One late night of channel surfing led to stumbling on a really amazing documentary called "Raising Bains." Its about this family, Kathy and Dave Bain, who had one biological son and have adopted 12 other children. 8 of them are part of a biological family that was going to be split up but were then all adopted by this family. Its so fun to watch what that sort of mixed family is like and the dynamics and just the mixing of personalities. The dad is also some type of professional in the field of adoption counseling so they are really prepared to handle all these kids. Anyways, its basically the life that I want. I'd love to have a few of my own and then adopt a handful of kids, too. I think theres something really amazing about all of that.
http://www.thebainevent.com/Site/The_Bain_Event.html
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
best travel tips ive read
http://thewanderlust.us/theblog/category/travel-tips
How to: Be a Young (or Solo) Traveler
DateTuesday, November 10, 2009
Simple guidlines to wandering the globe by yourself or as a youngling and not getting snatched by pirates...or harrassed by hippies...and still having the time of your life
Lesson #1: Don't Be A Dumbass
My theory is: If it looks like a dark alley, chances are it's a "dark alley". And that can be taken figuratively or literally. If you're looking at a nighttime shortcut street you've never taken before, keep your guard up. It doesn't mean you're scared of the dark and what the shadows might hold. It means your inner voice is saying, "Gee there, this looks like one of them bad ideas" (if your inner voice sounded like a member of the Apple Dumpling Gang). You know who lurks in "dark alleys"? Jack the Ripper and that creepy wheezing kid from Hey Arnold. And if some guy sends you a drink after looking at you all night like a fat guy watches the Food Network after 11pm, I wouldn't drink that if I were you. Or if his name is Quagmire.
Lesson #2: Despite Popular Belief, English is Not the Universal Language (thanks for noticing)
Before I visit a new country, I try to learn all the basic phrases a toddler might need to know: Please, Thank You, Yes, No, What is this?, Where is the bathroom?, Do you speak English? You would be surprised how much more compliant people can be when you at least learn to say "Do you speak English" in their native language. It shows that you're trying, making the effort, attempting to meet them halfway. Walking around asking everyone if they speak English in English might find you someone who does, but that doesn't mean they'll help you. In my experience, people who don't even try to learn the basics of the language come off as lazy and rude....or American. It's not the best first impression, especially if you really do need actual help and are not looking for the local Starbucks.
Lesson #3: Prepare Thyself
Much like learning the basic languages phrases, don't go into an unfamiliar situation deaf, dumb and blind. Check the internet for pictures of what the currency looks like. There are some Americans today that didn't even know that the United States actually has a $2 bill and a gold $1 coin. If a vendor hands you a wad of bills and a few coins, you should know that the plastic coin with Ronald McDonald on it isn't on the minting list....and that pink fifty won't get you anywhere except in Monopoly land. Also, check the news reels for any civil wars going on in the area, destructive weather, new laws or waves of sickness. No one likes a trip that involves malaria, a monsoon and a dictatorial uprising.
Lesson #4: Meet the Locals
You can ask the concierge at your hotel where the coolest places are, but its more than likely that they're recommending places that they have some sort of marketing link with or of the like. Most of my friends that work at places like that would never tell the tenants about their favorite places for fear of it turning into a tourist spot. The concierge might be a local, so talk to him like one and not like your personal fun-tertainment cruise director, and he might swing a cool spot your way. Waitresses and bartenders are usually my favorite. A good amount of the time they're glad just not to talk about the specials for five minutes. If you honestly want to be friends with them, don't lead with a question that benefits you. Ask them about their day or the story behind their tattoo!
Lesson #5: Travelers blend in; Tourists refuse to give up their cultural comforts and therefore deserve to be pick-pocketed
Switch out your bling for something a little more modest. Pickpockets are very similar to Florida-raised blonde fashion designers ;) and Hollywood paparazzi ; Shiny Object Syndrome applies to all. If your oh-so-shiny-rhinestones-where-the-numbers-should-be wristwatch is peaking out of your shirt cuff, you might as well put an "I dare you" sign on your chest. Leave the ridiculous Hollister style mildly humorous graphic tees at home (or burn them, your choice) and, girls, your Coach wedges are not appropriate for visiting dusty ancient ruins. As the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". Try trading the cargo shorts for kurta pants or the mini dress beach cover-up for an ikat sarong. The object is not to be a super ninja spy and disappear completely, but to blend in enough not to be hassled, harassed or harangued.
Lesson #6: Just Say "No"
...or whatever the local dialect equivalent is. Being a southern girl means that you smile when you say "No thank you". We'll turn you down in a heartbeat, we'll just do it with a bright smile and an adorable twang on the end of the line. That glowing politeness turns into a weakness in foreign countries. Market vendors come at you from every angle demanding you to buy what they're selling and if you throw out a smile and a "no thank you" that translates to "Just harass me for 3 more minutes without stopping and I'll give in because either I want you to leave or I pity you". Actually this goes for any college campus on hippie "Community Day" or walking through Canal Street in New York. Just say no, without the smile or the twang. Be direct, assertive and if you were walking in the first place, don't stop. If you need extra help, put on some sunglasses so they can't look you in the eye and earbuds (regardless of whether they're attached to anything) so they think you can't hear them.
Lesson #7: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Since English speaking countries have recently become the lands of the flesh, some people get downright stubborn when you ask them to cover themselves when entering a sacred or modest location. Much like the Vatican and other religious monuments, it is usually requested that visitors cover either their shoulders, heads or full body when entering as a sign of respect for the area. It's hard for people to pray to their god against life's temptations when a woman walks in wearing a Victoria's Secret bikini and beach cover-up. You're on their turf, so don't piss off the locals (they know where all the good stuff is ;). Also, don't be afraid to try new foods, but if you don't like it, be discreet. You took a gamble on something you weren't familiar with, don't blame the cook or curse the culture.
Lesson #8: Friend Request Accepted
When traveling alone, make friends as you go! You may have arrived friendless, but you don't have to leave that way. One of my favorite things is trying out a new city and making new friends with a clean slate. A second chance at telling that awesome story without forgetting the punchline and having to end it with an embarrassing "...and then I found five dollars" or "and then I fought off a lion with my bare hands". Make conversation with the woman and her kids who run the fruit stand down the street, talk to the guy who works the newspaper stall, buddy up with the scuba guides. If your looking for a vacant couch to crash on, that's one approach, but if its company and polite conversation you're after, try to be a little more subtle.
Lesson #9: Hunt the Bargain Bird
I happen to live in one of the only societies when it's considered rude to haggle prices. My silly overpriced coffee house will never change their prices regardless of my professed knowledge of the costs of brewing a single cup of hazelnut. In other locales, say Indonesia for example, the first price offered is merely a suggestion (and usually 3x the actual price) and it is expected for you to negotiate for a lower price. If it's a service, it might be the opposite. They will promise you a lower fee and then demand a much higher one on completion. Make sure you firmly agree on a price before starting. Get it in writing, if you have to! Much like #5, be direct and assertive. Most vendors enjoy a good haggle, it's a competitive feeling; a game. Others of course, don't give a damn about you, just want your cash and for you to leave the country soon after. Either way, don't be a sucker.
Lesson #10: Be Brave, Not Foolish
You'll have noticed by now that some lessons are contradicting. Say no, but be respectful about it. Don't be a dumbass, but take chances. It's up to you. Generally speaking, no one is going to be making the decisions for you, no one is going to hold your hand while you cross the street. Listen to that inner voice we were talking about (not the Apple Dumpling Gang one; listen to the one that sounds like Morgan Freeman). Being brave is trying something new. Being brave is getting on the plane/train/bus in the first place. Being brave is looking at the bluff over the ocean and having the balls to jump. Now being foolish might be... looking at the bluff over the ocean and having the balls to jump when you know very well that the screw in your knee is going to dislodge and your going to need surgery to replace it the second they fish your wailing flailing body out of the water. Know your limits.
How to: Be a Young (or Solo) Traveler
DateTuesday, November 10, 2009
Simple guidlines to wandering the globe by yourself or as a youngling and not getting snatched by pirates...or harrassed by hippies...and still having the time of your life
Lesson #1: Don't Be A Dumbass
My theory is: If it looks like a dark alley, chances are it's a "dark alley". And that can be taken figuratively or literally. If you're looking at a nighttime shortcut street you've never taken before, keep your guard up. It doesn't mean you're scared of the dark and what the shadows might hold. It means your inner voice is saying, "Gee there, this looks like one of them bad ideas" (if your inner voice sounded like a member of the Apple Dumpling Gang). You know who lurks in "dark alleys"? Jack the Ripper and that creepy wheezing kid from Hey Arnold. And if some guy sends you a drink after looking at you all night like a fat guy watches the Food Network after 11pm, I wouldn't drink that if I were you. Or if his name is Quagmire.
Lesson #2: Despite Popular Belief, English is Not the Universal Language (thanks for noticing)
Before I visit a new country, I try to learn all the basic phrases a toddler might need to know: Please, Thank You, Yes, No, What is this?, Where is the bathroom?, Do you speak English? You would be surprised how much more compliant people can be when you at least learn to say "Do you speak English" in their native language. It shows that you're trying, making the effort, attempting to meet them halfway. Walking around asking everyone if they speak English in English might find you someone who does, but that doesn't mean they'll help you. In my experience, people who don't even try to learn the basics of the language come off as lazy and rude....or American. It's not the best first impression, especially if you really do need actual help and are not looking for the local Starbucks.
Lesson #3: Prepare Thyself
Much like learning the basic languages phrases, don't go into an unfamiliar situation deaf, dumb and blind. Check the internet for pictures of what the currency looks like. There are some Americans today that didn't even know that the United States actually has a $2 bill and a gold $1 coin. If a vendor hands you a wad of bills and a few coins, you should know that the plastic coin with Ronald McDonald on it isn't on the minting list....and that pink fifty won't get you anywhere except in Monopoly land. Also, check the news reels for any civil wars going on in the area, destructive weather, new laws or waves of sickness. No one likes a trip that involves malaria, a monsoon and a dictatorial uprising.
Lesson #4: Meet the Locals
You can ask the concierge at your hotel where the coolest places are, but its more than likely that they're recommending places that they have some sort of marketing link with or of the like. Most of my friends that work at places like that would never tell the tenants about their favorite places for fear of it turning into a tourist spot. The concierge might be a local, so talk to him like one and not like your personal fun-tertainment cruise director, and he might swing a cool spot your way. Waitresses and bartenders are usually my favorite. A good amount of the time they're glad just not to talk about the specials for five minutes. If you honestly want to be friends with them, don't lead with a question that benefits you. Ask them about their day or the story behind their tattoo!
Lesson #5: Travelers blend in; Tourists refuse to give up their cultural comforts and therefore deserve to be pick-pocketed
Switch out your bling for something a little more modest. Pickpockets are very similar to Florida-raised blonde fashion designers ;) and Hollywood paparazzi ; Shiny Object Syndrome applies to all. If your oh-so-shiny-rhinestones-where-the-numbers-should-be wristwatch is peaking out of your shirt cuff, you might as well put an "I dare you" sign on your chest. Leave the ridiculous Hollister style mildly humorous graphic tees at home (or burn them, your choice) and, girls, your Coach wedges are not appropriate for visiting dusty ancient ruins. As the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". Try trading the cargo shorts for kurta pants or the mini dress beach cover-up for an ikat sarong. The object is not to be a super ninja spy and disappear completely, but to blend in enough not to be hassled, harassed or harangued.
Lesson #6: Just Say "No"
...or whatever the local dialect equivalent is. Being a southern girl means that you smile when you say "No thank you". We'll turn you down in a heartbeat, we'll just do it with a bright smile and an adorable twang on the end of the line. That glowing politeness turns into a weakness in foreign countries. Market vendors come at you from every angle demanding you to buy what they're selling and if you throw out a smile and a "no thank you" that translates to "Just harass me for 3 more minutes without stopping and I'll give in because either I want you to leave or I pity you". Actually this goes for any college campus on hippie "Community Day" or walking through Canal Street in New York. Just say no, without the smile or the twang. Be direct, assertive and if you were walking in the first place, don't stop. If you need extra help, put on some sunglasses so they can't look you in the eye and earbuds (regardless of whether they're attached to anything) so they think you can't hear them.
Lesson #7: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Since English speaking countries have recently become the lands of the flesh, some people get downright stubborn when you ask them to cover themselves when entering a sacred or modest location. Much like the Vatican and other religious monuments, it is usually requested that visitors cover either their shoulders, heads or full body when entering as a sign of respect for the area. It's hard for people to pray to their god against life's temptations when a woman walks in wearing a Victoria's Secret bikini and beach cover-up. You're on their turf, so don't piss off the locals (they know where all the good stuff is ;). Also, don't be afraid to try new foods, but if you don't like it, be discreet. You took a gamble on something you weren't familiar with, don't blame the cook or curse the culture.
Lesson #8: Friend Request Accepted
When traveling alone, make friends as you go! You may have arrived friendless, but you don't have to leave that way. One of my favorite things is trying out a new city and making new friends with a clean slate. A second chance at telling that awesome story without forgetting the punchline and having to end it with an embarrassing "...and then I found five dollars" or "and then I fought off a lion with my bare hands". Make conversation with the woman and her kids who run the fruit stand down the street, talk to the guy who works the newspaper stall, buddy up with the scuba guides. If your looking for a vacant couch to crash on, that's one approach, but if its company and polite conversation you're after, try to be a little more subtle.
Lesson #9: Hunt the Bargain Bird
I happen to live in one of the only societies when it's considered rude to haggle prices. My silly overpriced coffee house will never change their prices regardless of my professed knowledge of the costs of brewing a single cup of hazelnut. In other locales, say Indonesia for example, the first price offered is merely a suggestion (and usually 3x the actual price) and it is expected for you to negotiate for a lower price. If it's a service, it might be the opposite. They will promise you a lower fee and then demand a much higher one on completion. Make sure you firmly agree on a price before starting. Get it in writing, if you have to! Much like #5, be direct and assertive. Most vendors enjoy a good haggle, it's a competitive feeling; a game. Others of course, don't give a damn about you, just want your cash and for you to leave the country soon after. Either way, don't be a sucker.
Lesson #10: Be Brave, Not Foolish
You'll have noticed by now that some lessons are contradicting. Say no, but be respectful about it. Don't be a dumbass, but take chances. It's up to you. Generally speaking, no one is going to be making the decisions for you, no one is going to hold your hand while you cross the street. Listen to that inner voice we were talking about (not the Apple Dumpling Gang one; listen to the one that sounds like Morgan Freeman). Being brave is trying something new. Being brave is getting on the plane/train/bus in the first place. Being brave is looking at the bluff over the ocean and having the balls to jump. Now being foolish might be... looking at the bluff over the ocean and having the balls to jump when you know very well that the screw in your knee is going to dislodge and your going to need surgery to replace it the second they fish your wailing flailing body out of the water. Know your limits.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Understanding
I am feeling really good today. I finally had a productive conversation about my trip with my Mom. My parents have been incredible silent about me getting ready to leave here in less than 19 days! I was packing all my stuff in the living room the other day and my mom walks in, looks at it, says nothing, then asks me to help her move a dresser.
So apparently everyone got in a huge fight when I was gone today and when I came home my mom and I had a minor heart to heart...I am very pleased with the result. It went a little like this:
Me: ...i'm so tired bc I am too stressed to sleep...
Mom: Stressed about what?
Me: This trip.
Mom: WHAT!?!! STRESSED!!
Me: Yea mom. This is a stressful thing. Leaving the country for 3+ months is terribly exciting but its also very stressful. There is a lot to get ready for and I'm traveling with someone I have never traveled with and I have to worry about money and blah blah blah...
Mom: Stares at me in a state of utter dismay.
Me: Why do you think its so annoying that you are so unsupportive? Im already stressed enough on my own that hearing your gripes and feeling like you dont support me just adds to it!
US = FINALLY some basic level of understanding here. Sweet relief.
It also helps that I got a good wine induced cry with with my hugely supportive friend Megan in which she reassured me that this IS a good thing, that i will NOT die and that it WILL be a good experience for me. Thanks Megz.
So apparently everyone got in a huge fight when I was gone today and when I came home my mom and I had a minor heart to heart...I am very pleased with the result. It went a little like this:
Me: ...i'm so tired bc I am too stressed to sleep...
Mom: Stressed about what?
Me: This trip.
Mom: WHAT!?!! STRESSED!!
Me: Yea mom. This is a stressful thing. Leaving the country for 3+ months is terribly exciting but its also very stressful. There is a lot to get ready for and I'm traveling with someone I have never traveled with and I have to worry about money and blah blah blah...
Mom: Stares at me in a state of utter dismay.
Me: Why do you think its so annoying that you are so unsupportive? Im already stressed enough on my own that hearing your gripes and feeling like you dont support me just adds to it!
US = FINALLY some basic level of understanding here. Sweet relief.
It also helps that I got a good wine induced cry with with my hugely supportive friend Megan in which she reassured me that this IS a good thing, that i will NOT die and that it WILL be a good experience for me. Thanks Megz.
living with my parents...
My parents are a total trip. So a week or two ago I came home to find my mother had put a laundry basket full of shit on top of a chair that my purse just happens to be sitting on. There are FOUR EMPTY CHAIRS within 3 feet of the chair she chose, with my purse on it. Totally ridiculous. So I was like WTF dad, do u see this?! This is ridiculous!! And he laughed and agreed.
So today I came in to find him writing something on a piece of paper that was resting on an otherwise empty coffee table...but he was using a picture frame thing I had just painted/decorated as a hard surface to write on. I reiterate, on an OTHERWISE EMPTY TABLE. I pointed it out and was like ok see this, this is an exact duplicate of the laundry basket incident. Sigh...parents.
So today I came in to find him writing something on a piece of paper that was resting on an otherwise empty coffee table...but he was using a picture frame thing I had just painted/decorated as a hard surface to write on. I reiterate, on an OTHERWISE EMPTY TABLE. I pointed it out and was like ok see this, this is an exact duplicate of the laundry basket incident. Sigh...parents.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Badass meets Amazon
My parents use AOL for email and since my computer pretty much took a giant dump and wont turn on I have been using theirs. I always get annoyed when AOL is left open and no one is using it but today I was grateful. A story caught my eye: Ed Stafford, a British guy just completed a 2+ year journey WALKING the length of the Amazon River. His story is amazing. He literally walked 3,000+ miles. He started with a friend who ended up leaving early into it and then finished the walk with locals and whoever wanted to join him. There is a blog in his website you can read that is absolutely amazing. At one point the locals were so afraid of him, shouting and calling him "Pela Cara" because they thought he was going to "steal their faces. Apparently there had been a few incidents in the jungle where bodies were found with their organs missing and the locals were blaming it on gringos saying it is Gringos who steal children for trafficking and also steal and traffic body parts. Insane.
http://www.walkingtheamazon.com/
So after reading this story I was turned on to another amazing story about Martin Strel, a 50 something year old Man from Slovenia who SWAM the length of the Amazon in 2007. Hes also swam parts of the Nile, Danube, Yangtze and other major rivers. Hes hysterical- an overweight, wine drinking, speedo wearing Slovene who swims in parasite and predator ridden waters in attempts to raise money to protect the environment. Totally amazing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/sports/playmagazine/0603play-swimming.html?_r=1
Some pretty amazing stuff considering there are all kinds of parasites in those waters, mosquito borne illnesses and insane amounts of vicious animals in the water...think bull sharks (the most dangerous shark in the world-- thank you shark week for that fact), anacondas, alligators, pirhanas....the man starts to seem MORE than crazy.
http://www.amazonmartinstrel.com/
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
career confusion
Last week I got reamed at work for pretty much messing up royally with some paperwork. I was really upset at the time because I was embarrassed but when I got in the car it dawned on me, these people were totally in the right to yell at me. I have a terrible work ethic and it is beginning to be a problem.
I like having a job because I feel healthier, both mentally and physically, when I have a routine purpose to get up in the morning. I enjoyed my job the last 2 years because I had summers off to regroup and recharge. Not to mention, I had a TON of freedom in the workplace, got a decent paycheck and learned a lot about child development. Now to the problem: I cannot handle monotony. After a few months at any job I start looking for a way out. I cannot stay satisfied while doing the same types of things day after day. The paycheck is great but the lack of purpose is not, nor is the lack of expression.
I am a person who has a hard time finishing things. I read 4 or 5 books at the same time because I like going to bed and having choices...being able to read what my mind craves that night not what I picked out 2 weeks before. I have many art projects going that sometimes get put away for months before I actually finish them. I enjoy this freedom. The ability to get up in the morning and choose is fantastic.
I am also very creative and I think the types of jobs I have been looking for are NOT the types that will make me happy. I like to make things, design things, create things. Yet I am about to apply for a degree in social work...am I in the wrong field?
Im not sure if this creative drive and this need for constant newness around me is a blessing or a curse? I guess it means I have tremendous ability to be a self starter. Having the creativity to think of a new idea and the drive to find a way to execute it definitely is a blessing. I need to start looking for a career where I can do both...
If I continue to be this dissatisfied with the jobs I have and keep up this pattern of dissatisfaction I am going to have a hell of a time establishing a career. I think maybe I have too MANY ideas about what i'd like to do yet I don't want to commit to any of them because then I cannot do the others? All I know is I need to figure it out before I make a mess of my resume...
I like having a job because I feel healthier, both mentally and physically, when I have a routine purpose to get up in the morning. I enjoyed my job the last 2 years because I had summers off to regroup and recharge. Not to mention, I had a TON of freedom in the workplace, got a decent paycheck and learned a lot about child development. Now to the problem: I cannot handle monotony. After a few months at any job I start looking for a way out. I cannot stay satisfied while doing the same types of things day after day. The paycheck is great but the lack of purpose is not, nor is the lack of expression.
I am a person who has a hard time finishing things. I read 4 or 5 books at the same time because I like going to bed and having choices...being able to read what my mind craves that night not what I picked out 2 weeks before. I have many art projects going that sometimes get put away for months before I actually finish them. I enjoy this freedom. The ability to get up in the morning and choose is fantastic.
I am also very creative and I think the types of jobs I have been looking for are NOT the types that will make me happy. I like to make things, design things, create things. Yet I am about to apply for a degree in social work...am I in the wrong field?
Im not sure if this creative drive and this need for constant newness around me is a blessing or a curse? I guess it means I have tremendous ability to be a self starter. Having the creativity to think of a new idea and the drive to find a way to execute it definitely is a blessing. I need to start looking for a career where I can do both...
If I continue to be this dissatisfied with the jobs I have and keep up this pattern of dissatisfaction I am going to have a hell of a time establishing a career. I think maybe I have too MANY ideas about what i'd like to do yet I don't want to commit to any of them because then I cannot do the others? All I know is I need to figure it out before I make a mess of my resume...
Motorcycle Mama
I made my summer list of things to do to keep me busy right, kinda like a bucket list. I've mentioned it before. On the list: Ride a motorcycle. I racked my brain all summer wondering how in the hell I was going to meet a biker dude who adored me and would drive me around the city on his bike. I couldn't quite work that one out then it dawned on me, my cousins best friend and his awesome gf both have them! So at a bday party when they guy finally got his head out of blow up doll "Partial Penis Peggy" long enough to breathe, he said of course he'd take me out! So a week later I am mounting a damn good lookin blue (same shade as my good lookin car) motorcycle and touring 150 miles of rural PA. F-ing fabulous.
It was weird because youre hauling ass on the highway holding on with nothing but the back of the drivers jacket and all the strength you can muster in your thighs wondering why you aren't just blowing off the back of this monster. Its fabulous. I even got to use a sexy helmet that was bright pink/blue and had some stripper mama design on it. My favorite part is going real fast around the curves because you gotta lean with the driver. Sometimes you feel like you could just reach out and touch the road beneath you...but you don't, obviously, or you'd lose some seriously important finger tips.
Needless to say, this shit was awesome and so were the hot dogs we stopped for on the way home (some little place in Cambridge Springs with delicious dogs and the finest people watching). Now I should mention that I have added something to my list for qualities necessary in a husband. High up on the list is now: owns a motorcycle and rides like a badass. Cant wait to meet him. Oh...and if you could make it a green bike, thatd be ideal...greens my fav color ;)
It was weird because youre hauling ass on the highway holding on with nothing but the back of the drivers jacket and all the strength you can muster in your thighs wondering why you aren't just blowing off the back of this monster. Its fabulous. I even got to use a sexy helmet that was bright pink/blue and had some stripper mama design on it. My favorite part is going real fast around the curves because you gotta lean with the driver. Sometimes you feel like you could just reach out and touch the road beneath you...but you don't, obviously, or you'd lose some seriously important finger tips.
Needless to say, this shit was awesome and so were the hot dogs we stopped for on the way home (some little place in Cambridge Springs with delicious dogs and the finest people watching). Now I should mention that I have added something to my list for qualities necessary in a husband. High up on the list is now: owns a motorcycle and rides like a badass. Cant wait to meet him. Oh...and if you could make it a green bike, thatd be ideal...greens my fav color ;)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
you tube love
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Warning: don't dance
Im sitting in front of the TV watching a particularly enthralling episode of Date My Mom so something equally as mind numbing and my mom says "I have a funny story for you."
Yesterday my mom was talking to my like 97 year old neighbor about what her kids were doing. My sister just got a new job at the bank...my brother just got a job at Perseus House....and Im getting ready to leave. The neighbors like OMG you have to hear this story....
Her niece goes to Africa recently for a mission trip. They go deep into the countryside to a small village. There is some ceremony going on and the girl decides to make the most of the experience and gets up and dances with the locals. A few days later when it's time for her to leave the country she can't. Her passport has been flagged because she has been listed as one of the wives of the chief of the tribe she had been visiting. Apparently in African villages dancing with a chief is the equivalent of saying I do. Took her SIX WEEKS to sort everything out so she could come home. Imagine being stuck alone (the rest of the "missionaries" had to go home without her) in Africa because youve unknowingly gotten married. Insanity!
In the end my neighbor was like, tell Kathryn whatever she does, don't dance!
Yesterday my mom was talking to my like 97 year old neighbor about what her kids were doing. My sister just got a new job at the bank...my brother just got a job at Perseus House....and Im getting ready to leave. The neighbors like OMG you have to hear this story....
Her niece goes to Africa recently for a mission trip. They go deep into the countryside to a small village. There is some ceremony going on and the girl decides to make the most of the experience and gets up and dances with the locals. A few days later when it's time for her to leave the country she can't. Her passport has been flagged because she has been listed as one of the wives of the chief of the tribe she had been visiting. Apparently in African villages dancing with a chief is the equivalent of saying I do. Took her SIX WEEKS to sort everything out so she could come home. Imagine being stuck alone (the rest of the "missionaries" had to go home without her) in Africa because youve unknowingly gotten married. Insanity!
In the end my neighbor was like, tell Kathryn whatever she does, don't dance!
karma
"and we laugh
and we cry
and we live our lives
and we love and we love and we love
and it comes back to us"
and we cry
and we live our lives
and we love and we love and we love
and it comes back to us"
unnecessary laughter
A certain agency that I have been working for for 2 years now, which shall remain nameless, requires that employees wishing to return to work in the fall get a physical in the summer before they are approved. No big deal. You would think, right??
Ok so last year it was my first summer going through this and through failure on my own behalf or that of my supervisor, I didn't know about the physical thing until late August. I was supposed to go back the last Monday in Aug. Well I get a call from the agency explaining the situation and unfortunately I was en route to Denver via 2001 Taurus with my 2 siblings. So phone calls #1 and #2 went a little like this...
Me: Oh I am sorry. I am out of town for the week but I can go the day I get home to get the physical done and have them fax it over if that is ok?
Unidentified asshole: Well youre not understanding. That wont be enough time to approve it. Dont bother showing up the first day without it. YOU should have known about this and YOU messed up and it was YOUR responsibility to do this and dont bother coming to work!!!
Me: I understand it was my reponsibility but I was out of Erie for work all summer and the earliest I can do it is next week. I am sorry, I do apologize but what would you like me to do here to fix it?"
UA: !?!#%#*!!!$(#%*
Me: Yes, I am sorry. What would you like me to do right now in order to work this out?
UA: ITS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!!!!!!!! BAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The next morning, the same woman calls me back and it goes a little like this.
UA: Hello, did I speak to you yesterday about some issues over the physical?
Me: Yes..?
UA: How soon might you be able to get it?"
Me: Monday?
UA: That would be wonderful. Just get that scheduled at your earliest convenience and we will see you at the first day of work! :)
Me: ok?
Now you understand my serious confusion at the inconsistency here.
Flash to this year. Today I realized I do need to go back to work the first week so I can keep my health insurance going through September. So I call to schedule. I call and very nicely explain that Id like to schedule my physical. The lady sort of hmmms and hawwwss and asks my name. I tell her and my job title and say yes I just wanted to schedule a physical so I can return to work. Do you know what follows....LAUGHTER. Not a muffled giggle or a irritated scoff but a full blown ERUPTIVE LAUGHTER. She then proceeds to tell me they stopped scheduling them the end of July and I missed that boat! Id have to call the drs office myself and schedule it. Then she laughs at me, again!
SO I call the drs and they are very pleasant and within 2 minutes I have an appointment scheduled. SO, would someone care to clue me in on what exactly was so funny!? oh and then maybe tell me why anyone with that horrific of phone etiquette is still employed!?!?!
Ok so last year it was my first summer going through this and through failure on my own behalf or that of my supervisor, I didn't know about the physical thing until late August. I was supposed to go back the last Monday in Aug. Well I get a call from the agency explaining the situation and unfortunately I was en route to Denver via 2001 Taurus with my 2 siblings. So phone calls #1 and #2 went a little like this...
Me: Oh I am sorry. I am out of town for the week but I can go the day I get home to get the physical done and have them fax it over if that is ok?
Unidentified asshole: Well youre not understanding. That wont be enough time to approve it. Dont bother showing up the first day without it. YOU should have known about this and YOU messed up and it was YOUR responsibility to do this and dont bother coming to work!!!
Me: I understand it was my reponsibility but I was out of Erie for work all summer and the earliest I can do it is next week. I am sorry, I do apologize but what would you like me to do here to fix it?"
UA: !?!#%#*!!!$(#%*
Me: Yes, I am sorry. What would you like me to do right now in order to work this out?
UA: ITS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!!!!!!!! BAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The next morning, the same woman calls me back and it goes a little like this.
UA: Hello, did I speak to you yesterday about some issues over the physical?
Me: Yes..?
UA: How soon might you be able to get it?"
Me: Monday?
UA: That would be wonderful. Just get that scheduled at your earliest convenience and we will see you at the first day of work! :)
Me: ok?
Now you understand my serious confusion at the inconsistency here.
Flash to this year. Today I realized I do need to go back to work the first week so I can keep my health insurance going through September. So I call to schedule. I call and very nicely explain that Id like to schedule my physical. The lady sort of hmmms and hawwwss and asks my name. I tell her and my job title and say yes I just wanted to schedule a physical so I can return to work. Do you know what follows....LAUGHTER. Not a muffled giggle or a irritated scoff but a full blown ERUPTIVE LAUGHTER. She then proceeds to tell me they stopped scheduling them the end of July and I missed that boat! Id have to call the drs office myself and schedule it. Then she laughs at me, again!
SO I call the drs and they are very pleasant and within 2 minutes I have an appointment scheduled. SO, would someone care to clue me in on what exactly was so funny!? oh and then maybe tell me why anyone with that horrific of phone etiquette is still employed!?!?!
internalizing it all
I hate to complain because lets face it, I have it pretty good, so I do admit sounding like an rotten fool saying this but, I continue...the stress level in my life right now is through the roof and I am failing at controlling it.
Since the whole gram dying/break up mess I have a skewed way of dealing with stress. For about a year I was so overwhelmingly emotional and I had no idea how to heal. Part of my rehab (lol,ya i call it that) was learning how to move things from my conscious thought process and into the part of my head where they werent going to interfere with my daily life. Basically I became a pro at shutting thoughts off when I didnt want to deal with them. The problem with doing this is that while your head/heart combo is feeling stellar for putting the problem out of sight and out of mind, the rest of your system is failing. You still stress your body with the unconscious stress of emotional events. So while my person feels fine, acts fine and ignores the stress...the core of me is frantically trying to deal with it.
I did this once for so long that I had some really weird almost hallucinatory side effects. Lately i've been having the worst time sleeping. I'm on a weird schedule anyway since i'm not working so ill stay up til all hours and sleep all day...which i'm fine with. What I am not fine with is going to bed and waking up every 45 minutes for no damn reason. Its hard to get rested when this happens...I feel like a menopausal mama and i am NOT loving it. So I get up and am cranky and have no energy all day. And now I am starting to get canker sores from all the stress on my system.
I know I am nervous for this trip. Its a big deal and i'm encountering really mixed reactions to the whole thing. I feel in a lot of ways on my own in all of this and its stressful. There is also a TON i have to have taken care of before I leave...the most stressful being financial followed by finding new health insurance and grad school applications.
Here is to getting some decent sleep!
Since the whole gram dying/break up mess I have a skewed way of dealing with stress. For about a year I was so overwhelmingly emotional and I had no idea how to heal. Part of my rehab (lol,ya i call it that) was learning how to move things from my conscious thought process and into the part of my head where they werent going to interfere with my daily life. Basically I became a pro at shutting thoughts off when I didnt want to deal with them. The problem with doing this is that while your head/heart combo is feeling stellar for putting the problem out of sight and out of mind, the rest of your system is failing. You still stress your body with the unconscious stress of emotional events. So while my person feels fine, acts fine and ignores the stress...the core of me is frantically trying to deal with it.
I did this once for so long that I had some really weird almost hallucinatory side effects. Lately i've been having the worst time sleeping. I'm on a weird schedule anyway since i'm not working so ill stay up til all hours and sleep all day...which i'm fine with. What I am not fine with is going to bed and waking up every 45 minutes for no damn reason. Its hard to get rested when this happens...I feel like a menopausal mama and i am NOT loving it. So I get up and am cranky and have no energy all day. And now I am starting to get canker sores from all the stress on my system.
I know I am nervous for this trip. Its a big deal and i'm encountering really mixed reactions to the whole thing. I feel in a lot of ways on my own in all of this and its stressful. There is also a TON i have to have taken care of before I leave...the most stressful being financial followed by finding new health insurance and grad school applications.
Here is to getting some decent sleep!
Summer Bucket List
Earlier this summer when calculating i'd have an assload of free time I figured I'd better make a list of ideas for things to do to keep me busy. The idea was to cross them off as I go as a sort of inspiration to get out there and see some fun things this summer. So far it is a success. The things I have left to do are...
Ride a motorcycle
shoot a gun
go kart
eat jamaican food
go 4 wheeling
go jet skiing
fly a kite
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
J.May
FINALLY another John Mayer concert!!! Anyone who knows anything about me knows I love few things as much as I love John Mayer (Cheese, sleeping and hot sauce ranking pretty high up there). So needless to say I was f-ing PUMPED. This was my third one and it was just as good as the other two. Thanks teeny and A for comin with :)
Now I know a lot of people have a strong dislike for JMay given his "sexual napalm" comment of the recent past and his reputation as a womanizer and as kinda an arrogant asshole. I admit, he is all of that BUT he is hysterical. He is unapologetically John Mayer and that is so terribly endearing. At the core, he is a socially awkward dude from CT who spends a lot of time alone with his guitar. Not to mention he has a way with words even a poet couldnt beat and is so guitar saavy I dont know what to do with it.
The highlight of the night for me was "Good Love is on the Way" which actually inspired my blog as the title are quotes from the song. Its all about realizing that you're good and life is good and because of that somethings fabulous will come your way, some good love.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Nx6rzYBAc
3 years broken hearted
But now her ghost is finally gone
I'm done with broken people
This is me
I'm working on (cause I know)
Good love is on the way
I've been lonely but I know, I'll be ok
Good love is on the way
Good to go for wherever I'm needed
Bags are packed and I'm
Down by the door
You can take all the tricks up my sleeve
I don't need them anymore
Monday Night Madness....#2
After the last week, there was no way we werent taking our chances at the sausage fest the next Monday! So there we sat, pretty much lurking in the weeds like a lion ready to pounce on our favorite table...waiting for 4 old dudes to remove themselves from the premises. 6 quarters down and finally, the table!! So the whole night this oddly shaped, gray haired guy with the nose of a boxer who had taken a few too many shots to the face seems to be perpetually in my line of sight. There he is, bouncin around like a firefly always seeming to find himself catching my gaze. Totally weird. So I keep thinking wtf? This guy is going to think Im flirting with him?! Surely enough he comes over and says "can I get you a free drink" as he leans down and attempts to pick something up off the floor underneath our table?! He stands up, all 3 of us looking at him in bewilderment and says oh sorry, i thought that was a quarter on the floor. Im like wow thanks for risking blowing out your back to pick a QUARTER off the floor to buy us a drink. Thanks, really. So not 10 mins later he asks us to take a pic of us and his friends (all like tiny and in abercrombie and dwarfed in comparison to our new friend). Then he asks all kinds of questions about whether we think its a good picture or not. Here he stands, intense beer gut dramatically outlined in a skin tight lime green fraternity shirt...asking us if he looks good. Unreal. So when he gets a hint he leaves and quickly does a loop that leads him right back to where else, our table! He jams his face in the middle of our table and way too excitedly says, "what are you drinkin ladies! that looks good, whats that!?" Really sir? Really....I cant even explain how blunt and rude I had to be to get him to get the hint that it was not going to happen with any of us that night. Painful.
Then we end up going to Calamaris and had some seriously intense sassing with one of the feistiest boys ive ever met. For real. Love it...buttttttttttt no boys for now. Not with adventure lurking. Plus it'd be way cooler to find some exotic dude with beach hair and an accent ;) Ill keep ya posted.
Then we end up going to Calamaris and had some seriously intense sassing with one of the feistiest boys ive ever met. For real. Love it...buttttttttttt no boys for now. Not with adventure lurking. Plus it'd be way cooler to find some exotic dude with beach hair and an accent ;) Ill keep ya posted.
Monday Night Madness...#1
I used to love telling tales of Erie PA to my friends from college. The number of jaws I picked up off the floor after describing my typical weekends is immeasurable. Erie PA is the place to be for cheap drinks. Monday nights are truly special. Head over to the Plymouth tavern and purchase 25 of their special and you will find a bill for $5.00. Yes you read that correctly. Its quarter draft nights ladies and gentlemen! And its my new favorite thing.
No as an Erie native I have been privy to the Monday night madness that is quarter drafts for quite some time however I never truly got its essence. Last week after enjoying a delicious dinner and corona at Rum Runners while watching the sunset (another highlight of an Erie summer) I found myself perched on a bar stool, drinkin draft beer out of a plastic cup in the middle of a truly fabulous sausage fest. Im not sure why this is the case. There were for real 8 boys to ever 1 girl and it was exactly the way I like it. Anyways, we ended up sitting at this fabulous raised circle table that sits pretty much in the middle of the bar; perfect view of the flow of traffic both in and out...ideal for husband hunting. So there are 3 girls at a 5 person table and boy oh boy did we have the magic stool. It was empty for about 20 minutes max all night. The rest of the time it was occupied by Erie's finest...finest tools.
Lets begin with...we'll call him hair gel because the only thing I remember about his appearance was the twisted spike concotions he had atop his head. So he sits down and stares at me...awkwardly. Finally when I turn to him, he laughs. And I say "what?" He giggles again. Bring out the fiesty. So the little shit starts talking and when I ask where he goes to school he says "A small school, you wont know it." I say..."try me". After some prodding he says "Baldwin Wallace" Im like are you f-ing kidding me?? I WENT there. Worst place ever. That sent him away pretty quickly considering his Banana Republic ass was in heaven at the spirit crushing Baldwin Wallace and I had NOTHING nice to say about it.
Enter boy number two. We'll call him Africa. He is about 6'0, 18 pounds soaking wet and even though the brim of his hat is covering all but about 3inches of his chin I can clearly see his eyes rolling around sluggishly. But dont worry he emerged from beneath the haze of intoxication just long enough to insist that my friends and I, who are 24 years old, are cougars. Thank you africa but I think you need to be older than 24 to qualify.
Boy 3 strolls in from stage right and takes his place on the magic story telling stool. He actually proves mildly interesting...ex-navy, couple tattoos, too scrawny for my liking however so don't get any ideas. Anyways he was the exception to my notion that you never ask a person at a bar where theyve been as far as traveling goes. They say they just got back from vacation you say "oh you like to travel?" They say "Ya. Ive been to canada....florida...the bahamas...i travel a lot." I hate to be pompous but come on. That is vacationing, not traveling. They are 2 entirely different things. So boy 3, who happens to be named Adrian but I called him Max because my sisters name is Adrienne and that is just weird....Max, he tells me he has been to a lot of countries, probably more than me. So my head, filling with sass says "Try me!" He counts 12 countries...I tell him I hit 12 when I was 21 years old. What an asshole I am haha. Anyways, he had some good stories and was a pleasant mixture of adventure and good old charm. So i gave him my number. Then he proceeds to text me 2 times that night...and 3 times the next day. Game over.
So goes Monday night :)
No as an Erie native I have been privy to the Monday night madness that is quarter drafts for quite some time however I never truly got its essence. Last week after enjoying a delicious dinner and corona at Rum Runners while watching the sunset (another highlight of an Erie summer) I found myself perched on a bar stool, drinkin draft beer out of a plastic cup in the middle of a truly fabulous sausage fest. Im not sure why this is the case. There were for real 8 boys to ever 1 girl and it was exactly the way I like it. Anyways, we ended up sitting at this fabulous raised circle table that sits pretty much in the middle of the bar; perfect view of the flow of traffic both in and out...ideal for husband hunting. So there are 3 girls at a 5 person table and boy oh boy did we have the magic stool. It was empty for about 20 minutes max all night. The rest of the time it was occupied by Erie's finest...finest tools.
Lets begin with...we'll call him hair gel because the only thing I remember about his appearance was the twisted spike concotions he had atop his head. So he sits down and stares at me...awkwardly. Finally when I turn to him, he laughs. And I say "what?" He giggles again. Bring out the fiesty. So the little shit starts talking and when I ask where he goes to school he says "A small school, you wont know it." I say..."try me". After some prodding he says "Baldwin Wallace" Im like are you f-ing kidding me?? I WENT there. Worst place ever. That sent him away pretty quickly considering his Banana Republic ass was in heaven at the spirit crushing Baldwin Wallace and I had NOTHING nice to say about it.
Enter boy number two. We'll call him Africa. He is about 6'0, 18 pounds soaking wet and even though the brim of his hat is covering all but about 3inches of his chin I can clearly see his eyes rolling around sluggishly. But dont worry he emerged from beneath the haze of intoxication just long enough to insist that my friends and I, who are 24 years old, are cougars. Thank you africa but I think you need to be older than 24 to qualify.
Boy 3 strolls in from stage right and takes his place on the magic story telling stool. He actually proves mildly interesting...ex-navy, couple tattoos, too scrawny for my liking however so don't get any ideas. Anyways he was the exception to my notion that you never ask a person at a bar where theyve been as far as traveling goes. They say they just got back from vacation you say "oh you like to travel?" They say "Ya. Ive been to canada....florida...the bahamas...i travel a lot." I hate to be pompous but come on. That is vacationing, not traveling. They are 2 entirely different things. So boy 3, who happens to be named Adrian but I called him Max because my sisters name is Adrienne and that is just weird....Max, he tells me he has been to a lot of countries, probably more than me. So my head, filling with sass says "Try me!" He counts 12 countries...I tell him I hit 12 when I was 21 years old. What an asshole I am haha. Anyways, he had some good stories and was a pleasant mixture of adventure and good old charm. So i gave him my number. Then he proceeds to text me 2 times that night...and 3 times the next day. Game over.
So goes Monday night :)
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