Keep saying, "Are you kidding me?"
Most people, I think, seem to get stuck on a word or phrase for a period of time. Are you kidding me, dripping with sarcasm, has been coming out of my mouth lately. On Saturday it was said in regards to a big mess that I have been dragged into regarding the upcoming Harvest Fair in our town. On Sunday it was said in regards to information I heard about suspicious activity of some people that live in our neighborhood. Today it was said in regards to a voicemail I received at work just minutes after walking in the door. The next "are you kidding me" is just waiting for the opportunity to roll out of my mouth...
Monday, September 29, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Exploring
Searching for a direction in life.
As I mentioned in my blog about the movie "Good Will Hunting" I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. Several times in the past six months different people have commented that they thought I would be good at Reiki. I didn't know much about it, except that it deals with energy, so this week I decided I would see if the the spiritual center near where I work was offering any introductory classes in Reiki. There is a class but it's not until November, but, today they were offering a class in Therapeutic Touch. As it turns out Reiki and Therapeutic Touch are the same, but different. They both work with people's energies, the difference being in how. Reiki is done in a pattern method, where as Therapeutic Touch is done intuitively. I found the class interesting and I'd like to practice some what we learned today. There's a follow-up class at the end of October that I think I will attend. I'm not feeling any great calling so far, but I'm interested and that's a start, right?
As I mentioned in my blog about the movie "Good Will Hunting" I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. Several times in the past six months different people have commented that they thought I would be good at Reiki. I didn't know much about it, except that it deals with energy, so this week I decided I would see if the the spiritual center near where I work was offering any introductory classes in Reiki. There is a class but it's not until November, but, today they were offering a class in Therapeutic Touch. As it turns out Reiki and Therapeutic Touch are the same, but different. They both work with people's energies, the difference being in how. Reiki is done in a pattern method, where as Therapeutic Touch is done intuitively. I found the class interesting and I'd like to practice some what we learned today. There's a follow-up class at the end of October that I think I will attend. I'm not feeling any great calling so far, but I'm interested and that's a start, right?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Pampered Cooking
Experimenting with my new Micro-cooker.
About six weeks ago I attended a Pampered Chef party. For the most part I try to avoid the Tupperware-esque type of parties because they seem to spread like a disease. Nowadays they have them for anything and everything (candles, jewelry, cooking products, etc.) and you go to one with your friends and then three of them book a party and that's three more parties to go to. Having said all that I do, however, make an exception about once a year and go to a Pampered Chef party because I like to cook. I'm pretty reserved in making purchases and will only buy something I know I will use. The first party I went to about 10 years ago I bought an $8 potato masher because I love mashed potatoes. (The $8 potato masher has since been replaced by the $200 potato masher - my KitchenAid stand mixer - but that's another blog for another day.)
So at the party in August I bought a small Micro-cooker for $7.50. A one-quart contraption specifically for cooking in the microwave. As a demonstration at the party the host made Lava Cake in the three-quart Rice Cooker Plus, sort of similar to the cooker I purchased. I got to thinking I could probably make a smaller version of the cake in my cooker. So last night I approximated a third of a box of cake mix and the appropriate amount of egg, water and oil. I mixed all that in the cooker, then put approximately 1/3 of can of chocolate frosting in a glob on top of the cake mix. I put the lid on and microwaved the concoction for 3 minutes. What came out of the microwave was sheer yumminess. Warm chocolate cake, with gooey melted frosting. And I proved you can make Lava Cake in the one-quart Micro-cooker!
About six weeks ago I attended a Pampered Chef party. For the most part I try to avoid the Tupperware-esque type of parties because they seem to spread like a disease. Nowadays they have them for anything and everything (candles, jewelry, cooking products, etc.) and you go to one with your friends and then three of them book a party and that's three more parties to go to. Having said all that I do, however, make an exception about once a year and go to a Pampered Chef party because I like to cook. I'm pretty reserved in making purchases and will only buy something I know I will use. The first party I went to about 10 years ago I bought an $8 potato masher because I love mashed potatoes. (The $8 potato masher has since been replaced by the $200 potato masher - my KitchenAid stand mixer - but that's another blog for another day.)
So at the party in August I bought a small Micro-cooker for $7.50. A one-quart contraption specifically for cooking in the microwave. As a demonstration at the party the host made Lava Cake in the three-quart Rice Cooker Plus, sort of similar to the cooker I purchased. I got to thinking I could probably make a smaller version of the cake in my cooker. So last night I approximated a third of a box of cake mix and the appropriate amount of egg, water and oil. I mixed all that in the cooker, then put approximately 1/3 of can of chocolate frosting in a glob on top of the cake mix. I put the lid on and microwaved the concoction for 3 minutes. What came out of the microwave was sheer yumminess. Warm chocolate cake, with gooey melted frosting. And I proved you can make Lava Cake in the one-quart Micro-cooker!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Project Footwear
Chronicling my summer in shoe pictures.
This project started with a picture I took of my Crocs on the beach in Florida. At the time my cousin was submitting photographs based on an assignment given each week from a digital photography website. Around the time I took the picture her assignment was to photograph circles; she took a picture of bubbles in a glass of champagne, I took a picture of the circles in my Crocs. After taking the picture I got to thinking it would be a fun (and funny) way to document my summer with pictures of the shoes I was wearing for different activities. When I started this project I didn't have a blog so had no plan how I might share my idea with others. Now that summer is over and I have the avenue of my blog to display my project, here it is...
Walking on the beach at sunrise.
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Billy Joel concert; worth every penny.
Taken in the parking garage at Mohegan Sun Casino after the concert. If you ever have the opportunity to see Billy Joel in concert, GO!!!
Open Cup match: New Britain, Connecticut.
For the second year, the New England Revolution (Revvies) played in the US Open Cup tournament and their "home" games were played at a fairly small stadium in New Britain about an hour away from us. They won this game after 90 minutes of regular time, two 15 minute overtimes and penalty kicks - very exciting. Unfortunately they were eliminated in the next round of the tournament which was played in Washington, DC.
Farmer's daughter gardens in flip flops.
Taken in my dad's garden while he was away this summer. And no, gardening in flip flops isn't the best idea, but I didn't say I was a gardener!
Family gathering on Grandma's back porch.
This family dinner was held on the back porch because my aunt Patty said she could hardly remember the last time we ate out there. Unfortunately she ended up at the emergency room with Bea and still didn't get to eat out there. Although not obvious by the picture, there were definitely a lot of people there because I wouldn't go out there alone as that back porch is a magnet for snakes.
September 11th. Revvies match. Gillette Stadium.
Everytime I go to a Revvies match, I want to go to more. Watching on TV is good but being there in person is way better!!
So, although that's not everything I did this summer, it was everything I did that I was willing to take a picture of my feet at. I realized along the way one might look a bit silly photographing their feet. I hope everyone enjoyed their summers, wherever their footwear took them. Happy Fall!
This project started with a picture I took of my Crocs on the beach in Florida. At the time my cousin was submitting photographs based on an assignment given each week from a digital photography website. Around the time I took the picture her assignment was to photograph circles; she took a picture of bubbles in a glass of champagne, I took a picture of the circles in my Crocs. After taking the picture I got to thinking it would be a fun (and funny) way to document my summer with pictures of the shoes I was wearing for different activities. When I started this project I didn't have a blog so had no plan how I might share my idea with others. Now that summer is over and I have the avenue of my blog to display my project, here it is...
Walking on the beach at sunrise.
New Smyrna Beach, FL
Billy Joel concert; worth every penny.
Taken in the parking garage at Mohegan Sun Casino after the concert. If you ever have the opportunity to see Billy Joel in concert, GO!!!
Open Cup match: New Britain, Connecticut.
For the second year, the New England Revolution (Revvies) played in the US Open Cup tournament and their "home" games were played at a fairly small stadium in New Britain about an hour away from us. They won this game after 90 minutes of regular time, two 15 minute overtimes and penalty kicks - very exciting. Unfortunately they were eliminated in the next round of the tournament which was played in Washington, DC.
Farmer's daughter gardens in flip flops.
Taken in my dad's garden while he was away this summer. And no, gardening in flip flops isn't the best idea, but I didn't say I was a gardener!
Family gathering on Grandma's back porch.
This family dinner was held on the back porch because my aunt Patty said she could hardly remember the last time we ate out there. Unfortunately she ended up at the emergency room with Bea and still didn't get to eat out there. Although not obvious by the picture, there were definitely a lot of people there because I wouldn't go out there alone as that back porch is a magnet for snakes.
September 11th. Revvies match. Gillette Stadium.
Everytime I go to a Revvies match, I want to go to more. Watching on TV is good but being there in person is way better!!
So, although that's not everything I did this summer, it was everything I did that I was willing to take a picture of my feet at. I realized along the way one might look a bit silly photographing their feet. I hope everyone enjoyed their summers, wherever their footwear took them. Happy Fall!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Enough Already
Enough campaigning; let's get to voting!
I'm tired of it, I don't want to hear anymore, if you haven't heard enough yet to make a decision, come out from under your rock and get to it!?! I think it's at the point where the presidential nominees are saying whatever it takes to get elected and that will have no bearing on what they actually will do if elected. Because once they've been voted in, they can pretty much do whatever the heck they want, it's not like you can take your vote back! And to be fair, I have made up my mind who I will vote for and I don't want to hear anymore from that candidate either. In this day and age, voting comes down to one thing, electing the lesser of two evils...and of course that is still an evil.
I think my recent renewed interest in watching "The West Wing" is largely because I want to think that the president and his staff really do care about the people and once in a while do the right thing, no matter the consequences. In reality I think politicians are power hungry and self serving and for the most part could care less about me and my problems (unless it's time to vote and then only until elected). If we really want to make a difference this election year, not only get out and vote but if there's any politician holding an office that you can't flat out say at least one thing they've done to better your life and/or your community...VOTE THEM OUT!!! The whole system is corrupt and it goes way beyond the person sitting at the big desk in the oval office. Until we start voting out the Ted Kennedy's of the country, nothing is going to change!!!
I'm tired of it, I don't want to hear anymore, if you haven't heard enough yet to make a decision, come out from under your rock and get to it!?! I think it's at the point where the presidential nominees are saying whatever it takes to get elected and that will have no bearing on what they actually will do if elected. Because once they've been voted in, they can pretty much do whatever the heck they want, it's not like you can take your vote back! And to be fair, I have made up my mind who I will vote for and I don't want to hear anymore from that candidate either. In this day and age, voting comes down to one thing, electing the lesser of two evils...and of course that is still an evil.
I think my recent renewed interest in watching "The West Wing" is largely because I want to think that the president and his staff really do care about the people and once in a while do the right thing, no matter the consequences. In reality I think politicians are power hungry and self serving and for the most part could care less about me and my problems (unless it's time to vote and then only until elected). If we really want to make a difference this election year, not only get out and vote but if there's any politician holding an office that you can't flat out say at least one thing they've done to better your life and/or your community...VOTE THEM OUT!!! The whole system is corrupt and it goes way beyond the person sitting at the big desk in the oval office. Until we start voting out the Ted Kennedy's of the country, nothing is going to change!!!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
One Day, Two Blogs
(This is the blog entry I would have wrote yesterday, had I gotten around to it!)
What do you want to do?
I was watching the movie "Good Will Hunting" as I was getting my day started on Saturday. There's a part in the movie where Robin Williams, playing the therapist, asks Will the above question. I realized that at the age of 31, it's a question I haven't ever been able to answer myself. I've always, in a way, envied people who just flat out knew what they wanted to do. Take my sister in law for example, she wanted to be a veterinarian and didn't think twice about eight years of schooling plus internships to get there and seven years later she still seems content with her choice.
I'm not someone who is motivated by money so that hasn't ever played a role in drawing me toward a career path. I've always felt that work is something I have to do to pay the bills but for me, fulfillment comes from where I choose to spend my time outside of work. I like my job well enough (administrative assistant for a crisis intervention program) and I think I'm pretty good at what I do. The pay is not great, but I like my co-workers and I like that the general purpose of the program is to help people. I've been there 8+ years and have stayed that long because my hours are flexible, I get 5 weeks paid vacation per year and for the most part I supervise myself. The only thing that is really missing for me is a feeling that I'm working to my potential.
At the end of my year in 6th grade, I asked my teacher to sign my journal that all my friends had signed too. She wrote a nice long paragraph, of which I remember one sentence..."You are a bright girl, you just don't apply yourself well." So now I'm wondering, all these years later if that is still case. The problem is I still come up with no definitive answer when I ask myself, "what do you want to do?"
What do you want to do?
I was watching the movie "Good Will Hunting" as I was getting my day started on Saturday. There's a part in the movie where Robin Williams, playing the therapist, asks Will the above question. I realized that at the age of 31, it's a question I haven't ever been able to answer myself. I've always, in a way, envied people who just flat out knew what they wanted to do. Take my sister in law for example, she wanted to be a veterinarian and didn't think twice about eight years of schooling plus internships to get there and seven years later she still seems content with her choice.
I'm not someone who is motivated by money so that hasn't ever played a role in drawing me toward a career path. I've always felt that work is something I have to do to pay the bills but for me, fulfillment comes from where I choose to spend my time outside of work. I like my job well enough (administrative assistant for a crisis intervention program) and I think I'm pretty good at what I do. The pay is not great, but I like my co-workers and I like that the general purpose of the program is to help people. I've been there 8+ years and have stayed that long because my hours are flexible, I get 5 weeks paid vacation per year and for the most part I supervise myself. The only thing that is really missing for me is a feeling that I'm working to my potential.
At the end of my year in 6th grade, I asked my teacher to sign my journal that all my friends had signed too. She wrote a nice long paragraph, of which I remember one sentence..."You are a bright girl, you just don't apply yourself well." So now I'm wondering, all these years later if that is still case. The problem is I still come up with no definitive answer when I ask myself, "what do you want to do?"
Two days, no blog; where's Hope?
I'm still here plugging along, same as always. It was a busy week. For the most part I'm a homebody but there just hasn't been time for much of that recently. I think they have hired a new evening receptionist at work so I may be done working at night or may have to do it one more week to help train. Saturday, Jak and I spent the morning at a charity walk-a-thon to benefit the building of a local animal shelter. The afternoon was spent painting a sign for the FD auxiliary's booth that we use to sell grinders (sub, hoagie, etc.) at Harvest Fair, Columbus Day weekend.
As for today, well I'd like to sit around and do nothing but that's not likely to happen. I've been neglecting my tri training a bit so I might head out to the Y. I kind of need to make a trip to Target as well. And I could also...
As for today, well I'd like to sit around and do nothing but that's not likely to happen. I've been neglecting my tri training a bit so I might head out to the Y. I kind of need to make a trip to Target as well. And I could also...
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