A lot of things went down in 2008 that left an impact on me personnally and on the whole world. The US presidential election, the Olympics, and general world drama in the world has been pretty significant. Completing my first year of college and starting my second, my dad's death, my ruinion with family that is finally holding strong, and learning a lot about myself through loss and perserverance has made 2008 stand out as a year that will be remembered.
I have decided to post some of the things that I came across in 2008 that can make my best and worst list, significant or not.
(Not everything started/was released in 2008 but I experienced it in 2008 for the first time which puts in on my '08 list)
Best Book: Running With Scizzors--Augusten Burroughs
Worst Book: New Moon--Stephanie Meyers (No Stampede Please)
Best Movie: Wanted
Worst Movie: Twilight
Best way to pass time in the car: Books on Tape
Worst way to pass time in the car: German lessons on tape
Best Purchase: Full Size Heated Blanket
Worst Purchase: Conditioner that twisted my hair into knots
Best Vacation: Colorado Family Trip
Worst Vacation: California Funeral Trip
Best Class: Craft of Poetry
Worst Class: German
Best Holiday: Birthday spent in CO shopping!
Worst Holiday: Halloween spent at Dad's funeral (Irony anyone?)
Best discovery of myself: I would really like to teach for a couple years before grad school
Worst discovery of myself: I can't put things on the backburner as well as I thought I could
Best Political Moment of 2008: Barack Obama's Election
Worst Political Moment of 2008: John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as running mate
Best Gadget: Sony Camera
Worst Gadget: My Crashing Laptop
Best TV Show: Jon and Kate Plus Eight
Worst TV Show: South Park
Best Sitcom: Gary Unmarried
Worst Sitcom: Two and A Half Men (used to be great but this last season has been different...not in a good way)
Most Exciting Moment: Rafting the Arkasas River in CO
Least Exciting Moment: People telling me how noticable it was that the dentist accidentally shortened one of my front teeth
Over all 2008 was a decent year. It was tough, but I definitely learned a lot. Thanks so much to my friends and family for supporting and cheering for me as I do all of you.
Lots of Love
Monday, January 12, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Oh Life
In an effort to spend my holiday gift cards before they burn holes in my pockets, I went to Best Buy, the Mall, and Target today. At the mall, I saw three parents of my high school classmates whom I chose to avoid to get out of the awkward "what's your major? where do you go to school?" questions and to not have to ask about my classmates who I didn't care what they were doing in high school much less now. Then at Best Buy I saw a group of people I recognized but could only remember the name of one of them. Nothing says unexpected high school reunion like "Hey....you." Next, in the same store, I saw another group of people I knew at some point in my life but could not remember if I recognized them from high school or college. I avoided this group altogether.
Target came next. Here, I saw a girl I new from elementary, Jr high, and high school and of course knew who she was, but then, out of no where comes the "you" group again. I quickly said goodbye and booked it out of the area. Down three aisles and I see more classmates' parents and have to dodge them as well. I have no clue why so many people from my hometown were in the city today. I don't see that many people that often when I am in my home town.
Weird
An update on the rest of my life...as always has ups and downs like a fishing boat in a hurricane. One friend being melodramatic and one friend nit-picking as much as possible at my life. One friend changed for the worse since I last saw him, one friend is finally getting to move on from an ugly old job! I got a new pair of Ugg boots today and they are fantastic. We also got a new microwave and coffee maker which may be dull to some but it makes the house pop. Way to start the new year!
Target came next. Here, I saw a girl I new from elementary, Jr high, and high school and of course knew who she was, but then, out of no where comes the "you" group again. I quickly said goodbye and booked it out of the area. Down three aisles and I see more classmates' parents and have to dodge them as well. I have no clue why so many people from my hometown were in the city today. I don't see that many people that often when I am in my home town.
Weird
An update on the rest of my life...as always has ups and downs like a fishing boat in a hurricane. One friend being melodramatic and one friend nit-picking as much as possible at my life. One friend changed for the worse since I last saw him, one friend is finally getting to move on from an ugly old job! I got a new pair of Ugg boots today and they are fantastic. We also got a new microwave and coffee maker which may be dull to some but it makes the house pop. Way to start the new year!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Politically Correct
As a disclaimer, I try to be as conscious as possible of other people's feelings and am pretty open-minded and race and nationality really means very little to me when it comes to people alllllll being people.
Yesterday, at work, I was helping a customer when I heard my co-worker say (repeatedly) in frustration "I don't understand what you want!" When I finished with my customer, I walked over to see what the issue was. This customer was wanting time for his prepaid phone. Time, with this company, is sold by days, in thirty, fifteen, or seven day cards. The gentleman had forty dollars on the counter and obviously wanted time for his phone but my co-worker could not convey that it is either 41 dollars for fifteen day premium cards (which includes texting and long distance) or 45 dollars for a thirty day card (which is just for talktime). My boss kept telling him "we need someone to come in to speak for you." (apparently not remembering that translator and interpreter work with pretty much everyone) I quickly realized that this gentleman spoke only Spanish as he kept repeating "No comprendo!" Now, I try to resort to using my broken Spanish only in dire need seeing as how whenever I speak one word of Spanish they start trying to hold a conversation with me and I have no clue what is going on. I figured this was a situation where I could try and help, so I walked over and asked him "Trienta Dias? or 15 (idk how to spell it in Spanish, but I said it in Spanish, obviously) dias?" The gentleman then turned to me and said "No comprendo." Me, being frustrated at this point as well, said, "No you can't tell me you don't speak English OR Spanish!"
We eventually figured out he wanted the thirty day card and I that he only spoke Spanish, but I guess he never learned to count.....
This got me thinking about another beef I have with people about being politically correct: If you can call me white and that's okay, there is no reason I shouldn't be able to call another race brown or black or whatever. I am no more WHITE than they are whatever color they are stereotyped. I think that is the fairest way to describe people because no one has ever referred to me as Italian German Portuguese Native American American, so there is no reason anyone else should be called African American unless they just moved here from Africa. Plus, "Asians" are rarely called "Asian American" or Latinos "Latino American"
And I am sorry but no one can ever "reclaim" the N word. It is a bad word and is derogatory and always will be. By trying to make it a common word people are insulting those who endured it as a derogatory term and, more importantly, the lines between safe and unsafe are blurred. Those who do not use the word are more likely to respect people than those who do use it. There is no differentiation between those who are using it with friends or those who are using it to be cruel. I'm sorry, but as a female, the C word will never be okay whether I tried to "reclaim it" or not. And if I did try to reclaim it, I couldn't just limit it to women being able to use the word, I would have to allow men to use it too and I would never be able to tell if they meant it in a "good way" or bad way. It's the same thing with the N word.
Thats my rant....if anyone has anything to say about it, let me know, I am always up to have my views challenged and sometimes changed/corrected.
Yesterday, at work, I was helping a customer when I heard my co-worker say (repeatedly) in frustration "I don't understand what you want!" When I finished with my customer, I walked over to see what the issue was. This customer was wanting time for his prepaid phone. Time, with this company, is sold by days, in thirty, fifteen, or seven day cards. The gentleman had forty dollars on the counter and obviously wanted time for his phone but my co-worker could not convey that it is either 41 dollars for fifteen day premium cards (which includes texting and long distance) or 45 dollars for a thirty day card (which is just for talktime). My boss kept telling him "we need someone to come in to speak for you." (apparently not remembering that translator and interpreter work with pretty much everyone) I quickly realized that this gentleman spoke only Spanish as he kept repeating "No comprendo!" Now, I try to resort to using my broken Spanish only in dire need seeing as how whenever I speak one word of Spanish they start trying to hold a conversation with me and I have no clue what is going on. I figured this was a situation where I could try and help, so I walked over and asked him "Trienta Dias? or 15 (idk how to spell it in Spanish, but I said it in Spanish, obviously) dias?" The gentleman then turned to me and said "No comprendo." Me, being frustrated at this point as well, said, "No you can't tell me you don't speak English OR Spanish!"
We eventually figured out he wanted the thirty day card and I that he only spoke Spanish, but I guess he never learned to count.....
This got me thinking about another beef I have with people about being politically correct: If you can call me white and that's okay, there is no reason I shouldn't be able to call another race brown or black or whatever. I am no more WHITE than they are whatever color they are stereotyped. I think that is the fairest way to describe people because no one has ever referred to me as Italian German Portuguese Native American American, so there is no reason anyone else should be called African American unless they just moved here from Africa. Plus, "Asians" are rarely called "Asian American" or Latinos "Latino American"
And I am sorry but no one can ever "reclaim" the N word. It is a bad word and is derogatory and always will be. By trying to make it a common word people are insulting those who endured it as a derogatory term and, more importantly, the lines between safe and unsafe are blurred. Those who do not use the word are more likely to respect people than those who do use it. There is no differentiation between those who are using it with friends or those who are using it to be cruel. I'm sorry, but as a female, the C word will never be okay whether I tried to "reclaim it" or not. And if I did try to reclaim it, I couldn't just limit it to women being able to use the word, I would have to allow men to use it too and I would never be able to tell if they meant it in a "good way" or bad way. It's the same thing with the N word.
Thats my rant....if anyone has anything to say about it, let me know, I am always up to have my views challenged and sometimes changed/corrected.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Finals Update!
Personal Essay officially worst paper ever written by english major!
Thanks to Teacher Aunt for proofing and suffering through it!
Legal cheat sheets still to write for research class.
16.5 hours to freedom...
Thanks to Teacher Aunt for proofing and suffering through it!
Legal cheat sheets still to write for research class.
16.5 hours to freedom...
Monday, December 15, 2008
Finals Week!
You know it is hell week/finals week when college town Walmart is out of ramen noodles, twizzlers (thank God Walmart carries Redvines which I happen to love way more than twizzlers anyway), ice cream, and mountain dew. Apparently, since I noticed the absence of all these things, I am a typical college student...good news or not I don't really know.
Also, this is post # 30 for me...exciting, I know. And the only reason I noticed this is because I should be studying... and I am wondering, why, after 30 posts, has no one asked what the one thing I would never change is? No one has to ask...I just think it would be the first thing I would do if I were reading this blog instead of writing it.
Only approximately 37 hours and 15 minutes left until a month vacation!
Also, this is post # 30 for me...exciting, I know. And the only reason I noticed this is because I should be studying... and I am wondering, why, after 30 posts, has no one asked what the one thing I would never change is? No one has to ask...I just think it would be the first thing I would do if I were reading this blog instead of writing it.
Only approximately 37 hours and 15 minutes left until a month vacation!
Friday, December 5, 2008
....Random Rants....
So, I have never been a huge fan of following reality shows, (except Big Brother which is the best show in the world and one day I will be on this show!!!) especially those involving celebs, but recently I have found myself somewhat entertained by Paris Hilton's My New BFF. I have never watched it at the actual original air times, so I am not obsessed, but when it is on I would rather watch that than even Jon and Kate Plus 8, which is pushing it. So last night I discovered that I could watch episodes online and I went through and watched the episodes I hadn't seen. The final episode aired on the third of December and said it would be posted on line on the fifth of December. Well, it is midnight on the fifth of December and it is not up yet. Considering I found myself shocked and glad I was alone so no one could see me getting teary eyed at the episode prior to the last one, I think I deserve a timely appearance of the show.
I also watched Brittany: For the Record tonight which I thought was alright but could have been better...what am I doing to myself? Watching all these celeb shows....
Speaking of jumping on bandwagons, I recently read all the Twilight books and while I can see how thirteen year old girls would love them and think they provide the ideal lifestyle, I am perplexed by how older people get the same tingly feelings inside from the mediocre writing styles of Stephanie Meyer. Some props to her though because the books were still one hundred times better than the movie which was down right awful.
Why did my profs try to be nice by not assigning hell week assignments but instead assigning week before hell week assignments? All of them did it and now my hell week is just papers due up the butt week.
For my anthro paper I wanted to contrast Catholicism and Jehovah's Witnesses, unfortunately the people who want to "spread the good news" (aka the JW's) don't ever answer phones or return phone calls. I don't think they witnessed anything because they are no where to be found. Unless of course, this is witness protection... :-)
I found another religion we will see how that works out...1500 words due Monday and still waiting on an interview.
AND I went to make hot chocolate this morning before heading to work and my cat was across the room. I poured a glass of milk to heat in the microwave, turned to put the milk carton back in the fridge, turned back around, and my cat was drinking my milk out of my cup.
What a day...
Also, for those of you that were wondering SUPPOSABLY is NOT a WORB!
You didn't Seen it, you saw it
And At has nothing to do with where your purse or your coat is (aka Where's my [insert object] at?)
There is something wrong with my computer!!
Kitty, please stop chewing on my homework and textbooks! YOU HAVE YOUR OWN FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The end
PS I put food out for the squirrels last night and it was still there all day until I went to a mentor session and there were little squirrel footprints all over and the food was gone so I will put out more and see my fuzzy friends!!! YAY
I also watched Brittany: For the Record tonight which I thought was alright but could have been better...what am I doing to myself? Watching all these celeb shows....
Speaking of jumping on bandwagons, I recently read all the Twilight books and while I can see how thirteen year old girls would love them and think they provide the ideal lifestyle, I am perplexed by how older people get the same tingly feelings inside from the mediocre writing styles of Stephanie Meyer. Some props to her though because the books were still one hundred times better than the movie which was down right awful.
Why did my profs try to be nice by not assigning hell week assignments but instead assigning week before hell week assignments? All of them did it and now my hell week is just papers due up the butt week.
For my anthro paper I wanted to contrast Catholicism and Jehovah's Witnesses, unfortunately the people who want to "spread the good news" (aka the JW's) don't ever answer phones or return phone calls. I don't think they witnessed anything because they are no where to be found. Unless of course, this is witness protection... :-)
I found another religion we will see how that works out...1500 words due Monday and still waiting on an interview.
AND I went to make hot chocolate this morning before heading to work and my cat was across the room. I poured a glass of milk to heat in the microwave, turned to put the milk carton back in the fridge, turned back around, and my cat was drinking my milk out of my cup.
What a day...
Also, for those of you that were wondering SUPPOSABLY is NOT a WORB!
You didn't Seen it, you saw it
And At has nothing to do with where your purse or your coat is (aka Where's my [insert object] at?)
There is something wrong with my computer!!
Kitty, please stop chewing on my homework and textbooks! YOU HAVE YOUR OWN FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The end
PS I put food out for the squirrels last night and it was still there all day until I went to a mentor session and there were little squirrel footprints all over and the food was gone so I will put out more and see my fuzzy friends!!! YAY
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Overwhelmed
Today I am overwhelmed by need to do's:
Study for finals
Write a 1500 word essay and do the preparation for it
write a poem
organize supervisors meeting
remember to breathe
I have been having nightmares almost every night for the past month give or take a week. I can't sleep through the night and it is really cutting into my sanity, patience, and attention. I feel like everything I have to do is almost all consuming. I need to learn to prioritze and not procastinate. I need to get things in order and put off grief for just a couple more weeks...and these dreams need to go away period.
Study for finals
Write a 1500 word essay and do the preparation for it
write a poem
organize supervisors meeting
remember to breathe
I have been having nightmares almost every night for the past month give or take a week. I can't sleep through the night and it is really cutting into my sanity, patience, and attention. I feel like everything I have to do is almost all consuming. I need to learn to prioritze and not procastinate. I need to get things in order and put off grief for just a couple more weeks...and these dreams need to go away period.
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