to try and ward them off.
The other day, I thought that I had found myself in just that situation. I had been texting with a friend to finalize plans for that evening and had pulled out my kindle to dive back into "Gone With the Wind." A few stops into my ride I spotted a prime seat open up near the door and quickly hopped up to grab it. When I sat down, the gentleman next to me, a man around my dad's age (who, I might add, seemed immersed in his own little gadget, headphones and all), said hello. I said hi back, then returned to the text I was in the middle of typing. Suddenly I heard, "How are you?" I politely returned a "Great, thanks," then quickly went back to my phone, attempting to employ the technological avoidance method I had read about in that article. Then, surprisingly, he continued to try to talk to me. "Can't he see that I'm trying to send a text and don't want to have a conversation?" I thought. Clearly he didn't, even as I had my kindle sitting open there as well.
Now, I know what you must be thinking, middle-aged man trying to strike up a conversation with a 22-year-old girl, kind of creepy. I thought so, too, I'm not going to lie, but he really didn't seem like a creep. After giving him a few short, just-trying-to-be-polite responses, I found myself getting into the conversation as well. After a while I realized, you know what, maybe I should just talk to this person a little bit instead of blocking out the world. Worst case scenario, if this guy did turn out to be a creep, I would just pretend I had to get off at the next stop and move away from him. As it turns out, we had a very interesting conversation. He worked for the Department of Defense and was studying Chinese on that little gadget he was carrying. He served in the military, worked with the Civil Air Patrol (which my dad was actually in), and even had a relative serve with the Tuskeegee Airmen in World War II. We had a very friendly conversation all the way back to Shady Grove, then got off the train and went our separate ways. He wasn't a creep at all, but instead just a kind gentleman that was simply looking to have a conversation. I never even learned his name, but he taught me a very important lesson that day.
Sure, technology can be great. It helps us stay connected with people all across the world at lightning fast speeds, both acquaintances and loved ones. But sometimes, we get so immersed in it that we forget about true human interaction. We forget how a simple "Have a great day" in passing can be just the right pick-me-up for a stranger having a bad day. We forget how a conversation in person can be so much more rewarding and pleasant than just communicating through electronics. We even forget about the telephone, another form of technology, but one that at least maintains a human element - so many people will send a text or email these days instead of picking up the phone and calling someone just to say hi. A truly painful loss is writing letters (yes, real snail mail), beautiful letters that hold so much more intimacy and which people put so much more of themselves into than a text or a message on Facebook. So slow down a little bit, take some time to catch up with an old friend or say hello to the person you ride the elevator with every morning. You never know how it could brighten someone's day, including your own.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Real Life 101: Intro to the Working World
So as you can see, I did not have as much time as I would have hoped to keep up with this blog throughout my final semester in college. But I guess that's not such a bad thing, that it's a sign that I really did have a good time. I must admit, my final semester was quite a blast. Actually, the entirety of senior year was a blast. While I didn't get to check off all of the items on my list from "It may be the end..." I still got through most of them and had a great time. Senior year was so great, in fact, that I had a much more difficult time leaving college than I always thought I would. The last month of school I was an emotional wreck (I was planning on writing about it, but I got a bit of writer's block...maybe it was God's sign that you all didn't need to hear about the crazy roller coaster). But now, even though I still (and always will) miss my friends and college, I've taken the next step to the real world and just finished my first full week at my new job.
The company I'm working for is basically a government contractor. My official job title? Project Support Specialist (sounds fancy, doesn't it?). I certainly can't say it's my dream job, but it does seem like a good place to start and I feel like I can learn a lot. The only down side as of right now is that it starts as a probationary intern period, so I'm getting paid, but not a full salary and no benefits. Luckily, I'm still living at home so I can manage, and even more luckily, I actually got a job. Every day I try and remember how blessed I am to have gotten something when so many of my friends are still looking.
So far, the first week has gone pretty well. I of course have no idea what's going on, but my colleagues are training me along the way and insist that it won't take long for me to get the hang of it. Everyone seems pretty nice, and I think I'll be able to adjust pretty well. But I must admit, I wasn't without my hesitations the first couple days. I realize there's a lot of work to get done, but no one seemed to say ANYTHING that wasn't work related. Not even "how was your evening yesterday?" And when someone wasn't talking about work, it was silent - no music, no conversation in the larger office that surrounds ours, nothing. Not only that, but no one had any pictures on their desk. We're currently in a square office with a blank wall and a white board with lots of numbers on it. We would have a great view of the city in our corner office with lots of windows, but it gets too hot so we have to keep some of the blinds closed. I thought I was going to lose my mind. Luckily, things turned around. Things got more relaxed with my coworkers and we actually got to talk about a few things other than work, I found out I could bring in pictures, and I may even be able to have a bit of music (final decision TBD). Looks like things are looking up.
For now, it doesn't seem too painful to be stuck in an office all day, but I think it's probably because I still have a lot to learn to keep it interesting. The reality is that this job looks like it'll keep me chained to my desk. I know I'll only be able to handle that short term, but I just have to keep reminding myself that I'll still be able to move on. Even before I started this job, I've been thinking about what I can do next, where I can go. I know I'm lucky to have a job in a crappy economy and we all have to start somewhere, and I'm fine with that. But I'm not going to let that stop me from following my dreams. I still want to see what my other career options are, still want to try living somewhere else. And yet, I'm still excited about this new start right now. I guess the most important thing to remember right now is this: we all have to start somewhere.
The company I'm working for is basically a government contractor. My official job title? Project Support Specialist (sounds fancy, doesn't it?). I certainly can't say it's my dream job, but it does seem like a good place to start and I feel like I can learn a lot. The only down side as of right now is that it starts as a probationary intern period, so I'm getting paid, but not a full salary and no benefits. Luckily, I'm still living at home so I can manage, and even more luckily, I actually got a job. Every day I try and remember how blessed I am to have gotten something when so many of my friends are still looking.
So far, the first week has gone pretty well. I of course have no idea what's going on, but my colleagues are training me along the way and insist that it won't take long for me to get the hang of it. Everyone seems pretty nice, and I think I'll be able to adjust pretty well. But I must admit, I wasn't without my hesitations the first couple days. I realize there's a lot of work to get done, but no one seemed to say ANYTHING that wasn't work related. Not even "how was your evening yesterday?" And when someone wasn't talking about work, it was silent - no music, no conversation in the larger office that surrounds ours, nothing. Not only that, but no one had any pictures on their desk. We're currently in a square office with a blank wall and a white board with lots of numbers on it. We would have a great view of the city in our corner office with lots of windows, but it gets too hot so we have to keep some of the blinds closed. I thought I was going to lose my mind. Luckily, things turned around. Things got more relaxed with my coworkers and we actually got to talk about a few things other than work, I found out I could bring in pictures, and I may even be able to have a bit of music (final decision TBD). Looks like things are looking up.
For now, it doesn't seem too painful to be stuck in an office all day, but I think it's probably because I still have a lot to learn to keep it interesting. The reality is that this job looks like it'll keep me chained to my desk. I know I'll only be able to handle that short term, but I just have to keep reminding myself that I'll still be able to move on. Even before I started this job, I've been thinking about what I can do next, where I can go. I know I'm lucky to have a job in a crappy economy and we all have to start somewhere, and I'm fine with that. But I'm not going to let that stop me from following my dreams. I still want to see what my other career options are, still want to try living somewhere else. And yet, I'm still excited about this new start right now. I guess the most important thing to remember right now is this: we all have to start somewhere.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Oh jeez, how 'bout dem Yoopers, eh?
Why in the world would anyone in their right mind go to Michigan in the middle of February? Better yet, why in the world would anyone go to the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan at that time? For Michigan Tech's Winter Carnival and to see John and Kyle, of course!
Mike, Lucy and I began our epic journey last Thursday evening at the airport. It was a very smooth travel day, and before we knew it we had landed at the Houghton/Hancock Memorial Airport. We were greeted with hugs from Kyle and John before heading back to John's cabin, then after talking to the point of exhaustion, called it a night.
Friday morning we went out to explore the wonders of Winter Carnival, and were amazed at the detail of the ever-popular ice statues. This year's carnival theme was "Thousands of Pages Unfold in the Bitter Cold," so everything there had something to do with books. These impressive statues ranged from Narnia to the Bible and everything in between. After browsing the statues for a bit we found the dog sled rides--that's right, dog sled rides. They hooked up 4 of the dogs to a sled and took you around a small course that only lasted about 20-30 seconds, but it was still really cool. Plus now I can officially say that I have ridden on a dog sled.
Later that afternoon we headed out for snow-shoeing. We drove over to this place fondly known as "The Dredge": an old, worn-down dredging machine that's just sitting and rusting near the edge of the lake. We snow-shoed on land for a bit to get to the actual dredge before braving the frozen lake. Everything was covered in snow, so it was a bit tough to tell where the land ended and the lake began, but it didn't take long before we realized we were standing on frozen water. We actually got to walk inside the dredge, which was weird and awesome at the same time...the dredge was tilted at an angle but we were standing on the flat ice. I was slightly concerned about standing on a frozen lake, but John was quick to reassure us that we had at LEAST 6-8 inches of ice beneath our feet and had nothing to worry about.
Saturday morning we got up and started getting ready for our hike to Hungarian Falls that day. One of John's friends, Andrew, came with us, and even decided to bring along his frat's dog, a husky named Ace. We stopped by John's Uncle Alfie's house, who was to lead us on our way, then headed for the falls. The falls that we got to see were beautiful, and completely frozen. Little did I know that when we got to the first falls we were actually standing on TOP of the frozen waterfall (I really need to pay more attention when these Yoopers are leading me onto frozen water :P). After our hike we headed back to Alfie's house where his wife Mary kindly served us some delicious homemade hot chocolate and carrot cake. That night we went to the Michigan Tech hockey game (which they sadly lost), watched the fireworks that wrapped up Winter Carnival, ate pasties, and looked up the rules to Shotgun (it was a never-ending challenge throughout the weekend) before turning in for the night.
Sunday morning we went to mass and breakfast with John's aunt and uncle before heading to the airport. When we got to the airport, however, we found out that our flight was overbooked and they were looking for people to give up their seats. We were willing to do just that, but the next flight out of Houghton wasn't until Tuesday, which we just couldn't do. Suddenly, Mike had a brilliant idea and asked about the possibility of giving up our seats and getting a flight out of Green Bay...Kyle was driving back down to the great land of cheese that afternoon, so we would be able to get a ride down with him and fly out the next day. Sure enough, flying out of GB wouldn't have been a problem, so we gave up our seats, got some nice travel vouchers, and hopped in the car with Kyle for a road trip down to Green Bay.
Since we were only in the Super Bowl Champ city for about 14 hours, we basically got the speed tour. We had dinner at Curly's Pub in Lambeau Field, explored the stadium atrium a bit, then got to see a few other random parts of the city. We met Mike's friends Emily, Rex and Carissa, then stopped by Kyle's house for one last quick goodbye. Mike's dad drove us to the airport the next morning, and after picking up some Packers gear and cheese curds, we got on a plane and headed for home.
Basically, this weekend was pretty much awesome. We were blessed with warmer-than-usual weather, had great company all the time, and just had a lot of fun. It turned out to be a kind of mini vacation, one that we didn't want to end. It was a bummer to have to come back to real life, but I will always remember my awesomely random trip to the midwest :)
Mike, Lucy and I began our epic journey last Thursday evening at the airport. It was a very smooth travel day, and before we knew it we had landed at the Houghton/Hancock Memorial Airport. We were greeted with hugs from Kyle and John before heading back to John's cabin, then after talking to the point of exhaustion, called it a night.
Friday morning we went out to explore the wonders of Winter Carnival, and were amazed at the detail of the ever-popular ice statues. This year's carnival theme was "Thousands of Pages Unfold in the Bitter Cold," so everything there had something to do with books. These impressive statues ranged from Narnia to the Bible and everything in between. After browsing the statues for a bit we found the dog sled rides--that's right, dog sled rides. They hooked up 4 of the dogs to a sled and took you around a small course that only lasted about 20-30 seconds, but it was still really cool. Plus now I can officially say that I have ridden on a dog sled.
This is the Jurassic Park statue we saw
Later that afternoon we headed out for snow-shoeing. We drove over to this place fondly known as "The Dredge": an old, worn-down dredging machine that's just sitting and rusting near the edge of the lake. We snow-shoed on land for a bit to get to the actual dredge before braving the frozen lake. Everything was covered in snow, so it was a bit tough to tell where the land ended and the lake began, but it didn't take long before we realized we were standing on frozen water. We actually got to walk inside the dredge, which was weird and awesome at the same time...the dredge was tilted at an angle but we were standing on the flat ice. I was slightly concerned about standing on a frozen lake, but John was quick to reassure us that we had at LEAST 6-8 inches of ice beneath our feet and had nothing to worry about.
John and Kyle in front of the dredge
Saturday morning we got up and started getting ready for our hike to Hungarian Falls that day. One of John's friends, Andrew, came with us, and even decided to bring along his frat's dog, a husky named Ace. We stopped by John's Uncle Alfie's house, who was to lead us on our way, then headed for the falls. The falls that we got to see were beautiful, and completely frozen. Little did I know that when we got to the first falls we were actually standing on TOP of the frozen waterfall (I really need to pay more attention when these Yoopers are leading me onto frozen water :P). After our hike we headed back to Alfie's house where his wife Mary kindly served us some delicious homemade hot chocolate and carrot cake. That night we went to the Michigan Tech hockey game (which they sadly lost), watched the fireworks that wrapped up Winter Carnival, ate pasties, and looked up the rules to Shotgun (it was a never-ending challenge throughout the weekend) before turning in for the night.
Looking out from the falls
Sunday morning we went to mass and breakfast with John's aunt and uncle before heading to the airport. When we got to the airport, however, we found out that our flight was overbooked and they were looking for people to give up their seats. We were willing to do just that, but the next flight out of Houghton wasn't until Tuesday, which we just couldn't do. Suddenly, Mike had a brilliant idea and asked about the possibility of giving up our seats and getting a flight out of Green Bay...Kyle was driving back down to the great land of cheese that afternoon, so we would be able to get a ride down with him and fly out the next day. Sure enough, flying out of GB wouldn't have been a problem, so we gave up our seats, got some nice travel vouchers, and hopped in the car with Kyle for a road trip down to Green Bay.
Wisconsin!
Since we were only in the Super Bowl Champ city for about 14 hours, we basically got the speed tour. We had dinner at Curly's Pub in Lambeau Field, explored the stadium atrium a bit, then got to see a few other random parts of the city. We met Mike's friends Emily, Rex and Carissa, then stopped by Kyle's house for one last quick goodbye. Mike's dad drove us to the airport the next morning, and after picking up some Packers gear and cheese curds, we got on a plane and headed for home.
Go Packers!
Basically, this weekend was pretty much awesome. We were blessed with warmer-than-usual weather, had great company all the time, and just had a lot of fun. It turned out to be a kind of mini vacation, one that we didn't want to end. It was a bummer to have to come back to real life, but I will always remember my awesomely random trip to the midwest :)
All of us together with Blizzard the Husky
Saturday, January 8, 2011
It may be the end, but it's not over yet...
Well, it's another Sunday morning, and another day when I'm getting ready to head back to school after a break. This Sunday morning is different, however. I have just ended my LAST Christmas break, and am about to begin my LAST semester of college...holy crap.
As I look back on the last three and a half years, every semester seems to have some label of being an overall "good" or "bad" semester. I won't bore you with any of the details of previous years right now, but we'll just start with the most recent one. I mentioned in a previous post that this latest semester was neither good nor bad - we just didn't do a whole lot. We spent so much time working that I felt like we never really took advantage of the fact that this is our last year in the care-free world of college. Well, I am determined to change all of that this semester.
While this semester I will be busier than nearly any other, I feel like I will actually manage to have more fun. Every time I'm super busy, I always seem to manage my time better and make more time for the good stuff. I have a 3-day weekend this semester (which would be 4 if I didn't decide to work on Mondays), but that balance will hopefully help me to plan stuff out better. Here are some of the things that I'm hoping to do this semester (some of which I've already arranged, woohoo!):
1)Trip to Michigan Tech in February (already planned!)
2)Finally go to a Caps game (tickets bought!)
3)Go to La Tasca with my Spain friends
4)Go skiing
5)Try out lots of different bars (and figure out names of rail drinks)
6)Take advantage of weekend mornings and get off campus (maybe look for cafes?)
7)Make time for all of my different friends
8)Meet new people (or at least get to know others better - yes I know it's the end of senior year)
9)Do more service
10)Keep up my exercise routine
11)Keep my temper in check ;)
I'm sure there are plenty of other little things here and there that I want to make sure I do this semester, but this gives you the general gist. Plus, Dad just got home from the grocery store and we're getting ready to eat breakfast before heading back to school (I guess I should gather up those last few items scattered around the house). I really hope this semester turns out the way I would like. I know it will be busy and I know that I have a lot of responsibilities that I currently have to keep track of and that will be coming into my life in the next few months. I just want to make sure that I don't let this time slip away before I'm thrust into the real world.
As I look back on the last three and a half years, every semester seems to have some label of being an overall "good" or "bad" semester. I won't bore you with any of the details of previous years right now, but we'll just start with the most recent one. I mentioned in a previous post that this latest semester was neither good nor bad - we just didn't do a whole lot. We spent so much time working that I felt like we never really took advantage of the fact that this is our last year in the care-free world of college. Well, I am determined to change all of that this semester.
While this semester I will be busier than nearly any other, I feel like I will actually manage to have more fun. Every time I'm super busy, I always seem to manage my time better and make more time for the good stuff. I have a 3-day weekend this semester (which would be 4 if I didn't decide to work on Mondays), but that balance will hopefully help me to plan stuff out better. Here are some of the things that I'm hoping to do this semester (some of which I've already arranged, woohoo!):
1)Trip to Michigan Tech in February (already planned!)
2)Finally go to a Caps game (tickets bought!)
3)Go to La Tasca with my Spain friends
4)Go skiing
5)Try out lots of different bars (and figure out names of rail drinks)
6)Take advantage of weekend mornings and get off campus (maybe look for cafes?)
7)Make time for all of my different friends
8)Meet new people (or at least get to know others better - yes I know it's the end of senior year)
9)Do more service
10)Keep up my exercise routine
11)Keep my temper in check ;)
I'm sure there are plenty of other little things here and there that I want to make sure I do this semester, but this gives you the general gist. Plus, Dad just got home from the grocery store and we're getting ready to eat breakfast before heading back to school (I guess I should gather up those last few items scattered around the house). I really hope this semester turns out the way I would like. I know it will be busy and I know that I have a lot of responsibilities that I currently have to keep track of and that will be coming into my life in the next few months. I just want to make sure that I don't let this time slip away before I'm thrust into the real world.
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