So, it's been over a month and we are about to hit July very soon. If I want to keep up with my resolutions, I should blog. The weird thing is that I don't really know what to say at this point...The end of May and month of June has consisted mostly of traveling.
Starting at the end of May, the family went on the Mission of Hope trip again this year. I've updated a little bit on the MOH website and there are tons of pictures on the Facebook page. I also have a small album on my personal Facebook page (I know...it's funny how I think about a 100 pictures is a small album). In the middle of June, several of my fraternity Brothers headed to Nashville for Alumni Convention. It was quite different from what I expected; however, I enjoyed it! I'm looking forward to National Convention the first weekend of August.
June has flown by. Unfortunately, I don't think July will, mainly because I have a big trip planned (National Convention in Philly) starting on July 31st so it'll feel like decades away.
Speaking of decades away, I've learned over the past few days that I have an issue with patience. I know that certain situations that God puts me in is to help me grow and understand patience, but I guess I'm just hard headed. I don't really care to elaborate much right now, some of you who know me well may be able to figure it out. But anyway...keep me in your prayers because this test of patience has had me down the past few days.
Anyway, hopefully I'll be inspired to blog again soon.
Wedding Countdown
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Jillian Quirante, M.B.A.
As of Saturday, I am an M.B.A. degree holder! I had a fantastic weekend of spending time with family and friends. There was a lot of celebrating and food. It was great to have everyone come up and celebrate with me.
Now...to the commonly asked question to those who just recently graduated...what's next? Well, I'm not quite sure. One thing I do know is that I will be praying quite a bit about where my life is going to be headed for the next chapter of my life. We will just have to see. Until then, I will be content with my current job and I'm looking forward to a couple of trips that will be coming up within the next month or so. The biggest trip is to the Philippines for MOH. I also have an Alumni Convention for Phi Sigma Pi in June. I'm excited about that.
Anyway, just wanted to update everyone that I'm officially a graduate, again. :) It hasn't quite hit me yet. I don't feel any different, but I'm sure that I will definitely be able to tell by the time Summer Session I starts at ETSU. (I never took a summer off!) We'll see. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers for a while.
Now...to the commonly asked question to those who just recently graduated...what's next? Well, I'm not quite sure. One thing I do know is that I will be praying quite a bit about where my life is going to be headed for the next chapter of my life. We will just have to see. Until then, I will be content with my current job and I'm looking forward to a couple of trips that will be coming up within the next month or so. The biggest trip is to the Philippines for MOH. I also have an Alumni Convention for Phi Sigma Pi in June. I'm excited about that.
Anyway, just wanted to update everyone that I'm officially a graduate, again. :) It hasn't quite hit me yet. I don't feel any different, but I'm sure that I will definitely be able to tell by the time Summer Session I starts at ETSU. (I never took a summer off!) We'll see. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers for a while.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Confession
Ok. It's confession time...well nothing super juicy, just some thoughts I've been having today. I finished a major presentation and it went well. That is the end for one of my classes. I'm 2 papers and one book away from graduation. But it dawned on me, just now, what's next? I mean, May will be fairly busy with the MOH trip and so will the beginning of June. I have the alumni convention half way into June, but then...nothing. No plans, well until convention in August, but that's one weekend.
I'm going to be in yet another transition period. I don't own my home, so I can't do some awesome DIY projects that I've seen on TV or on Pinterest. I don't have kids, so there won't be any time devoted to them. I'm not engaged yet. No wedding planning yet. I'll be done with school. Now what? I know, I'm hearing people say, but you'll have a job and your MBA! Well, yea, but what will I do after work? I guess I'll have to pick up another hobby.
I'm just getting slightly worried that I'll be bored during this transition time. Did anyone else feel that way? I would ask my close friends, but they are all in school. :) Several of my closer friends went back to school. Oh, what to do... Just pondering for now. Any advice for this upcoming graduate school graduate? (Don't say school. I'm not planning on getting my Ph.D.)
I'm going to be in yet another transition period. I don't own my home, so I can't do some awesome DIY projects that I've seen on TV or on Pinterest. I don't have kids, so there won't be any time devoted to them. I'm not engaged yet. No wedding planning yet. I'll be done with school. Now what? I know, I'm hearing people say, but you'll have a job and your MBA! Well, yea, but what will I do after work? I guess I'll have to pick up another hobby.
I'm just getting slightly worried that I'll be bored during this transition time. Did anyone else feel that way? I would ask my close friends, but they are all in school. :) Several of my closer friends went back to school. Oh, what to do... Just pondering for now. Any advice for this upcoming graduate school graduate? (Don't say school. I'm not planning on getting my Ph.D.)
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
More writing
So yesterday, as I was writing a paper, I realized that I haven't really gotten a chance to write for myself. I've written papers for class, written emails for work, and even written a blog post for one of the organizations that I'm a part of, but I have not written for me! This is really odd because I feel like I'm approaching a huge life change. In a matter of 17 days and 21 hours, I will be a graduate again. I will be Jillian Marie Quirante, MBA! :) I am extremely excited, but I'm also extremely nervous. I've hit the critical point at the end of the semester where presentations and papers are due. I completed one presentation today. I have another one tomorrow. I hope to finish one paper tonight. Finalize a group paper this evening. And read a book and write a summary paper by May 3rd. Gosh, looking at all this makes me exhausted! Anyway, I'm very excited. I'm thinking about renaming the blog once I graduate. Any ideas? I'm not sure either. I'll have to ponder that for a while.
Well, in other exciting news, I took a huge step as an adult a couple of weeks ago. I applied for a mortgage and put in an offer on a house! Since you guys haven't received a moving announcement (I had them picked out and everything!), you can conclude that the seller didn't accept my offer. It was slightly (and by slightly I mean incredibly) frustrating because they took 10 days to respond to my offer (I was dealing with a bank). So, no house yet. Will sign another 6 month lease. I know I'll find that dream home soon. Maybe it's just not my time yet.
Ok. This is all the time that I can dedicate to writing a blog post, so I'll give a quick update on how I'm doing with my resolutions.
1.) Start the Good Thoughts Jar. Ew. I'm still doing really bad at this. I recently did the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal in response to one of the books I'm reading for one of my classes, and it says I need to take time to reflect on the good things in my life to increase my EQ. How fitting is this resolution! I guess I really do need to do better on this. Ok, here's the plan. I'm moving this jar to a place that I know I'll actually put paper in. So, if you come over to the house, ask me where my jar is. :)
2.) Read the entire Bible. I'm still doing really well on this! I was a little behind last week (by like a week's worth of reading), but I was able to catch up. I'm about 30% through the Bible now. I'm learning a lot!
3.) Lose weight...a lot of weight. Have you watched my weight tracking widget -->? I've lost 43 pounds so far. I've been really happy with my progress so far. I still have a little ways to go, but I'm very happy. I have been frustrated a little bit. When I was getting dressed for my presentation today, I found that the majority of the clothes that I've been saving to when I lose some weight don't fit because they are too BIG! It's a great problem to have, but it's still a problem. Luckily, I bought a dress for my big presentation tomorrow that actually fits. I was planning on wearing it for graduation, but looking at the way I'm dropping sizes, I may have to buy a new one. We'll see. Right now I'm at a size 10. I have no more saved jeans after the ones that I'm wearing, no blank pants that fit, and probably only two dresses that fit. Looks like I need to go shopping!
4.) Be more creative. The extent of my creativeness has been pinning stuff of pinterest. Get back to me on this resolution until after graduation!
5.) Cook one new recipe a month. So far in the month of April, I've tried 3 new recipes. The first one was a crockpot rotisserie chicken. EarthFare has a sale on whole chickens. They were only $1/pound! Ryan and I bought two. :) We cooked one of them and it was sooo good. The meat just fell off the bone. I think we are having the other chicken sometime this week. The second recipe I used as a dessert for my birthday cookout, banana smores or as people in East Tennessee call it banana boats. The only modification that was made that made it especially delicious (thanks, Justin for recommending it) was adding a bit of peanut butter. It was sooo good! The last recipe was banana bread because I had too many bananas left over after the cookout that I didn't want to go to waste. It was a little high on sugar, so I'm going to modify it with a splenda next time. I have at least two more recipes to try sometime this week. I'll let ya know how it goes. Or you can look at my "Success" Pinterest Board for an earlier update! ;)
6.) Save some money. I saved most of my tax return. Does that count? ;)
7.) Drink more water. Again, this resolution has now become a habit. I get such a headache if I don't stick with my water drinking schedule.
8.) Be more appreciative. I still haven't thought of a way to report on this. Any ideas?
9.) Take more photos, and not just photos of my dog, Butch. Nope. I've been willing to be in more pictures than I have in the past, but I've been horrible at taking pictures. Maybe it'll get better with this Philippines trip.
10.) Blog once at least once a ...month. Well, judging on the archives, I've blogged at least once a month so far. I think I'll be blogging more often after graduation comes. Besides, I won't be writing academic papers anymore. I have to keep my writing skills sharp somehow!
Well that's all for now!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Portobello Mushroom Pizza!
Guess what I did last night?! I cooked! I know. It's a shocker for everyone. Well, if that didn't shock you, it's time that you know that I'm a baker, not a cook. Ryan does all of the cooking at the house because I am terrible at it. Now I know that some of you may say, "But Jillian, you make a fantastic lasagna or chicken and rice casserole." Well, hate to burst your bubble, but that's baking. There is very little cooking involved in making those recipes.
Anyway, I cooked last night. I made Portobello Mushroom Pizza inspired by a pin I found on Pinterest. I chose this recipe because it actually fit into my diet and I've been missing pizza a little bit. It's full of veggies, just enough fat with the cheese and olive oil, and Ryan suggested that I add a little bit of beef (we had some venison to use) for some protein. I did most of the prep. Ryan fixed the venison and finished chopping some ingredients after I cut my finger :(. It was super easy to fix though and it was pretty good.
I learned quite a bit from cooking and even stuck to one of my resolutions! I'm a little better at chopping than I was before (I didn't use one of those chopping things), learned a lot about different ingredients (had to get the portobello mushrooms and leeks from EarthFare, wish I could shop there more!), found out the fixing dinner right after an intense work-out is super difficult, and that patience is still a virtue. I'm so appreciative that Ryan was willing to help me and I'm super appreciative that he always cooks. I don't really find it fun, but I'm so blessed that he does. I'm so thankful that he cooks so I don't have to eat ramen everyday.
Anyway, that's my post for now. Hopefully, I'll have another one to talk about a successful recipe cooked. If you don't see a post, then it ended badly. lol. ;)
Anyway, I cooked last night. I made Portobello Mushroom Pizza inspired by a pin I found on Pinterest. I chose this recipe because it actually fit into my diet and I've been missing pizza a little bit. It's full of veggies, just enough fat with the cheese and olive oil, and Ryan suggested that I add a little bit of beef (we had some venison to use) for some protein. I did most of the prep. Ryan fixed the venison and finished chopping some ingredients after I cut my finger :(. It was super easy to fix though and it was pretty good.
I learned quite a bit from cooking and even stuck to one of my resolutions! I'm a little better at chopping than I was before (I didn't use one of those chopping things), learned a lot about different ingredients (had to get the portobello mushrooms and leeks from EarthFare, wish I could shop there more!), found out the fixing dinner right after an intense work-out is super difficult, and that patience is still a virtue. I'm so appreciative that Ryan was willing to help me and I'm super appreciative that he always cooks. I don't really find it fun, but I'm so blessed that he does. I'm so thankful that he cooks so I don't have to eat ramen everyday.
Anyway, that's my post for now. Hopefully, I'll have another one to talk about a successful recipe cooked. If you don't see a post, then it ended badly. lol. ;)
Monday, February 25, 2013
Leadership: Part 1
As most of you know, I'm currently an M.B.A. student at ETSU. I'm taking my last two classes of my program before graduation in May. Anyway, one of the classes that I'm taking is an Independent Study course that will replace my leadership course requirement (lovely how course rotations never work out the way you need them to). Over the course of the semester, I have been assigned 5 books along with 5 ten-page papers about those books. So why am I blogging about this? Well, again, as many of you know, I'm part of Phi Sigma Pi National Co-ed Honor Fraternity. One of the legs of our tripod is leadership. While most Chapters use this leg of the tripod as a service component of the fraternity, I believe that leadership should also be embraced. This series of blog posts...well, let's just say it's a little bit of what I learned about leadership. Maybe someone will read this and obtain some inspiration and resources on how to be a better leader. More and more I'm learning the importance of leadership and how it really does affect my everyday actions.
Ok. The first book I read was StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath. I actually had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Rath give an executive briefing while I was working as a tuition scholar during my first year of graduate school. At the briefing, I bought this book, along with Strengths Based Leadership (the longer and more in-depth version of the two books). I also was able to get him to sign both! ;) (Sorry, I'm a nerd.) Anyway, most of you know that I hate to read. So what compelled me, a broke graduate student, to buy not one, but two books at full retail price? The topic he wrote about really intrigued me and sparked a great interest to learn more.
Both books talk about strength psychology and its application to our every day lives. Rath continually brings up the example of how we as a society constantly try to overcome any personal deficiencies starting in our infancy even to when we are grown adults. The strength psychology suggests that by focusing on our strengths instead of trying to deal with our weaknesses, we will grow more! (I personally was interested in how this effective the workplace environment and how it could relate to potential leadership positions within an organization, but again, I'm a business grad student.)
So with the book came a special code that gave me access to the "Strengths Finder 2.0 Assessment". Basically it was several statements that I ranked myself on whether I was most like the statement or least like the statement. At the end of this hour long assessment, I was given a report with my "top five themes of talent". Mine were discipline, strategic, achiever, futuristic, and focus. Man did the assessment hit the nail on the head! I had a lot of trouble actually writing the paper because it was hard to write about myself for an academic paper. Anyway, I learned a lot of how I could apply (or in some cases continue to apply) these to daily tasks.
Now that you have read a short book report...why should you read it? You might be surprised how much talent you truly possess that can be molded into great leadership strengths! Ryan even took the assessment and read the shorter book. It wasn't surprising that we had different themes; however, many of our themes complemented each other. Which makes sense why we make a great pair! ;) Anyway, if you are interested, the books are above. I found them to be very interesting. I also have copies that I would be willing to lend out to responsible individuals who will return them. (Remember, they are signed!)
Well, that's enough for tonight. Off to the next book and start of the next paper. I've already read the first section and I know this one will be fun to write about. I already have a couple of people in mind to recommend it to!
Ok. The first book I read was StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath. I actually had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Rath give an executive briefing while I was working as a tuition scholar during my first year of graduate school. At the briefing, I bought this book, along with Strengths Based Leadership (the longer and more in-depth version of the two books). I also was able to get him to sign both! ;) (Sorry, I'm a nerd.) Anyway, most of you know that I hate to read. So what compelled me, a broke graduate student, to buy not one, but two books at full retail price? The topic he wrote about really intrigued me and sparked a great interest to learn more.
Both books talk about strength psychology and its application to our every day lives. Rath continually brings up the example of how we as a society constantly try to overcome any personal deficiencies starting in our infancy even to when we are grown adults. The strength psychology suggests that by focusing on our strengths instead of trying to deal with our weaknesses, we will grow more! (I personally was interested in how this effective the workplace environment and how it could relate to potential leadership positions within an organization, but again, I'm a business grad student.)
So with the book came a special code that gave me access to the "Strengths Finder 2.0 Assessment". Basically it was several statements that I ranked myself on whether I was most like the statement or least like the statement. At the end of this hour long assessment, I was given a report with my "top five themes of talent". Mine were discipline, strategic, achiever, futuristic, and focus. Man did the assessment hit the nail on the head! I had a lot of trouble actually writing the paper because it was hard to write about myself for an academic paper. Anyway, I learned a lot of how I could apply (or in some cases continue to apply) these to daily tasks.
Now that you have read a short book report...why should you read it? You might be surprised how much talent you truly possess that can be molded into great leadership strengths! Ryan even took the assessment and read the shorter book. It wasn't surprising that we had different themes; however, many of our themes complemented each other. Which makes sense why we make a great pair! ;) Anyway, if you are interested, the books are above. I found them to be very interesting. I also have copies that I would be willing to lend out to responsible individuals who will return them. (Remember, they are signed!)
Well, that's enough for tonight. Off to the next book and start of the next paper. I've already read the first section and I know this one will be fun to write about. I already have a couple of people in mind to recommend it to!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Resolutions Update
I don't know why, but occasionally I feel the need to do a resolution update. Probably because I want to see how I'm doing. ;) But I get this urge to write at the most random times! Anyway, here goes...
1.) Start the Good Thoughts Jar. I've been very bad at this one. I believe the last good thought I put in my jar was the fact that Mary Ann was okay after her car accident. I think that weekend I moved the jar up to my room, which rarely has pieces of paper to write on! I think I need to move it again and put some more good thoughts in there!
2.) Read the entire Bible. Going strong! I have kept up with reading every day! I even got a digital badge for completing the "21-day challenge" that YouVersion had. I'm learning quiet a bit. To give you an idea of how much I've read so far I'll list a few books that I've finished. I've finished Genesis, Exodus, and Matthew. I'm still in the process of reading Psalms, Proverbs, Leviticus, and Mark. (I get a variety of verses/chapters to read each day.) I'm enjoying this resolution so far. One exciting thing that I read in Matthew that I asked Ryan about and even looked on the notes section of the app is in regards to the resurrection of Jesus. Maybe someone can help me out here because I had never read this before and it's never been explained to me. I won't quote the whole thing because it's long, but here are the verses: Matthew 27: 50-54. Has anyone else remember reading about this before? I'm just curious on the significance of these verses.
3.) Lose weight...a lot of weight. As many of you can tell by my widget, as of the last time I weighed in, I've lost 21.5 lbs. :) What's even more exciting is some of the numbers I got back from my blood work. When I started my program, my cholesterol was at 215 (for those not medically-versed that is a little bit high). After a month later, my cholesterol is 130 (that's really good)! I've also lost a total of 9.5 inches (cumulative measurements around the neck, arms, waist, hips, bust, and thighs). I'm super excited and I keep on moving!
4.) Be more creative. Well, really the only thing creative I've done has been related to PSP stuff for the Big Brother seminar this month. I did do a little craft in January. Here's a pic. It's really helped with another one of my resolutions! :)
5.) Cook one new recipe a month. Ok. In January, I tried a recipe using one of my meal replacements. Let's just say that didn't go so well. This month, I tried a new recipe for a Valentine's Day event. Everyone who had them (not me because it had too many things I couldn't have because of the diet) said they were delish! I'll probably make them again. :)
6.) Save some money. Again...not yet. :/ This resolution will be postponed until my tax refund check comes in. :)
7.) Drink more water. I'm rocking this resolution! I have at least 64 ounces of water each day. Recently, both Ryan and I have noticed a change in the taste of our water here at work and at our house. So we've been using Mio and Dasani Drops to overcome that bad taste. So far my favorite of the Mio is Peach Mango and for Dasani it's the Strawberry Kiwi. Grape is my favorite of the generic stuff. :)
8.) Be more appreciative. I think this one was a little harder to measure. Let me ponder this one for a while and I'll get back to you on that.
9.) Take more photos, and not just photos of my dog, Butch. Nope. I've done horribly! Butch has some great pictures on my phone. I need to start taking more soon. Check back later.
10.) Blog once at least once a ...month. This is one of the blogs for the month of February. I'm sure I'll post again before the month ends. I don't like counting resolution updates as a blog post for the month. Anyway, I didn't want to go on my Valentine's Day rant again, so I didn't post them. (Go check out my previous V-Day posts for those interested in my viewpoint on the day.)
Well that's it for now. Blog later! ;)
1.) Start the Good Thoughts Jar. I've been very bad at this one. I believe the last good thought I put in my jar was the fact that Mary Ann was okay after her car accident. I think that weekend I moved the jar up to my room, which rarely has pieces of paper to write on! I think I need to move it again and put some more good thoughts in there!
2.) Read the entire Bible. Going strong! I have kept up with reading every day! I even got a digital badge for completing the "21-day challenge" that YouVersion had. I'm learning quiet a bit. To give you an idea of how much I've read so far I'll list a few books that I've finished. I've finished Genesis, Exodus, and Matthew. I'm still in the process of reading Psalms, Proverbs, Leviticus, and Mark. (I get a variety of verses/chapters to read each day.) I'm enjoying this resolution so far. One exciting thing that I read in Matthew that I asked Ryan about and even looked on the notes section of the app is in regards to the resurrection of Jesus. Maybe someone can help me out here because I had never read this before and it's never been explained to me. I won't quote the whole thing because it's long, but here are the verses: Matthew 27: 50-54. Has anyone else remember reading about this before? I'm just curious on the significance of these verses.
3.) Lose weight...a lot of weight. As many of you can tell by my widget, as of the last time I weighed in, I've lost 21.5 lbs. :) What's even more exciting is some of the numbers I got back from my blood work. When I started my program, my cholesterol was at 215 (for those not medically-versed that is a little bit high). After a month later, my cholesterol is 130 (that's really good)! I've also lost a total of 9.5 inches (cumulative measurements around the neck, arms, waist, hips, bust, and thighs). I'm super excited and I keep on moving!
4.) Be more creative. Well, really the only thing creative I've done has been related to PSP stuff for the Big Brother seminar this month. I did do a little craft in January. Here's a pic. It's really helped with another one of my resolutions! :)
5.) Cook one new recipe a month. Ok. In January, I tried a recipe using one of my meal replacements. Let's just say that didn't go so well. This month, I tried a new recipe for a Valentine's Day event. Everyone who had them (not me because it had too many things I couldn't have because of the diet) said they were delish! I'll probably make them again. :)
6.) Save some money. Again...not yet. :/ This resolution will be postponed until my tax refund check comes in. :)
7.) Drink more water. I'm rocking this resolution! I have at least 64 ounces of water each day. Recently, both Ryan and I have noticed a change in the taste of our water here at work and at our house. So we've been using Mio and Dasani Drops to overcome that bad taste. So far my favorite of the Mio is Peach Mango and for Dasani it's the Strawberry Kiwi. Grape is my favorite of the generic stuff. :)
8.) Be more appreciative. I think this one was a little harder to measure. Let me ponder this one for a while and I'll get back to you on that.
9.) Take more photos, and not just photos of my dog, Butch. Nope. I've done horribly! Butch has some great pictures on my phone. I need to start taking more soon. Check back later.
10.) Blog once at least once a ...month. This is one of the blogs for the month of February. I'm sure I'll post again before the month ends. I don't like counting resolution updates as a blog post for the month. Anyway, I didn't want to go on my Valentine's Day rant again, so I didn't post them. (Go check out my previous V-Day posts for those interested in my viewpoint on the day.)
Well that's it for now. Blog later! ;)
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Beautiful AND Healthy
It dawned on me that some may think that I'm a little crazy going on this weight loss program. Yes, drinking most of my meals for a while and being on a very low calorie diet is a little crazy. Many people will tell me (whether lying or being truthful) that I'm perfect the way I am and that I'm beautiful at the weight that I am.
The thing is that I know that I'm beautiful just the way I am. I have a fantastic boyfriend who reminds me of that every day, even if he doesn't say that out loud. However, I am not considered to be at a healthy weight. I may be healthy in terms of the fact that fortunately I have no major diseases or issues going on much like I did when I weight significantly less. However, most people who have ever seen my family's medical history would understand why I have to get this weight off! Just to name a few...diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and cancer. Here are some statistics: 42 millions of women have heart disease, 25.8 people have diabetes, and 75 million are considered obese (based on their BMI). Obesity is a "contributing factor" to the other two, along with stroke, cancer, and kidney disease. I fit into one of these categories already (you can guess which one). I don't want to be in the other two!
So...that's why I'm losing weight. Not all of it is vanity, while a lot of my reasons may include that. I need to be healthy. So, I hope that this clears up a little bit as to why I have my resolution and I hope I have everyone's support because this is going to be a long and probably difficult road ahead. :)
The thing is that I know that I'm beautiful just the way I am. I have a fantastic boyfriend who reminds me of that every day, even if he doesn't say that out loud. However, I am not considered to be at a healthy weight. I may be healthy in terms of the fact that fortunately I have no major diseases or issues going on much like I did when I weight significantly less. However, most people who have ever seen my family's medical history would understand why I have to get this weight off! Just to name a few...diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and cancer. Here are some statistics: 42 millions of women have heart disease, 25.8 people have diabetes, and 75 million are considered obese (based on their BMI). Obesity is a "contributing factor" to the other two, along with stroke, cancer, and kidney disease. I fit into one of these categories already (you can guess which one). I don't want to be in the other two!
So...that's why I'm losing weight. Not all of it is vanity, while a lot of my reasons may include that. I need to be healthy. So, I hope that this clears up a little bit as to why I have my resolution and I hope I have everyone's support because this is going to be a long and probably difficult road ahead. :)
Friday, January 11, 2013
Resolution Update
Finally, I can post an update. :) Everyone may think that I'm a little silly for waiting for this one appointment just to blog, but I'm just really excited about this particular resolution. Anyway, here's a resolution check to see how my first several days of the new year has been.
1.) Start the Good Thoughts Jar.I started the jar! I do have a habit of not putting the piece of paper in the jar, but I do write them down. I even decorated my jar. :) I just have to figure out where to put it because currently I have it sitting as a centerpiece on the coffee table (not intentionally!). Any thoughts?
2.) Read the entire Bible. This has been fairly easy getting started. Like I said in my original post, I'm using the YouVersion app so I can read daily on my phone. I typically do this before going to bed. It has created several interesting conversations between Ryan and I (he knows a lot more about the Bible stories than I do). I have learned that I have this very specific image of God. Some say that many people put "God in a box" and that's exactly what I've done. But I'm learning a lot and enjoying creating this deeper relationship with Him. Anyway, I definitely think I'll be keeping this resolution...just don't ask me for any family trees...I like flow charts but that's too many branches.
3.) Lose weight...a lot of weight. This is the resolution that I've been waiting to tell everyone! :) I started a new weight loss management program called Resolve. Anyway, I had my screening appointment this morning, which basically means that I got several baseline measurements and had my program assigned to me. I won't go into all of the details, but I will have weekly appointments so I can stay on track. If you want to keep up with how much I've lost, I have a little widget to the right --> just below the "Blog Archive". :) Wish me luck.
4.) Be more creative. Hmm. I haven't really started too much on this particular resolution. We'll get back to that later. However, Justin did bring up recently that him and I need to host a Pinterest party. Let's see when that'll actually happen. ;)
5.) Cook one new recipe a month. I'm probably going to start this sometime this weekend. Part of the weight loss program I'm on has meal replacements. They gave me a few recipes to make them a little more exciting. I'll definitely try those!
6.) Save some money. Eh...nope. Not this month. I didn't expect that I would. However, I'm hoping and praying for some good news here within the next few months that will make this a little easier.
7.) Drink more water. :) You should be happy to know that I'm on my third water bottle (like a travel water bottle, not one of those bottles of water from a case) as I'm typing. I'll probably have at least one more before I go to bed. :) Mom will be happy. I haven't done my project yet to help me with this resolution. Maybe I can do that too this weekend to help with my number 4 resolution.
8.) Be more appreciative. This what is kind interesting to update. I don't really think that I have been super appreciative this past week and that's just being honest. Work has been a little stressful, so I haven't exactly been the super nicest person. :/ I guess I have a little bit of work to do.
9.) Take more photos, and not just photos of my dog, Butch. I'm off to a good start on this one. I did take several pictures last weekend at our Phi Sigma Pi SAAC event. Hopefully I'll get a little better at this one. I should have done something similar to Justin where he takes a picture every day and posts to Facebook. Maybe next year I'll do a daily photo post....hmmm...someone remind me!
10.) Blog once at least once a ...month. Well I think that I have done super well already. This will be post number three for me this month. The test will be later on in the year.
Anyway, that's all that I really have right now. Just keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I transition into a newer, healthier lifestyle. The first several weeks will probably be the most challenging. I'm super stoked though. :)
1.) Start the Good Thoughts Jar.I started the jar! I do have a habit of not putting the piece of paper in the jar, but I do write them down. I even decorated my jar. :) I just have to figure out where to put it because currently I have it sitting as a centerpiece on the coffee table (not intentionally!). Any thoughts?
2.) Read the entire Bible. This has been fairly easy getting started. Like I said in my original post, I'm using the YouVersion app so I can read daily on my phone. I typically do this before going to bed. It has created several interesting conversations between Ryan and I (he knows a lot more about the Bible stories than I do). I have learned that I have this very specific image of God. Some say that many people put "God in a box" and that's exactly what I've done. But I'm learning a lot and enjoying creating this deeper relationship with Him. Anyway, I definitely think I'll be keeping this resolution...just don't ask me for any family trees...I like flow charts but that's too many branches.
3.) Lose weight...a lot of weight. This is the resolution that I've been waiting to tell everyone! :) I started a new weight loss management program called Resolve. Anyway, I had my screening appointment this morning, which basically means that I got several baseline measurements and had my program assigned to me. I won't go into all of the details, but I will have weekly appointments so I can stay on track. If you want to keep up with how much I've lost, I have a little widget to the right --> just below the "Blog Archive". :) Wish me luck.
4.) Be more creative. Hmm. I haven't really started too much on this particular resolution. We'll get back to that later. However, Justin did bring up recently that him and I need to host a Pinterest party. Let's see when that'll actually happen. ;)
5.) Cook one new recipe a month. I'm probably going to start this sometime this weekend. Part of the weight loss program I'm on has meal replacements. They gave me a few recipes to make them a little more exciting. I'll definitely try those!
6.) Save some money. Eh...nope. Not this month. I didn't expect that I would. However, I'm hoping and praying for some good news here within the next few months that will make this a little easier.
7.) Drink more water. :) You should be happy to know that I'm on my third water bottle (like a travel water bottle, not one of those bottles of water from a case) as I'm typing. I'll probably have at least one more before I go to bed. :) Mom will be happy. I haven't done my project yet to help me with this resolution. Maybe I can do that too this weekend to help with my number 4 resolution.
8.) Be more appreciative. This what is kind interesting to update. I don't really think that I have been super appreciative this past week and that's just being honest. Work has been a little stressful, so I haven't exactly been the super nicest person. :/ I guess I have a little bit of work to do.
9.) Take more photos, and not just photos of my dog, Butch. I'm off to a good start on this one. I did take several pictures last weekend at our Phi Sigma Pi SAAC event. Hopefully I'll get a little better at this one. I should have done something similar to Justin where he takes a picture every day and posts to Facebook. Maybe next year I'll do a daily photo post....hmmm...someone remind me!
10.) Blog once at least once a ...month. Well I think that I have done super well already. This will be post number three for me this month. The test will be later on in the year.
Anyway, that's all that I really have right now. Just keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I transition into a newer, healthier lifestyle. The first several weeks will probably be the most challenging. I'm super stoked though. :)
Monday, January 7, 2013
Just Hello
I've wanted to write a post for a couple of days now, but I don't really want to do a resolution check, simply because I'm waiting for a particular day...really a particular appointment this week to take place before I update. Anyway, I'm super excited because I see that there are a few people who's resolutions included blogging! I love reading other people's blogs. You get to know a lot about people just by the way they write. Anyway, if you are interested, there are two personal blogs that I've added (look under "Awesome Blogs" to the right) and one blog that I found on Pinterest.
I guess one thing that I can write about is that I have found that this may be a year of unexpected pleasantries and surprises. For example, yesterday, I went to church with Ryan, Kristina, and fraternity Brother, Joanne. As many of you may know, I'm pretty close with several of my Brothers from Phi Sigma Pi. However, I never really thought of being able to share in worship with one of those Brothers. Why? I'm not sure. I just never thought of it that way. However, it is refreshing to know that there are other Brothers who are on a spiritual journey and are willing to continue to grow in Christ with me. This may surprise many of those reading this post as I am not as open about my spirituality as some, simply because I don't want to offend anyone and, more honestly, I don't want to appear as one of those "high and mighty Christians". I guess we will see what the future holds. Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to blog a little bit more about this nice, unexpected experience.
I feel like this year may hold some more surprises this year. Needless to say, I'm extremely excited about this year. I'm looking forward to several adventures, including graduating with my master's degree, traveling again to the Philippines, and whatever else has in store. Well...my brain is starting to lose it's creative will to continue this blog post...so now...I say goodnight. :)
P.S. If you have a blog that I haven't found yet, please let me know! I'll add it to my page. :)
I guess one thing that I can write about is that I have found that this may be a year of unexpected pleasantries and surprises. For example, yesterday, I went to church with Ryan, Kristina, and fraternity Brother, Joanne. As many of you may know, I'm pretty close with several of my Brothers from Phi Sigma Pi. However, I never really thought of being able to share in worship with one of those Brothers. Why? I'm not sure. I just never thought of it that way. However, it is refreshing to know that there are other Brothers who are on a spiritual journey and are willing to continue to grow in Christ with me. This may surprise many of those reading this post as I am not as open about my spirituality as some, simply because I don't want to offend anyone and, more honestly, I don't want to appear as one of those "high and mighty Christians". I guess we will see what the future holds. Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to blog a little bit more about this nice, unexpected experience.
I feel like this year may hold some more surprises this year. Needless to say, I'm extremely excited about this year. I'm looking forward to several adventures, including graduating with my master's degree, traveling again to the Philippines, and whatever else has in store. Well...my brain is starting to lose it's creative will to continue this blog post...so now...I say goodnight. :)
P.S. If you have a blog that I haven't found yet, please let me know! I'll add it to my page. :)
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
New Year's Resolutions
It just came to my mind that I forgot to mention something in my last post which is part of the reason I wasn't successful in one of my resolutions (the blogging every week one) other than I was incredibly busy with school...my computer went kaput! And by kaput...I mean it was too slow to do anything and I was on the verge of putting a bullet in it. Anyway, luckily, thanks to my wonderful parents, I have a new laptop that is super fast! Hopefully it will provide me a little more motivation to blog.
And back to the topic of this post: My new New Year's Resolutions. Like my previous resolutions, I will make ten. Also, I have added a couple of things that will make these a little bit more measurable and not so subjective like they were last year. Here we go:
1.) Start the Good Thoughts Jar. Because of the past several months, I have found out that I have a difficult time realizing and remembering the good moments in life. I actually read somewhere (how unscientific like of me not to remember the source) that said that people have to have four good things (thoughts or actions) happen to overcome the psychological affects of one bad thing (thought or action). So, one day will scrolling on Pinterest, I came across a pin that inspired this resolution. Christie told me that I need to get some pretty paper to write on. Anyway, my goal is fairly large...to write at least one thing to put in my jar every day. It may be a struggle, but I think I will be a better person because of it. Next New Year's Eve, I'll open the jar and read all of the good thoughts/memories that I have had for the year and then start over. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep this resolution and then pin the original pin to my "Success" board.
2.) Read the entire Bible. There's a long back story behind this that I won't go into (if you want to here it sometime, let's do lunch after church or something). Anyway, I've never read the Bible in full. In fact, I don't really know most of the Bible stories or their meanings. Thanks to technology, there is an app, YouVersion, that has "reading plans" for various topics and even for the whole Bible. I'm going to do the OneYear reading plan. Wish me luck on this one. We all know how much I love to read!
3.) Lose weight...a lot of weight. Yep...this is one of my resolutions along with thousands of others out there. If you read my post entitled "Vunerability", you would know a little bit about the back story. Anyway, I'm going to a doctor to get a little bit of advice, extra accountability, and hopefully the get weight off in a healthy way. I'm really going to need some luck with this one considering most of the time I hang out with friends/Brothers food is involved.
4.) Be more creative. I've had this one before or something similar. However, I'm going to put a goal on this one that is measurable. I need to complete at least one creative project once a month. Also, I need to host (or co-host, cough::with Justin::cough) a Pinterest party. I already have a couple of projects in mind.
5.) Cook one new recipe a month. (Thanks, Christie for this one!) I guess I should include that I must cook this new recipe. As many of your know, I'm the baker and Ryan is typically the one who cooks at the house. So, with this resolution, maybe I will learn how to cook better and I can try some new recipes out. I recently started using this new app, Next Issue, so I have access to at least four food magazines. I should be able to get some inspiration from that, huh?
6.) Save some money. This one may be a little bit difficult for me, simply because I need to trim some of my expenses in order to do this. Recently, when I have reflected on a few things that I would like to do within the next five years, a lot of it depends on how much money I have saved in order to pay for those items (ex. buy a house, wedding expenses, etc.). So, I will probably work on this throughout the year, first I will need to make a list of what I want to save for and then actually set goals for those things. Maybe I'll update the blog with that list. :)
7.) Drink more water. I know that this probably ties in with my number 3 resolution, but Mom has always told me that I need to drink more water and less coffee or soda. I hate water, mainly because I always have to go pee when I drink enough water. Again, I found another pin (just look at the picture) that may help me with this one.
8.) Be more appreciative. I think that many people have (or should have) this as a resolution. I know that I'm not always the best at saying thank you or I appreciate what you do. I know that I am particularly worst at this to the people that I'm closest to. I will have to come up with some genuine ways to tell people that I'm appreciative of it.
9.) Take more photos, and not just photos of my dog, Butch. This is still one that I want to keep on my list from last year (and probably from the years before). I've noticed that I don't have a lot of updated photos of myself or friends. Like I said, most of the photos I have taken are of my dog. :/ Maybe I should download Instagram and maybe that will give me a little bit of inspiration. What do you think? Any thoughts? Also, I have maxed out my storage space on Picasa because of the mission trip a couple of years ago. I've done Shutterfly in the past, but I don't like the interface as much any more, plus it takes a while to upload pictures. Does anyone have any recommendations?
10.) Blog once at least once a ...month. Yea, I'm not going to commit myself to once a week again. That was super difficult in that I was always trying to come up with new blog post topics! Anyway, maybe with once a month, I'll have plenty to talk about regarding life. :) Also, within my blog posts, I want to have at least one link to something. I'm on the Internet all of the time and I typically find lots of interesting stuff. I might as well share them with my blog readers. I have a few so far in this post, so don't forget to click the underlined links!
So now I make the same call as I do every year around this time...anyone out there going to start a blog as their resolution? I would be happy to place you on my blogroll. Just let me know. If you need a little inspiration too, I would be happy to give you some ideas. :)
And back to the topic of this post: My new New Year's Resolutions. Like my previous resolutions, I will make ten. Also, I have added a couple of things that will make these a little bit more measurable and not so subjective like they were last year. Here we go:
1.) Start the Good Thoughts Jar. Because of the past several months, I have found out that I have a difficult time realizing and remembering the good moments in life. I actually read somewhere (how unscientific like of me not to remember the source) that said that people have to have four good things (thoughts or actions) happen to overcome the psychological affects of one bad thing (thought or action). So, one day will scrolling on Pinterest, I came across a pin that inspired this resolution. Christie told me that I need to get some pretty paper to write on. Anyway, my goal is fairly large...to write at least one thing to put in my jar every day. It may be a struggle, but I think I will be a better person because of it. Next New Year's Eve, I'll open the jar and read all of the good thoughts/memories that I have had for the year and then start over. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep this resolution and then pin the original pin to my "Success" board.
2.) Read the entire Bible. There's a long back story behind this that I won't go into (if you want to here it sometime, let's do lunch after church or something). Anyway, I've never read the Bible in full. In fact, I don't really know most of the Bible stories or their meanings. Thanks to technology, there is an app, YouVersion, that has "reading plans" for various topics and even for the whole Bible. I'm going to do the OneYear reading plan. Wish me luck on this one. We all know how much I love to read!
3.) Lose weight...a lot of weight. Yep...this is one of my resolutions along with thousands of others out there. If you read my post entitled "Vunerability", you would know a little bit about the back story. Anyway, I'm going to a doctor to get a little bit of advice, extra accountability, and hopefully the get weight off in a healthy way. I'm really going to need some luck with this one considering most of the time I hang out with friends/Brothers food is involved.
4.) Be more creative. I've had this one before or something similar. However, I'm going to put a goal on this one that is measurable. I need to complete at least one creative project once a month. Also, I need to host (or co-host, cough::with Justin::cough) a Pinterest party. I already have a couple of projects in mind.
5.) Cook one new recipe a month. (Thanks, Christie for this one!) I guess I should include that I must cook this new recipe. As many of your know, I'm the baker and Ryan is typically the one who cooks at the house. So, with this resolution, maybe I will learn how to cook better and I can try some new recipes out. I recently started using this new app, Next Issue, so I have access to at least four food magazines. I should be able to get some inspiration from that, huh?
6.) Save some money. This one may be a little bit difficult for me, simply because I need to trim some of my expenses in order to do this. Recently, when I have reflected on a few things that I would like to do within the next five years, a lot of it depends on how much money I have saved in order to pay for those items (ex. buy a house, wedding expenses, etc.). So, I will probably work on this throughout the year, first I will need to make a list of what I want to save for and then actually set goals for those things. Maybe I'll update the blog with that list. :)
7.) Drink more water. I know that this probably ties in with my number 3 resolution, but Mom has always told me that I need to drink more water and less coffee or soda. I hate water, mainly because I always have to go pee when I drink enough water. Again, I found another pin (just look at the picture) that may help me with this one.
8.) Be more appreciative. I think that many people have (or should have) this as a resolution. I know that I'm not always the best at saying thank you or I appreciate what you do. I know that I am particularly worst at this to the people that I'm closest to. I will have to come up with some genuine ways to tell people that I'm appreciative of it.
9.) Take more photos, and not just photos of my dog, Butch. This is still one that I want to keep on my list from last year (and probably from the years before). I've noticed that I don't have a lot of updated photos of myself or friends. Like I said, most of the photos I have taken are of my dog. :/ Maybe I should download Instagram and maybe that will give me a little bit of inspiration. What do you think? Any thoughts? Also, I have maxed out my storage space on Picasa because of the mission trip a couple of years ago. I've done Shutterfly in the past, but I don't like the interface as much any more, plus it takes a while to upload pictures. Does anyone have any recommendations?
10.) Blog once at least once a ...month. Yea, I'm not going to commit myself to once a week again. That was super difficult in that I was always trying to come up with new blog post topics! Anyway, maybe with once a month, I'll have plenty to talk about regarding life. :) Also, within my blog posts, I want to have at least one link to something. I'm on the Internet all of the time and I typically find lots of interesting stuff. I might as well share them with my blog readers. I have a few so far in this post, so don't forget to click the underlined links!
So now I make the same call as I do every year around this time...anyone out there going to start a blog as their resolution? I would be happy to place you on my blogroll. Just let me know. If you need a little inspiration too, I would be happy to give you some ideas. :)
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Resolution Recap
So, I'm looking at my blog and see that I haven't blogged in such a long time! There are some very significant reasons why I haven't. Since my last blog, life has gotten really crazy. One particular opportunity presented itself in July...Ryan and I almost bought a house. Almost is the key word. Needless to say, due to some deed issues, we didn't actually buy the house. Looking back on that moment, it was probably a good thing that it feel through considering what would happen within the following months. Long story short...financial problems occurred on top of all the stress from work and school. One thing kept happening after another, including our washing machine going kaput! It has been a very tough semester. Anyway, I wanted to at least do a recap of my resolutions from the year so I can prepare for the upcoming year.
1) Go camping! Guess what...I've been camping twice in the past year! No, I did not go camping at a campsite. Ryan and I went tent camping in the middle of the National Forest (somewhere between Unicoi and Jonesborough). The first time was just the two of us, I believe in August. It was a very enjoyable trip, even though it got really cold at night! I proved that I could build a decent tent (without directions). The second time we went, it was for Ryan's birthday. We got to use our new, huge tent for that occasion. That was a lot of fun too, despite seeing a black bear on the way to the campsite. Anyway, I can definitely cross that off my bucket list! I look forward to going camping when it starts to get warmer. :)
2) Bake more. Well..this definitely happened! Justin and I were able to bake quite a bit over the past year. We have done at least 3 paid gigs, participated in Battle of the Batter (fundraiser for the American Cancer Society), and have baked just for fun or small occasions several times. I think we have gotten better at our baking. I've gotten a little bit better at the decorating (Justin's still the best at it!). Let me see...my favorite that we've done...probably our Peanut Butter Gone Bananas cupcake. It was a chocolate cupcake, filled with Mom's banana pudding, topped with a peanut butter icing. It was delish! I can't wait for the upcoming year! Don't forget to like JSquared Bakery Facebook Page!
3) Be more romantic. Hmmm. I'm not sure how to rate whether or not this resolution was successful. Probably need to ask Ryan. What I can say is that Ryan and I have gone through a lot over the past year. Most don't know what I'm talking about because we keep our relationship pretty private (I mean who wants to hear about relationship ups and downs from a couple who have been together for almost a decade...no one!). Anyway, I can say that we have grown closer to each other through this past six months going through all of the downs. I may not have been more romantic, but definitely more honest and appreciative. I've tried to be a better girlfriend, and I think that I might have been at least a little bit successful at that.
4) Pretend to be the paparazzi. Yes, this one is an epic fail. Lol. If anything, I'm Butch's paparazzi.
5) Have a sit-down dinner party. I give myself a half a point for this one. I have hosted a few potlucks at the house for the Phi Sigma Pi Southern Appalachian Alumni Chapter. :) We have also had several people over for dinner (but we ate in the living room). Our place is still too small to actually have a dinner party.
6) Don't just like it, do it! So I now have a Pinterest. I don't really get on Stumbleupon too much anymore. (I guess I could turn my Stumbleupon pages into Pins...hmmm...the possibilities) Anyway, I have done quite a few things off of Pinterest. See my Success Pinterest Board for all of the things I've done so far!
7) Be more musical. I'm still the singing superstar...in my car. ;) No points for this resolution.
8) Read a book or two or more. I'm going to give myself half a point for this resolution. I did end up reading Onward by Howard Schultz; however, I ended up using it as a reference for a class. Now, I've been given the opportunity to read several books. One of my classes next semester is an independent study course for my leadership requirements. I have to read six books and write a ten page paper on each book. My goal is to get through at least half of them before school starts so really I only will have one class that I need to focus on in the spring.
9) Share more about me. I think I was fairly successful in this resolution. Maybe not on my blog...but definitely in person. I have shared a lot about my thoughts, feelings, and life to those around me. Hopefully you guys have gotten to know me a little bit better.
10) Blog at least once a week. I think I did well the first few months, but like most resolutions, they tend to disappear after the first few months into the year. This is definitely one of them. I'm not even going to get a tiny portion of a point to myself on this one.
Drum roll please...6 points out of 10. Not too shabby I don't think. I did do most of the fun items on my resolution list (see, Christie!). Now to ponder the resolutions for next year...Any thoughts?
New Year's Resolutions 2012
2) Bake more. Well..this definitely happened! Justin and I were able to bake quite a bit over the past year. We have done at least 3 paid gigs, participated in Battle of the Batter (fundraiser for the American Cancer Society), and have baked just for fun or small occasions several times. I think we have gotten better at our baking. I've gotten a little bit better at the decorating (Justin's still the best at it!). Let me see...my favorite that we've done...probably our Peanut Butter Gone Bananas cupcake. It was a chocolate cupcake, filled with Mom's banana pudding, topped with a peanut butter icing. It was delish! I can't wait for the upcoming year! Don't forget to like JSquared Bakery Facebook Page!
3) Be more romantic. Hmmm. I'm not sure how to rate whether or not this resolution was successful. Probably need to ask Ryan. What I can say is that Ryan and I have gone through a lot over the past year. Most don't know what I'm talking about because we keep our relationship pretty private (I mean who wants to hear about relationship ups and downs from a couple who have been together for almost a decade...no one!). Anyway, I can say that we have grown closer to each other through this past six months going through all of the downs. I may not have been more romantic, but definitely more honest and appreciative. I've tried to be a better girlfriend, and I think that I might have been at least a little bit successful at that.
4) Pretend to be the paparazzi. Yes, this one is an epic fail. Lol. If anything, I'm Butch's paparazzi.
6) Don't just like it, do it! So I now have a Pinterest. I don't really get on Stumbleupon too much anymore. (I guess I could turn my Stumbleupon pages into Pins...hmmm...the possibilities) Anyway, I have done quite a few things off of Pinterest. See my Success Pinterest Board for all of the things I've done so far!
7) Be more musical. I'm still the singing superstar...in my car. ;) No points for this resolution.
8) Read a book or two or more. I'm going to give myself half a point for this resolution. I did end up reading Onward by Howard Schultz; however, I ended up using it as a reference for a class. Now, I've been given the opportunity to read several books. One of my classes next semester is an independent study course for my leadership requirements. I have to read six books and write a ten page paper on each book. My goal is to get through at least half of them before school starts so really I only will have one class that I need to focus on in the spring.
9) Share more about me. I think I was fairly successful in this resolution. Maybe not on my blog...but definitely in person. I have shared a lot about my thoughts, feelings, and life to those around me. Hopefully you guys have gotten to know me a little bit better.
10) Blog at least once a week. I think I did well the first few months, but like most resolutions, they tend to disappear after the first few months into the year. This is definitely one of them. I'm not even going to get a tiny portion of a point to myself on this one.
Drum roll please...6 points out of 10. Not too shabby I don't think. I did do most of the fun items on my resolution list (see, Christie!). Now to ponder the resolutions for next year...Any thoughts?
Sunday, April 29, 2012
New inSIGHT on life
I was in the third grade when I received my first "F" in school. I didn't just fail the assignment, but I got a 0. Now most people wouldn't actually be publicizing that their first "F" was received so early in their academic career, but for me this grade had a whole new meaning for me...a huge change in my life.
When I received the grade and after I wiped away most of my tears, I approached Mrs. Condra, my third grade teacher. I remember asking her why I had received the F and if I was going to fail the third grade. She was very kind and assured me that I wasn't going to fail completely. She told me that this was unusual for me to receive such a grade, but she had to give me a 0 because I didn't even turn in the assignment! She also mentioned that there were a couple of other assignments that I hadn't turned in and that I would receive 0's on those as well. Quickly, still holding back the tears, said, "What assignments? You haven't given any homework lately." There was the answer. Written in the homework section of the dry-erase board (high-tech for that time) were a list of homework problems that I did not see. It wasn't that I was ignoring them. I literally could not see them! That was first day that I knew that my life would change. (Side note: She ended up letting me do all of the assignments and turn them in late for a slightly lower grade, an A-.)
The idea that I got to wear glasses was so exciting to me! This meant that I would get to look smarter and have something in common with my 3rd grade crush (who is actually in the picture above, but he's not wearing his glasses because his vision was not that bad). By the time I reached middle school, I realized that the glasses had to go if I wanted to fit in and participate in some extracurricular activities like cheerleading and track, so I got contacts during the summer after 5th grade.
Contacts (and glasses at night) weren't really an issue for me. I was lucky that the contacts I had didn't really bother my eyes. However, there were things that most people do not realize that I have experienced. I have never woken up in the middle of the night or in the morning and been able to see my alarm clock. I have always be self-conscious of swimming in fear that I'll lose a contact. I literally cannot see any details of an object without it being at least two inches from my face. I have never seen Ryan's blue eyes with my own true vision. I have often poked myself in the eye while applying mascara, but it never really hurt my eye since I had my contact protecting it. Since being in college, I have been worried that I would not be able to react properly in case of an emergency or during an intrusion because I could not see. I've tripped over Butch several times because I literally did not see him. These are just a few minor things that I've lived with for over a decade. Many people don't realize what it is like to not be able to see, but honestly, it never bothered me. I was just happy that I was able to correct my vision problems with glasses or contacts. So, I wore contacts up until January of 2012.
For the past four (almost five) months, you may have noticed that I've been wearing my glasses. Most people, especially at work, think that I just got glasses. However, I've worn them because my loving parents gave me the opportunity to get lasik surgery for my 24th birthday present.
Thursday afternoon, I received the surgery. It was kind of funny because I was the only one in the waiting room who seemed excited. There were about ten people in the back waiting room about to have LASIK or PRK (another type of procedure similar to LASIK) done. Most of them were asking questions about this, that, and the other or anxiously tapping their feet. I was just smiling and happily watching Shrek on the television, sitting in a comfortable chair decked out in my blue hair cover and booties. The nurse brought me back to a white room with the large laser machines. At this time I wasn't wearing my glasses, so I can't really describe anything about the room or even how many people were there. I laid back and Dr. Loden swiveled the table around under the first laser and put a section cup (I don't know what the official term is for it) on my right eye. He held my head steady as the laser turned on. My vision turned a little dark brown, but I could still see the light ahead. He took the suction cup off and repeated the procedure again on the left eye. That time, my vision went black temporarily. Surprisingly, I wasn't scared or nervous when it happened. I guess I was just still too excited. Dr. Loden then swiveled the table around to the other side of the laser. Right eye first again. He put what felt to be a metal device to hold my eyelids open. I could see his tools gently move the flap of my cornea off to the side. The machine then made several "dit dit dits". During that time I could still see my focus light. After the machine made it's last "dit", Dr. Loden carefully placed the flap back over my reshaped cornea and let it dry into place. I would then see that the red focus light didn't really have such a large diameter as I originally saw it, but it was more the size of a pinhole. The procedure was repeated on my left eye, just as quick. After 14 minutes, Dr. Loden said I did great and that the surgery went perfectly. The nurse assisted me up off the table.
When she started to escort me out of the laser room I stopped her. She paused with the expression that I was about to ask her a question. I smiled and pointed up to the clock above the door and said, "Does that say quarter til five?" She grinned and politely said, "Yes, it does." I laughed and said, "Good, because I didn't even know there was a clock there when I walked in. Now, I can see it...and I can see you too!" She laughed and said, "It's great isn't it! Now let's get you back to resting those eyes a little bit before we send you home." Once back in the waiting room, I had to sit with my eyes closed, which was the hardest part all day since I knew I could see. When I opened my eyes, Dr. Loden came by to check to see if the flaps had remained in place. Once I was cleared to go home, AJ, one of the employees, explained all of my do's and don'ts and called Ryan to see if he was close to the office to take me home. Since I had still a few minutes, I began watching the Addams family movie on the television (Shrek was over by then). I was just smiling. AJ got my attention as said, "Ya wanna see something better?" I said, "Sure!" He went to the side and put the captions on the television. I smiled, "I can read it!" as a few tears streamed down my face. Shortly I was escorted out to meet Ryan and I got to look into his blue eyes with my own eyes for the first time.
It's hard to describe the emotions and feelings behind being able to see, especially to someone who has never had problems seeing. Yes, I was able to see with the assistance of glasses and contacts. But it's completely different when you are able to see things with your own eyes without contacts or glasses. The past couple of days have been awesome, even though we haven't done any special activities over the weekend. I caught myself on Friday just staring at my sister during lunch. I've never been able to see my grown-up sister with my own eyes before. So, just be aware that if you catch me staring at you within the next few weeks, it's probably not because you have something in your teeth or on your face. I'm just seeing you for the first time. Another exciting thing is that all of the lights and even bright colors have halos around them. I laughed yesterday while Christie and I were shopping because I saw a guy with a bright purple shirt with neon green letters that said "Legit" with the Nike swoosh underneath it. I giggled and pointed it out to Christie. She said, "Yea. His shirt says 'Legit'. Couldn't they have come up with..." I said, "No. The words are glowing, like in Ironman!". So, again, bare with me if you see me fascinated with small, glowing objects.
All I can do is be thankful, especially to Mom and Dad for giving me the opportunity to really be able to see again. Everything is a little bit brighter and a little more beautiful now that I can see it with my own two eyes. :) Time for eye drops. Post again later.
When I received the grade and after I wiped away most of my tears, I approached Mrs. Condra, my third grade teacher. I remember asking her why I had received the F and if I was going to fail the third grade. She was very kind and assured me that I wasn't going to fail completely. She told me that this was unusual for me to receive such a grade, but she had to give me a 0 because I didn't even turn in the assignment! She also mentioned that there were a couple of other assignments that I hadn't turned in and that I would receive 0's on those as well. Quickly, still holding back the tears, said, "What assignments? You haven't given any homework lately." There was the answer. Written in the homework section of the dry-erase board (high-tech for that time) were a list of homework problems that I did not see. It wasn't that I was ignoring them. I literally could not see them! That was first day that I knew that my life would change. (Side note: She ended up letting me do all of the assignments and turn them in late for a slightly lower grade, an A-.)
 |
| Taken from Norman Binkley yearbook |
Contacts (and glasses at night) weren't really an issue for me. I was lucky that the contacts I had didn't really bother my eyes. However, there were things that most people do not realize that I have experienced. I have never woken up in the middle of the night or in the morning and been able to see my alarm clock. I have always be self-conscious of swimming in fear that I'll lose a contact. I literally cannot see any details of an object without it being at least two inches from my face. I have never seen Ryan's blue eyes with my own true vision. I have often poked myself in the eye while applying mascara, but it never really hurt my eye since I had my contact protecting it. Since being in college, I have been worried that I would not be able to react properly in case of an emergency or during an intrusion because I could not see. I've tripped over Butch several times because I literally did not see him. These are just a few minor things that I've lived with for over a decade. Many people don't realize what it is like to not be able to see, but honestly, it never bothered me. I was just happy that I was able to correct my vision problems with glasses or contacts. So, I wore contacts up until January of 2012.
 |
| The last formal picture of me that I had with my glasses. |
For the past four (almost five) months, you may have noticed that I've been wearing my glasses. Most people, especially at work, think that I just got glasses. However, I've worn them because my loving parents gave me the opportunity to get lasik surgery for my 24th birthday present.
Thursday afternoon, I received the surgery. It was kind of funny because I was the only one in the waiting room who seemed excited. There were about ten people in the back waiting room about to have LASIK or PRK (another type of procedure similar to LASIK) done. Most of them were asking questions about this, that, and the other or anxiously tapping their feet. I was just smiling and happily watching Shrek on the television, sitting in a comfortable chair decked out in my blue hair cover and booties. The nurse brought me back to a white room with the large laser machines. At this time I wasn't wearing my glasses, so I can't really describe anything about the room or even how many people were there. I laid back and Dr. Loden swiveled the table around under the first laser and put a section cup (I don't know what the official term is for it) on my right eye. He held my head steady as the laser turned on. My vision turned a little dark brown, but I could still see the light ahead. He took the suction cup off and repeated the procedure again on the left eye. That time, my vision went black temporarily. Surprisingly, I wasn't scared or nervous when it happened. I guess I was just still too excited. Dr. Loden then swiveled the table around to the other side of the laser. Right eye first again. He put what felt to be a metal device to hold my eyelids open. I could see his tools gently move the flap of my cornea off to the side. The machine then made several "dit dit dits". During that time I could still see my focus light. After the machine made it's last "dit", Dr. Loden carefully placed the flap back over my reshaped cornea and let it dry into place. I would then see that the red focus light didn't really have such a large diameter as I originally saw it, but it was more the size of a pinhole. The procedure was repeated on my left eye, just as quick. After 14 minutes, Dr. Loden said I did great and that the surgery went perfectly. The nurse assisted me up off the table.
When she started to escort me out of the laser room I stopped her. She paused with the expression that I was about to ask her a question. I smiled and pointed up to the clock above the door and said, "Does that say quarter til five?" She grinned and politely said, "Yes, it does." I laughed and said, "Good, because I didn't even know there was a clock there when I walked in. Now, I can see it...and I can see you too!" She laughed and said, "It's great isn't it! Now let's get you back to resting those eyes a little bit before we send you home." Once back in the waiting room, I had to sit with my eyes closed, which was the hardest part all day since I knew I could see. When I opened my eyes, Dr. Loden came by to check to see if the flaps had remained in place. Once I was cleared to go home, AJ, one of the employees, explained all of my do's and don'ts and called Ryan to see if he was close to the office to take me home. Since I had still a few minutes, I began watching the Addams family movie on the television (Shrek was over by then). I was just smiling. AJ got my attention as said, "Ya wanna see something better?" I said, "Sure!" He went to the side and put the captions on the television. I smiled, "I can read it!" as a few tears streamed down my face. Shortly I was escorted out to meet Ryan and I got to look into his blue eyes with my own eyes for the first time.
It's hard to describe the emotions and feelings behind being able to see, especially to someone who has never had problems seeing. Yes, I was able to see with the assistance of glasses and contacts. But it's completely different when you are able to see things with your own eyes without contacts or glasses. The past couple of days have been awesome, even though we haven't done any special activities over the weekend. I caught myself on Friday just staring at my sister during lunch. I've never been able to see my grown-up sister with my own eyes before. So, just be aware that if you catch me staring at you within the next few weeks, it's probably not because you have something in your teeth or on your face. I'm just seeing you for the first time. Another exciting thing is that all of the lights and even bright colors have halos around them. I laughed yesterday while Christie and I were shopping because I saw a guy with a bright purple shirt with neon green letters that said "Legit" with the Nike swoosh underneath it. I giggled and pointed it out to Christie. She said, "Yea. His shirt says 'Legit'. Couldn't they have come up with..." I said, "No. The words are glowing, like in Ironman!". So, again, bare with me if you see me fascinated with small, glowing objects.
All I can do is be thankful, especially to Mom and Dad for giving me the opportunity to really be able to see again. Everything is a little bit brighter and a little more beautiful now that I can see it with my own two eyes. :) Time for eye drops. Post again later.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Vunerability
Ok. So. I'm going to write a blog post that's really putting me in a vulnerable spot. Maybe it doesn't seem that way to anyone else, but it is to me because I haven't particularly talked about it publicly. I have only expressed how I feel to very close people to me.
Looking through the spring break pictures, frankly any pictures of me recently, are hard to look at. I hate what I see. Also, it's incredibly hard to know that others around me are so happy with the way they look, no matter what shape or size. I commend them, but secretly I'm highly jealous. Jealous that they are pretty. Jealous that they are thin. Jealous that they are just happy with the way they are. It's not so simple for me.
The point of this post...to get it out in the open...to have a little accountability when I say that I'm done with feeling the way I do and I'm going to change. It's going to be hard...I mean it has taken countless failed attempts already just in the past year. So, if you're reading this, hold me accountable. Give me some tough love, even though a couple are already great at doing that. Give me some encouragement. Just be there.
This is me just a week ago. I hate it. I'm the heaviest I've ever weighed (well kinda, I did lose a pound this week but I blame illness); however, I'm the healthiest and most active I've ever been.
This is the last time I remember being truly happy with my body image. Granted the night this picture was taken landed me in the clinic and on phenergam for the next three days because I didn't stick to my diet (practically starving myself by eating nothing that has carbs or fat), but this is when I felt comfortable in my own skin. Happy to take pictures with anyone. Happy to face the camera straight on and not at a side angle at an attempt to make myself look smaller. I want this again...
But, I want this and still be able not to hate meal time! I want to look and feel like this without having to beat myself up over a small chocolate craving. I want to bake and cook and eat healthier and look like this. Is it possible? Am I just deluded into thinking that people can eat like a normal person by not cutting an entire food group (say carbs) and be able to look like this? Okay, now I'm rambling. I'm just frustrated.
I'm not asking to be the size of a super model or even the size of my beautiful sister...I just want to be happy...Oh well...I guess we'll see...
Looking through the spring break pictures, frankly any pictures of me recently, are hard to look at. I hate what I see. Also, it's incredibly hard to know that others around me are so happy with the way they look, no matter what shape or size. I commend them, but secretly I'm highly jealous. Jealous that they are pretty. Jealous that they are thin. Jealous that they are just happy with the way they are. It's not so simple for me.
The point of this post...to get it out in the open...to have a little accountability when I say that I'm done with feeling the way I do and I'm going to change. It's going to be hard...I mean it has taken countless failed attempts already just in the past year. So, if you're reading this, hold me accountable. Give me some tough love, even though a couple are already great at doing that. Give me some encouragement. Just be there.
This is the last time I remember being truly happy with my body image. Granted the night this picture was taken landed me in the clinic and on phenergam for the next three days because I didn't stick to my diet (practically starving myself by eating nothing that has carbs or fat), but this is when I felt comfortable in my own skin. Happy to take pictures with anyone. Happy to face the camera straight on and not at a side angle at an attempt to make myself look smaller. I want this again...
But, I want this and still be able not to hate meal time! I want to look and feel like this without having to beat myself up over a small chocolate craving. I want to bake and cook and eat healthier and look like this. Is it possible? Am I just deluded into thinking that people can eat like a normal person by not cutting an entire food group (say carbs) and be able to look like this? Okay, now I'm rambling. I'm just frustrated.
I'm not asking to be the size of a super model or even the size of my beautiful sister...I just want to be happy...Oh well...I guess we'll see...
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Here we are again...
Here we are again...Thursday and no post! Honestly, I just haven't been that busy, well anything interesting busy, lately. I am super excited about this upcoming week though. Mom, Dad, Christie, and I are going on a cruise!! :) (In other words, don't look for a post next week because I won't have internet access.) I'm super excited. I'm not sure what to expect because we are going somewhere we haven't been before. I'm sure I will blog about it the following week.
Short post today..but I do want to add that I want everyone to keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers in the upcoming week. He decided to forgo Spring Break this semester so he can get some serious research and work done on his thesis. He is working on something fairly complicated (I won't even try to explain any details), but he hopes to accomplish this task by the time I get home from the cruise. :)
Happy Spring Break!
Short post today..but I do want to add that I want everyone to keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers in the upcoming week. He decided to forgo Spring Break this semester so he can get some serious research and work done on his thesis. He is working on something fairly complicated (I won't even try to explain any details), but he hopes to accomplish this task by the time I get home from the cruise. :)
Happy Spring Break!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
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! :)
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! :)
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
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!
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!
Friday, February 10, 2012
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!
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!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
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.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
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