Alright - so the chai will have to wait, I feel like writing about other things right now.
I started working at NIU finally, about 3 weeks ago and know that all of the experience I'm going to gain this year is going to be amazing. I am going to be working until I'm tired, I know that. But, I really believe in all the stuff that I am working toward, so it's a lot easier to show up and just grind it out. This also means that whole "over-comitting" thing didn't really work out. But, it's not because I did any more than I said I was going to do as I moved here. I just didn't anticipate how much work it would be to be doing what I am doing.
That being said, I just got a job working on an organic farm helping with serving at weddings. Pretty cool, the two people I met seem pretty laid back, and I just go the general feeling that it was a laid back place. I'm very excited. They were talking about needing someone to take an assistant position in the interview and I didn't offer up right away because I wasn't sure of my hours. I'm going to check it out and see what they say today about it.
I may be getting bartender certified, so that's pretty cool. This is just another thing off of the jobs I wanted to do before I die list. I don't know why I want to try everything, but I feel so fortunate that I have had the opportunity to do so. This job is seasonal, so I will be back on the hunt in October, but I am happy with what I have...and it should allow me some time during the week to actually do homework! Yay! :)
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Environmentally Friendly Homemade Laundry Soap (Detergent)
I know, I've been neglectful. So much for me having time and really sticking to it. One day, maybe. Likely, probably not. But, I will stick to posting here whenever I can. I can do that. :) Last post, you were eagerly awaiting the result of my chai tea and soap escapade. And, I have come to report to you my success! First, let us start with the homemade soap. I will tell you this, I wish I had made the powder version, so I'm going to tell you how to make it that way, then show you how I made the liquid kind and you can choose which you prefer!
For the powder kind, just grate up the bar of soap, and put 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda in a container of your choice. Much easier, so I'm not sure why I put myself through all of this trouble. Also, if you have someone in your house who loves the smell of fresh washed laundry, you can purchase fabric softener crystals and add them to the mix as well. Voila! Pretty smelling and effective soap! I didn't do it, because I was using all environmental products and that pretty smelling stuff isn't. So, if you're going for all natural, just add essential oil. :)
I suggest using about 1-2 tablespoons of it per load. That is a guess, though since I haven't made it before, but it makes sense to me.
Materials:
(2) 1 Gallon Jug, (or whatever other container you have sitting around)
1 Bar of Soap (any kind - but I went for the all natural)
1 Bar of Fels Naptha Soap
1 Box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1 Box of Borax
1 Grater
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Funnel
1 Large Pot
So, oddly enough, I just happened to have two Jagermeister bottles laying around the house. I promise, they were collected over time. I used them instead of the 1 gallon containers because I thought it would look neat. I would submit that I was right.
Better remove those labels. We don't wanna confuse anyone, that night would end way differently that you expected. ;) Just put a wet rag on top of the labels while you're making the stuff and they should be ready to peel off by the end of it all. Check about half way through to make sure the rag isn't drying out, otherwise you'll have to start over with that part. No big deal if you do.
Grate 2/3 of your regular bar of soap and 1/3 of the Fels Naptha into a bowl. To be honest, the original recipe called for a plain bar of soap - your choice. I choice to do a little of both because I was aiming for the coconut smell that came with the bar of regular soap. I didn't come through in the end, so Fels Naptha might even be good by itself. I might do that next time.
Put 1 gallon of water in the pot with the soap mixture in it at about medium heat and let warm up until all of the soap is melted. Add 1 c. of borax and 1 c. of washing soda, then bring it to a boil. This should make it congeal, sort of. Mine didn't really congeal, but they say it works fine if it doesn't. Add one more gallon of cold water.
Next, use a funnel to pour the mixture into your bottles. I suggest letting it sit for awhile, because the bottles were hot for a period after. Don't worry if the mix ends up looking weird in the bottle over time. Just shake it up before you use it. I use about half a cup of soap per load.
I was thrilled with this because of the pump on the bottle. It makes it easy to put into the wash. It takes about eight pumps, and I have another whole bottle left over to make more!
It was only $11.52 for all of the ingredients, and I could have made 3 more batches. There are 16 cups in a gallon (32 loads per bottle, 64 per batch). 256 loads (4 batches*64 loads per batch) per $12 ish spent. A box of Gain, which washes 150 loads is 20.47 on walmart.com. Granted, the cost will go up if you decide to add the fabric softener crystals. But, it's worth the saving I think. You pay about have for about 66% (I think) more product. Woot!
And...
Also, some handy information about more natural stain remover. I love oxi-clean, but I found out that white vinegar is supposed to be a good substitute and it just about a dollar at the store. Pictured on the left is what I used to compare my s stain remover to.
As you can see, I put a little spaghetti sauce, coffee, and red wine on a scrap piece of cloth and let it sit for about a week. Then, I poured the stain remover on each and let it sit for about 15 minutes before putting them in the wash with the Gain soap. So, it might be slightly skewed, but I didn't want the stain remover to sit on it in unequal amounts of time.
The results were interesting and sort of inconclusive. White vinegar removed the wine stain WAY better than oxi-clean, however you can tell that the coffee and spaghetti stain stuck around more on the white vinegar piece (which is on the left). Oxi-clean turnt he wine stain a purple blue that would definitely make the shirt unwearable. I've seen that you have to do different things with white vinegar depending on the stain, such as use peroxide. Makes sense to me, for the bubbling action. Maybe one day in the future I will try it!
For the powder kind, just grate up the bar of soap, and put 1 cup of borax and 1 cup of washing soda in a container of your choice. Much easier, so I'm not sure why I put myself through all of this trouble. Also, if you have someone in your house who loves the smell of fresh washed laundry, you can purchase fabric softener crystals and add them to the mix as well. Voila! Pretty smelling and effective soap! I didn't do it, because I was using all environmental products and that pretty smelling stuff isn't. So, if you're going for all natural, just add essential oil. :)
I suggest using about 1-2 tablespoons of it per load. That is a guess, though since I haven't made it before, but it makes sense to me.
Materials:
(2) 1 Gallon Jug, (or whatever other container you have sitting around)1 Bar of Soap (any kind - but I went for the all natural)
1 Bar of Fels Naptha Soap
1 Box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1 Box of Borax
1 Grater
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Funnel
1 Large Pot
Better remove those labels. We don't wanna confuse anyone, that night would end way differently that you expected. ;) Just put a wet rag on top of the labels while you're making the stuff and they should be ready to peel off by the end of it all. Check about half way through to make sure the rag isn't drying out, otherwise you'll have to start over with that part. No big deal if you do.
Grate 2/3 of your regular bar of soap and 1/3 of the Fels Naptha into a bowl. To be honest, the original recipe called for a plain bar of soap - your choice. I choice to do a little of both because I was aiming for the coconut smell that came with the bar of regular soap. I didn't come through in the end, so Fels Naptha might even be good by itself. I might do that next time.
Put 1 gallon of water in the pot with the soap mixture in it at about medium heat and let warm up until all of the soap is melted. Add 1 c. of borax and 1 c. of washing soda, then bring it to a boil. This should make it congeal, sort of. Mine didn't really congeal, but they say it works fine if it doesn't. Add one more gallon of cold water.
Next, use a funnel to pour the mixture into your bottles. I suggest letting it sit for awhile, because the bottles were hot for a period after. Don't worry if the mix ends up looking weird in the bottle over time. Just shake it up before you use it. I use about half a cup of soap per load.
I was thrilled with this because of the pump on the bottle. It makes it easy to put into the wash. It takes about eight pumps, and I have another whole bottle left over to make more!
Guess what the best part is?!
(aside from being eco-awesome, that is)
(aside from being eco-awesome, that is)
And...
As you can see, I put a little spaghetti sauce, coffee, and red wine on a scrap piece of cloth and let it sit for about a week. Then, I poured the stain remover on each and let it sit for about 15 minutes before putting them in the wash with the Gain soap. So, it might be slightly skewed, but I didn't want the stain remover to sit on it in unequal amounts of time.
 |
| Terrible picture, I know. But, I was in the middle of my move and trying to get everything put away quickly. |
Monday, June 18, 2012
Preconceptions...
For the past two months I have been taking a Managerial Communications class for a Masters degree that I will not complete. I completed it due to financial obligations and very much could have put in minimal effort. Instead, and I'm sure you're all surprised, I've done my best and learned quite a lot from class. I'm actually pretty glad that I took the class.
It's been a very interesting study in human nature for me in some ways, and caused me to be introspective as some points. Tonight concluded the last "story" that needed to be told to the class. Basically, 3 students per class period had to tell a story about someone who mimics their beliefs or tell a story about someone that would impart a moral to the audience. I decided to do a little exercise on first impressions and described three different people based on what they did in the morning, what they wore to work, and where they lived. I gave the class four options for the people's occupations. I only described three people. The options were professor, engineer, fulbright scholar, and grandpa. Grandpa was the dummy answer, but most people thought the person I was describing was my grandpa when he was really an engineer, professor, AND Fulbright Scholar. The moral: don't judge a book by it's cover.
I was quite proud of the example. But, imagine my surprise when about half of my classmates began to cry when they told their stories. Before going on, I have to tell you that crying is one of my least favorite activities and is something I see as a sign of weakness. It's a harsh reality of mine, and something I once talked to a counselor about. Apparently my views on weakness came from playing football as a child. It makes sense, if you go into it (but I don't feel like going into, not the point of the story). I really don't like to cry in public, which apparently somehow makes me stronger than others. I'm not sure why that is, I think it's a masculine preconception, which would explain the football reference.
In my mind, the assignment was to impart a moral in three minutes or less (oh, and let me tell you they sure did not meet the time limit and greatly exceeded it).
I suppose my view on weakness, is one of my greatest weaknesses, because really - what's wrong with crying? I couldn't tell you, really. Maybe it makes them stronger than me, being able to let the world see that side of them. I would never dare to do that, if I could help it.
When I felt the situation was inappropriate to cry in (i.e. during a story where you could have consciously chosen to talk about something else), I was repulsed by it, as I did in class those few times. This is where introspection and study of human nature comes into play. Tonight, one of the women told a story about a close friend who had many horrible things happen in her life but always kept a smile on her face (was a counselor on a reservation, divorcee, son committed suicide in front of her, was committed to the hospital for colon cancer and her new husband died two weeks later, then her mother had a heart attack. She passed soon after that.) A very moving story, and surely one that speaks to resilience and the ultimate optimism we are capable of. I would hope to be that positive one day. My classmate choked through the whole thing.
I just have to consider that sense of "Oh geez, why is she crying? That's gross," that I immediately felt as a reaction, which brings me back to another part of class where I was reminded of a quote that truly resonates with me. "Above all else, to thine own self be true." And this is where I reaffirm my belief that judgement based off of things such as crying in public are not for me to worry about. Or, more simply, for me to pass judgement is not necessary nor noteworthy. My classmate was to thoust own heart being true. Pardon that horrible reference. But seriously, who am I to make any judgement on her for that? I apologize to any I have offended about the crying thing. Don't take it personal, I don't take notes on who cries in public. This was just such an odd situation for me.
Like my uncle says, these are just thoughts while shaving...
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Do-It-Yourself Day.
Sometimes, you just gotta leap before you look. You could land anywhere. A pit full of marshmallows, gummi bears, whip-cream. All great things. But then again, you could land in a pit of snakes. You just never know, unless you look before you leap. In the spirit of this post, let's just not do that. I tried things that I've never done before, nor really watched anyone do.
Today was Do-It-Yourself Day in the life of Liz McAllister. I think this should be a holiday (not celebrated in honor of me, of course). Wouldn't that be a fun little holiday to have for yourself once in awhile? Granted, I'd like to celebrate DIY Day every day, but that's just not always possible.
I'm very tired, but I'm very content. Today I made fried chicken, homemade laundry soap, and homemade instant chai tea. Only one of which I've tried out, and it tasted very good. Let's hope the rest of those endeavors were as successful. I'm going to test my soap escapade throughout the week. I've stained some clothing and will try regular soap versus my homemade soap and also some more natural stain remover versus oxi-clean.
That is an escapade to be shared later, upon completion. Tonight, it was fried chicken and boy was that hard. First, I didn't have a real fryer so we used an electric skillet. Have I mentioned that I'm afraid of boiling grease due to a very scarring incident where my sister burned the crap out of her hand with a pot of hot grease while I was a child? I still have a hard time cooking bacon without a pair of 2-foot long tongs. Oddly enough, my sister bakes her bacon now. Needless to say, neither of us came out on the good side of that experience.
Anyway, I'm new to cooking - so why not just jump in before I know how much skill it really takes to do things? I like a challenge. So, I made my way on over to allrecipes.com (my favorite recipe place thus far), and typed in chicken and father's day. Now, this probably won't work for most people, but allrecipes and I have a psychic link and it pulled up fried chicken recipes because it knew that Randy likes fried chicken. Great recipe with 11 spices, score! The more spices the better, I say! ...Sometimes.
It goes like this. Just put a cut up chicken into a bowl, and throw these spices over it. Then, cover with buttermilk. I actually have to share that sometimes I don't pay attention and therefore put a teaspoon of everything except for the two peppers. Yea, good thing I remembered to read before then. I ended up with about half a tsp. of cayenne anyway since I'd overdone the other ones and had a bit more chicken than the recipe called for.
Leave sit for 4-6 hours (they call for 6 in the recipe, I say do it if you have the time).
3 1/2 lb. ish chicken
1 teaspoon black pepper
After the alotted period, where I chose to go for a run, make chai tea, and homemade soap, get ready to get real. You can just sit on the couch and read a book, it's probably more relaxing. No matter what you do, after the marinading is completed you must mix the following in a bowl and whisk up (I used the actual measurements this time! Go me!). Coat your chicken. You want to be sure to get it WELL covered because this will be the fried tasty nummy part.
Today was Do-It-Yourself Day in the life of Liz McAllister. I think this should be a holiday (not celebrated in honor of me, of course). Wouldn't that be a fun little holiday to have for yourself once in awhile? Granted, I'd like to celebrate DIY Day every day, but that's just not always possible.
I'm very tired, but I'm very content. Today I made fried chicken, homemade laundry soap, and homemade instant chai tea. Only one of which I've tried out, and it tasted very good. Let's hope the rest of those endeavors were as successful. I'm going to test my soap escapade throughout the week. I've stained some clothing and will try regular soap versus my homemade soap and also some more natural stain remover versus oxi-clean.
That is an escapade to be shared later, upon completion. Tonight, it was fried chicken and boy was that hard. First, I didn't have a real fryer so we used an electric skillet. Have I mentioned that I'm afraid of boiling grease due to a very scarring incident where my sister burned the crap out of her hand with a pot of hot grease while I was a child? I still have a hard time cooking bacon without a pair of 2-foot long tongs. Oddly enough, my sister bakes her bacon now. Needless to say, neither of us came out on the good side of that experience.
Anyway, I'm new to cooking - so why not just jump in before I know how much skill it really takes to do things? I like a challenge. So, I made my way on over to allrecipes.com (my favorite recipe place thus far), and typed in chicken and father's day. Now, this probably won't work for most people, but allrecipes and I have a psychic link and it pulled up fried chicken recipes because it knew that Randy likes fried chicken. Great recipe with 11 spices, score! The more spices the better, I say! ...Sometimes.
 |
| Eh, gross. |
Leave sit for 4-6 hours (they call for 6 in the recipe, I say do it if you have the time).
3 1/2 lb. ish chicken
1 teaspoon black pepper
After the alotted period, where I chose to go for a run, make chai tea, and homemade soap, get ready to get real. You can just sit on the couch and read a book, it's probably more relaxing. No matter what you do, after the marinading is completed you must mix the following in a bowl and whisk up (I used the actual measurements this time! Go me!). Coat your chicken. You want to be sure to get it WELL covered because this will be the fried tasty nummy part.
 |
| It's getting hot in here! |
Throw 'em in the pan for frying. It says about 10-15 minutes to cook thoroughly, and it's much closer to 15 or 20 with an electric frying pan. However, your skin might get dark a little quicker than you like. I suggest turning them every 7 minutes or so to cook evenly and let the skin do a little cool and cook. I don't know if that's actually smart, but I'm guilty of messing too much with my food when I cook it. I say, don't be afraid to turn them often.
They'll look much darker than KFC chicken, but they were really good and the cayenne gives it a very nice flavor. The soak in the buttermilk spice mix was also good because it put flavor throughout the chicken too.
 |
| This is what was left! |
I bet you all are wondering how I could eat such a calorie-laden meal. Or maybe not. But really, I enjoy knowing exactly what goes into my food and putting all of that work in to get it where it is. The fact that it's edible is a plus and the fact that other people liked it = awesome! The Real Recipe. But, pssshhhh, who needs that? ;)
This is another thing that makes me happy. Food.
Which reminds me, I still must try the chai before I bestow it's wonder upon you.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Let's Develop Something Here.
No real direction as far as theme for this blog. But, maybe I'll just blog about things that make me happy. I think that's what I got out of the suggestions. Being as my mental and physical health are things that I work on to be happy, as well as trying to be positive when stuff sucks, and the same goes for why I volunteer.
It was interesting to me that you all were interested in my interests. Not that I don't think you're interested in what I do. But, sort of interesting that you want to know the why I do it of what I do.
My mom asked me about being as positive as I am, and I laughed. I didn't realize I was a positive person, but then again I don't think that am negative either. I guess I never really thought about it. I just don't see the point in being crazy obsessed about things that aren't thrilling. Don't get me wrong, I can be as dramatic as the next person (wait, did I just admit it? Crap.) But, in the end, what does being upset or negative do except make your day worse and detract from the quality of your life? It's a terrible waste of energy. You only live once, and no, I'm not into the whole Drake and YOLO shiz. I've been trying to live my life like that for most a good while. I really believe it, and try to live that way, and especially just want to leave this place a little better than when I came in.
Crap happens and you can never go back and change the way you reacted to something, or how long you spent worrying about it. Never. So, I just try to make the best of every situation and move on because someone somewhere has a real problem and the fact that my face hurts, or the doctor was a jerk, or that I stubbed my toe, are trivial things compared to span and size of the world (and really the universe).
I don't know if that makes sense. Summarily, I think I just realize that I'm part of something much bigger than myself and that stuff just doesn't matter, really.
I like to be happy, that's really just it.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Wisdom Tooth Catastrophe Weight Loss Plan & More.
Well, isn't that title dramatic enough for you? I promise I'm not a dramatic person, ok so maybe I am...a little. But that's as close to an admission you'll ever get from me. I like to live in denial.
I know that what you're really here for is the " & More " section, right? You're probably all wondering, "What could that mean? What could possibly follow the Wisdom Tooth Catastrophe Weight Loss Plan? Certainly, nothing."
Oh, but something does, and you, my friends, are needed to help me to be successful (have I lured your into reading further? I hope so.)
Anyway, small update on what I will not refer to as the WECWLP, Wisdom Tooth Catastrophe Weight Loss Plan. The moral of the story is: Doctors suck. Or, is it that I have no patience? You decide. Anyway, two and a half weeks ago and eight pounds previous, I had five wisdom teeth. Fast forward two and half weeks, and I am now down five, yes five, wisdom teeth and eight pounds. Oh, and I'm up one hole in my sinus cavity, and one infection tasting like death. Looking at the balance there, I'm not sure it equals out.
Currently, I'm somewhere between 'has it really been two and a half weeks with no running' and 'can someone put me into a coma until this is over'. Mind you, I'm being very selfish. There are many more MUCH worse things happening to people out there, and I should just shut up and let things work themselves out. I'm sure they will. However, I think the actual moral of the story is that I have no patience. Surprise, right? So, I'm sunk.
Onward and upward to the point where I need you all. All two of you who read this (thank you!). Some, or all, of you know that I have an over-committing problem (Step One: Admitting you have a problem). And, I've enlisted some of those closest to me to knock me over the head every time I try to over-commit (Step Two: Come to believe that a power greater than myself can restore me to sanity). Ok, maybe I'll never be sane but it's a good goal to strive toward. The rest of the steps don't really pertain. However, now that I have free-time, it makes me sort of sad.
Again, not dramatic. What I mean is that I sit at home and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I have this urgent feeling that instead of being on facebook, I should probably be out saving the world. As I do not have the ability to fly, and I really don't have that great of a vertical (obviously the two most important parts of being a super hero), I think I should focus on something else. Reading books is nice, but they cost money and I don't like to be sedintary all the time.
So, this is my idea.
Wait for it.
Blog! Whoa, surprise (again! what a wonderful post for you to read). But, not just blog about "Today I woke up and I was mad at the world, or my dog wouldn't listen." I'm thinking something with a little more structure that will be fun, and informational for all you's guys. If you know anything about me, it's that I really like to help enrich others lives. Perhaps that's a bit of overconfidence in my ability to have an affect on others, but if any of you try to burst that bubble - I'll slap you. Not really, but just let me live in that little world, eh?
What I need are ideas. Plenty of blogs have themes, like food blogs, or teacher blogs, or research blogs, or running blogs, or whatever. I don't know that I want to stick to one subject, but maybe if it were something like health (I kinda like that), in that it encompasses mental and physical health and you can cover a lot of different topics. It needs to be something that I can learn from and report about. Maybe it forces me to be thrifty, to make something, to research something, to try something new. I'm not sure.
This is my question to you: What would interest you? What would make you come back for more? Do you think this is a terrible idea?
Somehow, I think this will help me to feel like the free time that I use up to do this is well spent, and will expose me to all kinds of new things. And, believe it or not, I like new things. As long as I'm the one that decides to do it... ;)
I know that what you're really here for is the " & More " section, right? You're probably all wondering, "What could that mean? What could possibly follow the Wisdom Tooth Catastrophe Weight Loss Plan? Certainly, nothing."
Oh, but something does, and you, my friends, are needed to help me to be successful (have I lured your into reading further? I hope so.)
Anyway, small update on what I will not refer to as the WECWLP, Wisdom Tooth Catastrophe Weight Loss Plan. The moral of the story is: Doctors suck. Or, is it that I have no patience? You decide. Anyway, two and a half weeks ago and eight pounds previous, I had five wisdom teeth. Fast forward two and half weeks, and I am now down five, yes five, wisdom teeth and eight pounds. Oh, and I'm up one hole in my sinus cavity, and one infection tasting like death. Looking at the balance there, I'm not sure it equals out.
Currently, I'm somewhere between 'has it really been two and a half weeks with no running' and 'can someone put me into a coma until this is over'. Mind you, I'm being very selfish. There are many more MUCH worse things happening to people out there, and I should just shut up and let things work themselves out. I'm sure they will. However, I think the actual moral of the story is that I have no patience. Surprise, right? So, I'm sunk.
Onward and upward to the point where I need you all. All two of you who read this (thank you!). Some, or all, of you know that I have an over-committing problem (Step One: Admitting you have a problem). And, I've enlisted some of those closest to me to knock me over the head every time I try to over-commit (Step Two: Come to believe that a power greater than myself can restore me to sanity). Ok, maybe I'll never be sane but it's a good goal to strive toward. The rest of the steps don't really pertain. However, now that I have free-time, it makes me sort of sad.
Again, not dramatic. What I mean is that I sit at home and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I have this urgent feeling that instead of being on facebook, I should probably be out saving the world. As I do not have the ability to fly, and I really don't have that great of a vertical (obviously the two most important parts of being a super hero), I think I should focus on something else. Reading books is nice, but they cost money and I don't like to be sedintary all the time.
So, this is my idea.
Wait for it.
Blog! Whoa, surprise (again! what a wonderful post for you to read). But, not just blog about "Today I woke up and I was mad at the world, or my dog wouldn't listen." I'm thinking something with a little more structure that will be fun, and informational for all you's guys. If you know anything about me, it's that I really like to help enrich others lives. Perhaps that's a bit of overconfidence in my ability to have an affect on others, but if any of you try to burst that bubble - I'll slap you. Not really, but just let me live in that little world, eh?
What I need are ideas. Plenty of blogs have themes, like food blogs, or teacher blogs, or research blogs, or running blogs, or whatever. I don't know that I want to stick to one subject, but maybe if it were something like health (I kinda like that), in that it encompasses mental and physical health and you can cover a lot of different topics. It needs to be something that I can learn from and report about. Maybe it forces me to be thrifty, to make something, to research something, to try something new. I'm not sure.
This is my question to you: What would interest you? What would make you come back for more? Do you think this is a terrible idea?
Somehow, I think this will help me to feel like the free time that I use up to do this is well spent, and will expose me to all kinds of new things. And, believe it or not, I like new things. As long as I'm the one that decides to do it... ;)
Monday, January 23, 2012
Thoughts on Life
Hello, blog makeover. Not sure if I like it. It'll probably change from when I post this. So, woo.
Anyway, life is pretty good right now. I just got back from a week-long trip to Iowa. I was supervisor/chaperone/van driver to some theater students who were competing for a chance to go on to the next level. It was a pretty big deal, and pretty cool to see what their world is like. Everyone was cool, some were my age, and I think very appreciative to have someone there who would sing along in the car and blast the music, and make sure they got where they needed to go. It was nice to meet people my age. Made a few friends.
I interviewed for a job at the Olive Garden as a hostess. Let them know I wanted to be a server even though I had no experience and they were excited about that. I would get training and to taste all of the dishes/wines. Bonus! Ha. I've always wanted to be a waitress to see if I could do it, and do it well. The woman said she'd call back tomorrow about a second interview. It seemed like she liked me. When people hear that I'm looking for another job, they are very helpful and have all kinds of suggestions. And they're helpful. My professor wants me to ask a woman who is in the Director of Marketing at a local hospital if she's looking for anyone. She is in my class. But, right now I don't want to do that kind of work. I know that I should for the experience, but I just don't want to do it. Is that lazy? I don't think so, and I don't think there is an underlying reason for me not wanting to do it other than that I'm not sure I want to be pushed into this field. All experience is good, but I just am not feeling it right now.
I've always wanted to try being a waitress. I was excited about it. I know I'll stress out, but I can handle it.
My professor today told me that I need to stop working so hard. I bet that made you laugh. But, it's really frustrating to me. I've always had to work hard to be good at what I do. In athletics I had to practice and practice and practice to be as good as I was. In class, I pulled awesome grades but I had to really work at it. Anything I've earned, any recognition I've earned is because I have put my mind to it and worked hard.
Her idea is right. She wants me to be able to write my ideas clearly and quickly. I shouldn't have to take 20 hours to write a 5-page paper. That doesn't fly in the working world. If I didn't have that amount of time available to me to write it, I don't think it would take as long. But, it seems so hard to me to not put all of my effort into doing well at something if I have the time to. She said to go work out or read when I feel like writing and to give myself a time limit. I hate the idea of it. I usually hate change. I usually deal with it. I think this must bother me because it means I'm not good at something. I'm not good at putting my thoughts into writing so that others can understand. A good business professional can.
I also think I hate it because I have a horrible addiction to always being busy. Being idle and unproductive is awful to me.
I know I'm whining, but that's what happens before big changes in my life. I really am a happy kid. Just venting a little of my frustration.
I interviewed for a job at the Olive Garden as a hostess. Let them know I wanted to be a server even though I had no experience and they were excited about that. I would get training and to taste all of the dishes/wines. Bonus! Ha. I've always wanted to be a waitress to see if I could do it, and do it well. The woman said she'd call back tomorrow about a second interview. It seemed like she liked me. When people hear that I'm looking for another job, they are very helpful and have all kinds of suggestions. And they're helpful. My professor wants me to ask a woman who is in the Director of Marketing at a local hospital if she's looking for anyone. She is in my class. But, right now I don't want to do that kind of work. I know that I should for the experience, but I just don't want to do it. Is that lazy? I don't think so, and I don't think there is an underlying reason for me not wanting to do it other than that I'm not sure I want to be pushed into this field. All experience is good, but I just am not feeling it right now.
I've always wanted to try being a waitress. I was excited about it. I know I'll stress out, but I can handle it.
My professor today told me that I need to stop working so hard. I bet that made you laugh. But, it's really frustrating to me. I've always had to work hard to be good at what I do. In athletics I had to practice and practice and practice to be as good as I was. In class, I pulled awesome grades but I had to really work at it. Anything I've earned, any recognition I've earned is because I have put my mind to it and worked hard.
Her idea is right. She wants me to be able to write my ideas clearly and quickly. I shouldn't have to take 20 hours to write a 5-page paper. That doesn't fly in the working world. If I didn't have that amount of time available to me to write it, I don't think it would take as long. But, it seems so hard to me to not put all of my effort into doing well at something if I have the time to. She said to go work out or read when I feel like writing and to give myself a time limit. I hate the idea of it. I usually hate change. I usually deal with it. I think this must bother me because it means I'm not good at something. I'm not good at putting my thoughts into writing so that others can understand. A good business professional can.
I also think I hate it because I have a horrible addiction to always being busy. Being idle and unproductive is awful to me.
I know I'm whining, but that's what happens before big changes in my life. I really am a happy kid. Just venting a little of my frustration.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Here's to the New Year!
I haven't posted since I started my new job, so I suppose I should start there. I'm going to make it brief because I have other things to talk about!
I'm happy with the work I'm doing. It is definitely administrative, but I supervise two work-study students and get to talk to them about school and making decisions and developing a work ethic and I really enjoy that. Everyone in the department is nice and very grateful that I am there. I get to help track who we've met with and developed a list with over 3000 names on it for recruiting purposes (that sucked!) and got to coordinate Madrigal Tickets and tables (that was fun!). There really isn't much to report other than that.
I started coursework early because I needed to be able to put my loans into deferment/forebearance. I'm still struggling on that from and am currently trying to pay the interest that accrues during forebearance because I don't qualify for deferment for a few months. I need to find another job (yay!). No one said this would be easy, and it'll build a little character. I don't really anticipate it will be that hard, but I'll be busier than I'm used to. I've grown accustomed to waking up, working out, then going to work. I'll have to squeeze my workouts in at another time.
Anyway, on to the reason for this post.
I'm not really a believer in the New Year's Resolution kind of thing because I think that anything worth doing you should commit to for your own reasons. However, I am interested in creating a list of things that I want to accomplish this year so that I can look back on it and see how successful I was. So here it is.
Run 415 miles this year.
Sew together my T-shirt quilt.
Write 104 pages for my book.
Hit level 85 on World of Warcraft (this one may be a little lofty, and very nerdy).
Develop my ideal business idea into more than just a pipe dream.
Add $1000 to my savings.
Pay $1000 of my loans.
Make a few friends in the area.
Read 10 fiction books.
Find a better way to communicate with my family more regularly.
That's all I've got for now. Maybe I'll add to it as I go. Anyone else care to share some of what they'd like to accomplish this year?
I'm happy with the work I'm doing. It is definitely administrative, but I supervise two work-study students and get to talk to them about school and making decisions and developing a work ethic and I really enjoy that. Everyone in the department is nice and very grateful that I am there. I get to help track who we've met with and developed a list with over 3000 names on it for recruiting purposes (that sucked!) and got to coordinate Madrigal Tickets and tables (that was fun!). There really isn't much to report other than that.
I started coursework early because I needed to be able to put my loans into deferment/forebearance. I'm still struggling on that from and am currently trying to pay the interest that accrues during forebearance because I don't qualify for deferment for a few months. I need to find another job (yay!). No one said this would be easy, and it'll build a little character. I don't really anticipate it will be that hard, but I'll be busier than I'm used to. I've grown accustomed to waking up, working out, then going to work. I'll have to squeeze my workouts in at another time.
Anyway, on to the reason for this post.
I'm not really a believer in the New Year's Resolution kind of thing because I think that anything worth doing you should commit to for your own reasons. However, I am interested in creating a list of things that I want to accomplish this year so that I can look back on it and see how successful I was. So here it is.
Run 415 miles this year.
Sew together my T-shirt quilt.
Write 104 pages for my book.
Hit level 85 on World of Warcraft (this one may be a little lofty, and very nerdy).
Develop my ideal business idea into more than just a pipe dream.
Add $1000 to my savings.
Pay $1000 of my loans.
Make a few friends in the area.
Read 10 fiction books.
Find a better way to communicate with my family more regularly.
That's all I've got for now. Maybe I'll add to it as I go. Anyone else care to share some of what they'd like to accomplish this year?
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