Being a Beginner [No Longer Active]

Moving on.

2010-04-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

I moved! Find me here:
Twitter: ouelletteda
Tumblr: ouelletteda

Week 2.5: Down -0.8

2010-01-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

It's not outstanding, but it's not nearly as bad as it could have been. I still hit my at least 3x/week gym goal, tried yoga, and cooked a new recipe. However, I had a really rough, emotional week. And what happens when you have one of those? Toast. Doritos. Wine. Chocolate. This week one of my best friends from early childhood was diagnosed with cancer in his chest -- a mass the size of an orange pressing against his lung, making it nearly impossible to breathe. He's now being treated a MGH and the prognosis is good. But cancer is cancer and there's no guarantees.

And so clearly I ate a pile of carbs to make my body produce seratonin. Therapy Eating.

Research has proven that certain foods produce “feel good” chemicals like serotonin and endorphins in our brains that can literally be addictive. High sugar and fat combinations (e.g. ice cream, chocolate, doughnuts, cakes, and pies) can boost endorphins in the brain. Endorphins are our body’s natural pain killers; they produce a feeling of relaxation and even euphoria. Foods high in refined carbohydrate (e.g. white breads, pastries, chips, sodas, and candy) cause an increase of serotonin production in the brain. Serotonin provides sedation and calmness. Unfortunately, these “quick fixes” are brief. And over time – just like in other addictions – we may require more and more of the “substance” (high sugar/fat foods) to produce the desired effect. (from the Diet Channel)

Any suggestions for serotonin/endorphin replacements?

New Recipe: Spinach & Leek White Bean Soup

2010-01-19T17:46:00.000-08:00

This Spinach & Leek White Bean Soup recipe is from my favorite recipe website, All Recipes.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 leeks, bulb only, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (16 ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth
2 (16 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
2 cups packed fresh spinach
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic; saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, cannellini beans, bay leaves and cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and stir in the couscous. Cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

I twisted it a little bit by using frozen spinach and adding an extra can of broth. Leeks aren ingredient that I've heard about before, but I've been to timid to try.

This soup is delish! And great for a gross, wet, cold day like today in Boston.

Week 1(ish): Down 6.2 lbs!

2010-01-13T07:04:00.000-08:00

Week 1(ish): -6.2 lbs!

Pretty good start for a first week, though that is usually the biggest (shocking your system and all). I did really well on my gym commitment, too!

Keys to this week:

Going to the gym three times. I want to go more, but it's a very solid start.
Resisting the booze damage during Birthday Season kickoff weekend. I only had two drinks on Friday and two on Saturday. Less beer = less beer bellies.
Thinking before eating. "Do I really want a hamburger - or will a turger burger be just as good for less calories?" "If I order a side salad, I can always steal one or two of Nick's fries to satisfy my craving without eating a whole pile."
Competition. Made a bet with Steve. Loser buys dinner in June.

New things to try this week:

Vinyasa Yoga class at BSC.
Recipes from Fitness magazine (will post on how it goes!).
Minimizing booze damage during Birthday Season

"Everyone who got where he is has had to begin where he was."
[Robert Louis Stevenson]

Out with the Old, In with the New (2010 Resolutions)

2010-01-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

I still get emails from my old WW meetings leader, even though I'm a lapsed member and haven't attended in quite awhile. I always love her emails and have used today's as a framework for.... 2010 Resolutions!

Out With The Old, In With The New!

It’s a brand new year; a chance to start 2010 as you mean to go on. Ditching old habits which are unhelpful to your goals and replacing them with new ways, will hold you in good stead on your weight loss journey.

In With...

1. A positive attitude. Think of 3 positive affirmations about your weight loss. [...] Everyday write a positive message to yourself with your affirmations. [...] Whatever way you choose to do it, you’ll discover that a positive attitude can have a powerful effect on your success and help boost your confidence.

1. I am losing weight and gaining confidence.
2. I love to fuel my body with the healthiest food so it runs its best.
3. I am a healthy, capable, fit person.

2. Healthy habits. Ditch the old, negative ways and liven up your life with new lifestyle habits. Healthy eating, moving more, and managing your thoughts, feelings and environment will all help you lose weight. [...]

3. Making the most of mistakes. [...] believe in yourself and your ability to get back on track. This will help you re-focus [...]

4. Rewarding your achievements along the way. On your weight loss journey, depending on how many pounds you need to lose, it may take you some time to achieve your Goal Weight. To stay motivated, it’s vital to set smaller weight loss goals along the way [...] Non-scale goals, like dropping a clothes size or decreasing belt notches, also help. Think about how you will reward yourself when you get to each goal you set.

Short-term Goal :: -10 lbs :: pedicure
NSV :: collar bones, skinny jeans, dress
Long-term Goal :: -30 lbs (by June 1st) :: Steve owes me dinner (if I win)

5. Trying something different. Being adventurous and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone can be a boost to your confidence. [...] Whatever you choose to do in 2010, banish self doubt, visualize yourself at Goal and remember – the old you is so last year!

Small :: Learning yoga/pilates.
Small :: Cooking with spices/produce out of my comfort zone (Adventures in Cooking).
Big :: Hiking Bald Peak & Kinsman in the Spring.

I can't get no shut-eye!*

2009-12-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

I worked all day on Saturday and, though I had thoughts of seeing friends, decided to use the slushy-snow as an excuse to stay in. All was going according to plan - yummy dinner, History channel documentary on TV (Nick's favorite) and the apartment to myself. Until... the upstairs neighbors decided to throw a raging party. Now I'm all for getting your friends together and having a grand ol' time, but does it have to include tap dancing elephants? Because I'm pretty sure there was a circus that filed in the door, up the stairs and performed an award-winning (do they give out awards for tap dancers?) elephant ensemble tap number accompanied by some warped version of Lil Wayne pulsing through the bass.

Nights like Saturday are exactly why I am ready to move out of the city to a quieter town (or a duplex).

*I actually busted into a friend's parents room when I was 7 at a sleepover to say this when the other girls wouldn't be quiet. Apparently I've always been a little cranky about my sleep.

"Swoon Over Your Spoons"

2009-11-03T07:54:00.001-08:00

Moving almost every year for the last five has caused me to constantly ask myself, "Do I really need that?" If the answer was yes, it got to stay. If the answer was no, it didn't usually make it to the trash. Instead most of my "no, I don't need that, but maybe one day I could possibly have a use or a space for it" stuff ended up at my parents house. That was until last month when my mom uttered the dreaded words, "Clean out the attic."

I was forced to sift through thousands of memories -- most of which were school-related papers and projects. It's hard to throw things away that represent so many hours of work -- of effort. But there were also many things stuffed in plastic trunks that I've purchased in moments of retail lust (ahem, those horrendous - but trendy at the time - patchwork jeans). As I was thinking about all the things I owned and why, I stumbled across any article from treehugger.com called "Love Your Stuff":

The problem, I argued, is not that we love stuff too much—but that we don't love it enough. Why else do people swoon over the next tech gadget; the next McMansion; or the next over sized car, before becoming bored and moving on to another obsession? That's not love, it's lust. And it's a promiscuous lust at that.
What if we rejected these consumer equivalents of a one night stand? What if we committed to our stuff instead? What if we settled into deep and meaningful, if somewhat polygamous, relationships with our possessions? Once we make the commitment to fall in love all over again with our houses, with our clothes, with our furniture, we start looking for qualities of durability, reliability, craftsmanship, beauty and sustainability, instead of cheap thrills and shallow gimmicks. We start nurturing, nourishing and maintaining what we have, rather than looking for something new. In short, we learn to live with less.

So as we rapidly approach the holiday (i.e. gimmie, gimmie, gimmie gifts) season, I plan to ask for -- and will try only to give -- really high quality, useful, durable, meaningful gifts. Some of the best gifts I've received over the last few years include a slow cooker and tool set. Not flashy or exciting, but I use them both on a near-weekly basis.

Halloween 2009: The Idea

2009-10-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

Without a predetermined Halloween theme in July (oh, who are we kidding, more like January) this year, I've been putting off figuring out what I want to be/do for a costume. Last year by the start of October I already had my costume pieces together and was just working out the details of my hair.

I wanted to do something really fun this year and pick something that would be easily recognizable. We toyed with the idea of doing Marc Antony & Cleopatra, Batman & Robin or Catwoman or Superwoman, and Bonnie & Clyde (the boy wanted to be a gangster... SURPRISE). After looking at a few pictures of Bonnie & Clyde - the boy's clear favorite - I was unimpressed. But it helped me think up the perfect idea: gangsters & flappers!

Now the boy gets to be a Prohibition Era, John Dillinger-esque gangster and I get to be a Louise Brooks inspired flapper.

"I like to drink and fuck."

"Most beautiful dumb girls think they are smart and get away with it, because other people, on the whole, aren't much smarter."

"A well dressed woman, even though her purse is painfully empty, can conquer the world."

Let the costuming begin!

September: A New Year

2009-09-10T12:12:00.001-07:00

Screw January, who decided January should be the start of a new year anyways? Maybe it's some kind of Pavlovian response to nearly 20 years of new school years beginning right around Labor Day, but I've always felt that the sudden crispness of the air in September held more promise of a new year than the dull, frigid monotony of January. I mean really, what is even remotely motivating about December 26 through sometime in March when the world (at least New England) thaws? That's serious, hunker-down-and-read-a-good-novel time not hey-let-me-rehaul-my-life time.

Anyways, what that means is that I've been starting to fill my calendar back up again (just like Marisa). Gone are the long, lazy days by lakes or pools, soaking up the sun and disconnecting from the world. Let's see, there's:

Work: My 9-to-5 job, with busy and slow seasons, keeps me pretty occupied throughout the week.
Work #2: Ah, retail, gotta love it. Connecting with customers and completing a wall of perfectly folded chinos are the best rewards for a screwy schedule.
GSEM Task Force: A new group within our Girl Scout council whose goal is to unite and support the service units in the Boston metro area. I'll be specifically working on the Adult Development Committee to recruit, train and recognize adult volunteers. I'm also a working toward becoming a Council Facilitator so I can lead my own training sessions. If you're interested in getting involved - let me know!
"Open Classroom: Northeastern offers the community the chance to audit a class on urban policy and issues taught by Prof. Bluestone. Once you're registered, you can sit in on any of the classes from 9/10-12/10. A group of us are signing up (let [Marisa] know if you do too!), and while I may not buy all the books recommended on the official syllabus, I'm strangely hungry for poli-sci nerd knowledge and a classroom setting."
Football: I plan on actually watching games this year. And spending lazy Sundays cooking lavish meals in my new gorgeous kitchen. Open invitation!

Mangeons Comme Les Francais

2009-07-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

10 Diet Lessons From the French

1. Petite isn't just a dress size. One of the reasons France has an 11 percent obesity rate (as compared to America's 33 percent) is portion control. "A croissant in Paris is one ounce, while in Pittsburgh it's two," notes Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of nutrition at Georgia State University. Buy one and share it with your beau.
2. Never say diet. The French don't get involved in the carbs versus protein debate, nor do they label food groups like dairy or beef "bad." "There's an emphasis on eating a wide variety of foods—fruits, vegetables, beef, poultry, fish, bread and cheese— without overdoing any one thing," explains Susan Herrmann Loomis, a cooking teacher in Louviers, France, and author of the cooking memoir On Rue Tatin (Broadway Books, 2001).
3. There's no French equivalent of Butter Buds. Most French regard processed foods with the utter disdain they usually reserve for instant coffee. In other words, they'd rather have a small piece of "real" chocolate than a big slab of some low-fat chocolate dessert. The fact is, the sugar calories in low-fat sweets probably negate any fat grams saved— which won't get you any closer to fitting into those YSL jeans.
4. Snacking is a faux pas. They rarely snack, and they eat meals only while sitting at a table. Americans, on the other hand, eat everywhere-in our cars, at our desks, in the checkout line at the grocery store. In fact, the average calorie consumption in the United States is 3,642 a day, versus 3,551 in France— a small difference that can add up to a five-pound weight gain in six months. Quelle horreur!
5. Soak up the color. French women fill up on bright-colored vegetables, whether they're in zucchini soup or a beet, lettuce and cabbage salad before their entrée. Good thing, too, since the antioxidants in these foods help stave off the free radicals produced by cigarette smoke.
6. Make the most of meals. The French space out their courses and eat them at a leisurely pace— generally with friends and family, reports Loomis. In addition to cutting down on indigestion, this practice makes them less likely to overindulge, because the sensation of fullness has time to develop.
7. Wine and dine. Bordeaux and Beaujolais are staples, but French women usually drink them with their meal— no guzzling one or two glasses at the bar before dinner. Plus, glasses in France are only partially filled-the better to taste the wine and cut down on calories.
8. C'est cheese. They love cheese, but treat it as if it were a delicacy— eating it only after meals and stopping after just a slice or two, says Loomis. And although French cheeses seem rich, many (like Brie and chèvre) are actually lower in calories than American favorites.
9. Park your car. Thirty-five percent of the time, the French get where they're going by walking or biking. Americans don't leave home without their cars a whopping 84 percent of the time.
10. Boycott the buffet. In France, you won't find many all-you-can-eat fests, such as brunch buffets, tailgate parties and unlimited pasta and dessert bars, where it's easy for the calories to add up quickly. The French realize that they will get to eat again in a few hours.

(Courtesy of my lovely WW leader, Arlene.)

The word is... Responsibility

2009-06-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

I have loved living in the city for the last 5 years. But with my roommate moving out and everyone unsure of their long-term plans (or already paired off) -- it looks like I won't be staying in my apartment come Sept. 1. When this very real possibility presented itself yesterday I basically had an anxiety attack. I LOVE my place (great views, safe, good management) and I really didn't want to leave. But as I stayed awake, eyes wide open staring at the ceiling, and contemplated the reality of each of my possibilities at 2 am, I realized moving home might not be so bad after all.

First and foremost, moving home is the most responsible financial choice. Right now I'm spending about $1,000 on average for rent, utilities and a T pass. If I moved home I would have to add a car payment and bus fare, but that still only totals to just under $400. Since I don't actually have a job yet, eliminating those expenses will be a big relief. And when I do get one, it will give me the cashflow to pay off my credit cards and chip away at my student loans.

Secondly, living only an hour away from the city - with bus transportation if I don't want to drive - means the commute won't be too bad. Plus, with all my friends and boyfriend living here still, I'll always have a place to crash on late nights.

A decision that seemed devastating at first (you should have heard me whining, but I don't waaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnaaaa move home), actually seems like a blessing in disguise. Besides, once my finances are in order, I can move into my OWN place! So I guess it's like all those cliches: Que sera, sera; God works in mysterious ways; Change is the only constant.

Weight Watchers - Again! (For the Last Time!)

2009-05-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting in about 7 years. In 2007 I had success with WW Online, but recently it just hadn't helped me be accountable to myself. The logical choice was to join again right before the official Beginning of Summer Weekend - you know BBQ, beer and fried seafood season.

I won't have my first weigh-in until Monday, but I'm hoping it will go well. The reason I've always picked Monday as my weigh-in day is because it really helps remind me not to go overboard on the weekends. (Update: I was down only -1.6 lbs, which was good but not stellar. Working on hitting 5% by Family Picture Day on June 29th.)

I'm also working on building my running endurance. My goal is to make it all the way around the lake (3 miles) without walking by the end of the summer. So far I can make it about 1 mile, and then alternate running and walking the last 2 miles.

So here's to joining again, hopefully for the last time. WHEN I reach my goal weight I will become a Lifetime Member. Here I go again... wish me luck!

One-Sentence Commencement Speeches

2009-05-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

Northeastern graduated two weeks ago and BU graduates this weekend (along with a plethora of other schools). Our speaker was Dr. Kenneth Cole (and yes, he is now a doctor) - who was surprisingly good - and if anyone has a copy of his speech I would love it.

PostSecret's Frank Warren delivered a commencement speech at St. Mary's College in Maryland this week and asked students to submit "one sentence speeches."

I did not know what to expect by tapping into your collective wisdom, but I was soon thrilled by the insight, humor, and inspiration I felt in your earnest one-sentence commencement speeches. Here are just a few.

Be wise enough not to be reckless, but brave enough to take great risks.

It’s okay to fail – learn from it and you will succeed.

It’s better to be pissed-off than pissed-on.

These next three all offer solid advice about making the transition from St Mary’s to the real world.

With the increased prevalence of multi-drug resistant bacteria and the increasingly epidemic worldwide outbreak of swine flu, WASH YOUR HANDS . . . RELIGIOUSLY.

In the real world, you must wear shoes.

I know some of us are going to walk off this stage today with no idea about what comes next – embrace it, find something that makes you happy, and follow it wherever it leads.

The comments section of PostSecret also has thousands of others. Some of my favorites:

You can do anything. But not everything.

No matter how low you consider yourself, there is always someone looking up at you wishing they were that high.

It''s okay to be afraid, but don't let that fear hold you back. Instead, have it push you forward, breaking through the barrier you thought was there.

It's ok to be scared and it's even ok to fail; you don't have to be perfect.

"to do is to be" - nietzsche
"to be is to do" - kant
"do be do be do" - sinatra
only your song matters in the end

CGS Gets Some Love from GSEM

2009-05-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

From the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts May newsletter:

NORTHEASTERN CAMPUS GIRL SCOUTS RECOGNIZED WITH PHOENIX AWARD

Northeastern Campus Girl Scouts was rewarded for tripling its membrship this year! They worked with more than 50 girls in four troops, participating in several council programs including Innocent or Guilty and the Girl 2 Girl Conference. They hosted trainings, and took part in many student activities as a group, including Empowering Speaker Series with Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority, camping and volunteer fairs. This year, Campus Girl Scouts acquired office space and added e-board positions. They sold more than 1,500 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies on campus through booth sales alone! Congrats!

I am so, so proud of CGS and all they've accomplished this year. And so happy to have been part of that for my time at Northeastern.

Spring - Looking Forward

2009-04-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a month. I'm not really sure where it went - April was a very blah month for me. I had some lovely career freak-outs, decided to stop worrying about "being on a diet," worked a lot of long hours and realized that graduation is a real thing that is happening.

But right now I'm sitting on my deck in the gorgeous 70+ degree weather, looking at all the new leaves on the trees and magnolia blossums and realizing that spring is REALLY here. That means nights outside after work, more fresh air, adventures that do no involve the couch & the Wii and hopefully some grilling.

The city in the summer months can be a lot of fun, the bars and restaurants all open their patios, which are prime for people watching. But the warm weather definitely makes me miss the suburbs/country a lot more as well. You can't have a grill in the city. You can't jump in a lake. You can't drive with nowhere to go, with the windows down and the radio up.

I would love to be able to take more advantage of my Zipcar membership this summer by getting out of the city more. Anyone have good ideas for day trips to get away from the crowds*, tall buildings and overwhelming pavement?

*Side note: speaking of crowds, I waited at Hynes for 40 minutes last Saturday afternoon because Red Sox & Marathon tourists filled every single T trolley to capacity. I finally caught the D line out - I love, love living close to all 3 lines.

The Hardest Part of Exercise

2009-03-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

Is getting dressed. Tying your sneakers usually takes more mental and physical effort than actually moving your body.

After working all morning in the mall, I was determined to go for a walk and get some fresh air this afternoon. It started raining just as I had finally convinced myself to get up and go, so I threw on my rain jacket with a hood, and hit the pavement.

I walked up, around, over, and back around Corey Hill, which is near my house. There are several paths that cut up the terraces, which are extended sets of stairs - intense! But it was totally worth it because I remembered there was a swing set at the top of the hill where the playground and park are.

Then I walked down the hill toward Beacon Street and power-walked the rest of the way home, past some very tempting restaurants (who wants to try Roadhouse or Dalia's with me?).

This is exactly the kind of exercise I used to love when I lived in Ownings Mills (Baltimore). It's exercise disguised as neighbordhood expoloration, fresh air and occassional sunshine. And because it didn't leave my bronchitis-wrecked lungs gasping for air, I might actually do it again - on a regular basis!

What's your favorite kind of exercise?

Girl Scouts v. Boy Scouts

2009-03-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

Dan Kennedy posted a 'no-class comment' that was made by a Boy Scouts of America spokeswoman on Saturday in the Boston Globe:

The Girl Scouts, pretty much they're known for the Girl Scout cookies. When people think of Boy Scouts, they think of Eagle awards. They think of service.

His post has garnered tons of responses - from those defending Boy Scouts and their spokeswoman to those who say that scouting in general has gone the way of the dinosaur. I, of course, had to weigh in:

I have been a Girl Scout for 18 years - from kindergarten through college and I am now training to be a trainer for GS Eatern Mass. It's frustrating that just because Girl Scouts isn't organized like Boy Scouts - that you have to earn Eagle, etc like levels - makes people think that it's any less legitimate.

I volunteered running a troop for 5 years in Roxbury, across the street from Northesatern University. Almost every week for those five years the girls would squeal in delight and the boys would ask, "Can we come? Why don't we have boy scouts??" So where are these Eagle scouts, who have invested all this time in their projects - are they continuing to give back to the community and foster another generation of involved young citizens?

And GS might be most well known for cookies - but that is the major source of income for funding programs and camps, especially for girls who are unable to afford registration fees, etc. So please, buy a box and give it away. But know that your money isn't for the delicious cookies but so that girls like mine can actually participate in events.

I'd love to know what everyone else thinks - former Boy and Girl Scouts, and those who have never been involved.

Resolution Update: A Slightly Delayed 2-Month Status Report

2009-03-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

2009 Resolutions: The Two Month Update

Lose 20 lbs. by graduation (May 1) - I've mostly failed at this goal, althought it remains on the backburner. After reading Fat Land, I've attempted to cut out all high-fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils (soybean & palm) from my groceries. This has been a great way to help me focus on eating more natural foods and less diet-oriented over-processed foods. Plus, now that the weather is nice I can get outside to be active. In fact, after work tonight the boy and I want on a bike ride/roller blade adventure around the block (about 2.5 miles).
Plant a vegetable/herb garden on the deck - More on this project in April!
Improve my impact on the environment - Trying to figure out if I can compost in the city (without causing a foul smell to waft from my deck).
Balance my checkbook! - Off by $20 dollars. After 45 minutes of struggle decided to just adjust it and move on. I've also started using Mint.com which has been super useful. It gives you an overview of all your online accounts, tracks your spending by category, lets you create budgets, and even emails you to remind you when your bills are due!
Journal everyday - I've been journaling a lot more, for sure.
Have more adventures - Despite my propensity to stay in most nights, I've been having some superb adventures. I had a photoshoot for headshots with Cait Madden (@caitmadden), a hilarious brunch with about 15 of my closest friends at Tremont 647 that later turned into an adventure in Photoshop, and dinner at Eastern Standard with the boy's family. Last week Mike came up and we did a mini beer bar crawl that ended in hilarity at Deep Ellum when we met up with a bigger group of friends. The best adventure so far has been driving up to Maine for two days (10 hours worth of driving plus 3 hours on the bus) to go skiing at Sugarloaf. The mountain was fantastic, the intructors & ambassadors kindly saved a few of my friends. And the day after skiing, we had a Snowpocalypse in the backyard (there was still 3.5 feet of snow there)!
Spend more time with my friends - See above & last night's escapades at Sunset Grill & Tap. (Damn, we do a lot of drinking in teams!)

The 20-something Hustle

2009-02-21T06:58:00.000-08:00

Recently graduated and realizing there's not many full-time desk job opportunities just waiting to fall into your lap? Welcome to our 20-something hustle.

With all the news about layoffs and the serious lack of companies looking to hire entry-level people, a lot of us are left wondering what we should do. And while I keep tossing around the idea of grad school, I know that I really don't want to be back in a classroom quite yet. What I've discovered instead is actually a schedule and a lifestyle (minus having to work on weekends) that works way better for me than if I had settled for a full 9-to-5 right away.

As a 20-something I have the luxury of only needing to support myself and my bills, no kids, no dog, and no ailing parents that need my care. I've always been a person who likes to keep busy and keep my options open, and working on a variety of projects has let me do just that.

My 20-something hustle line-up

Working part-time in communications at a health care policy institute. This let's me work on another aspect of communications - mostly PR - while exploring a new industry (I was in financials before). Plus it pays the bills.
Working part-time in retail. Again, paying the bills. But I also like the opportunity to connect with really great clients and see my friends.
Consulting for a start-up. I've done a web design & usability project for them and now I'm working on teaching myself SEO stuff so I can present it to them. If they use it - great! And if they don't - well now I know SEO and have something pretty cool to add to my resume.
Editing a book about people that are passionate about their jobs. I still owe the author my edits (which I should do this morning). This one is a great example of why I think we should go back to the barter system (more on this later). But basically I edit the book for free and get a little shoutout at the end. Plus it's a cause I totally believe in.
Facilitating training for Girl Scouts. I haven't started this yet, because I still need to attend a train-the-trainer session, but I'm excited to be able to spread an organization that I believe so strongly in, especially in the inner city where it's harder to find training.

So what are you doing to keep busy post-graduation? Working on any interesting projects? Please share!

Resolution Update: The Error is Most Often Human

2009-02-15T16:23:00.000-08:00

I didn't post a Resolution Update last week because I ended up leaving work early to meet some of the girls at Savant Project for an impromptu sex education session with Oh Megan. When I got home, after a few delicious Red Heads, I attempted to balance my checkbook as usual. However, there was some discrepency between what the bank thought I should have and what I did. After 20 minutes of struggling with my fuzzy brain, checkbook and calculator on top of the pillows, I gave up.

This week I knew I must find the error or else it would only continue to get worse. For the last half hour I've been adding and re-adding (well, mostly subtracting) the numbers. I checked to make sure each entry in my checkbook appeared in my online statement. I realized that I had written an 8 instead of a 6 at one point, which had thrown my balance off by $20. Eureka!

But it wasn't to be so. I was still off by what I thought was nearly $50 now!! After making sure I was only counting items that had cleared, I checked again. And finally - finally! - found the problem. I had recorded an entry twice - subtracting an additonal $12.33.

It's a relief to finally have it balanced and matching up to my online account again. Like my mom said when I first complained that I was off, "It's your error. The bank doesn't add wrong." As with most things, the error is usually the human.

Giddy

2009-02-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

I am absolutely, positively giddy today. I have been bitten by Spring Fever. I know that winter will return, but for today I can pretend that this 50+ degree weather is actually going to stick around.

Our server (or something related to it) crashed at work today while I was out to lunch with my boss. That means I got leave work at 2 pm and actually have a chance to get outside while the sun was still up. So I decided to take full advantage of the opportunity and walk from Kendall Square in Cambridge to ERC in Back Bay. It was marvelous - even the breeze was warm!

And now I'm working on job apps with Maris while waiting for my pre-photoshoot meeting tonight with Cait Madden.

Beating the Career Fair Game

2009-02-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

I don't like career fairs - they tend to be overcrowded (especially on college campuses) and full of people being overly fake. However, there are definitely benefits. In a place full of some many random people you never know what connections you could make. After attending Northeastern's Mega Career Fair yesterday I thought I might share some of my tips and tricks for standing out in the sea of "Hi, I'll be graduating in May, take my resume!"

Have a conversation with the recruiter, find a way to connect. I ended up talking to one guy yesterday about an ad campaign his company had worked one that is one of my favorites. After a few minutes of honest conversation, he asked me for my resume and to follow-up with him with some of my portfolio clips.
Be a real person, not a robot. Another recruiter and I were having a conversation about his house painting franchise business (College Pro), which had a really cool business model. Mid-conversation we got to talking about the crowd waiting to speak with recruiters at a nearby table and how so many of the students at the fair seemed to simply be repeating a memorized speech: "Hi, I'm a Northeastern student. I'm looking for xyz in a job, will you take my resume?" Here's a hint: they're just going to throw it away when they get back to the office unless they remember who you are!
Be selective about who you give your resume to. You might be desperate, but you don't want to seem that way. Keep in mind you're interviewing the recruiter about the company just as much as they're interviewing you. You show good judgment and you save some trees!
Go with a plan, then ignore it. Know who's going to be there and who you want to talk to, but don't limit yourself. Fighting the crowd sucks - let it push you around and take advantage of unforseen opportunities. But don't leave unless you've seen everyone on your list.

(This entry can now also be found on Careerealism)

Resolution Updates: One Month Down

2009-02-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

We're one month into the year and it seems like Resolutions are quickly fading from everyone's vocabulary. I've already been less than vigilant about some of mine (especially losing weight, but eh.) I have also been working on some of my bigger life goals - like learning more about wine (check out my other blog, The Novice Palate).

So I thought the one month mark deserved a little recap of where I stand and where I can do for the next month.

2009 Resolutions: The One Month Update

Lose 20 lbs. by graduation (May 1) - I'm still trying to work on this, obviously. I did almost lose this month's goal, even if it was in the first week. This month I'm going to focus on strength training (muscles burn more calories than fat) by doing Vinyasa Yoga in my room 3x per week.
Plant a vegetable/herb garden on the deck - Still waiting for the weather to break. But I got a great email from Kathleen Banfield at the Food Project about their Build-a-Garden program.
Improve my impact on the environment - I'm OCD about recycling - paper and plastic.
Balance my checkbook! - Successful every week, right down to the penny. And I avoided a major catastrophe of overdrawing by being on top of it!
Journal everyday - I haven't written in my personal journal every day, but I have updated my blog, my journal, or written some note to myself in my mini-notebook every single day. More self communication = more reflection = less crazy, which is always a good thing.
Have more adventures - I've been doing really good on this one - the Wine Expo with my mom, wine tastings with Dana, girls night out on the cheap & visting Providence to see Mike. Maris wrote about being "Cheap and Chic in the City" and we've successfully revived the "Super Fun Things to Do in Boston" gCalendar -- we would love contributions!
Spend more time with my friends - See #6, and also the Super Bowl where we did like freshman year and crammed about 20 or so ex-Kennedy Kids plus some new friends into Tom's living room.

And I thought I hated tea!

2009-01-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again - everyone is cooped up inside, everyone is sharing germs, and everyone is sick. It's right about now that I usually get some form of bronchitis-strep-ear infection, and I'm not particularly looking forward to it. I've been trying to fight the worst of it by consuming as much water/soup/tea as my body can handle. What's funny though is that I always thought, "Ew, I hate tea." The smell of it always turned me off completely.

What I have discovered though is that I only actually hate BLACK (English) tea. Why? Still not entirely sure. But I'm very excited to find a new hot beverage -- a girl can only drink so much coffee -- that warms me up and keeps me healthy (zeroooo calories!). For everyone else who thinks they hate tea, here are my Top 5 Must-Try Teas:

Hibiscus - a little tart and not at all perfume-tasting, plus great health benefits
(best cup: Espresso Royale Cafe)
Lemon - soothes a sore, swollen throat like nothing else
(best cup: Lipton brewed at home with 1 tsp of honey)
Red Raspberry - fruity, great for an afternoon sip with a snack
(best cup: Bigelow - which apparently has hibiscus in it!)
Passion - herbal infusion of lemongrass, rose hips, mango, passion fruit & (you guess it) hibiscus
(best cup: Tazo - available at Starbucks)
Apple Cinnamon - one of the first teas I drank, kind of like hot liquid dessert - which tastes much better than that sounds
(best cup: Lipton)

Resolution Non-Update

2009-01-26T18:21:00.001-08:00

I didn't check in on any of my resolutions yesterday, nor did I balance my checkbook. I was too busy this weekened hanging out with winos & foodies at the Boston Wine Expo & a party Saturday night at the Boston Wine School. Read more about it on my wino/foodie blog: The Novice Palate.

Chop, chop?

2009-01-24T11:53:00.000-08:00

Now that I've figured out interesting things to do with my hair, I'm having the urge to cut it all off. It desperately needs to be a cut (split ends, ew), but I just don't have the money to go see Roger right now. He's the only one I trust to cut it short and not have it be a giant poof ball.

I wish I could donate it to Pantene's Beautiful lengths, but it has bleach/permanent dye in it. That's really sad because I had really hoped to donate. Maybe next time.

Here's what I'm thinking for inspiration:

(Jennifer Nettles, Sugarland)
(Britney - duh, Circus video)

(Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex & the City)

Neighborhood Walks & Adventures in Cooking

2009-01-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

Working part-time is really working well for me. My bank account could be a little fatter, but I feel so balanced in my life right now -- for the first time in a really long time. I got out of work today at 2:30 and (finally!) finished reading Dangerous Liasons on the bus home. It's taken me longer to read that book than almost any other (excluding Ayn Rand's Fountainhead).

Since it was a balmy 30 degrees today in Boston and I was home while the sun was still up, I decided to go for a neighborhood walk this afternoon. I went up, over and then around Corey Hill in Brookline.

I made a stop on the way home for some dinner provisions. As part of Resolution #1, I'm trying to get out of my food rut. So each week I'm going to try a new recipe or food item and report on the adventure with pictures. Expect updates around Thursday of each week.

This week's adventure in cooking was KALE. It's a type of wild cabbage. I also decided to try chorizo sausage (hence the stop at Whole Foods) to include in my soup for tonight.

Resolution Update: Fun, what's that?

2009-01-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

So in the last week or so I've been trying to make a real effort to get out of my cocoon a little bit. The freezing cold weather and alternating mini-blizzards have made it a lot harder for sure. It's so easy to just stay in, getting cozy with the Wii and a glass of wine. However, I did promise myself to be less of a homebody/party-pooper this year.

Friday I was going to try to see a free movie at the Omni Theater at the Museum of Science after meeting my new coworkers in Cambridge for drinks. And then we were going to go to my friend Kate's for games & dessert. All three plans failed on Friday because the boy decided that I needed a night to just unwind. Apparently work, even though it's only part time, had me wiped out. Plus, it was about 2 degrees before the windchill. Brr!!

But there were definitely highlights this week! Wednesday was world's longest day ever. I got up at 4:45, and was with Maris by 6 am at the Sheraton for GMA's Great American Job Fair. Then after work, we met up with Kate and Dana at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government to hear about "Women Waging Peace." And of course what trip to Harvard Square would be complete without a stop at the Border Cafe?

On Thursday, Jess came over to interview me about co-op experiences. So I turned that into, let's get a bottle of wine & have some delicious snacks. Maris brought this cheese that's similar to brie but much more flavorful (cannot remember the name for the life of me), petite baguettes and some fruit. We all chatted about life in the living room and even had a mini Wii Bowl-a-thon.

This coming week I'm trying to organize a girls night. First, wine tasting at Federal Wine and Spirits downtown. Then movies at the Lucy Parson's Center about resistance to the separation barrier in Israel and Palestine. Lastly, heading to the Fireplace in Brookline for Jazz Night (and hopefully bumping into my client, chef & owner Jim Solomon).

If you're wondering about more adventurous ideas, check out this Google Calendar: Super Fun Things to Do in Boston.

Glamour's 30 by 30 List

2009-01-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

I just found the magazine page I ripped out that inspired my 30 by 30 list. It's from Glamour magazine's September 2005 issue.

By 30, you should have:

One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you how far you've come.
A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.
Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.
A purse, a suitcase and an umbrella you're not ashamed to be seen carrying.
A youth you're content to move beyond.
A past juicy enough that you're looking forward to retelling it in your old age.
The realization that you are actually going to have an old age -- and some money set aside to help fund it.
An email address, a voice mailbox and a bank account -- all of which nobody has access to but you.
A resume that is not even the slightest bit padded.
One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.
A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black lace bra.
Something ridiculously expensive that bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.
The belief that you deserve it.
A skin-care regimine, an exercise routine and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don't get better after 30.
A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship and all those other facets of life that do get better.

By 30, you should know:

How to fall in love without losing yourself.
How you feel about having kids.
How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.
When to try harder and when to walk away.
How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn't like to happen next.
The names of: the secretary of state, your great-grandmother and the best tailor in town.
How to live alone, even if you don't like to.
How to take control of your own birthday.
That you can't change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents.
That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it's over.
What you would and wouldn't do for money or love.
That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs or not flossing for very long.
Who you can trust, who you can't and why you shouldn't take it personally.
Not to apologize for something that isn't your fault.
Why they say life begins at 30.

Resolution Update: Scale Victory #1!!

2009-01-11T18:38:00.000-08:00

So, in sticking with Resolution #1 I started this week by making a menu for each day. Then the boy and I headed to the grocery store for a massive healthy-food shopping trip. It was quite the success. I basically chose recipes inspired by Tosca Reno's Eat Clean book mixed with recipes for my new Crock Pot!

This week, following the "just eat a little healthier, eat a little less, and drink more water" plan, I lost 4.2 lbs! Which means I'm only 18.4 away from my goal for graduation on May 1!!

For a little inspiration I wrote a bunch of my favorite quotes on my scale in brightly colored Sharpie.

They say:

"Don't Stop Believin'" [Journey]
"It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not." [James Gordon]
"Don't be afraid of changes. Don't be afraid of your life." [Eclectic Collective Changes]
"Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." [Nelson Mandela]
"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal." [Thomas Jefferson]
"Regret is an appaling waste of energy." [Katherine Mansfield]
"You can learn new things at any time in your life if you're willing to be a beginner." [Barbara Sher]
"Did you ever think that maybe if you're not happy it's because of you?" [SK6ERS]
"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occure when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." [M. Scott Peck]

And now off to eat some home-made chicken soup before my first day of work tomorrow!!

Offer letter!

2009-01-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

I got an offer letter yesterday for a part-time position at a health policy institute in Cambridge that I interviewed at about 6 weeks ago. I'm really excited. Even though it's not full-time it's definitely got a lot of pros:

Trying out a new industry that I might really enjoy (health/wellness)
Trying out actual PR (as opposed to marketing or copywriting)
Interesting research
Great networking opportunity (a lot of the top people in the office went to Harvard Business School)
Pays better than Banana Republic!

My schedule is also going to leave me two open weekdays to find temp/part-time stuff from KNF&T. Plus, I want to see if I can get a few freelancing assignments.

In other news, I had lunch with an old boss of mine today who just happens to be the daughter of my boyfriend's mother's best friend. Go figure. The world is a tiny, tiny place. Which can be superb for networking and disasterous if you start burning bridges.

I'm still fighting a mean cold (that has taken over my ears and lungs... please please don't let it turn into bronchitis again). So I'm going to go back to bed with my tea and maybe the Wii.

Resolution Update: Getting back in the black

2009-01-04T19:52:00.001-08:00

So today I have my first successful attempt at working on Resolution #4 - balance my checkbook. I used to do this regularly, back when I opened my first bank account and my mom helped me monitor my finances very closely. With her help, I established a fantastic credit history. I got offers nearly every week to open new cards, usually with 0% intro interest rates. And then I started taking them up on their offers. That was the start of my troubles. I was offered a $5,000 limit on my first card without my mom. To an 19 year-old who had just discovered a passion for shopping (my entire wardrobe used to fit in one suitcase, now I can barely get it in 8 drawers + my closet), it was total freedom. That summer I was also working about 55 hours each week, so I was never worried about paying the card off - there was always enough. But one month I spent $800 - and this was before I had any real bills - so it all went toward eating out, movies, and clothes. That was the first month I didn't pay the card in full. I don't think I ever have since.

By balancing my checkbook each week, I hope to come to terms with my bank account - no matter how depressing it might be right now. At least knowing is much better than not knowing, which leads to overdrawing my account or missing card payments. Tonight I spent about 20 minutes after dinner cross-checking my online statement with my ledger. It was actually pretty painless, and I feel so accomplished! I'm also going to try to pay for more things with cash. Why? Because then I won't pay interest, then I'll see how much it REALLY costs, and it will make balancing the checkbook even EASIER!

Resolve.

2009-01-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

Last night was a perfect way to bid farewell to 2008. It was an interesting year, eventful and yet somehow not really. This morning I went back to Hillside Manor to have a delicious three-hour brunch with Kate, Jack, Maris, Adrienne, Ben, Dan, and Ed. It was exactly the right way to start this year - amazing food, strong coffee, and a lot of inspired breakfast-table conversations. I then came home and cleaned my whole room for four hours.

So of course, what January 1st would be complete without a list of resolutions for the year. Here we go:

2009 Resolutions

Lose 20 lbs. by graduation (May 1) - that means about 5 lbs each month, totally do-able. How? Eating colorful food (inspired by Tosca Reno's Eat Clean) and of course exercising!
Plant a vegetable/herb garden on the deck - this will probably have to wait until Spring. But I'm going to get some books from the library to learn first.
Improve my impact on the environment - bring my own water bottle, recycle, use more biodegradable products, and try to eat more sustainable foods (see #2).
Balance my checkbook! - First step in getting my finances under control and moving in a positive direction. I'm going to make an appointment with myself on my Google calendar to balance it each week.
Journal everyday - I've stopped writing to myself as much and I need to get back to it.
Have more adventures - inside and outside the city, get to the lake more. We're going to revive the "Super Fun Things to Do in Boston" gCalendar.
Spend more time with my friends - this goes along with #6 clearly and is inspired by my Life To Do list #7 (stop saying "Because I have to.")

Expect weekly Resolution Updates every Sunday this year. (I guess that's resolution #8).

This year is coming to an end

2008-12-27T20:48:00.000-08:00

So, yes, school is over. The job search begins now in earnest. But the last week or so has been so unbelievably relaxing. It's consisted of sitting for hours watching movies or TV, drinking wine, playing with a puppy, and eatings lots of delicious food.

But I am reaching that point where I will be fully recharged and ready to take it all on again. The question now is, what do I want to take on? Guess that means it's time to start drafting my new year's resolutions for 2009.

Update: 30 by 30 list

2008-12-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

Updates on my list of 30 by 30

1. Skydive/ Bungee jump
2. Learn to Belly Dance
3. ~~Travel to Italy -- Venice, Florence, & Rome in 2004~~
4. Learn to surf
5. ~~Learn Italian -- Fall 2008 LNI101 w/ Prof. Palladino. Grazie.~~
6. Drive a stick-shift - going to make little brother teach me this holiday break.
7. Road trip -- VA beach, NY, MD (alone)
8. Donate blood ten times -- somewhere near 15 now
9. Graduate from college w/ my BA -- TEN DAYS! Walk on May 1, 2009
10. Live alone
11. Own a pet -- most likely a puppy
12. Fly -- so yes, multiple checks (& 2 cross-Atlantic)
13. Skinny dip -- <3<3 to my partners in crime
14. Sing Karaoke -- check, at T. Rowe for SB's goodbye party
15. Waitress -- Starbucks is as close as I ever want to be now
16. Have a child *update - I've giving myself til at least 35 to do this
17. ~~Live in the city - 4.5 years now~~
18. Live in France for at least 6 months
19. Get 20 years in Girl Scouts -- 18 as of this year
20. Pay off my credit cards (all of them!)
21. ~~Start saving for retirement - Roth IRA~~
22. Hike one of the 5,000+ White Mountains
23. Visit Montreal with my mom/Meme
24. White water raft Class V & VI rapids
25. Visit the Grand Canyon
26. Get really good at sailing my sunfish
27. Learn more about wine
28.
29.
30.

* Need suggestions for the last three!!

Will I ever be as cool as my parents?

2008-12-04T12:06:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I worry that at 23 I'll never be as cool as my parents were. People don't usually think of their parents as cool, but mine definitely were. They never tried to kid us into thinking they were angels, reflecting on their decisions and hoping to impart at least some of their wisdom on us. But my parents were the people who DID things. They were slightly rebellious, outgoing, adventurous people. Sometimes I worry that my goody-two-shoes life means that I've let all my opportunities for acceptable rebellious adventures pass me by. It's almost time for... REAL LIFE. Ugh. How depressing does that sound? I'm jealous of my brother who has always bucked the conventional trends and is pursuing a career in culinary arts. (Plus, that will DEFINITELY benefit me later on!) And my little sister, who is applying to schools near Tahoe so that she can snowboard all the time. She's also debating deferring for a year and literally just working retail or waitressing while spending all her spare time with her boyfriend on their boards on the mountain. I am JEALOUS.

But then I remind myself that there's no need to have accomplished everything by age 23. In fact, by this time in my mother's life she was already pregnant with me and their lives were settling down. This year my mother will have been married more of her life than she was single. It's a bizzare concept when I really think about it.

I think what it comes down to is that I've always focused so much on pleasing my parents by focusing on the things you're supposed to that I gave up free time for the wild, crazy things I wanted to do. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to be graduating Northeastern magna cum laude with my bachelor's in journalism and sociology. I just... feel like I haven't quite reached my full potential yet. As soon as classes/finals are over, I'm going to go back to making more me time. And in that me time I want to work on my lists of goals that I've created (To Do Before 30 and Life Overall). I'm totally inspired too by the blogs My 99 Problems and Boston in 60. Maybe I'll work on a format like that for 2009?

My private property trumps your freedom of speech

2008-12-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

Last night as I was leaving the library on Northeastern's campus I noticed a large chalk drawing on the granite landing outside. Now, chalking isn't unusual on campus. In fact, it's usually one of the cheapest and easiest ways for campus groups to advertise an event. This chalking was different though.

In large letters it read OBAMA HILLARY with the communist symbol in the middle.
I almost took a picture because I thought it was odd and interesting. But since it was almost 11:30 and cold, I wanted to get to the train as fast as possible.

I'm mad now that I didn't take a picture. I arrived on campus this morning at about 10 am to find several Northeastern maintenance employees washing the bricks in Krentzman quad. There was a puddle of blue chalk forming below the hose.

My immediate assumption was confirmed later when I got to the library to find a puddle in place of the chalking last night.

So my question is why did Northeastern find whatever the chalking meant to be so offensive that it needed to be washed away before most kids crossed campus this morning. What did the other chalkings say besides the one outside the library? If you know, please leave a comment.

12:27pm Update: Apparently chalking was done by "freshmen college republicans." It is a priviledge on campus, which makes total sense since it's private property. Northeastern retains the right to get rid of anything they deem not okay, especially if you didn't get permission. NEU's publicity rules.

It's that time of year

2008-12-02T07:41:00.001-08:00

And I'm not referring to the lovely, warm-fuzzy snowflake-laden holidays. I mean that time of year when you have to coordinate every event down to the minute about 6 weeks in advance. And that means that there's no room when things go wrong or unexpected opportunities arise. Plus, for all us lovely college students it's finals time! So not only do you have a milllion demands from family and friends (maybe it's just because my family has 30 people in it), you have serious academic demands. This usually means that healthy eating habits and gym time go down the toilet. Plus all the germies are now trapped inside all day long, which means I'm also getting sick (you know, the achey-back kind).

Anyone know how to add hours to the day? We could all sleep a little longer!

Different. But Thankful.

2008-11-26T23:09:00.000-08:00

This year was different than the last few years. I didn't see any of the usual kids I see during the holidays. I didn't go to the same bars. We're all so scattered now, and doing different things. And losing touch with some people (because really, how many people can you truly keep in touch with?).

But I think it's okay. Just because it's different doesn't mean it's bad.

I am thankful too. Despite the minor plumbing disasters in my room, there's not much I could think to ask for this year that I don't already have.

So karma, life, god, whateveritis - thanks.

Relief

2008-11-19T21:11:00.000-08:00

I just emailed my paper to myself so that I can print it before class tomorrow. It's done. It's a bizarre sense of relief, because now that it's out of my hands (well, as of 11:45 tomorrow), I have to start worrying about everything else that needs to get done before graduation.

But for now, I'm going to celebrate by pampering myself with a long, hot bath. And some guilty pleasure TV under the covers of my big down blanket. Here's to hoping tonight's sleep is significantly better than the last two.

Today, I Hate

2008-11-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

I'm frustrated, angry, annoyed, anxious, and surviving on frayed nerves at the moment. So here are some things today that I really hate. [Expect updates throughout the day.]

Capstone Thesis. I'm more frustrated by this paper than any other thing I've written in my entire college career. It's fraying all my nerves. But I'm not ready to accept a C in the class. My perfectionism will kill me.
High school students on campus. A group of screaming, rude inner-city high school kids just got off the elevator. After pushing (literally) past them, I entered the elevator to find they had pushed EVERY single floor button for my ride down.
People being inappropriately loud. I think this is mostly a symptom of the frayed nerves. But lately any time I'm in a setting that has an expectation of quiet, upon which someone interrupts by blabbing on their phones, I just want to muzzle them.
Stupid noises in general. I think this goes along with the stress as well. Billiard balls slamming together, children running the halls, elevator dinging - where the hell are my noise canceling headphones now?!

The Job Hunt & Power of Networks

2008-11-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

I blame my involvement in projects like Pursue the Passion for making me unable to just "find a job" that will give me a paycheck. I need to care about the company's product and their mission. Which is why after applying to the Girl Scouts membership specialist position I've been hesistant to apply anywhere else. Nothing, not even postings on Idealist, stuck out at me as "you would love being here everyday!"

Then today Jason sent a note out on Facebook about the company he's working for that's looking for Communications Interns and an Office Admin. As much as the word intern makes me shiver (after 3 co-ops I'm qualified beyond an intern) and the idea of administration everyday sounds like a grad, I was immediately excited by the company. NEHI "specializes in identifying innovative strategies for improving health care quality and reducing health care costs." This is precisely the topic I wrote my paper for LPS on last year. Plus, even though it's an internship it's paid, which at this point is key.

I'm so blessed to have cultivated friendships with people who are involved and care deeply. As we all graduate and begin to find jobs, it's going to be so essential to stay in touch. You never know when something might just fall into your lap.

Celebrating Life

2008-11-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

Celebrate life. Carpe diem. Embrace those in your life that refuse to let you be too serious about the little things. Get outside. Be barefoot. Make grand plans. Execute with a thuroughness as yet unseen.

Those are the lessons I took away from last night. And yet today I found myself on the phone with my mom crying - against my desperate attempts not to - in the library about writing a paper for my capstone and about being seriously in debt (we've gone well beyond broke at this point). How do you applyt he above lessons when all these little, yet serious road blocks are in your way? At some point can you just ask to start with a fresh slate? Shouldn't everyone get one opportunity to say, "I know I was foolish, can I start over?"

My heart literally feels heavy. I can't tell if it's just because my chest is weak from this sickness I'm trying to fight off or symptom of anxiety. I just need to graduate, find a job, and unburden my debts. Nothing big.

CrazyBusy

2008-11-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

That pretty much describes my life. And the lives of all my other manic-happy friends (i.e. Maris' post). But sometimes, I don't want to be that way. Busy. I'm fine with that. Busy to me means being involved with the world, creating something bigger than yourself, or connecting with those who are important to you. Crazy. Well who really wants to be crazy?

So I'm reading the book CrazyBusy by Edward M. Hallowell. He's a phsychiatrist from Harvard. The first part of the book basically describes me, my friends, and pretty much everyone else I run into on a daily basis (with very few exceptions). I just started part two, which focuses on managing and dealing with this modern life. I tried one of the tactics of single-focusing, whereby I dedicated 100% of my conscious brain to working on my midterm. Started at 7, outlined for an hour, 5 min break to get water, wrote until 9:20, 20 minute break in between essays, and just finished at 10:20. A solid six pages of writing, most of which is pretty good. It needs to be polished, citations need to be added. But it's done, and that means I can fully enjoy my favorite band's show tomorrow night without worrying about staying up late to do my midterm.

I'm working right now on charting how I spend my time. Basically like the budget my mother keeps trying to get me to keep for my bank account. I'll report on the results of that in a few days. After more than ten years of being told to, "Do less." by a favorite friend of mine I'm going to see if I can.

Money

2008-11-03T16:22:00.000-08:00

My parents are currently arguing over my mother's need to analyze dad's receipt from Home Depot the other day. My parents are fighting about money.

This has been a recurring theme as a grew up. In fact, as much as my parents love each other, as connected as they are, their great divide is money. I can hear them screaming right now, and I'm in the basement.

I wonder if this is why I have my own money issues. If growing up, not neccessisarily poor, but in a house where money was always a huge issue if that led me to my current relationship with money. When I have I'm afraid I won't have it again and I want to spend it. But I don't want to analyze where it goes or how much of it goes there.

Now the TV is blaring and the dishes are being banged around as they each stake their own corner of the house. I keep my finances online. That makes them less real to me - they get their own corner of my mind where I can shut the door and pretend they're not there.

I want to be financially secure. And confident. Without living beyond my means, or feeling like I'm watching every penny. How?

Election Coverage: brought to you by citizen journalism!

2008-11-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

Made all the better because I can spite all the old-school newsies in my journalism capstone on Thursday.

A Story of Humanity & Compassion Despite Political Differences

2008-10-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

After I voted I walked out to the street to find my mother's friends surrounding our new friend Mike - they were laughing and having a great time. I joined them and soon learned that Mike had changed his mind in the polling booth and ended up voting for Obama. When I asked him why he changed his mind at the last minute, he explained that while he was waiting for his jacket he got into a conversation with one of the ladies who had explained how the Jewish community, and she, had worked side by side with the black community during the civil rights movements of the 60's, and that this vote was the culmination of those personal and community efforts so many years ago. That this election for her was more than just a vote...but a chance at history.

Read the whole story here at Running a Hospital.

Dream Job?

2008-10-28T17:45:00.001-07:00

Gonna sell my house and cross the border
'Cause somebody told me dreams live in Mexico
Gonna sell my house I got to lose ten pounds
And cross the border
And make sweet love upon the white sandy shore.
[Sarah Bareilles]

I'm applying for jobs. Well, actually I'm freaking out that I'm actually applying for REAL jobs and not coops, which basically means printing job postings then staring at them. I did manage to update my resume though.

The question right now is do I want to find a job as a writer - because I'm good at it, because it was my major, because it could leader to creative director positions (and $$). Or, do I want a job working for an organization I truly love (despite its flaws), even if it means doing some stuff that drives me nuts?

Okay, I'm forcing myself to go write my cover letters now. Big deep breath. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think I want the Girl Scout job more than anything else I've found. Plus, I know I would kick ass at it. Does that mean I wasted my time/$ at Northeastern?!

"Reality Check" - Elections '08

2008-10-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

If the Red Sox can teach us anything, it's that it ain't over til it's really over.

A letter from my friend Jason that I felt was a good reminder about the political-media beast calling the shots before anyone has slipped one ballot into the box.

To Everyone,

I know that you all are probably OD-ing on election stuff, but I wanted to send this out just in case any of you were thinking about donating to the election or getting involved but haven't yet. I just donated to the campaign eventhough I felt that I couldn't really afford to. But, what I realized was that my not being able to "afford" was a relative term. I have an apartment in Brookline, I can pay for groceries, I'm wearing good cloths and I have a decent job, (I'm not exactly bathing in money but I'm not exactly scraping by either). And, considering what is at stake, and how close this election still is, in the end I felt like I couldn't afford not to. Because we can't afford another 8 years of... haha just kidding.

But seriously, I urge you to get involved in this election is some way, even if it's just buying a pin, or giving a few dollars or thanking a canvasser on the street - telling them that they are doing a good job, a hard job. This campaign isn't just about Obama, or some bad Republicans, it's about what we're all willing to do as individuals to take responsibility for our communities and this country. It's great to be in support of Obama and it's great to talk about change, but actions speak louder than words.

Get involved:
* Generation Progress - We are an organization of young professionals committed to electing Democrats to Congress. We're confident that Senator Obama can win the White House in November, but we know that he'll need a friendly Congress to help him achieve his goals. We're working to make sure that happens.
* Barack Obama campaign site

Halloween: Now It's Serious

2008-10-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

I managed to find the PERFECT dress yesterday for my Rita Hayworth outfit at Filene's Basement. I've had such amazing luck there for cheap dresses, especially costumes. Let's just say it's been the bright spot in the last few days. Anywho, here's what the outfit looks like so far:

I might change the shoes. And clearly the hair & make-up are lacking.

Tonight I'm trying the big foam rollers as a test run for the hair-do.

For a look at the inspiration outfit & attitude, check out the Put the Blame on Mame clip of Rita from the movie Gilda.

The morning after: [PICTURE COMING SOON!]

Update: 3pm - Curls are starting to fall (damn long, thick hair - haha). So I think next time, I'm going to try mousse with leave in before I roll. I also wanted to post a link to The Fedora Lounge and give a shout out to the ladies their for their insight and inspiration. This is definitely a look I will be doing more often - costume or not!

One hour, five minutes, fifty-three seconds

2008-10-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

Best phone call in a long, long time. Real, deep life conversations with someone. A few glasses of red wine, cold toes next to the fire, a big sweatshirt. Stars in the sky and a cool breeze across the tilled corn field. (See the Happy List for more.)

I'm a country girl at heart. I've lived in the city for a solid four years now and sometimes the thing I miss most is dirt. Being barefoot in the summer. The smell of fields and fallen leaves in the fall. The pristine snow in the winter. The mud between your toes in the spring. That's the best way I can sum up why I miss being home so much.

I love Boston, I love my life there, but as much as it's my home base, especially right now, it will never be my home.

Update: It feels like 2 am. It's really not even 11pm yet. I don't know if it's the fact that I worked an overnight at Banana last night or if it's being in NH, where the pace of life is completely different, that is causing the sensation.

I feel completely content right now. My mind is quiet (mostly). My body is relaxed. I don't feel any time pressure. I don't feel any anxiety about what's happening or what could happen or what will need to happen tomorrow. Just watching the Sox game, folding my little brother's laundry while the embers die out in the fire.

Disappointment

2008-10-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

The only feeling more upsetting, more uncomfortable to experience that deep personal disappointment is witnessing it happen to someone close to you. For example, today was the culmination of one of my fellow CGSer's summer-long planning. She created an elaborate Investiture Ceremony that explained and welcomed each of our girls into the troop in a really special and touching way. There was also a snack made from the different "parts" of a troop. All in all, it was ridiculously cute. It took a lot of work, money, time, planning, care, and special touches. Out of our ten girls who practiced at the meeting (seven of which specifically told me they were coming) only two showed up. TWO. The elaborate ceremony, the special decorations, the individualized parts for each girl would all be for only two girls, two moms, and one grandfather.

We made the best of it, of course, as Girl Scouts often do. We took the girls on a tour of the "hugest building" they had ever seen (our four-story student center), while their moms filled out essential paperwork. The girls had a great time assembling the symbolic bouquet based on the Girl Scout Law. And what Girl Scout event is complete without the gorp (trail mix)? But you could see the overwhelming, though somewhat anticipated, disappointment on the face of the CGSer who had planned the event. It was supposed to be a big welcome party! A way to meet our girls' families, for them to meet us. A chance to show them what Girl Scouts really is, beyond something fun their daughters do during their afterschool program. In that capacity it failed. So while the excitement on the face of the two girls who did attend made it great, there was still that slight emptiness.

Watch someone else who is truly disappointed. There are no words to make it better. There is no antedote.

Lost

2008-09-24T11:31:00.001-07:00

Somewhere in the last year I've managed to lose myself. I've always been kind of manic - going 1,000 miles a minute - from classes, to working, to volunteering (usually with Girl Scouts), and family committments. When I was in Baltimore I was forced to stop all that noise and focus on myself. The company apartment and sufficient 9-to-5 salary afforded me tons of free time. Being removed from my roots also meant that I had no one to responsible to but me. I ate healthy; I relaxed; I exercised everyday (even weekends!). I was healthy, but more importantly happy. I was content.

And now, having been back in Boston for a full year, with classes, a part time job, Girl Scouts (basically an unpaid part-time job), an internship, a boyfriend (relationships are hard work, who knew?), I have so many obligations again that I've lost myself. I've been eating crappy fast food because there's no time to sit down and I'm usually not home or too tired to cook. I haven't really been exercising because after working for 4 hours on your feet the last thing you want to do is hit the elliptical machine.

So I'm making this promise to myself to find the time - to make the time - to find myself again. I hate looking the mirror lately. I'm exhausted all the time. I feel sick and weak. I feel like shit, basically. I've been to the gym both of the last two days. I'm going to re-read Tosca's book about Eating Clean. I'm also going to try to stop drinking (or seriously minimize it) until Halloween. I want to feel fabulous on Halloween and my birthday. Something has to change, now.

2008-09-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

I feel overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by life. I just. Can I get on a cruise ship to the Bahamas for a month or so? Or better yet, a year?

And so it begins

2008-09-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

The fall semester. Meetings, classes, and events galore. It's going to be balls-out crazy. And if I make it through to Christmas, I just might be okay.

I haven't been sleeping well lately at all. Tossing and turning all night long. I thought it was the stress of the move, but that's settled down now. I'm starting WW again, for real, and I'm going to start walking and doing yoga. I also wonder if its sharing a bed all the time, but I don't know. At least the humidity is gone and the fall nights are rolling in.

Speaking of my new room. It's MINE! ALL MINE!! So great. And it's purple. And I have a whole wall of windows, out of which I can see the sunset and Cambridge. And I get the full sunlight on my pillows early in the morning. I really coudn't be happier about it.

Also, do you ever have a friend that you always seem to be the one who calls or texts them first? Sometimes you start to feel like you might be bugging them because they never seem to initiate anything? Then you promise yourself that you will not contact them first. Until, finally, they get in touch with you, like no time has passed at all. Victory.

Dirty and Clean

2008-08-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

I feel slightly dirty even though I just took a shower a few hours ago because I spent the whole evening packing. We have a little bit of the kitchen, the party supplies, and the board games in sealed boxes. That makes me feel so much better. Even time we seal a box with tape I realize we're one step closer to moving out of this place. While we definitely had some great, crazy times here, I am so ready to move on. It's going to be a lot of fun to explore a new neighborhood. I'm ready to feel just a little more grown up. I also keep realizing that there are so many loose ends to take care of: comcast, keyspan/national grid, giving our keys back to our slumlord, etc.

Rita Hayworth

2008-08-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

So I'm leaving for the beach today. I did my graduation clearance paperwork. Turned in my co-op paperwork. Emailed my teacher about my stupidity of not turning in my paper the right way on BlackBoard. And bought a shit ton (literally, they're like books) of fashiony magazines.

Clearly, I'm now thinking about Halloween. I think I've settled on Rita Hayworth. It still might change. What do we think?

Reprioritizing Life

2008-08-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

Riding the bus this morning, I wrote a small novel to myself. And decided I needed a life priorities/reminders list.

1. Trust my heart more often
2. Visit Paris
3. Jump without fear
4. Meet Rosalia
5. Be vulnerable
6. Get rid of negative "friends"
7. Stop using the phrase, "Because I have to"
8. Accept good enough
9. Fill up my passport
10. Spend money on what's important, skip the other stuff
11. Perfect my curves
12. Appreciate early laugh lines
13. Do good
14. Be thankful
15. Meditate

HALLOWEEN! (First in a series, to be sure)

2008-08-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

And no, I will tell you right now, it is NOT too early. You gotta get the good costumes when it's still fun and relaxing to shop. Everything (well the big stuff anyways) should be taken care of by Columbus Day.

So we're kicking around the idea of doing Hollywood this year. I think we're going to go with old school glam Hollywood instead of va-jay-jay flashing, rich, talentless, skinny bitches Hollywood. I think we should really define it as pin-ups and rat pack era. Go curvy ladies!

So, since Kari is taking Marilyn, I'm thinking maybe doing Liz Taylor, Betty Grable, or Veronica Lake. Any opinions? Ideas?

Altruism in America

2008-08-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

Excerpts from an article by David Graeber in Harper's (Jan 2007):

Imagine, for a moment, that the United States as it exists today were the creation of some ingenious social engineer. What assumptions about human nature could we say this engineer must have been working with? Certainly nothing like rational choice theory. For clearly our social engineer understands that the only way to convince human beings to enter into the world of work and the marketplace (that is, of mind-numbing labor and cutthroat competition) is to dangle the prospect of thereby being able to lavish money on one’s children, buy drinks for one’s friends, and, if one hits the jackpot, spend the rest of one’s life endowing museums and providing AIDS medications to impoverished countries in Africa. Our theorists are constantly trying to strip away the veil of appearances and show how all such apparently selfless gestures really mask mine kind of self-interested strategy, but in reality American society is better conceived as a battle over access to the right to behave altruistically. Selflessness–or, at least, the right to engage in high-minded activity–is not the strategy. It is the prize.

When we are dealing not with strangers but with friends, relatives, or enemies, a much more complicated set of motivations will generally come into play: envy, solidarity, pride, self-destructive grief, loyalty, romantic obsession, resentment, spite, shame, conviviality, the anticipation of shared enjoyment, the desire to show up a rival, and so on, These are the motivations impelling the major dramas of our lives that great novelists like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky immortalize but that social theorists, for some reason, tend to ignore.

...we are so used to operating inside impersonal markets that it never occurs to us to think how we would act if we had an economic system in which we treated people based on how we actually felt about them.

One might put it this way: if value is simply what one considers important, then money allows importance to take a liquid form, by enabling us to compare precise quantities of importance and trade one off for the other. If someone does accumulate a very large amount of money, the first thing he or she is likely to do is to try to convert it into something unique, whether it be Monet’s water lilies, a prizewinning racehorse, or an endowed chair at a university.

The problem, of course, is that a higher education system cannot be expanded forever. At a certain point one ends up with a significant portion of the population unable to find work even remotely in line with their qualifications, who have every reason to be angry about their situation, and who also have access to the entire history of radical thought.

More thoughts on this later.

Olympic Fandimonium

2008-08-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

Recently we discussed the aspects of being a 'fan' in our American Society class. There's a strong sense of group identity and emotional catharsis in being a fan. You get to experience the emotional highs and lows, you get to commiserate or celebrate with fellow fans, all without lifting more than a beer or your shouts of encouragement for YOUR team.

We've definitely seen this with all of the Olympic hype lately. Now that they've started, it's hard not to get up caught up cheering for USA. Otherwise, you would be unpatriotic, you would be a traitor. As I sat in my living room last night, eating Cappy's pizza in my sweats, I couldn't help but think of the irony of watching the most successful athletes in the world compete against each other.

I'm so glad that I was watching the men's 4x100 relay last night. Because now I can say, "YEAH! I saw it live, as it happened!!" I got to be a part of my team's moment because I experienced the same emotions (albeit not nearly as raw or profound) at the same time they did. Through all the stress of finals this week, it's nice to have an escapist emotional outlet. And really, these men aren't hard on the eyes either. (Click here for NBC's "exclusive" photos from the race. Check out Phelp's face and phsyique as he realizes Lezak just SMASHED the world record and the French team.)

Pictures say 1,000 words

2008-08-07T12:56:00.001-07:00

I'm ready to get off this emotional roller coaster

2008-08-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday and Monday was a ridiculous experience of going from the highest emotional high to the lowest low. From speaking at Kyle & Laurie's wedding ceremony to finding out about getting robbed of my jewelry (and old laptop). It was emotionally, and thus physically, draining. Once I got back to the city Monday, I napped and laid in my bed for a few hours, unable to find the energy or motivation to go much farther. And also scared that somehow leaving would have dire consequences. Kari and I did manage to be productive in the evening when we started cleaning the front closet and pantry - which was completely beyond words disgusting. I needed the act of packing to excite me and make moving out of this shithole with my slumlord a reality. 24 days and counting.

Tuesday was slightly more energetic and productive, if only because it had to be for the most part. But then, for the first time since the start of January, I didn't close on a Tuesday night. So I was finally able to partake of Ladies 80s Night at Red Sky ($10 of booze gets you a free three course meal). I had the best experience ever with BPD (Office D. Brown) when filing my supplemental report. After Red Sky, and observing the ridiculousness that is Menino's corraling of street performers at Fanieul Hall (see Universal Hub), I went home and watched TV in our peaceful apartment.

Today was a lot of class and reading, and the next week of upcoming finals is going to be crazy. But the power of positive thinking (I'm convinced that's what it was) brought me to the Jack Johnson concert in Mansfield for free, with the decision made about 45 minutes prior to leaving the city. It took an arsenal of calls to BR sales people but it all came together, and I even ran into one of my best friends from NH on Rt 495 on his way to the concert too.

Of course, listening to music you haven't heard in awhile, and truly hearing the lyrics, makes you start thinking. Especially thinking of things that hadn't been thought about in awhile, that get sparked by seeing someone special.

Well I was sitting, waiting, wishing
You believed in superstitions
Then maybe you'd see the signs

The Lord knows that this world is cruel
I ain't the Lord, no I'm just a fool
Learning lovin' somebody don't make them love you

Everything in Hollis is so green

2008-08-01T09:49:00.001-07:00

I finally wrote my speech for Kyle and Laurie's wedding this weekend.

Being home, ie away from actual life demands in Boston, has been really nice for the last half a day. I feel more productive and focused.

I've only had time to Tweet lately instead of really blogging, but I'm going to try to write more. I promise. It's just hard in the summer, you know?

Also, everything in Hollis is such a lush shade of green.

Oh, you didn't know that muffin was bad for you?

2008-07-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

MSNBC article about New Yorkers' reaction to the new laws the city finally got passed that requires fast-food type restaurants to display calorie content of food as prominently as the price.

Outside the Forest Hills’ Dunkin’ Donuts, Juan Restrepo, the 45-year-old owner of a construction company, said he was quitting corn muffins — 510 calories! — this time for good.

“My daughter warned me about them,” he lamented. “I just didn’t listen.”

Just proves the point that we don't believe it until we see it. So maybe seeing it over and over and over again will finally drill home how we managed to become to the fattest country on the planet. Changing our habits will change companies menu items (ah, capitalist supply & demand cycle) which means more healthy options for everyone - yay!

New York is not the only city pushing calorie labels. New laws in Seattle and California’s Santa Clara and San Francisco are scheduled to go into effect later this year, including some more stringent than New York’s, requiring restaurants to post information about sodium, carbs, fats and cholesterol in addition to calories.

Hey Boston - where are we? I want calorie counts on my menus!

I actually wrote my Law, Policy, and Society thesis about this topic in December. Here's some really fun facts:

* Only 35% of Americans are healthy (according to BMIs)
* After the Nutrition and Labeling Education Act 1990 (you know, all those lovely labels on the stuff you buy at the grocery store): 48% changed their decision to buy or use a product and 24% to 37% choose high calorie items less often
* New York City residents at Subway restaurants who reported seeing calorie information bought 48 fewer calories on average and those who claimed they actively used the information bought 92 few calories. “The Health Department estimates that, if the same pattern held at every restaurant covered by the proposed regulation, its adoption would spare at least 150,000 people from obesity over the next five years, preventing more than 30,000 cases of diabetes” (NYBOH PR). If we use US Census Bureau information to estimated the population of New York City to be 3% of the national population, these statistics become even more significant. Federal adoption of the MEAL Act would then spare an estimated five million people from obesity in the next five years and prevent one million cases of diabetes.

(Let me know if you'd like to read a full copy.)

Lately: Bball, DOTC, Bowling, Mac&Cheese

2008-07-17T06:44:00.001-07:00

Being back in classes means a lot more running around, a lot more switching gears several times a day, and a lot less reading/blogging in between adventures.

Here's what I've been up to:
Saturday
Basketball tournament for AI kids out in Brookline. Watched some kid slam his face into the side of the pavement. Sports are so interesting because really, what does winning mean? For street games there is no trophy, no prize money. But the way these guys were playing, you'd think it was a battle to the death. Chanting, yelling, pouring sweat, harassing each other, half-court shots, scrapping for every rebound - it was unreal. But to be THAT in the moment with something, it's an intense thing to watch.

That night got eaten alive by mosquitos on my feet (damn flip-flops) at Dancing on the Charles. Definitely not my crowd, music preference, or age demographic, but we still managed to make it fun. (See Adam's post at www.bostonin60.com)

Tuesday
Worked at Banana. Met up with friends at King's Bowling Alley to watch them compete in the championship for the College League. Apparently it's "Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner." They were on fire for awhile, knocking out strikes left and right. But alas, there will be no chicken dinner or pizza party for us. Also - playing pool with intoxicated friends is dangerous.

Wednesday
Had the best homemade from scratch macaroni and cheese ever. Seriously, I can't explain how delicious it was. And made even better by the fact that I didn't have to cook it, or clean up really, just drank white wine on the couch while looking at my lovely flowers.

I'm a Bravo TV addict. I am SO, so excited to watch the new season on Project Runway. And there was a new Sheer Genius on last night too. Seriously, how can you go wrong with clothing design, haircuts, and bitchy queens?

More exciting stuff is on the horizon this weekend, so stay tuned.

Also, really interesting video (Lest We Forget) that we watched yesterday in American Society. Watch it and tell me what you think.

"Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it."

Writing will rot your brain

2008-07-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

I protested to my mother: I did not want to be an engineer. The idea of toiling endlessly on applied calculus problems in Calc 4 is completely unappealing to me. But to be honest, I do miss being able to derive and integrate, or even just play around with trig problems. There's something nice about math in contrast to sociology, journalism, or policy classes -- it has answers. Maybe I should have sprinkled a few math classes into my college career just for the change of pace. Eh, who knows. But for now, to quote my favorite math teacher Mr. Nagy: "Don't drink and derive."

That tan looks great on you.

2008-07-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile, did you miss me? Probably not. Or rather, hopefully not. You should have shut you laptop, donned your white-rimmed plastic sunglasses, and headed out into the great sunshiny world away from the blogosphere. Or at least that's what I was up to for the better part of the last two weeks. I spent three solid days at my lake house disconnected from the world beyond those who showed up to BBQ, play cribbage, sun themselves, and splash around in the lake. It was glorious. I always feel rejuvenated when I'm there; I think it has to do with the fact that so much of my regular life is spent indoors near electronic devices connecting with people. Disconnection is exhilirating.

Oh and I've also been doing a little bit of that thing called school again. Taking American Society, a discussion based sociology course, and Entrepreneurship. Both of which are challenging and rewarding in opposite ways. It's good to be in an environment that really engages my brain again (except for the homework).

On that note, these are some things you really should check out:
Boston in 60
My friend Adam has two months left before he leaves Boston for an internship in DC. He's challenging himself to do something different every single day. Follow along, tag along, and make suggestions!

You Look Great Today
A fun salute from Happy Corp to "capture greatness in the wild." Scroll through the pics and smile or go on your own greatness-seeking adventure and share your own pics.

America, You're Getting Old

2008-06-25T06:38:00.000-07:00

Not in the antiquated, old school European way. More in the, you're no long a world leader in everything, so get over it, okay? kind of way. The more I read the more I truly believe that America was the country of the 19th and 20th centuries, but we will not be the driving force of innovation or the mecca of world culture in the 21st.

Architecture: A new 80-story skyscraper to be constructed in Dubai, designed by an Italian, with 79 wind turnbines between the floors (so that not only is it energy efficient, it ADDS to the power grid)... THAT MOVES! You have to read the article from BBC and watch the video.

Technology: Indian-born developer's technology for cellphones is being widely adopted in Japan... not the US where his company is based. An example: using your phone as an e-wallet:

"Instead of printing out online coupons, movie tickets, and boarding passes - and toting around credit cards and gift cards - consumers will son be able to store bar codes in their phones."

Want that soda from the machine? Point your cellphone at it and it will deduct the money from your account. Oh man, can you imagine how much easier it would be to have a tab at the bar? You could point your cell phone, text your drink choices, and voila, no jostling for the bitchy bartender's attention. (Only downside, imagine the problems if you LOSE your phone.)

(I'm going to look for some more examples perhaps, I'll be back)

Only boring people get bored.

2008-06-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

It's one of my favorite quotes of all time is from my Meme (grandmother for those not familiar with Quebecoise).

So when I saw this at Copley today (part of a Hugo ad campaign), I had to share:

A place for your stuff

2008-06-23T06:01:00.001-07:00

Last Monday of co-op. George Carlin died yesterday (NYT article).
And somehow that combination made me want to post his, "A place to put your stuff."

Love that dirty water.

2008-06-13T06:29:00.000-07:00

24-point defecit. Game 4. Los Angeles. And still the C's managed to come through.

Reminds you of the 2004 ALCS when the Sox were down 3-0 and somehow managed to win 4 straight against the Yankees before sweeping the World Series.

Last night at Greatest Bar, not only was everyone chanting the requisite BEAT LA and DE-FENSE, there were a few rounds of "Fuck LA! Fuck LA!" basically to the tune of "Yankees Suck!" Ah, Boston we love you. It's nice to have a fresh rivalry to focus on and some new colors to sport proudly. But maybe most of all, it's nice to know that when the Finals are over we still have 3 (or 4) months of baseball left. (Plus my hubby just officially became a US citizen!)

Stark Raving Sane and the Bad Idea Bears

2008-06-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

You know when you're in a great mood? Like, truly a great-everything-is-wonderful kind of mood? I love that feeling.

It's summer. It finally feels like summer. This heat wave has sufficiently thawed Boston out of the last 6 months of winter/sleet/rainy/gray days. Kids were swimming in the fountain at Copley square yesterday - not just splashing around, but legit swimming in it. I sat down at my desk on Tuesday and after about 20 minutes noticed an extra post-it note stuck to my monitor - "I (heart) Carr!!" The two intern boys have made the last month here so, so much better.

Last night after work we out to watch karaoke at Club Cafe with my "she-shes" hanging out. We had to much fun judging people and drinking vodkatonics (I want to be able to TASTE the alcohol I'm drinking tonight). After Club Cafe we went to Fritz, also on the gay Boston circuit because it's the holiday right now in Boston -- that's right it's Pride Week! If the Boston social scene is like that of a small town, then the city's gay scene is comparable to a mansion. Everyone knows everyone - hags included.

I'm actually kind of sad I'm leaving the city this weekend. But anyways, this entry was rather useless, so I'll leave you with a few fun things to check out:

This post brought to you by:
Stronghold in Siam - On the Rebound
The Help - Thunder and Bison
The Bad Idea Bears - buy some beer! (or in our case, VodkaTonics)

And stumbled upon a few quotes from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (add that to the re-read list):

Half of what he said meant something else, and the other half didn't mean anything at all.
We cross our bridges when we come to them, and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.
We are tied down to a language which makes up in obscurity what it lacks in style.
Guildenstern: A man talking sense to himself is no madder than a man talking nonsense not to himself.
Rosencrantz: Or just as mad.
Guildenstern: Or just as mad.
Rosencrantz: And he does both.
Guildenstern: So there you are.
Rosencrantz: Stark raving sane. (This one is for you Ris.)

The revolution will be televised, blogged, and podcast

2008-06-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

Obama - Change I hope to believe in
Politics absolutely blow my mind sometimes. Obama has been crowned the Dem's nominee finally after a long, hard, and bitter road through primary season. At the time of my primary in New Hampshire, way back when, I voted for Edwards because his policies aligned most closely with what I feel are right. (One of the best websites for objective comparison: The Pew Forum for Religion & Politics.)And, partly I see now, because I didn't want to have to choose between the first black nominee and the first woman nominee for the big seat in this country. As the battle raged on, I found myself irritated with HRC for failing somehow - failing to be the WOMAN candidate, failing to capitalize on what many saw to be her greatest weakness. So now that the party's decision has been made, and even though I'm registered independent, I'm going to learn as much about Obama as I can and pray to god in November we make history.

Listening to his speech after the last primaries, I can't help but feel what most of his supporters have felt all along - that slight twinge of hope. Maybe? Maybe this candidate will do what he says he can, or at least he'll try, maybe he can save our country from being the ridiculed, petulant teenager of the world. We'll see what happens in the months to come.

Michael Michalko - Creative Negotiation
Interesting read about 2 people, 3 coins, and the way we negotiate power, assets, and position with each other. Reminds me of the mother who has one kid cut the peanut butter sandwich in two and then lets the other kid choose which side he wants. Cut unfairly and you're likely to get screwed, so you're better off being fair out of the gate. And who knows, maybe one day you're brother will give you the whole damn thing in exchange for your extra cookie.

New Math
And sometimes you just need something silly to make you laugh. Mike, the infinite YouTube master (at least to me), sent me this link last night: Bo Burnham - New Math.

Honey, why aren't the kids working too?

2008-06-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

Brett at Pursue the Passion noted these facts from a Northeastern University study today:

• The average teen employment rate for January-March 2008 was 33.5%, implying that 1 out of 3 teenagers were employed. This is the lowest rate since 1948.
• Eight years ago, in 2000, the employment rate for teens was 45.2%, a difference of 11.7 percentage points.
• If teens had been employed at the same rate as 2000, there would be another 2 million teens working in 2008.
• During the national job recovery from the third quarter of 2003 to the end of 2007, total civilian employment rose by 8.747 million workers. The number of employed teens at the end of the boom compared to the beginning was 10,000 workers lower- despite continued growth in the size of the teen population.
from The Continued Collapse of the Nation’s Teen Job Market and the Dismal Outlook for the 2008 Summer Labor Market for Teens: Does Anybody Care?

But seriously. Is it because there are no jobs for teenagers, or because teenagers don’t want jobs, or even because they don’t want CERTAIN jobs? Whichever answer says a lot more about our society I think than the statistics alone.

If it’s because there’s no jobs — do we speak the “r” word (one we don’t use here in the investment industry yet) and cite broad rises in unemployment? Or is it attributed to a crowding at the top as more boomers work later into life, leaving less room for everyone to move up the later?

However, if it’s because kids don’t want certain jobs or jobs at all - are we raising lazier teenagers? Are we over educating and unemploying them? (Sometimes I even feel superbly frustrated by the monkey-like manual data tasks I have to complete.)

Completely Disconnected

2008-05-30T05:38:00.001-07:00

CNN's headline story today is about sightings of an Amazon tribe that has never been contacted by any outsiders (i.e. the other 6.2 billion people on Earth).

Can you imagine being completely disconnected from everything? What does that feel like? Clearly they aren't too fond of the planes flying over their heads as you can see their bows pointed towards the sky.

It actually reminds me of the South Park episode from a few weeks ago about the Internet that parodied John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. No one knows what to do without the internet - or even how to handle being rationed 30 second bites.

I'm guilty of this too - going from my laptop each morning to my office desktop and back again - chatting with friends as far away as Iraq while scrolling through blogs, Facebook, and Gmail. But there are definitely times when I find myself needing to get away, away from being available for anyone and everyone that has my screen name, email address, or Facebook. That's why the lake is perfect. My mom has a permanent ban on TV, microwaves, and any kind of phone line. You have to actually be there with the family and DO things.

I wonder sometimes what the strain of being connected to so many people will be in the future? Will the expectation of maintained friendships across long distances with so many people eventually drive us crazy? As our social networks become wider and wider will our inner circles of truly trusted and available friends become tighter and tighter?

Anything.

2008-05-28T19:46:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you just need something. Anything.
I've been needing a lot of anythings lately. But still somehow just floating along.

Things to Do Before I'm 30

2008-05-21T09:24:00.001-07:00

I wrote this list about 5 years ago. I just found it.
Going to check off what I've done and add another 13 things to bring it up to 30.

Bolds are still to do.

1. Skydive/ Bungee jump
2. Learn to Belly Dance
3. Travel to Italy -- Venice, Florence, & Rome in 2004
4. Learn to surf
5. Learn Italian
6. Drive a stick-shift
7. Road trip -- VA beach, NY, MD (alone)
8. Donate blood ten times -- check, we're at 13 or so as of this week
9. Graduate from college w/ my BA -- soon
10. Live alone
11. Own a pet -- most likely a puppy
12. Fly -- I can assume I meant in a plane - so yes, multiple checks
13. Skinny dip -- haha yup
14. Sing Karaoke -- check, at T. Rowe for SB's goodbye party
15. Waitress -- Starbucks is as close as I ever want to be now
16. Have a child *update - I've giving myself til at least 35 to do this
17. Live in the city - 4 years now

18. Live in France for at least 6 months
19. Get 20 years in Girl Scouts
20. Pay off my credit cards (all of them!)
21. Start saving for retirement - Roth IRA
22. Hike one of the 5,000+ White Mountains
23. Visit Montreal with my mom/Meme
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

The Happy List: I do.

2008-05-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

Read the latest at The Happy List.

Harpoon!

2008-05-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

Just got an email that they have my application & they're looking it over. Now just waiting for the all-important "Yes, we'd love to interview you" call.

Update: It's not right, right now. But I think I'm going to keep trying. Maybe apply for the Six Pack training program as we get closer to graduation.

Where does time go?

2008-05-16T05:38:00.000-07:00

We're already 75% through May. Where did it go?

I spent last weekend in New York for a friend's wedding. It's the first wedding I've been to without my parents for friends that were my peers. It was a slightly surreal experience. This guy no longer has a girlfriend - he has a wife. Another friend recently changed her last name to match her husband's. But in my head she will always go by her maiden name.

This weekend my best friend from high school is graduating from Boston University. She's going to wear her cap and gown, walk up and take her diploma, and then be done with college. She's not the only one - I went out with 3 girls who are all graduating this weekend too. It feels like just yesterday we were all freshmen.

And in only one month my little brother will graduate from high school. He'll be going to Johnson & Wales for culinary training. I'm so excited to watch the people my siblings are becoming. I'm so envious of their independence, defiance, and free spirits.

I'm already 22 years into my life. Where is it going?

I think I'm in love with Yvon Chouinard & beer

2008-05-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

I've been doing the post-grad job search thing, though I have to admit still half-heartedly. The other day I looked at websites of companies that I thought were cool, or I admired. I was stumbling around on Patagonia's website and came across this essay (a related link on their men's shirts page). I excerpted my favorite parts:

Such lives are often called subsistence, which brings to mind the barest, hardscrabble survival. But there is another way to look at them. At Patagonia we choose to call them “economies of abundance.” In an economy of abundance, there is enough. Not too much. Not too little. Enough. Most important, there is enough time for the things that matter: relationships, delicious food, art, games and rest.

We [Americans, modern society, etc.] don't have enough money, and we also don’t have enough time. We don’t have enough energy, solitude or peace. We are the world’s richest country, yet our quality of life ranks 14th in the world. As Eric Hoffer, a mid-20th century philosopher, put it, “You can never get enough of what you don’t really need to make you happy."

Talk about values alignment. I think I'm in love with Yvon Chouinard. I would LOVE to work for them. But there are two big (and relatively important) obstacles: 1) they aren't hiring for any positions that I am qualified/interested in and 2) they are waaaaaaaaaay out on the west coast. Problem.

Another interesting job that I found was working for Harpoon Brewery, right here in Boston. (Fixing obstacle number 2). They're hiring for a position in July (damn!) that sounds pretty awesome - Harpoon Helps Coordinator.

There are definite perks to a job like this: beer, getting OUT of an office, and still feeling like I'm contributing something valuable.

It's fucking gorgeous out and I'm trapped in this glass box

2008-04-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

I feel like some kind of hampster. Or house cat. Or child.

It's fucking beautiful out -- 80 degrees, sunny, slight breeze -- and I'm trapped in my cubicle. I spent time this morning purusing Idealist.org and STA Travel looking for work abroad instead of doing the data entry (that I have deftly been avoiding for a month). I was searching for jobs that were meaningful, jobs that will let me travel, jobs that won't make me feel suffocated and confined.

It's funny - I didn't get this feeling at the last big financial firm I worked for. I don't know if it's because my desk was in the corner near the windows. Or because I could take my editing outside to the patio and work down there. Or if I somehow found enough meaning in the work that it was okay being trapped inside from 8-5, because I knew that at the end of the day I would have the whole evening to myself.

I don't even get to enjoy the outside when I "leave" work today because I'm going to my second job at Banana. I wish I could build a sky light in the store.

I don't know what kind of jobs would let me be outside sometimes, with the fresh air in my lungs. Anyone have any suggestions?

Competitive Eating

2008-04-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

I feel better about myself when I eat healthier than my roomates. Or when I run more than they do. Or when I eat less than they do. There's some kind of satisfaction that comes through my inner monologue that says, "Yeah, you're WAY better than them. You're being healthy."

Last night was like that. I got home after a whole day in my cubicle and could not wait to get outside. I grabbed some sushi on the way home because I was starving and a big bottle of water. I found two of my roommates playing cards in the dark living room and I secretly gloated to myself.

I ran hard for about 2 or 3 miles (quite an accomplishment for me, but I want to learn/train to run farther). From my apartment out to MIT across the Charles and back. Some girls even (drunkenly) cheered me on as they thought I was finishing up the Boston Marathon on my trip back down Mass Ave. It was pretty fun to have people cheering for me, even if I didn't actually deserve it.

I felt great and energized and focused. All the annoyances and frustrations of the day washed away as I got lost breathing, listening to my feet pound the sidewalk as I dodged tourists and commuters.

And then there's this morning. Free breakfast foods at work. I just realized I've eaten a pastry, half a muffin, half a bagel, a slice of pizza, and coffee already today. What happened to my healthy eating? It frustrates me because I will eat it and then I will berate myself later. I miss the discipline and self control I had on Weight Watchers. I might go back just for the structure. Start tracking again. I miss how strong and full and energized my body felt when I ate salads, fruits, lean chicken, salmon, and gallons of water.

I think the competitive eating syndrome can be useful to motivate you to do things your body is craving anyways - healthy habits. But I think that if you're doing it for the competition then you lose your inner focus (and end up eating 80 grams of sugar before noon!). I also don't want to let the competition turn into an ED because I know that's entirely possible. I think I need more time for myself and less time working/volunteering for other projects right now. I need to streamline, I need to focus on me.

Holy shit, I'm almost done with college

2008-04-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

That's the realization that flashes into my head about 3 times daily.

I'm currently on my third and final co-op at MFS Investment Management working in the marketing department. There are some things I love and some things I hate, but we'll get into those next time.

Here's what's going on in my life lately:

Co-op 35 hours a week at MFS
Working at Banana Republic (BR) about 4-10 hours/week
Doing market research, marketing, anything else for Empower.Embody.Embrace (E3) - a personal coaching company my mom's best friend just started (big launch on Saturday!)
President of Northeastern Unversity Campus Girl Scouts and Brownie leader for Troop 9744
Editing the new PTP book!!

Girl Scouts will be wrapping for the year in about a week, but there will still be little projects over the summer to get ready for the fall transition. At the end of June, I will be done co-op and entering my last block of classes.

July/August

The Entrepreneurial World - should be interesting to get a little background on entrepreneurship as I've always toyed with the idea of starting/running my own company
American Society - fulfills my Soc minor

September - December

Journalism Ethics - Journalism capstone!! (not really looking forward to the 30 page paper)
Design & Graphics - so exciting, a class focused on playing with Adobe programs
Elementary Spanish - with fluency in French, I figure it can't hurt
Human Rights in the Global Economy - taught by one of my favorite professors, should be enlighting, challenging, and engaging
E3 Internship - to get my one last credit - I wish I had known before now you could get credit for internships at NU!

And that will be all she wrote for Northeastern and me. It was a good ride for sure, let's hope the last few hills and loops are exciting and fun.

I'm baaaaack!

2008-04-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile. Life was, and continues to be, crazy. But as I'm rapidly approaching my last semesters at Northeastern and I need to start making some BIG LIFE DECISIONS (BLDs), I thought it would be worthwhile to revive my blog. I figure I can benefit from the feedback of complete strangers who have no bias in my decisions (unlike my mother and best friends) and, possibly, others can benefit from my decision process.

So here's to regular updates and BLDs. Cheers.

The Attraction Paradox & Other Burning Questions

2007-11-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

If you really want to convince someone that they want something, tell them that they can't have it. You probably wouldn't even really need to literally tell them, as long as you made them think that for some reason the object was forbidden.

Why? Why are we most attracted to people we cannot have? Or is it less of us being attracted to what we can't have than the essential struggle between the self and the other. I want that. You say no. I want to win, so I want it. But how often do we really win? How often do we buck society and say, "No, you know what: I want this; I deserve this; this is going to be mine."

What are we so afraid of? Insulting others? Being excluded from the group that is denying the object to us? Are relationships with others more important than the relationship you have with yourself?

[Jan. 15, 2007]
When people move on are you supposed to just accept that? When you see pictures of people is it okay to wish to talk to them one more time, to hang out one more time, with them the way that they were? Is that okay to want sometimes, even if it's the easy way out.

Is it okay to not miss someone? Is it okay to not miss someone the way they are now, to not think about them everyday? Is it okay to be okay without them?

You wake up in the morning and it feels like a dream. When does it become real. When does it stop being a vacation and become your life? Do you have to let go for that happen? Can you hold on and move on? Or do they each require an amount of betrayal -- to reality, to memories, to dreams.

[Feb. 13, 2006]
How come I can never make up my mind? How come I'm never satisfied? How come I always want what's just beyond my reach? Or the one thing I'm not doing? Why is it that everything on the outside, gets in my head and makes me doubt things? Does everyone, at a certain point, ask all these same questions and wonder about the answers?

Why are there saws in the computer lab??!?

2007-10-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

Notes for later:

Why would you make a wesbite COMPLICATED for job applicants who are looking for sales, manual labor, or other non-technical jobs?? THAT'S FUCKING RIDICULOUS.

Getting skinny can be annoying when you're broke.

I need my planner like a druggie needs crack

2007-09-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

In Baltimore I only had to balance two personalities: me at work and me after-work. It was simple, work me was regulated to the hours between 8 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday. The rest of my time was for after-work me to do with as I so pleased.

Being back in Boston makes that infinitely more difficult. The lines become blurred, the categorizations overlap, the time is spread out into unpredictable chucks. I swear sometimes I would wander the streets aimlessly and accomplish nothing if it weren't for my bright orange day planner.

I schedule everything on my planner(s). (Yes, that's right I have a week-by-week and two monthlies.) In it get recorded all events, due dates, meetings, parties, TV shows, homework assignments, people to call, errands, and vital information I need to get through my days efficiently and successfully.

I would scan a page in but I'm almost embarassed by the use of coordinating highlighters, scratches, and "note to self" messages in boxes with exclamation marks. It's like a peek inside this crazy little mind I have; no one should have to be subjected to that kind of torture.

Sometimes I think that even though I have it, I might just explode from the overwhelming pressures of being a student and daughter and Girl Scout leader and friend and (hopefully soon) employee. Anyone else addicted to their planner?

Academic Frustrations

2007-09-26T07:41:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I feel completely and utterly frustrated by academic rhetoric. Thusly, and so on, meaning that the social interactions between the teacher, preaching from their pulpit, entitled to do so by their success at having survived more years than I care to in the game of school, are outlined and reinforced by normative behavior such that it relates to adaptation to situational environments (ie classrooms) and social pressures.

I hate philosophical, circular, bully-pulpit teaching. I just want to stand up and scream - WE GET THE DAMN POINT! SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Perhaps it's a byproduct of my humanities major and minor (Journalism and Sociology, respectively). I also find it's related to a older generation of teachers, for whatever that's worth. Maybe I'm impatient, I'm sorry. I like to learn about new things, but not at the expense of the applicability to the real world beyond the four walls of a classroom.

What do we go to school for the first quarter of our life for anyways?

Cause I walk with a wiggle, and a giggle, and a sqwak

2007-09-24T21:55:00.001-07:00

"I'm getting fatter."

"Turtle Love"

I don't remember quite how I stumbled upon exploding dog, but it never ceases to make me giggle. The author takes phrases emailed to him and creates illustrations based on that. Some make sense, some are completely different than how you expect they will be. You should check it out if you need a giggle too.

It's sunny, warm, & breezy. Plus, I finished my reading!

2007-09-24T11:06:00.001-07:00

In inevitable rush sometimes as Americans, we tend to miss out on the little moments that make up life. In a week, a month, a semester, a year, or more, what will be the things that you rememember? Will it be stressing out about your reading assignment not being done or will it be the time you and your friend had a "picnic" under the shade of a tree on a lazy, Indian-summer afternoon drinking wine and people watching?

So I invite you to visit the Happy List. It's a project we're contributing to that helps us focus on finding the good moments in life and serves as a reminder when things get a little hectic sometimes.

Bouncin' Souls

2007-09-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

There's something really special about live music. I love listening to music in my car, in my room, even in the shower, but there's something about the energy that happens when you aren't the only one who's getting into it. I went to a show last night by Delhill and Eclectic Collective at the Paradise Rock Club. Delhill was the third band in the line-up and I had seen them earlier. Their stage presence is really fun and you can tell their lead singer Andy loves playing the crowd. EC was explosive. The energy from the stage was contagious as even the sax play jumped around. You couldn't help but get into their music, to move your hips, nod your head, jump around. I didn't even know any of the words but I felt like I was inside the rhythm of each song. I'm making it my goal to go to see live music more often this semester. I can't wait to see Stephen Kellogg again at Paradise and to see Brian Bergeron open for them.

The most beautiful baby in the world

2007-09-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

My brand new "niece" born 9/17/07.

Making the personal political

2007-09-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

We had a discussion today about body politics and using personal experiences to influence laws and policy. However, when Tonn asked what issues were relevant to us and our identities everyone in the class seemed to suddenly go mute. Somehow we were unable to translate identity politics from theory into practice. So he made us break up into pairs and write down who we were. After each person read their list aloud, the conversation flowed freely. Some people who never talk in class even offered opinions and insight.

In that spirit, here are the things that make me who I am:

woman
young
white
blonde
college student
middle class
single
straight (mostly)
French-Canadian
oldest sister, daughter, cousin, granddaughter, niece
Girl Scout leader
volunteer
size Large
"country girl"
liberal
sexual
writer
blood donor
Journalism & Sociology student
New Englander

Those are all that I could think of in class. This list may grow or shrink over time.

So, I ask you: Who are you?

Published!

2007-09-19T06:25:00.001-07:00

My first interview for PTP is now up online.

Multiplicity

2007-09-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

Everyone is getting married. Everyone is having babies. Everyone has that one someone they can turn to when they really need someone. What am I doing? Who do I have?

I'm not upset about. I don't need sympathy or pity. I just feel like more often than not lately I'm on the outside of conversations, the outside of the circle. And it's no one's fault in particular, it's just that no one is quite on the same path as I am right now. I'm trying to be healthier; I'm single; I'm in classes; I'm a Girl Scout leader; I'm a compulsive writer; I'm an oldest sister and daughter and cousin-aunt; I'm a sexual being; I'm trying to decide how I feel about god.

Who are you?

Back in the Groove

2007-09-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

Well after a few weeks hiatus, I am back to a regular schedule and real life. I thought those two weeks would last longer but all-in-all they seemed to fly by pretty fast. I'm back living in the city again, back in classes, and back to Girl Scouts. So that means you can expect a lot of wonderful updates!

We moved in almost a week ago. It was emotionally stressful. The girl who lived here before was still here, my landlord flipped out and yelled at me, there was some crying and yelling and negotiating. But in the end, it all came out okay. We've been working on getting settled here. We got the kitchen table today and I hung all my pictures up on the wall. It's starting to feel like home. It's always interesting when you move somewhere new to see how you develop new routines and new places to put your stuff. I think it's going to be a good year.

Classes also seem pretty interesting. I didn't realized at first how connected they all were. I'm taking Law of the Press; Law, Policy & Society; Social Theory; and Gender & Sexuality. More detailed updates about classes to come later.

I get to meet the PTP guys today. I am SO excited! And I finally sent in my write-up from the interview with Barbara Rusell. (I'll be sure to link to it once it's up.)

I've also recommitted to Weight Watchers again after being quite neglectful this summer.

The Post Secret Project

2007-08-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder what secrets I'm keeping from myself.

Does brand recognition build legitimacy?

2007-08-03T07:14:00.001-07:00

There was a comment on Employee Evolution about taking a job simply because of brand recognition of the company. I replied:

Do you think the search for colleges with big names and titles (ie instant recoginition) that we went through somehow parlayed into the initial job search? How many friends do you know that picked a school because it was A GREAT SCHOOL only to drop out, transfer, and end up much happier? I also wonder if part of the search for a GREAT SCHOOL with a big name somehows helps us legitimize ourselves when we’re working with older people. I had never thought of this before moving to Baltimore where my school (Northeastern) isn’t known at all (Oh, so you go to Northwestern in Chicago??) compared to here in Boston (WOW! they have an awesome co-op program). What do you think?