.... It has been a hell of a year.
I'm back in school which sucks. I'm glad I'm doing it but it's hard to adjust. The whole not having free time thing is killing me. Leland has picked up all of the slack though, making things much easier. But it's hard and I'm frustrated.
The winter weather is really getting to me, even though we haven't had a bad winter at all. I'm not myself and I'm not quite sure what to do about it.
I'm on weight watchers and I love it. I have lost 14 pounds so far and instead of being happy about my success I am kicking myself for not doing it sooner. Why do I do that?
But enough about me, how are all of you?
Friday, March 9, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Well Hello!
You know, I never intend to take these breaks, they just
sort of seem to happen.
It has been a long time.
And really, I have no excuses and no lame reasons for being gone. Life has been rather simple and boring
lately. But I am going to try this again.
Right now.
When the timing is oh so bad.
You see, in two weeks I will be starting school again and my
life will actually be busy. I should
have been blogging when everything was quiet and easy, but apparently that just
isn’t how I do things. I actually like
chaos. I thrive in chaos. So maybe having too much stuff to do will
actually be better for me. Maybe, just
maybe, I will start to get more things done.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in English, and as you probably
suspect, that degree hasn’t really been doing much for me lately. Or ever.
I am thirty years old and I am still working at what was supposed to
just be a college job. For the past TEN
YEARS, I have been making myself feel better about staying at a job I loathe by
saying things like “Oh, but it’s only 15 minutes from home and it’s so
convenient.” Or sometimes I’ll tell
myself that the four weeks of vacation I get make up for being miserable the
other 48 weeks of the year. But my all
time favorite excuse is that I can leave work at work, so in the evenings and
on the weekends I have all the time in the world to pursue things that actually
interest me. But no, I have not been
using my time wisely.
I have been thinking about nursing for quite some time. I actually thought about it before I decided
to get my ever so helpful degree in English.
I don’t know why I never followed through. But in October I had a breakthrough.
I sell bolts and nuts for a living. Yes, it is as glamorous as it sounds.
Every year my two bosses go to the fastener convention in
Vegas. When they came back, the boss I
like had all sorts of stories to tell me.
But the story that pushed me over the edge was this one:
The boss I like came in the office, all geared up and exited
after the convention. He had some
paperwork for me that he picked up in Vegas.
Apparently there is a new organization forming for women in the fastener
industry and he wanted me to join and be a part of it. And then he went on to tell me that when they
were talking to the person about me joining the women in the fastener industry
organization, the boss I do not like said, “why would you want Aly to be part
of it? All she does is answer the phones.”
There are two problems with that story. The first one is glaringly obvious. I DO WAY MORE THINGS THAN JUST ANSWER THE
PHONES! Really? Is that what he thinks about me? After ten years of working my ass off he
actually thinks all I do is answer the phones?
Why the hell would he pay me so much if all I do is answer the
phones? The boss I do like often jokes
that my job title should be Saves the Day.
Because that is what I actually do.
Every day I put out fires and step up and finish jobs that other people
should be doing but don’t because they all suck and no one gets fired in my company.
So yeah, I was more than pissed off to hear that my boss
thinks to little of me. But then upon
reflection, it made me happy to hear because it is just what I needed. I hate my job and the very last thing I want
to do is join an organization for women in the fastener industry. I want to get out of the fastener industry,
not get more involved. So the following
weekend I went to the local community college and signed up for classes.
I have eleven pre-req’s I need to take before I can apply for
the nursing program. It sucks, but I am
going to do it. If I work my ass off I
can have them all finished in a year and a half. This means I will only be working at a job I
hate for another year and a half. After
I get accepted to the nursing program I plan on quitting my job and going to
school full time. I can’t wait. I have never been excited to start school
before.
sort of seem to happen.
It has been a long time.
And really, I have no excuses and no lame reasons for being gone. Life has been rather simple and boring
lately. But I am going to try this again.
Right now.
When the timing is oh so bad.
You see, in two weeks I will be starting school again and my
life will actually be busy. I should
have been blogging when everything was quiet and easy, but apparently that just
isn’t how I do things. I actually like
chaos. I thrive in chaos. So maybe having too much stuff to do will
actually be better for me. Maybe, just
maybe, I will start to get more things done.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in English, and as you probably
suspect, that degree hasn’t really been doing much for me lately. Or ever.
I am thirty years old and I am still working at what was supposed to
just be a college job. For the past TEN
YEARS, I have been making myself feel better about staying at a job I loathe by
saying things like “Oh, but it’s only 15 minutes from home and it’s so
convenient.” Or sometimes I’ll tell
myself that the four weeks of vacation I get make up for being miserable the
other 48 weeks of the year. But my all
time favorite excuse is that I can leave work at work, so in the evenings and
on the weekends I have all the time in the world to pursue things that actually
interest me. But no, I have not been
using my time wisely.
I have been thinking about nursing for quite some time. I actually thought about it before I decided
to get my ever so helpful degree in English.
I don’t know why I never followed through. But in October I had a breakthrough.
I sell bolts and nuts for a living. Yes, it is as glamorous as it sounds.
Every year my two bosses go to the fastener convention in
Vegas. When they came back, the boss I
like had all sorts of stories to tell me.
But the story that pushed me over the edge was this one:
The boss I like came in the office, all geared up and exited
after the convention. He had some
paperwork for me that he picked up in Vegas.
Apparently there is a new organization forming for women in the fastener
industry and he wanted me to join and be a part of it. And then he went on to tell me that when they
were talking to the person about me joining the women in the fastener industry
organization, the boss I do not like said, “why would you want Aly to be part
of it? All she does is answer the phones.”
There are two problems with that story. The first one is glaringly obvious. I DO WAY MORE THINGS THAN JUST ANSWER THE
PHONES! Really? Is that what he thinks about me? After ten years of working my ass off he
actually thinks all I do is answer the phones?
Why the hell would he pay me so much if all I do is answer the
phones? The boss I do like often jokes
that my job title should be Saves the Day.
Because that is what I actually do.
Every day I put out fires and step up and finish jobs that other people
should be doing but don’t because they all suck and no one gets fired in my company.
So yeah, I was more than pissed off to hear that my boss
thinks to little of me. But then upon
reflection, it made me happy to hear because it is just what I needed. I hate my job and the very last thing I want
to do is join an organization for women in the fastener industry. I want to get out of the fastener industry,
not get more involved. So the following
weekend I went to the local community college and signed up for classes.
I have eleven pre-req’s I need to take before I can apply for
the nursing program. It sucks, but I am
going to do it. If I work my ass off I
can have them all finished in a year and a half. This means I will only be working at a job I
hate for another year and a half. After
I get accepted to the nursing program I plan on quitting my job and going to
school full time. I can’t wait. I have never been excited to start school
before.
Friday, September 9, 2011
The 10 Year Anniversary
The 9/11 anniversary is on Sunday. Every time I turn on the computer I am jarred by all of the photos. When I turn on the radio I cry when I hear the stories. I know the press is probably just trying to honor those who died and possibly bring some comfort to those who lost loved ones that day. I know it is a devastating day in our history.
I just can’t handle it. I am a very sensitive person and seeing the photos and reading the stories make me cry. Big, fat, elephant sized tears. Like every other human being in this country, and most human beings on this earth, I will never forget what happened that day. Seeing it all over again isn’t reminding me of anything. How can you be reminded when you never forgot?
It just makes me incredibly sad. My heart breaks all over again. And the thing is, I can’t NOT read the stories or look at the pictures. Though I try to pass over the article I see about 9/11 online, I just can’t do it. For some reason I put myself through the pain all over again. Maybe I do it because I know there are people who still suffer with real pain from that day. And really, being sad for a few days every year about it is nothing compared to what some people went through and are still going through.
But I just can’t handle it. Unlike millions of people, I will not be turning on my TV to watch coverage. I will not read articles online, I will not listen to radio programs. It doesn’t mean I don’t care, it surely doesn’t mean I am not affected. It just means my heart can’t take the pain anymore.
I just can’t handle it. I am a very sensitive person and seeing the photos and reading the stories make me cry. Big, fat, elephant sized tears. Like every other human being in this country, and most human beings on this earth, I will never forget what happened that day. Seeing it all over again isn’t reminding me of anything. How can you be reminded when you never forgot?
It just makes me incredibly sad. My heart breaks all over again. And the thing is, I can’t NOT read the stories or look at the pictures. Though I try to pass over the article I see about 9/11 online, I just can’t do it. For some reason I put myself through the pain all over again. Maybe I do it because I know there are people who still suffer with real pain from that day. And really, being sad for a few days every year about it is nothing compared to what some people went through and are still going through.
But I just can’t handle it. Unlike millions of people, I will not be turning on my TV to watch coverage. I will not read articles online, I will not listen to radio programs. It doesn’t mean I don’t care, it surely doesn’t mean I am not affected. It just means my heart can’t take the pain anymore.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Show me your DORK!
No matter how cool we all may think we are on the outside, deep down a dork lives in all of us. True story.
Two weeks ago I admitted to watching High School Musical.
And High School Musical 2.
And last week I watched High School Musical: Senior Year.
And enjoyed all three of them.
I definitely think this qualifies me as a dork. Leland thinks so as well.
But I know I am not the only dork out there. Leland is pretty cool because he plays guitar in a heavy metal band….but then once you find out that he LOVES spreadsheets you realize he is just a big dork. Yes, that’s right. He loves spreadsheets. I don’t get it either. My BFF Danny is tall, dark and handsome and also a metal musician….but he is addicted to video games and often prefers sitting in front of the TV playing games to human interaction. Yes, he too is a dork.
A dork lives in all of us. Most of the time we don’t want to admit these things about ourselves. Sometimes we try and sugarcoat them. Just recently I called the stupid, teenage, girly movies I like my guilty pleasure. But really, I am a 30 year old woman. My guilty pleasure should be a glass (or bottle) of wine after work. Maybe it should be watching Cowboys and Aliens over and over again drooling over Daniel Craig. Watching stupid, teenage, girly movies is NOT a guilty pleasure. Watching those movies just proves that I am a big, fat dork.
So tell me, what makes you a dork??? I know I am not alone....
Two weeks ago I admitted to watching High School Musical.
And High School Musical 2.
And last week I watched High School Musical: Senior Year.
And enjoyed all three of them.
I definitely think this qualifies me as a dork. Leland thinks so as well.
But I know I am not the only dork out there. Leland is pretty cool because he plays guitar in a heavy metal band….but then once you find out that he LOVES spreadsheets you realize he is just a big dork. Yes, that’s right. He loves spreadsheets. I don’t get it either. My BFF Danny is tall, dark and handsome and also a metal musician….but he is addicted to video games and often prefers sitting in front of the TV playing games to human interaction. Yes, he too is a dork.
A dork lives in all of us. Most of the time we don’t want to admit these things about ourselves. Sometimes we try and sugarcoat them. Just recently I called the stupid, teenage, girly movies I like my guilty pleasure. But really, I am a 30 year old woman. My guilty pleasure should be a glass (or bottle) of wine after work. Maybe it should be watching Cowboys and Aliens over and over again drooling over Daniel Craig. Watching stupid, teenage, girly movies is NOT a guilty pleasure. Watching those movies just proves that I am a big, fat dork.
So tell me, what makes you a dork??? I know I am not alone....
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Weekend Getaway
I got home from my annual camping trip to Buckhorn State Park in Wisconsin on Sunday night. I am still so tired.
Every year Leland and I talk our friends into spending 4 days with us camping on Castle Rock Lake. We eat, drink A LOT of beer, and swim pretty much all afternoon. Though I am back at work, I am still recovering from the weekend. I usually sleep so well whenever I sleep outside, but not this weekend.
(That's one of our campsites. I love how they are right on the lake!)
I AM SO TIRED!
Plus, I think I am still bloated from all that beer.
Though I didn’t drink nearly as much as I have in the past, my age is making it harder and harder to party and rally. Unlike past years I have been camping, I managed to keep my clothes on all weekend. And I didn’t get drunk so I didn’t spend an entire day hungover. It was just a long weekend of relaxing, swimming, taking naps in the sun and doing beer bongs. Yes, I may be getting older but still don’t think I am too old for beer bongs yet.
Leland went to a concert with Danny yesterday, so when I got home from work yesterday afternoon I was all by myself. Want to know what I did with my time?
I watched High School Musical.
Yep. True story.
And when I was done with it I watched High School Musical 2. I would have kept going and watched the 3rd one, but it isn’t streaming on Netflix.
Yes, I enjoyed them. I am a dork and I don’t care who knows!
Anyway. I’m back home and back to work and all I really want to do is go back to the lake. Is that too much to ask?
Every year Leland and I talk our friends into spending 4 days with us camping on Castle Rock Lake. We eat, drink A LOT of beer, and swim pretty much all afternoon. Though I am back at work, I am still recovering from the weekend. I usually sleep so well whenever I sleep outside, but not this weekend.
(That's one of our campsites. I love how they are right on the lake!)
I AM SO TIRED!
Plus, I think I am still bloated from all that beer.
Though I didn’t drink nearly as much as I have in the past, my age is making it harder and harder to party and rally. Unlike past years I have been camping, I managed to keep my clothes on all weekend. And I didn’t get drunk so I didn’t spend an entire day hungover. It was just a long weekend of relaxing, swimming, taking naps in the sun and doing beer bongs. Yes, I may be getting older but still don’t think I am too old for beer bongs yet.
Leland went to a concert with Danny yesterday, so when I got home from work yesterday afternoon I was all by myself. Want to know what I did with my time?
I watched High School Musical.
Yep. True story.
And when I was done with it I watched High School Musical 2. I would have kept going and watched the 3rd one, but it isn’t streaming on Netflix.
Yes, I enjoyed them. I am a dork and I don’t care who knows!
Anyway. I’m back home and back to work and all I really want to do is go back to the lake. Is that too much to ask?
Friday, July 29, 2011
Summer Vacation
As I mentioned last week, Leland and I took a vacation to Savannah, GA at the beginning of summer. I was turning 30 and I wanted to celebrate my birthday somewhere other than here. It was easily the best vacation we have ever taken.
On my birthday we went to Tybee Beach and rode jet skis with dolphins. It was amazing how many dolphins were swimming right where we were jet skiing, there had to be at least 20. They were breathtaking to watch. That night Leland took me out to dinner and we both ate a ton of seafood.
We ate seafood every day we were there and it was all kinds of delicious.
Savannah stole our hearts. We fell in love immediately. Savannah is one of the prettiest places I have ever seen. We loved the history, the squares and the monuments. OF COURSE I went to the Juliette Gordon Low house. I loved seeing all of the Girl Scout troops that were visiting. I was happy to be surrounded by my people. Yes, that’s right. “My people” are 10 year old girls. I can’t help it. Though they don’t know it, we have a kinship.
We loved the bars, we loved the restaurants. We loved how easy it was to get around. We loved the proximity to the beach. We loved the southern hospitality.
Most of our time was spent at the beach. Yeah, we could have been seeing some really cool historic sights, but the beach was just so wonderful. Some days we read books at the beach, some days we just drank beer. But every day we went swimming. I love the water so being able to swim was such a treat for me. And since we spent so much time at the beach and drinking beers, I learned how to pee in the ocean. So now I am REALLY GOOD at doing that too.
*Is this too much pee talk for everyone?*
At nights we would get back to our hotel around 10 or so, and then we would stay up drinking wine and swimming in the hotel pool or boiling in the hot tub. Sometimes we would just sit outside and listen to the sound of the bugs chirping.
We never wanted to leave.
p.s. I was told by several of you, as well as my mother, that we needed to go to Paula Deen’s restaurant. We went. I cook better than that. It was very disappointing and I wouldn’t recommend it.
On my birthday we went to Tybee Beach and rode jet skis with dolphins. It was amazing how many dolphins were swimming right where we were jet skiing, there had to be at least 20. They were breathtaking to watch. That night Leland took me out to dinner and we both ate a ton of seafood.
We ate seafood every day we were there and it was all kinds of delicious.
Savannah stole our hearts. We fell in love immediately. Savannah is one of the prettiest places I have ever seen. We loved the history, the squares and the monuments. OF COURSE I went to the Juliette Gordon Low house. I loved seeing all of the Girl Scout troops that were visiting. I was happy to be surrounded by my people. Yes, that’s right. “My people” are 10 year old girls. I can’t help it. Though they don’t know it, we have a kinship.
We loved the bars, we loved the restaurants. We loved how easy it was to get around. We loved the proximity to the beach. We loved the southern hospitality.
Most of our time was spent at the beach. Yeah, we could have been seeing some really cool historic sights, but the beach was just so wonderful. Some days we read books at the beach, some days we just drank beer. But every day we went swimming. I love the water so being able to swim was such a treat for me. And since we spent so much time at the beach and drinking beers, I learned how to pee in the ocean. So now I am REALLY GOOD at doing that too.
*Is this too much pee talk for everyone?*
At nights we would get back to our hotel around 10 or so, and then we would stay up drinking wine and swimming in the hotel pool or boiling in the hot tub. Sometimes we would just sit outside and listen to the sound of the bugs chirping.
We never wanted to leave.
p.s. I was told by several of you, as well as my mother, that we needed to go to Paula Deen’s restaurant. We went. I cook better than that. It was very disappointing and I wouldn’t recommend it.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Being Great
You know how some people are really great at doing some things? For instance, Leland is really great at playing guitar. Charlie Sheen is great at winning. VC is really great at juggling. Don't know who VC is? Well, he is this really great kid who belongs to Carma. He is super talented and I am always in awe when I see one of his videos. Plus, I think he does backflips every day of his life. Watch the video, you won't regret it.
For years I have been trying to find something I am really great at doing and I have been coming up empty handed. Sure, I do a lot of things well. I’m good at baking and cooking. I do a beer bong better than most people. I can talk on the phone and do laundry at the same time. So I am not saying that I am without any talents.
I just wanted to be GREAT at doing one thing. I have been looking for one thing that I am better at than anyone else I know. Hell, I even want to be better at it than people I don’t know. It has been a long and arduous journey, but it has finally come to an end.
Last weekend while Leland and I were camping I realized that I am REALLY GREAT at…
Wait for it…
Wait for it…
Wait for it…
Peeing outside.
Now, I understand that I will never be better than a man at peeing outside. Logistically it just isn’t possible. But I am very confident that there are very few women in this world who can pee outside as well as I can. I am a pro.
I don’t have pee dribbling down my legs.
I don’t have pee dribbling all over my pants.
I don’t even have to lean against something.
And I do it all without even pulling down my panties.
This wasn’t a God-given ability. I worked hard for this one. I keep telling you how many life lessons Girl Scouts has to offer and here is another. I learned to pee outside like a pro from all those years camping and doing outside activities. I also learned from playing in the woods with my sisters when we were little. Hell, I have even peed behind my own garage because my one bathroom was occupied. What I am saying is I have had years and years of practice. And now I can finally say I am REALLY GREAT at something.
For years I have been trying to find something I am really great at doing and I have been coming up empty handed. Sure, I do a lot of things well. I’m good at baking and cooking. I do a beer bong better than most people. I can talk on the phone and do laundry at the same time. So I am not saying that I am without any talents.
I just wanted to be GREAT at doing one thing. I have been looking for one thing that I am better at than anyone else I know. Hell, I even want to be better at it than people I don’t know. It has been a long and arduous journey, but it has finally come to an end.
Last weekend while Leland and I were camping I realized that I am REALLY GREAT at…
Wait for it…
Wait for it…
Wait for it…
Peeing outside.
Now, I understand that I will never be better than a man at peeing outside. Logistically it just isn’t possible. But I am very confident that there are very few women in this world who can pee outside as well as I can. I am a pro.
I don’t have pee dribbling down my legs.
I don’t have pee dribbling all over my pants.
I don’t even have to lean against something.
And I do it all without even pulling down my panties.
This wasn’t a God-given ability. I worked hard for this one. I keep telling you how many life lessons Girl Scouts has to offer and here is another. I learned to pee outside like a pro from all those years camping and doing outside activities. I also learned from playing in the woods with my sisters when we were little. Hell, I have even peed behind my own garage because my one bathroom was occupied. What I am saying is I have had years and years of practice. And now I can finally say I am REALLY GREAT at something.
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