Okay, okay. I admit it, I have stepped on the scale a few times this week. Seriously, I need to hide that thing or have someone hide it from me. I've gone from going months at a time avoiding the thing to checking it every couple of days to see what kind of progress I have or haven't made. Dear self, you've only been doing this for a week and a half, did you really think you were going to lose ten pounds in that short time? The truth is, yes. Yes, I did. My first few days saw a loss of over three and a half pounds. When I saw that, I thought to myself, that's incredible! I know it's not safe to lose more than a couple of pounds a week, but I'm heavy enough that more than that in the beginning is totally fine! You know what hasn't been fine? The fact that I've gotten up on that scale several times since then...first thing in the morning, right after going to the bathroom, right after getting out of the shower...and the number has gotten higher. What is happening???
Well, I think I have the answer...or at least AN answer. Did I warm up before my workouts? Yes, if you consider rocking out to Vanilla Ice warming up. Have I been doing my mobility issues? You betcha. Squats, lunges, push-ups? Modified, yes. I know my body and its current condition well enough to know that attacking those things fully would do more damage than good. I've got one knee that it hurts to kneel on because of a surgical scar, and the other one hurts going up and down the stairs (and what is going to help it out? Squats...go figure). But I feel like for some of the workouts I've done, especially this week, I've been phoning it in a bit. Today was active recovery day, which means 15-60 minutes of moderate activity in addition to day-to-day activity. I sat on my bed all day and thought dancing around a bit while getting ready for bed would suffice. News flash: it's not good enough, and I know it.
So this, today, right here, is my official re-commitment. I commit to giving as much as I can every day, even if it's walking in place for a while. I commit to using my standing desk for at least two hours of every workday. I commit to making up any workouts I miss due to scheduling conflicts. I commit to adding more water until I am drinking, at a minimum, 100 ounces a day. I commit to being more conscientious of the quantity and makeup of what I eat, not just healthy versus unhealthy. I'm sure I'll need to re-commit often, sometimes daily, sometimes weekly. But this is a new beginning to start over.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Thursday, January 5, 2017
New Year, New Beginnings
I don't know if there is anyone who ever actually reads my blog anymore...or at all. Why would you? I haven't posted anything in two and a half years, and let's be honest, my life (or at least the things I've posted in the past) are not earth-shattering my any means. So why am I here tonight? Well, I'll tell you. I need a place to vent. I need an outlet. And while Facebook is okay for some things, I don't want to bombard or burden others with my constant thoughts. And sometimes I just want to let things out and let go of them. While the supportive comments are nice, sometimes I just don't need them. So here goes...
On Monday, January 2nd, I embarked on a nutrition/fitness challenge. I paid a fee to become an official member. As an official member, I will receive a t-shirt, a wristband, and access to nutrition and fitness plans. It also doesn't hurt that this program was started by a handsome Scottish actor as a way to support his favorite charity (half of the fees goes toward a blood cancer charity he supports) AND give back to the community to help people complete a challenge they've set out for themselves, physical or not. For the money I spent on it, it's a pretty good deal. There is a meal plan that I have chosen not to follow for the time being, although I do plan on trying out some of the delicious-looking recipes given. I am, however, doing my best at following the fitness plan. I've only been doing this for four days, and my legs are already sore, but I'm optimistic this will help me get out of the downward spiral I've been on for the past 16 years.
Here's what's gotten me upset tonight. I'm sure she's well-meaning, but a roommate asked me how my New Years' resolution was going. I admit, I probably didn't respond in the best way. But I want to be very clear: This is not a New Years' resolution. It never was, and it never will be. Resolutions do not and have not ever worked for me. Sure, I suppose I could have tried out the old resolutions one more year. "I resolve to eat healthier." Great, that works until someone brings home or makes something laden with sugar and tells me I have to eat some because they can't eat it all. "I resolve to work out more." Okay, what happens when there's nobody around to be accountable to? Who wants to go out in the frigid cold to go to a gym packed full of people who have made the same resolution? Just like them, I will either stop going after a couple of weeks, or I will never go at all.
Yes, I admit that part of my motivation for jumping into this program was because of the handsome Scottish actor mentioned above. But the fact of the matter is that I have been unhappy for a very long time. I'm unhappy with my body, I'm unhappy with my weight, I'm unhappy with how I see myself. And either I've been too lazy or too unmotivated to do much about it. The weight came on easily, why can't it come off easily as well? Well, that mindset has done me absolutely no favors. I'm close to one hundred pounds over my ideal weight. One hundred pounds! I'm sure a lot of people would balk at that amount and tell me there's no way I am that overweight. And I would probably respond that I carry it well. But the truth is, I do not. I've seen the photos, I am overweight. And it's time I do something about it.
So why isn't my decision to lose weight and eat healthier a New Years' resolution? Yes, it began the day after New Years'. And yes, some of the challenges I hope to accomplish over the next year are some of the typical resolutions made on January 1st. The difference is that this is not something that is going to fizzle out in a few weeks. The difference is that I am choosing to fight for myself and to believe that I am worth it. The difference is that when I last checked, there were 6,190 other people around the world doing similar things and making similar choices in an effort to improve their own lives. There are 6,190 other people on this planet who have got my back and who can give me the encouragement I might need at the drop of a hat. There are 6,190 people I can go to if I have a question or concern about something in the meal plan or the workout videos. The support I've gotten in the past week from people I will probably never even meet has been incredible. And I need that encouragement.
The number I saw when I stepped on my scale to find out my starting weight will never show up there again. There will be a day, soon, when I will be able to wear all those clothes I had to put away because they didn't fit anymore. Soon, I may just have to go shopping for an entire new wardrobe because everything I own is too big. And one day, maybe I'll be able to look at myself in the mirror and thank myself for insisting that I was worth fighting for, even if I'm the only one doing the fighting. This is not a resolution, it's a lifestyle change.
On Monday, January 2nd, I embarked on a nutrition/fitness challenge. I paid a fee to become an official member. As an official member, I will receive a t-shirt, a wristband, and access to nutrition and fitness plans. It also doesn't hurt that this program was started by a handsome Scottish actor as a way to support his favorite charity (half of the fees goes toward a blood cancer charity he supports) AND give back to the community to help people complete a challenge they've set out for themselves, physical or not. For the money I spent on it, it's a pretty good deal. There is a meal plan that I have chosen not to follow for the time being, although I do plan on trying out some of the delicious-looking recipes given. I am, however, doing my best at following the fitness plan. I've only been doing this for four days, and my legs are already sore, but I'm optimistic this will help me get out of the downward spiral I've been on for the past 16 years.
Here's what's gotten me upset tonight. I'm sure she's well-meaning, but a roommate asked me how my New Years' resolution was going. I admit, I probably didn't respond in the best way. But I want to be very clear: This is not a New Years' resolution. It never was, and it never will be. Resolutions do not and have not ever worked for me. Sure, I suppose I could have tried out the old resolutions one more year. "I resolve to eat healthier." Great, that works until someone brings home or makes something laden with sugar and tells me I have to eat some because they can't eat it all. "I resolve to work out more." Okay, what happens when there's nobody around to be accountable to? Who wants to go out in the frigid cold to go to a gym packed full of people who have made the same resolution? Just like them, I will either stop going after a couple of weeks, or I will never go at all.
Yes, I admit that part of my motivation for jumping into this program was because of the handsome Scottish actor mentioned above. But the fact of the matter is that I have been unhappy for a very long time. I'm unhappy with my body, I'm unhappy with my weight, I'm unhappy with how I see myself. And either I've been too lazy or too unmotivated to do much about it. The weight came on easily, why can't it come off easily as well? Well, that mindset has done me absolutely no favors. I'm close to one hundred pounds over my ideal weight. One hundred pounds! I'm sure a lot of people would balk at that amount and tell me there's no way I am that overweight. And I would probably respond that I carry it well. But the truth is, I do not. I've seen the photos, I am overweight. And it's time I do something about it.
So why isn't my decision to lose weight and eat healthier a New Years' resolution? Yes, it began the day after New Years'. And yes, some of the challenges I hope to accomplish over the next year are some of the typical resolutions made on January 1st. The difference is that this is not something that is going to fizzle out in a few weeks. The difference is that I am choosing to fight for myself and to believe that I am worth it. The difference is that when I last checked, there were 6,190 other people around the world doing similar things and making similar choices in an effort to improve their own lives. There are 6,190 other people on this planet who have got my back and who can give me the encouragement I might need at the drop of a hat. There are 6,190 people I can go to if I have a question or concern about something in the meal plan or the workout videos. The support I've gotten in the past week from people I will probably never even meet has been incredible. And I need that encouragement.
The number I saw when I stepped on my scale to find out my starting weight will never show up there again. There will be a day, soon, when I will be able to wear all those clothes I had to put away because they didn't fit anymore. Soon, I may just have to go shopping for an entire new wardrobe because everything I own is too big. And one day, maybe I'll be able to look at myself in the mirror and thank myself for insisting that I was worth fighting for, even if I'm the only one doing the fighting. This is not a resolution, it's a lifestyle change.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Writing
I've been thinking quite a bit lately about seriously writing something with the eventual purpose of having it published. The biggest problem I'm coming across is that it's hard (for me, at least, I don't know about the people who actually write books for a living) to come up with an original idea that doesn't sound like a thousand other things that have been done before.
I had a dream a few weeks ago, and in it, I was explaining the plot to this actor I've got a bit of a crush on. He thought it was a great idea and encouraged me to explore the idea. Unfortunately, I assumed I would remember the idea and I didn't write it down. That's right, I fell back to sleep and when I woke up again, the idea was gone. I suppose there is a really good chance that it was actually a terrible idea and my subconscious cleansed itself of the idea, in which case, I should probably thank my subconscious.
About a week ago, the first day of my staycation, I had another dream. This time, I happened to have a notebook nearby, so I quickly wrote down every detail I could remember. And then I wrote down questions I had about a lot of those details, and then I wrote down some things I needed to do a bit of research on so I didn't sound completely ridiculous if I actually got around to doing some writing based on these details. Once that was done, I laid down and tried to go back to sleep, but my brain would have none of that. I opened my laptop and did that research, and I typed out all of my notes as well as the answers to many of my questions. I was excited. I had several pages of details that, if done the right way, could stretch into maybe four or five books. Perfect. I had a vague idea of the main character (although her name is not yet set in stone), as well as her best friend and another friend who happens to be a guy (strangely, those two do have names that are not likely to change). I had a general idea of what the main character would be and what would happen to her and what made her so special.
And then...it hit me. Some of the details...some of the very important details, sounded a lot like (what I'm guessing) was a fairly popular children's TV show for a few years that also spurred a live-action movie that was pretty terrible. They also sounded quite a bit like a book series I had previously read, which also spurred a movie that was extremely terrible. Sure, there were also some key differences. For example, both the TV show in question and book series, like my idea, carry significance in the use of the four elements, but they don't deal with the elements in the same way.
Well, what am I so afraid of, you might ask. If it's different enough, great. But what if I write these books (or at least the first one), and someone, or multiple someones, compare my stories to the TV show and book series? Or even worse, the movies??? What if I put so much blood, sweat, and tears into writing and nobody wants to read it because it's not compelling enough? What if a decent name for my main character never comes to me? What if all I've got are these few pages of details, and that's all I've got in me? What if all it sounds like is some lame fan fiction that was written by someone who has an extremely lacking vocabulary? What if all my fears are what prevent me from something really good?
If anyone actually reads this and has some sage words of advice for me, please share in a comment. Or if you and I are friends on Facebook, a message would be nice. I'd love to hash out some of these ideas I've got and maybe tear down some of my self-imposed barriers.
I had a dream a few weeks ago, and in it, I was explaining the plot to this actor I've got a bit of a crush on. He thought it was a great idea and encouraged me to explore the idea. Unfortunately, I assumed I would remember the idea and I didn't write it down. That's right, I fell back to sleep and when I woke up again, the idea was gone. I suppose there is a really good chance that it was actually a terrible idea and my subconscious cleansed itself of the idea, in which case, I should probably thank my subconscious.
About a week ago, the first day of my staycation, I had another dream. This time, I happened to have a notebook nearby, so I quickly wrote down every detail I could remember. And then I wrote down questions I had about a lot of those details, and then I wrote down some things I needed to do a bit of research on so I didn't sound completely ridiculous if I actually got around to doing some writing based on these details. Once that was done, I laid down and tried to go back to sleep, but my brain would have none of that. I opened my laptop and did that research, and I typed out all of my notes as well as the answers to many of my questions. I was excited. I had several pages of details that, if done the right way, could stretch into maybe four or five books. Perfect. I had a vague idea of the main character (although her name is not yet set in stone), as well as her best friend and another friend who happens to be a guy (strangely, those two do have names that are not likely to change). I had a general idea of what the main character would be and what would happen to her and what made her so special.
And then...it hit me. Some of the details...some of the very important details, sounded a lot like (what I'm guessing) was a fairly popular children's TV show for a few years that also spurred a live-action movie that was pretty terrible. They also sounded quite a bit like a book series I had previously read, which also spurred a movie that was extremely terrible. Sure, there were also some key differences. For example, both the TV show in question and book series, like my idea, carry significance in the use of the four elements, but they don't deal with the elements in the same way.
Well, what am I so afraid of, you might ask. If it's different enough, great. But what if I write these books (or at least the first one), and someone, or multiple someones, compare my stories to the TV show and book series? Or even worse, the movies??? What if I put so much blood, sweat, and tears into writing and nobody wants to read it because it's not compelling enough? What if a decent name for my main character never comes to me? What if all I've got are these few pages of details, and that's all I've got in me? What if all it sounds like is some lame fan fiction that was written by someone who has an extremely lacking vocabulary? What if all my fears are what prevent me from something really good?
If anyone actually reads this and has some sage words of advice for me, please share in a comment. Or if you and I are friends on Facebook, a message would be nice. I'd love to hash out some of these ideas I've got and maybe tear down some of my self-imposed barriers.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Do you ever wonder...
...if maybe you're not living your best life? Like maybe you have so much potential for things you could be doing, and you don't even realize it? Or maybe you do but you're too afraid to do anything about it or you don't know where to start? That's kind-of where my head is right now.
Every so often, I think about this subject. Usually it's spurred by something that's said by someone much more influential than I'm fairly certain I could ever hope to be. Most recently, it came by way of a Q&A session with one of my currently favorite actors that was livestreamed from Comic Con a few weeks ago via YouTube (don't even get me started on him, I could talk about him for hours about all of the dorky things he does that somehow make me wish I could know him personally that much more. I mean, really...who knew a velociraptor impression would be so intriguing and attractive? Ahem...and I digress). It was a quote that I believe goes something like this: We all have two lives, the second one begins when you realize you only have one.
Ever since I heard that, it's been on my mind. I like my job, and I'm good at it. But sometimes I long to do something that I'm great at. That I love. That I would never tire of. My main struggle: what would that be? And once I figure that out, if I ever figure that out, how do I even begin to steer myself in the right direction?
I suppose that the best place to start would be to think about some of the things that I love, and then go from there. So, here goes...
I love to read, I think I always have. My mom says that I was in kindergarten when she found me reading a book to one of our kittens, who was passed out on my lap. Until then, she hadn't had any idea that I even knew how to read. My sister would read books to me, and I think that I had heard the stories so many times that I had the words memorized and I figured out on my own what all those strange little symbols were and how they each sounded and how they related to each other. I think what I love most about reading is the level of description the author provides to the reader that allows the reader to form a clear picture of the location, of the action, of the characters and their interactions (unless the author goes too far into detail with their description...sorry, J.R.R. Tolkien, I tried to read The Hobbit, but after several pages, there was still no introduction of any of the characters, and I lost interest). As a friend once eloquently said, I don't just read books...I inhale them. As soon as I finish one book in a series, often within just a few hours, I crave more. There is this inexplicable need to immerse myself in the next one. How amazing is it when one book can make you feel, really feel...can make you cry one minute and laugh the next. When you can have tears running down your face from having your heart destroyed, and a smile on your face from the humor the characters display.
So I love to read, but what do I do with that? I've thought, often, about trying my hand at writing. I took a writing class in college, and I was intrigued by the concept I chose for, if memory serves, my final assignment. It focused on a character who may not have been who he seemed, or who he wanted everyone to believe he was (I only just realized today that this is, in some ways, similar to The Great Gatsby. But first, I make no claims to be even close to as good a writer as F. Scott Fitzgerald. I know I'm not. And second, I've never even read The Great Gatsby. The movies? Yes, seen them. Really, though, Tobey Maguire? Bad casting choice, in my opinion. Anyway...). The topic interested my professor (or teacher's aide? It was so long ago that I don't even remember anymore), but there were so many questions he posed that I couldn't even begin to answer. Who was the narrator? How was he/she related to the character? Why did he/she want to expose the character? Did he/she hold some sort of a grudge against the character, and as a result, was he/she even someone the reader could trust? It was in my head that the character was formed, yet even I couldn't figure out the complete picture.
Since then, I've dabbled here and there in private. Mostly it's because I often tell myself stories at night when I'm trying to sleep. I write my stories down or type them up if I get stuck, it helps me to move the story along. Sometimes it works, sometimes I give up and start over. There's never been a story I've been able to see through to the end, but I've never figured out why, whether I've just decided that it's not good enough to continue, or I don't have the creativity to formulate a decent ending, besides "and they lived happily ever after." I've considered, with some storylines, asking someone to read what I've written, in order to gain some feedback. Is it good? Is it original? Is it interesting? But I've never gone through with it. Am I holding myself back? I don't know, maybe one day I'll just go for it. We'll see.
And then there's music. I love music. I love that there is at least one song for every situation, every feeling, every emotion. I love that when I'm in a bad mood, I can listen to angry music to help get it out of my system. I love that when I'm feeling sad, there is an entire list of songs that feel the same way, even if it's not for the same reasons. And I absolutely love that there's that one song that always cheers me up or makes me happy, and I can't help but move to the beat. Currently, that song is You Make My Dreams Come True by Hall & Oates. Don't judge, you listen to the song and tell me it doesn't make you want to dance.
I legitimately enjoy putting together playlists for friends, full of music they've never heard of but I know, or at least hope, that they'll come to love as I do. As a result, I have a few friends that call me Rocker Gina, or \m/ Gina (please don't make me explain that one to you...just revel in its awesomeness). Unfortunately, more often than not, I get distracted halfway through creating some of my playlists and they never get finished or shared. And then I get reminded, and I tell them, "Oh yeah, sure, I'm working on it." And most of the time it's true.
But anyway, my dream job, out of all dream jobs that could ever be, would definitely have something to do with music. I watch TV shows that I love, and there's just such great music on the show that I can't get enough of. It just sets the scene so well, makes you feel like you're a part of the show. And I think, I would LOVE to do something like that, to choose what songs are played when. But then, could I really do that? There are songs that I never would have heard of if not for the fact that someone else chose them and did all the work involved for getting the song lists approved. I've looked into it, and they do so much work. They watch a scene, and then they pick a song and they propose the use of that song to a director or producer, and then they contact the powers that be for permission to use that song, or at least a piece of that song, and that doesn't even include payment negotiations with the artist or record company and so many other things they do (yes, I've looked into it).
And then there's the vast musical knowledge a person would need to have for a job like that. I have, I think, a fairly wide (random, at times) taste in music. I mean, I've got some pretty weird stuff on my iPod, just ask some of those that have seen it. But my goodness, there is so much music out there that I've never heard! And then there's the stuff that I hated at first listen but now I can't stop listening to it. And those are the songs that I end up listening to over and over and over again while telling myself I'll never get sick of them, until one day I can't stand to listen to even one more time, and then I give myself a few days or weeks or months or years and I can listen to them over and over and over again.
I also love staring at men I think are handsome and watching them in movies and TV shows and stuff, but what could come from that? I could become a professional stalker and get arrested and go to jail...yeah, maybe not.
I know I've been rambling on about these things for far too long, and I probably should go back and cut out a few things, but books and music are really the two things I'm most passionate about. This is how I really feel about them. And if you've read this entire post, you are a trooper and there's not a whole lot for me to offer. If you were hoping I would have revealed the perfect solution, then you are sorely mistaken, because I am just as confused about my future as you are. Guess I'll just have to continue evaluating and pondering my life until I figure out whatever it is that I am great at and that I love.
Every so often, I think about this subject. Usually it's spurred by something that's said by someone much more influential than I'm fairly certain I could ever hope to be. Most recently, it came by way of a Q&A session with one of my currently favorite actors that was livestreamed from Comic Con a few weeks ago via YouTube (don't even get me started on him, I could talk about him for hours about all of the dorky things he does that somehow make me wish I could know him personally that much more. I mean, really...who knew a velociraptor impression would be so intriguing and attractive? Ahem...and I digress). It was a quote that I believe goes something like this: We all have two lives, the second one begins when you realize you only have one.
Ever since I heard that, it's been on my mind. I like my job, and I'm good at it. But sometimes I long to do something that I'm great at. That I love. That I would never tire of. My main struggle: what would that be? And once I figure that out, if I ever figure that out, how do I even begin to steer myself in the right direction?
I suppose that the best place to start would be to think about some of the things that I love, and then go from there. So, here goes...
I love to read, I think I always have. My mom says that I was in kindergarten when she found me reading a book to one of our kittens, who was passed out on my lap. Until then, she hadn't had any idea that I even knew how to read. My sister would read books to me, and I think that I had heard the stories so many times that I had the words memorized and I figured out on my own what all those strange little symbols were and how they each sounded and how they related to each other. I think what I love most about reading is the level of description the author provides to the reader that allows the reader to form a clear picture of the location, of the action, of the characters and their interactions (unless the author goes too far into detail with their description...sorry, J.R.R. Tolkien, I tried to read The Hobbit, but after several pages, there was still no introduction of any of the characters, and I lost interest). As a friend once eloquently said, I don't just read books...I inhale them. As soon as I finish one book in a series, often within just a few hours, I crave more. There is this inexplicable need to immerse myself in the next one. How amazing is it when one book can make you feel, really feel...can make you cry one minute and laugh the next. When you can have tears running down your face from having your heart destroyed, and a smile on your face from the humor the characters display.
So I love to read, but what do I do with that? I've thought, often, about trying my hand at writing. I took a writing class in college, and I was intrigued by the concept I chose for, if memory serves, my final assignment. It focused on a character who may not have been who he seemed, or who he wanted everyone to believe he was (I only just realized today that this is, in some ways, similar to The Great Gatsby. But first, I make no claims to be even close to as good a writer as F. Scott Fitzgerald. I know I'm not. And second, I've never even read The Great Gatsby. The movies? Yes, seen them. Really, though, Tobey Maguire? Bad casting choice, in my opinion. Anyway...). The topic interested my professor (or teacher's aide? It was so long ago that I don't even remember anymore), but there were so many questions he posed that I couldn't even begin to answer. Who was the narrator? How was he/she related to the character? Why did he/she want to expose the character? Did he/she hold some sort of a grudge against the character, and as a result, was he/she even someone the reader could trust? It was in my head that the character was formed, yet even I couldn't figure out the complete picture.
Since then, I've dabbled here and there in private. Mostly it's because I often tell myself stories at night when I'm trying to sleep. I write my stories down or type them up if I get stuck, it helps me to move the story along. Sometimes it works, sometimes I give up and start over. There's never been a story I've been able to see through to the end, but I've never figured out why, whether I've just decided that it's not good enough to continue, or I don't have the creativity to formulate a decent ending, besides "and they lived happily ever after." I've considered, with some storylines, asking someone to read what I've written, in order to gain some feedback. Is it good? Is it original? Is it interesting? But I've never gone through with it. Am I holding myself back? I don't know, maybe one day I'll just go for it. We'll see.
And then there's music. I love music. I love that there is at least one song for every situation, every feeling, every emotion. I love that when I'm in a bad mood, I can listen to angry music to help get it out of my system. I love that when I'm feeling sad, there is an entire list of songs that feel the same way, even if it's not for the same reasons. And I absolutely love that there's that one song that always cheers me up or makes me happy, and I can't help but move to the beat. Currently, that song is You Make My Dreams Come True by Hall & Oates. Don't judge, you listen to the song and tell me it doesn't make you want to dance.
I legitimately enjoy putting together playlists for friends, full of music they've never heard of but I know, or at least hope, that they'll come to love as I do. As a result, I have a few friends that call me Rocker Gina, or \m/ Gina (please don't make me explain that one to you...just revel in its awesomeness). Unfortunately, more often than not, I get distracted halfway through creating some of my playlists and they never get finished or shared. And then I get reminded, and I tell them, "Oh yeah, sure, I'm working on it." And most of the time it's true.
But anyway, my dream job, out of all dream jobs that could ever be, would definitely have something to do with music. I watch TV shows that I love, and there's just such great music on the show that I can't get enough of. It just sets the scene so well, makes you feel like you're a part of the show. And I think, I would LOVE to do something like that, to choose what songs are played when. But then, could I really do that? There are songs that I never would have heard of if not for the fact that someone else chose them and did all the work involved for getting the song lists approved. I've looked into it, and they do so much work. They watch a scene, and then they pick a song and they propose the use of that song to a director or producer, and then they contact the powers that be for permission to use that song, or at least a piece of that song, and that doesn't even include payment negotiations with the artist or record company and so many other things they do (yes, I've looked into it).
And then there's the vast musical knowledge a person would need to have for a job like that. I have, I think, a fairly wide (random, at times) taste in music. I mean, I've got some pretty weird stuff on my iPod, just ask some of those that have seen it. But my goodness, there is so much music out there that I've never heard! And then there's the stuff that I hated at first listen but now I can't stop listening to it. And those are the songs that I end up listening to over and over and over again while telling myself I'll never get sick of them, until one day I can't stand to listen to even one more time, and then I give myself a few days or weeks or months or years and I can listen to them over and over and over again.
I also love staring at men I think are handsome and watching them in movies and TV shows and stuff, but what could come from that? I could become a professional stalker and get arrested and go to jail...yeah, maybe not.
I know I've been rambling on about these things for far too long, and I probably should go back and cut out a few things, but books and music are really the two things I'm most passionate about. This is how I really feel about them. And if you've read this entire post, you are a trooper and there's not a whole lot for me to offer. If you were hoping I would have revealed the perfect solution, then you are sorely mistaken, because I am just as confused about my future as you are. Guess I'll just have to continue evaluating and pondering my life until I figure out whatever it is that I am great at and that I love.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Ideas
I have so many other things I should be working on right now (like cleaning my room so the painters that are coming tomorrow morning don't think I'm a slob, eating dinner, or exercising), yet here I am updating my blog.
I've come up with a few ideas for some possible extra income. With gas prices on the rise again, I could really use the dinero. I have intentions to take the necessary steps to take the train to work a few days a week, but that can only help so much. I'd also like to be able to work from home occasionally, but in order to do that, I would need a new laptop (the one I have is at least 6 or 7 years old and is only in one piece because of the bright orange duct tape holding parts together), which requires money that I don't currently have. So here I propose my current ideas:
A few weeks ago, my friend had several friends and acquaintances at her house selling homemade goods. One of the things that someone had made was headbands using ribbon. Normally, I don't bother too much with any kind of headbands as my head is a funny shape and they just end up slipping right off. But these headbands had a handy little addition: small pieces of velcro to keep the ribbon from sliding off one's head. Easy peasy! I'm very tempted to make all sorts of different kinds of similar headbands now, with a few modifications, like using spare fabric. I also want to make fabric watchbands that could be used with the same type of watch face that people use for the beaded watchbands. I just haven't put any together yet as samples. Maybe someday soon...
The other idea is to make diaper cakes. We're throwing a baby shower for a girl at work, and we're using as decorations things she can take home and use for the baby. For example, instead of using tablecloths, you use receiving blankets. Instead of (or in addition to) napkins, baby wipes. We also decided that the centerpiece would be a diaper cake. Shortly after we decided what we were going to do for the shower, I found a super cute picture of a diaper creation: a tricycle! Then I realized, you could make all sorts of fun things out of diapers! I found a few other ideas online...a train, a car, a fire truck, a castle...and a guitar! Who knew??? I'm so excited to play around and see what I can create! And....I've also seen ideas for cakes made out of kitchen or bath towels, used for a wedding or bridal shower gift. So if you know of anyone that's looking for a fun gift, send them my way and we can see what we can come up with!
I've come up with a few ideas for some possible extra income. With gas prices on the rise again, I could really use the dinero. I have intentions to take the necessary steps to take the train to work a few days a week, but that can only help so much. I'd also like to be able to work from home occasionally, but in order to do that, I would need a new laptop (the one I have is at least 6 or 7 years old and is only in one piece because of the bright orange duct tape holding parts together), which requires money that I don't currently have. So here I propose my current ideas:
A few weeks ago, my friend had several friends and acquaintances at her house selling homemade goods. One of the things that someone had made was headbands using ribbon. Normally, I don't bother too much with any kind of headbands as my head is a funny shape and they just end up slipping right off. But these headbands had a handy little addition: small pieces of velcro to keep the ribbon from sliding off one's head. Easy peasy! I'm very tempted to make all sorts of different kinds of similar headbands now, with a few modifications, like using spare fabric. I also want to make fabric watchbands that could be used with the same type of watch face that people use for the beaded watchbands. I just haven't put any together yet as samples. Maybe someday soon...
The other idea is to make diaper cakes. We're throwing a baby shower for a girl at work, and we're using as decorations things she can take home and use for the baby. For example, instead of using tablecloths, you use receiving blankets. Instead of (or in addition to) napkins, baby wipes. We also decided that the centerpiece would be a diaper cake. Shortly after we decided what we were going to do for the shower, I found a super cute picture of a diaper creation: a tricycle! Then I realized, you could make all sorts of fun things out of diapers! I found a few other ideas online...a train, a car, a fire truck, a castle...and a guitar! Who knew??? I'm so excited to play around and see what I can create! And....I've also seen ideas for cakes made out of kitchen or bath towels, used for a wedding or bridal shower gift. So if you know of anyone that's looking for a fun gift, send them my way and we can see what we can come up with!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Who Says You Have To Leave To Have An Adventure?
Two blog posts in one week??? Who are you and what have you done with the real Gina? I know, I know...I'm awful with actually posting here, but I'm hoping to get better. I've even got plans for at least one more post that may or may not be written in the next few days.
Anyway, today I thought I'd share my little adventure this afternoon. Don't worry, it's completely okay to laugh at my stupidity. I flip-flopped between wanting to burst out laughing and feeling like the tears might start flowing. So here goes:
The day started out like pretty much any other day, except for the fact that it had snowed a few inches so the roads had a tendency to be fairly slick. But I managed to arrive at my destination not too long after I was supposed to be there. I pulled into my usual parking spot, but because of some snow that hadn't quite been plowed, I misjudged the location of the curb. Not wanting to be that close, I backed up and tried to straighten myself out. Well, that didn't really work, so I tried again. Unfortunately, this time, my car didn't budge. Oh well, I thought to myself. Hopefully the snow/ice will melt enough that I won't have a problem getting out of my parking spot.
Well, imagine my frustration when, at shortly after 4 pm this afternoon, my car still did not and would not budge. I keep a container of kitty litter in my trunk as I had been told years earlier that it's really good for traction in case you ever get stuck (this is completely false, and when it gets saturated, looks less like kitty litter and more like kitty regurgitation...anyone need half a container of unused kitty litter for Fluffy? It's yours!).
Luckily for me, my coworker (we call her Midge) who had left the same time as me, drove by and saw my unfortunate situation. She stopped her car to watch the circus of me trying to get my unstuck. She even made an effort to try to push my car out of the ice and sludge. And then I had my bright idea: I'll put my car in neutral, and both of us can push it! Neutral: go! And then I closed the door. "No, you have to leave it open, see?" Midge said as she grabbed the door handle...but the door wouldn't open. Apparently, I had forgotten the small detail that when I put my car in gear, the doors lock. So now my car is A. locked, B. stuck, C. running, oh...and D. almost out of gas. Great.
Then I remembered something: (at the risk of undesirable events taking place...) One of my windows is not functioning properly and is cracked open a bit. Perfect! I should be able to pull it down with not much effort, and I can get into my car, and that'll be one less problem. Pull, pull, pull...think, think, think...pull, pull, pull....post on Facebook in case someone has a more brilliant idea than me...pull, pull, pull...crap, that didn't work...pull, pull, pull...at some point, this has to work, right?...pull, pull, pull. In the meantime, Midge called our supervisor to see if someone there had, with any luck, a wire hanger. So we waited and waited, and hopped into Midge's warm car, and waited some more, and then out came another co-worker with two wooden rulers taped together with the taped ends wrapped in paper and a binder clip taped to the end. So I stuck one of the rulers through the slightly open window and...well, one of the rulers is now in my backseat. Someone, remind me to return it to her, please. And that is how one idea, which was great in theory, failed miserably.
Just as co-worker was headed to her car to see if she possibly had anything that might help, she passed three of the guys on the IT team. Great, as if I didn't feel stupid enough for getting stuck in the snow and locking myself out of my running car...Their suggestion? Call campus security. Sigh. Alright, guess we'll give that a try. Now, what's the phone number? Midge and I both went on a search (using our phones, of course) for the number. Finally, I found it and had to swallow my pride as I explained my dilemma to the guy on the other end of the line. Luckily, he didn't ridicule me for my brainless act(s) (let's be honest, they probably encounter this type of thing all the time, year round...maybe not getting stuck in the snow, but...) and let me know that someone should be contacting me within 5-10 minutes. Sure enough, I received a call so that I could give the security officer my exact location.
Within minutes (MINUTES!!!) of the security officer arriving, he had my front driver's side window rolled down. "There you go, have a nice day." No, wait! My car's stuck, too! This was my original problem, and I was NOT letting him get away without fixing this for me, too! I know, I know...sometimes I can be so needy. So he called for backup because this was not going to be remedied without a little extra help, and then I told him why I was not surprised that I was stuck.
It seams like at least once a year for the past five years, I have gotten myself stuck in the snow. Mostly, it was when I was backing out of a driveway and just didn't go fast enough. And then I would learn from that so it was much less likely that I would let that happen again. Until the next year. Well, apparently I have a hard time shutting down illogical thoughts in my brain and figured that since we've had a fairly mild winter this year with only a few snowstorms with a majority of the snow melting within a day or so, this would be the year that I did not get stuck. And I started getting a little confident about that because it's now March. Spring (and warmer weather) should be coming soon, right? Right.
Anyway, I explained to him that without fail, I get stuck in the snow once a year. Then I told him I even tried kitty litter for traction, but obviously, that didn't help. He walked over to his truck and pulled a bag of bright blue rock salt out of the back, and started throwing the stuff both in front of and behind my front tires. Then he started directing me to push on the gas while turning the steering wheel either direction. Well, whaddaya know??? TRACTION!!! Keep going, keep going....Success! All four tires solidly on pavement! And then off I was to make the final rescue of my poor car: fill it with gas before it dies a sad and pathetic death.
Moral of the story: So many options. Don't assume that if something that tends to happen annually hasn't occurred yet, you're home free? Don't pull into the parking spot so close to the curb when snow is involved? Don't leave your keys in the ignition (or anywhere else in the car) when your car is in gear or in neutral and then close the door because you will inevitably be locked out? Never trust a Sicilian when death is on the line? (Points to whomever can tell me what that's from) I don't know, you be the judge.
Thanks again to Midge for chilling out with me and witnessing my manifested stupidity and providing a warm place for both of us while we waited for my rescue. And a huge thanks to the security officer for helping me into my car and out of my rut. And thanks to whomever reads this blog post, for hopefully reading this entire story and enjoying at least a chuckle or two.
Anyway, today I thought I'd share my little adventure this afternoon. Don't worry, it's completely okay to laugh at my stupidity. I flip-flopped between wanting to burst out laughing and feeling like the tears might start flowing. So here goes:
The day started out like pretty much any other day, except for the fact that it had snowed a few inches so the roads had a tendency to be fairly slick. But I managed to arrive at my destination not too long after I was supposed to be there. I pulled into my usual parking spot, but because of some snow that hadn't quite been plowed, I misjudged the location of the curb. Not wanting to be that close, I backed up and tried to straighten myself out. Well, that didn't really work, so I tried again. Unfortunately, this time, my car didn't budge. Oh well, I thought to myself. Hopefully the snow/ice will melt enough that I won't have a problem getting out of my parking spot.
Well, imagine my frustration when, at shortly after 4 pm this afternoon, my car still did not and would not budge. I keep a container of kitty litter in my trunk as I had been told years earlier that it's really good for traction in case you ever get stuck (this is completely false, and when it gets saturated, looks less like kitty litter and more like kitty regurgitation...anyone need half a container of unused kitty litter for Fluffy? It's yours!).
Luckily for me, my coworker (we call her Midge) who had left the same time as me, drove by and saw my unfortunate situation. She stopped her car to watch the circus of me trying to get my unstuck. She even made an effort to try to push my car out of the ice and sludge. And then I had my bright idea: I'll put my car in neutral, and both of us can push it! Neutral: go! And then I closed the door. "No, you have to leave it open, see?" Midge said as she grabbed the door handle...but the door wouldn't open. Apparently, I had forgotten the small detail that when I put my car in gear, the doors lock. So now my car is A. locked, B. stuck, C. running, oh...and D. almost out of gas. Great.
Then I remembered something: (at the risk of undesirable events taking place...) One of my windows is not functioning properly and is cracked open a bit. Perfect! I should be able to pull it down with not much effort, and I can get into my car, and that'll be one less problem. Pull, pull, pull...think, think, think...pull, pull, pull....post on Facebook in case someone has a more brilliant idea than me...pull, pull, pull...crap, that didn't work...pull, pull, pull...at some point, this has to work, right?...pull, pull, pull. In the meantime, Midge called our supervisor to see if someone there had, with any luck, a wire hanger. So we waited and waited, and hopped into Midge's warm car, and waited some more, and then out came another co-worker with two wooden rulers taped together with the taped ends wrapped in paper and a binder clip taped to the end. So I stuck one of the rulers through the slightly open window and...well, one of the rulers is now in my backseat. Someone, remind me to return it to her, please. And that is how one idea, which was great in theory, failed miserably.
Just as co-worker was headed to her car to see if she possibly had anything that might help, she passed three of the guys on the IT team. Great, as if I didn't feel stupid enough for getting stuck in the snow and locking myself out of my running car...Their suggestion? Call campus security. Sigh. Alright, guess we'll give that a try. Now, what's the phone number? Midge and I both went on a search (using our phones, of course) for the number. Finally, I found it and had to swallow my pride as I explained my dilemma to the guy on the other end of the line. Luckily, he didn't ridicule me for my brainless act(s) (let's be honest, they probably encounter this type of thing all the time, year round...maybe not getting stuck in the snow, but...) and let me know that someone should be contacting me within 5-10 minutes. Sure enough, I received a call so that I could give the security officer my exact location.
Within minutes (MINUTES!!!) of the security officer arriving, he had my front driver's side window rolled down. "There you go, have a nice day." No, wait! My car's stuck, too! This was my original problem, and I was NOT letting him get away without fixing this for me, too! I know, I know...sometimes I can be so needy. So he called for backup because this was not going to be remedied without a little extra help, and then I told him why I was not surprised that I was stuck.
It seams like at least once a year for the past five years, I have gotten myself stuck in the snow. Mostly, it was when I was backing out of a driveway and just didn't go fast enough. And then I would learn from that so it was much less likely that I would let that happen again. Until the next year. Well, apparently I have a hard time shutting down illogical thoughts in my brain and figured that since we've had a fairly mild winter this year with only a few snowstorms with a majority of the snow melting within a day or so, this would be the year that I did not get stuck. And I started getting a little confident about that because it's now March. Spring (and warmer weather) should be coming soon, right? Right.
Anyway, I explained to him that without fail, I get stuck in the snow once a year. Then I told him I even tried kitty litter for traction, but obviously, that didn't help. He walked over to his truck and pulled a bag of bright blue rock salt out of the back, and started throwing the stuff both in front of and behind my front tires. Then he started directing me to push on the gas while turning the steering wheel either direction. Well, whaddaya know??? TRACTION!!! Keep going, keep going....Success! All four tires solidly on pavement! And then off I was to make the final rescue of my poor car: fill it with gas before it dies a sad and pathetic death.
Moral of the story: So many options. Don't assume that if something that tends to happen annually hasn't occurred yet, you're home free? Don't pull into the parking spot so close to the curb when snow is involved? Don't leave your keys in the ignition (or anywhere else in the car) when your car is in gear or in neutral and then close the door because you will inevitably be locked out? Never trust a Sicilian when death is on the line? (Points to whomever can tell me what that's from) I don't know, you be the judge.
Thanks again to Midge for chilling out with me and witnessing my manifested stupidity and providing a warm place for both of us while we waited for my rescue. And a huge thanks to the security officer for helping me into my car and out of my rut. And thanks to whomever reads this blog post, for hopefully reading this entire story and enjoying at least a chuckle or two.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Time flies...
Wow. Looks like it's been quite a while since I posted last, and it's amazing how much has happened. I'd like to say that Jenny's quilt has been completed, as well as the one for Andrea that I purchased the fabric for, but alas, 'tis not true. And now she's entering the MTC on Wednesday, so it looks like I've got about 18 months to get it finished up. Let's hope I can do that and get Andrea's done as well, and maybe I can get the disappearing 4-patch quilt in black, white and orange for myself finished. Wishful thinking? Maybe. I suppose time will tell. I'll be sure to post when I complete a project.
I also have plans to refurbish a sewing table I purchased at the DI this summer for a whopping $4.00. It opens up on both sides, and there's a big ol' hole in the middle where a sewing machine used to be. I had gone on a search for a piece of wood that I could have cut down to replace the middle section, but I would have had to purchase an entire sheet and have it cut down, and I would have had to take the rest of it home. Not something I wanted to do.
Luckily, there was a man in the lumber section that was buying supplies for himself who had overheard my conversation with the employee at the store who was being quite difficult to deal with. The man said he might have something at his shop that might work for me, and to give him a call a bit later after he'd gotten back to his shop. Sure enough, he had something that would be perfect for my project. He had even cut it down and sanded it for me. I asked him what I owed him for the wood, and he basically said it was a gift. Really? Sweet! Current tally: $4.00!
My next item to replace: hardware. Up until this point, I hadn't really decided exactly what I wanted to do with my sewing table. All I knew was that I wanted it to be functional and cute. So off I trekked to Hobby Lobby where I perused the drawer pulls. I looked and looked, not really finding anything I wanted. And then I saw something that caught my eye: zebra-striped drawer pulls. Oh yeah. And then it all came together. Here's the plan: the table will be black, but when it's closed, it will have a zebra-striped top, with zebra-striped drawer pulls. I'm so ridiculously excited for the finished product! Pictures hopefully to follow soon.
I also have plans to refurbish a sewing table I purchased at the DI this summer for a whopping $4.00. It opens up on both sides, and there's a big ol' hole in the middle where a sewing machine used to be. I had gone on a search for a piece of wood that I could have cut down to replace the middle section, but I would have had to purchase an entire sheet and have it cut down, and I would have had to take the rest of it home. Not something I wanted to do.
Luckily, there was a man in the lumber section that was buying supplies for himself who had overheard my conversation with the employee at the store who was being quite difficult to deal with. The man said he might have something at his shop that might work for me, and to give him a call a bit later after he'd gotten back to his shop. Sure enough, he had something that would be perfect for my project. He had even cut it down and sanded it for me. I asked him what I owed him for the wood, and he basically said it was a gift. Really? Sweet! Current tally: $4.00!
My next item to replace: hardware. Up until this point, I hadn't really decided exactly what I wanted to do with my sewing table. All I knew was that I wanted it to be functional and cute. So off I trekked to Hobby Lobby where I perused the drawer pulls. I looked and looked, not really finding anything I wanted. And then I saw something that caught my eye: zebra-striped drawer pulls. Oh yeah. And then it all came together. Here's the plan: the table will be black, but when it's closed, it will have a zebra-striped top, with zebra-striped drawer pulls. I'm so ridiculously excited for the finished product! Pictures hopefully to follow soon.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It...
My materials:
- Fabric
- Thread
- Ribbon
My supplies:
- Sewing Machine
- Scissors
- Pins
My mission:
- To make a wearable Easter skirt in a few hours or less without using a pattern.
Mission: Accomplished
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Cat's Out of the Bag!
Okay, so it's been over a month since I posted a picture of the fabric for my project, so I'm a little slow. But I managed to finish sewing the top of this awesome quilt together and present it to my friend Jenny for her birthday! I would have liked to have the whole thing done, but, well...I didn't. Fail. BUT...She said she really liked it, which is bittersweet for me. I'm so happy that she likes it, but I'm also sad that I'll have to let it go forever once it's finished. I suppose I can see it when I visit her. But first I have to figure out how to back it without having to buy a lot of additional fabric.I also have a couple of other projects in the works...Okay, the truth is that fabric has been purchased, but has not been cut into yet. I'm making another quilt in some fun colors for another friend (I'll post pictures later since she has probably figured out that she's getting a quilt for her birthday, as well...if not, she knows now!) and once both of these are done, it's a quilt for me! I'm using the same pattern as the one in the picture to the left for both, and I'll let you in on the secret for the color theme for my quilt...the bricks are black and white fabric, and the "neutral" color for the squares is orange. I know, I know...it sounds Halloween-ish, but hopefully it doesn't turn out that way. If it does, oh well. I'm excited to see how it'll turn out. I'm already plotting to bind it in the extra black fabric, and I'll probably back it in orange. As my seester says, it'll probably be so bright it'll keep me up at night, but at least I'll be warm! Hopefully pictures are to come soon.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Surprise!
I'm super excited about this fabric and what I plan on doing with it. It's a surprise, and the great part about it is that the person it's for probably has no idea whatsoever that it's for them! So I can post pictures all over the place and they'll never know! I'm super excited to sew it up, although I nearly had a panic attack when I started cutting into the fabric. My seester and my mom are the seamstresses of the family. I, unfortunately, did not get the sewing genes. Or if I did, they're stunted. The point is, I don't do nearly as much sewing as either one of them do. But I'm not letting that stop me from making something really cute! Speaking of, I should probably start cutting up the green fabric in the middle of the picture so I can get on with the actual sewing! I'll try to post more when I get more of my project completed.
Monday, November 29, 2010
You Know You Don't Post Enough When...
...You can't remember the URL for your own blog. I had to go to my seester's blog and click on her link for my blog in order to refresh my memory. Okay, everyone, let's all say it together...Gina fails!
Anyway...so I'm in between projects to get done today, so I thought I'd give a bit of an update on what I've been up to lately. Some of it I don't really want to talk about or get into right now, so if you REALLY want to know about that part of my life, feel free to comment with your email address, if I don't already have it. But it's probably not as exciting as I'm sure you're hoping for it to be.
I'm currently working/planning on some Christmas presents for my family. I can't go into the specifics, even though the only presents that I have the ideas for are all for the nieces and nephews. I'm sure that most of them are too young to even care about blogs, especially mine. But for some reason I have this need to keep their present ideas from their parents...with the exception of my seester. I have to run my ideas past somebody, right? Anyway, I'm still trying to come up with some ideas for the adults. That's the tough part.
I've also got a few crafty ideas stirring in my head that I might try to sell at some point, if I can work up the ambition and the supplies. Some of it I already have, and I might just use some other stuff that I had been planning on sending to the D.I. I'm planning on making beaded lanyards (I've got one that I've been using that lots of people have commented on, and I would have posted a picture here, but I accidentally left it at my seester's house after the Thanksgiving weekend. Maybe I'll have to make a stop there in the next few days so I can get it. My niece was having a blast putting it around her neck and talking about how "pitty" it was. I also have an idea for some cute hair clips that should be fairly easy to make. Hopefully I'll be able to make some and post some pictures. But please don't look forward to it, because knowing my history, it'll be several months before anything else gets posted.
I also started last night with my church calling. I'm an indexer, which means I get to pull demographic information from old census and military draft records. It's actually kind of fun, and I already indexed about 170+ names just last night. Anyone can do it, just set up an LDS account and then go to indexing.familysearch.org and sign in! I'm excited to be able to help those that weren't able to hear the gospel before they died. And it's been fun as I've indexed some draft records to see where some of these people were born. So far I've seen names of people that were born in Italy, Poland, Greece, Russia, and Czechoslovakia. There may be more, but that's all I've got right now.
The other thing I need to do that absolutely needs to get done today is to put some music on an iPod for my Andrea friend. Some of my friends (and former roommates) have bestowed upon me the nickname of \m/(Rocker) Gina. I'm their go-to person when they need music for something, or if they heard a song on the radio and only remember part of the lyrics, and they need to know what song it was. I'm even considering buying myself a keytar (which is pretty much a portable keyboard on a guitar strap) and joining a band. I even have a name for said band, thanks to Andrea's mom (Mama Sayre)...Check this out...Rocker Gina and the Gene Pool. Awesome name, I think! What do you think?
Anyway...so I'm in between projects to get done today, so I thought I'd give a bit of an update on what I've been up to lately. Some of it I don't really want to talk about or get into right now, so if you REALLY want to know about that part of my life, feel free to comment with your email address, if I don't already have it. But it's probably not as exciting as I'm sure you're hoping for it to be.
I'm currently working/planning on some Christmas presents for my family. I can't go into the specifics, even though the only presents that I have the ideas for are all for the nieces and nephews. I'm sure that most of them are too young to even care about blogs, especially mine. But for some reason I have this need to keep their present ideas from their parents...with the exception of my seester. I have to run my ideas past somebody, right? Anyway, I'm still trying to come up with some ideas for the adults. That's the tough part.
I've also got a few crafty ideas stirring in my head that I might try to sell at some point, if I can work up the ambition and the supplies. Some of it I already have, and I might just use some other stuff that I had been planning on sending to the D.I. I'm planning on making beaded lanyards (I've got one that I've been using that lots of people have commented on, and I would have posted a picture here, but I accidentally left it at my seester's house after the Thanksgiving weekend. Maybe I'll have to make a stop there in the next few days so I can get it. My niece was having a blast putting it around her neck and talking about how "pitty" it was. I also have an idea for some cute hair clips that should be fairly easy to make. Hopefully I'll be able to make some and post some pictures. But please don't look forward to it, because knowing my history, it'll be several months before anything else gets posted.
I also started last night with my church calling. I'm an indexer, which means I get to pull demographic information from old census and military draft records. It's actually kind of fun, and I already indexed about 170+ names just last night. Anyone can do it, just set up an LDS account and then go to indexing.familysearch.org and sign in! I'm excited to be able to help those that weren't able to hear the gospel before they died. And it's been fun as I've indexed some draft records to see where some of these people were born. So far I've seen names of people that were born in Italy, Poland, Greece, Russia, and Czechoslovakia. There may be more, but that's all I've got right now.
The other thing I need to do that absolutely needs to get done today is to put some music on an iPod for my Andrea friend. Some of my friends (and former roommates) have bestowed upon me the nickname of \m/(Rocker) Gina. I'm their go-to person when they need music for something, or if they heard a song on the radio and only remember part of the lyrics, and they need to know what song it was. I'm even considering buying myself a keytar (which is pretty much a portable keyboard on a guitar strap) and joining a band. I even have a name for said band, thanks to Andrea's mom (Mama Sayre)...Check this out...Rocker Gina and the Gene Pool. Awesome name, I think! What do you think?
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Note to Self...
Never say you're going to do something that you know isn't going to happen.
In my last post, I explained my game plan to blog more often. I said that each week, I would try something new and then report back the following week. Four months later, and I'm just now reporting on my Twitter experience. Feel free to award me with a big, fat F.
As far as Twitter goes...the jury is still out. I know, I know, I've been on Twitter for four months already (that's a lot of weeks, by the way), I should have a decent opinion by now. But I don't. So the best thing I can do at this point is to offer a few pros and cons of Twitter.
Pros:
In my last post, I explained my game plan to blog more often. I said that each week, I would try something new and then report back the following week. Four months later, and I'm just now reporting on my Twitter experience. Feel free to award me with a big, fat F.
As far as Twitter goes...the jury is still out. I know, I know, I've been on Twitter for four months already (that's a lot of weeks, by the way), I should have a decent opinion by now. But I don't. So the best thing I can do at this point is to offer a few pros and cons of Twitter.
Pros:
- Instant gratification. It doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing, with just a few clicks on my phone, I can check in on whatever is new with all of the people/entities that I follow. And in some cases, updates are sent to my phone as a text message.
- Fascinating information. One of the entities I follow is full of the most interesting, if useless, facts. Did you know that a chocolate bar has an average of eight insect legs in it? And don't tell me you're surprised by that knowledge. I've never been inside a chocolate factory (although that might be a bit of a dream come true...Love me some chocolate!), but I'm pretty sure there are large vats of chocolate that don't have much of anything covering them...or maybe that's just how I envision factories, thanks to the years of my youth watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
Cons:
- Waste of time. While it is interesting to read up on and get updates on everyone that I follow, is it really imperative for me to know that so-and-so is putting out a new album, or that there's a giveaway tomorrow on a radio station program that I don't even get to listen to anymore, or that if you bite down on a Wint-O-Green Life Saver in the dark, you will see sparks? (The last one I already knew, but that one was for all of you who wanted to hear a random fact today) The point is that yes, it's true, my brain is full of trivia that's useful only when playing Cranium and the challenge is to guess what song is being hummed, and I'm such a nerd (particularly when it comes to music) that I know within about a dozen notes that the song is "Material World" by Madonna. Why should I add to the massive amount of useless facts already shoved into my head instead of learning something new that's actually useful?
So after all of that, for now, I remain a Twitterer (if that's even a word). To be honest, I'm mostly a follower because I'm pretty sure there's nobody out there that's that interested in knowing what I had for breakfast yesterday (french toast with a side of bacon) or what I did last Saturday (attended the Scottish Festival and discovered a great Celtic band, the Wicked Tinkers-you should check them out, and if you live near me, let me know if you're interested and I may let you borrow a CD or two so you, too, can marvel at how a band can merge the bagpipes and a didgeridoo and make fantastic, entertaining music).
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Tweet Tweeter Tweet Tweet
Okay, friends, here's the plan. In an effort to get myself to do more blogging, and to help make it interesting, I am going to try something different...for me, anyway. Once a week, I am going to try something new, and the following week, I will report my findings/opinions/comments/etc. This week's experiment: Twitter. Hopefully, most people that know me know that I am not the kind of person that jumps on the fad train just because it's there or because everyone else is doing it. Granted, I've been on the Facebook wagon for several years, but even with Facebook, it's been difficult to avoid the barrage of FarmVille invites (I will never succumb!).
I considered a few months ago signing up for Twitter, but eventually steered myself away because I didn't need yet another thing to waste my time with. And to be honest, this week really isn't the best week to be starting a time-waster. We've got some massive training starting this week, and I'm involved in the preparation for that. Wish I would have remembered that prior to coming up with my hare-brained plan, but when do I ever think all of my plans through?
Oh yeah, one more thing...if you want to follow me on twitter, here's the place to go...
ginarj
Enjoy!
I considered a few months ago signing up for Twitter, but eventually steered myself away because I didn't need yet another thing to waste my time with. And to be honest, this week really isn't the best week to be starting a time-waster. We've got some massive training starting this week, and I'm involved in the preparation for that. Wish I would have remembered that prior to coming up with my hare-brained plan, but when do I ever think all of my plans through?
Oh yeah, one more thing...if you want to follow me on twitter, here's the place to go...
ginarj
Enjoy!
Friday, December 18, 2009
It's official...
I am terrible at following through on what I say I'm going to do...like my blog. I don't really have much of an excuse, other than always finding something else to do instead. Who knows, maybe I can make a New Years' resolution to do more with my blog, even though I'm essentially setting myself up for failure, just like my gym membership.
Anyway, here's a quick update on what's going on in my life, for the person or two that hasn't given up on this blog or me yet...
Work-Still do it, can't afford not to. Do I love it? Not necessarily, but it's a job, and I'm grateful for it and the fact that it won't be going anywhere anytime soon.
Home-Haven't found a new one yet. For anyone who doesn't know, the house I've lived in for almost two and a half years has been on the market for about a year and a half. For a long time, there weren't any decent offers, so the family decided to split the property and sell the house separately from the half-acre next to it. Well, shortly after the property was split, a couple made an offer on the entire property, and the owners accepted it. They've got until the 23rd to back out or for a loan to fall through, but the house is pretty much sold at this point. It's been coming for a long time, but it's still hard to comprehend that change is coming quite quickly. Anyway, I've got an option or two that I'm looking into a bit, but if nothing works out, I'll be back with my sister for a little while. Lucky her, huh???
Church-Still go, haven't gone inactive yet, so don't worry. Our ward was supposed to be going through some big changes effective January 1st 2010, which meant I would end up being in a brand-new singles ward. And I was super excited for the change and had started preparing myself for it. Unfortunately, we were informed a few weeks ago that the change is not coming about as quickly as anyone had hoped. Apparently you have to have your ducks in a row before starting up three new wards and kicking several family wards out of their building. So I'll be staying in the same ward, unless one of my housing options is a go. If I move back in with the sister, I'll still be in the ward I am in currently. I'll keep you updated...or not, knowing me.
Dating-Haven't done much of it...ever. Not that I'm complaining about it. Sometimes I wish that I could find that special someone, get married, and live happily ever after. And then other times, I think that maybe it's a blessing to be single, especially after witnessing some of the things that people close to me have had to go through, both dating- and marriage-related. I've got one or two people that have someone they're thinking of setting me up with, but I'm not worrying about it too much. Besides, worrying doesn't change anything, right? I hope that doesn't sound negative, because that's not my intention. I've just got bigger fish to fry right now.
I know, I know...I promised much more exciting posts for this blog. Sorry to disappoint you, but this is all I've got right now. Besides, I've got my ward Christmas party in about 15 minutes, which is bound to be an interesting experience...
Anyway, here's a quick update on what's going on in my life, for the person or two that hasn't given up on this blog or me yet...
Work-Still do it, can't afford not to. Do I love it? Not necessarily, but it's a job, and I'm grateful for it and the fact that it won't be going anywhere anytime soon.
Home-Haven't found a new one yet. For anyone who doesn't know, the house I've lived in for almost two and a half years has been on the market for about a year and a half. For a long time, there weren't any decent offers, so the family decided to split the property and sell the house separately from the half-acre next to it. Well, shortly after the property was split, a couple made an offer on the entire property, and the owners accepted it. They've got until the 23rd to back out or for a loan to fall through, but the house is pretty much sold at this point. It's been coming for a long time, but it's still hard to comprehend that change is coming quite quickly. Anyway, I've got an option or two that I'm looking into a bit, but if nothing works out, I'll be back with my sister for a little while. Lucky her, huh???
Church-Still go, haven't gone inactive yet, so don't worry. Our ward was supposed to be going through some big changes effective January 1st 2010, which meant I would end up being in a brand-new singles ward. And I was super excited for the change and had started preparing myself for it. Unfortunately, we were informed a few weeks ago that the change is not coming about as quickly as anyone had hoped. Apparently you have to have your ducks in a row before starting up three new wards and kicking several family wards out of their building. So I'll be staying in the same ward, unless one of my housing options is a go. If I move back in with the sister, I'll still be in the ward I am in currently. I'll keep you updated...or not, knowing me.
Dating-Haven't done much of it...ever. Not that I'm complaining about it. Sometimes I wish that I could find that special someone, get married, and live happily ever after. And then other times, I think that maybe it's a blessing to be single, especially after witnessing some of the things that people close to me have had to go through, both dating- and marriage-related. I've got one or two people that have someone they're thinking of setting me up with, but I'm not worrying about it too much. Besides, worrying doesn't change anything, right? I hope that doesn't sound negative, because that's not my intention. I've just got bigger fish to fry right now.
I know, I know...I promised much more exciting posts for this blog. Sorry to disappoint you, but this is all I've got right now. Besides, I've got my ward Christmas party in about 15 minutes, which is bound to be an interesting experience...
Saturday, August 22, 2009
I've come to the conclusion that I don't post on my blog nearly often enough (I know what you're thinking, it's not hard to come to that conclusion...). To be honest, I tend to think that my life isn't exciting enough for other people to want to read about. Then I thought about my vacation the beginning of this month and thought, hey, I DO do interesting things. So I'm going to try to do a better job of posting on this blog...not necessarily just the weird and unusual things I do, but also my own personal music reviews (because of the love I have for music and the special place it holds in my heart) and just fun, random things that I do or that happen or that I come across. Hopefully in the process, I will be able to get into the habit of blogging. Here goes!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Gina needs...
My Haley roommate suggested I try this...It's quite entertaining.
Google the phrase (including the quotes) "[your first name] needs" and write down the first 10 results.
1. Gina needs to change her self-talk.
2. Gina needs to be clarified.
3. Gina needs a drink.
4. Gina needs some new kidneys!
5. Gina needs you!
6. Gina needs an English tutor, please.
7. Gina needs many services- social services, financial services, mental health services, manicure and pedicure services (so true...)
8. Gina needs spiritual intervention.
9. Gina needs to speak her mind.
10. Gina needs to come out with an energy drink next.
So there are are a few ones that I skipped because they were really dirty, but I've still got some funny ones!
Google the phrase (including the quotes) "[your first name] needs" and write down the first 10 results.
1. Gina needs to change her self-talk.
2. Gina needs to be clarified.
3. Gina needs a drink.
4. Gina needs some new kidneys!
5. Gina needs you!
6. Gina needs an English tutor, please.
7. Gina needs many services- social services, financial services, mental health services, manicure and pedicure services (so true...)
8. Gina needs spiritual intervention.
9. Gina needs to speak her mind.
10. Gina needs to come out with an energy drink next.
So there are are a few ones that I skipped because they were really dirty, but I've still got some funny ones!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Open Your Eyes / Highlander / Dancing Queen
It's been a while since I've written a blog, and I thought this looked like fun, so here goes...
JUST FOR FUN….
Feel free to do this yourself.
Directions:
1. Put your iPod, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the “next” button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY OR NON-SENSICAL IT SOUNDS
1. IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
She's Too Much - Duran Duran
2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
We Apologize For Nothing - Fightstar
3. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
There's a Good Reason These Tables are Numbered, Honey - Panic At the Disco
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Does Your Mother Know - Mamma Mia! Soundtrack
5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE PURPOSE?
My Blue Ocean - Kara's Flowers
6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Happy - Natasha Bedingfield
7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
So Long, Goodbye - 10 Years (Ouch!)
8. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Different - Acceptance (Again...Ouch!)
9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Undone - Owsley
10. WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Natural Disaster - Plain White T's
11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Drop Out-The So Unknown - Jack's Mannequin
12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Heart Attack - Low Diamond
13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Forever - Walter Meego
14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Rise - Flobots
16. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Trigger Happy Jack - Poe
17. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Said You'd Be - The Panic Channel
18. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
All Over You - The Spill Canvas
19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Paint Your Target - Fightstar
20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Request Line - Black Eyed Peas feat. Macy Gray
21. SONG THEY WILL PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Handlebars - Flobots
Open Your Eyes - Fightstar
(Just because I'm curious to see what the outcome would be a second time, I did it again...it's interesting to see what obscure music I have and how most of these songs have less than nothing to do with the questions.)
1. IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
Bloody Mary - The Panic Channel
2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Well Enough Alone - Chevelle
3. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
She Had the World - Panic At the Disco
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
What's Been Going On - Amos Lee
5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE PURPOSE?
Your Man - Josh Turner
6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N Roses
7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen
8. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Tracy's Song / Only Time Will Tell - Nelson
9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
My Own Summer (Shove It) - Fightstar
10. WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Hard To Say - The Used
11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Super Trouper - Mamma Mia! Soundtrack
12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Freckles - Natasha Bedingfield
13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Silent Scream - Richard Marx
14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
1985 - Bowling For Soup
15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Franklin - Paramore
16. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Love Me Dead - Ludo
17. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
I'm Not That Girl - Idina Menzel
18. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Someday - Plain White T's
19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Yeah! - Usher
20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Peace of Me - Natasha Bedingfield
21. SONG THEY WILL PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Shiver - Coldplay
Highlander Theme - Queen
(Okay, one more time....)
1. IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
2 Minutes to Midnight - Glamour of the Kill
2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Rules and Games - Funeral For a Friend
3. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
Piece of Your Heart - Natasha Bedingfield
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
She Won't Last - The Panic Channel
5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE PURPOSE?
The Days I Recall Being Wonderful - Fightstar
6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Didn't I (Blow Your Mind) - New Kids on the Block
7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns
8. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Grand Unification, Part 1 - Fightstar
9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
99 - Fightstar
10. WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Silent Movie - Natasha Bedingfield
11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Do You Know What I'm Seeing - Panic At the Disco
12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Take Off Your Colours - You Me At Six
13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Cry Baby Cry - Duran Duran
14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Intro - Bullet For My Valentine
15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You - Marc Cohn
16. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Blue Bruises - The Panic Channel
17. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Grand Unification, Part 2 - Fightstar
18. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic (Live Version) - Paramore
19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Miss California - Jack's Mannequin
20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
The Poison - Bullet For My Valentine
21. SONG THEY WILL PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
The Sweater Song - Weezer
Dancing Queen
Okay, so I cheated by answering the questions three times...But I didn't skip, I promise!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
It hurts, but not enough to break me.
I've quite recently come to the realization that it is a complete waste of my time to try to convince people to be friends with me. I've done it pretty much the past 27 years, and I'm done. I don't need friends whose friendships with me are conditional upon what I do or don't do or believe or know, or who I do or don't associate with. I'll admit, it hurt me when a recently former friend decided to shun me because of my association with people that she hates. I didn't understand it at first. After all, what had I done to her? Then when we were in the same elevator and she refused to acknowledge my existence, things started clicking. I finally understood. This isn't a temporary thing, it's an end of a friendship of convenience.
Let's be honest, I should have seen it coming from the beginning. A leopard can't change its spots, right? It's a very difficult, if not impossible, feat to please any given person at any given time, so to attempt it every time you're in that person's presence, it becomes exhausting. And there are people in this world that will drain all they can from you and enjoy it all the way. These are the same kinds of people that will hold a grudge over the most trivial thing for as long as they can...forever, if possible.
Believe me, I knew that this former friend held these characteristics. Maybe subconsciously I knew that my friendships with these people that she hated would bring out these characteristics and her "wrath" in full force. Maybe I was the one that decided to test her friendship with me, to see if she really was a friend or if it just happened to be convenient for her. I guess the point is, she failed the test. And maybe I did, too. But I've sure learned my lesson. Has she?
I don't know if she'll ever see this. Probably not. If she does, I'm sorry that my friendship was no longer worth her time. I'm sorry that her expectations were so far from who I am that a lasting friendship between her and me would have been impossible. But it's her loss, not mine. I'm okay with it, and I hope that she's okay with it, as well.
So what exactly have I learned from this experience?
1. You shouldn't have to work to get someone to like you or to accept you. If they do, that's great. If not, was it really worth it to begin with?
2. Be yourself and know yourself. If you can't do that, does anyone else really know you? And do they really like you for you or for who you're pretending to be?
3. If someone's friendship is conditional, it's not a friendship, it's a convenience.
4. If the reason your friendship fails is weak and thin, it was doomed from the beginning, and there's nothing you could have or should have done to salvage it. And that's okay. We learn from our mistakes.
5. Who cares if someone likes you or not? If they don't want what you have to offer, someone will, maybe you just haven't met them yet.
That's really all I have to say on that subject. I've probably beat it to death, anyway. I just think that sometimes it helps to hash out your frustrations in some way other than just inside your head. The end.
In other news, if I stop being such a lazy bum, I'm planning on writing a few more blogs in the near future, including, but not limited to, some of the things I've been up to lately, like my two trips to St. George this summer, my job, and my current creative endeavor. Stay tuned!
Let's be honest, I should have seen it coming from the beginning. A leopard can't change its spots, right? It's a very difficult, if not impossible, feat to please any given person at any given time, so to attempt it every time you're in that person's presence, it becomes exhausting. And there are people in this world that will drain all they can from you and enjoy it all the way. These are the same kinds of people that will hold a grudge over the most trivial thing for as long as they can...forever, if possible.
Believe me, I knew that this former friend held these characteristics. Maybe subconsciously I knew that my friendships with these people that she hated would bring out these characteristics and her "wrath" in full force. Maybe I was the one that decided to test her friendship with me, to see if she really was a friend or if it just happened to be convenient for her. I guess the point is, she failed the test. And maybe I did, too. But I've sure learned my lesson. Has she?
I don't know if she'll ever see this. Probably not. If she does, I'm sorry that my friendship was no longer worth her time. I'm sorry that her expectations were so far from who I am that a lasting friendship between her and me would have been impossible. But it's her loss, not mine. I'm okay with it, and I hope that she's okay with it, as well.
So what exactly have I learned from this experience?
1. You shouldn't have to work to get someone to like you or to accept you. If they do, that's great. If not, was it really worth it to begin with?
2. Be yourself and know yourself. If you can't do that, does anyone else really know you? And do they really like you for you or for who you're pretending to be?
3. If someone's friendship is conditional, it's not a friendship, it's a convenience.
4. If the reason your friendship fails is weak and thin, it was doomed from the beginning, and there's nothing you could have or should have done to salvage it. And that's okay. We learn from our mistakes.
5. Who cares if someone likes you or not? If they don't want what you have to offer, someone will, maybe you just haven't met them yet.
That's really all I have to say on that subject. I've probably beat it to death, anyway. I just think that sometimes it helps to hash out your frustrations in some way other than just inside your head. The end.
In other news, if I stop being such a lazy bum, I'm planning on writing a few more blogs in the near future, including, but not limited to, some of the things I've been up to lately, like my two trips to St. George this summer, my job, and my current creative endeavor. Stay tuned!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Dear Blog...
It's been a while since I've seen you. It isn't because I've been neglecting you. I just haven't had much free time to talk to you. But now I can tell you what I've been up to the past few weeks! So here goes...
On the 28th of May, my sister was going into the hospital to have her baby, so I took the day off from work to watch Nathan. After my parents left Kristina's to go to the hospital and Nathan had his nap, he and I went to see everyone I work with. Everybody thought that he was the cutest little guy, which he is, of course. He even had some fun playing with the lighted buttons outside of the rooms in the clinic. I had the hardest time pulling him away. We then went over to the hospital and had hot dogs, then we went to the hospital where my sister was because I had gotten a text message telling me that the baby was here and what room they were in.
She didn't have a name at that point, but I'll tell you what, my new little niece was possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen. She had a head full of dark hair that had been put into a cute little faux-hawk. Everyone had been slightly nervous about how Nathan would react to the new baby, and it wasn't too long before we found out. With his dad's help, he held his new little sister but quickly got tired of having her on his lap so he tried to push her away so he could get up. Then later, he raised his arm and smacked her in the head. What a great start.
The next evening, she was given a name: Audrey Aline. I didn't go to the hospital that day because I had a few things that I needed to do that evening, but after I made an appearance at the YSA council activity and got dinner with the roommates, I headed over to my sister's house and spent a little time with Nathan and my parents.
On Saturday, my sister had been told that she and my niece were cleared to be discharged from the hospital, so she and my brother-in-law had gotten her and Audrey ready to go. Then they found out that Kristina had an infection and the doctor was afraid that it might be something serious. They were told that my sister might need to stay in the hospital for a few more days. They were also told that Audrey could only stay under the hospital's care until the following day and then she would need to be discharged. Audrey would be able to stay there, but she would need to have someone there 24/7 to take care of her.
I missed church on Sunday in case I needed to help with Nathan. Luckily, shortly after I arrived, Kristina called and said that they were both getting ready to come home and would be there in a little while. Turns out that the infection she had was only on the skin and could be treated with oral antibiotics instead of an I.V.
Nothing too exciting happened the next few days, but then my birthday was on June 4th. My roommates took me to Cafe Rio for dinner where a few other friends soon joined us, and then we came home and had apple pie from Marie Callendar's. Yum! My Haley roommate has pictures, so those may be coming soon. It was a pretty low-key evening, just the way I would prefer it. I've never been one for a massive amount of attention.
The next evening I went to dinner with a few coworkers and their kids. We went to Mathilda's at the Jordan Commons. It was Australian food. I thought it was pretty good, but one coworker said she wouldn't go back, partly because they don't do anything for birthdays. I was okay with not having a big birthday hoopla, but they all thought the restaurant should do something.
The next night was something I had been anticipating for at least a month: my fourth Ryan Shupe and the RubberBand concert! Yay! Before the concert, I went to Applebee's for dinner with my friend Nora, her friends Gretchen and Misty, and her sister Megan. It had been a while since I had gone to Applebee's. I was quite pleased with my options and had a difficult time choosing what I wanted. Finally, I decided on this chicken dish that also had garlic mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. It was delicious and I ate every bite! At that point, I was stuffed to the gills but decided that although I usually decide against dessert, I ordered a dessert shooter. Good stuff! We were going to pay and leave, but we soon discovered that our waiter had messed up three of our checks, so we were there for an extra ten minutes or so.
Finally we were able to make it to the Sandy Amphitheater, where the concert was taking place. The guy that opened for the band, Cary Judd, was alright...the only thing that entertained me about him was the fact that he was essentially a one-man band. He would record drums and loop it, then he would do that with all of his other instruments. While he played, my friend Jay finally came. Then the concert started! I've been to quite a few concerts, and they were all entertaining to different points, but Ryan Shupe and the RubberBand are by far the most entertaining bad I've ever seen. They were slightly subdued due to the fact that Ryan Shupe had just had his appendix taken out less than a week earlier, but they still managed to get into quite a few antics.
The next evening was a Black and White Birthday Bash in Lehi, and everyone was supposed to dress in semi-formal black and white. No, it wasn't for me, it was for the two people hosting it, although one of them told me that the party would be for me as well. Interesting that I wasn't told that the birthday people got to wear colors and that I wasn't one of the people sung to. I didn't really care that they forgot that it had been my birthday too because I was kind-of expecting that they would, but I didn't really want to stay for too long because the whole party wasn't really my kind of thing. I was pretty glad when the opportunity to leave presented itself. Our friend Ryan showed up and we found out that his friend Luke and some other people were planning on going on a night hike up Provo Canyon. Haley and I followed Ryan to Provo and met up with the group. They lent Haley and me some pajama bottoms for the hike and we were on our way...in the dark, with only a few flashlights. It was fun, but it was quite cold.
The next few days were pretty uneventful except for visiting my buddy Nathan and my cutie Audrey. Then on Wednesday afternoon I found out that I was to start training to do some data entry with the new system we're going to be billing through, so that's what I have been learning the past few days at work. Friday evening was my ward's Relief Society social, and it was held in our backyard. We had a delicious meal and good company.
This morning I went to the Gateway with Haley because she was manning the Utah Food Bank and selling Creamies at the Chalk Art Festival and I thought it sounded quite entertaining. Some of the art was quite abstract and odd, but there were a few amazing ones, including an Indiana Jones drawing. And then we came home and I took a long nap then did a bit of grocery shopping and then came home to eat my Ab's chicken sandwich, and here we are!
So now that I've updated you, hopefully it won't be too long until my next post!
On the 28th of May, my sister was going into the hospital to have her baby, so I took the day off from work to watch Nathan. After my parents left Kristina's to go to the hospital and Nathan had his nap, he and I went to see everyone I work with. Everybody thought that he was the cutest little guy, which he is, of course. He even had some fun playing with the lighted buttons outside of the rooms in the clinic. I had the hardest time pulling him away. We then went over to the hospital and had hot dogs, then we went to the hospital where my sister was because I had gotten a text message telling me that the baby was here and what room they were in.
She didn't have a name at that point, but I'll tell you what, my new little niece was possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen. She had a head full of dark hair that had been put into a cute little faux-hawk. Everyone had been slightly nervous about how Nathan would react to the new baby, and it wasn't too long before we found out. With his dad's help, he held his new little sister but quickly got tired of having her on his lap so he tried to push her away so he could get up. Then later, he raised his arm and smacked her in the head. What a great start.
The next evening, she was given a name: Audrey Aline. I didn't go to the hospital that day because I had a few things that I needed to do that evening, but after I made an appearance at the YSA council activity and got dinner with the roommates, I headed over to my sister's house and spent a little time with Nathan and my parents.
On Saturday, my sister had been told that she and my niece were cleared to be discharged from the hospital, so she and my brother-in-law had gotten her and Audrey ready to go. Then they found out that Kristina had an infection and the doctor was afraid that it might be something serious. They were told that my sister might need to stay in the hospital for a few more days. They were also told that Audrey could only stay under the hospital's care until the following day and then she would need to be discharged. Audrey would be able to stay there, but she would need to have someone there 24/7 to take care of her.
I missed church on Sunday in case I needed to help with Nathan. Luckily, shortly after I arrived, Kristina called and said that they were both getting ready to come home and would be there in a little while. Turns out that the infection she had was only on the skin and could be treated with oral antibiotics instead of an I.V.
Nothing too exciting happened the next few days, but then my birthday was on June 4th. My roommates took me to Cafe Rio for dinner where a few other friends soon joined us, and then we came home and had apple pie from Marie Callendar's. Yum! My Haley roommate has pictures, so those may be coming soon. It was a pretty low-key evening, just the way I would prefer it. I've never been one for a massive amount of attention.
The next evening I went to dinner with a few coworkers and their kids. We went to Mathilda's at the Jordan Commons. It was Australian food. I thought it was pretty good, but one coworker said she wouldn't go back, partly because they don't do anything for birthdays. I was okay with not having a big birthday hoopla, but they all thought the restaurant should do something.
The next night was something I had been anticipating for at least a month: my fourth Ryan Shupe and the RubberBand concert! Yay! Before the concert, I went to Applebee's for dinner with my friend Nora, her friends Gretchen and Misty, and her sister Megan. It had been a while since I had gone to Applebee's. I was quite pleased with my options and had a difficult time choosing what I wanted. Finally, I decided on this chicken dish that also had garlic mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. It was delicious and I ate every bite! At that point, I was stuffed to the gills but decided that although I usually decide against dessert, I ordered a dessert shooter. Good stuff! We were going to pay and leave, but we soon discovered that our waiter had messed up three of our checks, so we were there for an extra ten minutes or so.
Finally we were able to make it to the Sandy Amphitheater, where the concert was taking place. The guy that opened for the band, Cary Judd, was alright...the only thing that entertained me about him was the fact that he was essentially a one-man band. He would record drums and loop it, then he would do that with all of his other instruments. While he played, my friend Jay finally came. Then the concert started! I've been to quite a few concerts, and they were all entertaining to different points, but Ryan Shupe and the RubberBand are by far the most entertaining bad I've ever seen. They were slightly subdued due to the fact that Ryan Shupe had just had his appendix taken out less than a week earlier, but they still managed to get into quite a few antics.
The next evening was a Black and White Birthday Bash in Lehi, and everyone was supposed to dress in semi-formal black and white. No, it wasn't for me, it was for the two people hosting it, although one of them told me that the party would be for me as well. Interesting that I wasn't told that the birthday people got to wear colors and that I wasn't one of the people sung to. I didn't really care that they forgot that it had been my birthday too because I was kind-of expecting that they would, but I didn't really want to stay for too long because the whole party wasn't really my kind of thing. I was pretty glad when the opportunity to leave presented itself. Our friend Ryan showed up and we found out that his friend Luke and some other people were planning on going on a night hike up Provo Canyon. Haley and I followed Ryan to Provo and met up with the group. They lent Haley and me some pajama bottoms for the hike and we were on our way...in the dark, with only a few flashlights. It was fun, but it was quite cold.
The next few days were pretty uneventful except for visiting my buddy Nathan and my cutie Audrey. Then on Wednesday afternoon I found out that I was to start training to do some data entry with the new system we're going to be billing through, so that's what I have been learning the past few days at work. Friday evening was my ward's Relief Society social, and it was held in our backyard. We had a delicious meal and good company.
This morning I went to the Gateway with Haley because she was manning the Utah Food Bank and selling Creamies at the Chalk Art Festival and I thought it sounded quite entertaining. Some of the art was quite abstract and odd, but there were a few amazing ones, including an Indiana Jones drawing. And then we came home and I took a long nap then did a bit of grocery shopping and then came home to eat my Ab's chicken sandwich, and here we are!
So now that I've updated you, hopefully it won't be too long until my next post!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Bridal shower fun
Today is just about the first time that I've had time and actually wanted to post something. The bridal shower went fairly well. The theme was "Firsts". We were small in numbers but we had a good time. We pretty much just sat and chatted the whole time. Yay for not having to play stupid bridal shower games!
Here's a slightly blurry picture of the advice jar Cristi and I made. I wanted to do something cute and Cristi had some rub-on transfers, so we picked this one and put it on. I later found the flowers to put both on the jar and on the lid, which, unfortunately, you can't see.
These were the delicious mini chicken salad sandwiches I made for the shower. Unfortunately, there was way too much chicken salad left over, partly because the recipe makes a large amount. And I couldn't eat any of it because I got tired of eating it quite quickly. But it was good!
Jami helped me out right before the shower by cutting up fruit. I thought she was just going to pile it on plates. She took it one step further and made a couple of fruit creations.
Another Jamie fruit creation.
By this point, I was done with making things look nice, so I just threw crackers onto a plate. Sadly, I failed to capture the store bought cheese ball on camera.
And finally, here's Jami wearing the bright green reversible hat that she received as part of a gift for "First trip together".
Here's a slightly blurry picture of the advice jar Cristi and I made. I wanted to do something cute and Cristi had some rub-on transfers, so we picked this one and put it on. I later found the flowers to put both on the jar and on the lid, which, unfortunately, you can't see.
These were the delicious mini chicken salad sandwiches I made for the shower. Unfortunately, there was way too much chicken salad left over, partly because the recipe makes a large amount. And I couldn't eat any of it because I got tired of eating it quite quickly. But it was good!
Jami helped me out right before the shower by cutting up fruit. I thought she was just going to pile it on plates. She took it one step further and made a couple of fruit creations.
Another Jamie fruit creation.
By this point, I was done with making things look nice, so I just threw crackers onto a plate. Sadly, I failed to capture the store bought cheese ball on camera.
And finally, here's Jami wearing the bright green reversible hat that she received as part of a gift for "First trip together".
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