What a month

Hello, 27.

Today is my birthday. Normally I want to celebrate all week long and plan something cool to do with my friends like a picnic or fancy dinner with cake. But this year, it's different.

This year, I would say I've gotten the best birthday presents ever, and have celebrated little by little all month long.

I bought my first place the first week of August.

I accepted a new job yesterday with a better salary.

I found a washer and a dryer for $100, plus a microwave for $10.

Things are falling into place for me--all the things I've been wanting for the past two years, I finally have. And that my friends, is the best gift a girl could ask for. Not to mention, I'm extremely appreciative for my family, who have supported me.

Happy birthday to me.

Happiness, gratitude & value

Over the weekend I heard a story about how many people are impatient because they have all these demands--from their employer, family, and friends. No one says thank you. No one appreciates all of their hard work. Essentially, they don't feel valued.

What I took from that story when I heard it on Sunday was that I should be more grateful for the people in my life. As I was putting dinner on the table for my dad and brother, I stopped to tell them that story. And then I proceeded to bring up how we never help my mom out with the dishes after she's cooked dinner for us, or how I never tell my dad thank you for working so hard, and how my brother never sets the table. Sure, these examples are pretty small, but the bigger lesson here is to be more aware of those around you.

While I've been mindful of the people around me and all that they do, I also had another theme arise in my thoughts: value.

When I think of value, I think of "the value of a dollar," or the "value of that product" or how that coupon saved me .77 cents, making it a "great value."

But I recently realized that there's another definition of value that I've been missing. Value in terms of work.

While I was meeting with my spritual director yesterday, I shared with him how in the past two weeks, I've been so happy. HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY. That kind of happy. The kind of happy that makes me want to break out dancing and laugh like a fool. I told him how happy I am because of all the new job opportunities that have come my way, and how I can't wait to see what lies ahead.

I told him how I've imagined walking into my boss's office and telling her that I'm leaving to take a position at another company. I've pictured her reaction to my news and look of the shock on her face, and how happy I will feel to tell all of my coworkers that I'm leaving.

Two years ago, when I imagined leaving, I worried that I'd miss my coworkers. Now I could careless. I know it's time for a change. And frankly, it feels good to be wanted. It gives me validation of all my hard work in my current position.

When I told him all of this, he said, "I'm getting the sense that you don't feel valued at your job." AMEN BROTHA. Seriously, I've never thought of it that way, but he's right. I don't. I've gotten a ton of new work thrown at me, but never have had a positive comment saying, "thanks," or "I know you worked hard on that...it looks great." Nope. It's just expected, same 'ol shit, different day.

And frankly, knowing that I can be valued in other positions and situations, well, it gives me wings to fly so to speak. It gives me the motivation to work harder. It gives me the positive outlook I've been wanting to have for awhile. It makes me believe that I can do it. I can get a new job. I can move out of my parent's house and into my own place. I can be unstoppable.

What about you? Do you feel valued?

A reason why I shouldn't use my debit card for everything

You know one thing I hate about working in a corporate-type office? It's when a co-worker who really is just that--someone who works with you but not someone you'd actually give your cell phone number to--asks if you'd like to go in on a pizza together while in the middle of a meeting.

This happened an hour ago. I was with my boss, our intern, and Floozy when our web guy busted in and asked if we'd go in on a pizza with him. The intern gracefully bowed out saying he already brought stuff. Floozy said sure, pizza sounded better than the lunch she brought, and my boss was definitely "in," commenting that she was happy she didn't have to venture out to get lunch.

That left me. I sorta nodded, but never really said no. Part of me wants pizza because then I'd be included in something in my office. But part of me also wanted to say no, because I hate pepperoni and I promised myself I would eat healthy all week. (Minus the cookie and side of mac & cheese I ate yesterday)

Then came the next dilemma: I had no cash. This always happens to me! I swear! We continue on with our meeting but in the back of my head, all I can think about is how I only have $1 in my purse and how I should've used my other purse today, because I'm pretty sure I had a $20 bill stashed in the bottom of that one. Thankfully, after our meeting officially ended, I left to go to my desk so I could google where the nearest bank was so I could get some cash.

Turns out the nearest bank to me is 11 minutes away, or so Google says. But then I freaked out even more (silently, of course) because 11+11=22 minutes total, and what if the pizza came already while I was gone?

So I did what anyone else would do. I nonchalantly grabbed my purse and strode out of the office and ran like a batwoman to my car, where I drove 5 minutes away to the Walgreens down the street and bought a bottle of nail polish remover for $1.59. Then I hit debit, and got $10 in cash back, ran back to my car, and sped back to work.

Whew, I was only gone 15 minutes. During that time I already made up excuses of what to say, should anyone ask where I had gone. "I stepped out for a moment." "I had to take a personal call." "I had to grab my wallet from my car."

When I got back, no one asked where I had gone, and no pizza had arrived. A few minutes later the coworker who was collecting money came by my office. "How much?" asked Floozy. "Five bucks per person," he said. I handed my money over to him while Floozy was digging in her purse. "You know if you don't have it today, you can pay me back tomorrow."

OH THE IRONY!

I'm such a rebel

I have been listening to the most inappropriate songs lately while I've been at work. Luckily I always listen to my headphones, but in my small office of older ladies, I don't think they'd appreciate my "taste" in music.

Example #1



Apparently I've had alot of pent up anger or something...but I felt better listening to it. I don't know why, but I feel so bad when I cuss on purpose or listen to rap music really loud that has cussing in it or bad words.

Example #2



I first heard this song on the radio while driving on my way to work. But today I took it one step further and not only watched this video, but I actually wikipedia'd the young rapper...what's his name? Oh, Bobby Brackins. Honestly, the kid looks like a teenager, even tho he's like 22. Not to mention, he's not even hot. In fact, I think he's creepy! But Ray J is hot, so it all makes up for it.

Example #3



Again, I must have anger issues. But it really does have a good message. And I usually hate Eminem.


Any songs stuck in your head?

Free me baby...

This entire weekend I did something liberating.

I didn't wear my watch.

Now, I know most of you are thinking to yourselves, "so, whatever, that's not liberating." But to me it is. You see, I wear this silver and gold Fossil watch, and I literally never take it off--unless I'm getting some sort of massage. I've worn it while swimming, in the shower, doing yardwork...you name it, I've probably had it on my wrist. But this weekend, while I took my second bikham yoga class ever in my life, I removed it. And I didn't put it back on. Even as I type this, I'm not wearing it. And I feel so free. Sure, there's a part of me that wonders what time it is, but that's why I have my cell phone.


What makes you feel liberated? Is it going a day without showering? Wearing sweats to the store? Or maybe letting go of your inner critic?

Five Things: Easy Ways to Help the Planet

Nobody's asking you to turn into a full-on hippie and renounce all your worldly possessions.  But there's usually a better way to do the things you every day so that we can all have a less negative impact on the environment.

1.) Small Changes Add Up.
Making a few changes that you can sustain everyday will have a bigger impact than trying to make HUGE lifestyle changes only to drop them when everyday life steps in a makes things stressful.  Don't think of it as "being green" or "saving the planet" so much as just doing what makes sense. 

2.) It's called "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" for a reason.
If you try to make changes in that order, you'll have a higher impact than just recycling.  Reducing the number of goods you use, or the packaging on those goods, or the distance those goods need to travel to get to you eliminates waste beyond the scope of just that one package.

3.) Plastic Bags never die!
Those little plastic bags we all get at the grocery store, the drug store, the convenience store, the department store... They're fairly ubiquitous with modern life, and millions of years from now when people are studying our society, those bags will still be there.  One easy way to combat this is the take re-usable bags to the store with you, but as a dude-on-the-go, I really never do this unless my GF is with me and has one in her purse.  But what I do always do is make sure I reuse those bags I have to accept.  Stash your used plastic bags and reuse them when you need them.  Even if you only use them one extra time (like for taking out the trash), that's one less other bag you'd need, and in the end, buying less bags leads to producing less bags.

4.) Eat Local
When you buy produce at the grocery store, you're getting food that's come from halfway around the world, and was picked well before it ever ripened. When you eat food that has been produced within 100 miles of your home, you are eating food that is picked at it's peak, and doesn't need paints, dyes or chemicals to keep it fresh-looking.  You also help the planet because that means less trucks on the road having to drive food from Venezuela or Chile or Madagascar to reach your plate.

5.) Support Local Businesses
Shopping local restaurants and businesses keeps your local economy strong, and reduces the number of chain stores & restaurants that open up nearby.  Yes, we all love shopping at Target and eating at Applebee's (well, cheap drinks at Applebee's at least), but putting your dollars towards locally owned business who themselves deal with local suppliers makes sure your money stays in your community.  And in the long run, having vibrant local businesses cuts down on the number of times you have to drive to big-box retailers, eliminating that extra pollution from the air.  Doing that just once a week and remove tons of carbon-dioxide annually.

Ryan usually writes for originalname.wordpress.com, check it out if you're a fan of random chatter wrapped in good intentions.

How do you say....

I've always been somewhat of a grammar nerd. I loved doing my vocabulary and spelling homework in school. And there was this one time when I was in 8th grade, that I corrected my uncle's friend. He kept saying "ain't" and it was beginning to drive me nuts. So while we were all outside in front of his house, I looked at him dead in the eye and said, "Ain't isn't a word. It's improper English." Suffice it to say, my uncle took my side and told his friend, "You just got schooled by an 8th grader." And then proceeded to laugh at him.

To this day, I'm still that person. I hate it when people can't spell things correctly. It drives me nuts. Not to mention that the other day while I was downtown, an apartment complex on a very busy street actually hung a banner saying "Quite apartments! Inquire within!" Um. Quite? Really? No way I'd rent at a place where they can't spell quiet. That's like English 101. I bet my nine-year-old brother even knows what the difference between the words are. And why didn't they make the printer correct this error?

Stuff like that boggles my mind.

But I do have a confession to make.

While I may apart of the grammar police, I do not have the best pronunciation skills. Like, sure, I was voted best public speaker in 8th grade, and speak clearly and concisely, but when it comes to actually pronouncing words, I tend to make up my own.

Example 1: When I was at my friend's house for a sleepover, we got to talking about the Greek festival. Besides thinking of baklava, I remembered this. Normal people pronounce this "span-ah-co-pa-tah" but in my world, I say it like this: "spank-o-pedia."

Example 2: When I was in high school, I applied for this local scholarship from the Boettcher Foundation. The entire time I heard of this, I always thought to myself, it's called "Bo-cheddar," you know, like the cheese. Turns out it's called "Bech-ur." Clearly I was way off.

Example 3: There might have been this one time when I was with my family eating out at a restaurant and we had a really hot waiter. And I might have been flustered, and instead of saying I wanted the "guiltless chicken sandwich," I might have said "gutless."

I think I've embarrassed myself enough. Anyone else have this problem?