Too fast!

I can't believe that it is already been over a week since my last post!  The sad thing is that I don't really have much to talk about now, but I need to blog this week.  I guess I can give an update on how life is going right now.

This past week, much of my life have been dedicated to Phi Sigma Pi.  Last Saturday, another Brother and I held a seminar on how to be a good big brother.  Monday was Theta class' first initiate meeting and of course last night was the Chapter meeting.  All throughout this week I've been working on some of the logistics of starting an alumni chapter here in Johnson City.  Hopefully some news will come soon about good progress.

As far as school goes, it's been kinda slow.  I am ahead in one of my classes and right where I should be in the other two.  I know this is just the calm before the storm though.  I do have good news.  I get to tie in one of my resolutions and one of my class assignments.  Ya know that book I was planning on reading about Starbucks?  Well, I get to read it for class for some background information.  What's a better source than a book written by the former CEO and founder of the company!  Anyway, enough about classes.

Work is work. It hasn't been too busy or too slow lately.  I just finished a training session of the new web content management system for the university.  I'm kinda excited about it.  Yea, I know, I'm an ETSU pride nerd.  :)  Along with that, I'm debating on creating a Facebook page for the department.  Well, not actually debating, just thinking about what to put on there.  With registration coming up, I think this would be the perfect time for it.  Who knows?  If you have any ideas on what I should do, leave a comment for me.

Life outside of school, work and Phi Sigma Pi...it's been busy.  Ryan and I are planning on doing our "spring cleaning" this weekend.  Lately, we've done a lot of talking about food now that we are both doing this nutrition plan.  We will see how that works out.  Did you get to read my last post?  Well, if you haven't, pause and go read it real quick.  It's important in regards to this next update.  The last post was about a house that Ryan and I looked at that was a lease-purchase.  Little did we know that the idea of actually doing it might have to be a reality.  Basically, our neighbors are inconsiderate jerks.  Unfortunately I'm not sure what the next step is.  I told our landlord that it is either they are evicted or Ryan and I leave.  I didn't think that it would be the latter, but I haven't heard anything from the landlord yet and he's not answering emails or phone calls.  :/  What to do, what to do?!  Just keep us in your prayers about this issue because I'm not sure how everything is going to pan out in the next week. 

I guess that's all for now.  I do have to do a couple of shout outs to people with big news from this week.  Congratulations to Danielle for getting the job!  Congratulations to Justin for getting into President's Pride and being elected as treasurer for the Initiate class!  :)

Too far ahead

One lesson that I don't think I have fully learned yet is when I need to realize that I'm too far ahead of myself.  Often times, okay most of the time, I jump the gun and make decisions or do things without fully thinking things through.  The odd thing is that I typically only do this in my personal life.  I'm pretty methodical about making decisions/plans-of-actions when it comes to work.  There's a lot more thinking involved.  However, in my personal life, forget it.  Most of the time I act without fully thinking about it.  Maybe it's because it's not really my job on the line. 

All I have to say is thank God for parents and thank God for Ryan!  Those three really put things in perspective for me.  I guess I've always been stubborn and insisted on learning things the hard way, whether it be burning my finger on the stove (I have a tiny scar on my thumb from when I was a baby), learning that secrets don't make friends in middle school (this remark means more to my mom and sister), or getting a 4-year degree in a subject that probably won't have a huge impact on my future now.  At least with my parents and Ryan, I haven't done anything incredibly stupid or irrational.  They keep me in check and grounded.

So, why am I writing this post?  Well...you now know a little bit more about me.  And to thank my parents and Ryan.  So, if you hear me talking about some crazy idea or some unrealistic plan for a 23-year-old, tell me to really think about it.  Or ask me questions that I should have answers to.  It'll save me some worrying/headaches/heartaches.  I'll try to do the same for everyone else too! 

When I was a kid...

I didn't have Facebook.  Facebook wasn't introduced until I was in high school and even then, you had to have a college email address to sign up for it.  When I was in middle and high school, MySpace was the big social networking site.  Even then, my Myspace was so boring that I hardly ever updated it.  All I can say is thank God that when I went through my little, rebellion stage of my life (8th grade might I add) I didn't have access to anything like Facebook.  Watch below.  Please be aware that there is cursing in this video, so if you are sensitive to it you might not want to watch it.

Now, I'm not going to pretend that I didn't talk bad about my parents when I was going through that stage of my life (sorry, Mom and Dad), but at least I didn't do it where hundreds/thousands/millions of people could see it!  And...I remember one time (and she may remember others lol) I talked back to my mom, but I never talked back to them the way this girl made it sound!  Even when I was mad at my parents, I still said, "Yes/No, ma'am/sir".  It was expected of me.  Now, as I grow up (wow this goes back to my last post) I have realized that parenting has changed a lot.  You can tell by the way high schoolers and new college students act.  Let me tell you, I would never get away with half of the stuff they get away with today, even if I tried as a grown adult!  I don't know; I guess the world is just getting crazier. 

I wanted this for four reasons.  First to say kudos to this father!  Second to thank my parents for raising me right!  Third, as my age group has begun to get married and have babies, I feel like videos like this should be preparation as to what's to come.  Let's remember how we were raised so things don't come to the way it is shown in the video.  Lastly, I wanted to post this for my future daughter and/or son.  Please someone out there show this video to them.  Let it be known that if they want to act crazy like this girl did, they are going to receive the same punishment.  The only difference: it'll be both Ryan and I shooting that laptop with a full box of ammo each! ;)

Happy Friday, everyone!

Too old

Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong decade. I mean I'm only 23 and I feel like sometimes I act or even have responsibilities of a 30 something year old.

Why did this feeling come up all of a sudden? Well it's a lot of things. For example, sitting in a meeting as an alumna and just watching others moving forward with an organization is just weird. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that I'm needed as a sounding board, but it's just weird. Also, escorting a student to the clinic because of a small chemical burn makes me feel like a mom. I mean, I am only a few years older than the student!

I don't know. Maybe it's also because people call me miss before my name, especially the graduate students in the office call me Miss Jillian and a lot of them are older than me. It's just weird.

I guess this is just a feeling that I will have to live with and forget trying to fight it. It's not going to change any time soon or as I get older. Just a thought.

No Flu

I thought this was cute and thought I should share.


Via: TakePart.com/Contagion

Craft Project

Hello, world!

I have completed a craft project in the spirit of Valentine's Day!  

This goes along with one of my resolutions: Don't just like it, do it!  I found this online and thought it was really pretty.  I currently have it in my office to 1) bring in some more artwork in my life 2) bring a different kind of light other than the fluorescent lighting above.  Anyway, it was a fairly simple project, but I think it looks awesome.

With a suggestion from my mother, I will take orders for a reproduction of this piece for a small price.  In addition, all of the proceeds from a sale of a piece similar will go to the Mission of Hope.  Please comment or email me if you would some more information about getting one!  

Valentine's Day: Love or Hate?

Note:  I am cheating this week, simply because I'm too tired.  lol.  Anyway, I wrote this post about two years ago and I think it is relevant for today with Valentine's Day coming up.  Please keep in mind that this is a re-post so not all of the events detailed are from my current life.  :)

Some of you may be confused by my title since most of the time when people see or hear the words "Valentine's Day" they often associate it with love, not hate.  I have come to see this slowly progressing to Valentine's Day as something regarded as hate.

Last Friday, one of my classmates was wearing a shirt saying "I'm so over Valentine's Day".  She said that she got the t-shirt at Target for $4 and she believes it's true.  My professor took a quick poll.  About 25% of people admitted to "being over Valentine's Day", the rest admitted to being indifferent to the holiday, and then there's me, who did not raise my hand at all.  I LOVE Valentine's Day!  I love every bit of it.  I am actually excited to work the weekend of Valentine's Day at the hotel because I get to help set up all that romantic stuff and see couples together.  Ryan and I are having a small, quiet Valentine's Day, but I will eat up every minute of it.  I send cards to family for Valentine's Day.  I will probably get my Littles something for Valentine's Day.  I almost bought cheesy Valentine's card that you give out in elementary school to all of my Preview students and co-workers (I still might!).  If I could get everyone a little note for the holiday I would.

Most people assume that I like Valentine's Day because I've been in a relationship for almost 7 years and that we are happy and very much in love.  This is not the case because I have always loved Valentine's Day.  Many people say that those who love/enjoy Valentine's Day are "disillusioned" by the Hallmark created holiday and that there shouldn't be just one day to say "I love you" or celebrate love.  Many people now regard Valentine's Day as "Single Awareness Day (SAD)" because they believe that the holiday is only meant for couples.

These three statements make me very sad.  First couple statements: Jillian, you only love Valentine's Day because you are in a relationship.  Valentine's Day is only for couples and should be renames "Single Awareness Day".  False!  Ever since I was little, my parents, my sister and I would always do something special on Valentine's Day.  Every one got cards for one another.  Chocolates and flowers were always exchanged and there was always a special dinner involved.  I distinctly remember one year that Mom and Dad gave my sister and I each a ruby ring in honor of Valentine's Day.  This day wasn't about love between two people in a relationship (husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, etc.).  This day was a celebration of love between family members for my family.  This Valentine's Day, even though I won't be at home to celebrate, we will exchange cards and maybe even flowers, but it will still be a special day to remember our love for one another as family.  For me, it also extends to my friends.  Many of my friends are considered family to me.  I also have another family of which it is completely acceptable to call each other Brother.  These special bonds, for me, are also remembered especially during this holiday.

Second statement: We shouldn't have just one day to celebrate love or say "I love you".  It should be everyday.  Ok.  True and False.  True, everyday we should take the time to tell someone that you love that you love them.  Makes sense.  However, why is it so bad that we have one day to make that opportunity so obvious?  I mean let's look at it.  All holidays are like this.  Why do we have one day to celebrate the birth of Christ?  What do we have one day to honor the crucifixion? Why do we have only one day where it is appropriate to dress up in costumes?  Why do we only have one day when its okay to wear green head to toe?  Why is it okay that we only celebrate the founding of our country on one day?  Do ya get my point now?  Having a special day doesn't mean that this is the one and only day that we should do anything. The holiday is more like an awareness day, and provides an opportunity to be "socially" appropriate.

So, back to the point of my Valentine's Day post.  On the weekend of the holiday (because most people are not even going to celebrate on the actual holiday since it is on a Sunday), I will be lovey dovey and romantic and extra loving and extra kind because I love that this is one day where I can do so and not be looked upon like I'm crazy.  I will greet every hotel guest with a smile and glimmer in my eye that they have to opportunity to spend a special day at our hotel.  I will hug and kiss my boyfriend and let him know how much I appreciate, love, and respect him.  I will call my parents, my grandmother, and my sister to tell them "Happy Valentine's Day and I love you".  I will let each of my friends that I see during that time how much they mean to me.  I will celebrate Valentine's Day with love not hate.  So, how will you spend your Valentine's Day?