I have a second blog that I started well over a year ago. I use it like an electronic journal/diary. It is 100% private and only for me. I was looking through it and found a post dated a year ago tomorrow, February 26, that I decided was fun. I have copied it below to share with the rest of the world!
"The Trees Threw Snowballs at Me!
The trees threw snowballs at me today! And the very mean trees threw ice chunks! I had these thoughts this morning as I was walking to work and the remnants of last night's storm kept falling on my head.
I began to imagine the trees as alive and mischievous; stagnant objects seeking fun in whatever way possible. Think about it. The tree is pretty and adored during the spring, summer, and fall months. We marvel at the return of life after the long winter, we bask in the shade of the full canopy during the blistering summer months, and we feel nostalgic and collegiate with the shades of orange and red during the fall. But what do we admire during the winter? During the most frigid months the tree is a bare, skeletal trace of its normal self.
Trees must feel the lack of adoration they receive during the winter months, and I'm sure they resent it. We fickle humans seem to only care for something or show it notice if we find it socially pretty. The poor tree is painfully aware of this, resulting in feelings of anger and a desire for vindication.
Hence the snow and ice throwing. In the winter months the tree has few options in its arsenal. It can either break off its own branches, tossing them on cars and in roadways. Or it can collect copious amounts of snow and ice, storing these effective weapons high above us puny humans and waiting for the perfect moment to unload on unsuspecting heads below.
I understand this and therefore was not angry this morning when time and time again snow and ice fell down upon me from the many trees next to my favorite walkway. Instead, I laughed inside and cheered on the trees. I admired the strength, the cunning, and I promised to be back in the spring, summer, and fall to admire the trees' many other assets."
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Holy flying time Batman!
Seriously. Where does it go?
I had a first-round telephone interview today with Government X in some Western state that has a lot of earthquakes.
Government X called me 5 minutes late, which freaked me out a bit. Once they did call spent 5 more minutes telling me about the program and themselves. Then they asked me 4 standard questions they are asking everyone:
1) Tell us about your personal, professional, and academic background and how they compliment each other and your ultimate goals.
2) Why are you interested in Government X?
3) This is one to test your analytical skills - Tell us about an academic or work project in which you have had to employ analytical skills, the process you used to complete the project, the general goals of the project, and the eventual outcome.
4) If we were to call your references today what would they say your strengths and weaknesses are?
Then about 5 minutes for me to ask questions and then the general end-of-conversation pleasantries. Quick and to the point.
I did alright - thank goodness I did a lot of research on Government X and am currently in Capstone so I could use my capstone project for the analytical skills question.
I'm not too impressed with them. They can't tell me what the rotation schedule and special assignments will look like until a few weeks before I would get there, if even then (i.e., there is a real possibility that one could accept the job without knowing what the heck the job actually is). When I asked the current fellows how this experience has helped them grow as a professional they hemmed and hawed and gave some nonsensical answers (to the point that the HR coordinator jumped in with, "Is any of this actually answering your question?"). No help with relocation costs either.
I will know by the end of this week if I made it through the first round. If I do, there will be a written public policy assignment. If that is satisfactory, final interviews the end of March. Offers the beginning of April.
There you have it. The story of my first interview of my current job search.
Sorry to those of you in my immediate family that already heard this story.
Love!
~g
I had a first-round telephone interview today with Government X in some Western state that has a lot of earthquakes.
Government X called me 5 minutes late, which freaked me out a bit. Once they did call spent 5 more minutes telling me about the program and themselves. Then they asked me 4 standard questions they are asking everyone:
1) Tell us about your personal, professional, and academic background and how they compliment each other and your ultimate goals.
2) Why are you interested in Government X?
3) This is one to test your analytical skills - Tell us about an academic or work project in which you have had to employ analytical skills, the process you used to complete the project, the general goals of the project, and the eventual outcome.
4) If we were to call your references today what would they say your strengths and weaknesses are?
Then about 5 minutes for me to ask questions and then the general end-of-conversation pleasantries. Quick and to the point.
I did alright - thank goodness I did a lot of research on Government X and am currently in Capstone so I could use my capstone project for the analytical skills question.
I'm not too impressed with them. They can't tell me what the rotation schedule and special assignments will look like until a few weeks before I would get there, if even then (i.e., there is a real possibility that one could accept the job without knowing what the heck the job actually is). When I asked the current fellows how this experience has helped them grow as a professional they hemmed and hawed and gave some nonsensical answers (to the point that the HR coordinator jumped in with, "Is any of this actually answering your question?"). No help with relocation costs either.
I will know by the end of this week if I made it through the first round. If I do, there will be a written public policy assignment. If that is satisfactory, final interviews the end of March. Offers the beginning of April.
There you have it. The story of my first interview of my current job search.
Sorry to those of you in my immediate family that already heard this story.
Love!
~g
Monday, February 16, 2009
Optical Reality
While walking to work today I saw something I considered rather neat but that others, judging by their reactions when I shared this event with them, found rather boring.
Two Marine helicopters with the seal of the President of the United States of America buzzing downtown Chicago and weaving among skyscrapers.
Really, how many times in your life do you get to see Presidential transportation, live and in person rather than on film? Especially the Marine helicopters. Motorcade? Fine. Air Force One? OK, fairly recognizable although very off-limits. Marine helicopters in downtown Chicago? Pretty darn neat!
Caveat - If you live in Washington, D.C. your chances of seeing all three of the aforementioned modes of Presidential transportation greatly increases.
Caveat 2 - Chicago residents' chances of all three sightings also just greatly increased.
That's all. Just want to share and document an event I found fairly cool.
Love!
~g
Two Marine helicopters with the seal of the President of the United States of America buzzing downtown Chicago and weaving among skyscrapers.
Really, how many times in your life do you get to see Presidential transportation, live and in person rather than on film? Especially the Marine helicopters. Motorcade? Fine. Air Force One? OK, fairly recognizable although very off-limits. Marine helicopters in downtown Chicago? Pretty darn neat!
Caveat - If you live in Washington, D.C. your chances of seeing all three of the aforementioned modes of Presidential transportation greatly increases.
Caveat 2 - Chicago residents' chances of all three sightings also just greatly increased.
That's all. Just want to share and document an event I found fairly cool.
Love!
~g
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Nothing New
I have not written in over a week because there is nothing new to report. I am, and will remain, quite busy with school and work and voluntary commitments. I find that, although I am not in class three nights a week this semester, I am more mentally taxed than in past semesters and am in need of my weekends to recover. I am taking many more naps during the weekends than in past semesters.
The Capstone project is progressing well, after hitting a bit of a wall a few weeks back. It seems CPS and my group had two different visions for the deliverable (or, in CPS's case, 6 different visions), but the table of contents we recently sent for comments was returned with much praise and only a few minor suggestions. Yayy!!
I spent the day of love alone today, doing the only thing a single woman can: researching on the Internet while watching the Bourne trilogy. Nothing says "Love" more than boring tasks, thrilling chases, and more dead bodies than I know how to count. It is truly amazing to me those movies are only PG-13. Amazing and awesome.
I continue to be very happy with my new iPod, Nan. 1832 songs and some kick-butt games. Another significant purchase, in the form of running shoes, is in my very near future. My current pair are now a little over 3 years old and can no longer handle the amount of shock absorption that I need them to handle. My exercise class takes place majorly on a 40+ year old rubber track that now has the give of mountain rock. I walk away from each class feeling as if all of the little bones in my feet have been broken, and it takes me all of the remaining week to recover only to go back and go through it all again. I know that is not healthy for my feet or my body as a whole, and will be rectifying the situation soon.
A month from today Mom will be in the city, hanging with me and watching them dye the river green for St. Patrick's day. I am expecting lots of fun.
I have posted some ads for a summer sublet and am beginning the process of once again picking up my life. I do not know where I am going, but I am not searching for anything here. Come graduation I will hopefully move to a new job or move home to continue the job search rent-free. No offense to Mom, but I am praying for the former.
That's about all. For fun, and to continue the "What are you listening to these days" family exchange, I have stolen a quirky thing from Facebook and posted it below, with my answers.
Love to everyone!
~g
So here's how it works...
1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle (Mine is always on shuffle)
3. Press play
4. For the first question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button TWICE.
6. Write down the title of the song - no matter how weird or silly it may be)
1. Where Are You Christmas - Faith Hill - How The Grinch Stole Christmas Soundtrack
2. Wait - Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ecstacy Album
3. Mango Story - David Wilcox - East Ashville Hardware Album
4. The Cowboy Song - Sting - Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 Album
5. So Long Jimmy - James Blunt - Unknown Album
6. Sara Beth - Rascal Flatts - Feels Like Today Album
7. Let Go - Frou Frou - Garden State Original Soundtrack
8. Saints and Sailors - Dashboard Confessional - Unknown Album
9. #1 Crush - Garbage - Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack
10. Straw Dog - Something Corporate - Ready . . . Break Album
11. Love Is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar - Best Shots Album
12. Life Giver - Lawrence Laughing & Joanne Shenadoah - Emerging Power Album
13. Do You Know What It Takes - Robyn - Unknown Album
14. Somewhere Other Than The Night - Garth Brooks - The Chase Album
15. Track 7 - Enya - Unknown Album
16. John Doe No. 24 - Mary Chapin Carpenter - Stones in the Road Album (if you don't know this one you should! Amazing acoustic melody and story that captures the mind and wrenches the heart)
17. Late for Your Life - Mary Chapin Carpenter - Time*Sex*Love Album (one of Dad's favorites)
18. X-ray Eyes - Guster - Goldfly Album
19. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel - Unknown Album (unless the album is Bridge Over Troubled Water)
20. Hold On - Wilson Phillips - Unknown Album
Honorable Mentions:
Girls Like Me - Mary Chapin Carpenter
Life In a Northern Town - Dream Academy
Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve Pipe
Right Now - Van Halen
Fields of Gold - Nadine Coyle (Dad, try to find this version! I think it is from a series called "Girls Aloud". It is amazing)
Mary's Eyes - Gaelic Storm
The Change - Garth Brooks
We Can Get There - Mary Griffin
Don't Let Go - Bryan Adams featuring Sarah McLachlan - Spirit Soundtrack (all of the songs for this animated movie were fantastic. Bryan Adams did nearly every song. I highly recommend checking out the soundtrack. The full movie title is "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron")
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies (Christmas is all seasons for me)
Let it never be said I can't appreciate all different types of music! My tastes truly are eclectic, although some genres I do prefer more than others. I tend to gravitate toward soft melodies, preferably acoustic, and lyrics that tell a story or say something meaningful. I do love the sound of a piano with an electric guitar though!
The Capstone project is progressing well, after hitting a bit of a wall a few weeks back. It seems CPS and my group had two different visions for the deliverable (or, in CPS's case, 6 different visions), but the table of contents we recently sent for comments was returned with much praise and only a few minor suggestions. Yayy!!
I spent the day of love alone today, doing the only thing a single woman can: researching on the Internet while watching the Bourne trilogy. Nothing says "Love" more than boring tasks, thrilling chases, and more dead bodies than I know how to count. It is truly amazing to me those movies are only PG-13. Amazing and awesome.
I continue to be very happy with my new iPod, Nan. 1832 songs and some kick-butt games. Another significant purchase, in the form of running shoes, is in my very near future. My current pair are now a little over 3 years old and can no longer handle the amount of shock absorption that I need them to handle. My exercise class takes place majorly on a 40+ year old rubber track that now has the give of mountain rock. I walk away from each class feeling as if all of the little bones in my feet have been broken, and it takes me all of the remaining week to recover only to go back and go through it all again. I know that is not healthy for my feet or my body as a whole, and will be rectifying the situation soon.
A month from today Mom will be in the city, hanging with me and watching them dye the river green for St. Patrick's day. I am expecting lots of fun.
I have posted some ads for a summer sublet and am beginning the process of once again picking up my life. I do not know where I am going, but I am not searching for anything here. Come graduation I will hopefully move to a new job or move home to continue the job search rent-free. No offense to Mom, but I am praying for the former.
That's about all. For fun, and to continue the "What are you listening to these days" family exchange, I have stolen a quirky thing from Facebook and posted it below, with my answers.
Love to everyone!
~g
So here's how it works...
1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle (Mine is always on shuffle)
3. Press play
4. For the first question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button TWICE.
6. Write down the title of the song - no matter how weird or silly it may be)
1. Where Are You Christmas - Faith Hill - How The Grinch Stole Christmas Soundtrack
2. Wait - Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ecstacy Album
3. Mango Story - David Wilcox - East Ashville Hardware Album
4. The Cowboy Song - Sting - Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 Album
5. So Long Jimmy - James Blunt - Unknown Album
6. Sara Beth - Rascal Flatts - Feels Like Today Album
7. Let Go - Frou Frou - Garden State Original Soundtrack
8. Saints and Sailors - Dashboard Confessional - Unknown Album
9. #1 Crush - Garbage - Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack
10. Straw Dog - Something Corporate - Ready . . . Break Album
11. Love Is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar - Best Shots Album
12. Life Giver - Lawrence Laughing & Joanne Shenadoah - Emerging Power Album
13. Do You Know What It Takes - Robyn - Unknown Album
14. Somewhere Other Than The Night - Garth Brooks - The Chase Album
15. Track 7 - Enya - Unknown Album
16. John Doe No. 24 - Mary Chapin Carpenter - Stones in the Road Album (if you don't know this one you should! Amazing acoustic melody and story that captures the mind and wrenches the heart)
17. Late for Your Life - Mary Chapin Carpenter - Time*Sex*Love Album (one of Dad's favorites)
18. X-ray Eyes - Guster - Goldfly Album
19. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel - Unknown Album (unless the album is Bridge Over Troubled Water)
20. Hold On - Wilson Phillips - Unknown Album
Honorable Mentions:
Girls Like Me - Mary Chapin Carpenter
Life In a Northern Town - Dream Academy
Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve Pipe
Right Now - Van Halen
Fields of Gold - Nadine Coyle (Dad, try to find this version! I think it is from a series called "Girls Aloud". It is amazing)
Mary's Eyes - Gaelic Storm
The Change - Garth Brooks
We Can Get There - Mary Griffin
Don't Let Go - Bryan Adams featuring Sarah McLachlan - Spirit Soundtrack (all of the songs for this animated movie were fantastic. Bryan Adams did nearly every song. I highly recommend checking out the soundtrack. The full movie title is "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron")
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies (Christmas is all seasons for me)
Let it never be said I can't appreciate all different types of music! My tastes truly are eclectic, although some genres I do prefer more than others. I tend to gravitate toward soft melodies, preferably acoustic, and lyrics that tell a story or say something meaningful. I do love the sound of a piano with an electric guitar though!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Broke Down
My iPod is pretty much beyond saving. Mini and I had a good run, but it's time for me to move on.
That being said, I have been watching sale ads for about a month now and doing some online comparisons. I decided to stay with the iPod simply because I think Apple does MP3 players the best. While I will never own an Apple computer I am devoted to the iPod.
The Staples near me had a good deal this week so I decided it was time to upgrade. For only $10 (after rebates) more than normal retail I got:
Yayy for no more death songs on my Mini!
Love!
~g
That being said, I have been watching sale ads for about a month now and doing some online comparisons. I decided to stay with the iPod simply because I think Apple does MP3 players the best. While I will never own an Apple computer I am devoted to the iPod.
The Staples near me had a good deal this week so I decided it was time to upgrade. For only $10 (after rebates) more than normal retail I got:
- An 8 gig iPod Nano in silver
- A protective sleeve
- 4 screen protectors
- An audio splitter
- A car charger
- A wall charger
- A radio tuner
Yayy for no more death songs on my Mini!
Love!
~g
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
One for you, Dad
For lunch today I had a sandwich that was oh-so-very bad for me and yet oh-so-yummy.
From a Ma & Pop Italian restaurant near my college (seriously, Ma and Pop take the orders and hand over the food) I had a meatball sandwich. Everything was homemade... fresh meatballs, zesty tomato sauce from scratch, on a 3" roll of focaccia bread that was baked this morning, and covered in melted mozarella.
I went in with a woman from the college that I know well and who is apparently well-known by Ma and Pop. Ma was so excited to see friends (i.e. me) of this woman that I got treated royally. While we waited for our sandwiches Pop shoved little containers of fresh (made this morning!) chicken pasta salad at us to try. I smiled and called him sir as I thanked him and that earned me my sandwich quicker that what it would have been since Pop stopped taking orders and went back to wrap and get my food himself. The pasta salad, by-the-way, was also fantastic.
There are some things I am going to miss about the city!
Love!
~g
From a Ma & Pop Italian restaurant near my college (seriously, Ma and Pop take the orders and hand over the food) I had a meatball sandwich. Everything was homemade... fresh meatballs, zesty tomato sauce from scratch, on a 3" roll of focaccia bread that was baked this morning, and covered in melted mozarella.
I went in with a woman from the college that I know well and who is apparently well-known by Ma and Pop. Ma was so excited to see friends (i.e. me) of this woman that I got treated royally. While we waited for our sandwiches Pop shoved little containers of fresh (made this morning!) chicken pasta salad at us to try. I smiled and called him sir as I thanked him and that earned me my sandwich quicker that what it would have been since Pop stopped taking orders and went back to wrap and get my food himself. The pasta salad, by-the-way, was also fantastic.
There are some things I am going to miss about the city!
Love!
~g
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Turning now to the employment forecast
Yesterday I received an email letting me know the status of the application I submitted to the International City/County Management Association's Local Government Management Fellowship Program (how's that for a title?) back in November. The news is good! After 2 months of vetting, the fellowship committee scored my application high enough that it now advances to the second stage of the process. I am excited by this for two reasons: 1) I was quite concerned my personal statement and case study answer were not up to par, and given they counted for 70% of my total score, I pretty much felt like I did not have a snowball's chance in Hawaii when I submitted my application; and 2) Given the inordinately small number of host governments and a larger-than-normal applicant pool this year, the cut-off score to make it through to the second round was raised. These two things together have combined to make me feel a bit proud that I made it through. It is fun to be able to say I am a semi-finalist in a national search.
Fellows are being placed nation-wide, so now my application is forwarded on to all of the host governments in the geographic locations where I indicated I would be willing to work. My name is not going to the Southeast, but is going to every other part of the country. The current list of governments who will receive my application includes:
I am trying not to place too much hope on the fellowship program, but feel that it would be a great transition for me. I am still looking for jobs elsewhere, including those in higher education. Part of me is ready to be done with the academic field for awhile, though, and it would be nice to have a chance to work in the field I have spent the last two years of my life training myself for.
Classes are going well. I am fast discovering this will be the busiest, most taxing, and most demanding semester of my academic career. Project Management is proving to be as intense as I heard, my exercise teacher is the spawn of Satan, and my Chicago Public Schools client for Capstone cannot seem to figure out and/or clearly articulate to my team and me the desired deliverable.
(Grammar check: In the above sentence I wrote "team and me" instead of "team and I". I believe "team and me" is correct since the sentence would not read properly if I removed the words "team and" and only left "I" had I used the "team and I" version. Was I right to use "team and me"?)
We cleaned the apartment today. It seems my job when we do an complete clean is always the floors - sweep and mop the hardwoods, vacuum the stairs, my bedroom, and the baths. I do not mind this, I just noticed the pattern. Ryan continues to clean only when I ask, but since I always make sure to ask when I myself am in the middle of a cleaning task, Ryan has always been quite accommodating.
It got fairly warm here today (if you call low 30s warm) and with the melting ice came problems. To get to my apartment, one enters through a gate set between our front building and the neighboring building and walks the 3-foot wide path back to the courtyard and my coach house. As the path opens into the courtyard there is an overhang of vines that are leafy and gorgeous during the summer and ice traps in the winter. The weight of the melting water brought down the vines today, but only to waist-height, effectively blocking the path completely. Falling ice also destroyed two of the lights positioned in the flower beds. I called our landlord and basically got, "What do you want me to do about it?" It has been pretty perilous around here with all of the ice and on top of it he gave us a BS story about why he can't weatherstrip our door, so I got a little sharp and I told him I want him to come out to his property and take care of it and its residents. We'll see if he shows up tomorrow.
Lauren and I have become pretty popular with the higher-ups in our college. This past week we had meetings with both the Dean of the college and the Alumni Association's Student Relations Committee. With the Dean we are providing student input on the college's strategic goals through FY 2011 and with the Alumni Association we are helping identify the professional development needs of the students and find ways the Alumni Association can help meet them. Right now we are looking at a resume/portfolio review, an interviewing skills workshop, mock interviews, and a networking session.
At work I am finishing a bid to serve as the host site to the 2009 Association of Campus Activities Administrators Leadership Exchange, creating presentations on Leadership 101 and Conflict Resolution, and researching service-based peer-to-peer collegiate mentoring programs.
All in all I am a busy girl. I can't believe January is already gone. I swear time is moving faster each day.
Love!
~g
Fellows are being placed nation-wide, so now my application is forwarded on to all of the host governments in the geographic locations where I indicated I would be willing to work. My name is not going to the Southeast, but is going to every other part of the country. The current list of governments who will receive my application includes:
- San Jose, California (hosting 4 fellows)
- Lexington, Massachusetts
- Dakota County, Minnesota
- Dubuque, Iowa/Lancaster, Wisconsin (shared)
- Chandler, Arizona
- Alameda, California
- Palo Alto, California
- Dublin, Ohio
I am trying not to place too much hope on the fellowship program, but feel that it would be a great transition for me. I am still looking for jobs elsewhere, including those in higher education. Part of me is ready to be done with the academic field for awhile, though, and it would be nice to have a chance to work in the field I have spent the last two years of my life training myself for.
Classes are going well. I am fast discovering this will be the busiest, most taxing, and most demanding semester of my academic career. Project Management is proving to be as intense as I heard, my exercise teacher is the spawn of Satan, and my Chicago Public Schools client for Capstone cannot seem to figure out and/or clearly articulate to my team and me the desired deliverable.
(Grammar check: In the above sentence I wrote "team and me" instead of "team and I". I believe "team and me" is correct since the sentence would not read properly if I removed the words "team and" and only left "I" had I used the "team and I" version. Was I right to use "team and me"?)
We cleaned the apartment today. It seems my job when we do an complete clean is always the floors - sweep and mop the hardwoods, vacuum the stairs, my bedroom, and the baths. I do not mind this, I just noticed the pattern. Ryan continues to clean only when I ask, but since I always make sure to ask when I myself am in the middle of a cleaning task, Ryan has always been quite accommodating.
It got fairly warm here today (if you call low 30s warm) and with the melting ice came problems. To get to my apartment, one enters through a gate set between our front building and the neighboring building and walks the 3-foot wide path back to the courtyard and my coach house. As the path opens into the courtyard there is an overhang of vines that are leafy and gorgeous during the summer and ice traps in the winter. The weight of the melting water brought down the vines today, but only to waist-height, effectively blocking the path completely. Falling ice also destroyed two of the lights positioned in the flower beds. I called our landlord and basically got, "What do you want me to do about it?" It has been pretty perilous around here with all of the ice and on top of it he gave us a BS story about why he can't weatherstrip our door, so I got a little sharp and I told him I want him to come out to his property and take care of it and its residents. We'll see if he shows up tomorrow.
Lauren and I have become pretty popular with the higher-ups in our college. This past week we had meetings with both the Dean of the college and the Alumni Association's Student Relations Committee. With the Dean we are providing student input on the college's strategic goals through FY 2011 and with the Alumni Association we are helping identify the professional development needs of the students and find ways the Alumni Association can help meet them. Right now we are looking at a resume/portfolio review, an interviewing skills workshop, mock interviews, and a networking session.
At work I am finishing a bid to serve as the host site to the 2009 Association of Campus Activities Administrators Leadership Exchange, creating presentations on Leadership 101 and Conflict Resolution, and researching service-based peer-to-peer collegiate mentoring programs.
All in all I am a busy girl. I can't believe January is already gone. I swear time is moving faster each day.
Love!
~g
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Need Help!
I have made several references to Cindi, Mindi, and Trixi in the course of this blog. Cindi, Mindi, and Trixi are the names Lauren and I apply to the stereotypical, naive, self-absorbed, never-do-a-thing-for-myself-but-instead-just-bat-my-eyelashes-at-the-nearest-male-and-make-him-jump-to-my-beck-and-call, annoying, cell-phone obsessed, the-rules-do-not-apply-to-me, I-am-the-most-important-creature-to-ever-walk-the-Earth college girls.
When these girls manifest in pairs, they are Cindi and Mindi. Cindi is typically the blonde and Mindi the brunette. They are usually dressed alike.
When these girls manifest in trios, they are Cindi, Mindi, and Trixi. Cindi is again the fashionista blonde, Mindi the brunettes-are-just-as-good-as-blondes-but-secretly-a-Cindi-wanna-be, and Trixi either the not-so-attractive-but-grateful-to-be-a-part-of-the-group friend OR the edgy, I-am-creating-my-own-look-but-can-still-hold-my-own-with-Cindi-and-Mindi girl.
Never have I seen more than 3 together at once, but apparently there is a pack mentality sweeping the campus, because more and more I am seeing groups of 4 running around.
My dilemma: What is the name of the 4th girl?! The best Lauren and I can come up with is Bitzy or Mitzy, but neither name seems to fit. The fourth girl is the aberration. She runs with the pack but can break out and be a normal girl. She is the one who is not afraid to go off the high-dive in swim class or separate from the pack for a short period of time. Who is she?!
This post has a lot of dashed sentences. I am sorry for that.
Love!
~g
When these girls manifest in pairs, they are Cindi and Mindi. Cindi is typically the blonde and Mindi the brunette. They are usually dressed alike.
When these girls manifest in trios, they are Cindi, Mindi, and Trixi. Cindi is again the fashionista blonde, Mindi the brunettes-are-just-as-good-as-blondes-but-secretly-a-Cindi-wanna-be, and Trixi either the not-so-attractive-but-grateful-to-be-a-part-of-the-group friend OR the edgy, I-am-creating-my-own-look-but-can-still-hold-my-own-with-Cindi-and-Mindi girl.
Never have I seen more than 3 together at once, but apparently there is a pack mentality sweeping the campus, because more and more I am seeing groups of 4 running around.
My dilemma: What is the name of the 4th girl?! The best Lauren and I can come up with is Bitzy or Mitzy, but neither name seems to fit. The fourth girl is the aberration. She runs with the pack but can break out and be a normal girl. She is the one who is not afraid to go off the high-dive in swim class or separate from the pack for a short period of time. Who is she?!
This post has a lot of dashed sentences. I am sorry for that.
Love!
~g
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Surprises
You know that post, back in November of 2008, when I mentioned I had tried sushi for the first time and, while it was not bad, that it was not something I would crave. Yeah, that turned out to not be true.
Angela and her friend were going out for sushi tonight and it sounded delightful to me, so I sent some money along and Angela was kind enough to bring my supper home with her. It was absolutely amazing.
Also amazing, when Angela came in with my meal, I went straight to the utensil drawer to get chopsticks. Having the dexterity of a 4-year-old, I shocked myself with my selection and my subsequent usage of said chopsticks with ease.
Additionally, having never been a fan of water-flavoring (most are too sweet) my desire to try the Crystal Light Pink Lemonade flavor was odd to me, but I went with it and was pleasantly surprised. Tart, exactly like pink lemonade, and not full of sugar.
Two weeks in a row now I have opted to not make excuses and instead join Angela and her friends when they have headed out for a night on the town. I have met new people, seen new places in Chicago, and had a lot of fun.
I studied today with only a bit of procrastination here and there and found the topics of both project management and program evaluation are interesting enough to not put me to sleep. I cannot say the same for the variety of other subjects I have studied in the last two years.
I have been taking my vitamins every day thanks to a handy pill organizer that makes it easy for me to remember my morning pills. My nails are growing faster and stronger than they ever have.
Apparently I and my life are full of surprises lately.
Love!
~g
Angela and her friend were going out for sushi tonight and it sounded delightful to me, so I sent some money along and Angela was kind enough to bring my supper home with her. It was absolutely amazing.
Also amazing, when Angela came in with my meal, I went straight to the utensil drawer to get chopsticks. Having the dexterity of a 4-year-old, I shocked myself with my selection and my subsequent usage of said chopsticks with ease.
Additionally, having never been a fan of water-flavoring (most are too sweet) my desire to try the Crystal Light Pink Lemonade flavor was odd to me, but I went with it and was pleasantly surprised. Tart, exactly like pink lemonade, and not full of sugar.
Two weeks in a row now I have opted to not make excuses and instead join Angela and her friends when they have headed out for a night on the town. I have met new people, seen new places in Chicago, and had a lot of fun.
I studied today with only a bit of procrastination here and there and found the topics of both project management and program evaluation are interesting enough to not put me to sleep. I cannot say the same for the variety of other subjects I have studied in the last two years.
I have been taking my vitamins every day thanks to a handy pill organizer that makes it easy for me to remember my morning pills. My nails are growing faster and stronger than they ever have.
Apparently I and my life are full of surprises lately.
Love!
~g
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
In a food court
Today I sat in a food court on a college campus, surrounded by hundreds of my academic peers, staring unwaveringly at a projector screen as we all followed with breathless anticipation the CNN coverage of the inauguration. To my right, my student worker. To my left, my supervisor. Both women of color. Both fighting back tears.
Aretha Franklin appears on the screen, her hat rivaling her splendid rendition of "My Country 'Tis of Thee". The power of her voice washes over the room, drowning out the few commentating on her fashion choice.
A pause. Shuffling in Washington D.C.
Vice President-Elect Biden stands and takes his oath. The tension in the room builds as everyone leans forward, expecting President-Elect Obama to stand next.
Instead, another music selection. An original composition with the best pianist, cellist, violinist, and clarinet players in the world. A beautiful, moving piece, appropriate to the occasion.
11:00 am CST. A "Fact" flashes across the bottom of the screen. Sworn in or not, Barack Hussein Obama is the 44th President of the United States. The music soars at this very moment. Most in the room miss the factoid, but my student worker and I do not. She is confused, thinking he needs to take the oath to become President. I inform her our Constitution is designed to not allow for any break in power; to provide a clean transition of the office given schedules are notoriously abandoned.
The music ends. The Obama family rises. Once again, tension fills the food court. I break my eyes from the screen and look around me. On many faces I read awe and fear and know the feelings are reflected in my own expression. Can I truly be witnessing such a momentous occasion? Will he make it through this or did some nut make it through security?
A platform appears on stage and the proceedings slow. Like a true father, President Obama focuses on his daughters, instructing the youngest the platform is for her to stand on. She merrily leaps up and everyone is at last in place.
President Obama places one hand on the Lincoln Bible, raises his other hand in the air. A false start, then, "I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear..." And then a pause. Who stumbled? Did he forget what he was supposed to say?
Laughter and cheers fill the room as the Chief Justice repeats the second line of the oath, correctly this time. Of course President Obama did not forget the oath. It is 35 words long and he is known for memorizing considerably longer pieces of writing. He knew what he had been asked to say was incorrect, and so he stopped.
Quickly recovering, Chief Justice Roberts continues, finishes administering the oath. Although it is not part of the official oath, President Obama concludes with "So help me God", just as so many before him did.
The room erupts into cheers and clapping. Shouts and tears. Service members stand near the entrances of the food court, handing out miniature American flags. Relief floods through us all as we realize that which we had only hoped could happen has just been solidified.
It quiets again as we all seek to hear every word of the speech. It is not the inspirational, JKF-esque speech we expected. We listen for the line that will become the quote generations from now recite. We do not hear it, or if we do, we do not recognize it as such. The speech is instead somber, itemizing the many issues we face and reminding us there is a lot of work to do. No longer can we be selfish. No longer can we be self-serving. No longer can we be divided.
For me, the main event is over. I have to get back to work; I have a life to lead and a degree to earn. I am of no use to anyone sitting, watching a screen, and so I move. When I do so, I notice my head is a bit higher, my back a bit straighter, my gaze a bit more direct. I am proud.
Today, for the second time in my life, I witnessed a momentous occasion. With eery similarity, I once again sat in an academic setting, staring at the television as history unfolded. This time, however, I was not watching buildings fall. I instead watched the affirmation of that which they attempted to destroy. "Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you." We already have.
It is not the end of a long road, nor is it the beginning of another. It is a milestone in a continuous, winding path; the emergence from the tunnel on the way to the summit. It is not really even about him. It is about us, as individuals and as a people, choosing to grow, expand our minds, and live the pluralism that we take for granted and yet are so hated for.
Today I am filled with joy and with hope.
~g
Aretha Franklin appears on the screen, her hat rivaling her splendid rendition of "My Country 'Tis of Thee". The power of her voice washes over the room, drowning out the few commentating on her fashion choice.
A pause. Shuffling in Washington D.C.
Vice President-Elect Biden stands and takes his oath. The tension in the room builds as everyone leans forward, expecting President-Elect Obama to stand next.
Instead, another music selection. An original composition with the best pianist, cellist, violinist, and clarinet players in the world. A beautiful, moving piece, appropriate to the occasion.
11:00 am CST. A "Fact" flashes across the bottom of the screen. Sworn in or not, Barack Hussein Obama is the 44th President of the United States. The music soars at this very moment. Most in the room miss the factoid, but my student worker and I do not. She is confused, thinking he needs to take the oath to become President. I inform her our Constitution is designed to not allow for any break in power; to provide a clean transition of the office given schedules are notoriously abandoned.
The music ends. The Obama family rises. Once again, tension fills the food court. I break my eyes from the screen and look around me. On many faces I read awe and fear and know the feelings are reflected in my own expression. Can I truly be witnessing such a momentous occasion? Will he make it through this or did some nut make it through security?
A platform appears on stage and the proceedings slow. Like a true father, President Obama focuses on his daughters, instructing the youngest the platform is for her to stand on. She merrily leaps up and everyone is at last in place.
President Obama places one hand on the Lincoln Bible, raises his other hand in the air. A false start, then, "I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear..." And then a pause. Who stumbled? Did he forget what he was supposed to say?
Laughter and cheers fill the room as the Chief Justice repeats the second line of the oath, correctly this time. Of course President Obama did not forget the oath. It is 35 words long and he is known for memorizing considerably longer pieces of writing. He knew what he had been asked to say was incorrect, and so he stopped.
Quickly recovering, Chief Justice Roberts continues, finishes administering the oath. Although it is not part of the official oath, President Obama concludes with "So help me God", just as so many before him did.
The room erupts into cheers and clapping. Shouts and tears. Service members stand near the entrances of the food court, handing out miniature American flags. Relief floods through us all as we realize that which we had only hoped could happen has just been solidified.
It quiets again as we all seek to hear every word of the speech. It is not the inspirational, JKF-esque speech we expected. We listen for the line that will become the quote generations from now recite. We do not hear it, or if we do, we do not recognize it as such. The speech is instead somber, itemizing the many issues we face and reminding us there is a lot of work to do. No longer can we be selfish. No longer can we be self-serving. No longer can we be divided.
For me, the main event is over. I have to get back to work; I have a life to lead and a degree to earn. I am of no use to anyone sitting, watching a screen, and so I move. When I do so, I notice my head is a bit higher, my back a bit straighter, my gaze a bit more direct. I am proud.
Today, for the second time in my life, I witnessed a momentous occasion. With eery similarity, I once again sat in an academic setting, staring at the television as history unfolded. This time, however, I was not watching buildings fall. I instead watched the affirmation of that which they attempted to destroy. "Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you." We already have.
It is not the end of a long road, nor is it the beginning of another. It is a milestone in a continuous, winding path; the emergence from the tunnel on the way to the summit. It is not really even about him. It is about us, as individuals and as a people, choosing to grow, expand our minds, and live the pluralism that we take for granted and yet are so hated for.
Today I am filled with joy and with hope.
~g
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