I feel as though I owe all of you readers (okay well...like, all 12 of you) an apology. I've been MIA lately, and even though it was for (what I thought) was a good reason, that's no excuse for abandoning my 12 loyal little readers.
There is a quote in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee that my dad always quotes when he's tired of explaining something. "I got somethin' to say an' then I ain't gonna say no more." This is a situation that doesn't deserve much explanation, so I'm going to keep it short and sweet. Last week I found out that my internship wasn't going to be extended, which meant that a week before Christmas, I was out of work. Aside from being completely scared out of my mind about how I'm going to pay for gas, groceries, rent, electric, internet, and student loans (just to name a few) now that I don't have a job, I basically just let all of my concern and worry get the best of me.
Cue a good four days spent crying on the couch, without washing my hair, and watching nothing but crime shows on Netflix. I was gross. The whole thing was gross. I let depression get the better of me, and I'm so glad that my friends and family finally said enough is enough and made me get up and get on with my life. And that's all I'm going to say about that.
On Friday, Brian and I left for the beach to spend Christmas with his family. I'm currently sitting on the couch in their condo, watching my favorite Christmas movies snuggled up with Chase, Charlie, and Brian waiting on his parents to return from dropping off his little brother Shawn back on base in Norfolk, VA. It's been a great weekend of fun, food, laughs, and jokes, all of which I desperately needed. We've learned that I haven't seen nearly enough Christmas movies, and that my mind is getting dirtier the longer I stay with Brian. Overall, the whole weekend was a great way to unwind after the hellish ordeal that was last week.
I'll start to post pictures soon. I leave on the 27th to fly back "home" to Florida for a wedding, so I'm not sure how much I'll be posting. Hopefully I'll take advantage of my Blogger app for iPhone and keep you guys updated from the airport.
To those of you who saw me last week, thanks for all the love, even though I'm pretty sure I looked like I was hit by a bus. Love you all.
Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Losing Faith in Humanity
I chaperoned an 8th grade field trip yesterday to the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC for Brian's class. As we were leaving, my phone came alive with news alerts notifying me of the shooting in Connecticut. It was a moment that I'm not sure that I'll ever forget. After spending the past few hours with students, it's hard to imagine that someone can have enough hatred and rage against the world that they would cause so much pain to people they never knew. I can't fathom the hatred.
I'm currently sitting at the public library on the last row of computers in the upstairs section.Brian is searching for books as I print out a coupon so I can buy a vacuum. Silly, right? Two computers down, a man is sitting and he struck up a conversation with me nearly as soon as I sat down. He's meticulously typing gospel songs that he has written. He let me read some of them, and they are absolutely beautiful. The words may not be spelled perfectly, but it's his attitude about doing something that he loves that is so inspiring to me. He asked me if I could sing. When I told him that I could, but not well, he told me that he bet I could sing like an angel. Sometimes I truly believe that we are in the right place at the right time. For me, today was one of those times.
With the recent crimes of hate that have plagued our nation and our world, I have to admit that there are times that I lose faith in humanity. I think that it's too easy to be negative when we are constantly subjected to the hate and despair that plagues parts of the world every day. Sitting today and having a lovely conversation with this man so full of love and passion was so refreshing, and it really did make me rethink my negative view of our world.
"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." Mahatma Gandhi
I believe that I was in the right place at the right time so that I could have a better sense of faith in humanity. There's never an easy way to deal with sadness. The anger and grief that the parents, friends, family, siblings, teachers, and responders are feeling doesn't come close to anything that I can even begin to comprehend. While I was waiting for my car to be serviced today, I was seated in the waiting room with a young woman and her two daughters. The television was playing a press conference from Connecticut, and the mother transitioned from watching her young children to watching the television. It was evident that her children were close to the ages of those beautiful kindergarten and first graders who lost their lives yesterday. The pain and grief on her face was evident. She kept shaking her head while watching the news cast. Her grief was not only for those children whose lives were lost, but for the parents who, like herself, loved their children and are forced to deal with this loss.
Many people have been moved to make statements about gun control laws and their belief over the "guns don't kill people, people kill people." Even though I have an opinion, I have also realized that this isn't about gun control. Right now, this is about the innocent lives that were lost. Maybe there will come a time where the topic of gun control is discussed in relation to this shooting, but that time is not now, not yet.
As we all move on with our daily lives as normal the next few days, I hope we all take a moment to reflect on the tragedy that unfolded in Connecticut. As the girl friend of a teacher, I can't imagine facing the news that these friends and family members received. Religious or not, please keep a kind thought in your heart for these families. It is so easy to lose faith in humanity and goodness. Please always do your best to be the one of the few reasons that people cling to hope of goodness. I think that we all, myself included, have simply proclaimed our distain for this man whose actions shed the blood of so many innocent victims. However, we must all remember that, as we pray for his victims, we must pray for his family as well.
"But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?" Mark Twain
Thursday, December 13, 2012
I BROKE SANTA!
My morning hasn't started off the best in the world. I was hoping that since today is my Friday (I'm chaperoning a field trip with Brian tomorrow) that it would be quick and painless. Obviously not. Aside from waking up too early, which I have to admit is better than too late, I spend the majority of the morning looking for my badge that gives me access to the doors at work. My search only turned up coins from under the couch, and so I had to text my boss on my way to work to tell her that I was going to need to be let in. Upon arriving, I used my favorite phrase that my friend Amy and I made ridiculously popular. "I am the captain of the fail boat." (Because it kinda sounds like sail boat...get it?)
Anyway. the first thing that my coworker and I do in the mornings is walk across the building to the break room and make our coffee. This week I finally brought my Santa mug to spread some holiday cheer at my desk. Yesterday I forgot to rinse Santa out, so I spent the first five minutes washing him in the sink before I made my coffee. Building upon my crappy morning, as I was wiping off the outside of Santa's jolly little fat face, he slipped...out of my hands and into the sink. I made a valiant diving effort, smacking my wrist in the process, but Santa is only about half as holly and jolly now...
Everyone in the break room stared at me because the first thing I did was, rather loudly, exclaim "I BROKE SANTA!!" One guy told me that if he didn't get what he wanted this year, he blamed me. Great.
Hopefully I will have some better news to report this afternoon. Looks like all the crazies may be right...Santa didn't make it past 12/12/12.
Anyway. the first thing that my coworker and I do in the mornings is walk across the building to the break room and make our coffee. This week I finally brought my Santa mug to spread some holiday cheer at my desk. Yesterday I forgot to rinse Santa out, so I spent the first five minutes washing him in the sink before I made my coffee. Building upon my crappy morning, as I was wiping off the outside of Santa's jolly little fat face, he slipped...out of my hands and into the sink. I made a valiant diving effort, smacking my wrist in the process, but Santa is only about half as holly and jolly now...
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| Santa before... |
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| Santa after... |
Hopefully I will have some better news to report this afternoon. Looks like all the crazies may be right...Santa didn't make it past 12/12/12.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Getting Paranormal
When Brian and I first moved in together, we purchased a subscription to Netflix. As I have previously complained about, Netflix doesn't have a lot of the shows that I enjoy, specifically NCIS or Big Bang Theory. After some searching, we found a few shows that we both really enjoyed, including one called Ghost Adventures. After a very short amount of time, we became absolutely obsessed.
In 2006, ghost hunters Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, and Aaron Goodwin filmed a documentary for the Travel Channel that follows the three men as they investigate supposed paranormal places. From the minute that Brian and I started the documentary, we were hooked. Brian especially. No matter how many times we watch the episodes or the documentary, he gets so freaked out. I'm not sure if it's more because he believes it and it freaks him out or he wants NOT to believe it and it freaks him out, but it's almost as entertaining to watch him watch the show as it is to watch the show in general.
When we first started the episodes, we would watch them back to back at night after work, which usually culminated with Brian refusing to go into our laundry room and jumping a foot at every little sound.
As I am writing this, we are re-watching the documentary. I keep asking Brian what exactly freaks him out about it, and his only response is, "I don't know, it just does." As I push further, he explains that it's because he really does believe it, and it's just scarier than any other show we have watch previously. There's one instance in the documentary where a brick is thrown across the room. I'm not sure that I have ever seen Brian freak out as badly as he did when that brick went flying.
I'm not quite sure how deeply I believe in paranormal investigations, which I think is why these shows fascinate me. I'm not nearly as jumpy as I am after I watch something like Disappeared, where people are kidnapped or missing. That freaks me out more than anything. This is Brian watching Ghost Adventures:
Do you believe in the paranormal? Have you ever had any interactions with spirits? TELL ME YOUR STORIES!
In 2006, ghost hunters Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, and Aaron Goodwin filmed a documentary for the Travel Channel that follows the three men as they investigate supposed paranormal places. From the minute that Brian and I started the documentary, we were hooked. Brian especially. No matter how many times we watch the episodes or the documentary, he gets so freaked out. I'm not sure if it's more because he believes it and it freaks him out or he wants NOT to believe it and it freaks him out, but it's almost as entertaining to watch him watch the show as it is to watch the show in general.
When we first started the episodes, we would watch them back to back at night after work, which usually culminated with Brian refusing to go into our laundry room and jumping a foot at every little sound.
As I am writing this, we are re-watching the documentary. I keep asking Brian what exactly freaks him out about it, and his only response is, "I don't know, it just does." As I push further, he explains that it's because he really does believe it, and it's just scarier than any other show we have watch previously. There's one instance in the documentary where a brick is thrown across the room. I'm not sure that I have ever seen Brian freak out as badly as he did when that brick went flying.
I'm not quite sure how deeply I believe in paranormal investigations, which I think is why these shows fascinate me. I'm not nearly as jumpy as I am after I watch something like Disappeared, where people are kidnapped or missing. That freaks me out more than anything. This is Brian watching Ghost Adventures:
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| This is Brian is early October watching Ghost Adventures for the first time. |
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| This is last night. Still grasping a pillow and transfixed on the TV. |
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
In Advocation of Self Defense
For those of you reading this, I'd like to start out by saying that I own a punching bag and I have a lot of pent up anger. In case you happen to be a crazed stalker, I also have access to multiple police officers and guns.
Okay so for those of you who aren't crazy serial killers or stalkers, let's be honest. My training of self defense comes from one too many late night movie sessions of Miss Congeniality and a slight obsession with NCIS, Law & Order, and crime scene shows. The part about punching bags, police officers, guns and anger was right, though.
Growing up in a small mountain town where everyone knew everyone, I was never really in fear of my safety. Of course there was the random stranger that would make you think twice about walking alone at night, but for the most part, I always felt 100% safe. My parents never owned guns, although I feel like my dad knows how to operate one given that my uncle owns them and claims to be a pretty good shot. The only real weapon that we had in our house was my Grandpa Ken's Navy sword. That thing was a beast. Any time I was home alone and a leaf so much as fell too loudly outside, you can bet your booty I made a bee-line to that sword. Oh, and we had golf clubs, but the only time those were ever used as self defense was the time that I was walking out to my car and saw a snake eating my favorite fish, Blue, out of the pond. Blue didn't make it, but then again, neither did the snake....or probably the golf club for that matter. Like I said, I have a lot of anger.
When I went to college, there was never a real time that I felt a lot of fear either. Aside from people stealing from unlocked cars and the guy who liked to expose himself to female students, campus was pretty uneventful. Not to mention that my entire 4 years I was best friends with the majority of the Theta Xi fraternity and always had an escort back from a party if it was too dark outside. Oh gosh, I totally forgot, and he'll laugh if he ever reads this. The only time that there was ever a concern for my safety was when we thought my ID card was stolen, and security and the police were out looking for a guy described by my sorority sister as "a college student with short blondish hair and a West Point sweatshirt." Long story short, our school had issued the same ID number to both myself and poor Josh. Needless to say it was a story recounted many times over the rest of our college careers.
After graduation from college and the realization that not everyone is out to be my friend, I have decided that I want to not only learn how to defend myself, but I want to learn how to shoot a gun. I've shot two guns in my entire life, both under the keen supervision of my friend Carson, a Marine who served three tours and was a gunner on the top of the hum-vees. It was three Christmas's ago off the back of the cabin that our parents own together up in the mountains, and I shot a shotgun and a .45....at a snowman. Needless to say, the only one who shot the Budweiser can off Frosty's head was Carson. I couldn't hit the broad side of a snowman with the .45 if I was 10 feet away...which I nearly was. It was embarrassing.
So this whole rambling about self defense brings me to a funny story that I will end with today. Last night after I finished working out in our living room, I decided to practice my self defense moves with Brian. I have been watching "Disappeared" and am beginning to realize if I am ever kidnapped, the only hope I have of being let go is my annoying the kidnapper with my big mouth. As a wrestling coach, Brian is experienced in "pinning" a person to the ground, so I was hoping that maybe I could learn how to un-pin myself. Yeah well. Fail. Not only did he succeed in making me not able to breathe by compressing one of my lungs, I moved my arm too fast in an attempt to un-pin myself that I nearly broke my elbow. Luckily it turned out that I just beat the crap out of my funny bone, which was not, in fact, funny at all. My arm is still slightly tingling nearly 14 hours later.
Moral of the story: Do not wrestle with Brian. Also, expect to hear more about my adventures trying to learn how to safely and effectively discharge a weapon. Concealed carry permit HERE I COME!
Okay so for those of you who aren't crazy serial killers or stalkers, let's be honest. My training of self defense comes from one too many late night movie sessions of Miss Congeniality and a slight obsession with NCIS, Law & Order, and crime scene shows. The part about punching bags, police officers, guns and anger was right, though.
Growing up in a small mountain town where everyone knew everyone, I was never really in fear of my safety. Of course there was the random stranger that would make you think twice about walking alone at night, but for the most part, I always felt 100% safe. My parents never owned guns, although I feel like my dad knows how to operate one given that my uncle owns them and claims to be a pretty good shot. The only real weapon that we had in our house was my Grandpa Ken's Navy sword. That thing was a beast. Any time I was home alone and a leaf so much as fell too loudly outside, you can bet your booty I made a bee-line to that sword. Oh, and we had golf clubs, but the only time those were ever used as self defense was the time that I was walking out to my car and saw a snake eating my favorite fish, Blue, out of the pond. Blue didn't make it, but then again, neither did the snake....or probably the golf club for that matter. Like I said, I have a lot of anger.
When I went to college, there was never a real time that I felt a lot of fear either. Aside from people stealing from unlocked cars and the guy who liked to expose himself to female students, campus was pretty uneventful. Not to mention that my entire 4 years I was best friends with the majority of the Theta Xi fraternity and always had an escort back from a party if it was too dark outside. Oh gosh, I totally forgot, and he'll laugh if he ever reads this. The only time that there was ever a concern for my safety was when we thought my ID card was stolen, and security and the police were out looking for a guy described by my sorority sister as "a college student with short blondish hair and a West Point sweatshirt." Long story short, our school had issued the same ID number to both myself and poor Josh. Needless to say it was a story recounted many times over the rest of our college careers.
After graduation from college and the realization that not everyone is out to be my friend, I have decided that I want to not only learn how to defend myself, but I want to learn how to shoot a gun. I've shot two guns in my entire life, both under the keen supervision of my friend Carson, a Marine who served three tours and was a gunner on the top of the hum-vees. It was three Christmas's ago off the back of the cabin that our parents own together up in the mountains, and I shot a shotgun and a .45....at a snowman. Needless to say, the only one who shot the Budweiser can off Frosty's head was Carson. I couldn't hit the broad side of a snowman with the .45 if I was 10 feet away...which I nearly was. It was embarrassing.
So this whole rambling about self defense brings me to a funny story that I will end with today. Last night after I finished working out in our living room, I decided to practice my self defense moves with Brian. I have been watching "Disappeared" and am beginning to realize if I am ever kidnapped, the only hope I have of being let go is my annoying the kidnapper with my big mouth. As a wrestling coach, Brian is experienced in "pinning" a person to the ground, so I was hoping that maybe I could learn how to un-pin myself. Yeah well. Fail. Not only did he succeed in making me not able to breathe by compressing one of my lungs, I moved my arm too fast in an attempt to un-pin myself that I nearly broke my elbow. Luckily it turned out that I just beat the crap out of my funny bone, which was not, in fact, funny at all. My arm is still slightly tingling nearly 14 hours later.
Moral of the story: Do not wrestle with Brian. Also, expect to hear more about my adventures trying to learn how to safely and effectively discharge a weapon. Concealed carry permit HERE I COME!
Monday, December 10, 2012
A Holly Jolly Holiday
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season so far! I can personally say that I would be enjoying it a lot more if it wasn't nearly 70 degrees every day this weekend. Although I do enjoy t-shirt weather, I miss snow, and I miss cuddling up with a nice book on a cold winter day by the fire. Since the weather isn't really doing its job and placing me in the holiday spirit, I've decided to try a different approach. What better way to enjoy the holidays than by drinking caffeine out of Santa's head? Exactly.
Last week as well as this weekend I was blessed to be able to do a lot of reflecting, both on my life and the world in general. Each day, we see simple acts performed by simple people, yet it's the selflessness behind these acts that is truly amazing.
As I near the end of my internship, I am so blessed to be working for a company that has the concern of our greater community in its heart. Last week I was offered the chance to visit a local fire station where fire fighters were taking their spare time to assemble bikes that our company donated to the Christmas Bureau, a program created by the United Way that helps parents "shop" donations for presents for their children, who may otherwise not have a Christmas present. The atmosphere in the fire station was so special. The men that were working on the bikes knew how important their work was, and how much it was going to affect the lives of children and parents in our community. For more information on this program and to see if it exists in your area, Google "Christmas Bureau" and the name of your town!
On Friday, I had another incredible opportunity. For the past few weeks, our company has put out donation boxes in our office for the local Cops for Tots program. Partnered with out local police department, the Cops for Tots program sets up an annual Christmas Wish House where qualified parents can shop for presents for their children. Similar to the Christmas Bureau, Cops for Tots relies mainly on donation from the community to help support families in need.
Each of these programs are so incredible, and I hope that you will take the time to learn about each of them and strongly consider making a donation, whether a toy or monetary, this holiday season.
Saturday was spent with my former roommate Kassie, who I talk about all the time, as we ran errands and tried to finish up the last of our Christmas shopping lists. Including breakfast and lunch, we stopped by: Starbucks, Target, Walmart, Petco, and Chick-fil-a. I feel like there was more, but for now, that's all I can remember. I can officially cross Brian, my uncle, Dad, and the dogs off of my list. After the enormous amount of shopping, I also went home and wrapped all of the presents before Brian got home. Whew. Unfortunately I'm too scared about the dogs to put the presents under the tree. Sad day.
Surprisingly Sunday was the busiest day of all. Brian and I got up early and did some house work, then met Kassie at Petco for some socialization time with Quest and Chase before heading to the Humane Society for their 5 Year Anniversary Holiday Party. Since Chase was adopted from the shelter, we wanted to bring him and let everyone see how much he has come out of his shell, as well as drop off a much-needed donation of laundry detergent! Aside from his obsession with the cats running around, the event was pretty uneventful in terms of Chase and Quest. We did get a lot of fun holiday dressed-up pictures with the dogs, though! Check out the photos at the end!
As we inch closer and closer to the holidays, I hope that you will consider making a donation of needed items, money, or time to a local organization. You never know when the person in need could be yourself, and how much of a difference you can make in the lives of people within your own community.
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| SANTA!!!!!! |
Last week as well as this weekend I was blessed to be able to do a lot of reflecting, both on my life and the world in general. Each day, we see simple acts performed by simple people, yet it's the selflessness behind these acts that is truly amazing.
As I near the end of my internship, I am so blessed to be working for a company that has the concern of our greater community in its heart. Last week I was offered the chance to visit a local fire station where fire fighters were taking their spare time to assemble bikes that our company donated to the Christmas Bureau, a program created by the United Way that helps parents "shop" donations for presents for their children, who may otherwise not have a Christmas present. The atmosphere in the fire station was so special. The men that were working on the bikes knew how important their work was, and how much it was going to affect the lives of children and parents in our community. For more information on this program and to see if it exists in your area, Google "Christmas Bureau" and the name of your town!
On Friday, I had another incredible opportunity. For the past few weeks, our company has put out donation boxes in our office for the local Cops for Tots program. Partnered with out local police department, the Cops for Tots program sets up an annual Christmas Wish House where qualified parents can shop for presents for their children. Similar to the Christmas Bureau, Cops for Tots relies mainly on donation from the community to help support families in need.
Each of these programs are so incredible, and I hope that you will take the time to learn about each of them and strongly consider making a donation, whether a toy or monetary, this holiday season.
Saturday was spent with my former roommate Kassie, who I talk about all the time, as we ran errands and tried to finish up the last of our Christmas shopping lists. Including breakfast and lunch, we stopped by: Starbucks, Target, Walmart, Petco, and Chick-fil-a. I feel like there was more, but for now, that's all I can remember. I can officially cross Brian, my uncle, Dad, and the dogs off of my list. After the enormous amount of shopping, I also went home and wrapped all of the presents before Brian got home. Whew. Unfortunately I'm too scared about the dogs to put the presents under the tree. Sad day.
Surprisingly Sunday was the busiest day of all. Brian and I got up early and did some house work, then met Kassie at Petco for some socialization time with Quest and Chase before heading to the Humane Society for their 5 Year Anniversary Holiday Party. Since Chase was adopted from the shelter, we wanted to bring him and let everyone see how much he has come out of his shell, as well as drop off a much-needed donation of laundry detergent! Aside from his obsession with the cats running around, the event was pretty uneventful in terms of Chase and Quest. We did get a lot of fun holiday dressed-up pictures with the dogs, though! Check out the photos at the end!
As we inch closer and closer to the holidays, I hope that you will consider making a donation of needed items, money, or time to a local organization. You never know when the person in need could be yourself, and how much of a difference you can make in the lives of people within your own community.
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| I can't remember if I already posted a pic, but here is our tree! The bulbs are all hand made (look for a tutorial to come!) because I love them! |
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| Quest at the shelter posing for Christmas pictures. Look at his snazzy bow tie! |
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| Trying to convince me to stay on the couch...it worked. |
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| Kassie and I have issues...this is what happens when we go out together. |
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| He really will dress up in anything, much to the amusement of people around him. |
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| Brian was unamused that his male dog was in a tutu. |
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Tacky Techie
As I've written before, I'm a pretty big nerd when it comes to my Apple products. iPhone, MacBook Pro, iTouch, etc, I love them all. I wanted to take a few minutes tonight and fill you all in on my new favorite iPhone apps.
When I first started I Bought A Lawnmower, I highlighted Mint, Starbucks, Waze, Lift, Key Ring, Catch, Find iPhone, and I Heart Radio as some of my favorite apps for my phone. As I've changed, so have the apps on my phone, so I wanted to type up a quick blog explaining some of my new favorite choices!
- Living Social: An app for shopping, basically, Living Social offers discounted deals in your area. Some things that I have purchased from Living Social includes 1 year magazine subscriptions for $5 each and a $10 Starbucks gift card for $5. Many of the deals are similar to the Starbucks offer, including a gift amount for half the price. It's a really neat website for those of us who don't like to pay full price for anything!
- Blogger: I figure you guys had to see this one coming! I love blogging at the most random times, and inspiration can come when you least expect it. Since I always carry my iPhone but rarely take my computer everywhere, I love the ability to write, post, update, and comment on posts all from my phone. It's awesome! If you have a blog, I highly recommend downloading it.
- AP: As a journalism major, I'm obsessed with new. My phone contains apps for NBC, Huffington Post, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNN, CBS News, Yahoo!, ESPN, and the AP Mobile app, which I am highlighting in this post. The AP is one of the more "in the middle" news providers, and I like how thorough their coverage is. I like to have a variety of different news apps so that I can read a story from many different points of view, so if you like news and current events, I highly recommend not only this app, but having a variety in general.
- Snapchat: Okay by now the majority of you probably know what this is. In case you don't, Snapchat is an app that is used to send and receive pictures, but the catch is that the pictures you send and receive can only be seen for up to ten seconds before they are erased forever. A lot of people claim that it's the perfect app for naughty photos, but considering that there is always a ways for someone to take a picture of their phone screen or use a screenshot (however if a screenshot is taken, the sender is notified, so that's cool!), so no matter what, it's a BAD IDEA. I personally use it to send funny faces to people.
- Multi Edit: For those of you who don't like having an actual address book and worry about losing your contacts should something ever happen to you phone, Multi Edit is a perfect solution. It not only tells you details about your contacts such as the number you have and any duplicate contacts, it also tells you any duplicate email, phone, and email fields, as well as entries without phone numbers, email addresses, names, etc. You can see fields by Company, Job Title, Email Domains, and Birthdays. It's awesome. Plus, you can also back up your contacts and email a link to yourself in case your phone ever has a problem. and you lose your contacts. GENIUS!
- Relax Melodies: One of the simplest yet most favorite apps ever! I never really liked falling asleep to noise until I realized that it was so quiet when the power went out. Relax Melodies is a noise maker app for when you fall asleep, but it also has a "concentration" mode, allowing you to put in ear phones during tasks that you need to be alert for. It plays a certain melody that is known to perk you up. It's so awesome. It also allows you to mix your favorite noises together at different levels to form your own unique noise board. My favorite is probably Relaxing at the Ocean or Stormy Night. They're great and remind me of being back home in the woods during a thunderstorm.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
The Best in the World
Last night, I got into a debate about the true meaning of "good sportsmanship" and the effect that it is having on kids today. After seeing a video about a middle school wrestler who intentionally lost to a member of the opposing team who had severe cerebral palsy (CP), I posted the video on my Facebook page, stating that I thought the act by the student who intentionally lost was an act of good sportsmanship. This ignited quite a debate about why or why not the act was positive, or if it was in fact a negative. After doing some research, it was rather apparent that the students were not engaged in an actual match at the time, the main reason being that they were not in the same weight class. The backstory that I found was that the student with CP has the physical capability of an infant, but the mental capability of his peers. He wanted to wrestle, and so his coach made a phone call to the coach of the opposing team, who happened to be a friend of his. His only request was that the student who wrestled Jared, the student with CP, had a kind heart. It wasn't about weight class, it was about finding someone who wouldn't treat the match as a competition, but as a way to fulfill Jared's desire to get out on the mat like the rest of his teammates, despite his disability.
The majority of the comments that have been posted in relation to the video have been positive. However, the people who commented on my Facebook post took a different side, stating that if the student wanted to show true sportsmanship, he should have forfeited instead of helping Jared "pin" the opponent.
Although I didn't necessarily agree (and there was some very good private discussion about the matter), another good point was brought up through the comments. A former classmate of mine pointed out that allowing someone to win encouraged the mentality of "everyone is a winner" and provided kids with a sense of entitlement. I think that this is a very good point, and one that I wanted to talk about today.
I was recently at the craft store and saw a rack of ribbons that designated First Place, Second Place, etc. As I passed the display, I noticed something odd. The ribbons didn't just go up to Third Place and Honorable Mention, but instead had titles such as "Sixth Place" and even "Eleventh Place." I think that we have to draw the line somewhere, and that somewhere comes WAY before Eleventh Place in my opinion. I am an only child without children of my own, so maybe there is a small lapse of judgement in my opinion.
In our lives today, we place certain people on pedestals, giving them titles such as "Sexiest Man Alive" or "Best Swimmer in the World." What these people do to earn these so-called honors is without a doubt impressive, but the honors themselves are what baffle me a little bit. Take "Sexiest Man Alive" for example. When Channing Tatum was bestowed the title earlier this year, women all over the world flocked to buy People Magazine in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Tatum shirtless. In the effort of full disclose, I may or may not have been one of whose women...anyway, moving on. What makes someone sexy? It's a description the definition of which is argued across the globe and where no two people may define it the exact same way. One person likes blondes, the other brunettes. One likes muscular arms while the other goes for the abs. Just people People Magazine dubs someone the "Sexiest Man Alive" doesn't really mean anything in terms of the general consensus of the world's population.
Or how about the fact that Michael Phelps has been called The Greatest Swimmer of All Time. Sure, the guy definitely earns substantial bragging rights for his 22 Olympic Medals, 18 of those Gold, 33 World Championship Medals, 26 of those Gold, and the 39 world records he has set over his competitive swimming career. However, does that really make him the "Greatest Swimmer of All Time?" No. It means that out of everyone he has competed against or everyone who has competed and registered a specific time, that he has beaten them. Who knows, there could be a swimmer in some country that is better than him but has just never swam professionally or for the goal of achieving a specific time record.
All of this in consideration, I'm sick of people telling kids that they have to be "the best" or kids thinking that they have to compare themselves to others in order to achieve self worth. People need to realize that winning a sport, a challenge, or a game doesn't mean that you're the best. All that matters is that you did YOUR best. I have been so proud of Brian's wrestlers lately, not because they were wining their matches (far from it with the exception of the most recent one) but because they had continued to improve on their skills and performance. I'm not saying that you can't encourage kid's dreams, but I personally think that having fun and improving each time you attempt something is much more important than getting a ribbon for 11th place.
(For the record, the only instance this doesn't apply is to my blog, which is, in fact, the best in the world.)
The majority of the comments that have been posted in relation to the video have been positive. However, the people who commented on my Facebook post took a different side, stating that if the student wanted to show true sportsmanship, he should have forfeited instead of helping Jared "pin" the opponent.
Although I didn't necessarily agree (and there was some very good private discussion about the matter), another good point was brought up through the comments. A former classmate of mine pointed out that allowing someone to win encouraged the mentality of "everyone is a winner" and provided kids with a sense of entitlement. I think that this is a very good point, and one that I wanted to talk about today.
I was recently at the craft store and saw a rack of ribbons that designated First Place, Second Place, etc. As I passed the display, I noticed something odd. The ribbons didn't just go up to Third Place and Honorable Mention, but instead had titles such as "Sixth Place" and even "Eleventh Place." I think that we have to draw the line somewhere, and that somewhere comes WAY before Eleventh Place in my opinion. I am an only child without children of my own, so maybe there is a small lapse of judgement in my opinion.
In our lives today, we place certain people on pedestals, giving them titles such as "Sexiest Man Alive" or "Best Swimmer in the World." What these people do to earn these so-called honors is without a doubt impressive, but the honors themselves are what baffle me a little bit. Take "Sexiest Man Alive" for example. When Channing Tatum was bestowed the title earlier this year, women all over the world flocked to buy People Magazine in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Tatum shirtless. In the effort of full disclose, I may or may not have been one of whose women...anyway, moving on. What makes someone sexy? It's a description the definition of which is argued across the globe and where no two people may define it the exact same way. One person likes blondes, the other brunettes. One likes muscular arms while the other goes for the abs. Just people People Magazine dubs someone the "Sexiest Man Alive" doesn't really mean anything in terms of the general consensus of the world's population.
Or how about the fact that Michael Phelps has been called The Greatest Swimmer of All Time. Sure, the guy definitely earns substantial bragging rights for his 22 Olympic Medals, 18 of those Gold, 33 World Championship Medals, 26 of those Gold, and the 39 world records he has set over his competitive swimming career. However, does that really make him the "Greatest Swimmer of All Time?" No. It means that out of everyone he has competed against or everyone who has competed and registered a specific time, that he has beaten them. Who knows, there could be a swimmer in some country that is better than him but has just never swam professionally or for the goal of achieving a specific time record.
All of this in consideration, I'm sick of people telling kids that they have to be "the best" or kids thinking that they have to compare themselves to others in order to achieve self worth. People need to realize that winning a sport, a challenge, or a game doesn't mean that you're the best. All that matters is that you did YOUR best. I have been so proud of Brian's wrestlers lately, not because they were wining their matches (far from it with the exception of the most recent one) but because they had continued to improve on their skills and performance. I'm not saying that you can't encourage kid's dreams, but I personally think that having fun and improving each time you attempt something is much more important than getting a ribbon for 11th place.
(For the record, the only instance this doesn't apply is to my blog, which is, in fact, the best in the world.)
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
B.A.? I Think I Got a B.S...
It's not often that I give out life lessons and advice, but I decided that since this has carried me pretty far in life, I should pass it on.
Here's a bit of the back story: My boss sent me an email this morning asking me if I knew how to capture screen shots from iMovie. My first thought is, "Definitely not..." The I remembered a little piece of advice I was once told.
If you are asked to do something you don't know how to do, but you have time to Google it and learn, ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE AND SAY YES.
(This does not apply to nursing students, doctors, lawyers representing people in important cases, law enforcement officers, etc. I'm more talking about people like me...)
I took about 2 minutes to Google how to use iMovie to create stills, and then I emailed my boss back and told her heck yes I knew how! After reading the Google tutorial (MacWorld) completely, the project took me less than 5 minutes. My boss's response?
Earning tech points for about 5 minutes of Googling feels great. All that you need to do is have faith in your ability to follow directions from a tutorial, and you should be able to do more than you could ever dream of. Don't sell yourself short.
Just because I got a B.A. degree from college, I really think they should have given me a B.S. instead!
Here's a bit of the back story: My boss sent me an email this morning asking me if I knew how to capture screen shots from iMovie. My first thought is, "Definitely not..." The I remembered a little piece of advice I was once told.
If you are asked to do something you don't know how to do, but you have time to Google it and learn, ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE AND SAY YES.
(This does not apply to nursing students, doctors, lawyers representing people in important cases, law enforcement officers, etc. I'm more talking about people like me...)
I took about 2 minutes to Google how to use iMovie to create stills, and then I emailed my boss back and told her heck yes I knew how! After reading the Google tutorial (MacWorld) completely, the project took me less than 5 minutes. My boss's response?
You rock! You’ll have to show me how!
Just because I got a B.A. degree from college, I really think they should have given me a B.S. instead!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Thanksgiving is basically the gateway holiday to all of the fun and festivities that Christmas and New Years bring. When I was growing up, Mom used to throw "Cookie Parties" for me and all of my friends where we would take baked cookies and decorate them with frosting, sprinkles, and other sorts of fun candies. I think I always took advantage of this growing up, because once I was in high school and college and wasn't having any more Cookie Parties, I really began to miss them. So what's a recent-adult to do? Throw a party, of course!
Without much thought as to how to pull off a Christmas party, I decided to go ahead and creative a Facebook event and throw what I hope to be my first annual Christmas party. I definitely told Brian about my plan after I created the event...oops. I think I created the event a little over a week before the scheduled date, which gave me approximately 7 days to not only plan a Christmas party but also to actually execute my plans. Cue a week of intense cleaning, decorating, shopping, cooking, and more cleaning.
Saturday was ridiculous in terms of errands. Brian and I woke up early and made our list of errand goals: Sam's Club, Walmart, Aldi, Petco, A Cleaner World dry cleaners, Starbucks, and Wells Fargo. Our first errand was to pick up our dry cleaning at A Cleaner World in Hickory. I have nothing but good things to say about them! They have great prices, frequent sales (check out their Wild Wednesdays!), and they remember me even though I had only been there twice before. So great! We also stopped at Starbucks, where the barista managed to scramble together the very last Caramel Apple Spice for Brian because it's the only thing he will drink, and they only had enough for one. They had even been telling people they were out all day, but they pulled one together for him. Chase had an appointment for his first ever grooming at Petco Saturday morning, and I can honestly say that the whole experience was incredible. From the moment that we walked in the door, the staff was polite, welcoming, helpful, and an absolute dream to do business with! The groomer was absolutely incredible. She automatically made Chase feel at home and comfortable, and even waved to us as we were walking through the store. Chase received the holiday package bath, a shave and a brush-out, and a nail grinding. He came out smelling like sugar cookies with perfectly shaped nails, more even eyebrows, a lovely little ascot, and clean ears, all for $31. He's a good 50 lbs, and considering the time, effort, shampoo costs, and amount of cleanup it would have cost me to bathe him at home, I will be making grooming at Petco a much more frequent purchase. If your dog needs to be groomed, especially if you live in the Hickory area, go to the Petco on Highway 70/McDonald Parkway in the same shopping center as Olive Garden, Michaels, Rack Room Shoes, and Ross. Everyone there is incredible and I will definitely be taking him again. Chase also got the added bonus of visiting with a few volunteers who knew him when he was up for adoption at the shelter. He got some good social interaction and attention from people, and we are definitely going to be making weekly trips to Petco to help socialize him.
After dropping Chase off to be groomed, Brian and I did our grocery shopping at Aldi, then went to Walmart and Sam's Club for the rest of our Christmas Party needs. Unfortunately, our trip to Walmart had to be repeated because we didn't buy enough tree lights and our stand broke and leaked water everywhere, but everything turned out great. I bought enough cookie dough to feed our entire town, and so all of our neighbors and coworkers will be getting Christmas cookies for the holidays. Sorry to ruin the surprise if you're reading this.
I ended up making about 50 Christmas cookies, included crushed peppermint, red and green sprinkles, red and silver sprinkles, green and silver sprinkles, and sugar cookies filled with different flavors of Hershey kisses. If you like cookies, you should let me know so I can send you some! Chase also learned that when Mommy makes cookies, she does so on parchment paper spread on the coffee table, and that sometimes she leaves sprinkles unattended. This caused a rather big ruckus when Mommy heard a licking sound and came around the corner to find Chase with a red beard from eating sprinkles. Looks like everyone was feeling festive that day.
Even though the planning came down to the wire and included the help of some incredible friends (Kassie & JJ!), we did it! Our house was a winter wonderland, or at least as much of one as it could be in 66 degree weather, complete with various types of cookies, a South Florida-style Christmas tree, mom's famous Mexican dip, homemade hot chocolate, a veggie platter, salsa and guacamole, and good old fashioned lemonade. Some of our wonderful guests brought fudge, cheesecake, chocolate covered pretzel and cookie dough bites, and beer. I'll include some of the recipes at the bottom in case you want to make some of the same foods!
For the record, I would definitely do it again. Having a relaxing afternoon with all of our friends was an absolute blast. Here are some photos that we took to commemorate the occasion! Look for an update when I find my camera card reader and can upload real pictures, instead of the phones that I took with my iPhone.
2 avocados
1 tomato
1/2 a sweet onion
Squeeze lemon juice
Minced garlic to taste
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
This is super easy as well (if you can't tell, I like easy foods). Slice the avocados long ways so that you have two matching sized halves. Very carefully, use the knife to remove the pit. (I do this by taking the blade of my knife and hitting it against the pit, causing it to get stuck. I then turn the knife clockwise and counterclockwise loosening the pit enough for it to come out stuck to the knife. BE VERY CAREFUL. I do not assume responsibility if you cut yourself, and so I have provided a nice YouTube video for you to consult. How to cut an avocado) After removing the pit, use a spoon to scoop out the green goodness that is avocado. Place your avocado in a bowl, and using a fork, mash it until it is about 75% smooth and 25% chunky. On a cutting board, dice the tomato and onion into small pieces, or bigger if you like a chunkier guacamole. Stir in the onion, tomato, garlic, and the juice from about 1/2 of a lemon. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. The lemon, garlic, salt and pepper can be adjusted to your taste preference. I like more garlic and pepper, but it's really up to you. Serve with chips, on sandwiches, with crackers, as a dip for veggies, etc.
Without much thought as to how to pull off a Christmas party, I decided to go ahead and creative a Facebook event and throw what I hope to be my first annual Christmas party. I definitely told Brian about my plan after I created the event...oops. I think I created the event a little over a week before the scheduled date, which gave me approximately 7 days to not only plan a Christmas party but also to actually execute my plans. Cue a week of intense cleaning, decorating, shopping, cooking, and more cleaning.
Saturday was ridiculous in terms of errands. Brian and I woke up early and made our list of errand goals: Sam's Club, Walmart, Aldi, Petco, A Cleaner World dry cleaners, Starbucks, and Wells Fargo. Our first errand was to pick up our dry cleaning at A Cleaner World in Hickory. I have nothing but good things to say about them! They have great prices, frequent sales (check out their Wild Wednesdays!), and they remember me even though I had only been there twice before. So great! We also stopped at Starbucks, where the barista managed to scramble together the very last Caramel Apple Spice for Brian because it's the only thing he will drink, and they only had enough for one. They had even been telling people they were out all day, but they pulled one together for him. Chase had an appointment for his first ever grooming at Petco Saturday morning, and I can honestly say that the whole experience was incredible. From the moment that we walked in the door, the staff was polite, welcoming, helpful, and an absolute dream to do business with! The groomer was absolutely incredible. She automatically made Chase feel at home and comfortable, and even waved to us as we were walking through the store. Chase received the holiday package bath, a shave and a brush-out, and a nail grinding. He came out smelling like sugar cookies with perfectly shaped nails, more even eyebrows, a lovely little ascot, and clean ears, all for $31. He's a good 50 lbs, and considering the time, effort, shampoo costs, and amount of cleanup it would have cost me to bathe him at home, I will be making grooming at Petco a much more frequent purchase. If your dog needs to be groomed, especially if you live in the Hickory area, go to the Petco on Highway 70/McDonald Parkway in the same shopping center as Olive Garden, Michaels, Rack Room Shoes, and Ross. Everyone there is incredible and I will definitely be taking him again. Chase also got the added bonus of visiting with a few volunteers who knew him when he was up for adoption at the shelter. He got some good social interaction and attention from people, and we are definitely going to be making weekly trips to Petco to help socialize him.
After dropping Chase off to be groomed, Brian and I did our grocery shopping at Aldi, then went to Walmart and Sam's Club for the rest of our Christmas Party needs. Unfortunately, our trip to Walmart had to be repeated because we didn't buy enough tree lights and our stand broke and leaked water everywhere, but everything turned out great. I bought enough cookie dough to feed our entire town, and so all of our neighbors and coworkers will be getting Christmas cookies for the holidays. Sorry to ruin the surprise if you're reading this.
I ended up making about 50 Christmas cookies, included crushed peppermint, red and green sprinkles, red and silver sprinkles, green and silver sprinkles, and sugar cookies filled with different flavors of Hershey kisses. If you like cookies, you should let me know so I can send you some! Chase also learned that when Mommy makes cookies, she does so on parchment paper spread on the coffee table, and that sometimes she leaves sprinkles unattended. This caused a rather big ruckus when Mommy heard a licking sound and came around the corner to find Chase with a red beard from eating sprinkles. Looks like everyone was feeling festive that day.
Even though the planning came down to the wire and included the help of some incredible friends (Kassie & JJ!), we did it! Our house was a winter wonderland, or at least as much of one as it could be in 66 degree weather, complete with various types of cookies, a South Florida-style Christmas tree, mom's famous Mexican dip, homemade hot chocolate, a veggie platter, salsa and guacamole, and good old fashioned lemonade. Some of our wonderful guests brought fudge, cheesecake, chocolate covered pretzel and cookie dough bites, and beer. I'll include some of the recipes at the bottom in case you want to make some of the same foods!
For the record, I would definitely do it again. Having a relaxing afternoon with all of our friends was an absolute blast. Here are some photos that we took to commemorate the occasion! Look for an update when I find my camera card reader and can upload real pictures, instead of the phones that I took with my iPhone.
 |
| Chase after his first grooming ever! Petco is incredible and I highly recommend it! |
 |
| Our lovely South Florida tree :) |
 |
| What can I say? I like sparkly ornaments! |
 |
| The red sprinkles thief. |
Recipes
Mom's Famous Mexican Dip
1 round glass pie dish
1 package softened cream cheese
1 can refried beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced green chiles (I use mild)
1 cup shredded mixed cheese (I use the Mexican blend in the bag from Aldi)
1 can black olives
1 grilled and shredded chicken breast
This is probably the easiest recipe ever. Preheat your oven to 350 deg. F. In your glass pie dish, spread the package of cream cheese on the bottom of the dish followed by the can of refried beans, then the chicken, then the tomatoes, and then the chiles and black olives. Top with heaps of shredded cheese and bake for around 20 minutes, or until the cheese becomes bubbly and a bit crispy on the edges. Serve with tortilla chips, veggies, crackers, etc. Enjoy! This dip is always a hit at every party that my mom has, and has become an easy dish that I serve as an appetizer as well. It's also the only Mexican food that Brian's grandpa likes that we know of. Win.
Stovetop Hot Chocolate
1 large pot
1/2 gallon 1% milk
1 bag of mini chocolate chips
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 small can sweetened condensed milk
This is so easy. Place your pot on the stovetop over medium heat. Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk and about half of the 1/2 gallon of milk into the pot and whisk together until combined. Slowly add the chocolate chips making sure to stir thoroughly, especially at the bottom so the chocolate doesn't stick and burn. At first, the mixture will look like the chocolate chips are just breaking up and not actually melting, giving the mixture almost a speckled look. This is normal. Add the vanilla extract and keep stirring slowly. Turn the heat down to low, almost as low as it will go. Cover and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes or so and paying close attention to the bottom of the pot. After the mixture looks like a dark chocolate milk, add the cinnamon and cloves. Serve with marshmallows and Bailey's (only if you're 21!). This took me about 15 to make and was a pretty big hit at the party. I just left it covered on the stove with the burner turned off and turned it on occasionally if the mixture would get a bit cool. The spices gave it a nice nutty taste and added a tiny tiny bit of heat as well.
Mild Chunky Guacamole
This makes enough for about 4 people to munch on
1 tomato
1/2 a sweet onion
Squeeze lemon juice
Minced garlic to taste
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
This is super easy as well (if you can't tell, I like easy foods). Slice the avocados long ways so that you have two matching sized halves. Very carefully, use the knife to remove the pit. (I do this by taking the blade of my knife and hitting it against the pit, causing it to get stuck. I then turn the knife clockwise and counterclockwise loosening the pit enough for it to come out stuck to the knife. BE VERY CAREFUL. I do not assume responsibility if you cut yourself, and so I have provided a nice YouTube video for you to consult. How to cut an avocado) After removing the pit, use a spoon to scoop out the green goodness that is avocado. Place your avocado in a bowl, and using a fork, mash it until it is about 75% smooth and 25% chunky. On a cutting board, dice the tomato and onion into small pieces, or bigger if you like a chunkier guacamole. Stir in the onion, tomato, garlic, and the juice from about 1/2 of a lemon. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. The lemon, garlic, salt and pepper can be adjusted to your taste preference. I like more garlic and pepper, but it's really up to you. Serve with chips, on sandwiches, with crackers, as a dip for veggies, etc.
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