Monday, August 24, 2009

She does exist.

Erin tells me I need to update my blog, and she's right. Although to be honest, besides her, I'm not really sure who even reads this thing... but I guess that's not important. At least I have one adoring fan (thanks Erin!).

Here's the latest update, since it seems it's been six months (six months!!) since my last post:
- I quit my job at Sawyer working as the Executive Assistant to the CEO. "Quit?!" you say. Yes. Yes I did. Not the most well thought out decision I've ever made in my laugh, but I managed, thank goodness. Quite possibly one of the best things I've done so far this year. Not only do I work a normal 40 hours a week, but I've also gotten rid of the vibrating sensation I'd feel from having a Blackberry even if I did not have my Blackberry on me. It's nice not to twitch anymore.
- I was recently hired for a permanent position at MIT two weeks ago and I love it. Not only is it awesome to be in an academic environment again, but MIT is actually a pretty awesome employer. Benefits are great, perks are almost better, and I'll have the opportunity to take advantage of tuition reimbursement for my graduate degree. It doesn't get any sweeter than that.
- I will be relocating from Brighton to Cambridge by the end of the month. Things happened, words were exchanged and it was decided that my current roommate and I would not be living together after our lease expired the end of this month. After exploring the cyber classifieds Craigs List has to offer, I found a great room with really nice people in Central Square. It's closer to work, right in the middle of all the Cambridge coolness, and a couple T stops from downtown Boston. Not only that, the rent is cheaper. Maybe this will be a good year after all...
- And lastly I've embarked on a personal quest to explore all opportunities presented to me. To no longer dwell on the negative, but rather embrace the positive. I made a vow to myself shortly after my mother passed away that I would no longer take things for granted, but sadly have veered from my vow over the last couple years. I'm looking to find myself again, find the old Megan, but at the same time work to strengthen and solidify the many many lessons and revelations I've experienced as of late. Already I feel a change and it is good. Like I'm shaking off the dust and instead letting my inner light shine. Cheesy? Perhaps, but whatever it is, I don't mind it. :)

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Sunday, February 8, 2009

The Grammys

Also, one last thing (as always) I'm watching The Grammys, something I don't ever recall doing before, and I've been so blown away with all the artist compilations they featured throughout the whole show. It's so amazing and it just reaffirms once again why I absolutely adore music and everything about it. I just want to dance!! And it made me really jealous of Justin Timberlake. Silly, yes, I won't deny that, but this guy is so young and successful. And that's all young and great, but what I'm most impressed with is how many amazing artists he has met and sung with. Tonight he got to sing with Smokey Robinson; later on in the show Paul McCartney and the guy from Foo Fighters sang together; then there was another performance with B.B. King, John Mayer, Keith Urban and some other guy that I should know, but wasn't paying attention when they introduced him. So many times I wanted to jump up and dance, and while I was able to control myself, I couldn't help but sing a long to the songs I knew. It makes me wish like crazy that I had some kind of musical talent, whether it be writing songs, lyrics, playing an instrument, managing a band, etc... I'm definitely in the wrong line of business.

I would post a clip, but there's nothing on YouTube yet, so you'll just have to take my word for it. I promise though that when I do become a famous back up guitar player, I will not forget all my peeps. You guys will all be at the show with me. :) I'm off now to have wonderful musical dreams. Goodnight!

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Age is a state of mind.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about getting old, or getting older I should say. Just today my brother is celebrating his 25th birthday – he’s now a quarter of a century old. I feel like the 20s are sort of an extension of growing up, sort of like a free-for-all, maybe a more independent and adventurous extension of the teenage years. But when you think of it in terms of quarter centuries and decades, it’s a bit daunting. Even still, many of my close friends will be turning 25 as well, others 24, myself included.

Mentally, I still feel as though I’m still that pimply-faced, awkward teenager roaming my high school campus still trying to figure out who I am and what I want to do with my life. Granted I have more responsibility (imagine that) and a greater sense of independence, but I still have a hard time picturing myself as a college graduate and member of 9 to 5 work club. I still cannot believe that I pay my own rent, have my own place, and am paying my own utilities, providing my own health insurance… And Lord knows what’s coming next.

But with BJ’s birthday today and the realization that my 25th is not too far off in the future, I’ve been feeling a little old, a little crotchety, a little like I might not have done everything I could’ve done with the first 25 years of my life. That is, until I met a bright eyed 15 year old girl while at lunch today. Lola and I went to Panera for some hot soup and to catch up some neglected reading. It was terribly crowded, like any soup and sandwich shop would be at 1:00P on a Sunday afternoon and as a result, many people were left searching for a place to sit. We had one empty chair so Lola asked a young girl to sit with us. Of course we got to talking and learned that she was just 15 and a sophomore in high school. She was amazed to hear we had already been to and graduated from college and was so envious of our experiences and independence. She made me feel as though I had seen the world, and was so impressed because I had lived so many places and had an internship in DC. Her energy and spirit of adventure was contagious and while I still have a huge list of things I want to do in my life, she made me proud of what I have already accomplished and excited for what is to come in the future. She made me feel young again, which is such a funny thing to say at 23. But my goodness! I’m only 23! There’s no reason why I should be moping. I can still be a rockstar, travel the world, and write a best-selling novel.

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Thursday, February 5, 2009

one more thing

You've probably already seen this since I've most likely passed it along to you in the form of an e-mail, Facebook post, etc. but this is my new favorite thing. I watched four times yesterday and each time I came to tears, I was laughing so hard.

Enjoy! David at the dentist...

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Recap.

It's not exactly Valentine's Day yet, but I figured that it would be a nice to change to spice up my blog and get back into the groove of posting, or at least the little bit of a groove that I had last year. So I found this really groovy blog layout; of course it's only good for another week or so, but it reminded me so much of how Valentine's Day used to be fun, like in elementary school with all the candy hearts and handcrafted Valentine's Day mailboxes and the biggest pressure was whether or not you give out Winnie the Pooh or Hello Kitty cards - 'twas fun. But alas! those days are gone. On to bigger and better things...

Let's see... how about a recap? Christmas was awesome. I got to spend it with my family. BJ came, Molly was there, and my aunt Arlene, too - it was so nice! It made me really wish that I lived closer to my family. The week went by too fast, but it was filled with so much laughter and fun, it was definitely what the doctor ordered. It's been really tough living in a new place and re-learning how to make new friends and so I have been a little lonely lately, but time with my family was food for my soul.

And then I made a spur of the moment decision to fly out west to Arizona to visit some more. Actually, it wasn't as spontaneous as I make it sound to be - I knew Erin and Katie would be home from South America and that January was the best time to go so that I could see both of them, so the idea was definitely in my head, but the trip came about so last minute that it was sort of a rush when it all happened. Ann was so generous and allowed me to use her last flight pass and before you know it, I was on a plan headed west. 10 days with sunshine and old friends and I felt like a whole new person. It was so good seeing everyone and spending time with E&K, I wanted to make it last longer. The network of friends and family I have was so wonderful and comforting; I'm always dumbfounded by the reception I've gotten each time I go home - it's absolutely amazing and while I'll never understand it, I've learned not to question things I treasure. The weather was awesome, too, and after getting stuck late one night on an icy hill in Boston for a couple hours, I was tempted to stay for the rest of the winter. But as much as I love Arizona, I knew that my place right now is in Boston. There's something about it that I just absolutley love and, while I'm still adjusting, I know that if I'm patient just a little while longer, things will start to fall into place. A perfect world for me would be to bring all the people I love from Arizona over to Boston, but until I can make that happen, I'll be happy to travel between the two. :)


Now it's February (oh my God! it's February already!) and I still haven't gotten used to writing "09" on checks, letters, etc. and probably won't until at least late April, but I'm feeling good about this year. And according to my Chinese horoscope (yes, a couple days ago, I did extensive research on Chinese astrology after reading an article on the Chinese New Year), this is going to be a good year. Now, I'm not a huge follower of horoscopes, fortune telling, etc. but I figure if it's coming from the Chinese, they're pretty smart so I figure it's a little more credible than other sources.

Last note: it was -8 degrees today when I came into work at 7:15A (what?!). All you Arizona people enjoy your amazing weather now, but just wait til summer when the tables are turned...

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Thursday, December 4, 2008

Quiz time!!

It's late on a Thursday night and I'm still at work right now. Nights like these are rare (thank goodness!), but yet here we are! So instead of working on the project I have before me, I decided to take a mental break and participate in some quizzes I found online. Fun! Here are the results:

What Flower Are You?
You are a Sunflower. You are spirited and vivacious. Willing to do anything to help others be happy, and ask nothing in return. You always see the bright side of any situation and are the life of the party. It is impossible to feel down when you are around. -- Oh, how nice!

What Office Character Are You? (couldn't resist this one...)
You are Pam. You are sweet and likable, but your shyness makes it hard for you to express yourself sometimes. Regardless, you are always there for your friends and will usually come out of your shell to help anyone. -- I guess that fits...

Which Harry Potter Character Are You?
You are Fred and George. You're a joker at heart, but when push comes to shove, you know what's important.

What Beer Are You? (thought this one would be interesting for some reason...)
You are a Bud Light. You are fun, likable, and rowdy--and you can always be found wherever there's a party. You may be lacking a little in the sophistication department, but who cares, you are cheap and don't really worry about taste! -- not sure how I feel about that one...

Which Spice Girl Are You? (couldn't resist this one, I'm sorry)
You are Scary Spice. No one sets and achieves goals like you. Once you get your mind set on something there is no way you'll fail. You give 110% to all your relationships and to yourself as well. Most people get exhausted just by looking at your schedule, but keeping busy is what motivates you. You are always there for a friend and care deeply for those close to you.

What is your theme song?
Your theme song is "Soak Up the Sun" - Sheryl Crow. You are a very laid back person. You let life happen and just go with it. You are optimistic and think the rest of the world needs to "lighten up" and just take it how it's given to you.

Which Action Hero Are You? (ooooo!! this will be exciting!)
It's a tie!
You are part Chuck Norris.
You fight for truth and justice with a custom truck and a never-ending supply of roundhouse kicks to the face! At the peak of your career you had your own cartoon, but what you'll be remembered for is a never ending supply of internet one-liners.
You are part Daniel Craig. Bond, James Bond. Keep up your suave style but don't forget to remain a bad ass. Money and romance is more your style, so don't get your hands too dirty. - hahahahah!!

Which Disney Villain Are You?
You are Lady Tremaine. You're the evil stepmother little girls have nightmares about. Hooray for you, who helped kids learn to love their birth parents and do everything possible to avoid stepparents. Next time, though, be careful not to get in between a girl and her dreams. -- interesting...

Which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Character Are You?
You are Raphael. You have a sarcastic wit, but it can sometimes get you into trouble. -- big disappointment. Raphael is the worst of the four....

Ok, this is the last one. I have to get back to work...

Which Disney Pixar Character Are You?
It's a tie!
You are part Woody.
You've got an overall well-rounded character, but your insecurity sticks out like a sore thumb. If you ever want to recapture your past stardom, you're going to have to accept that the game has changed and you'll need some help.
You are part Dory. You are naive and gullible. Wait, that's a good thing. Your ability to trust any stranger is a trait not many people have, but be more cautious next time a stranger offers to buy you lunch or you might find yourself in a fishy situation. -- ummm... I think I like the results?

Ok, for real, the last one:

What Instrument Will Lead You to Your Rockstar Dreams?
You should be a Pianist. You are relatively unassuming and tend not to attract attention to yourself. Level headed, you are the one who always comes up with a solution or compromise to a problem. With a massive amount of focused energy you are able to accomplish many goals with seemingly little effort. Your frequently annoying to others. -- hahah I'm annoying. How sad!

Hope you enjoyed that. I have to get back to work now...

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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Fish are not Nature's most simple creature

Over the summer, we had some interns in our office to help with some demographic research our company was doing. While they were here, they decided to adopt a fish from the local pet store. They set him up with a cute little fish tank, some rocks, and a little groovy sea-tree and affectionately named him Schlomo, The Peace Fish. I feel like I've mentioned this before.... yes, I have. Ok, so moving right along... I have nothing against fish, however, this fish has caused me nothing but grief since the moment I got it. Actually that's not entirely true either. He's been pretty good to me, which less than I can say for how I've treated him. You see, a couple weeks ago, one of my co-workers got a McDonald's Happy Meal complete with a groovy little mini-Barbie. While observing Schlomo in his solitary existence within his little plastic fish bowl world, we decided it would be a good idea to give him some company, and what better company than a mini blonde bombshell? So we put her in there. Everything was fine for a couple weeks - Schlomo excitedly swam about her and Barbie's plastered grin never wavered, and all was good in the world. That is until one Monday morning I came into work only to notice that Schlomo's fish bowl was a decidely yucky colored green. Algae covered the walls and rocks - yuck. Something had to be done. And what could've caused this? Barbie. No doubt about it. I tell you, she fools you with her innocent all-American image; she's clearly up to no good. That said, I cleaned out the tank and it looked good as new. Barbie and Schlomo officially broke it off and so he was left again to swim along by himself.

Now that was about a week ago. And for some strange reason, the fish tank is back to that yucky colored green again. I don't know what it was this time, but I tell you one thing, marine biology is not my calling.


The picture doesn't really do it justice though - it seems worse in person...

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Friday, November 7, 2008

The Office

The Office is, hands down, my most favorite TV show. Ever. I'm sure I'm in the company of many others when I say this, but I can't help it, it's great! I could be the absolute worst mood ever, feeling down and dreary, and I put in an episode of The Office and it's like I completely forget myself. Erin, Katie, Ann and I used to do that when I was still living in Arizona. I had gotten all three seasons (there were only three seasons at that point) for Christmas from Lola and so we decided we had to watch all of them. So we did!! And it was so much fun. All the characters are so great, and most of them are quite lovable. My favorites of course are Jim and Dwight. From one of my favorite episodes, here is a picture of Jim dressing up and impersonating Dwight:


I've also decided to spread my Office enthusiasm to, in fact, my own office and purchase the 16 month wall calendar and desk calendar. I'm such a nerd that I'm writing about this, but it's the little things that I get excited about. :)

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Thursday, November 6, 2008

Notes on the election

As everyone already knows, the presidential election is over and for the past couple days every political commentator, analyst, and journalist has exhausted their opportunity to put their two cents in on the results, why voters voted the way did, what they predict will happen in the future, etc. That is, except me. :)

Don't worry though, I'll be short and to the point... or at least I'll try to be. As I've heard many other people say since Tuesday, never have I been more proud to be an American, and I say that for a couple reasons. Since elementary school, I remember reading in history books about the great generations before us, those that endured the Revolutionary War and secured our nation's independence; the suffragettes who risked their safety and reputations to ensure women's right to vote; the many Americans that fought for our country in WWII and those that stayed home to provide and support the troops abroad all while maintaining normalcy as best they could at home; the many Americans, both white and black, that fought for Civil Rights; and the list goes on. I was proud of those that lived before me, who risked everything all for a better tomorrow. But thing about all that I read was that it was another generation, not mine. Granted, I'm not really old enough to have a legacy just yet and it is a little difficult to save the world when your biggest problems in life are trying to pass linear Algebra and keeping your room clean, but reading history made me want to leave my mark, whether it be individually or part of a collective group. For the first time this week, I felt as though I was part of something greater that had historical significance and would result in positive and progressive change for our country. We elected the nation's first black president and I can tell my children and grand children that I was a part of it; that's pretty awesome.

Not only was the actual outcome impressive, I was almost more excited about the activity that lead up to the election. Never have I seen (and yes, I do know that I am still quite young, but still) such an interest in a presidential election, or any election for that matter, in my lifetime. When I was younger, my mom would always take my brother, sister, and I to the polls with her when she voted. She would do her thing while we went over to the kids' section and filled out junior ballots, after which we each got an "I voted" sticker, which was what I was actually looking forward to most of all. But what I did notice, and more so as I got older, that voting wasn't really the cool thing to do. Whether it was apathy or a feeling of insignificance, most people didn't see the value in taking the ten minutes needed to cast their vote. However, that all seemed to change in this election. Like usual, campaign coverage started two years ago, typical for a presidential election, but so did the push to get people registered to vote and aware of the issues effecting our country and the world today. And what was even more impressive was the response. Movie stars, musicians, athletes, prominent social figures all worked to encourage people citizens to register and vote on election day. From what I've noticed, young people in the 18-30 demographic had a huge influence in the election, more so than ever before, through campaigning and getting the word out themselves. Whether or not your candidate got elected, it's important to notice that people have finally caught and realized that their vote does make a difference, that it makes a statement. And whatever the outcome, it was so neat to see how loudly and clearly the People's statement was. I honestly got goosebumps while watching the footage of the election, seeing the percentages and updates as they came in. I'm so proud of our country for finally realizing their impact and taking action, for actually caring about the outcome and their future.

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Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!!

In general, I wouldn't say I was a big fan of Halloween, at least not any more. Of course like any half-way normal kid, the idea of dressing up as someone entirely different than yourself and going from door to door asking for free candy, and actually getting it, was awesome and seemingly too good to be true. But the thing is, when a good thing is good, don't stop to wonder why, just enjoy it.

Unfortunately, no good thing lasts forever, as is evident in the fact that if I tried to dress up today at the ripe old age of 23 going from door to door asking for candy I'd either be considered crazy or creepy, both of which mean basically the same thing. Now a days, Halloween is seen as a holiday where guys dress up in the most gross costume they can find, either drenched with fake blood or whatever, and girls dress in as little clothes they possibly can while still keeping the slightest resemblance to whatever character it is they were trying to dress up as. That just isn't appealing to me at all and personally it's way too cold here in Boston to even think of dressing up, or maybe I should say, not dressing up.

But enough with the negativity. There are many reasons why I really do love Halloween. I'm not sure when it started, or even how it started, but a tradition began when I was younger and in elementary school when Erin and Katie, and I remember Kim, too, would all get together around Halloween and make decorations, carve pumpkins and, if I remember correctly, baked cookies, or something of along those lines. It was always so much fun, in fact we even made jack-o-lanterns together last year, and I'm sure if we were all within a 45 mile radius of one another, we'd get together and do it again this year.

And like I said, I used to dress up when I was younger, and I fondly remember my brother going as a "dead Confederate soldier" something like four years in a row, and my mom putting my sister in the already-outgrown dragon costume from five years prior. I myself, was a witch for at least three times during my youth, although I don't think it was consecutive years. So ya, we recycled costumes, but there was nothing like coming home that night and trading and bartering candy with my brothers and sisters - I never liked licorice or Twizzlers so I used to pawn it off to one of them in exchange of course for the more highly-demanded Butterfinger or Kit Kat. And then being able to take candy to school with you for lunch, even if you didn't eat your sandwich first, but instead chowed down on a package of Whoppers. Oh, it was good to be a kid!!

For now though, Happy Halloween to my brother and sister and to Erin, Katie, and Kim of course!

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

J. Mraz

Earlier this summer, Lola had gotten me tickets to see Jason Mraz in concert here in Boston for my birthday, the concert of which was just this past Friday. He's been one of my absolute favorite artists for several years now. I've been a fan of his since his first album release back in 2002, but I had never seen him perform despite the fact that I lived just outside NYC for four years while in college. But nevertheless, I was finally given the opportunity to see him live and it was so awesome! He has such a stage presence and is amazingly gifted when it comes to writing music and lyrics, it was definitely one of the best concerts I had ever been to - it was so much fun! While I tried to take pictures of him, none of them really came out very well since my camera (which is a few years old now and slightly outdated) couldn't seem to take a clear picture of him in the dark theater. Therefore, I had to hi-jack a picture from the concert from someone on Picasa. I hope that's ok...

Here he is in all his fabulous musical glory:




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Thursday, October 16, 2008

It's not very nice, but I couldn't help but laugh.

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Friday, October 10, 2008

Note to self...

Limit the number of years you choose to keep a job that requires staring at a computer all day. I don't want your eyes to fall out by the time you are 28.


I would say that half the days I spend at work, probably less, I am sitting and staring at a computer screen all day. I understand that technology is important in today's society and in actuality there will be a lot more of it in the next twenty years, making it so that most tasks we undertake during the regular day will somehow involve computers, etc. in way. But man, I've been sittting at my computer all day, save for maybe a total of 30-45 min. It's now 4:15P, I got in the office at around 9:30A. I'll make sure my next job will require less computer-screen staring so that my eyeballs don't explode before I'm 30.

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Happy Friday!! :D

I absolutely love Fridays, as I'm sure most people who work M-F, 9-5 jobs do. It's a very liberating day, one that I feel punctuates the end of the week quite nicely. With that said, I'm sitting here at my desk at work not doing work and looking for ways to waste my time. Google Reader is one of the greatest inventions ever as it helps me keep abreast of the latest news in politics, music, movies, books, and most importantly, my friends. Which leads to the idea for this blog. Just a few days ago, my friend Kim posted an entry on names, so being the original person that I am, I decided to copy her. :) Below is a list of names that I would have, based on the formulas Kim provided, if I were of the described personas. Enjoy!

1. Rock Star name: Charlie Spectra (first pet + current car)
2. Gangster name: Strawberry Oatmeal (favorite ice cream + favorite cookie)
3. Detective name: Blue Koala (favorite color + favorite animal)
4. Soap Opera name: Kathleen Casa Grande (middle name + city where you were born)
5. Star Wars name: Wil-Me (first 3 letters of your last name + first 2 letters of your first)
6. Superhero name: The Purple Dr. Pepper ("The" + 2nd favorite color + favorite drink)
7. Nascar name: Jim Robert (grandfathers' first names)
8. TV Weatherman name: Volz Versailles (5th grade teacher's last name + major city starting with the same letter)
9. Hippy name: Apple Redwood (what you ate for breakfast + favorite tree)
10. Rock band name: The Living Thunder ("The" + favorite hobby + favorite weather element)

Ahhh that was fun. A couple things though, 1) I am not proud nor do I tell many people that I was, in fact, born in Casa Grande, AZ. It's a weird thing to have happen since apparently the hospital there was so crappy in the 80s that everyone else I know of who lived in my town went to the Phoenix area to be born. My being born there could explain a lot of my abnormalities, among other things... and 2) I can't really think of a favorite hobby so I just put in the general "Living" for no. 10, but I think the name came out pretty cool anyway.

And just as a fun fact, I was never told of what I would've been named if I was a boy, or even an alternate girl's name I might have had. It seems as though my mom was pretty set on the name "Megan" for me, which apparently she discovered while reading the book The Thornbirds. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story, I believe is about a priest who raises a young girl after she's been orphaned, then leaves to go on some type of religious mission only to come back and find the girl fully grown and that he's in love with her, or something like that (I have never had any interest in watching the movie, which starred the androgynous Richard Chamberlain, or reading the book, since it kind of creeps me out). The girl's name in the story is either "Meg" or "Megan." Awesome. Also, the name served a dual purpose as it is Gaelic for Margaret, which was both my grandmother's name and my mom's name, who I was to be named after. Thankfully it sounded a whole lot better though.

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Friday, September 26, 2008

Geez.

I am long winded sometimes...

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things I want to do at some point in my life

I'm sitting at work now and I'm thinking a lot of things. I'm thinking that I probably shouldn't be posting because I have other things that are much more important and pending and I'll have to make up for lost time later, but that's ok. I'm also thinking that I'm really lucky because, despite how difficult things can be at times, I'm in a far better situation than some other people and so I shouldn't complain and instead should be grateful. I have a job. That's awesome. And I have a good job, and a job that I enjoy, at least for the most part. I also have an apartment, a place to stay that's warm and has a bed. I'm healthy (knock on wood) and I have, hands down, the best family and friends anyone could ever ask for, so honestly, what more could a girl want? So all in all, I'm pretty content with the way things are.

But with that said, I decided to take a moment and reflect on some of the things I would like to do or to accomplish in my life. Some are a little more "unrealistic" than others perhaps, but I think it's about time I started to hone in on more specific goals instead of the generic. So here goes:

1) I want to travel.
This is a biggie. Huge, in fact. This is probably the one thing I want to do more than anything else. If was able to wander and explore the face of the world for a few years, even if I was ridiculously poor and had to work random jobs to get from place to place, I wouldn't care. There is so much out there to see, so many people to meet, so many cultures to experience, so much history to soak in, if I miraculously found a job that would pay me to travel the world, I would exist in a state of euphoria. But even if I don't find said career, I plan on saving for the next couple years so that I can live abroad, or at the very least travel for a few months. Where would you I go? you might ask. I would go every where. Start off in Europe, specifically Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, England, Belgium, Italy, Greece, etc. Then I would slowly venture into North Africa, Egypt and so on, and then dip down to South Africa. After that I would explore India and Maylasia, Indonesia, and Japan. Vietnam would be interesting, too, and maybe China, although for some reason I don't find China as interesting as other countries... Then I'd head south to New Zealand and Australia and then circle back up through South America (Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, etc.). Oh man, that would be awesome!!
2) I want to work in the music industry.
I don't really care what it is I would be doing, I just want to have the opportunity to experience live music on a regular basis and to help others access it as well. I would love to be a music scout, maybe for a record company or a TV show or movie or something. I always love discovering new artists and I actually take pride in my music library, as I think it's pretty diverse and I would say at least half full of many bands and musicians that most people haven't really heard. I love it when I find a new song or artist and then a year or so later they're on the radio or being featured in a local venue or something. To work in the music industry would be totally awesome.
3) I want to teach.
I'm not sure what age (elementary vs. high school - I think I would avoid middle school altogether...), but at some point in my life, I want to teach. My parents were both teachers, so I resisted the thought entirely for quite some time, as I didn't want to follow in their footsteps, so to speak. But the more I think about it, the more I would love it. My mom was an amazing teacher and she spread her passion for education and learning to so many people, young and old. Always supportive and always encouraging, she helped many people with their educations, including her children, her husband, her best friend, and countless others. She was a great role model - why wouldn't anyone want to follow in her footsteps? And I'm not sure what subject I would teach (I'm referring to high school level of course), but I think I would enjoy either math or government. English/literature would be fun, too, but I think my passions lie in the former two subjects.
4) I want to be an artist.
This one is kind of vague, yes, and I don't know exactly what type of artist I would want to be (i.e. painting, music, etc.), but at some point in my life I want to create something terribly honest and terribly true to who I am. I want it to be all me, 100%. I don't care if it's on the amateur level or professional, but just to have something that I alone created would be absolutely amazing.
5) I want to write a book.
I've been told by many different people that I should write a book. People have told me, for reasons I don't entirely understand, that I have a talent for writing and expressing ideas, and with the very interesting experiences I've had in my life, I think it would be at somewhat interesting story.
6) I want to become a certified handwriting analyist, and maybe even work as a criminal profiler.
So if the traveling thing doesn't work out and I can't seem to manage to find a job in the music industry, this is definitely the third job tied in first place for my dream career. I don't know what it is, but there is something terribly fascinating about handwriting analysis and graphology. I try to buy as many books as I can find on the subject and I absolutely love it!! It's an amazing tool to learn more about a person you haven't even met, or even someone you have. It's kind of like a secret weapon, or maybe not a weapon, but a tool or a talent that you have that no one really knows about. I love learning about people.

Ok, so this is just the beginning. I just kind of started rambling after a while perhaps, and maybe these are a little more generic than I had expected. However, the list is not over. It's just all of what I could come with on a Friday afternoon at 4:00P while wasting time before I get to go home. And you know, it's not so much that I want to be rich or famous or "successful" as some people like to say, it's just that I want to have experiences. Honest experiences. I love connecting with people and seeing how they tick and I figure the best way for me to start to do that is to figure out myself first. I have this hunger for learning, for exploring, and in case you haven't noticed, sometimes it's difficult for me to sit still or to say in the same place for a long period of time. I just get ansy, I don't know what it is. Call it impatience, call it crazy, call it whatever you want. But I know that right now I am in no mood to sit still or to settle.

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Thursday, September 25, 2008

I think...

I think that if I never have to make another flight reservation or any travel arrangements for the rest of my life, I will die a happy woman. I swear I have cancelled and rescheduled so many at work this week that will probably go crazy if I have to do another one. At least I know now being a travel agent is not my dream job.

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Thursday, September 11, 2008

sniffles.

Seems like I've caught a cold, but thankfully it's not a bad one. I've always had pride in my amazing immune system, since usually I only get one cold a year, generally around December or January, and then I'm home free until the following winter, but the story is different this year. Two days ago I woke up with a slightly sore throat, then the next day, instead of a sore throat, I sneezed all day. Now it's sneezing and stuffy nose... I think the inevitable is coming.

Luckily, it's not that bad of a cold and the symptoms are pretty minor in comparison to colds I've experienced in the past. And I'm also really happy that tomorrow is Friday, which means the weekend is just around the corner. If I had Internet at my apartment, I might even be able to just have a sick day at home, but I'll probably have to come in for at least a few hours tomorrow. It could be worse though.

My mission for the next couple days: lots of sleep (woohoo! can't argue with that) and lots of OJ (not Simpson, although I read somewhere that they're almost done picking the jury for his most recent court case).

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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

funny thing happened on the way to Target...

Ok, so it wasn't actually on the way to Target, but while I was actually there. But I thought it would be fun to slip in a Stephen Sondheim reference there.

Anyway... so I went to Target last night. Wait, let me back track for a second. Lola and I moved into our apartment last weekend (YAY!) so we have now officially relocated to Boston. Funny thing is, we don't have much to fill it, with the exception of our beds, making it so that it echoes a bit, but I'm digressing. The other morning though, we had an incident with our toilet, and NO! it's not because of anything that either Lola or I did, the water pressure isn't that great which makes it difficult to flush, etc. etc. So I thought it would be good to purchase a few bathroom items in the event that we have any major problems with the toilet, i.e. toilet brush, toilet cleaner, plunger, and a few other necessary household items, and so I ventured off to Target. Now mind you, I just moved here in January, which I guess is now nine months (wow! I didn't know it's been that long already!), but I still don't really know anyone. When I'm not working, I'm sleeping, and the people I work with are slightly older so they don't typically do things that recent college grads would do and so on - in summation though, I have no friends, I don't know anyone. Ok, so to recap, I'm in Target buying embarassing, yet necessary items for proper bathroom maintenance and am dressed in my most comfortable pair of sweats and one of my favorite sweatshirts because it had been raining that day so it was cold and I just wanted to be comfortable after a long day of work. So I'm scooting my little cart around, walking down the aisle and stop to compare toilet bowl brushes and plungers, when all of a sudden someone strangely familiar comes around the corner. I look at him, recognize him as someone I've definitely seen before, but I can't really put my finger on it and then it hits me - this guy played in one of the games from my work's softball team. He doesn't work with me (thank goodness because that would've been even more embarassing) but he played a few times as a back up player and actually gave me a mini fifteen minute lesson on how to properly swing a bat. My face instantly turns red and I look to see where I can make the quickest and least noticable escape. But it didn't work! We make eye contact and I can feel my face go beet red again. CRAP! Ok, so I calm down, realizing that there's no way I can avoid the situation without at least saying hello, so I do. He says hello then proceeds to tell me we had a class together, Prof So-and-So, but I cut him off before he finishes, only because I'm so embarassed and I'm trying to divert his attention from my toilet accessory filled cart, and tell him that we played softball together. Oh right! he says, you work at Sawyer. Yep, yes I do... so what brings you to Target? Then we proceed to talk about mops since they are on the other wall in the aisle, and he tells me that cloth mops are better than sponge mops, yet I disagreed, but how he couldn't find the refill for the one he has... it was very stimulating conversation. Of course I was entirely preoccupied the entire time with just getting the heck out of there!! Then, the moment I was waiting for, he just so happens to glance down at my cart, clearly seeing what was in it. He makes a face, realizes he's made a face, then pretends he didn't make the face, and then tries to ignore the fact that he looked in my cart altogether. Then he tells me you can get great picture frames at Target for a great price. Great! I say. Ummm.. ok, well I'm going to head out, it was good seeing you! But just as I was about to go, his friend comes around the corner which led to a round of introductions and another five minutes of awkward conversation. Finally, though, and I don't remember how I did it to be honest, I escaped. But I did see them at least five different times after that in various aisles in the store (and at the checkout, but I quickly maneuvered my cart in the opposite direction, pretending I had forgotten to pick something up).

The story is lengthy, yes, I agree. But what baffles me the most is that of all times, on all days, in all places, looking as terribley bummy bohemian as I did, why did I have to run into the one and only person that would ever recognize me in Boston?! And with a toilet plunger in my cart!!! He must think I have a terrible... well I honestly don't even want to imagine what he might think... Anyway, it was completely embarassing, but extremely funny all the same.

PS Stay tuned for pictures of the new apartment.

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Thursday, September 4, 2008

completely disturbing, but strangely intriguing...

It's now become my daily routine while at work to check the latest headlines through Google News. Granted I don't read all of the articles, in fact I'd say I probably read less than 1% of them. But I have found that even if I don't read the articles, I can usually get a general gist of what's going on simply from the title.

With that said, I just so happened to read a headline that really peeked my interest, I think it was an article on the FoxNews website. In all honestly, I don't remember what the article was about, but what struck me even more was a link I found just to the lower left of where the end of the article finished on the webpage. The headline referred to what was called the "Montauk monster" but what intrigued me most of all was the picture that was positioned next to it. I clicked on the article and this is what I saw. Now I'm sure many of you might have already seen it, as I'm usually the last to hear/read about anything that goes on anywhere in the world, but I have to admit, it still freaked me out. I'm looking at the picture of the so-called Montauk monster and am strangely perplexed. What could it be? Or more importantly, is it real? And although it's absolutely horrific to look at, it's one of those things that you know you're going to hate, but you just can't help but look at it.

Here's a picture if you don't believe me:

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