I'm reading Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa TerKeurst in Small Group right now and we keep circling back to this idea of gratitude and praise, even when times are tough. I've decided to continue my November tradition of gratitude, without blowing up Facebook.
11/1 I am grateful for good books. Currently engrossed in both Unglued and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.
11/2 I am grateful for the women in my Small Group. The 11 of them keep me laughing and give me hope and make me smile and keep me looking forward to Mondays!
11/3 I am grateful for the man friend... and all the good food he cooks! And all the wonderful things he has introduced me to!
11/4 I am grateful for Ellie cuddles. I am grateful for sales so I can shop when I'm feeling over emotional. I am grateful that my sister didn't hurt herself when she wrecked my car.
11/5 I am grateful for my mentors who continue to be involved in my life, long after I've left the place we worked/learned together.
11/6 I'm thankful for James Bond. I love the character and had a wonderful time seeing the newest movie on opening night at the brand new Arclight Theater. I'm grateful for my bf who suggested the plan for this date night and for the delicious burger we split beforehand.
11/7 Today was really hard to be thankful for. But I'm thankful that I have a job that pays me well.
11/8 I'm thankful for quiet, easy days to recover from hard days. I'm thankful for Bank of America's Museums on Us program. I'm thankful for the good weather and the bike ride we got in.
11/9 I'm thankful that my Small Group had the opportunity to fill a ton of Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes with love.
11/10 I'm thankful that I have the money to get my nails done ever other week. It's a splurge but it makes me feel fancy and pretty and confident.
11/11 I'm grateful for the afternoon off of work to handle errands.
11/12 I'm grateful for my co worker Rachel. When we interviewed her, I didn't realize how much I would grow to love her. She's my partner in crime and always around to give me a hug when I need it!
11/13 I'm grateful that I can lose myself in a really good book. I read for 3.5 hours tonight.
11/14 I'm grateful for Friendsgiving! My tribe of ladies has grown and grown each year, and I'm thankful that Delta Zeta brought us all together.
11/15 I'm thankful for goofy silly, low key time with my students. Today was our annual Paper Plate Awards Ceremony.
11/16 I hate to be this way, but I spent all day in bed with a massive Migraine. I'm not sure I had many rational thoughts this day. :-/ whomp whomp (Imperfect progress?)
11/17 I'm grateful to have found a new doctor that is amazing! She's really a PA but she treated me like an adult and listened to what I had to say, instead of being judgmental.
11/18 I'm grateful for the 2 women who met me for dinner and book club tonight.
11/19 I'm grateful for a night off to take care of errands and laundry. And Eloise cuddles.
11/20 I'm thankful it's Friday. I have the weekend before me to relax and recharge.
11/21 I'm grateful for the Michigan State win against Ohio State! #Victory for MSU! I'm grateful for a great group of friends that I got to spend the day with. I'm grateful for my Soul Sisters that I spent all year growing with last year in small group, that continue to be a part of my life.
11/22 I'm thankful for the good cooks in my life. So much good food today!
11/23 I'm grateful for good iced tea, even when it's 25 degrees outside.
11/24
11/25
11/26
11/27
11/28
11/29
11/30
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Thursday, October 23, 2014
More Personality Typing
After much discussion with a very dear friend who is fascinated with personality typing, I took the Color Test and Enneagram Test.
My Color Code Results:
Reds are motivated by Power. They seek productivity and need to look good to others. Simply stated, reds want their own way. They like to be in the driver's seat and willingly pay the price to be in a leadership role. reds value whatever gets them ahead in life, whether it be in their careers, school endeavors, or personal life. What reds value, they get done. They are often workaholics. They will, however, resist doing anything that doesn't interest them.
Reds like to be right. They value approval from others for their intelligence and practical approach to life, and want to be respected for it. Reds are confident, proactive, and visionary; and but can also be arrogant, selfish, and insensitive. When you deal with a RED, be precise, factual, direct, AND show no fear!
My Enneagram Results:
Type 7, the Enthusiast:
Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous. Playful, high-spirited, and practical, they can also misapply their many talents, becoming over- extended, scattered, and undisciplined. They constantly seek new and exciting experiences, but can become distracted and exhausted by staying on the go. They typically have problems with impatience and impulsiveness. At their Best: they focus their talents on worthwhile goals, becoming appreciative, joyous, and satisfied.
Sevens are enthusiastic about almost everything that catches their attention. They approach life with curiosity, optimism, and a sense of adventure, like “kids in a candy store” who look at the world in wide-eyed, rapt anticipation of all the good things they are about to experience. They are bold and vivacious, pursuing what they want in life with a cheerful determination. They have a quality best described by the Yiddish word “chutzpah”—a kind of brash “nerviness.”
Although Sevens are in the Thinking Center, this is not immediately apparent because they tend to be extremely practical and engaged in a multitude of projects at any given time. Their thinking is anticipatory: they foresee events and generate ideas “on the fly,” favoring activities that stimulate their minds—which in turn generate more things to do and think about. Sevens are not necessarily intellectual or studious by any standard definition, although they are often intelligent and can be widely read and highly verbal. Their minds move rapidly from one idea to the next, making Sevens gifted at brainstorming and synthesizing information. Sevens are exhilarated by the rush of ideas and by the pleasure of being spontaneous, preferring broad overviews and the excitement of the initial stages of the creative process to probing a single topic in depth.
Sevens are frequently endowed with quick, agile minds, and can be exceptionally fast learners. This is true both of their ability to absorb information (language, facts, and procedures) and their ability to learn new manual skills—they tend to have excellent mind-body coordination, and manual dexterity (typewriting, piano playing, tennis). All of this can combine to make a Seven into the quintessential "Renaissance person."
Ironically, Sevens' wide-ranging curiosity and ability to learn quickly can also create problems for them. Because they are able to pick up many different skills with relative ease, it becomes more difficult for them to decide what to do with themselves. As a result, they also do not always value their abilities as they would if they had to struggle to gain them. When Sevens are more balanced however, their versatility, curiosity, and ability to learn can lead them to extraordinary achievement.
The root of their problem is common to all of the types of the Thinking Center: they are out of touch with the inner guidance and support of their Essential nature. As with Fives and Sixes, this creates a deep anxiety in Sevens. They do not feel that they know what to do or how to make choices that will be beneficial to themselves and others. Sevens cope with this anxiety in two ways. First, they try to keep their minds busy all of the time. As long as Sevens can keep their minds occupied, especially with projects and positive ideas for the future, they can, to some extent, keep anxiety and negative feelings out of conscious awareness. Likewise, since their thinking is stimulated by activity, Sevens are compelled to stay on the go, moving from one experience to the next, searching for more stimulation. This is not to say that Sevens are "spinning their wheels." They generally enjoy being practical and getting things done.
Sevens cope with the loss of Essential guidance by using the “trial and error” method: they try everything to make sure they know what is best. On a very deep level, Sevens do not feel that they can find what they really want in life. They therefore tend to try everything—and ultimately may even resort to anything as a substitute for what they are really looking for. (“If I can’t have what will really satisfy me, I’ll enjoy myself anyway. I’ll have all kinds of experiences—that way I will not feel bad about not getting what I really want.”)
We can see this in action even in the most trivial areas of their daily lives. Unable to decide whether he wants vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream, a Seven will want all three flavors—just to be sure that he does not miss out on the “right” choice. Having two weeks for a vacation and a desire to visit Europe brings a similar quandary. Which countries and cities to visit? Which sites to see? The Seven’s way of dealing with this will be to cram as many different countries, cities, and attractions into his vacation as possible. While they are scrambling after exciting experiences, the real object of their heart’s desire (their personal Rosebud, as it were) may be so deeply buried in their unconscious that they are never really aware of precisely what it is.
Furthermore, as Sevens speed up their pursuit of whatever seems to offer freedom and satisfaction, they tend to make worse choices, and they are less able to be satisfied because everything is experienced indirectly, through the dense filter of their fast-paced mental activity. The result is that Sevens end up anxious, frustrated, and enraged, with fewer resources available to them physically, emotionally, or financially. They may end up ruining their health, their relationships, and their finances in their search for happiness.
On the positive side, however, Sevens are extremely optimistic people—exuberant and upbeat. They are endowed with abundant vitality and a desire to fully participate in their lives each day. They are naturally cheerful and good humored, not taking themselves too seriously, or anything else for that matter. As we have seen, the Basic Desire of Sevens is to be satisfied, happy, and fulfilled, and when they are balanced within themselves, their joy and enthusiasm for life naturally affect everyone around them. They remind us of the pure pleasure of existence—the greatest gift of all.
Basic Fear: Of being deprived and in pain
Basic Desire: To be satisfied and content—to have their needs fulfilled
Key Motivations: Want to maintain their freedom and happiness, to avoid missing out on worthwhile experiences, to keep themselves excited and occupied, to avoid and discharge pain.
My Color Code Results:
Reds are motivated by Power. They seek productivity and need to look good to others. Simply stated, reds want their own way. They like to be in the driver's seat and willingly pay the price to be in a leadership role. reds value whatever gets them ahead in life, whether it be in their careers, school endeavors, or personal life. What reds value, they get done. They are often workaholics. They will, however, resist doing anything that doesn't interest them.
Reds like to be right. They value approval from others for their intelligence and practical approach to life, and want to be respected for it. Reds are confident, proactive, and visionary; and but can also be arrogant, selfish, and insensitive. When you deal with a RED, be precise, factual, direct, AND show no fear!
My Enneagram Results:
Type 7, the Enthusiast:
Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous. Playful, high-spirited, and practical, they can also misapply their many talents, becoming over- extended, scattered, and undisciplined. They constantly seek new and exciting experiences, but can become distracted and exhausted by staying on the go. They typically have problems with impatience and impulsiveness. At their Best: they focus their talents on worthwhile goals, becoming appreciative, joyous, and satisfied.
Sevens are enthusiastic about almost everything that catches their attention. They approach life with curiosity, optimism, and a sense of adventure, like “kids in a candy store” who look at the world in wide-eyed, rapt anticipation of all the good things they are about to experience. They are bold and vivacious, pursuing what they want in life with a cheerful determination. They have a quality best described by the Yiddish word “chutzpah”—a kind of brash “nerviness.”
Although Sevens are in the Thinking Center, this is not immediately apparent because they tend to be extremely practical and engaged in a multitude of projects at any given time. Their thinking is anticipatory: they foresee events and generate ideas “on the fly,” favoring activities that stimulate their minds—which in turn generate more things to do and think about. Sevens are not necessarily intellectual or studious by any standard definition, although they are often intelligent and can be widely read and highly verbal. Their minds move rapidly from one idea to the next, making Sevens gifted at brainstorming and synthesizing information. Sevens are exhilarated by the rush of ideas and by the pleasure of being spontaneous, preferring broad overviews and the excitement of the initial stages of the creative process to probing a single topic in depth.
Sevens are frequently endowed with quick, agile minds, and can be exceptionally fast learners. This is true both of their ability to absorb information (language, facts, and procedures) and their ability to learn new manual skills—they tend to have excellent mind-body coordination, and manual dexterity (typewriting, piano playing, tennis). All of this can combine to make a Seven into the quintessential "Renaissance person."
Ironically, Sevens' wide-ranging curiosity and ability to learn quickly can also create problems for them. Because they are able to pick up many different skills with relative ease, it becomes more difficult for them to decide what to do with themselves. As a result, they also do not always value their abilities as they would if they had to struggle to gain them. When Sevens are more balanced however, their versatility, curiosity, and ability to learn can lead them to extraordinary achievement.
The root of their problem is common to all of the types of the Thinking Center: they are out of touch with the inner guidance and support of their Essential nature. As with Fives and Sixes, this creates a deep anxiety in Sevens. They do not feel that they know what to do or how to make choices that will be beneficial to themselves and others. Sevens cope with this anxiety in two ways. First, they try to keep their minds busy all of the time. As long as Sevens can keep their minds occupied, especially with projects and positive ideas for the future, they can, to some extent, keep anxiety and negative feelings out of conscious awareness. Likewise, since their thinking is stimulated by activity, Sevens are compelled to stay on the go, moving from one experience to the next, searching for more stimulation. This is not to say that Sevens are "spinning their wheels." They generally enjoy being practical and getting things done.
Sevens cope with the loss of Essential guidance by using the “trial and error” method: they try everything to make sure they know what is best. On a very deep level, Sevens do not feel that they can find what they really want in life. They therefore tend to try everything—and ultimately may even resort to anything as a substitute for what they are really looking for. (“If I can’t have what will really satisfy me, I’ll enjoy myself anyway. I’ll have all kinds of experiences—that way I will not feel bad about not getting what I really want.”)
We can see this in action even in the most trivial areas of their daily lives. Unable to decide whether he wants vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream, a Seven will want all three flavors—just to be sure that he does not miss out on the “right” choice. Having two weeks for a vacation and a desire to visit Europe brings a similar quandary. Which countries and cities to visit? Which sites to see? The Seven’s way of dealing with this will be to cram as many different countries, cities, and attractions into his vacation as possible. While they are scrambling after exciting experiences, the real object of their heart’s desire (their personal Rosebud, as it were) may be so deeply buried in their unconscious that they are never really aware of precisely what it is.
Furthermore, as Sevens speed up their pursuit of whatever seems to offer freedom and satisfaction, they tend to make worse choices, and they are less able to be satisfied because everything is experienced indirectly, through the dense filter of their fast-paced mental activity. The result is that Sevens end up anxious, frustrated, and enraged, with fewer resources available to them physically, emotionally, or financially. They may end up ruining their health, their relationships, and their finances in their search for happiness.
On the positive side, however, Sevens are extremely optimistic people—exuberant and upbeat. They are endowed with abundant vitality and a desire to fully participate in their lives each day. They are naturally cheerful and good humored, not taking themselves too seriously, or anything else for that matter. As we have seen, the Basic Desire of Sevens is to be satisfied, happy, and fulfilled, and when they are balanced within themselves, their joy and enthusiasm for life naturally affect everyone around them. They remind us of the pure pleasure of existence—the greatest gift of all.
Basic Fear: Of being deprived and in pain
Basic Desire: To be satisfied and content—to have their needs fulfilled
Key Motivations: Want to maintain their freedom and happiness, to avoid missing out on worthwhile experiences, to keep themselves excited and occupied, to avoid and discharge pain.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
50 State Visits Checklist
Goal: Visit all 50 states (Not just drive through!)
Alabama - I visited Orange Beach and Fort Morgan for family vacation 2014
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California - I went to LA in 2013 for a few days, to LA for a week in 2015, and Anaheim in 2011 for a week for a conference and fun
Colorado - I went to Denver for a camp in 2000
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia - Visited with my sister June 2011
Florida - Many times (Disney World, Kennedy Space Center, Blue Angels practice)
Georgia
Hawaii - October 2006 (Spent 2 days conferencing and 6 days touristing)
Idaho
Illinois - Live in Chicago!
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas - Kansas City and Overland Park in March 2012 with my fam
Kentucky - Went to Louisville for an Alternative Break Immersion Trip May 2014
Louisiana - Many times but definitely conferencing in April 2011
Maine - Many visits while I lived in NH in 2009-2011
Maryland
Massachusetts - Many visits while I lived in NH in 2009-2011
Michigan - Several camping trips, a wedding, several Michigan State U football games, and a century ride
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri - Lived there for 9 months
Montana
Iowa
Kansas - Kansas City and Overland Park in March 2012 with my fam
Kentucky - Went to Louisville for an Alternative Break Immersion Trip May 2014
Louisiana - Many times but definitely conferencing in April 2011
Maine - Many visits while I lived in NH in 2009-2011
Maryland
Massachusetts - Many visits while I lived in NH in 2009-2011
Michigan - Several camping trips, a wedding, several Michigan State U football games, and a century ride
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri - Lived there for 9 months
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada - VEGAS! Both 2008 and 2013
New Hampshire - Loved there 2009-2011
New Jersey - Many visits with my great aunt and uncle
New Mexico - Youth Group Camp 1999
New York
North Carolina - Many visits to see my G-Ma
North Dakota
Ohio - Many visits to see my Dad's family
Oklahoma - Several weekend trips to camp
Oregon
Pennsylvania - Many visits to Philly to see family
Nevada - VEGAS! Both 2008 and 2013
New Hampshire - Loved there 2009-2011
New Jersey - Many visits with my great aunt and uncle
New Mexico - Youth Group Camp 1999
New York
North Carolina - Many visits to see my G-Ma
North Dakota
Ohio - Many visits to see my Dad's family
Oklahoma - Several weekend trips to camp
Oregon
Pennsylvania - Many visits to Philly to see family
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee - Nashville for a conference April 2014
Texas - Lived there 22 years
Utah
Vermont - Visited March 2010 with the fam
Virginia - Visited Virginia Beach and my cousin's family in June 2011 with Toons
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin - Visited Brian for the Great Taste of the Midwest and enjoyed Madison
Wyoming
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee - Nashville for a conference April 2014
Texas - Lived there 22 years
Utah
Vermont - Visited March 2010 with the fam
Virginia - Visited Virginia Beach and my cousin's family in June 2011 with Toons
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin - Visited Brian for the Great Taste of the Midwest and enjoyed Madison
Wyoming
Monday, April 7, 2014
Well Read?
According to this Buzzfeed quiz, I am not well read at all:
"You need to find a cozy nook and snuggle up with some more of this list. Or maybe this isn’t your kind of thing. Which is cool too."
I'd like to comment on the bad grammar ("cool too?" No comma?) or share my 2014 reading challenge with buzzfeed or show my goodreads account to prove otherwise, but instead, I've decided to create my own list of books that I think must be read for a person to claim they are "well Read."
I can't believe half of these books aren't on the buzzfeed list!
My children WILL read these books, even if they're not assigned in school.
"You need to find a cozy nook and snuggle up with some more of this list. Or maybe this isn’t your kind of thing. Which is cool too."
I'd like to comment on the bad grammar ("cool too?" No comma?) or share my 2014 reading challenge with buzzfeed or show my goodreads account to prove otherwise, but instead, I've decided to create my own list of books that I think must be read for a person to claim they are "well Read."
- Johnny Tremain
- The Scarlet Pimpernell
- The Great Gatsby
- 1 book by George Orwell (not both, they're the same idea)
- 1 book by George Steinbeck (See last comment)
- NOT A Brave New World. If you need a good dystopian/utopian novel, I'd suggest both Anthem and The Giver.
- Little Women
- Pride and Prejudice
- Great Expectations
- Julius Cesar, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and A Mid Summer's Night Dream
- Oedipus Rex
- Don Quiote
- The Lord of the Flies
- The Illiad and The Oddessy
- The entire Narnia Series
- Charlotte's Web
- Little House on the Prarie
- A Wrinkle in Time
- Gone with the Wind
- Frankenstein
- The Hobbit
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- Something Big has Been Here
- A Shel Silverstein Book
- Night
- The Diary of Anne Frank
- The Devil's Arithmetic
- Mick Harte was Here
- Number the Stars
- The Outsiders
- The Harry Potter Series
- The Face on the Milk Carton
- The Book Thief
- The Fault In Our Stars
- The Hunger Games series
- Three Cups of Tea
- The Last Lecture (And watch the video!)
- The Help
- Les Miserables
- The Secret Garden
- The Little Princess
- Where the Red Fern Grows
- Old Yeller
- Matilda
- Cheaper by the Dozen
- Harriet the Spy
- The Indian in the Cupboard
- The Hatchet
I can't believe half of these books aren't on the buzzfeed list!
My children WILL read these books, even if they're not assigned in school.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
My Chicago Bucket List
I created a Chicago Bucket List when I first moved here, a year and a half ago. It's time for an update!
Here's what I've already accomplished:
Here's what I've already accomplished:
- The Eternal Flame on Clark St
- Chicago History Museum
- Tribune Tower (the tower's signature is the exterior collection of stones from other famous edifices, like the Parthenon, St. Peter's Basilica, Notre Dame, the White House and most recently, the Berlin Wall). I also found a stone from The Alamo!
- Shedd Aquarium (Twice!)
- Museum of Science and Industry
- Millennium Park (Crown Fountain and The Bean!)
- The Field Museum
- Magnificent Mile
- Chicago History Museum
- I've eaten Portillo's, and had Garret's Popcorn, Ann Sathers Cinnamon Rolls, Lou Malnati's and Giordano's pizzas
- Taste of Chicago (SO GOOD!)
- A Cubs game and a White Sox game
- The Lincoln Park Zoo and Zoo Lights
- The Ferris Wheel and Stained Glass Museum at Navy Pier
- Art Institute of Chicago (Happy dance!)
- Comedy Shows
- The 95th Lounge at the top of the Hancock
- The Book of Mormon on Broadway
- I've seen several Story Slams (They're a TON of fun)
- St Pat's Day is Chi/ the River dyed green
- Run the Ragnar Relay and the Color Run
- Been on Multiple Trolley Tours
- Oktoberfest
- Visited Ohio
- A Chicago Fire (Soccer) Game
- Chicago Botanical Garden
- United Center for a Bulls Game
- The Museum of Contemporary Art
- Adler Planetarium
- The Jane Addams Hull House Museum (RMP What What!)
- Tour of Wrigley Field
- The Blue Man Group show
- Legoland Discovery Center
- LUMA
- Skydeck Chicago
- Chicago Children's Museu
- Chicago Opera Theater (I would die to see The Magic Flute!)
- Joffrey Ballet of Chicago (Maybe the Nutcracker again? I'll never tire of it)
- Willie Dixon's Blue's Heaven Foundation
- The Balzekas Museum of Lithuanuan Culture (It's supposed to have a good exhibit on the Holocaust)
- Trump Towers (Maybe visit the Spa as a splurge?)
- Winter Skating either at Bicentennial Park or the McCormick Tribune Plaza
- The National Veterans Art Museum
- Museum of Holography
- Galos Caves (15 dollars for a 45 minute Zero Gravity Chair massage and sea salt smelling? Count me in!)
- The International Museum of Surgical Science
- The American Police Museum
- The God Bless America Statue
- The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (Apparently a really good way to learn about Commodities)
- Museum of Broadcast Communications
- National Hellenic Museum
- The Picasso Statue
- The All Saints Episcopal Church
- Buddy Guy's Legends (Blues House restaurant)
- Busy Beaver Button Co. Museum
- Cambodian American Heritage Museum
- Chagall's Four Seasons
- The start of Route 66
- Chicago Hot Glass (Hand Blown Glass Studio that offers lessons)
- Chicago Center for Green Technology
- Chinatown and the Chinatown Gate
- Crawford Steel Graffiti Wall
- DANK HAUS German Cultural Center
Monday, January 20, 2014
2014: The Year of Reading
Last year, I made my first "goal." I don't like resolutions... goals are more of something to aim for and easier to achieve if you make them SMART. Last year, I aimed to do one big act of kindness per week, and then post in a blog about it. And I did it! It was a blast! You can see the awesome, fun things I did here: www.KTandTheKindnessProject.wordpress.com.
Last year, one of my very dearest friends managed to read 104 books. We are voracious readers as a group but I only managed to read a third of what she read! This year, my goal is to read 52 books: one for each week of the year. I'm using this post as a way to mark my progress.
1/1 - 1/7 Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood by Julia Greggory
1/8 -1/14 Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen
1/15 - 1/21 Bel Canto by Ann Patchet
1/22 - 1/28 The Alphabet Sisters by Monica McInerney I loved this book until they killed off a main character for no reason.
1/ 29 - 2/4 The First Counsel by Brad Meltzer (I got it for like 2 bucks on sale at Barnes and Noble. Brad Meltzer is a wannabe Dan Brown. It's a good mystery but no where near on the level that Dan Brown is.)
2/5 - 2/11 The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life by James J. Martin, SJ (This book took me AGES to finish but it was well worth my time!)
2/12 - 2/18 S by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst
2/19 - 2/25 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Much shorter than I thought it was!)
This is the point that I officially fell behind... but in all fairness, I read 33 magazines in the first 8 weeks of this year. Catching up soon!
2/26 - 3/4 Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (Caught up here. Also, I've come to the conclusion that I don't like Alice at all. She's a complete idiot.)
3/5 - 3/11 The 9/11 Commission Report - This was SO heavy and yet so worth it. I understand so much more about terrorism, UBL, Islam, politics in the decades leading up to 9/11, etc. I definitely recommend this one! It tool me 3 weeks to read this one so I fell behind again.
3/12 - 3/18 The Husband's Secret by
3/19 - 3/25 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (This one is a non fiction but it reads like a fiction. Very interesting and worth the read).
3/26 - 4/1 Emma by Jane Austen (Typical Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice is still the best.)
4/2 - 4/8 Wild at Heart By John Eldridge (I agree with the basic premise of this book, but disagreed about SO much of it. Homosexuality isn't caused by men who weren't loved enough by their fathers)
4/9 - 4/15 Wild by Cheryl Strayed (I think this is my favorite book that I've read so far this year. Well worth the read!)
4/16 - 4/22 Fifty Shades Darker by EL James (Yup, every now and again, smut is read)
4/23 - 4/29 Fifty Shades Free by EL James (No comment.)
4/30 - 5/6 The Night Circus by Erin Morgensten (I couldn't put this down. It was so wonderfully written, the characters were so lovable, the passion was muted, and it was such a slow build. 5 stars!)
5/7 - 5/13 Glitter and Glue By Kelly Corrigan (I expected this to be a fun memoir about what she learned while nannying. It was really a really long essay about how she loved her mother despite the fact that she doesn't like her mother. Whomp Whomp.)
5/14 - 5/20 Ok so I'm officially way behind. Doubting that I'll get one book a week but I will have read at least 3 magazines per week for the entire year! This week's book: Someone has to Set a Bad Example: An Anne Taintor Collection It was quite entertaining and silly and quick.
5/21 - 5/27 Hearts of Fire: Eight Women in the Underground Church and Their Stories of Costly Faith My mother recommended this one. it was a quick read and inspiring, although not life changing.
*Side note: I read another 46 magazines at this point. Stay tuned.
5/28 - 6/3 Notes from the Underwire By Quinn Cummings (This was a quick read and it made me smile, but it was not on the level of Erma Bombeck as the cover suggested it was)
6/4 - 6/10 The Trouble with Magic by Patricia Rice (more smut. But enjoyable)
6/11 - 6/17 Tattoos on the Heart by Father Greg Boyle, SJ (I do love reading more about Jesuits and their work. Homeboy Industries is an awesome project that is changing the world, one gangster at a time. I'd definitely recommend this book!)
6/18 - 6/24 Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire (The sequel to Wicked. Wish I had read this immediately after reading the first. I think it would have made more sense then. Still good)
6/25 - 7/1 Dear Mrs. Kennedy: The World Shares its Grief, Letters November 1963 by Jay Mulvaney and Paul De Angelis (I really enjoyed this; it opened my eyes up to the time period better than anything else I've read. I particularly loved the letters LBJ wrote to Caroline and John Jr.).
7/2 - 7/8 Milkrun by Sarah Mlynowski (Cute, chick lit, nothing super fancy)
7/9 - 7/15 An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott (I think LMA is quite possibly my favorite author ever)
7/16 - 7/22 Daring Greatly By Brene Brown (EVERYONE should read this book! It changed me so much!)
7/23 - 7/29 The Curius Incident of the Dog at Night by Mark Haddon (I liked the writing style and that it's told from the point of view of a young man with Aspergers but it ended a little too abruptly)
*I read another 21 magazines, bringing the magazine total up to 100.
7/30 - 8/5 Love, Sex, and Other Natural Disasters: Relationship Reporting from America's Finest News Source by The Onion (Hilarious!)
8/6 - 8/12 The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama (It took me 4 times to pick up and read this book, despite the fact that Obama is such a great speaker and the fact that I agree with a lot of his politics. It can't be read in short little bits here and there. It needs a large amount of time to make sense. Still a good book)
8/13 - 8/19 Yes, Please by Amy Poehler (this book makes it into one of my top books for the year. She is so profound in addition to being funny!)
8/20 - 8/26 Every Day by David Levithan (I didn't expect to like this one but picked it up at a friend's insistence and ended up reading it in one sitting. Well worth it!)
*I read another 34 magazines, bringing the magazine total up to 134.
8/27 - 9/2Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (I liked this one better than The Husband's Secret)
9/3 - 9/9 The Artemis Fowl Files by Eoin Colfer (I love this series, despite it being a childrens' series)
9/10 - 9/16 A Charmed Life: Growing up in Macbeth's Castle by Liza Campbell (This memoir made me sad. She was never loved the way children should be!)
9/17 - 9/23
9/24 - 9/30
10/1 - 10/7
10/8 - 10/14
10/15 - 10/21
10/22 - 10/28
10/ 29 - 11/4
11/5 - 11/11
11/12 - 11/18
11/19 - 11/25
11/26 - 12/2
12/3 - 12/9
12/10 - 12/16
12/17 - 12/23
12/24 - 12/31
Last year, one of my very dearest friends managed to read 104 books. We are voracious readers as a group but I only managed to read a third of what she read! This year, my goal is to read 52 books: one for each week of the year. I'm using this post as a way to mark my progress.
1/1 - 1/7 Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood by Julia Greggory
1/8 -1/14 Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen
1/15 - 1/21 Bel Canto by Ann Patchet
1/22 - 1/28 The Alphabet Sisters by Monica McInerney I loved this book until they killed off a main character for no reason.
1/ 29 - 2/4 The First Counsel by Brad Meltzer (I got it for like 2 bucks on sale at Barnes and Noble. Brad Meltzer is a wannabe Dan Brown. It's a good mystery but no where near on the level that Dan Brown is.)
2/5 - 2/11 The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life by James J. Martin, SJ (This book took me AGES to finish but it was well worth my time!)
2/12 - 2/18 S by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst
2/19 - 2/25 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Much shorter than I thought it was!)
This is the point that I officially fell behind... but in all fairness, I read 33 magazines in the first 8 weeks of this year. Catching up soon!
2/26 - 3/4 Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (Caught up here. Also, I've come to the conclusion that I don't like Alice at all. She's a complete idiot.)
3/5 - 3/11 The 9/11 Commission Report - This was SO heavy and yet so worth it. I understand so much more about terrorism, UBL, Islam, politics in the decades leading up to 9/11, etc. I definitely recommend this one! It tool me 3 weeks to read this one so I fell behind again.
3/12 - 3/18 The Husband's Secret by
3/19 - 3/25 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (This one is a non fiction but it reads like a fiction. Very interesting and worth the read).
3/26 - 4/1 Emma by Jane Austen (Typical Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice is still the best.)
4/2 - 4/8 Wild at Heart By John Eldridge (I agree with the basic premise of this book, but disagreed about SO much of it. Homosexuality isn't caused by men who weren't loved enough by their fathers)
4/9 - 4/15 Wild by Cheryl Strayed (I think this is my favorite book that I've read so far this year. Well worth the read!)
4/16 - 4/22 Fifty Shades Darker by EL James (Yup, every now and again, smut is read)
4/23 - 4/29 Fifty Shades Free by EL James (No comment.)
4/30 - 5/6 The Night Circus by Erin Morgensten (I couldn't put this down. It was so wonderfully written, the characters were so lovable, the passion was muted, and it was such a slow build. 5 stars!)
5/7 - 5/13 Glitter and Glue By Kelly Corrigan (I expected this to be a fun memoir about what she learned while nannying. It was really a really long essay about how she loved her mother despite the fact that she doesn't like her mother. Whomp Whomp.)
5/14 - 5/20 Ok so I'm officially way behind. Doubting that I'll get one book a week but I will have read at least 3 magazines per week for the entire year! This week's book: Someone has to Set a Bad Example: An Anne Taintor Collection It was quite entertaining and silly and quick.
5/21 - 5/27 Hearts of Fire: Eight Women in the Underground Church and Their Stories of Costly Faith My mother recommended this one. it was a quick read and inspiring, although not life changing.
*Side note: I read another 46 magazines at this point. Stay tuned.
5/28 - 6/3 Notes from the Underwire By Quinn Cummings (This was a quick read and it made me smile, but it was not on the level of Erma Bombeck as the cover suggested it was)
6/4 - 6/10 The Trouble with Magic by Patricia Rice (more smut. But enjoyable)
6/11 - 6/17 Tattoos on the Heart by Father Greg Boyle, SJ (I do love reading more about Jesuits and their work. Homeboy Industries is an awesome project that is changing the world, one gangster at a time. I'd definitely recommend this book!)
6/18 - 6/24 Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire (The sequel to Wicked. Wish I had read this immediately after reading the first. I think it would have made more sense then. Still good)
6/25 - 7/1 Dear Mrs. Kennedy: The World Shares its Grief, Letters November 1963 by Jay Mulvaney and Paul De Angelis (I really enjoyed this; it opened my eyes up to the time period better than anything else I've read. I particularly loved the letters LBJ wrote to Caroline and John Jr.).
7/2 - 7/8 Milkrun by Sarah Mlynowski (Cute, chick lit, nothing super fancy)
7/9 - 7/15 An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott (I think LMA is quite possibly my favorite author ever)
7/16 - 7/22 Daring Greatly By Brene Brown (EVERYONE should read this book! It changed me so much!)
7/23 - 7/29 The Curius Incident of the Dog at Night by Mark Haddon (I liked the writing style and that it's told from the point of view of a young man with Aspergers but it ended a little too abruptly)
*I read another 21 magazines, bringing the magazine total up to 100.
7/30 - 8/5 Love, Sex, and Other Natural Disasters: Relationship Reporting from America's Finest News Source by The Onion (Hilarious!)
8/6 - 8/12 The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama (It took me 4 times to pick up and read this book, despite the fact that Obama is such a great speaker and the fact that I agree with a lot of his politics. It can't be read in short little bits here and there. It needs a large amount of time to make sense. Still a good book)
8/13 - 8/19 Yes, Please by Amy Poehler (this book makes it into one of my top books for the year. She is so profound in addition to being funny!)
8/20 - 8/26 Every Day by David Levithan (I didn't expect to like this one but picked it up at a friend's insistence and ended up reading it in one sitting. Well worth it!)
*I read another 34 magazines, bringing the magazine total up to 134.
8/27 - 9/2Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (I liked this one better than The Husband's Secret)
9/3 - 9/9 The Artemis Fowl Files by Eoin Colfer (I love this series, despite it being a childrens' series)
9/10 - 9/16 A Charmed Life: Growing up in Macbeth's Castle by Liza Campbell (This memoir made me sad. She was never loved the way children should be!)
9/17 - 9/23
9/24 - 9/30
10/1 - 10/7
10/8 - 10/14
10/15 - 10/21
10/22 - 10/28
10/ 29 - 11/4
11/5 - 11/11
11/12 - 11/18
11/19 - 11/25
11/26 - 12/2
12/3 - 12/9
12/10 - 12/16
12/17 - 12/23
12/24 - 12/31
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Welcome to the Gunshow
In the past few months, the topic of gun control has been getting people around the country fired up. There are groups of people boycotting other groups of people, all sorts of legislation being proposed and shot down, and all sorts of media on the topic.
I was born and bred in Texas, but I have Yankee parents. It was a huge shock to me when I hit high school and realized 95% of my friends were part of households that owned guns. My parents do not and never have owned firearms. Nor do they plan on owning guns in the future. I've been to ranges before and had a ton of fun shooting! I'm not anti-gun, but I'm not pro-gun either. I'm pro-discussion. America has a problem with gun violence and it's time we took a serious look at our country and stop ignoring the problem. And as always, I don't think you should participate in the discussion unless you know the facts.
Here's some things you should know before you start spouting your beliefs:
I was born and bred in Texas, but I have Yankee parents. It was a huge shock to me when I hit high school and realized 95% of my friends were part of households that owned guns. My parents do not and never have owned firearms. Nor do they plan on owning guns in the future. I've been to ranges before and had a ton of fun shooting! I'm not anti-gun, but I'm not pro-gun either. I'm pro-discussion. America has a problem with gun violence and it's time we took a serious look at our country and stop ignoring the problem. And as always, I don't think you should participate in the discussion unless you know the facts.
Here's some things you should know before you start spouting your beliefs:
- This isn't a democrats vs republicans thing. All over the country, you will find people from both ends of the political spectrum on both sides of the issue. Some high-profile examples of this are Gabby Giffords, former Republican Representative, who is calling for stricter gun laws and former Democratic Representative Joe Baca who is very supportive of the NRA.
- There are examples in other countries/cultures of gun control working and examples in other countries/cultures of gun control failing. It's not a worthy argument to bring those up in defense of your side. NONE of those cultures are the same as America's culture. And there's plenty of examples showing opposite results. We won't know if gun control works in this culture unless we decide to try it.
- The ad the NRA put out attacking Obama for having gun-carrying agents protect his daughters is completely illogical. When we don't protect the First Family, we open ourselves up to terrible things happening (Terrorism is alive and well in the world). Before he was president, those girls did not have that protection (despite living in Chicago, the city with probably the most gun violence in America right now). EVERY president (Republican and Democrat) has the same protection.
- The second amendment (the right to bear arms) was adopted in the 16th century, when technology was much different. Back then, guns weren't capable of firing as quickly as they are now. Colonists could probably fire a shot a minute. The second amendment also talks about why Americans should have the right to bear arms: to keep a well regulated militia. We have one of the best military in the world, so when people try to invoke the second amendment as a way of justifying civilian gun ownership, they're missing the point.
- If you're focusing just on mass shootings, you're also missing that gun violence occurs everyday in America. When the Sandy Hook shooting happened, it was a wake up call just by numbers alone, but you can't forget homicides, etc.
- There was an off-duty marine in the Aurora theater when that shooting happened. She did not have her gun on her but she said she wouldn't have shot anyway. She could have been mistaken as a second shooter or missed and created more victims in the chaos. Please don't say that having more citizens carry guns would eliminate mass shootings. You can find her story in the February 2013 issue of Glamor.
- There's several different pieces of federal legislation being debated right now. There is discussion on requiring a background check on all gun transactions. There's discussion on limiting magazine capacity for civilians. There's discussion on punishment for crimes involving guns.
- The United States has more guns per capita than any other country in the world (Time Magazine's January 28, 2013 issue has a lot of good information on this). Also, gun crimes have decreased in the US pretty steadily in the past 10 years.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
New Years vs Lent
Breaking bad habits is for New Years. Lent, however, is so much more. Lent is about spiritual growth.
Yes, giving up something is supposed to imitate Jesus fasting in the dessert for 40 days all while resisting temptation. But do you know what Jesus was doing while fasting? Check out Luke 4 or Matthew 4 for a moment.
Jesus had just been baptized. The Holy Spirit led him into the desert to fast. While he was there, he was praying. He was preparing for the work he had been given by his Heavenly Father. He was using the time to grow closer to God. He was fasting for clarity of mind and spirit. He wasn't alone in the wilderness, either. He was filled with the Holy Spirit. And after he resisted temptation, angels came and ministered to him. Moses and Elijah also both fasted for 40 days in preparation for great works for God (Exodus 24:18 and 1 Kings 19:8). They spent the time in prayer.
The idea of fasting or giving up a vice is about breaking attachments to material things and turning your focus instead towards God. This lenten season, think about what you're doing to grow closer to God, not what you're giving up. Instead of giving up, you could also think about taking something on.
I'm not saying your plan to give up chocolate/soda/fillintheblank is bad. What I am saying is that each time you are tempted to go back to that material thing, take a moment to pray or to read your Bible. Faith needs to be tested to grow strong. My faith was tested when my brother died, but now I understand my faith better. Take a moment to think about how God provided for Jesus when he resisted temptation and remember that God will provide for all of your needs. When you are tempted, answer temptation with God's Word. Don't just rely on your own strength, rely on God to help you past the temptation.We need to know Scripture well enough to answer our doubts and fears and temptations with it. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
This year for lent, I'm doing a daily devotional in an effort to spend more time immersed in the Word of God.
Yes, giving up something is supposed to imitate Jesus fasting in the dessert for 40 days all while resisting temptation. But do you know what Jesus was doing while fasting? Check out Luke 4 or Matthew 4 for a moment.
Jesus had just been baptized. The Holy Spirit led him into the desert to fast. While he was there, he was praying. He was preparing for the work he had been given by his Heavenly Father. He was using the time to grow closer to God. He was fasting for clarity of mind and spirit. He wasn't alone in the wilderness, either. He was filled with the Holy Spirit. And after he resisted temptation, angels came and ministered to him. Moses and Elijah also both fasted for 40 days in preparation for great works for God (Exodus 24:18 and 1 Kings 19:8). They spent the time in prayer.
The idea of fasting or giving up a vice is about breaking attachments to material things and turning your focus instead towards God. This lenten season, think about what you're doing to grow closer to God, not what you're giving up. Instead of giving up, you could also think about taking something on.
I'm not saying your plan to give up chocolate/soda/fillintheblank is bad. What I am saying is that each time you are tempted to go back to that material thing, take a moment to pray or to read your Bible. Faith needs to be tested to grow strong. My faith was tested when my brother died, but now I understand my faith better. Take a moment to think about how God provided for Jesus when he resisted temptation and remember that God will provide for all of your needs. When you are tempted, answer temptation with God's Word. Don't just rely on your own strength, rely on God to help you past the temptation.We need to know Scripture well enough to answer our doubts and fears and temptations with it. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
This year for lent, I'm doing a daily devotional in an effort to spend more time immersed in the Word of God.
Monday, February 4, 2013
KT's Salsa
This recipe was created by me by sifting through lots of other people's recipes. It is a mild (but DELICIOUS) salsa. If you like a hotter version, add more chilli powder or a diced jalapeno.
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 7 tomatoes, diced
- 3 bell peppers (I use one orange, one yellow, and one green), diced
- 1/2 of a large yellow onion, diced
- 2 T salt
- 2 T cumin
- 2 T chilli powder
- 1/4 C fresh cilantro, diced
- 1 T freshly minced garlic
- 1/2 C of vinegar
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Snapshot
The SFA Alumni Association regularly does a snapshot of some Faculty or Staff member's office and then they get to tell you about their office. It ends up really capturing the essence of that person. Here's what you'll find in my office at any given point:
Also, check out this article about your office: http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/what-your-desk-says-about-you-001043491.html I have an organized desk and uncommon objects.
- At least one mug and one cup- I'm always drinking either hot tea or water
- At least 3 pairs of shoes- a pair of sandals for any work I'm doing in/on/around the pool, a pair of tennis shoes in case I need to do some heavy lifting/moving/handyman work, and a pair of dress(y) shoes
- An extra phone charger- it took my parents almost 12 hours to get a hold of me after they found out my brother had died. It's one of the few small grief things I have, but I MUST have my phone on and with me at all times. Serious nerves happen if I don't.
- Snackage- This girl loves to eat! Currently, my snack drawer contains Red Bull, Velveeta Instant Mac, and Trader Joe's nuts
- Tea- I have a stash of loose and bagged tea. If you need some, just drop by! Tea is my happy place. It calms me when I'm most stressed.
- Swim Suit / towel / goggles- Life Aquatics. 'Nough Said.
- Pictures- I have a trio right now: One of my parents, one of my sister, and one of my brother
- Name Tags- I have my name tag from every conference I've been to since my Sophomore year of college hanging together. It's something a few of my mentors did. I can look at the name tags and be reminded of past fun and of how far I've come since that first NIRSA conference I went to.
Also, check out this article about your office: http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/what-your-desk-says-about-you-001043491.html I have an organized desk and uncommon objects.
What NOT to do @ the Gym
I've spent the greater part of the past decade working at a gym of some sort. While fitness might not be my forte, I've picked up a lot along the way. This is a simple guide of what NOT to do when you're at the gym (Unless you want to be a complete and utter fool).
- Get on a treadmill, pump the incline all the way up, lean back & hang on! You're effectively negating the impact you think you're getting from the incline.
- Run on a treadmill while hanging on. Supporting your weight with your arms means you're not really running. It's the same as lying on your back and moving your legs. You could do that forever and you still wouldn't get your heart rate up. It might give your arms a little resistance training...
- Kiss/stare at/worship your muscles, meat head.
- Make faces/noises; if you have to make noises or faces, what you're doing is probably too hard for you and could therefore hurt you.
- Wear loafers/sandals/no shoes/Cowboy Boots. You're an idiot. You're not going to get the best workout and your risk for injury increases exponentially. Vibrams are fine. They at least provide a little grip.
- Wear jeans. rivets/buttons/zippers damage the pads on benches and equipment.
- Wear the same shoes you just trekked through the snow in. The salt and snow damages the equipment.
- Wear cotton/street clothes/denim into the pool. Your clogging the filter, making it easier to drown yourself, and it doesn't hide the fat any better. Also, wearing your underwear in the pool adds fecal matter to the pool. You're gross.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Why You Shouldn't Get a Pet
During Grad School, I was convinced that the only thing I ever wanted or needed in my life was a dog. My brother had just died and I was living 1,800 miles away from home and the idea of having someone/something to come home to in the evenings sounded so good.
BUT my mother (and grandmother) insisted that I could not possibly handle a dog at that point. How was I going to afford one? And then there was having to walk it in the snow and/or at night. Plus, I was not home enough to have a dog. I told myself I would be committed to a dog and be home more often and take care of it well, but I listened to their advice.
Fast forward three years and I have my very own puppy. Eloise the Chiweenie is 6 pounds of love and cuddles and fur; in short, everything I hoped for when I was wanting a dog. I'm in love with this little girl! She is so precious to me! She's my fur child and I am fiercely protective of her. She has helped me through an incredibly tough year and she's my favorite part of my day.
Looking back, I'm incredibly glad that my grandmother and mother were so adamantly against me getting a dog. I still feel like I would have made more time for a dog and I would have budgeted a little better, and I would have handled the weather BUT it wouldn't have been better enough. Now, I can look at Ellie and know how much more she deserves than what I would have been able to give at that point in my life.
I'm not saying that a grad student couldn't handle a dog (Or even an undergrad). I'm saying that at that point in my own life, I wasn't prepared enough for a pet. Ellie and I live in an apartment with a roommate and 2 cats. This roommate is past grad school, but completely incapable of caring for her cats the way they deserve. If anyone took care of Ellie the way those cats are taken care of, I think I would murder them for neglecting her.
What I'm saying is this: If you have a pet, you have a responsibility to them. That means buying everything they need (I know you're thinking food, but there's also toys, clothing/leashes/collars, waste disposal [poop bags aren't exactly cheap, litter is at least], vet visits [I regularly drop a couple hundred bucks taking Ellie to the vet. I'm somewhere around $700 for this year], etc.).
That means committing time; your pet doesn't care what hour of the day it is, it cares that it needs to go to the bathroom; it needs petting even if you've been at work for 15 hours already that day and just want to sleep; it means time spent cleaning up after whatever accident or mess that they made (No animal is perfect and you can't expect that of a pet). It means time throwing a ball or pulling a tug of war toy because they're tired of sitting around all day waiting on you to come home.
That means making sure your pet feels safe in its own home. If you bring home a second animal that doesn't get along with the first, you better be keeping them in separate rooms and paying equal attention to them. I have sat this semester and watched the cats beat the crap out of each other and their owner does nothing. I'm not a cat person and I feel bad for them.
Then there's the whole issue of having someone to take care of your pet when you can't. Going to visit your parents for Christmas? Flights cost a minimum of $125 for a pet who fits under the seat. Boarding is going to coast even more. Leaving the pet with a friend? You have to make sure that the sitter has everything they need. I had to go get cat litter at 9 o'clock one night because there was none and I was pet sitting the cats for the week.
Don't get me wrong, Ellie is the best part of my life right now. I love my job but I love it more when I leave work and go home to her. And I love cuddling in bed on lazy Saturday mornings. And I love playing on the beach with her. She is worth every bit of hard work/time/money I spend on her.
Go ahead, get a pet! Just make sure you give your pet EVERYTHING it deserves!
BUT my mother (and grandmother) insisted that I could not possibly handle a dog at that point. How was I going to afford one? And then there was having to walk it in the snow and/or at night. Plus, I was not home enough to have a dog. I told myself I would be committed to a dog and be home more often and take care of it well, but I listened to their advice.
Just look at that cuteness!
Looking back, I'm incredibly glad that my grandmother and mother were so adamantly against me getting a dog. I still feel like I would have made more time for a dog and I would have budgeted a little better, and I would have handled the weather BUT it wouldn't have been better enough. Now, I can look at Ellie and know how much more she deserves than what I would have been able to give at that point in my life.
I'm not saying that a grad student couldn't handle a dog (Or even an undergrad). I'm saying that at that point in my own life, I wasn't prepared enough for a pet. Ellie and I live in an apartment with a roommate and 2 cats. This roommate is past grad school, but completely incapable of caring for her cats the way they deserve. If anyone took care of Ellie the way those cats are taken care of, I think I would murder them for neglecting her.
What I'm saying is this: If you have a pet, you have a responsibility to them. That means buying everything they need (I know you're thinking food, but there's also toys, clothing/leashes/collars, waste disposal [poop bags aren't exactly cheap, litter is at least], vet visits [I regularly drop a couple hundred bucks taking Ellie to the vet. I'm somewhere around $700 for this year], etc.).
That means committing time; your pet doesn't care what hour of the day it is, it cares that it needs to go to the bathroom; it needs petting even if you've been at work for 15 hours already that day and just want to sleep; it means time spent cleaning up after whatever accident or mess that they made (No animal is perfect and you can't expect that of a pet). It means time throwing a ball or pulling a tug of war toy because they're tired of sitting around all day waiting on you to come home.
That means making sure your pet feels safe in its own home. If you bring home a second animal that doesn't get along with the first, you better be keeping them in separate rooms and paying equal attention to them. I have sat this semester and watched the cats beat the crap out of each other and their owner does nothing. I'm not a cat person and I feel bad for them.
Then there's the whole issue of having someone to take care of your pet when you can't. Going to visit your parents for Christmas? Flights cost a minimum of $125 for a pet who fits under the seat. Boarding is going to coast even more. Leaving the pet with a friend? You have to make sure that the sitter has everything they need. I had to go get cat litter at 9 o'clock one night because there was none and I was pet sitting the cats for the week.
Don't get me wrong, Ellie is the best part of my life right now. I love my job but I love it more when I leave work and go home to her. And I love cuddling in bed on lazy Saturday mornings. And I love playing on the beach with her. She is worth every bit of hard work/time/money I spend on her.
Go ahead, get a pet! Just make sure you give your pet EVERYTHING it deserves!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Power Ball!
I didn't get a chance to buy Mega Millions tickets a few months ago so I made sure to buy 5 tickets with the Power Ball being so high this week. I read a news article that said you are "20,000 times
more likely to die in a car crash than hit the lucky numbers." If those
are the odds, i think my family probably has pretty decent odds due to
the obvious lack of a brother in my life.
So here's what I'm doing with my winnings:
1. Tithe. Simple enough. Deuteronomy 12:6-7 says "bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you."
2. Debt. I don't regret for a second taking out student loans to graduate or having a loan for my car, but I'd love to be able to pay those off. Not to mention the money I owe my parents for helping me survive college. I'm also going to make it a point to pay mom's way through her Master's degree. She's given everything to me so there's no way I would walk away from the one thing she wants! While I'm at it, I'll help my parents with the small amount of debt they have.
3. I'll help my Uncle finish his house. He has been a really huge help to me the past few years and I'd do anything to pay him back for all that trust/support/help.
4. I will take my family on the vacation of a lifetime: All 7 continents! (My dream vacation would be to Antarctica, if I can't reach all 7 continents). But we won't go crazy. We'll bargain shop for hotels/tickets/meals/etc.
5. I will purchase lifetime memberships with SFA Alumni Association, UNH Alumni Association, and NIRSA. 3 communities filled with wonderful people that I care about.
6. I have a few bigger items that I'm in need of but haven't purchased yet: Bedroom furniture, a new laptop (My old one still works but is starting to fall apart. Not sure how much longer it will last. I want a MacBook Pro so badly!), and a diploma frame for my SFA diploma. I'll spread those out over the course of the next few months. I don't want to get greedy and lose all my money.
7. Charity: I will be donating in $10,000 increments to the following groups:
8. The Breast Cancer 3 day. I'll sponsor myself and anyone else who wants to join me! I've always wanted to do this!
I'm not going to lie, I'll probably splurge and move to a one bedroom in Lincoln Park. But the rest of the money is going into savings and my retirement plan.
And I'm not quitting my job. Working with students makes my heart happy :)
So here's what I'm doing with my winnings:
1. Tithe. Simple enough. Deuteronomy 12:6-7 says "bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you."
2. Debt. I don't regret for a second taking out student loans to graduate or having a loan for my car, but I'd love to be able to pay those off. Not to mention the money I owe my parents for helping me survive college. I'm also going to make it a point to pay mom's way through her Master's degree. She's given everything to me so there's no way I would walk away from the one thing she wants! While I'm at it, I'll help my parents with the small amount of debt they have.
3. I'll help my Uncle finish his house. He has been a really huge help to me the past few years and I'd do anything to pay him back for all that trust/support/help.
4. I will take my family on the vacation of a lifetime: All 7 continents! (My dream vacation would be to Antarctica, if I can't reach all 7 continents). But we won't go crazy. We'll bargain shop for hotels/tickets/meals/etc.
5. I will purchase lifetime memberships with SFA Alumni Association, UNH Alumni Association, and NIRSA. 3 communities filled with wonderful people that I care about.
6. I have a few bigger items that I'm in need of but haven't purchased yet: Bedroom furniture, a new laptop (My old one still works but is starting to fall apart. Not sure how much longer it will last. I want a MacBook Pro so badly!), and a diploma frame for my SFA diploma. I'll spread those out over the course of the next few months. I don't want to get greedy and lose all my money.
7. Charity: I will be donating in $10,000 increments to the following groups:
- DZ Zeta Psi
- SFA Campus Rec’s scholarship fund
- The SFA Alumni Association
- UNH Campus Rec
- Charity Water
- Driving Jacks (They'll get a double or triple donation)
- Moka's Dog Rescue
- the Make a Wish Foundation
- the Allen Eagle Escadrille
- the NIRSA foundation
- The Team Mizzou Scholarship Fund
8. The Breast Cancer 3 day. I'll sponsor myself and anyone else who wants to join me! I've always wanted to do this!
I'm not going to lie, I'll probably splurge and move to a one bedroom in Lincoln Park. But the rest of the money is going into savings and my retirement plan.
And I'm not quitting my job. Working with students makes my heart happy :)
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
The Best Christmas Parade We Had Never Seen
This weekend, Megan and I decided to do the Magnificent Mile Festival of Lights and Parade. We felt like it was a Chicago Experience we had to do at least once. Her parents and GF joined us and we had a BLAST! After the weekend ended, Megan's dad wrote this poem to commemorate our experience:
The Greatest Christmas Parade We Have Never Seen
In mid November in that town they call Chicago
There's a famous Christmas parade that thousands go to you
know.
So Kathy and I packed up the Taurus.
And headed North to see Megan and company of course.
We used Siri on the I Phone as our directional goddess.
And wouldn't you know we got to Megan's crib in record time
and not in Skokie and hopelessly lost.
It was good to see her and to meet Betsy from Kenosha,
Wisconson
Max was stylin in his dogie hooded sweatshirt that was well
done.
We made our plans to get downtown for the parade and the
fireworks.
Living in Chicago, although windy, can still have it's
perks.
So we all got together on November 17, 2012 in the year of our
Lord.
Went to the red line station and on the "L" train we did
board.
We all had our gloves and our hats and our mittens.
Hoping that we wouldn't with cold be smitten.
Got downtown after a few stops and our Christmas parade
adventure was about to begin.
Megan got on the phone and got hold of her co-worker
Kathryn.
Now it sure was a treat for me to be in the company of these
four fine looking ladies.
We chose to walk to the parade instead of taking the Mercedes.
(don't have one but it rhymes)
Everyone was feeling a little hungry so we hooked up some
burgers and dogs and Mister J's.
When it was time to get a drink refill for 75 cents I said no
f#@^ing way !
We followed it up with a Starbuck's stop and some warm
delicious liquid treats.
I had to wait on the ladies awhile because there was a long
line for the bathroom and only one seat.
What a great night out is was, quite warm for this time of the
year.
The sun was setting in the west and the skies were
clear.
We got down to Michigan Avenue and the crowd was beginning to
form as a throng.
The further south we went it was clear that something was
wrong.
All of the good spots were taken and the parade route was at
least 5-10 people deep.
Kathy said "We should have got a hotel room" but I replied "It
wouldn't have been cheap"
So we moved down the avenue like fish going up a crowded
stream, people as far as could be seen.
Except we weren't salmon, more like sardines.
It took quite a while to go just a few blocks moving amongst
the common folk and high rollers.
Trying to get to a good spot and not get run over by baby
strollers.
Our goal was to get as far South on the Miracle Mile as we
could to see the parade and the pyrotechnics.
But it soon became clear weren't gonna make it and we
considered bailing out for drinks.
But we pressed on taking small steps as we moved as one with
the crowd.
I bet the people in the front row on both sides of the street
felt pretty proud.
Finally we just came to a stop, there was no possible way to
advance or further go.
We chose to stand our ground at the intersection of Michigan
and Ohio.
We huddled together as a group, vowing not to get separated or
pushed out of our position.
But with a thousand parade wanna be viewers it was a difficult
proposition.
The parade was coming we hoped because the sky had turned from
blue to red to black.
Kathryn and Kathy held down the front, me in the middle, and
Megan and Betsy had our back.
We stood our ground as we were pushed, shoved and generally
moved around the sidewalk.
It was pretty clear we weren't going to see the parade so we
might as well talk.
And then off in the distance we saw some spotlights and we
knew we were soon going to have good parade viewing luck.
Then along came the Illuminating devices in a "light duty"
truck.
( I was proud of that pun)
We looked across the street at the people in their apartments
and rooms looking down on the parade with a heck of a view.
Because we were surrounded by many we weren't sure what we
could do.
The little kids had the best look at the action from the tops
of their Mom's and Dad's shoulders.
We might have seen better if we had some ladders or at least
some big boulders.
The people around were generally funny and nice and not a
bunch of jerks.
Except for that one bitch woman who said "get out of my way, I
am late for work"
Now what kind of dumbass would choose that time to fight the
crowd which wanted to linger ?
We will never know, the bitch just went on and shot Betsy the
finger.
And now the parade was in full swing as displays and marching
bands came along.
Although, however, we were 0-5 on them playing us a
song.
Still, their drum cadence sounded pretty good and was kinda
all of that.
The bad thing is were were so far back we could only see the
top of their hats.
The first hot air balloon came by, it was Rudolph and we could
clearly see him as he came by our spot and passed.
We all had a laugh as we saw the duct tape on his helium
filled ass.
There were lots of Disney characters from Minnie to Micky to
Goofy.
Although from our vantage point far away he kinda looked like
Snoopy.
We continued by the crowd to be pushed, and shoved and probed
like a proctologist.
When what we really needed was to have better vision and a
visit from our oncologist.
Most of the people had manners, said "excuse me" or "sorry"
they weren't to rude.
Although there was that one guy in front of Kathryn, that 6
foot four dude.
What else could we do there was no moving around.
Couldn't see the damn thing, most of it we experienced by
sound.
I think we were there for quite a while, it was definitely
over an hour.
Experiencing the parade on the Miracle Mile in front of Eddie
Baurer's.
And then finally Santa came by, the traditional end of the
parade and the end of our non viewing experience.
Pulled by a sleigh of twelve reindeer as down the avenue they
went.
Now Katherine challenged my Santa reindeer knowledge, I said
twelve and she said eight in a holler.
I felt confident in my memory and I bet her a dollar.
Then they shot off the fireworks and there were a bunch of
them, quite loud.
We couldn't see them but we were impressed by the sound.
As the crowd dispersed we continued to hold our ground.
Hoping for at least one more unit or a band to come by but
none was to be found.
So we headed west in search of a bar to get a drink, a beer, a
stop for a pop.
Decided to hang out at the bar at the Rock Bottom Cafe's
rooftop.
Ordered a round and we staked out a great spot away from the
human rat race.
Put our feet up, started sipping and enjoying the fake
fireplace.
We felt like we were on the top of the world, we had each
other and our heart's desire.
Drinking with each other, telling stories, and being warmed by
the fire.
We were kinda hungry after our walk and the parade so a couple
of huge soft pretzels sounded pretty great.
But were were told the kitchen was behind and the roof top
food closed at eight.
So we got back on the red line train and we began our journey
north to home this time in Chicagoland.
The train was crowded, Kathy got a seat but the rest of us had
to stand.
It took a while to get to our station because we had a lot of
stops of course.
Eventually the crowd thinned out when we got to our station
called Morse.
Having been shut out on pretzels we were ready for some
dinner.
Based on prior experience Mama Leone's was the winner.
Awesome food, great atmosphere our waitress was amazing, our
experience was the best of our choosing
I asked the waitress, Mary, to help settle my reindeer bet
without losing.
Alas, she had to verify that there were eight and not a dozen,
I was out of luck.
I manned up and paid Kathryn her buck.
As we said our goodbyes at the end of the night.
Although things didn't go according to plan we still got it
right.
A special evening for the memory banks if you know what I
mean.
It was The Best Christmas Parade We Had Never Seen !
a poem by
Steve Morris
Friday, November 2, 2012
Blessings
Last November, I decided to post once a day about how Thankful I was. I wasn't quite able to finish, but I'm going to try again this November.
- Nov 1- I am thankful for my mother. I don't think she realizes how strong and beautiful she is. She's an inspiration to me and I hope to one day be even half the woman she is!
- Nov 2- I am so thankful for my job. Last November I was struggling with a job that just wasn't for me. This year, I laugh every single day. I see when I make a difference. I have several mentors that I know I will be close with years from now.
- Nov 3 - I am thankful for the students I get to work with. I learn from them and in turn I get to see them learning/growing/succeeding! One of the students I had the opportunity to mentor as an upperclassman at SFA just took the time to tell me how much I meant to her and that touched my heart. The Grad student we have here at Loyola is headed to NYC on Monday to help with Hurricane Sandy Relief. While I can take no credit for this, I am inspired by her!
- November 4 - I am thankful for the little fur child of mine. She makes me laugh and gives me kisses and cuddles with me. She has a way of making me feel better when life sucks.
- November 5 - I'm thankful that I have food in my belly. This week is Loyola's Hunger Week; the Loyola Community is doing all sorts of activities to raise funds for those who go without food. I might not eat the healthiest and I might not have steak every night, but I have never once in my life had to worry about my next meal.
- November 6 - I am thankful that I have the right to vote! There are so many people out there in the world who don't have the right to vote or risk their lives to vote.
- November 7 - I am thankful for productive days. They make me feel good about myself.
- November 8 - I am thankful for Grey's Anatomy. Maybe this is a little silly BUT it brought me sister/mother/me together as well as a roommate and I closer together. And it makes my Thursdays! If it makes you happy, its worth being thankful for.
- November 9 - I am thankful for Chicago. I really love living in this city. I do new things every day and meet new people almost as frequently!
- November 10 - I am thankful for Saturdays. I really get to relax and catch up with my life on Saturdays. Plus, extra time to cuddle up with Ellie (who WOULDN'T want that?!).
- November 11 - I am thankful for Christmas. It gives me an excuse to shop. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE when I can find a really awesome present for someone (Bonus points when it's on sale). Toons definitely has some Owl Nesting Dolls going under the tree this year.
- November 12 - I am thankful for ways to give back to my community. My department adopted a family for Christmas and we are definitely fighting over who gets to buy what. I'm all about our 13 year old girl. Bring on the purse and PJ shopping!
- November 13 - I am thankful for Tuesdays and Private Practice. I don't watch a lot of TV but between Grey's and PP, I always have something to get me through the week. I can handle Mondays because PP is on Tuesdays. I can handle Wednesdays bc Grey's is on Thursdays. And then it's Friday/the weekend.
- November 14 - I am thankful for new friends; specifically, Sarah, who invited me and Megan over for dinner tonight. She even let Ellie come hang out, too!
- November 15 - I am thankful for an awesome boss. Starbucks/chat time made my afternoon. Skinny Peppermint Mocha? Yes, please!
- November 16 - I am thankful for Fridays. Leaving work on Friday afternoons always makes me feel a little bit lighter, a little bit less busy. And I love my job so that's saying something.
- November 17 - I'm really thankful for the experiences I had today! I got to be a part of a huge parade in the middle of an even bigger city. Chicago, you did not disappoint me. The Magnificent Mile Festival of Lights Parade was a bit like what I think the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade must be like.
- November 18 - I am thankful for Post Secret. I'm amazed by how many lives are being changed through this blog. It definitely pushes me to think about big picture things.
- November 19 - some days I struggle to find one thing to be thankful for; today, I have many! I am thankful for lunch (My boss treated me to Chipotle, yum!). I am thankful for opportunities to serve others. I took Ellie to a nursing home tonight to play. I was nervous and awkward but Ellie had no problem loving on the people there. And that brings me to my third thankful for: Ellie (yes, again) for showing me how to care for people regardless of any disabilities/ailments/age. She's a top notch dog.
- November 20 - I am thankful for hot tea to calm me down.
- November 21 - I am so very thankful to have a God who loves me without fail!
- November 22 - I am thankful that the older I get, the better I get along with my cousins.
- November 23 - I am so thankful for my second family, Cori, Caitlin, Jimmy, Andre, and Hank. You guys mean so much to me and I wish I got to see you more!
- November 24 - I am thankful that I got to have a brother for 22 and a half years. This week really made me feel blessed. Some people never go to know Bry and all his fun but I got to have him as my brother! Nothing in the world could be better than that!
- November 25 - I am thankful that my dad chose to go to work even earlier than normal so he could take me to the airport at 4 in the morning. He gave up his lunch to have an extra 45 minutes with me and I cherished those 45 minutes! They were filled with conversation about nothing important but they mean a lot.
- November 26 - I am thankful that Ellie has so many people who love her, including my parents. They are taking care of her for 4 weeks and I miss her terribly. They're having fun fattening her up, cuddling, playing, and going on walks.
- November 27 - I am thankful for the city I live in. Chicago is so full of life and it makes me happy.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Things that Make Me Feel OLD
Suddenly, within the past 2 months, I've actually started to feel like an adult. Until now, I was just a kid masquerading as an adult. But suddenly my life is overflowing with things that make me feel like a real live adult:
- I'm fully responsible for another being. A few weeks ago, I had to take Ellie to the vet. What's even more miraculous than me surviving the vet trip was that I actually had the money to pay for it!
- I'm buying all my airfare this year for the holidays. And I'm going home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I can, for the most part, afford it.
- I'm older than half of Cosmo's Bachelors this year.
- I actually earn more than either of my parents. And I have better benefits. I should probably work on paying them back what I owe them from college.
- My closet is starting to contain adult clothing. And more work clothing than non work clothing. I actually own trouser socks.
- I have a retirement account. It's tiny, but it's there.
- The things I want to purchase include furniture, hankies, and other similar, old people items.
- I'm counseling multiple cousins on college applications, scholarships, etc.
- I have a political opinion, not based on my parents' opinions. I've done my research and I'm voting for the candidate I think is the best.
- I pay to have things tailored and dry cleaned. Not often, but I never did when I was a student.
- There's a new generation of cousins in my family, all under the age of 9. We're no longer the kids, we're the parents with kids.
Advent with Kids
We didn't do a lot with advent growing up (We were quite a handful on our own), but there's all these great advent ideas out there. I'd love to do an advent activity a day once I have kids of my own.
Here's my list of things to do:
Go look at Christmas lights
Read The Polar Express
Participate in an Angel Tree and/or Operation Christmas Child Box
Send Christmas cards
Random Acts of Kindness: Leave the mailman something yummy, leave quarters on arcade games, etc
Bake Christmas Cookies
Go ice skating
Read the Christmas story in the Bible
Pick out a tree and decorate it
Go see The Nutcracker
Watch a Christmas Movie
Snowball Surprises: http://momsbyheart.net/100-days-of-christmas-day-98/
Read a Christmas book
Make Gingerbread Houses
Christmas Eve Church
Here's my list of things to do:
Go look at Christmas lights
Read The Polar Express
Participate in an Angel Tree and/or Operation Christmas Child Box
Send Christmas cards
Random Acts of Kindness: Leave the mailman something yummy, leave quarters on arcade games, etc
Bake Christmas Cookies
Go ice skating
Read the Christmas story in the Bible
Pick out a tree and decorate it
Go see The Nutcracker
Watch a Christmas Movie
Snowball Surprises: http://momsbyheart.net/100-days-of-christmas-day-98/
Read a Christmas book
Make Gingerbread Houses
Christmas Eve Church
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Inspiration
Another guest post I did for Post Grad Learning
This weekend, my Aunt Beth and my mom participated in the Dirty Girl Mud Run. The proceeds from the race go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. I’m super proud of them for finding a way to have fun and serve others at the same time! This got me thinking: What have I done lately to serve my community? I can’t think of numerous times post-graduation where others have served me, but what have I done to serve others?
Too many of my friends change their Facebook to “support” a cause. Remember changing your profile picture to your favorite cartoon in “support” of child abuse awareness? What good did that REALLY do? I’m pretty sure the world already knew about the existence of Child Abuse and its negative effects. And then there’s the cryptic status update every October that’s supposed to get the male population asking what it means so you can talk about Breast Cancer (Kathryn likes it on the counter. No, I wasn’t talking about sex; I was talking about where I put my purse. Segue into Breast Cancer). But do we ever really talk about Breast Cancer in a productive way?Maybe you don’t have the money to donate to a worthy cause, but I’m very certain that each and every one of us has talents. Challenge: Use your time and talents to actually make a difference in the world. Find something you care about and support it! Me? I’m signing up for the Dirty Girl – Chicago. Anyone want to join my team?
This weekend, my Aunt Beth and my mom participated in the Dirty Girl Mud Run. The proceeds from the race go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. I’m super proud of them for finding a way to have fun and serve others at the same time! This got me thinking: What have I done lately to serve my community? I can’t think of numerous times post-graduation where others have served me, but what have I done to serve others?
Post run: Mud is the new Pink
Too many of my friends change their Facebook to “support” a cause. Remember changing your profile picture to your favorite cartoon in “support” of child abuse awareness? What good did that REALLY do? I’m pretty sure the world already knew about the existence of Child Abuse and its negative effects. And then there’s the cryptic status update every October that’s supposed to get the male population asking what it means so you can talk about Breast Cancer (Kathryn likes it on the counter. No, I wasn’t talking about sex; I was talking about where I put my purse. Segue into Breast Cancer). But do we ever really talk about Breast Cancer in a productive way?Maybe you don’t have the money to donate to a worthy cause, but I’m very certain that each and every one of us has talents. Challenge: Use your time and talents to actually make a difference in the world. Find something you care about and support it! Me? I’m signing up for the Dirty Girl – Chicago. Anyone want to join my team?
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Obama the Antichrist, Romney the Animal Hater
This past week, I wrote a guest post at Post Grad Learning . It is something I'm pretty passionate about so I'm sharing it here.
Unless you’re 5 years old or just plain dumb, you’ve realized by now that election season is upon us. And unless you have taken the time to research, you have no clue about half of what you’re voting for. Let’s face it, PoliSci 101 taught us about the branches of the government, not about how to decide which candidate to vote for.
If you were to take a guess about me, you might assume I’m conservative (obviously!); I grew up in Texas, with conservative, Christian parents who tend to vote Republican. Or you could go the exact opposite way and guess that because I live in Chicago and I’m young, I’m obviously going to vote Democrat this year. And either way you guess, you’d be wrong.
Here’s how I’m voting this year: I’m voting for candidate whose values most closely align with mine; the candidate who is capable of handling the issues that I think are most important; the candidate who I think is capable of filling the position the best.How did I come to that decision? Simple: I did my research. Do you know what the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act actually is? Or have you just listened to ads on TV? Here’s a summary. Do you know what RomneyCare includes? You can find information here. Want to talk class warfare or jobs? Check out the graphs here. The most important thing to do is know the facts before you vote.
Nothing will make me defriend/unfollow/stop answering your phone calls quicker than a gross exaggeration about one of the candidates. OBVIOUSLY Obama is the Antichrist, didn’t you know? And Romney? Don’t even get me started on what an IDIOT he is. He just loves animal cruelty, right? Let’s get real and start figuring out who we want to represent our nation by focusing on the REAL issues.
According to International IDEA, the United States has almost the lowest voter turnout in the world, ranked at 140 out of 163.The men and women of the Armed Forces make sacrifices everyday so that we have the right to vote. It’s not just our right though, it’s our duty as citizens to exercise that right. So get out and rock the vote, but not until you’ve done your research!
Unless you’re 5 years old or just plain dumb, you’ve realized by now that election season is upon us. And unless you have taken the time to research, you have no clue about half of what you’re voting for. Let’s face it, PoliSci 101 taught us about the branches of the government, not about how to decide which candidate to vote for.
If you were to take a guess about me, you might assume I’m conservative (obviously!); I grew up in Texas, with conservative, Christian parents who tend to vote Republican. Or you could go the exact opposite way and guess that because I live in Chicago and I’m young, I’m obviously going to vote Democrat this year. And either way you guess, you’d be wrong.
Here’s how I’m voting this year: I’m voting for candidate whose values most closely align with mine; the candidate who is capable of handling the issues that I think are most important; the candidate who I think is capable of filling the position the best.How did I come to that decision? Simple: I did my research. Do you know what the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act actually is? Or have you just listened to ads on TV? Here’s a summary. Do you know what RomneyCare includes? You can find information here. Want to talk class warfare or jobs? Check out the graphs here. The most important thing to do is know the facts before you vote.
Nothing will make me defriend/unfollow/stop answering your phone calls quicker than a gross exaggeration about one of the candidates. OBVIOUSLY Obama is the Antichrist, didn’t you know? And Romney? Don’t even get me started on what an IDIOT he is. He just loves animal cruelty, right? Let’s get real and start figuring out who we want to represent our nation by focusing on the REAL issues.
According to International IDEA, the United States has almost the lowest voter turnout in the world, ranked at 140 out of 163.The men and women of the Armed Forces make sacrifices everyday so that we have the right to vote. It’s not just our right though, it’s our duty as citizens to exercise that right. So get out and rock the vote, but not until you’ve done your research!
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