Okay, friends, it's time I update you all on my life. So I have to inform you that there is a 98% chance of me joining the ranks of the unemployed. In fact, if you're reading this on December 1st, then there's a good chance I've already joined those ranks.
I knew that my hours would be getting cut once my boss retired and a supervisor was promoted to that position. There have been a few hints of lost hours circulating...for example, in September and October I was working four shifts a week, then in November, I was suddenly only working 7. Total. For the entire month. Seven shifts. Some shifts are five hours, and some are 7 hours...you can do the math, but I'll go ahead and tell you what it equals: not enough money to survive. My last check covered two tanks of gas, a coffee, and my cell phone bill. woo hoo.
I was told on Thursday that I should look for a new job, and to make it my "primary" job as there won't be any hours for any of us part-time employees. So, in eight days, I am pretty much out of a job, as are most other part-time employees. As I'm sure you've already guessed (if you know me) I'm in a bit of freak out mode. Luckily, I have amazing parents who have agreed to pay my November, December, and January car payment...
And you know what? It makes me feel sad and betrayed and angry that someone who has run this company since it opened in 1995 would allow it to get this bad by not managing a budget, and now it's affecting so many people ! Where is the sense that since you're in charge, perhaps you should be responsible and take your head out of the flipping sand!!! This place has been like a second home for me. This is my sixth year there...and now? We cross our fingers that it survives...
Anyways, please say some prayers for me! If you see any jobs that are hiring, or you know someone who is looking to hire someone, maybe 15-20 hours a week...you know where to find me!!
This Thanksgiving, I will be thankful for...having gotten to know and become friends with so many amazing people, for my family, for the wonderful Luke who loves me through all of this, and for the support I receive from all!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
First off all, if you haven't thanked a soldier you know (and c'mon, we all know at least one!), then please be sure to do so today. I would also really encourage you to become pen pals with a soldier (www.adoptaplatoon.org is a great website that can set you up with that!).
I was thinking about this whole letter writing thing that I challenged everyone to on my facebook yesterday, and I wanted to make a small point: We hear "Support our Troops!" on an almost daily basis. It gets mundane and we forget what it really means. I think that often when we hear "Support our Troops" we translate that to: "Support our War." So I would like to take a quick moment to clarify the difference for those of you who may not see it. And I'll be honest, I didn't always recognize the difference until I spent some time thinking about it last night.
We don't really know what soldiers see in Iraq and Afghanistan. In his poem War Memoir: Jazz, Don't Listen to it at Your Own Risk, Bob Kaufman says: "We were busy dying on living ground/Busy earning medals, for killing children on deserted/street corners" and then later on says, "Now in those terrible moments, when the dark memories come/The secret moments to which we admit to no one/When guiltily we crawl back in time, reaching away from/ourselves."
I think that Kaufman's poem shows us that there is a lot about what soldiers experience that we simply don't know about it. They see terrible things and sometimes, they have to do terrible things in order to save others. My point is this: We need to let them know that they are not alone in this endeavor. We need to let them know that they are cared for, and not judged for split second decisions. So we do what we can to support them. Maybe that's hugging them and whispering that everything will be okay. Maybe it's sending them cookies and letters. Whatever we do, we need to support our troops. We cannot shut our eyes and ears to the terrible things that happen overseas. We need to be aware of it. And we need to do what we can to help those who have to experience it. This isn't supporting the war, just those who are living in it.
So today, take the time to tell a soldier thank you. Whether or not they went to war, they all signed up for the military knowing that it was possible they could be sent to fight. And that is bravery and courage in and of itself.
I was thinking about this whole letter writing thing that I challenged everyone to on my facebook yesterday, and I wanted to make a small point: We hear "Support our Troops!" on an almost daily basis. It gets mundane and we forget what it really means. I think that often when we hear "Support our Troops" we translate that to: "Support our War." So I would like to take a quick moment to clarify the difference for those of you who may not see it. And I'll be honest, I didn't always recognize the difference until I spent some time thinking about it last night.
We don't really know what soldiers see in Iraq and Afghanistan. In his poem War Memoir: Jazz, Don't Listen to it at Your Own Risk, Bob Kaufman says: "We were busy dying on living ground/Busy earning medals, for killing children on deserted/street corners" and then later on says, "Now in those terrible moments, when the dark memories come/The secret moments to which we admit to no one/When guiltily we crawl back in time, reaching away from/ourselves."
I think that Kaufman's poem shows us that there is a lot about what soldiers experience that we simply don't know about it. They see terrible things and sometimes, they have to do terrible things in order to save others. My point is this: We need to let them know that they are not alone in this endeavor. We need to let them know that they are cared for, and not judged for split second decisions. So we do what we can to support them. Maybe that's hugging them and whispering that everything will be okay. Maybe it's sending them cookies and letters. Whatever we do, we need to support our troops. We cannot shut our eyes and ears to the terrible things that happen overseas. We need to be aware of it. And we need to do what we can to help those who have to experience it. This isn't supporting the war, just those who are living in it.
So today, take the time to tell a soldier thank you. Whether or not they went to war, they all signed up for the military knowing that it was possible they could be sent to fight. And that is bravery and courage in and of itself.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Remembering...
Veterans Day is coming up this week on November 11, 2009. Let's not forget to thank those who have so bravely served our country, whether we've agreed with the reason for them fighting or not. Many people do not see the need for war, and that's a fine view to have. Everyone has their own opinion on the past and present wars America has been involved with. But perhaps for this one day, we can set those aside so we can say to those who have served, "Thank you. It's a brave and courageous thing to join an armed service, and it's even more brave and courageous to fight for freedom. Thank you for putting your life on the line so we can have the freedom we enjoy today."
We all know at least one person who has fought, whether that's a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, mom, dad, co-worker, schoolmate, or friend. Maybe it's the homeless man who stands on the corner seeking money. Perhaps it's the woman who sits two cubicles down from you. Then again, it could be the guy behind the counter at Burger King, the member of your church who sings a little off-key, or your friends boyfriend.
Let's remember that whether or not they agreed with the war, they still served. They patrolled. They helped rebuild. They ended lives. They saved lives. They created and carried out operations to end terrorists plots. They saw things that no one should ever see. They lived to tell the tale. They carry it all around with them everyday.
So this November 11, please say the most important thing you can to a soldier: "Thank you."
We all know at least one person who has fought, whether that's a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, mom, dad, co-worker, schoolmate, or friend. Maybe it's the homeless man who stands on the corner seeking money. Perhaps it's the woman who sits two cubicles down from you. Then again, it could be the guy behind the counter at Burger King, the member of your church who sings a little off-key, or your friends boyfriend.
Let's remember that whether or not they agreed with the war, they still served. They patrolled. They helped rebuild. They ended lives. They saved lives. They created and carried out operations to end terrorists plots. They saw things that no one should ever see. They lived to tell the tale. They carry it all around with them everyday.
So this November 11, please say the most important thing you can to a soldier: "Thank you."
Soldier: a skilled WARRIOR
Thursday, October 29, 2009
I bought a new computer. It's an Asus. I'm not really super familiar with the brand, but the reviews were really good for it. So I decided to come sit at Panera and work on homework all afternoon...unfortunately all I've done so far is try and remember if I put deodorant on this morning. I swear I did. I know I did. I remember changing shirts and thinking "I hope I didn't get deodorant marks on that..." but I also feel like it's about time I reapply, which is silly, because I haven't done anything to be stinky for!! But still, I'm not going to work tonight without reapplying.
Anyways, my point was that I haven't done a whole lot of school work. I did watch a video on how to create a webpage that I need to do for class, so that was helpful. And I checked my EMU email, so that was smart. I think that now I'm going to attempt to start my webpage and utilize a really cool feature that Windows 7 has to offer. Basically, it splits your screen in two, so that one half of the screen is the reference page and the other half is the page you're working on!! SWEET!!
I also may go get myself a delicious tuna salad sandwich...it's making my mouth water, and I'm getting a growly stomach.
On the plus side of my day, my cat slept with me last night and I dreamt about her all night. It was a good dream. It made me happy. Dreams getting better = less stress?? Hopefully!! :)
Anyways, my point was that I haven't done a whole lot of school work. I did watch a video on how to create a webpage that I need to do for class, so that was helpful. And I checked my EMU email, so that was smart. I think that now I'm going to attempt to start my webpage and utilize a really cool feature that Windows 7 has to offer. Basically, it splits your screen in two, so that one half of the screen is the reference page and the other half is the page you're working on!! SWEET!!
I also may go get myself a delicious tuna salad sandwich...it's making my mouth water, and I'm getting a growly stomach.
On the plus side of my day, my cat slept with me last night and I dreamt about her all night. It was a good dream. It made me happy. Dreams getting better = less stress?? Hopefully!! :)
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Dreams...
I've been having nightmares for the past week. Really terrible and often violent ones. Each night a different one...here's a little sampling of a few...
1. Killed some random person by beating them in the head with a chain
2. Went into a house haunted by a demon and came out covered in needles. I was able to pull some of the needles out, but I couldn't hold them in my hand, I had to give them to a man to hold because (according to someone in my dream, lol) the demon didn't like women, so the needles would just shoot back at me like I was a magnetic. And some needles would break off inside and I couldn't get them out.
3. Watched Jax from Sons of Anarchy get shot and then run over by a combine.
Some people say that dreams are our subconscious trying to tell us something. I would agree with that. But I don't think these dreams are trying to tell me anything...do you?? I think that it's because I'm stressed, and I know that when I get stressed out, I have bad dreams. And sometimes, they are so bad that I don't want to fall asleep because I'm scared of what I'll dream. I mean, they're pretty disturbing if you think about it...beating someone in the head with a chain??? Where in the world would I come up with that!?
I need to lessen my stress load, but I don't know how!! I've got so much on my plate right now, and am barely making it paycheck to paycheck, but I know that in about a month and a half it will be over...at least until Student Teaching begins!! I know that working out is a great way to get rid of some stress, and there are a few days a week that I try to do that (I need to be better about it!!), but my schedule is so nuts that sometimes I feel like, "Oh my gosh! I have two hours before I go to work, I should really be writing that paper/creating that website/working on my unit plan/studying for my test/reading for class/preparing my lesson!" I need an extra day of the week, and maybe like, 5 more hours each day!!
So, if you have any advice for how to lessen stress then please, by all means, share it with me!! Because I need to end this before it gets too scary...
1. Killed some random person by beating them in the head with a chain
2. Went into a house haunted by a demon and came out covered in needles. I was able to pull some of the needles out, but I couldn't hold them in my hand, I had to give them to a man to hold because (according to someone in my dream, lol) the demon didn't like women, so the needles would just shoot back at me like I was a magnetic. And some needles would break off inside and I couldn't get them out.
3. Watched Jax from Sons of Anarchy get shot and then run over by a combine.
Clearly, my dreams have been affected by what I've seen, heard, or talked about during the day. For example, the night I dreamt of the demon, a guy I work with told me about the movie Paranormal Activity, which is about a demon who haunts a woman.
I watched Sons of Anarchy last night, and received an email yesterday from my uncle about a truck that collided with a combine.
I watched Sons of Anarchy last night, and received an email yesterday from my uncle about a truck that collided with a combine.
Some people say that dreams are our subconscious trying to tell us something. I would agree with that. But I don't think these dreams are trying to tell me anything...do you?? I think that it's because I'm stressed, and I know that when I get stressed out, I have bad dreams. And sometimes, they are so bad that I don't want to fall asleep because I'm scared of what I'll dream. I mean, they're pretty disturbing if you think about it...beating someone in the head with a chain??? Where in the world would I come up with that!?
I need to lessen my stress load, but I don't know how!! I've got so much on my plate right now, and am barely making it paycheck to paycheck, but I know that in about a month and a half it will be over...at least until Student Teaching begins!! I know that working out is a great way to get rid of some stress, and there are a few days a week that I try to do that (I need to be better about it!!), but my schedule is so nuts that sometimes I feel like, "Oh my gosh! I have two hours before I go to work, I should really be writing that paper/creating that website/working on my unit plan/studying for my test/reading for class/preparing my lesson!" I need an extra day of the week, and maybe like, 5 more hours each day!!
So, if you have any advice for how to lessen stress then please, by all means, share it with me!! Because I need to end this before it gets too scary...
Friday, October 23, 2009
Getting Warmer...
I subbed again today!!! And I did it at a school that I was a bit apprehensive about at first, but then when I got there it was FABULOUS!! My first two hours were a little noisy, but at least no one asked me if I was retarded! (see I love subbing??)
Fourth and sixth hour worked on short stories, and in fifth hour we read aloud from this book that I'm now dying to finish, Romiette and Julio!! It's kind of cheesy, but Luke says that I'm kind of cheesy, so I think it works out okay in the end, lol...
Anyways, it was fabulous, and I loved it, and I can't wait to get another job!! Now I'm going to go catch up on homework (or try to!), and pretend that I don't live with my parents because sometimes...we just grate on each other...
Fourth and sixth hour worked on short stories, and in fifth hour we read aloud from this book that I'm now dying to finish, Romiette and Julio!! It's kind of cheesy, but Luke says that I'm kind of cheesy, so I think it works out okay in the end, lol...
Anyways, it was fabulous, and I loved it, and I can't wait to get another job!! Now I'm going to go catch up on homework (or try to!), and pretend that I don't live with my parents because sometimes...we just grate on each other...
Thursday, October 22, 2009
You bring me joy!
So I just finished reading an AMAZING story (mostly autobiographical) called The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian. At one point in the story, three people in his life die and it really affects him (as it would anyone!) so he makes lists of things that bring joy to his life. I thought this would be fun to do...a great reminder that as terrible as we may think life is, there are many things that bring us joy in life!! I know that I'm leaving things and people and food out...but I limited it to ten per section or else it would've taken over my page!!!
People Who Bring Me Joy (in no particular order)
1. Luke
2. Jen
3. Meredith
4. Mom
5. Dad
6. Gina
7. Dave and Chuck the Freak (they made me laugh so hard this morning!!)
8. Emily M
9. Lindsey
10. Julianne
11. Jasmaine
Musicians who play the most joyous music
1. Jack Johnson
2. Bare Naked Ladies
3. Beyonce
4. Dave Matthews Band
5. Taylor Swift
6. The Fray
7. The Darkness
8. Death Cab for Cutie
9. Kanye West (GRADUATION album)
10. Gwen Stefani
Foods that bring me joy
1. Chips and salsa!!
2. Pepperoni Pizza
3. TACOS!!
4. Minestrone Soup
5. Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich at Subway
6. Buttery popcorn
7. Spicier Nacho Doritoes
8. Trader Joe's Chicken Taco's
9. Caesar Salad at Library Pub
10. Sante Fe Wrap at Rio Wraps
11. Mexi-cali Dip and Frito's...thanks to Gina!
Books that bring me Joy
1. All Confessions of a Shopaholic
2. Sex, Drugs, and Coco Puffs
3. To Kill A Mockingbird
4. Fahrenheit 451
5. Something Borrowed
6. Something Blue
7. Good Grief
8. Twilight Series
9. Rise and Shine
10. Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
