A lady at my work was in an interesting funk today regarding the fact that it's her birthday tomorrow and she's "barely hanging on to a temporary job in an agency she never cared to work for in the first place" to pay off debt from years ago that she just can't seem to get a hold of. Her words, not mine. She is irritated at the volume of applicants that are clawing for the same jobs she is but she has one problem - they are all 26. Twenty years her junior. Dun dun dun...Kevin's age. I can see the frustration from her perspective but it seems more real looking out my own front door. So my question is: Is it worse for someone that has been in the workforce for years already or for someone, like my husband, that hasn't even been given a chance?
All I can really say is, it is difficult for both. The only silver-lining I see is that through this situation, Kevin and I are learning financial skills that will hopefully prevent us from being in her situation. In debt at 52 years old without a "real job" to cover it? Nooooo thank you. [We're not even in debt now]
Through every situation, you learn valuable lessons. They say this recession is going to be responsible for teaching our generation to make wiser financial choices, to live within our means and to save more money for the unexpected. That's definitely a silver-lining.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
dear ___________,
dear sophia, your jumping-up-and-down-with-your-hands-in-the-air welcome tonight really made my day. but honestly, nothing compares to the free hello kitty sticker facial you gave me. my pores have never felt cleaner.
dear starbucks, you saved me this morning. choosing between you and gas for the car was quite difficult, but in the end i made the best decision. so what if i almost didn't make it to work!? atleast i would be in a caffeine-induced happiness coma either way.
dear target children's section (and any other children's section for that matter), in no way are you helping me. i am going to avoid you at all costs from now on. the small collection of children's clothes i was lugging around was endearing. now it's just an obsession. beep beep beep...step away from the onesies. my clock is ticking at warp speed. i curse you and your clearance signs.
dear BB&B bath pillow, you make my baths twice as nice. warm, relaxing AND comfortable. who woulda thought that was possible! don't ever leave me.
dear monster, i'd really appreciate it if you'd learn to live with just one nightly treat. your barking demands every hour or so are really starting to tick me off. you're eating us out of house and home. damn dog.
dear friday, thank goodness you're near. this has been a long week and i need a break. please be kind and greet us with the sunshine.
dear down-alternative comforter, you are radiating softness to my core. thank you for being so inviting day-in and day-out. i am literally melting into you as i type this. worth every penny.
annnnddd i'm out.
dear starbucks, you saved me this morning. choosing between you and gas for the car was quite difficult, but in the end i made the best decision. so what if i almost didn't make it to work!? atleast i would be in a caffeine-induced happiness coma either way.
dear target children's section (and any other children's section for that matter), in no way are you helping me. i am going to avoid you at all costs from now on. the small collection of children's clothes i was lugging around was endearing. now it's just an obsession. beep beep beep...step away from the onesies. my clock is ticking at warp speed. i curse you and your clearance signs.
dear BB&B bath pillow, you make my baths twice as nice. warm, relaxing AND comfortable. who woulda thought that was possible! don't ever leave me.
dear monster, i'd really appreciate it if you'd learn to live with just one nightly treat. your barking demands every hour or so are really starting to tick me off. you're eating us out of house and home. damn dog.
dear friday, thank goodness you're near. this has been a long week and i need a break. please be kind and greet us with the sunshine.
dear down-alternative comforter, you are radiating softness to my core. thank you for being so inviting day-in and day-out. i am literally melting into you as i type this. worth every penny.
annnnddd i'm out.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Everyday.
A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between her work and her play; her labor and her love; her mind and her body; her education and her recreation. She hardly knows which is which. She simply pursues her vision of excellence through whatever she is doing and leaves others to determine whether she is working or playing. To her she always appears to be doing both.
Every day I ask myself: is this what I want to be doing? Am I living to work or working to live? Is working at the same company, slowly climbing the ladder, going to make me happy looking back in 60 years? When I was five, did I picture myself here? Do I even recognize myself anymore? What dreams do I want to achieve? Then, just like the day before and the day before that, I rattle off about a hundred different paths I could take. Then every day, I got to sleep feeling like I failed once again. How do you move in the direction of your dreams without letting your real life get in the way? Now I see how people get stuck and just keep on living the mundane, passion-less life. It seems too daunting, once you're too far in, to uproot and shoot for the extraordinary.
Every day I ask myself: is this what I want to be doing? Am I living to work or working to live? Is working at the same company, slowly climbing the ladder, going to make me happy looking back in 60 years? When I was five, did I picture myself here? Do I even recognize myself anymore? What dreams do I want to achieve? Then, just like the day before and the day before that, I rattle off about a hundred different paths I could take. Then every day, I got to sleep feeling like I failed once again. How do you move in the direction of your dreams without letting your real life get in the way? Now I see how people get stuck and just keep on living the mundane, passion-less life. It seems too daunting, once you're too far in, to uproot and shoot for the extraordinary.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
a letter.
dear husband,
you tell me that i'm wanted. you tell me that i'm beautiful nearly every day. you eat my cooking. you don't complain when i use up all the hot water. you kill every spider that tries to attack me, even out of a dead sleep. you vacuum. you encourage me to spend time with my friends. you love our nieces. you tell me that you're not going anywhere. i can see the sincerity in your eyes. during times like this, nothing means more.
i drift off to sleep every night extremely happy to be your wife. i adore you.
i am the luckiest.
love,
your wifey.
you tell me that i'm wanted. you tell me that i'm beautiful nearly every day. you eat my cooking. you don't complain when i use up all the hot water. you kill every spider that tries to attack me, even out of a dead sleep. you vacuum. you encourage me to spend time with my friends. you love our nieces. you tell me that you're not going anywhere. i can see the sincerity in your eyes. during times like this, nothing means more.
i drift off to sleep every night extremely happy to be your wife. i adore you.
i am the luckiest.
love,
your wifey.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Take a risk OR too risky?
When you discover your mission,
you will feel it's demand.
It will fill you with enthusiasm
and a burning desire
to get to work on it.
Kevin and I have been toying with the idea of relocating for quite some time. Things here are stagnant and, after a while, it has begun to wear on us. We feel stuck. Nothing is working out here like it's supposed to. Nothing in our life has happened like it was "supposed to" so... What better time than when you're young to just find a new journey? Re-route your path? Why not just pack up what we need in a u-haul and and start over? Why not take a risk? What's the worst that can happen? Worst case scenario: we run out of money and are forced to come back home. Right now, we are still young, we are not tied down into careers yet and it's not like we have kids. The spontaneous side of me screams "Yes, do it! Go find an adventure, find new opportunities!" and the logical, pragmatic side says "Are you crazy? You can't leave your job! What if you don't find another?" So, my question is...where do you draw the line between taking a risk (a gigantic leap of faith) and being irresponsible? Like I have mentioned countless times before, I have always followed the rules. Always. Always. Always. I can count on one hand the number of "bad things" I did in high school/college that would have upset my parents. I just figured, I wanted to get ahead in life (make my parents proud) and I thought in order to do that I had to follow the right path to get success. So, that's what I did. Now, looking back at 5 years of college, it hasn't paid off for either of us. Obviously all my hard-work and stress hasn't paid off so why not try the other end of the spectrum? Maybe we aren't where we are supposed to be? I missed out on a lot of opportunities that could have dramatically changed the position I am in today. I am not saying I regret anything, but it's always interesting to mull over "what-if" scenarios. Bottom line to this "should-we-or-shouldnt-we" predicament: I am not a risk-taker by nature. I have a comfort bubble that is seldom challenged. How do you make such a life-altering decision? It's scary for me to think that I even have that much control over my own life. I do believe God has a plan for me, for Kevin and for our marriage but I also believe God helps those who help themselves. You have to be proactive, make the best decisions you can and just pray. Trusting in His plan is still very difficult for me. Maybe relocating has been on my heart because that is where the path is going to lead us? Or maybe it's just a chance for me to sit, be patient and let God be God.
you will feel it's demand.
It will fill you with enthusiasm
and a burning desire
to get to work on it.
Kevin and I have been toying with the idea of relocating for quite some time. Things here are stagnant and, after a while, it has begun to wear on us. We feel stuck. Nothing is working out here like it's supposed to. Nothing in our life has happened like it was "supposed to" so... What better time than when you're young to just find a new journey? Re-route your path? Why not just pack up what we need in a u-haul and and start over? Why not take a risk? What's the worst that can happen? Worst case scenario: we run out of money and are forced to come back home. Right now, we are still young, we are not tied down into careers yet and it's not like we have kids. The spontaneous side of me screams "Yes, do it! Go find an adventure, find new opportunities!" and the logical, pragmatic side says "Are you crazy? You can't leave your job! What if you don't find another?" So, my question is...where do you draw the line between taking a risk (a gigantic leap of faith) and being irresponsible? Like I have mentioned countless times before, I have always followed the rules. Always. Always. Always. I can count on one hand the number of "bad things" I did in high school/college that would have upset my parents. I just figured, I wanted to get ahead in life (make my parents proud) and I thought in order to do that I had to follow the right path to get success. So, that's what I did. Now, looking back at 5 years of college, it hasn't paid off for either of us. Obviously all my hard-work and stress hasn't paid off so why not try the other end of the spectrum? Maybe we aren't where we are supposed to be? I missed out on a lot of opportunities that could have dramatically changed the position I am in today. I am not saying I regret anything, but it's always interesting to mull over "what-if" scenarios. Bottom line to this "should-we-or-shouldnt-we" predicament: I am not a risk-taker by nature. I have a comfort bubble that is seldom challenged. How do you make such a life-altering decision? It's scary for me to think that I even have that much control over my own life. I do believe God has a plan for me, for Kevin and for our marriage but I also believe God helps those who help themselves. You have to be proactive, make the best decisions you can and just pray. Trusting in His plan is still very difficult for me. Maybe relocating has been on my heart because that is where the path is going to lead us? Or maybe it's just a chance for me to sit, be patient and let God be God.
Friday, January 14, 2011
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUSBAND!
January 14th will always be one of my favorite days. It was the day that gave me you! It may have taken 18 years for our paths to cross, but it was already all planned out.
You are the one I want to come home to every night, the one I want to have babies with and the hand I want to be holding when we're 80 and chock-full of wrinkles.
You make me forget my past, enjoy the present and look forward to my future.
So, here's to you, THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, on your 26th birthday! Here's to 54 more birthdays together.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Food Revolution
TV Chef Jamie Oliver shut out of LA school cafeterias
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/01/tv-chef-jamie-oliver-shut-out-of-la-school-cafeterias.html
That article, and this entire concept of a food revolution in today's schools, is so interesting to me. I cannot understand why public schools do not recognize the value that chef Jamie Oliver has to offer to the children in their education system (and their community in general)? Baffling. Of course children, when left to their own devices, are going to choose what tastes good over what doesn't (aka the healthy options) when they are in their hot lunch line. They don't have their parents there, standing over their shoulders, making sure they choose the salad bar instead of the macaroni hot dog surprise or cheese pizza. Of course they are going to want hot lunch everyday instead of a home-packed lunch. Who wouldn't? Of course their health is going to be effected by it. So, why don't these parents care? What ever happened to the days of a sandwich, an apple and a bottle of milk or juice box? Why is it all lunchables, soda and food-packed-with-preservatives-and-msg now? Why is the hot lunch line filled with fried foods? You might as well just send Johnny to McDonald's every day for lunch. A lot of parents (atleast I'd like to think so) wouldn't be willing to take their kids to McDonalds for a happy meal every day of the week but, without realizing it, that's what they are doing.
I understand the school's worry about how their food (and entire education system) will be portrayed on tv, but there is a bigger picture here. Isn't it worth being a little ashamed for the great good of healthy kids? Perspective, people! I believe it is time for the community to step up and be open to changes that will benefit their children's health and mental focus while learning. They wonder why childhood obesity is so prevalent. They wonder why most adults in America have eating and obesity issues. It's all about what you are taught when you are younger about food and nutrition that factor into your opinions about food/health in your adult years. If it wasn't important to you (or your parents) when you're in elementary school, it's probably not going to seem very important when you reach adulthood and start shopping for yourself.
Thank goodness Oregon has already begun taking steps in the right direction with our food in public schools. I remember the day like it was yesterday...in second grade, we got a salad bar option at my elementary school. I was thrilled. Not because it was healthy (not sure I really put 2-and-2 together), but because a salad bar meant I got veggies (which I still love to this day) and it made me feel like an adult. It was such a simple step for the school but meant alot to the parents and the kids. These are the small steps that need to be made if we ever want to get childhood obesity under control.
***************
thought: I know a lot of parents that make their own baby food and I think it's great. Can't wait to do that with my little babes one day. If you know their baby food isn't good for them, why is it all the sudden okay to feed them the crap they have in the hot lunch line? They are still learning, they are still growing. Where's the line? Just an interesting thought.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/01/tv-chef-jamie-oliver-shut-out-of-la-school-cafeterias.html
That article, and this entire concept of a food revolution in today's schools, is so interesting to me. I cannot understand why public schools do not recognize the value that chef Jamie Oliver has to offer to the children in their education system (and their community in general)? Baffling. Of course children, when left to their own devices, are going to choose what tastes good over what doesn't (aka the healthy options) when they are in their hot lunch line. They don't have their parents there, standing over their shoulders, making sure they choose the salad bar instead of the macaroni hot dog surprise or cheese pizza. Of course they are going to want hot lunch everyday instead of a home-packed lunch. Who wouldn't? Of course their health is going to be effected by it. So, why don't these parents care? What ever happened to the days of a sandwich, an apple and a bottle of milk or juice box? Why is it all lunchables, soda and food-packed-with-preservatives-and-msg now? Why is the hot lunch line filled with fried foods? You might as well just send Johnny to McDonald's every day for lunch. A lot of parents (atleast I'd like to think so) wouldn't be willing to take their kids to McDonalds for a happy meal every day of the week but, without realizing it, that's what they are doing.
I understand the school's worry about how their food (and entire education system) will be portrayed on tv, but there is a bigger picture here. Isn't it worth being a little ashamed for the great good of healthy kids? Perspective, people! I believe it is time for the community to step up and be open to changes that will benefit their children's health and mental focus while learning. They wonder why childhood obesity is so prevalent. They wonder why most adults in America have eating and obesity issues. It's all about what you are taught when you are younger about food and nutrition that factor into your opinions about food/health in your adult years. If it wasn't important to you (or your parents) when you're in elementary school, it's probably not going to seem very important when you reach adulthood and start shopping for yourself.
Thank goodness Oregon has already begun taking steps in the right direction with our food in public schools. I remember the day like it was yesterday...in second grade, we got a salad bar option at my elementary school. I was thrilled. Not because it was healthy (not sure I really put 2-and-2 together), but because a salad bar meant I got veggies (which I still love to this day) and it made me feel like an adult. It was such a simple step for the school but meant alot to the parents and the kids. These are the small steps that need to be made if we ever want to get childhood obesity under control.
***************
thought: I know a lot of parents that make their own baby food and I think it's great. Can't wait to do that with my little babes one day. If you know their baby food isn't good for them, why is it all the sudden okay to feed them the crap they have in the hot lunch line? They are still learning, they are still growing. Where's the line? Just an interesting thought.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)