Well, Palin said that she could see Russia from her window....and now we know they can see her too.....
Song for Sarah
(I'm sorry for another political one- it was just too funny not to post!)
Monday, October 27, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Lame Molly
That's all I have to say about the last post.
On a much more positive note:
My brother Anthony's birthday is today! He is 15 and had a party last night with some of his friends. My parents being the ornery people that they are encouraged and helped him fork 2 different people's yards in the neighborhood. What cool parents, huh? :)
In one of the yards, my mom put horse poop next to every fork so that when the person went to get the forks out of the ground, they would have to step in horse poop! Genius!
I wonder if pranks like that would go over well here in Chicago....:)
Also: My friend Derik came and visited last week/weekend and it was awesome. I thought he should have an honorable mention in a post. And a picture of the fun fest we created! :)
Yes, this is ELMO. No, I have no idea why there was an ELMO in the Chicago Hot Dog place at 2 a.m. But don't worry, we took full advantage of him being there....
Again, no idea. I think we were looking at a 4D painting in the art show we went to? WHO CARES! We look AWESOME!
Love, love love these two! :)
On a much more positive note:
My brother Anthony's birthday is today! He is 15 and had a party last night with some of his friends. My parents being the ornery people that they are encouraged and helped him fork 2 different people's yards in the neighborhood. What cool parents, huh? :)
In one of the yards, my mom put horse poop next to every fork so that when the person went to get the forks out of the ground, they would have to step in horse poop! Genius!
I wonder if pranks like that would go over well here in Chicago....:)
Also: My friend Derik came and visited last week/weekend and it was awesome. I thought he should have an honorable mention in a post. And a picture of the fun fest we created! :)
Yes, this is ELMO. No, I have no idea why there was an ELMO in the Chicago Hot Dog place at 2 a.m. But don't worry, we took full advantage of him being there....Again, no idea. I think we were looking at a 4D painting in the art show we went to? WHO CARES! We look AWESOME!
Love, love love these two! :)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Warning: Pity Party Ahead
So, I haven't been doing my budget because I knew that during the past few months I've spent more money than I should have. But today, I sat down and tackled the past 2 month's worth of expenses...and much to my surprise....I've actually lived within my means.
However, I had originally formed my budget with the assumption that I was making $950/month. After looking at my bank statements today, I realized that my salary is only $802/month. Whoops. I had been calculating my salary before taxes. With my rent, gas and utilities averaging around $600/month and food and bills (phone) averaging around $200/month. I officially have $2 extra at the end of the month to spend on life....
After discovering this, I tried to remain calm. I returned to the office, where I'm supposed to be calling people asking for money- got really overwhelmed and turned down by the only call I made, managed to jam up the printer and have ink explode all over my hands (almost on my white jacket I just bleached last night) while no one in the office even noticed, and listened to a machine from Bank of America on the phone for 1/2 hour only to realize that they don't allow people to change their PIN numbers over the phone.
So my pride has officially taken the passenger's seat to necessity. I qualified for food stamps, but didn't want to get them, because I didn't feel like a "vow of poverty" was quite the same as real poverty. But now that I have about $2 extra cash a month and a lot of stress....I'm considering sprinting to the Social Security building to apply.
At this point, I'm ready to go home, eat my leftover red curry, watch Wheel of Fortune (which has become a nightly ritual) and breath....
However, I had originally formed my budget with the assumption that I was making $950/month. After looking at my bank statements today, I realized that my salary is only $802/month. Whoops. I had been calculating my salary before taxes. With my rent, gas and utilities averaging around $600/month and food and bills (phone) averaging around $200/month. I officially have $2 extra at the end of the month to spend on life....
After discovering this, I tried to remain calm. I returned to the office, where I'm supposed to be calling people asking for money- got really overwhelmed and turned down by the only call I made, managed to jam up the printer and have ink explode all over my hands (almost on my white jacket I just bleached last night) while no one in the office even noticed, and listened to a machine from Bank of America on the phone for 1/2 hour only to realize that they don't allow people to change their PIN numbers over the phone.
So my pride has officially taken the passenger's seat to necessity. I qualified for food stamps, but didn't want to get them, because I didn't feel like a "vow of poverty" was quite the same as real poverty. But now that I have about $2 extra cash a month and a lot of stress....I'm considering sprinting to the Social Security building to apply.
At this point, I'm ready to go home, eat my leftover red curry, watch Wheel of Fortune (which has become a nightly ritual) and breath....
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Oh Goodness
"The definition of insanity is: Doing the same thing and expecting different results." -Einstein
This is why we need health care reform. Not more of the same. Lame last night McCain. Maybe I should let him take the calls on our helpline.....
On a happier note: I have successfully managed to do nothing work-related for the entire morning. This is the second time this has happened. My friend James introduced me to these "mental holidays" and it will probably, slowly, ruin any chance of me climbing up that career ladder. But it makes me feel like I can breathe- and now I can use the next 5 hours to be productive! (I'm convinced that people in the US should do 4 or 5 hour work days- we waste so much time anyway, and then we could hang out more with people we care about during the day!)
And an even happier note: I'M GOING TO ARKANSAS TOMORROW!!!
This is why we need health care reform. Not more of the same. Lame last night McCain. Maybe I should let him take the calls on our helpline.....
On a happier note: I have successfully managed to do nothing work-related for the entire morning. This is the second time this has happened. My friend James introduced me to these "mental holidays" and it will probably, slowly, ruin any chance of me climbing up that career ladder. But it makes me feel like I can breathe- and now I can use the next 5 hours to be productive! (I'm convinced that people in the US should do 4 or 5 hour work days- we waste so much time anyway, and then we could hang out more with people we care about during the day!)
And an even happier note: I'M GOING TO ARKANSAS TOMORROW!!!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
It's Been Awhile
So I promise, no soul-moving, life-changing, or deeply important things today. Only self-deprecating, everyday stories....
This morning the trains were late- so far, normal- and everyone was in a hurry. The packed trains kept passing the crowd by, who was getting more and more frustrated. Just yesterday we had a staff meeting where we were reminded that someone needs to always be here at 9. (Since I'm usually the one here at 9, I'm assuming that they're referring to the 2 times I've been late). So this morning, I was feeling the anxiety that the business-casuals being passed by the train were feeling....
My first train arrived, we all herded in and packed on, and we made it to the transfer station. Everyone is in a hurry during rush hour in the mornings, but for those in an extra state of "hurriedness" they mandate the right side of the escalators for standing people and the left for the crazies to walk/run/leap up. Well, as I was making my way up the left side, I kept imagining what would happen if just one person on the right swung their elbow just right, knocking down their fellow left-side and causing a domino effect of people down the way.
Somehow in the middle of my day-dreaming, BAM! I completely fall. I still have no idea how it happened. But I have a large bruise on my knee and part of my toenail gone, so I know it happen. And the funny part was, as I was literally laying on the left side of the escalator, people continued standing, staring ahead. I guess it's normal for a curly-headed girl to be sprawled out, face-down on the escalator during rush hour. Thanks business casuals. There was one older woman that asked "Honey, are you alright?" Pridefully, I picked myself up and with my head held high muttered an "Oh yeah, I'm fine." Right Molly- because this happens all the time.
And then I make my way up the rest of the escalator, limping and missing part of a toenail, to begin my morning here in good ol' Chicago.
This morning the trains were late- so far, normal- and everyone was in a hurry. The packed trains kept passing the crowd by, who was getting more and more frustrated. Just yesterday we had a staff meeting where we were reminded that someone needs to always be here at 9. (Since I'm usually the one here at 9, I'm assuming that they're referring to the 2 times I've been late). So this morning, I was feeling the anxiety that the business-casuals being passed by the train were feeling....
My first train arrived, we all herded in and packed on, and we made it to the transfer station. Everyone is in a hurry during rush hour in the mornings, but for those in an extra state of "hurriedness" they mandate the right side of the escalators for standing people and the left for the crazies to walk/run/leap up. Well, as I was making my way up the left side, I kept imagining what would happen if just one person on the right swung their elbow just right, knocking down their fellow left-side and causing a domino effect of people down the way.
Somehow in the middle of my day-dreaming, BAM! I completely fall. I still have no idea how it happened. But I have a large bruise on my knee and part of my toenail gone, so I know it happen. And the funny part was, as I was literally laying on the left side of the escalator, people continued standing, staring ahead. I guess it's normal for a curly-headed girl to be sprawled out, face-down on the escalator during rush hour. Thanks business casuals. There was one older woman that asked "Honey, are you alright?" Pridefully, I picked myself up and with my head held high muttered an "Oh yeah, I'm fine." Right Molly- because this happens all the time.
And then I make my way up the rest of the escalator, limping and missing part of a toenail, to begin my morning here in good ol' Chicago.
Friday, September 12, 2008
A More Perfect Union
Obama does a wonderful job of speaking to my soul. I'm not sure how he does it, but everything he says resonates with something deep within me....and this morning was no different:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU&feature=related
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Stressed?
If you want to know how people deal with stress in the city, ride the public transportation. At some point during your ride most likely something will break down, hesitate or sling you from side to side. Last night I got on the train and the usual 10 minutes it takes to get from downtown to my apartment turned into a 45 minute ride.
The girl sitting on the other end of the car continued talking to her boyfriend about supermodels. About how they can't eat, how they're really not stick-skinny (obviously it's just the camera that gives them that effect) and she just can't get over....
The couple sitting in the middle of the car start creating their own CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) slogans. "If you want to add annoyance to your long, frustrating day at work, take the train!"
The girl on the end kept staring at the floor, sitting in the same position with her hipster skirt and jacket placed just so. I wish I knew what was playing on her iPod to keep her sitting that still, staring at that same spot, with no expression for the entire ride....
And finally, the boy across from me. He kept mumbling curse words, banging his head on the back of his chair and then (my favorite part of course) taking out his lighter to burn the bottom of his jeans. Over and over again.
I tend to just sit in a kind of lethargic state, staring into nothingness and thinking about the past. Today the rain made this impossible not to do. I was at a training and sometime during my third glass of Ugandan Chai (that I smuggled into the country club in my purse), my mind wandered back to Uganda. Sitting in the hut with the doors open, listening to Dr. Kim talk about water pumps and agricultural ideas: solutions for practical problems. Then the rain would come and we'd all stop and listen. There's no rain like African rain. And as I snap back into how to solicit money from "major gift donors" I ask myself, what am I doing here?
The girl sitting on the other end of the car continued talking to her boyfriend about supermodels. About how they can't eat, how they're really not stick-skinny (obviously it's just the camera that gives them that effect) and she just can't get over....
The couple sitting in the middle of the car start creating their own CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) slogans. "If you want to add annoyance to your long, frustrating day at work, take the train!"
The girl on the end kept staring at the floor, sitting in the same position with her hipster skirt and jacket placed just so. I wish I knew what was playing on her iPod to keep her sitting that still, staring at that same spot, with no expression for the entire ride....
And finally, the boy across from me. He kept mumbling curse words, banging his head on the back of his chair and then (my favorite part of course) taking out his lighter to burn the bottom of his jeans. Over and over again.
I tend to just sit in a kind of lethargic state, staring into nothingness and thinking about the past. Today the rain made this impossible not to do. I was at a training and sometime during my third glass of Ugandan Chai (that I smuggled into the country club in my purse), my mind wandered back to Uganda. Sitting in the hut with the doors open, listening to Dr. Kim talk about water pumps and agricultural ideas: solutions for practical problems. Then the rain would come and we'd all stop and listen. There's no rain like African rain. And as I snap back into how to solicit money from "major gift donors" I ask myself, what am I doing here?
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